Photo Timeline of my 4Runner {LOTS OF PICS}
- Thread starter LINY4Runner
- Start date
LINY4Runner
New member
sorry for the crap photo, but this is too exciting not to share...he did some work on his own today...I'll bring the Nikon along on Sunday when I go back
Dirtco
New member
Looks like your making good progress!
A couple words of advice from a guy that ran 2" spacers with 2" backspace wheels (pretty much the same amount of off-set as you with the IFS hubs). First, you will want to get Marlin's HD steering kit as soon as possible, that much leverage kill's the knuckle bearings. I blew up two in a season, and the guy I sold the 4Runner to broke a couple before upgrading. When they break it has a good chance of destroying the birfield (I had 30 spline Longfields $$), along with chewing up the tires, and a bunch of other crap. It's not a cheap upgrade, but it's also not cheap when it breaks and takes a bunch of other stuff out with it!
25mm Steering Upgrade Kit w/ Arms | Marlin Crawler, Inc.
Second, like [MENTION=53470]Rockdawg84[/MENTION] said, you will want hydro assist sooner than later. That much scrub radius makes turning a royal pain, even impossible at times when you figure in a front locker.
A couple words of advice from a guy that ran 2" spacers with 2" backspace wheels (pretty much the same amount of off-set as you with the IFS hubs). First, you will want to get Marlin's HD steering kit as soon as possible, that much leverage kill's the knuckle bearings. I blew up two in a season, and the guy I sold the 4Runner to broke a couple before upgrading. When they break it has a good chance of destroying the birfield (I had 30 spline Longfields $$), along with chewing up the tires, and a bunch of other crap. It's not a cheap upgrade, but it's also not cheap when it breaks and takes a bunch of other stuff out with it!
25mm Steering Upgrade Kit w/ Arms | Marlin Crawler, Inc.
Second, like [MENTION=53470]Rockdawg84[/MENTION] said, you will want hydro assist sooner than later. That much scrub radius makes turning a royal pain, even impossible at times when you figure in a front locker.
LINY4Runner
New member
I didn't even realize that existed, but I like it a lot! The price is up there and I'm sad that I'd have to scrap the new HiSteer arms I have now. (EDIT: just realized you don't need to buy it with the arms...guess I'd just fit the pins into my TG arms?) Since we started breaking the axle down, I've wanted to do something about the Trunion Bearings...
I knew the scrub radius was gonna be bad, we're gonna try to run it without the spacers first see how it feels, add them see how that feels, and decide
LINY4Runner
New member
oh by the way...Meet Dan, guys! He is the sole owner/operator of Solo Fabworks here on Long Island (hence, solo) and that's his MJ Buggy named "Big Stupid". He's the guy doing the engineering part of the build- the measuring and welding and calculating and all that...I'm taking care of the Toyota Specific stuff like the wiring, t-case, column, etc.
slowpoke99
New member
oh by the way...Meet Dan, guys! He is the sole owner/operator of Solo Fabworks here on Long Island (hence, solo) and that's his MJ Buggy named "Big Stupid". He's the guy doing the engineering part of the build- the measuring and welding and calculating and all that...I'm taking care of the Toyota Specific stuff like the wiring, t-case, column, etc.
Nice to have friends in high places when it comes to te more technical stuff. Unfortunately, my friend is no longer with us but his name will live on forever in our industry. It's a five minute drive to his place from mine and i learned more info on building rigs than I could ever imagine! Many on here know who he is.
Mr. Bobby Long (Rest In Peace!!!)
LINY4Runner
New member
Bobby Long :usa2::rip::hail:
slowpoke99
New member
aint that the truth! and if i may add to the advice given by dirtco, you might want to look into upgrading your locking hubs with chromo hub gears. small price to pay to save a set of birfs. if those birfs you got from marlin are as strong as bobby's, you'll definitely grenade a hub sooner or later. i talked to bobby's wife Tina a couple of weeks ago when i stopped by their place and she mentioned that they don't warranty the birf if the failure was do to a locking hub blowing up and destroying the outer splines. and like dirtco said, $$$$$!!! so $120 for a pair of their 4340 chromo's seemed like the way to go.
just a suggestion.
