Inferior Front Suspension

[cheeperthebetter]

After looking for a year for a straight axel 4x4 i came across an 89 toy p/u with a 3.0 that ran good, fourwheel drive worked well and had not major mechanical problems so i bought it. Now i want to know how can i keep the IFS together and what are weak points, aka what spare parts i need to carry. the truck currently has 31x10.5x15 BFG mud terrains. i have a set of 35x12.5x16 all terrains and if i can find some rims i may trim the fenders to run thoes. will the bigger tires cause significantly more wear and tear to the front end. any advice would be great.

[nmeinc]

there are guys running 35s's on IFS rig with an open front diff and are fine. Look for a set of Balljoint spacers for the front and an add a leaf for the back. that way you get a little better flex, but still stay low.you will also need to pound the firewall seam flat to clear that size tire.

Roger Brown makes and designs some great stuff here's the spacers he sells.
4 crawler. com

[ron86toy]

Originally Posted by cheeperthebetter

After looking for a year for a straight axel 4x4 i came across an 89 toy p/u with a 3.0 that ran good, fourwheel drive worked well and had not major mechanical problems so i bought it. Now i want to know how can i keep the IFS together and what are weak points, aka what spare parts i need to carry. the truck currently has 31x10.5x15 BFG mud terrains. i have a set of 35x12.5x16 all terrains and if i can find some rims i may trim the fenders to run thoes. will the bigger tires cause significantly more wear and tear to the front end. any advice would be great.

i have a couple good parts for you to carry as spares. Set of half shafts w/new boots,and a set of knuckles.$50. for all.I might even have a d-shaft laying around you can have for $20.
Dont really need to carry the knuckles...but good to have them.

[Rattler]

cheaperthebetter,
We should have talked at the trail ride. If I would have known you wanted info on the IFS trucks I could have gave you some. I wheeled an '89 XtraCab for a few years.

New front CVs would be helpful. You do have to unbolt the front diff to change them too. It looks like it may squeeze out but they won't!

An idler arm gusset from Downey will help when yours goes out (it will go out, especially if you run 35s).

I really don't think the 3.0 is any stronger than the 22RE, just more prone to breaking. See if you can find out if the headgaskets were done. Toyota covered them long after they needed to. They are done now though. There was an article on swapping a 3.4 for one in one of the 4x4 rags a few months ago too.

The moment you feel your clutch starting to slip, go pick up both clutch and slave unit rebuild kits. They are cheap enough and will save you some grief on the trail. Trust me, it sucks driving home to Bay City from Mio on a holiday weekend without a clutch pedal!!

K&N air fitlers are great if you do a lot of dirt roads/sand. You always get a "new" filter cheap. They made a slight power difference with a 22RE too.

As far as a lift, from what I read people had the best luck running the Rancho "4 with the IFS.

A body lift isn't a terrible thing to have. They are cheap and go on Toys fairly easy (my buddy had a Toy he got at an auction that had a bodylift made out of hockey pucks!!).

If you want bigger than 33s (35s with a bodylift), you pretty much have to go straight-axle like Ron's 4Runner or it will do nothing but break shit everytime you take it wheeling. Too much angle on the CVs will tear them right up. At least thats what I gathered from talking to people and what I have read.

The carrier bearings on the XtraCab's rear driveshafts are not cheap either!!

There may be easier-to-work-on front hubs but the stock Aisin ones are some of the best/toughest you can find. If you have auto-hubs I know wheelers recommended to swap them out. I can't remember how much parts and effort this took though.

Hey Ron,
You ever have to replace your O2 sensor? I heard you can pull them out and burn the crap off with a torch and they will be fine. Not sure though because I heard this one after I shelled out the $$$ for one for my 22RE.

[cheeperthebetter]

Rattler,
thanks for the info. I did buy some front half shafts and a front drive shaft off of Ron which is awsome cause i was looking for some on ebay and was not coming up with a lot.
I will have to check out the idler arm gusset, i know there was a recall on a steering component which i should probably get done one ot these days.
The head gaskets were done at 145,000 according to the previous owner which was many years ago as it mostly sat for a few years before i bought it. an engine swap would be awsome, i would love to put the almost 400hp 350 i have sitting in my garage out of my old truck but that would be a lot of work and i think my money is better spent on other upgrades for now, even if the engine is a dog. (my 305 in a 1500 4x4 beat it in a drag, but the chevy is atleast a stick)
as far as the clutch, well unfortunatly its an automatic...
hopefully some day i will get the money for a straight axel conversion, but i heard you can run 35s with the IFS as long as you have the right offset on the wheels and maybe a bit of trimming.
i would like to stick with the current front hubs as they are not auto hubs but the drivers side is getting pretty hard to turn, can i just pull it apart and regrease it or rebuild it?
as for the carrier bearing, i am sure that will be going soon as the previous owner i think rarely if ever lubed the drive train, and there are something like 13 grease fitting on it.

thanks for the tips and if you know how to get any more power from the 3.0 or want to swap in a manual or straight axel let me know, i will provide

Also what were you driving saterday??

