Low COG Yota ideas?

Metal Head · Mar 24, 2014

Looks like I'll be switching from a designated Samurai trail rig to a dual purpose Yota truck. I have a parts pile including Fox air shocks, 37's, H1's, a bunch of heims. I'll be working with a 92 Yota 4x4 pickup, and I'll be doing a solid axle swap on the front of course. I've looked around but haven't found much on a low COG Yota that is streetable and I'm looking for input/ideas.

87yota · Mar 24, 2014

When mine was on leafs I had RUF and 57" ford springs in the rear.... Just run three leaves in front and three In the back... But don't forget traction bar....

grcthird · Mar 24, 2014

Move the front axle forward and stand the steering box up with a flat pitman arm if you aren't using full hydro. Sawzall the body, wheel spacers or IFS hub bodies on the front axle to match rear axle width and beat the snot out of it.

Rokcrler · Mar 24, 2014

Here's my 88 running 39s in the pic. Very streetable and works great in the rocks.
Combo of stock springs up front relocated steering box, high steer.
.

smbroady82 · Mar 24, 2014

I'd talk to this man ^^^^^^^^^^

bluetoy · Mar 24, 2014

Mine's about as low as you can get with an IFS frame without redesigning the front of the frame. I'm running modified stock front springs on the front and stock rears with a couple of extra leafs. Doesn't have a lot of up travel on the front, but it drive's really good on the street and still works good on the trail. The only time my 4runner has been on a trailer was going to KOH. If something would have happened to the tow rig, I wouldn't have thought twice to drive it home from JV.

Metal Head · Mar 24, 2014

I like both rigs pictured but Im not real crazy about running leafs. Im thinking 4 links with air shocks because I already have the parts here.

TBItoy · Mar 24, 2014

I've built 2, linked an low.

The Runner was a road driver for several years, it had crossover low-steer. It was stock height. Sat level with stock rear springs.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/toyota-truck-4runner/743666-stock-runner-build-stock-height-link-suspenion.html

The Gremlin has more travel and the same ride height, but the front axle is moved too far forward for stock front sheet metal, and has full hydro steering.

http://www.hardlinecrawlers.com/forums/index.php?topic=27862.75

bluetoy · Mar 24, 2014

If you want to link it, read TBItoy's stock runner build. That is the way I would go if I were to link mine.

How will those air shocks handle on the street?

B.DRAKE · Mar 24, 2014

bluetoy said:
Mine's about as low as you can get with an IFS frame without redesigning the front of the frame. I'm running modified stock front springs on the front and stock rears with a couple of extra leafs. Doesn't have a lot of up travel on the front, but it drive's really good on the street and still works good on the trail. The only time my 4runner has been on a trailer was going to KOH. If something would have happened to the tow rig, I wouldn't have thought twice to drive it home from JV.

My god I LOVE your Runner!!!

TacomaJD · Mar 24, 2014

bluetoy said:
If you want to link it, read TBItoy's stock runner build. That is the way I would go if I were to link mine.

How will those air shocks handle on the street?

Like ass, unless a sturdy sway bar is used. All an air shock knows how to do is unload on the light side.

TBItoy · Mar 24, 2014

I would NOT use a 2.0 air shock on anything you want to drive on the street, unless you are planning to run it a very low ride height (not much shaft showing), plus maxed out oil capacity and really stiff rebound valving.

2.0 air shocks are barely rated to carry the weight of a vehicle. Only reason I used them on the Gremlin is that I picked up the pair for dirt cheap (had to rebuild one, shaft was bent).

I used 3" air bumps on it pretty much as secondary suspension, almost like a "dual rate" setup on a coilover. (I already had the air bumps also).

I could have probably got some 12" travel 2.0 coilovers for about the same $ that I have in the bumps and 2.0 air shocks, and they probably would perform better, but I was just using what I had laying around at the time.

The traditional coil/shock setup is a pretty easy and maintenance free setup if you are going to daily drive your rig.

TacomaJD · Mar 24, 2014

TBItoy said:
2.0 air shocks are barely rated to carry the weight of a vehicle.

Another good point. :dblthumb:

midnight_f150 · Mar 25, 2014

Rokcrler said:
Here's my 88 running 39s in the pic. Very streetable and works great in the rocks.
Combo of stock springs up front relocated steering box, high steer.
.

Do you have a build thread? You have a very nice toyota.

TacomaJD · Mar 25, 2014

midnight_f150 said:
Do you have a build thread? You have a very nice toyota.

It's for sale!

http://www.hardlinecrawlers.com/forums/index.php?topic=28394.0

Rokcrler · Mar 25, 2014

Re:

easleycrawler · Mar 26, 2014

Its a lot cheaper to buy, than build. :****:

TBItoy · Mar 26, 2014

easleycrawler said:
Its a lot cheaper to buy, than build. :****:

X10

Building a Toyota from the ground up is pretty crazy (I know, I've done it several times!), You can buy a used crawler with all the good hardware in it (double cases, crawler gears, upgraded 30 spline birfs, etc) for 1/2 the price than buying it all new!

Mutt · Mar 26, 2014

Flat alcan springs front and rear, front only had like 3" of uptravel on 14" bilsteins in the front, 12" bilsteins in the rear.

Road awesome unless you tried to go fast on the trail then it brought the suck and you had to slow way down to a crawl.

43 degrees was the tipping point before it would try to go belly up, i had an old coloradok5.com "pucker factor" angle bubble gauge on the dash.

Pictured with 39.5" TSL's on 8" beadlocked wheels, 2" backspacing and 1.5" spacers. ~84" sidewall to sidewall wide.

I ran 35" AT's on 15x10's for daily driving. Had 40k miles on it before the sawzall killed it.

Oh, did i mention it had a horrible scrub radius and turned like a barge unless you disengaged the front axle...Or broke the rear carrier... It drove GREAT in FWD.
----

I got wise and bought a tiny hatchback daily driver, built a tow rig, trailer, and buggy...Sure its cool to cruise around in your wheeler, but when you don't care if you have to drive it home from the trail it sure makes things more fun :****: