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TRDyota
02-21-2004, 09:59 PM
Over the next couple of weeks, I'm going to be collecting all the crap I need to swap some half ton chevy springs into the rear of the Toyota. After reading the write-up on pbb, I've decided to do the double shackle set up, and weld on a new front spring hanger. The chevy springs are exactly 63" long, much longer than the stock Toyota springs. So, my first question is, where can I find some good leaf springs from a 1988-1998 half ton chevy (2wd is preferred)? I know there is Highway 6 Autosalvage, and then that auto salvage near 105 on 50 toward Brenham. Who has the best prices? Also, I remember Austin saying something about not being able to use jacks in salvage yards for liability issues. How in the heck am I supposed to remove leaf springs when usually the car is resting on its leaf springs on a stack of old rims?

BigRedFord04
02-21-2004, 10:09 PM
if the truck is resting on the springs just as the place to set it up on a set of rims to where you can remove them. the guys at gordons were pretty good about helping us remove the frame today. it was sitting on the axle and springs and they set it up on the "rim jackstands" every junkyard uses. try gordons. dont know that they have anything really new, but there was a 4x4 chevy p/u out there.

TRDyota
02-21-2004, 10:09 PM
donde esta gordons?

BigRedFord04
02-21-2004, 10:12 PM
take Hwy 6 north to 21, turn right on 21 and its 1/2 mile on the left. closed on sundays. open 'til 5 during the week and 3 on saturdays.

eight
02-22-2004, 02:49 AM
Yep, the guy at Gordon's was real helpful when we pulled Kreb's 3/4 ton chevy front axle. Probably the fastest time anybody ever pulled a 60 out of there in.

TRDyota
02-22-2004, 04:34 PM
Here is the front hanger. It's made of 3.5"x3.5"x0.25" square tube, and tapered so that it does not get hung up easily on rocks. How much should I expect to pay for a pair of front spring hangers?

BigRedFord04
02-22-2004, 04:35 PM
are you buying those hangers or making them?

TRDyota
02-22-2004, 04:41 PM
Hopefully I can find a talented welder like yourself who can make them for me for a good price. If not, I will have to buy some CJ spring hangers which are not quite so streamline. How much would these go for at the shop you work at?

TRDyota
02-22-2004, 04:42 PM
I also need a mounting plate like this...

bburris
02-22-2004, 04:54 PM
Those hangers shouldn't be too hard for someone to make for you. They look like an elongated version of the ones we made for my Jeep.
http://www.texasoffroad.net/albums/lonestar/Ford88/DSC03486.sized.jpg

What kind of shackles are you going to use for this double shackle setup?

TRDyota
02-22-2004, 04:59 PM
Gonna take the stock toyota shackles and bend them flat against the frame. Then, I will connect the springs to the toyota shackles via the stock chevy shackles, but I am not sure what angle to use. Any suggestions? All in all, it should look like this:

BigRedFord04
02-22-2004, 05:10 PM
i dunno who made that drawing but they're a better fabricator than me. 19/32" to the bolt holes? screw getting that accurate. i'm sure we can make some for pretty cheap. how much longer than your stock springs are the chevy springs?

bburris
02-22-2004, 05:19 PM
WHy do you need a new top spring plate? Aren't some Chevy springs 2.5" wide?

TRDyota
02-22-2004, 05:19 PM
Originally posted by BigRedFord04
how much longer than your stock springs are the chevy springs?

Good question...not exactly sure. The chevys are 63" with a "centered" centering pin. The toyotas have an offset center. According to PBB, the front hanger on a 98-2000 tacoma needs to be mounted 7.5" forward from the stock hanger (from eye to eye). The rear difference is supposed to be something around 4 to 4.5" (give or take). So do the math and you get roughly 11" or 12" shorter.

TRDyota
02-22-2004, 05:20 PM
Originally posted by bburris
WHy do you need a new top spring plate? Aren't some Chevy springs 2.5" wide?

yes, they are, and the toyotas are only 2.25" wide.

bburris
02-22-2004, 05:41 PM
that top plate shouldn't be hard to make...just need a few minutes with a drill press and a tape measure...

Violentv8toy
02-22-2004, 09:16 PM
Use spring plates from a wagoneer. Small...compact...look good....perfect size....strong and won't bend. Thats what I did. Pick em up whenever u get springs.

In case you didn't know, move the spring hanger up ~11 inches and tack weld it. Swing up your axle and check it for center in the wheel well. Then check the length from your front tire to the back tire so its not cockeyed.

Double shackles are pretty easy to figure out....they *should* bolt right together and lay together.

I dunno the prices on em, i got mine in a trade from Blake awhile ago. I wouldn't pay more than 80 for the pair.

Expect some lift from it too. If you wanna see mine sometime..gimme a call. I've got chevys and my truck is back up in town.
:cheers:

TRDyota
02-22-2004, 10:05 PM
Originally posted by Violentv8toy
In case you didn't know, move the spring hanger up ~11 inches and tack weld it. Swing up your axle and check it for center in the wheel well. Then check the length from your front tire to the back tire so its not cockeyed.:cheers:

Not neccesarily. Your truck had shorter springs than mine does. I'm certain that the new spring hangers are to be 7.5" forward. But do you have a pic of your shackle set-up?

uglyota
02-23-2004, 10:55 AM
It doesn't sound like you're interested in making your own spring hangers, in which case the ones sky makes (http://www.sky-manufacturing.com) or Budbuilt's (http://budbuilt.com/new/spring_hangers.html) are sweet and a good deal.

If you make them yourself, find someone with 3 1/2" x 1/4" wall square tubing and buy a couple feet. I ended up paying $16 for 2 feet from custom fabricators (on 2818). Mack said they carry it, but every time I called they were out of it.

I paid about $100 for a set of 3/4 ton leafs.

Oh, pulled the spring plates off an 80-something cherokee, but not all of them work, most are too narrow (kinda sickens me because I think I pulled them off a D44). Tractor supply has a pretty good selection of ready-made spring plates, too.

Violentv8toy
02-23-2004, 12:58 PM
yeah sorry. I totally forgot this was going on a taco. Well...either way, eyeball it and swing your axle up and center it. Not too difficult. I don't have a picture of my dual shackle...sorry.

my waggy plates work great. I was thinking about using a set on the front too. The hangers are easy to make. Get 1 ft of that tube stated above...cut it down to about 8" and cut them corner to corner and you've got 2 spring hangers. Grind them down when they're on the vehicle and they should look great.

uglyota
02-23-2004, 03:04 PM
Originally posted by Violentv8toy
The hangers are easy to make. Get 1 ft of that tube stated above...cut it down to about 8" and cut them corner to corner and you've got 2 spring hangers. Grind them down when they're on the vehicle and they should look great.
Not quite that easy, but almost.
There's a seam along one side, so you need about 2 feet, and you have to cut and drill so that you throwaway the edge that had that seam on it.

Where's your truck sitting, Mario? Shouldn't it be at the MSC?

Violentv8toy
02-23-2004, 04:27 PM
Right now its sitting at the muffler shop and im gonna go pick it up. I gotta have a little exhaust mod done to it. I'm really busy this week, hopefully i can get it ready to follow you sunday. You should see the drag link we fabbed up to tow it around with. It makes my inverted y draglink look like a true gem.

Sorry for the hijack.

TRDyota
03-01-2004, 08:54 PM
Originally posted by uglyota
If you make them yourself, find someone with 3 1/2" x 1/4" wall square tubing and buy a couple feet. I ended up paying $16 for 2 feet from custom fabricators (on 2818). Mack said they carry it, but every time I called they were out of it.


I took a look on Onlinemetals.com, as suggested in another thread, just to get an idea for steel prices. I don't know if the price included shipping or not, but for two feet of the specified square tubing I need was somewhere around $90. Perhaps I was looking in the wrong place. How much should I expect to pay, roughly, for two feet of 3.5" x 0.25" square tubing?

uglyota
03-01-2004, 09:03 PM
Holy Geez!

I would expect to pay...um...how about $16 for 2 feet?

BigRedFord04
03-01-2004, 09:11 PM
Originally posted by TRDyota
I took a look on Onlinemetals.com, as suggested in another thread, just to get an idea for steel prices. I don't know if the price included shipping or not, but for two feet of the specified square tubing I need was somewhere around $90. Perhaps I was looking in the wrong place. How much should I expect to pay, roughly, for two feet of 3.5" x 0.25" square tubing?
Jebus Christo!! were you looking for titanium??

http://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant.cfm?pid=10371&step=4&showunits=inches

go to bryan iron and metal. they'll hook you up for under $20 i'm sure. tell them Austin sent you. ;)

uglyota
03-02-2004, 11:53 AM
What am I on everybody's ignore list?

Bryan doesn't carry it.

Mack says they carry it, but never has any.

Custom Fabricators on 2818 has some and will sell it to you for $8/foot plus $1/cut (spend the extra buck to have them cut it in half for you because it's a pain with cutoffs)

TRDyota
03-03-2004, 05:44 PM
Alright, I did some looking around on the web today, and contacted some people from TTORA. It appears that rather than wasting money buying "racing coilovers" such as Fabtechs or Donahoes, a popular alternative is replacing the stock front springs with Old Man Emu springs to get 2" of lift. This will be a much cheaper set up, and about the same performance. Additional shocks will have to be purchased. So, I have gathered a list of questions, and any insight to these questions would be much appreciated.

1.) I will have to buy 4 new shocks, regardless, so what is a cheap, but good shock?

2.) The OME springs are on one retailers webpage for roughly $135 a pair. Is this a good price, or does it seems kind of high?

3.) The OME 882 springs are made for a tacoma that has a heavy winch bar on the front. These "heavy duty" springs are supposed to get around 2" after they settle. The 881 springs get around 1.5"-2" before they settle. I need as close to 2"-2.5" as possible to get these 33" Mudterrains to fit. If I put the "heavy duty" springs on to get a full 2", what will it do to my ride?

4.) How much work/what do I have to do to install lift springs?



And, I think thats it. Thanks a lot.

Ben97XJ
03-03-2004, 06:55 PM
The OME springs have the reputation of giving lift and great ride too. If you want good ride and are not too cheap then get the OME springs and shocks. If you are cheap then Doestch 3000s shocks ride good and are like 30 a piece. You might look into getting the 882's and a 1 inch spring spacer. That should put you about right you can always trim down the spacers.

TRDyota
03-03-2004, 09:29 PM
Okay, after a little more research, OME means what they say when they say not to buy the 882's unless you have a winch bar, otherwise you get a rattle in your CV's at highway speeds, causing them to break. However, 881's with spacers will work. So this idea is pretty much set in stone for me. However, the issue of shocks is still at hand.

The Pro-Comp ES3000's sell for about 100 bucks for the set of 4. Does any body know how well these perform?

Any better suggestions for shocks? I am open to anything right now.

eight
03-03-2004, 09:57 PM
The procomps work fine for me. And so do my BDSs, and ranchos.

Ben97XJ
03-03-2004, 09:59 PM
Doestch 3000s shocks ride good and are like 30 a piece.

TRDyota
03-04-2004, 02:01 AM
BDS?

jerryg79
03-04-2004, 02:45 AM
ben i hope those boobies aren't anyone you know...cause they are sad!

redcagepatrol
03-04-2004, 09:40 AM
Originally posted by Snatch Adams
ben i hope those boobies aren't anyone you know...cause they are sad!
Just thought I would get my Avatar up there:D

Ben97XJ
03-04-2004, 03:54 PM
If you want to see the rest of my Avatar try searching for Tara Reid!:flipoff2:

TXsizeK5
03-04-2004, 03:57 PM
Originally posted by TRDyota
BDS?

http://www.bds-suspension.com/

eight
03-04-2004, 04:47 PM
BDS is sold at our favorite local offroad shop for $25 each and probably got 14" travel ones in stock cause that's what jacked up superduties use. They pulled mine out of an 8" lift kit.

TRDyota
03-06-2004, 05:40 PM
Bought springs today from Gordon's. They have 3 leaves plus overload. Going Monday to Custom Fabricators to buy some steel. Quick question: Am I going to need to extend brakelines? Again, the springs will give around 2-3" of lift.

Violentv8toy
03-06-2004, 06:13 PM
its not so much the lift...its the downtravel that will extend your brakelines. On mine, there is one single line that goes from the passenger frame to the passenger side of the axle. There was a bolt that held it down to the axle and the holder on the frame...i cut with a torch so now it just hangs loose. I wouldn't bother with extended brakelines cause they're $$$. I know you want it to look clean so why don't you unbolt it all and use little springs maybe? When are you planning on doing the swap? I'd like to lend a hand or just watch.

TRDyota
03-06-2004, 07:13 PM
Mario,
It'll probably be sometime after the break, but definitely before we go to Mason again.

stx4wheeler
03-06-2004, 07:19 PM
i heard bryan hose and gasket makes brakelines and it would cost you like 25 bucks is what someone told me they paid for their longer rear lines. i ll help to

Violentv8toy
03-06-2004, 07:51 PM
How are you planning on mounting shocks? Long shocks in the stock location or / \? if you mount em / \ you'll only have to buy like 9" travel shocks.(which is less effective but looks cooler)

TRDyota
03-06-2004, 09:32 PM
Originally posted by Violentv8toy
How are you planning on mounting shocks? Long shocks in the stock location or / \? if you mount em / \ you'll only have to buy like 9" travel shocks.(which is less effective but looks cooler)


Long shocks in the stock location. Trying to keep this as simple and cheap as possible.

Hence, if the brakelines don't need to be extended, then they won't be.

I think I am going to use the procomp ES 3000's. The set will cost bout 110-120.

uglyota
03-07-2004, 02:23 PM
how's about you look on Pirate, Yotatech, and ttora and find out *from people who have done it* how to extend your brake lines cheaply.
Do it.
Then write up on it here!
:eek:

stx4wheeler
03-07-2004, 02:32 PM
yeha but if you angle your shocks like / \ so then doesnt it flex better. Thats what i have heard from alot of bronco people. Just my . 02.

Violentv8toy
03-07-2004, 05:43 PM
well the thing about shock location is flex and efficiency.
I think that even if you got 14" travel shocks in stock location that you'll use em up either way. If you mount them / \ you can flex throughout the cycle but then you take away from the effectiveness of the shock by mounting it at an angle.

I'd just do long shocks in the stock location. But i'm not sure if they'd fit. You might wanna look into that. If you've only got 18" from eye to eye after the lift, you ain't gonna get 14" travel shocks in there.

/ \ would be unique and easy to do. We could probably do all the mounting for about 15 bux.

TRDyota
03-07-2004, 08:09 PM
How much travel shocks would I need to complement this lift in the rear?

eight
03-07-2004, 09:27 PM
You'll probably need to do it then order the shocks. It's not too bad to drive around without rear shocks if you're not hauling much.

I have 14" travel shocks on front and they're straight up and down, mounted outboard of the springs. But I only get about 12" of travel at the shocks, but the wheels go further because they're out more. So it depends on how far out your shocks are mounted. They're probably inboard of the springs so you'll get alot more wheel travel than shock travel, so shorter ones will probably work. I don't think I'd want less than a 8" travel shocks. The way my rear ones are mounted I only use about 6" travel anyway. They're inboard on the axle and angled forward about 30*.

TRDyota
03-08-2004, 05:14 PM
Bought the steel today from Custom Fabricators. Bought 2 feet and had them cut them in half, as specified by Ugly, and like Ugly said, it was right at $18. Those guys are pretty nice; I would recommend them for any of your metal needs. Also picked up the springs from Gordon's today. One is almost perfect, and the other has a fair amount of rust on it. Anybody have a sandblaster that I can rent?

uglyota
03-08-2004, 05:16 PM
You got a compressor?

Violentv8toy
03-08-2004, 05:32 PM
yeah, custom fabricators on 2818 is where we get our metal. They're cuts are free. Ya know, if you need 2" of square tube...they'll actually cut 2" off for you and will divide the price by foot by 12 and you only pay for what you get...unlike some people who charge by the foot either way. They let you go out into the back and look at their supply too. Way cool people.

TRDyota
03-08-2004, 05:34 PM
Originally posted by uglyota
You got a compressor?


Nope, Tate and Austin have a purdy new one, maybe I can talk them into letting me use it.

uglyota
03-08-2004, 05:45 PM
Originally posted by Violentv8toy
yeah, custom fabricators on 2818 is where we get our metal. They're cuts are free. Ya know, if you need 2" of square tube...they'll actually cut 2" off for you and will divide the price by foot by 12 and you only pay for what you get...unlike some people who charge by the foot either way. They let you go out into the back and look at their supply too. Way cool people.
Hmmm...they charged me a buck a cut, and looked at me like I was crazy when i told them a friend had told me I could probably get diamond plate scraps cheap. I like bull****tin with the guy that cuts at Bryan Iron and Metal

Originally posted by TRDyota

Nope, Tate and Austin have a purdy new one, maybe I can talk them into letting me use it.
maybe they'll let you use their blaster too then. I'm sure it's nicer than mine

Shaggy
03-08-2004, 11:13 PM
you should just use a wirewheel

Violentv8toy
03-09-2004, 12:09 AM
hell, just use a hand wirebrush and paint it and call it good.

TXsizeK5
03-09-2004, 01:06 AM
Originally posted by uglyota
I like bull****tin with the guy that cuts at Bryan Iron and Metal


Do they even speak Anglish?

uglyota
03-09-2004, 11:31 AM
yeah, the guy that was there when we went was standing in for the regular guy.

uglyota
03-09-2004, 11:32 AM
Originally posted by Shaggy
you should just use a wirewheel
I think that was your answer, Brandon

Shaggy
03-09-2004, 01:16 PM
wasnt saying you cant use it... was just saying that there is no logical reason to sandblast them... it would be easier, take less time, and be way less mess to just hit them with a wirewheel and throw on a coat of paint... they are just springs and will eventually rust again... even if you have several good coats of paint

TRDyota
03-09-2004, 01:35 PM
Maybe I should give them a good sand blastin' for now, because they have a lot of rust on them. And if they begin to rust more in the future, then I can spot-clean them with the wirewheel. I think I may paint them with that graphite paint talked about in that other thread, just so long as it is cheap.

