RothRunner

I was wondering if anyone has done or knows of somebody who has done an SAS with coils on a 4runner or Tacoma. Most of the SAS's I've seen on here are on leaf springs. I think I've heard leaf springs are stronger and more simple, but coils have more suspension travel. It also sounds like a coil SAS would be a more involved conversion.

I'd like to hear opinions on advantages and disadvantages (toyota specific) of front coil suspension as opposed to leaf springs. As well as any thoughts on what would be involved in such a conversion. I have a third gen 4runner but let's make this all inclusive...

Tanto

Search for "Blacksheep"

Marc P

Or look up "Steve O"

SteveO

Yes, somebody has done a SAS with Coils on a 4Runner.....




How does it handle? Ask TurboAle, he rode in it during the NM YotaTech Tour 2006.

How does it crawl, you can ask AlbuquerqueJim, TurboAle, and a few others on this board, as they have seen it in action.


How does it handle sideways hills, you can see for yourself.....

Click on the picture for the Rocker Knocker climb; made it look easy....


Oh yeah, when the tires are balanced properly, it'll do 80mph on the highway with no issues.

seaflea

Nice video Steve! I like it when youre wife ( I think) asks if you know what you are doing? I have heard that many times from my wife.

SteveO

Yeah, My wife and driver most of the time. LOL, when I was in the moment, I kinda forgot I was videoing this....and just started talking it up......Usually she will drive the really tough obstacles, but I really wanted to take this one.....

Here is a vid of her taking on Rock Chucker when we still had IFS....

http://www.hunt4steve.com/videos/Rock_Chucker.wmv

Travs97

nice very nice

SteveO

Thanks, you can read more about it in my "johnny come late" profile.
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f79/steveos-3rd-gen-93179/

ORS

I would certainly suggest coils, as many (including Steve) would agree. The advantages (when done right):
-No axle wrap
-tires move away from firewall when compressing
-superior strength
-more travel
-superior ride
-fine tuning ability

Yes, they can cause some body roll in some cases. This is can be remedied by shock charge and spring rates. Add a torsion-style sway bar and the sway issue is gone.

Yes, they can wobble a little more with bad tires. This is a fact with any coil setup, even a "stock" one. These suspensions don't take well to unbalanced tires. If you plan to drive at much of a speed, you will want radial tires that are balanced.

You will also want to use coilovers instead of coil springs. Traditional coil springs are difficult to fit and don't travel as well under a Toyota front. You also get much more tuning ability with coilovers.

We have had great luck with coilover systems on the front of newer and older Toyotas. It costs more, but you get what you pay for..... Good luck!

Ric

amen,,,,
do it right the first time, "only say Ouch, once"
If I ever get to the point of a Solid axle for mine, its going to be a coil over.

maybe I need to go talk to the guys ORS

Whats people opinion on Diamond Axles ?

SteveO

If I had the money, I would have gone Diamond Axles for sure. These are beefy and once you get em, you don't worry about them anymore.


edit: What ever happened to RothRunner? the originator of this thread.

Flygtenstein

Benefits?
1. Bling Factor
2. Axle Wrap
3. Adjustability

Drawbacks?
1. Cost

My whole front swap:
1. Alcans
2. Reservoir Fox Shocks
3. Fox Air Bumps
4. Assorted Steel for hanger/hoops/etc.

Cost a little less than my rear coilovers alone. Reservoir 12" Sway-Aways.

Diamond axles are the only way IMHO. I have bought three now.

Mike, good to see you.

Flygtenstein

And as a post script...

I swapped my truck when and how I had to. The only corner I feel I cut was not linking the front. I used good axles, I used good other components but could not pony up the time and cash to link both ends.

I anticipate killing the front springs after a season or two. Horsepower and gearing are hard on leaf springs. I have a decent amount of both.

Having been around/in/under and likewise lots of both kinds of rigs, I have yet to see a linked truck that is not floppy jalopy without a swaybar.

Ric

if you guys had to chose between the Diamond axle and the All Pros, hybrid D60, which would you chose ? And "why"?
whats the pros and cons of them ?

AxleIke

Diamond

High clearance over the D60 hybrid.

You won't be wheeling a full body truck hard enough to make a difference.

At a fraction of the cost, the diamond won't break, and uses regular old longfields.

I have seen very few SAS's done right, using the right components, and the right housings, or even for the right reasons. A really well done swap costs big dollars, and most don't feel that is the case. Its in all of the things that you never see that makes the difference, these housings are only one part of that.

Flygtenstein

Neither, I would buy a Diamond made Toy/60 instead of an All Pro. With just 30 spline Longfields, people are killing front diffs. The chance to run 35 spline stuff will assure your diff dies. It is also hard to seal the Toy/60's. The Toyota seals at the knuckle, the 60 at the diff. Leaky.

SteveO

I would go with the Diamond Axles, if I had the money. There are many SAS jobs out there, some are hack jobs (Breezy) and others are are top of the line (All Pro). Many would say they their SAS is the best job, but that is a subjective opinion. As well, what some say is done right is also a subjective opinion. Some folks want a reliable rig that won't break axles on hard trails, and will allow them to challenge themselves on some extreme trails. That said, there are some standards that should be met, to say that at SAS is done right; such as Safety. All too oten Safety is overlooked, in the attempt to just get out on the trail and have fun. Safety is a standard that we all should be striving to achieve. Its not only our safety as we are cruising down the road at 60mph, but the safety of others who are also on the road with us. I did my SAS based on what I could afford, like so many others, but I didn't skimp on the safety factors, such as the steering components; loose your steering, and you watch yourself drive off the road from your own driver's seat, no fun at all.

But, if money was not an issue (and when is it not for us normal working joes), I would get the strongest components and then I wouldn't worry about it. As it stands now, since I run the Warn Hub fuses, I don't worry about breaking mega expensive components such as axles, u-joints or a ring gear. Its sooooo much easier to change out a hub and have it replaced than a u-joint, axle or ring gear. This gives me the peace of mind, and I don't worry about it......

blacksheep

Im very happy with my setup, AxleIke is right. You have to spend some money and match up all the parts right to build a solid rig. Here is the link to my setup. So far, no major problems, but its rare to see a dana 60 under a taco with 17" coils. It takes lots of work, and planning and a good fabricator. Then testing and working out all the kinks. And trust me, there will be little kinks here and there.

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f88/blacksheep-sas-done-92396/