LINY4Runner
New member
Yeah it's all coming down the pipe...That's the kinda stuff I can do after the build, which is why I haven't done it yet. I wanted to take care of the stuff I NEEDED to get the truck rolling, the peripheral I can always do down the road.
I'm gonna take it easy on the truck (lol I know what you're thinking "no he isn't") for a good while before going too crazy. I'm basically gonna need to re-learn the truck; on and off road. I'll have no locker in the front so the 35's will really be the only strain on the axle that it's not used to but there's plenty out there that are running this way. The one thing I did splurge on is the Marlin Birfields because I've seen what happens when they break and I've seen how much of a pain in the ass it is to replace on a 45 degree rock face. So I think I have the basics covered, once it's rolling under it's own power again it'll be fine tuning; stuff like the trunion bearings, hub gears, locker, etc...
But again thanks for all the insight, guys, keep it coming! There's always more to learn...hope to wheel with you guys one of these days
LINY4Runner
New member
just dropping this here because I love this photo
(except for the fact that she's missing an ear lol)
(except for the fact that she's missing an ear lol)
slowpoke99
New member
I know what you're saying. I'm kinda doing the same thing on mine. I wanna get it on the road before hunting season then set up my dual cases afterwards. By then the springs will settle and I'll have all my gear situated in the rig that way my driveshaft lengths will be a lot closer to where they're gonna stay. Only place I screwed up was that I wanted to have Longfield heat/cryo treat my ring and pinions but I ended up assembling the axles already. That's the thing about upgrading our birfs is that we move the weak link in our axle to somewhere else that sooner or later will fail. I figured with the gears treated, Longfields and chromo hubs, the weak point will move to the ujoint/driveshaft which is a lot easier to swap out in the trail than axle parts.
LINY4Runner
New member
They're Fox 10" travel. Went 2.5 because it's bigger :fro:
lol there's really no reason other than the 2.5 has a bigger shaft...for the 10" travel shocks, it's really all I had enough room for, I don't want this truck to be huge, we've managed to only lift it 2" higher than it was with my IFS setup which is a feat in itself. Going to be in the 3-4" up-travel, 6-7" down range.
LINY4Runner
New member
aaaaaaaaaaaaand we have problems.
I knew it was going too easy...
So the steering is too high, it's gonna mash the pan. Dan is asking if I can find lower arms, but I'm not sure. I believe I can run a pair of the right side stock steering arms (because the left side has that stupid loop thing) and that will have the steering sitting slightly lower (maybe an inch or 1.5)...anyone care to confirm or debunk this myth? I'm thinking we just clearance the oil pan.
Also a bit upset with All Pro and their Taco "Supreme" kit which is marketed as the full and complete, plug and play, be-all end-all 3-link kit. They forgot to mention, however, that it requires scrapping of the transmission crossmember. They also forgot to build one to suit the kit. Wonderful. Now it's on to engineer our own, costing more time and materials than the roughly $10k I'm at now.
This is becoming stressful...
On the lighter side, new handful of pictures tomorrow!
I knew it was going too easy...
So the steering is too high, it's gonna mash the pan. Dan is asking if I can find lower arms, but I'm not sure. I believe I can run a pair of the right side stock steering arms (because the left side has that stupid loop thing) and that will have the steering sitting slightly lower (maybe an inch or 1.5)...anyone care to confirm or debunk this myth? I'm thinking we just clearance the oil pan.
Also a bit upset with All Pro and their Taco "Supreme" kit which is marketed as the full and complete, plug and play, be-all end-all 3-link kit. They forgot to mention, however, that it requires scrapping of the transmission crossmember. They also forgot to build one to suit the kit. Wonderful. Now it's on to engineer our own, costing more time and materials than the roughly $10k I'm at now.
This is becoming stressful...
On the lighter side, new handful of pictures tomorrow!
LINY4Runner
New member
Did you use the T100 oil pan?
I noticed your steering is behind the axle...is that unique to the FJ80 axle?