Shaggy
03-09-2004, 03:50 PM
alright... you can use my sandblaster if ya want... just gotta pay for sand and help me out with cleaning up or something... my air compressor doesnt keep up to well with the blaster so you can only blast for like 2-3 min at a time with about 2-3 min wait for the pressure to build back up... but i figure it should take but a short period of time to blast some springs... shouldnt take more than a sack of sand either

TRDyota
03-21-2004, 01:40 AM
Took a wire wheel and some Oxisolve to the springs on Friday. Now they look brand new. I would strongly recommend the Oxisolve to anyone trying to get rid of any rust; the stuff eats it right up, then leaves a coating on the surface afterwards that prevents future rusting. I still plan on painting the springs with some Walmart spray paint, just to make them look a little nicer.

Today I finished putting on my home-made gap guards to disguise the fact that I foolishly put a body lift on my truck in high school. Oh well, it was a cheap 3".

I also need to speed up the process for the front because I already put the 33's on, and they are rubbing big time. Two more inches in the front should cover it. How much longer till Katemcy???

Violentv8toy
03-21-2004, 03:43 PM
so...are you planning on doing this in college station or at home? You don't have to do it all at once. Whos doing the welding? whos welder you using?

TRDyota
03-21-2004, 04:51 PM
Well, Mario, first thing is first: I need to get those coils for the front ordered. Those won't take long at all to install, just a few hours. Hopefully I can find a free weekend between now and TCC to get that done. The rear is probably going to be a longer project. I will probably do the rear at home, and hire a friend to do the welding. As of right now, I am shopping around for everything I will need to do the u-bolt flip. The spring plate is the least of my problems right now. I still haven't figured out exactly what degree shim I will need to use to point the pinion flange at the transfer case. Also, I am going to need new lower shock mounts on both sides. These will probably have to be welded onto the axle housing. Sky Manufacturing sells a flip kit for $55, but it doesn't include shock mounts or the angled shims, and so their kit is looking to be too pricey.

Violentv8toy
03-21-2004, 07:45 PM
Why don't you just mount your shocks like / \? It would make it alot easier on yourself and it wouldn't cost hardly anything...maybe 10 dollars in metal. Theres plenty of guys here that would do the welding for you. I'd be up for helping you this weekend if you wanted to go ahead and put the springs on. You can drive around without shocks for awhile and your pinion angle won't be so bad you can't live with it for a few days. Shock mounts wouldn't take but an hour to fab up and weld on. You'll be riding a55high for a while, but at least you'll have the rear done.

BTW. does anyone have a mig?

TRDyota
03-22-2004, 01:36 AM
Lot to do before the rear is ready...still need to get some front hangers fabbed. I think I am gonna try to get some shackles fabbed too. They will perform much better than the double shackle set-up. How hard is it to make shock mounts for / \? Or am I better off ordering some from somewhere?

stx4wheeler
03-22-2004, 02:05 AM
it shouldnt take long at all to make it so you can mount them like /\.

Violentv8toy
03-22-2004, 02:09 AM
nah. Get some square and cut it in 1/2 and use the C for the bottom mounts that weld to the axle.

For the top, grab some small square tube...cut it so that it will fit snugly between the frame rails. Then whereever u want the top mounts to go, cut holes in the square on both sides, slip a 5/8" bolt in each holes and weld it up there. Then mount your shocks and its done. I can for sure do this for you if u want. It would be cheap. 20 bux would do it easy.

EDIT: I could weld this for you...I dunno if you'd trust me on hangers though. We could get bubba to do it probably. He does all my 'important' welding.

TRDyota
04-02-2004, 06:31 PM
Mario and I went to Custom Fabricators today and got metal for upper shock mounts, and some metal for shackles. We jacked the rear end up 3 inches to look at how it will be setup. Everything looks like it will be good so far, but we may run into some trouble with the brakelines, we'll just have to see. And I have decided to definitely buy the procomps because the price is so much better than enything else. I hope that isn't something I'll be kicking myself for later.
We are gonna weld the cross bar for the upper shock mounts on Monday, as well as fabricate the shackles. Anyone interested in checkin it out is more than welcome.

TRDyota
04-05-2004, 08:38 PM
We did some work again today. It turns out that Mario is just shy of Jesse James on the professional welder scale. Well, not quite, but he did do an excellent job. Here are the upper shock mounts. Just took two 4" long 5/8" bolts and welded them to some 1"x1.5"x0.25" rectangular tube.

TRDyota
04-05-2004, 08:41 PM
Here is the final product. There is an old procomp es3000 that Mario had laying around resting on the top mount. Turned out real nice.

TRDyota
04-05-2004, 08:48 PM
After we got the crossmember welded across the rear frame (almost directly above the axle), we decided to do some fender trimming to help the 33's fit. We didn't do anything drastic, simply because the truck will be lifted in the front pretty soon. We cut away some of the plastic shroud, then took about an inch out of the "pinch weld" that the tires were rubbing on. Here is a crappy pic, but it shows what we did. Now the tires no longer rub on the wheel well. Now they only rub on the frame. So, for anyone driving a tacoma and wants to put 33's on with only 3" of lift, you can't do it if your rims are 10" wide, otherwise, you have a green light.

TRDyota
04-05-2004, 08:50 PM
Now the next step is getting the front coils and all 4 shocks ordered. Mario is going to torch holes in the metal that I got from Custom Fab into shackles for the rear. It's kinda starting to come together now.

stx4wheeler
04-05-2004, 11:42 PM
looking good man so i assume you are gonna mount the shocks like this /\.

Violentv8toy
04-14-2004, 03:16 PM
hey guys. we're working on some things on his truck, and we're trying to track down curved (not boxed) u-bolts and spring plates.

