edeslaur

I'm no ME, so what the heck do I know - don't listen to me. That said...I'll find out when I get mine in there. My springs are due on Monday, so next week unless I end up travelling to India the following week for work.

I'll be using mine a lot harder than most - my last truck could (literally) jump a house (Bilstein 9100s, Deavers, air bumps, limiting straps, driveshaft hoops, engine cage, fully tig-roll-caged and trussed to MDR/SCORE specs using DOM 1430. Racing #s on the side. I had more $$ then.). As you can imagine, that kinda sets expectations. LOL Last time I went out with the 4Runner a few weeks ago, I found I had bent a wheel and split a sidewall hammering through Fish Creek Wash. Guess I tagged a rock. Not enough uptravel stock!!

Because of that, I have been looking through Zuk's site at the retention approaches being used since I do expect I might find myself running this quickly enough through rough terrain to possibly pop one out if the axle moves quickly enough (washboards and whoops). I definitely won't run it as hard as my last truck until I get a TC or JD Fab kit, engine cage, etc in there.

I'll do the spring compression measurements standing still and at full flex and figure out the pressure being applied to the frame rail. It may warrant a plate on the bottom to keep from crushing the frame under that kind of use. The frame at the rear leaf is intended to solve for forces at each end (leaf spring mounts) The coil spring's pressure seems like it would help the frame keep its shape, counteracting the leaf spring's tendency to try to get it to bend downwards in the middle (flatten out) as the leaf is compressed.

I'm more worried about the spring pad on the axle - those are prone to bending with just the stock springs (well, the bottoming-out certainly doesn't help). All this extra pressure can't be good for them! ;-)

ZUK

iTrader: (1)

I think you're onto something there, edeslaur, regarding the stress on the frames. I agree that having a coil supporting some or even ALL of the weight that the shackle used to have is beneficial...the coil is putting some load bearing on a thicker, more heavy duty part of the frame as compared to the very ends where the shackle lives.
I have a good feeling the the leaf perch mount on the axle housing sees very little difference in load bearing. Enjoy India. ZUK

edeslaur

Sorry, I meant I was worried about the perch in my "application," not because of the coil (e.g. it would fail without the coil too). The coil isn't going to increase load on the perch enough to matter - the truck is supposed to carry a lot more weight than that bitty coil is applying going down the road unloaded.

I actually think the coil may make things better since bottoming out is a lot harder on the perch and the coil solves that problem.

ChefYota4x4

iTrader: (5)

What can I say, ..... I guess I'm idiotic at heart, eh?

First off, that spring is REALLY snug, at least in my case, inside my upper Bump stop rails.... Secondly, my ride improved IMMENSELY, and it performed, OFF ROAD, with over 600 lbs in the bed, flawlessly, NEVER ONCE bottoming out or making tons of noise. Sure, I suppose welding them in would be better, and I just might do it.... but I think that those upper bump stop rails actually help support the spring from 'TOO MUCH FLEX, SIDE TO SIDE', by coming down around the side of them(the springs top ends) around 2.5".

I agree with an above statement ..."what do I know?" I'm still learning, every day, thank goodness, lol.... I personally don't feel, for my application, that these are dangerous at all. So far, I am just fine with these. I may still do some Chevy Springs or something some day, in which case I might not need them for that application. I'm just tired of hearing SO MANY PEOPLE, even aftermarket Heavy Duty Springs Customers, saying, "OMG, they're already flat after two years!" Not sure they're AS practical for PU's as the 4Runners, ...but again, 'what do I know?' hahaha.

ZUK

iTrader: (1)

Ya, edeslaur....sounds like you have to take it to the next level with the captured mounts. http://gearinstalls.com/coilmount.htm Feel free to post up pics and impressions of how well they work for you

....and ChefYota4x4....thanks for the report
ZUK

By the way, my own report on my 14 x 100 coils is "I love 'em"..... Soft ride, 4" lift without breaking the wallet, and 10 or 20 years of durability. That overload that I cut in half and converted it to a "torque leaf" is another blessing to me. You guys don't have this one little quirky issue that the Tacomas with automatics do....and that is the infamous clunk when coming to a stop too quickly. The torque leaf(anti-wrap leaf) fixed my 2001 Taco clunk....100%. I love "cheap mods". Life is good. Gotta go and get ready now for the camp-out behind Picket Post Mountain near Superior, AZ tomorrow.....Taking the Taco. Later, ZUK

jred151

So about a month and a half ago I installed the 12" 125lbs springs in the rear. I aslo installed 2inch BJ spacers and 25mm Iron man torsion bars(relaxed). I was looking to restore the ride height due to sagging springs. It did the job perfectly and evened out the rear. the passenger side was a whole inch saggier. The overall ride is sooooo much better than before. Here are a few picts at Joshua tree.

IMG_6884 by jason redwood, on Flickr

IMG_6896 by jason redwood, on Flickr
I did the install like Duckie did shown on zuk's site
http://www.gearinstalls.com/duckie.htm
I did a little articulation in J-tree and didnt have any problems with the shallow spring capture.

