Sniv's Custom Long Travel Build

[snivilous]

Well shit man!!! I didn't even know what happened. There are no pictures of it on here.... So... Post some maybe???? And when you come down I have a mess of stickers youc. An rifle through if you want. I have a weird sticker collection going on lol

Bro, go back a page http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/145641-snivs-3rd-gen-log-4.html

Haha

 

[KidVermicious]

Recoveries are way awesome, I love going on rescues.

 

[smkd13]

Bro, go back a page http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/145641-snivs-3rd-gen-log-4.html

Haha

Ha ha well shit. For some reason tapatalk didn't want to load them but dam nice flop there bud lol. Finally have trail damage lol

 

[snivilous]

And so it begins...

 

[snivilous]

Lt ifs time!

Okay, so I've been thinking long and hard and I'm 95% sure I'm going to make a custom long travel (or "mid travel") setup for my IFS. Like hell am I going to pay three grand for some control arms, and as I'm sure a lot of people have seen this guy (Dual Sport 4runner - TTORA Forum) made his own for his 3rd gen. No offense to him, and he even states it, but he has no engineering experience so was just building the shit out of his gear hoping it wouldn't fail. The plan is I will design and model the new suspension and do the analysis (long hand and finite element) to be confident that the new setup will be able to handle abuse. When winter break rolls around I will already have all the plans so can get right down to building it.

I am thinking the standard 3-3.5" per wheel increase to fit Tundra/T100 axles which it sounds like yields around 12-13" of travel according to Total Chaos. The setup I build will be a direct bolt in as much as I can do, so downtime will be decreased and if something happens I can just plug stock gear back in.

I will hopefully be able to run my current shocks (5100) though might have to buy new coils to compensate for the increase lever arm. If this goes through I also plan to get Land Cruiser or similar coils for the rear that are softer, since even with all the weight in the rear my 891s bounce badly.

I want to do this because I go faster more often than I go slow; I think it looks cool; and I want a custom suspension. Around here, a lot of trails are just gravely with bumps or have occasional whoops to divert water and I want to be able to hit them faster and not worry about bottoming out. I don't plan to be jumping my rig or anything insane, just a mild travel increase to handle bumps.

I will have to get fiberglass or tube fenders, though my drivers side fender needs replacing anyways. I am slightly worried about the track increase, but I don't think it's very significant relatively, but we'll see. I can always duct tape some cardboard to my fenders and drive around and see how much 3" per side actually looks. A benefit of course of a wider track is a lower risk of rolling over, which I have issues with Additionally, I will be able to run larger tires (though I don't plan to go over 33s ever and should be able to fit those fine now) easily since the wheels will be pushed away.

The initial steps to start this will be modeling the stock IFS and figuring out how it loads and reacts so I know the minimum to design to. My current thoughts are just building from square tubing, at least on the lower control arm and either round or square for the upper control arm.

KidV wants me to throw a 8" 3rd member in the front, but that will have to wait since this is meant to be a quick project once the welder is turned on.

And here is just a quick picture after I dinked around in SolidWorks a little bit getting a feel for things.

Tomorrow I might pull my tire and take proper measurements and lots of pictures. If anyone has any warnings or advice, please share as always and thanks for reading!

 

[smkd13]

Well for one your upper will need to be longer as you will want the top of your tire to tilt inwards. Just say what I noticed.

Another thing that is going to limit your travel is the stock ball joints. They already wear fast as is being lifted. You might consider trying to go with something like light racings ball joint setup. Either that you would have to have a bent upper to brig the mounting surface for the UBJ to level.

Your gonna want to look in to using a longer Coil-over. There are a lot of benefits to them but having your moving mass that far from the opposition force is going to make it so you going to need a higher # coil ( like a lot). Mechanical leverage. There is a reason they have the COs angled and longer. You want to get it closer to the moving mass as you can really.

Just remember there is a difference between what works and what will get you by.

Just what I have noticed. Was looking into long travel recently but decided that it isn't worth the expenditure to go that route.

 

[snivilous]

Well for one your upper will need to be longer as you will want the top of your tire to tilt inwards. Just say what I noticed.

Another thing that is going to limit your travel is the stock ball joints. They already wear fast as is being lifted. You might consider trying to go with something like light racings ball joint setup. Either that you would have to have a bent upper to brig the mounting surface for the UBJ to level.