We've talked to xtreme (don't have/too much) and we're calling salvage yards and such.

Does anyone have ubolts/spring plates for cheap or free?

gimme a call 979.220.3108
or brandon 713.417.8537

TXsizeK5
04-14-2004, 03:30 PM
why dont you make your spring plates?

There's no where in town to get ubolts made?

What dimension Ubolts do you need?

uglyota
04-14-2004, 04:40 PM
TSCO has a bunch of different plates and some u-bolts.
If you're at the j-yards look under cherokees for the plates
I may have something you can use (plates and bolts).
NAPA usually has a good selection of ubolts, Gooseneck trailer will say they stock everything then wait for you to get there to find out they don't. The "HELP" ones at all the parts places are not that bad if they have 4 of the size you need. The lowrider block kits sometimes include ubolts too

eight
04-14-2004, 06:28 PM
O'rielley's will have the u-bolts in stock or can usually get them the next day. If they don't have it, just look on the back of one of the packages and find the pt# you need, they're all listed on there.

JB
04-14-2004, 11:43 PM
Finding u-bolts sucks and the ones at Napa or O'reillys are too expensive, like $13 a piece. You can get curved u-bolts at http://www.rockstomper.com/catalog/pieces/ubolts.htm for $5 a piece. i got 4 shipped to me and the total cost was like $26.

TRDyota
04-15-2004, 12:55 AM
Originally posted by uglyota
TSCO has a bunch of different plates and some u-bolts.
If you're at the j-yards look under cherokees for the plates
I may have something you can use (plates and bolts).
NAPA usually has a good selection of ubolts, Gooseneck trailer will say they stock everything then wait for you to get there to find out they don't. The "HELP" ones at all the parts places are not that bad if they have 4 of the size you need. The lowrider block kits sometimes include ubolts too


TSC plates and u-bolts are all way to small. They are made for trailers, not trucks.

And I would be much obliged if I could see if the stuff you have works. Call ya bout it later. Thanks.

TRDyota
04-15-2004, 12:56 AM
Originally posted by TXsizeK5

What dimension Ubolts do you need?

Making plates is still an option. Bolts don't need to be too long because I am not running blocks. My axle has a three inch diameter.

EDIT: For length, just add about 2" (roughly) of leaf springs + 3" diameter axle.

If anyone has any that are that sixe or longer and would be willing to give them up for free or cheap, let me know. If they are too long, I can always just stack some washers on it.

TRDyota
04-15-2004, 01:00 AM
Originally posted by eight
O'rielley's will have the u-bolts in stock or can usually get them the next day. If they don't have it, just look on the back of one of the packages and find the pt# you need, they're all listed on there.

I found some that will fit at Advance auto parts. However, these things aren't exactly heave duty, as in they are less than a half inch, kinda toward 3/8", whereas "tough" ones like the skyjackers are at least a half inch, even something like 5/8".

So will these work? I mean, how necessary is it to have monstrous u-bolts? The springs will be pushing down on the axle when the vehicle is at rest, so the bolts won't really have much stress on them, right?

If I am wrong, please post up and tell me what you think.

BigRedFord04
04-15-2004, 01:14 AM
the u-bolts direct all the torque when you step on the gas. you can bend them and the axle will point up in the air. breaking one on the trial also sucks, but if they're not extremely long the stress factor is less. just stick to the normal wheeling motto "bigger is better" and you'll be ok.

TRDyota
04-15-2004, 01:30 PM
Ordered Lift Springs for the front yesterday, and a kit to lower the front diff after lift (to releive the CV angles) today. All should be in by next weekend.

Doing the swap on this Saturday? Any one want to help? Call me or Mario. 713-417-8537. If I don't answer, then leave me a voicemail, I check it often.

Thanks a lot.

eight
04-15-2004, 02:02 PM
I'm a cheap bastard. I wouldn't go less than 1/2".

TRDyota
04-15-2004, 03:12 PM
Originally posted by eight
I'm a cheap bastard. I wouldn't go less than 1/2".


Thank you John Kerry, for soundly arguing both sides of the issue.

Violentv8toy
04-15-2004, 10:23 PM
hey guys..we're gonna try to get this swap done quick....so come and lend a hand for 2 hours on saturday....not sure where we're doing the swap though.

uglyota
04-15-2004, 10:42 PM
I won't be here, but mi driveway su driveway

TRDyota
04-16-2004, 01:47 AM
su tools, mi tools?

Violentv8toy
04-16-2004, 02:22 AM
We kinda wanna borrow your welder cause mine sometimes has fits. (its older than the hills) We've got everything else though.

BTW, if anyone who is a good comfortable welder wants to weld the spring hanger on, come on over and zip em on so i don't have to bust out my mad welding skillz and screw up another toyota.

Also, Brandon, I figure....if we do in fact need to relocate the shackle hanger, we can just go buy some tube that will fit those poly bushings that i've got and weld them into some tube.

Violentv8toy
04-17-2004, 10:15 AM
we're out there...stop by for moral support

Violentv8toy
04-17-2004, 01:25 PM
starting back up at 3:15...don't be scurr'd now.

TRDyota
04-18-2004, 01:37 AM
Well, we worked on the swap on and off periodically throughout the day. Got mostly done. Now it just needs shock mounts, shocks, shorter shackles, and the old sping hangers need to be torched. Oh yeah, and the front needs to get lifted...

P.S. Pics are coming shortly, gotta resize em real fast.

TRDyota
04-18-2004, 01:39 AM
before...

TRDyota
04-18-2004, 01:43 AM
Chevy springs (bottom) versus toyota springs (top). Notice the negative arch overload on the toyotas. Also, the toyotas are thinner and flatten out at normal stance.

TRDyota
04-18-2004, 01:46 AM
After...gonna get some weird looks from people until I can get the front done.

P.S. I know its dark, but deal with it.

TRDyota
04-18-2004, 01:48 AM
Mario did an amazing job tacking and welding the front hangers, as well as rigging up the shackles to accomodate the different widths (upper and lower).

