Alright, I've finally decided what I want to do with my '92 Runner.
OME HD coils
OME shocks x 4
1.5" BJ spacers
1" diff drop

This is the stuff I know. Know for the stuff I'm not quite sure about.
Brake lines: with only a 2" lift, do I need to extend the rear brake line? I probably will anyways, better safe than sorry.

Panhard drop: how much lift before you need to worry about this? Based on 4crawler.com, it's saying 4". So with only 2" rear coils, I should be good, no?

Other stuff that I've been wondering about:
Trailing arms: I know that a 4-5" superlift kit comes with extended training arms. It seems that a 2" lift doesn't create an issue, but what about once you get into (eg) 5.5" cruiser coils? I'd imagen that if it you stick with the stock arms, they'll pull the axle forward, and away from the spring seats, any other bad stuff?

T-bar crank: because cranking your t-bars simply adjusts the position of your the wheels in their travel, how does everyone find offroading with cranked bars, especially when close to fully cranked? Just because cranked t-bars won't allow the wheels to drop and track the ground. Also, sure, you can get the clearance to run 33's with cranked t-bars, but what about when you fully stuff the wheels?

If there are anyother finer points of doing this type of lift you could offer, I'd be very appreciative.

 

I have the exact same lift.

I didn't do brake lines with no problems offroad, I didn't do panhard, driveshaft doesn't hit the gas tank (I'd recommend it though, the axle is noticably off-center when driving behind the truck), trailing arms aren't an issue, t-bar crank does limit wheel travel, but you won't have to crank them with the BJ spacers installed.

With that lift I know 33's will fit, as for how far they stuff I'm not sure... might take very minor fender trimming. My 32's stuff in the wheel wells like a glove.

Hope that helps some.

 

with 2" lift you should go ahead with the break line. Downey include it with their 1/5" coil springs.
Cranking t-bar will reduce compression not extension. that's just gravity doing the work. you should get ultra low bumpstop to help with the droop.
I dont' think you need to worry about the links. except maybe the end links of sway bar. Downey only include the extension with their 3" kit.
Pan hard bar....Hmmm I would extend it if possible if you plan to go offroad. other wise, your drive shaft will hit the gastank when flexed on one side.

 

Well, I think I'll go with the panhard drop right off the bat then. Keeps shipping issues to a minimum, and if I'm going to lift, might as well do it right.

 

I'd forget about using a diff drop...for a 2nd gen there a bad idea.
Manual hubs and a rear A-arm brace are 2 things you should really consider.

 

First thing I put on the truck were a set on manual hubs. Can you elaborate on why a diff drop is trouble on a 2nd Gen? The concet is pretty sound, and the install seems simple, so what?

 

Well for one, it's really not necessary to drop it if you have manual hubs and a happy medium T-bar adjustment.
Heres a quick example...
For two, look under your truck and see how low the diff already sits, dropping it 1" or even a 1/4" would be making it a full on rock target. In it's factory location, it's protected from the front IFS/control arm brace (works much like a skid plate) but if you drop it an inch, your gonna have that much of your differential exposed to the ground w/ no protection from getting banged up.

 

rocket....whats the rear a-arm brace all about?

 

Bill,

I did the rear OME coils on my truck - I got the softer ones instead of the HD because I use the Sequoia for towing now. I also did the BJ spacers. Don't use low bumpstops with the spacers - it will cause too much of an angle on drop and could cause damage to the CV (if you don't do a diff drop). The install instructions actually say if you have the lowprofile bumpstops to shim them back up for this reason. I ended up lowering my T bars by about a half inch to get more travel on the drop. If you don't you will still have the same drop as factory, but an extra 1.5" of upper compression (which is hard to acheive due to the torsion on the bars).

check out this thread:
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f31/bj-spacers-torsion-bar-adjustments-75518/

so this heped on the CV angles as well. I hoven't done the panhard drop and I don't think I will need to. The axle is still well centered on mine (not noticable). If you want to swing by and look at the setup on the truck before you do yours let me know. I am in the NW of calgary by COP. just PM me and let me know - we can take it for a quick spin as well.

 

Differentials are pretty rugged things. Afterall, what is the lowest hanging thing in the middle or your rear axle? Sure, lowering the front diff is sort of a compromise, you are loosing a little ground clearance, but you are gaining more with the lift and the larger tires the lift lets you run. Sure, if you do add a rear crossmember and possibly some sort of skid plate, you do get more protection but the tradeoff is less CV boot and joint life.