Your gonna want to look in to using a longer Coil-over. There are a lot of benefits to them but having your moving mass that far from the opposition force is going to make it so you going to need a higher # coil ( like a lot). Mechanical leverage. There is a reason they have the COs angled and longer. You want to get it closer to the moving mass as you can really.

Just remember there is a difference between what works and what will get you by.

Just what I have noticed. Was looking into long travel recently but decided that it isn't worth the expenditure to go that route.

Yea, I will definitely use heims or some kind of other joint. And I was this to be a pseudo budget setup, but I agree it would only hurt to cut corners. If I work a few weeks during winter break alongside building these, then I can afford some nicer coilovers.

Were you thinking about long traveling just the front or everything? My thoughts are kind of that if I can lift the front another inch with the longer arms, then it won't have too much rake with land cruiser springs effectively giving me more up travel and not as much bounce at the same time; assuming of course that my rolling moment was lowered enough from the wider stance that it was still lower than a 3" lift with a 4" lift.

 

[Brian757]

Hey Sniv, let me know about the stickers man. I've got a local offroad shop that has a little section for strictly stickers. I won't be able to get you Toytec and stuff like that, but Bilstein, BDS, ARB, SkyJacker, etc. (The big companies)

 

[snivilous]

40" LED Bar. Going on a quick trail run in a few minutes, but will get it mounted and hopefully wired in by tonight to test it. Will be mounted on the roof rack since that's the only place it'll fit. 11,800 lumens.

Ironically it was estimated to arrive tomorrow (shipped from Anaheim CA, Monday) and got here today. My amplifier from amazon arrived on campus Monday but has yet to appear in my mailbox...

 

[muttbutt]

really digging your set up man, you really know your ish and thats awesome. What tools did you need to build your bumpers? I really wanna start on mine but dont have any tools hah.. Maybe I missed it but are you locked in front or rear at all?

 

[Bandit Runner]

Subscribed for the long travel build! :dance:

 

[smkd13]

Yea, I will definitely use heims or some kind of other joint. And I was this to be a pseudo budget setup, but I agree it would only hurt to cut corners. If I work a few weeks during winter break alongside building these, then I can afford some nicer coilovers.

Were you thinking about long traveling just the front or everything? My thoughts are kind of that if I can lift the front another inch with the longer arms, then it won't have too much rake with land cruiser springs effectively giving me more up travel and not as much bounce at the same time; assuming of course that my rolling moment was lowered enough from the wider stance that it was still lower than a 3" lift with a 4" lift.

Thought about it. Has serious consideration for it but when it comes down to it. Running a 33" or 35" is just too small for what I want to do and as I like rocks more than go fast jumping shit I will be more so selling the runner (possibly) and getting a taco to truggy and ton.

Now for the rear I actually have worked out a long travel setup that will work great with our rigs. Now it is a complete over haul but will be true long travel but this includes a gas rank relocate and tundra axle housing swap

 

[snivilous]

really digging your set up man, you really know your ish and thats awesome. What tools did you need to build your bumpers? I really wanna start on mine but dont have any tools hah.. Maybe I missed it but are you locked in front or rear at all?

Thanks man. I used a skill saw with a metal cutting blade for most of the panels with straight lines, then an oxyacetylene torch, angle grinder, MiG, and a compound miter saw for the 2x4 in the back but you could use the other tools to cut it. Then of course clamps and stuff. Besides cutting it, really it revolved around just welding and grinding.

And no, I'm not locked front or rear, that might happen next summer.

 

[snivilous]

So I got my new 40" LED bar in, and mounted it on the roof using the front roof rack mounting locations.

I just have the wiring go in through the rear starboard passenger door and then down that rear panel and through the floor area and then across the radio/console area until going through the fire wall. I also have the wiring tied into my current front LED switch.

I was planning on selling my current 20" LED bar in front, but with the new one mounted so far back a "horizon" is created with it, since the roof shades the area right in front of the truck. In combination with the 20" flood it works perfect since the flood light begins to fade where the spotlight is visible.