TRDyota
04-18-2004, 01:53 AM
These leaves are a lot softer and more flexible. The ride is already so much better, and that is without shocks. What a cheap and easy way to lift, not to mention the increased performance is phenomenal (sp?). Total, I think I spent 125-150 bucks on springs, hardware, and metal. The front will cost just about the same.

I would like to thank Eric for reaching out to some noobs and letting us use his tools and driveway, even though he wasn't even there.

Also, thanks to Mario for his welding and expertise and spring plates and time and so on.

P.S. Eric, you need to spray some WD-40 on your hi-lift. I almost killed Mario.

Violentv8toy
04-18-2004, 02:10 AM
Originally posted by TRDyota
P.S. Eric, you need to spray some WD-40 on your hi-lift. I almost killed Mario.

Brandon: Whoa, that went down fast!.....that was bouncy!....Mario...Mario?


And I totally had you scared that you killed me....

TRDyota
04-18-2004, 09:49 AM
My first reaction wasn't that I thought I killed you. My first reaction when the bed fell was,"Wow, these springs are FREAKIN bouncy!"

....No offense. We are doing some work on Mario's truck today, and a little on mine. Mario just got some new spring bushings so he can remount his front springs. Its gonna go down at about 1 or 2 this afternoon. Anyone is welcome to come out. My number is somewhere in this thread.

FTAco07
04-18-2004, 05:54 PM
Lookin good Brandon. How much lift did those springs get you?

TRDyota
04-18-2004, 10:13 PM
Springs...3", plus or minus some
Shackles...2-3", for now.

I'll only be able to lift the front bout 3", so I am gonna drill some different holes in these shackles to bring it down some. Driving around tonight (without shocks...***) I realized that my headlights covered a distance of bout 20 feet because I have 5-6" lift in the rear with no front lift. Looks so goofy right now.

James, when are you puttin more lift on the Chevy? ***...

EDIT: Or, since I used chevy springs on my toyota, I got some toyota springs you could use to lower your chevy, but somehow i don't think thats what you want to do.

Mack84
04-18-2004, 11:53 PM
you have the texas tilt goin' on

TRDyota
04-18-2004, 11:57 PM
***...yeah, it is pretty bad. If it was someone else driving it, I would point and laugh. I just want to ride around with signs on my truck saying, "Its not finished yet!". .

FTAco07
04-19-2004, 12:02 AM
It's not as bad as some guy drivin around in a ranger semester that was goin for a prerunner look. His front end was prolly 4-6" higher than the back.

As tempting as it sounds to go for some stock yota springs I think i am going to stick with my 6" spring pack.

uglyota
04-19-2004, 03:28 PM
How about some close-ups of the spring hangers, shackle hangers, dimensions, what you decided to do about brake lines, ubolts, plates, shims for pinion angle, etc?

Yes hi-lifts go down fast when you unweight them.

Why don't you take the chevy overloads off, or flip and cut the back off of them before you tear up your shackles?

TRDyota
04-19-2004, 04:06 PM
I kinda wanna keep the overloads. The springs are soft enough that they will touch with enough weight. I will get some pics of my breaklines, cause I did have to rig them up a bit. I can drill these shackles and move them up without having to cut the ends off (right?) so I can adjust the height if I need to. Shims aren't needed with an 8" (hole to hole) shackle, but they will be needed when I shorten the hole distance. U-bolts were easy, just had to fab some spring plates. Bought the 1/2" u-bolts from advance auto parts for 5 each. And just a tip for drilling spring plates: MEASURE 4 TIMES, then cut them...not that I made that mistake or anything...:D

EDIT: And we had to do some, as you say, "ugly fabbing", or as Mario says "aggie engineering" to get the shackles to work. I gotta run, so I will take pics and explain why later.

Violentv8toy
04-19-2004, 04:28 PM
Originally posted by TRDyota
And just a tip for drilling spring plates: MEASURE 4 TIMES, then cut them...not that I made that mistake or anything...:D

I'd go as far as saying 5 times for you brandon.:flipoff2:

stx4wheeler
04-20-2004, 03:26 PM
dang brandon drill them shackle holes quick i saw that bad boy in the parking garage today and all i can say is **** you could run like 40 's in the back and the front is quished down tigher than a tin can ***.

TRDyota
04-20-2004, 06:05 PM
Maybe I can do them tomorrow. Either way, a solution is needed asap.

TRDyota
04-20-2004, 08:51 PM
Just bought shocks.

Rear Rancho 5000's : $37.99 ea., $3 for S&H
Bilstein HD's for Front: $75.99 ea., $6 for S&H

Should be hear round Monday. Now I am flat broke. Spent bout everything I got. Shocks were more expensive than any of the lifts I put on (counting front and back separately). Picking up the front lift coils next friday from home. Probably won't have time to finish the front before finals, but at least I can get some shocks on the rear.

TRDyota
04-23-2004, 02:25 AM
Before the meeting tonight, I picked up James from his room. Some of the guys out front started laughing at my truck saying that it looked like some fat girls had been sitting on my front bumper. Real funny. Anyways, so I jacked up my truck at Mario's and took the shackles off. After the meeting, Chadnutz took me out to Riverside and I drilled the holes in the shackles about 2.5" lower. Overall it brought the rear of the truck down about 1.75-2", and now the shackles are at a 45 degree angle.

Now, after lowering the rear shackles, the need for shims is becoming apparent. The axle has moved back a little in the wheel well, and the drive shaft has started to slip out about a quarter inch. Shims should kick the axle forward some, fix the driveshaft, and improve the angle between the pinion flange and the t-case.

Thanks to FTAco07 and Chadnutz for their help tonight, as well as Mario and Bubba. The rear looks a lot better now. If I park on slight inclines, it almost looks normal...:D

bburris
04-23-2004, 02:41 AM
Are you getting the front done to match next weekend?

TRDyota
04-23-2004, 10:41 AM
I will be driving to Houston to take a bunch of stuff home in order to make moving out easier, then I have to work a lot. But I will pick up the coils and bring them back. The Bilstein HD Struts should be there too. However, I don't know if I will be able to install everything here because of finals and everything.