 

See that's what I was thinking. And I'm sure I can think/find something to drop my skid plate down a bit to cover up the diff if I really find it necessary.

As far as t-bars, I want to keep them at the stock position, that's why I'm going with the BJ spacers.

Matt, I might have to take you up on that one. I'll let you know, thanks.

 

Not trying to hijack your post, but I have a question that's more or less on topic, mainly for Roger or anyone who has both of these mods.

Is it possible to use the diff. drop spacers AND a rear truss? I looked around on here and the Wire but couldn't find anyone that has both. I probably didn't look hard enough though. I like the idea of having the Downey rear truss because it's bolt-on but a total chaos truss is only $35 and although it's welded it's supposedly designed for easier diff removal.

I have noticed a few people reporting a slight banging of the front diff on the new crossmember under adverse conditions, so I'm thinking that the two won't work together, but I could be missing something.

Any clarification would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

~R

 

Actually I'm wondering the same thing. I PM'd sschaefer3 about the sorransteel uber truss, but he couldn't tell me.

 

Someone would have to measure the diff-truss clearance and see how much room there is. It is possible to make a smaller diff drop spacer, like 3/4" or so, if that is what is needed.

 

If your trying to only get a couple inches of lift why not consider a Body Lift. I have Downey coils and did not touch my front end at all and a 2" Body Lift. I run 33X12.50's on 15X8" rims with plenty of clearance. Messing with those BJ spacers throws the geometry out of your whole front end off. The body lift wasn't cosmic to install and it makes it a lot easier to work on stuff underneath....My 2 cents anyways.

 

If you off road at all, I highly recommend getting one.

Three companies sell them...

1. Sonoran Steel: "Beefy Truss" https://www.yotatech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=73531

2. Total Chaos: "Weld On Frame Truss" http://www.offroadsolutions.com/prod...suspension.htm

3. Downey: "IFS Truss" http://www.downeyoff-road.com/Chassi...ents/index.htm

 

Well like i said, if you have manual hubs and a happy medium (stock) T-bar adjustment, a differential drop is not necessary. In fact, i think its a horrible idea.

Why gain roughly an 1" of lift (BJ spacers) just to drop it right back down and make it even worse than it was stock? Makes no sense at all. The trade off is not worth it. It would also be dang near impossible to make a skid plate fit correctly.

edit: I'm pretty sure 3rd gens and Tacomas don't have the same issue with a diff drop.

 

Agreed, at a 1" lift where maximum ground clearance is the goal, no diff drop is a good option. If you are going for 1.5" lift or more then it starts to make sense. If you say are going from 31s to 33s and adding 2" suspension lift, you are gaining 3" of ground clearance and maybe it is worth giving up a bit less than an inch of that for increased reliability.

Perhaps you have ADD and wish to keep it and find CV joint boots are wearing out too fast. One fellow had changed his 3rd set of boots out in a year and got tired of the hassle and went with a diff drop kit.

Or, you might find the CV joints are binding at full droop (have run into folks who have that problem) a diff drop can help eliminate that binding. Sure, you could also run a limit strap, but then you lose the added flex you set out to get with the ball joint spacers.

So, every situation is unique, what works for one application may not be what works in all cases. You can always try running without the drop and if you have no lift-related issues, you are fine. If you find greatly reduced CV joint life, there is a fix. Why would all the 3"-4" IFS lift kits include brackets to lower the front diff if it were not a must at that height.

 

Keep it simple, and save for the whole enchilada.
I ran 3 different rear coils on my '94. I liked the HD Downey coils the best. Also had Downey torsion bars and Rancho RS 9000's all around and low profile bumpstops. I did extend the rear brake line.
Adjust the torsion bars on the alignment rack until you find a ride height that allows decent alignment numbers. With manual hubs, the cv angles aren't really an issue since, hopefully, you unlock the front end on the street. In 170K miles I never had any issues and I wheeled ALOT. Finally, go with 32's because then there is no need to regear and you will actually achieve better mileage if you have the 4.56 or 4.88 factory gears. 32" BFG's on 15x8 wheels with 4 5/8th backspacing is the perfect combo for the stock 2nd gen 4Runner in my opinion.
Then you can have a helluva good time wheeling while you lobby the wife/girlfriend (or both) and save up the funds for a SAS or crazy long travel IFS.

 

Or unimog axles ... takes a bit more saving though

LOL