[ron86toy]

Originally Posted by Rattler

Hey Ron,
You ever have to replace your O2 sensor? I heard you can pull them out and burn the crap off with a torch and they will be fine. Not sure though because I heard this one after I shelled out the $$$ for one for my 22RE.

I had to replace it when I did my motor build...blew the head gasket,so I went ahead and did LC engineering complete top end w/dual row timing chain,header and stainless exhaust.I had to extend the wire for the o2 so I got the cheaper universal one,but I think I am going to upgrade to the three wire.


cheaperthebetter,I was running a 4inch ifs lift w/33's,and could not keep the front end aligned,might just have been the lift I had(cant recall what one it was).I ended up taking out the front lift and triming the fenders for the 33's.
If I was to build an ifs toy it would be total chaos suspension w/fiberglass fenders,I believe you would be able to fit 35's with that.
You could do a strait axle pretty cheap in some ways...rear springs up front,chevys in the rear.
you would have to buy or fab the brakets and front shock hoops,front axle can be bought ,I have a couple laying around,front hi-steer.
If you have the tools you can do it for under 1500.00 very easy...maybe even 1000.00

[Rattler]

All Pro Offroad has their straight-axle swap kit on sale right now for $1049.

http://allprooffroad.com/index.php?o...ask=view&id=42

[ron86toy]

Originally Posted by Rattler

All Pro Offroad has their straight-axle swap kit on sale right now for $1049.

http://allprooffroad.com/index.php?o...ask=view&id=42

Iwill NEVER buy anything from them again......Sent packages to wrong address 4 times,waited 1 1/2 months for them to send anything,wich I was told it was in stock.go to trail gear before them....same place make bothe of there springs anyways.

[Rattler]

I know they rave about them on Tacoma Territory. Trail Gear does ok by them too.

I have been kicking around a 2-3" lift. ToyTec seems the way to go.

[cheeperthebetter]

The front end only seems slightly out of alignment, not scrubbing off the tires too bad yet, i know a shop in Grand Rapids that will do alignments for me for $25 but its a bit of a drive for an alignment. I have also not been doing anything too difficult, and eventhough saterday was a good time i really would like to try some harder trails so i sure it will only get worse.
i looked at the total chaos system at one time but for the money i think i would rather just go straight axel. Petersons did a write up on the total chaos system and seemed to like it for the dunes but then took it off the truck in favor of a straight axel when the truck went to ultimate adventure.
i really would like to do a front axel swap, unfortunatly i don't have much money to throw at it right now as i am trying to buy a house, i am sick of this renting crap. that being said, i have access to a number of tools, and i am pretty confident in my abilites if i have a little direction/help. what do you have for axels and how much? I have a front axel out of a older 4runner but it needs bearings and gears and something is bent and rubs pretty bad. i'v heard good things about the axels other then the birfields. if i could find the money it would be a good way to pass the winter months maybe i should sell the sled to finance it anyone want an 03 MXZ 600?

[ron86toy]

only tools you need are basic hand tools,torch or plasma,welder ond measuring tape.Get ahold of me when your ready...I can give you a hand

[Pre4runner]

Im running an 88 ifs and its not too shabby. I liked my 4runner better though. My intention has always been prerunning and rally drving so i've looked into a lot of ifs stuff. I have full fiberglass front and rear and can fit 35's out back but need to tub the front firewall to clear them and still turn. So currently i have 33's with no lift. I had an 4 inch lift... not sure from who but never bolted it on. i would have made some extra gussets and welded it too.

In the long run im going with the total chaos caddy 2 kit. and coils. Or if i get sick of saving money and decide not to head west i'll through a solid axle in.

just my 2 cents

[Rattler]

Pre4runner,
Do I know you? I live in BC too.

[Pre4runner]

umm im not sure... what do you drive? I have the above mentioned truck and a green xj stock

[Rattler]

I got a dark red '04 DoubleCab Taco. All stock yet.

[Pre4runner]

Don't think i know you.... might have seen the truck around though. Im heading to the mounds tomorrow, want to go.

[Rattler]

I was thinking about going Sat. or Sun. I work until 7AM so I wouldn't go tomorrow until later (@ 1 or 2?). It should be a quick trip there for me seeing I live on M15.

What will you have if I show up?

If I win the Megamillions tonight look for a crazy SOB running through all the puddles in a FJ Cruiser!! Hell, maybe a Porsche Cayenne.

[Pre4runner]

I'll be in my black toyota... baja looking full fiberglass. Probally channel 4 on the cb

sent you a pm with my number