Also, I am going to need a coil depresser. Does anyone have one, or know of a place that lets you "rent" them? I think autozone might.

Ben97XJ
04-23-2004, 11:24 AM
Autozone has them. Don't use coil compressors use strut compressors. Trust me!

TRDyota
04-23-2004, 01:01 PM
Originally posted by uglyota
How about some close-ups of the spring hangers, shackle hangers, dimensions, what you decided to do about brake lines, ubolts, plates, shims for pinion angle, etc?


This is the best I can do right now for the brakelines. If you can see in the top left corner, the untouched brakeline has some slack in it. I just had to bend that stuff all down so that it could stretch down more.

As for the line running to the electric locker, It just had one little bolt keeping it tight, so it now hangs free.

Same with whatever that brake-fluid-distrubutor-sensor-thingy, or whatever that is on my axle that has something to do with breaks. It just had one bolt, and it is now unbolted and hanging free. Is that bad? Do I need to extend whatever that line is? Cause as of right now it is totally disassembled.

TRDyota
04-23-2004, 01:02 PM
Sorry for the bad pic Eric, I'll get you some better ones, as well as some spring plates, hangers, shackles, etc.

uglyota
04-23-2004, 01:59 PM
not for me...for posterity :D

the hangy-down brake adjuster thing is your Load Sensing Proportioning Valve (LSPV), which makes your rear brakes work better when you have a heavy load. You can adjust where it's connected by changing the lower (axle) attachment point the amount that you lifted it, or you can just zip tie it up and out of the way, and you'll always have more braking in the rear.

TRDyota
04-28-2004, 01:19 AM
First of all, if I just ignore the LSPV, will it go away? J/k. But seriously, is it gonna screw me over if I just leave it be? Or should I just bite the bullet and take the time/energy to ghetto-rig something up?

Violentv8toy
04-28-2004, 01:27 AM
tie it all the way up....call it done. only thing it can do is give you more fluid to the rear

TRDyota
04-28-2004, 01:31 AM
Got the Ranchos in today. Went and picked them up from my sister's house. This weekend I will pick up the shims, front coils, front Bilsteins, and diff drop kit. I need to get those shims put on so I can know where to put the lower shock mounts. Mario, you up for a little bit of shock-work next week?

Violentv8toy
04-28-2004, 02:36 AM
YES

redcagepatrol
04-28-2004, 08:42 AM
cut the the long LSPV bar to a few inches long, bolt the distribution block back to the frame and zip tie the bar (now shortened) all the way up near the bed.

This will give you more rear brakes, they will not lock up before the front so you will still be safe, but it really helps off-road.

TRDyota
05-08-2004, 07:45 PM
Originally posted by redcagepatrol

This will give you more rear brakes, they will not lock up before the front so you will still be safe, but it really helps off-road.

If I have more braking in the rear, then explain to me how the rear will not lock up before the front?

TRDyota
05-08-2004, 07:51 PM
Update on my progress:

The rear shocks have been put in. Once again, thanks to Mario for the welding, and thanks to Eric for the driveway and tools. The ride doesn't feel all that much different than stock, but it is nice to have shocks again. I had to make a couple of trips to Houston without em.

Needs to be done:

1) Front springs/struts
2) Axle shims (rear)
3) Drop front diff
4) 4 wheel alignment

The front struts will be at my casa in Houston early next week. I will install the front lift components on Thursday in order to go to San Antonio with TTORA that Saturday.

Violentv8toy
05-08-2004, 08:55 PM
Originally posted by TRDyota
If I have more braking in the rear, then explain to me how the rear will not lock up before the front?

he didn't mean 'more braking in the rear' as in more braking than the front, he meant more brake in the rear than normal.

and the rear won't lock up eitherway cause drum brakes suck.

Violentv8toy
05-08-2004, 08:56 PM
Originally posted by TRDyota
I will install the front lift components on Thursday in order to go to San Antonio with TTORA that Saturday.

ahh...you can go with TTORA but you can't make TCC?:rolleyes: :flipoff2:

TRDyota
05-17-2004, 11:32 PM
The Toyota is done. I'll get pics up tomorrow, but it is time to celebrate.

uglyota
05-18-2004, 09:15 AM
come on...let's make it ten pages! Maybe turn it into a 30 page "SAS, flatbed, bumper, rock slider, driveshaft, skid plate" thread! Oh wait, we've already got one of those :flipoff2:

TRDyota
05-18-2004, 07:01 PM
Before

TRDyota
05-18-2004, 07:02 PM
After

EDIT: Don't be fooled by the steep driveway. The truck is now level, for the most part. This lift came together very well. Only took about an hour and a half to do, with the exception of going to NTB to press the coils.

TRDyota
05-18-2004, 07:02 PM
TRD setup

TRDyota
05-18-2004, 07:03 PM
Struts removed

TRDyota
05-18-2004, 07:05 PM
Old Man Emu coils with Bilstein HD Struts. Had to disconnect the sway bar and push down on the lower A-arm with a lot of force to fit the new struts in. NTB pressed the coils onto the struts for 30 bucks, and it only took about 10 minutes. Well worth it.

TRDyota
05-18-2004, 07:06 PM
Jacked up

TRDyota
05-18-2004, 07:08 PM
CV angles were pretty bad after the lift. Got about 3" out of the coils, but they will settle quite a bit. Had to add a diff drop to improve on the CV angles. Cost=$25 from Revtek. Install=15 minutes tops.

TRDyota
05-18-2004, 07:08 PM
After diff drop.

TRDyota
08-26-2004, 08:09 AM
Just an update on the Toyota...not much has been done this summer since finishing the front suspension. I still think the bed is sitting too high, so sometime soon I am going to pull out the overload leaves. Also, I want to redrill the front spring hangers in order to move the axle a little more forward in the wheel well.