I'm gonna try to aim the roof light a little higher, but regardless it lights everything up for a good distance! Also got an amp for my subwoofer I bought awhile back, so I now have bass from a 2100W peak 1000W rms sub when I want it

And I've been pretty swamped between wheeling, school, and work so I haven't had time to take my tire off and crawl around the IFS to measure it out. I have been looking at coilovers and air bump stops. I might go with ADS, since they are cheap and apparently have really good quality and compete with King, Icon, Fox, etc. They also have free revalving, where as the others require you to valve them yourself. I can also get a good deal on them probably during Christmas from a local shop.

 

[snivilous]

And then a wheeling trip from yesterday, we went up Providence canyon and then around Mount Logan and back down Logan Canyon.

At the bottom, it was me, my buddy with the Cherokee on the left and this new guy with another Cherokee.

And the new guys Cherokee started overheating because his fans wouldn't engage. Ironically my buddies Cherokee had the same thing happen when he went up the first week of school. We just directly wired the fans in so they were always on.

And a little bit of snow up there.

The new guy got high centered on a tree since he didn't hit it perpendicular. I got to pull him out since I'm the only one with front tow points.

On the top of Mount Logan, my buddy and I posing.

And a USU Offroading Club picture

And then my buddies front left shock became disconnected at the axle somehow...

Further on his left rear tire started wobbling. It turned out one of the studs on his wheel spacers had ripped off somehow, and the lugs weren't torqued down anymore. We retorqued them but they soon came off again. When we stopped this time he only had two lugs holding the tire on so we went to remove the wheel spacer, and it was totally chewed up and his aluminum rims were all wallowed out. We removed the spacer and just remounted the wheel and he was fine driving back.

And then at the bottom of the trail the new guys Cherokee found out his steering shock had been ripped off.

So both Cherokees had at least two issues, the 4Runner had none :thumb3: I got enough anger at the 4Runner for not breaking down, it was funny but that's why I go. Someone needs to carry the gear to save the Jeeps

 

[KidVermicious]

I've been trying to make it up there wheeling with you guys, but I'm not so sure I want to now. Have you guys gone out yet and NOT had anybody break?

 

[Limbwalker]

Good to see you and your rig are no worse for the wear, and out wheeling again.
Might have to check out Mount Logan... Ive done very little wheeling up north.
So, your from Divide? I used to live up there too! Is Hackett/Longwater still open? I remember going up widow maker in my old bronco after some jeep guys said my rig was too big. haha... never even slipped a tire (even when doing a pretty good wheelstand on a shelf)
I would have loved to see their expressions

 

[snivilous]

I've been trying to make it up there wheeling with you guys, but I'm not so sure I want to now. Have you guys gone out yet and NOT had anybody break?

Plenty of times! I just don't post on the pictures on here! On Wednesday me and this jacked up Tacoma went up Millville and no one had any issues, last Sunday me, a Cherokee, and two Wranglers went up Millville too and no one really had any issues. I also go to Highplains park (no idea what it's actually called, it's like 3 miles north) pretty routinely alone to show girls some quick offroading or that's where I go to test my gear (it's the closest, and the hardest and has a combination of wide open prerunning type stuff and steep, and pseudo-crawling stuff).

Anyways, Providence is just the canyon with issues (overheating, flat tire, axle mount ripped off, rolled, more overheating, etc.)

Good to see you and your rig are no worse for the wear, and out wheeling again.
Might have to check out Mount Logan... Ive done very little wheeling up north.
So, your from Divide? I used to live up there too! Is Hackett/Longwater still open? I remember going up widow maker in my old bronco after some jeep guys said my rig was too big. haha... never even slipped a tire (even when doing a pretty good wheelstand on a shelf)
I would have loved to see their expressions

I didn't even know there was a town called Divide haha, I just live closer to the divide than any town so I put that (when I'm not at school). All the trips from August to December are in northern Utah where I go to school.

 

[Limbwalker]

Ha! fair enough... well its up past woodland park on Hwy 24 on the way to cripple creek, so now you know



I didn't even know there was a town called Divide haha, I just live closer to the divide than any town so I put that (when I'm not at school). All the trips from August to December are in northern Utah where I go to school.[/QUOTE]

 

[Offroad_Medic]

I've been trying to make it up there wheeling with you guys, but I'm not so sure I want to now. Have you guys gone out yet and NOT had anybody break?

If we end up in BC helping Tyson out next weekend would you wanna go for a trail run up in Logan?