ZUK

iTrader: (1)

Thanks jred151 for doing the 'duckie cut' and checking the flex capture. That's what I wanted to know.

az_eaglescout_pilot

iTrader: (1)

hahahahahahahahaha hahahaha...i think they are just jealous of the genius idea that the DID NOT come up with!

i flexed my 4runner beyond its limits and never once did the springs come out! im not the nicest person to my 4runners suspension...this is one mod that i installed and never look back on...i even recommended it to some guys at school with saggy rears (thier trucks not thier bodys you freaks hahaha)

all in all

$60= much nicer ride, less back surgeries, more payload, and a nicer looking ride!! 11 out of 10 IMO.

edeslaur

I jonesing to get mine in, but family commitments are not allowing me to start yet! At this rate, my new 285 16s will be here before I'm ready to install them!

Junkers88

There is nothing that makes me laugh harder than someone who spouts off about how "bad" something is when they've never tried it and don't have any idea how/if it works.

I've done this to two rigs and never looked back on either one of them. Both spent time offroad, both carried heavy loads to camping/fishing spots and neither one ever had a problem. The ride is 10X better that it was when I bought these things.

jred151

Yeah no prob Zuk. Thanks for all the info! Im goin to really test out the spring capture when i get a chance to use my buddies forklift. Ill keep things posted when i do.

ZUK

iTrader: (1)

Hi edeslaur-
I would like to see someone try the coil captures like these http://gearinstalls.com/coilmount.htm and seems like you would be a good candidate. If you were to hoist the rear of your Runner/truck off the ground and measure the open space that the coil would occupy then that would tell the whole story. Stock suspension set-ups seem to be no problem for the 14 inch coils.
You're right about the coils actually doing the rear part of the frame a favor....now that the frame horn end is not supporting the approximate 800 pounds means that the shackle end does not strain the frame and try to bend it upwards. The coil is under a thicker stronger part of the frame. Anytime you can shift load support away from the very ends of the frame then you are doing the frame a favor and preventing all kinds of frame flex.
Looking forward to your coil pics....and your impression of the new soft ride
ZUK

ps--I have 14" x 100 pound coils in the back of my Taco right now. When parked they measure 9 inches in length....that means they are compressed 5 inches....each coil is supporting 500 pounds.... The fixed leafpack mount is supporting some weight....and the other end with the shackle(the weak end in all rigs) is supporting some weight albeit the shackle end is under far less strain than it used to be before ZUK mod.

blue_CA_yota

Just finished the mod last night. I used 14" coils at 110 lbs/inch that I bought from yotaluver (thanks again!). I planned to use the "weldless" version, however I didn't have lower bump stops, so I welded a 3" piece of 2.5" pipe to the lower bump stop mount to locate the bottom of the spring.



Rear passenger before = 11.25" after = 14.5"
Rear drivers side before = 11" after = 14.5"
*rim to fender measurements*



I'm already super satisfied with the results!! I'm no longer riding around on the overloads, and the truck doesn't bottom out over every pothole. I notice that I have more body roll in the corners, but that's because I finally have a rear suspension capable of compressing. I also need to re-aim my headlights, they currently shine about 12 feet in front of me haha. The PO had them aimed up to compensate for all the sag.

ChefYota4x4

iTrader: (5)

Looks good, Blue!

ZUK

iTrader: (1)

Agreed Blue....Looks good. About 3 1/8" lift using the 110 coils...not bad
It's possible the increased roll is also due to worn out shocks. I just replaced my rear Bilsteins because one was blown out and the other was weak. Man, What a difference new ones made for me. They are typically 80~85 each.

http://www.ajusa.com/details/index/2...F4-BE5-6248-H5

free shipping...10 dollar discount for getting 2 of them...total is $141. Not bad for Bils.

blue_CA_yota

Thanks Chef and Zuk
Yea it's very likely the extra roll is from the worn shocks, these things have been blown for the 2 years I've owned the truck. I need shocks at all 4 corners, but it'll all come in time (I'm assuming money will also come to me in time haha).

cman1

iTrader: (1)

I really think this(zuk mod) is absolutely the best result for your buck yet!!!!!! hands down.....

Adk_Yota

Ordered springs and BJ spacers Monday night....ordered Pro Comp ES9000 shocks last night. Can't wait to see how it looks and rides $382 for everything shipped. Not a bad deal...my truck with very tired out suspension should be very happy! Thanks Zuk and everyone else on Yotatech!!!

ZUK

iTrader: (1)

Cool.... I used to have Pro-comp 3000 shocks on my 99 Jeep TJ(old cover shot of it below) that had coils around....the Pro-comps are an amazingly heavy duty shock build. The chrome shaft was a very stout 9/16 or 5/8" which was very unusual at the time. BUT...they were also known to stiffen up the ride some...even with coils. I don't know about the 9000's....my guess is they have an adjustment on them....and you can set them to a soft position to take advantage of the softer coil ride that you will get. What coil did you order...14x125?

xxxtreme22r

nope the ES9000's are just a nitro charged stiffer shock unlike the gas charged ES3000s. Your thinking of the MX-6 shocks ZUK.