I had some exhaust work done a couple of weeks ago. Put a Flowmaster on. Sounds good. Well, sounds better.

uglyota
08-26-2004, 01:43 PM
can you shorten your shackles or make new, shorter ones?
I think you'll want to keep at least half of your overloads to control axlewrap

TRDyota
08-26-2004, 02:18 PM
Hmm...I would really like to make shorter shackles. How short can a shackle be (and still work)? Three inches? They are at 5" right now. Also, the shackle angles will get pretty flat if I make em too much shorter. You'll have to take a look at it. If I redrill the holes on the spring hangers to move the axle forward, that will help the shackle angle, so maybe this idea will work. I need a second opinion. I'll come by your house this weekend and show you. You gonna be around?

uglyota
08-26-2004, 03:01 PM
I think as long as the spring end isn't touching the hanger you'll be alright. Maybe leave 1/4 inch for bushing movement. Though I'm sure longer shackles would work better, and that angle sounds like it could be a problem too...are they the arched overloads, or the flat ones? If they're flat, removing them is only going to change it 1/2" at most. If they're arched, maybe flip them?
I'll be around most of sunday, but busy moving...this isn't a real good weekend.

wait, I've got an idea...
Springunder it! ;)

stx4wheeler
08-26-2004, 04:17 PM
make and anti wrap bar to control axle wrap pretty simple to build.

Violentv8toy
08-27-2004, 12:22 PM
wanna get creative? we can french the front spring hanger into the frame.

TRDyota
08-27-2004, 01:28 PM
wanna get creative? we can french the front spring hanger into the frame.

Go on...

Violentv8toy
08-27-2004, 05:25 PM
well find me a torch and some rods and a welder and we'll get it done pretty quick.

should drop it a few inches....

disclaimer : it involves cutting into the frame 1/2 significantly....and i've never done it before

but i can do it....damn it.

Violentv8toy
08-27-2004, 05:38 PM
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=98458&highlight=french+spring+hanger

bad pictures...but thats pretty much the idea....i could make it look better than that.

EDIT: and don't cut your shackles anymore...but i'm not sure how much frenching the hangers will drop it.

we could pull the overloads. i'm pretty sure you won't have any problems with axle wrap...

EDIT2: or you can just nut up and find a d44 somewheres....

Shaggy
08-27-2004, 06:51 PM
i got a torch and kopecki's welder over at my house... havent gotten the garage wired for 220 yet so we would have to run an extention cord from the dryer but we could do it here

stx4wheeler
08-27-2004, 07:15 PM
most dryers have a different style of 220 plug tate i had to make my own cord with an adapter to use my welder at home. also the breakers are most likely big enough to run much over 90 on the stick with maybe half a rod or so at a time. maybe a little hotter but not much.

Shaggy
08-27-2004, 08:22 PM
i have an adapter

Violentv8toy
08-27-2004, 08:48 PM
we don't need no adapter....strip the wires and stick em in (CAREFULLY)....aggie engineerin'

we just need someone to stand at the breaker and flip em back whenever they go....i thought thats how welding was done....1 to weld...1 to flip the breakers.

agjohn02
08-27-2004, 10:06 PM
we don't need no adapter....strip the wires and stick em in (CAREFULLY)....aggie engineerin'

we just need someone to stand at the breaker and flip em back whenever they go....i thought thats how welding was done....1 to weld...1 to flip the breakers.



in that case who needs a welder either. just strip the other ends and use them.

man, i wish i had some pics of me welding in thailand. the welder we were using was pretty similar to this set-up. way ghetto fab. i was just welding some parts for a dock, but the guy that owns the welder uses it in his auto repair shop.

eight
08-28-2004, 12:50 AM
I wouldn't go shorter than 4" eye to eye on shackles. They really do move quite a bit. The overload probably isn't doing anything for wrap anyway, remove it first. Then if not enough lower shorten the shackel.

TRDyota
08-28-2004, 02:01 AM
Its so crazy that it just might work... I'll sleep on it.

TRDyota
08-28-2004, 11:20 AM
ok, I slept on it. I am going to pull the overloads out and see how it rides. And since the overloads can easily be added back again, its not that big a deal. So, I am going to go with what the "great kopecki" says.

Front hangers- Gotta redrill them. Originally put the holes 7" eye to eye, but they really need to be 7.75". So, my axle is not centered. The more I look at it the more it ticks me off. Gotta redrill them or I am going to go crazy.

Driver's side lean- Truck has the infamous drivers side lean (gas tank, driver, etc are all on one side). But, to add to it, I think that one of the springs settled more than the other, and it just so happened to be the one on the driver side. So, can I redrill one of the shackles maybe .75-1" lower? Is that gonna screw me suspension-wise? Shouldn't change the way the axle rebounds should it?

bburris
08-28-2004, 11:51 AM
Why not swap the sagging spring to the opposite side?

TRDyota
08-29-2004, 01:29 AM
Why not swap the sagging spring to the opposite side?

cause I am not totally sure that that is what it is. And I just don't feel like it.

But serioulsy, I was intending to try it.

TRDyota
09-19-2004, 11:47 PM
Okay, I am going to do some work this week. Preferrably Friday around noon. I wanna/needa get some stuff done to clean up the rear end. Pull the overloads, possibly swap saggy spring to other side, grease the shackles, and redrill the front mounts. Who's got an un-used driveway, a power drill, a 5/8" bit, a 1/2" bit, a hi lift, some all-purpose grease, 3/4" sockets, and some cinder blocks?

Thanks

713-417-8537

BigRedFord04
09-19-2004, 11:50 PM
Who's got an un-used driveway, a power drill, a 5/8" bit, a 1/2" bit, a hi lift, some all-purpose grease, 3/4" sockets, and some cinder blocks?
gawd dayum....someone needs a sears credit card
:flipoff2:

TRDyota
09-19-2004, 11:58 PM
Responded way too fast there Austin. Its like, midnight. Go to bed and respond in the morning, you psycho. :D

uglyota
09-20-2004, 08:41 AM
If you're redrilling the shackles, you need a 9/16" bit...you can borrow mine...and hilift, and what does grease cost? 2 fiddy? go buy some :flipoff2:
(can't offer the driveway right now...sorry)

TRDyota
09-20-2004, 04:48 PM
I'll buy grease. What should I get? Any particular brand better than the others? And yes, can I borrow that bit?

Lookin at workin on it all day saturday.