ChefYota4x4's 1987 4Runner Build-Up Thread
#2341
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Glad to see you got together man, now on to the next new /old progect I hope getting that engine goes back in smooth for ya. And then the A/C and then and then lol have a great holiday buddy I'm sure you'll be grilling or something.
#2342
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chef I hate to repeat myself but you must do drop and bump stop spacers before you even move it . one revolution of axle can bind joint ruin boot and you are doing things over. I have been there and even got a tee shirt(second time I did it) feel free to pm me with any questions .
#2343
Registered User
WOW Mark, moving right along here! So glad you got your front suspension done man! Looking great! Sounds like the rest of the truck will be ready and waiting on that fresh new motor. Did I miss the date you are expecying to have the motor back from the new and improved machinest? Good luck with it all bud!
#2344
chef I hate to repeat myself but you must do drop and bump stop spacers before you even move it . one revolution of axle can bind joint ruin boot and you are doing things over. I have been there and even got a tee shirt(second time I did it) feel free to pm me with any questions .
WOW Mark, moving right along here! So glad you got your front suspension done man! Looking great! Sounds like the rest of the truck will be ready and waiting on that fresh new motor. Did I miss the date you are expecying to have the motor back from the new and improved machinest? Good luck with it all bud!
Far as your CV angles, etc., ....... I know you put in 2" spacers.... What kinda mess'n didya do with the bump stops, etc.? I will read back through your thread when I have a lil more time to sit here. I remember you installing and then uninstalling the Diff Drop kit.... I'll be using it, as I often travel alone and don't wanna be stranded cuza sumpin like this, ya know? But as far as the bump stops, I'd like to discuss that here, if possible? A buddy of mine has a whole set of Energy Low Pro Stops, ...and he'll give them to me. But, if it's likely that I'll have binding, etc., maybe even carnage, .....and if I'd have to space them till they're the same as the originals, lol..... I guess I don't wanna mess with them, ya know? Any input would be GREATLY appreciated!
#2345
I also have another question;
I'm going to get it aligned since I've installed the lift, etc. But I'm wondering if something might be 'wrong'..... Because; When I look from the front of the truck, ...the driver side tire looks as if it's turning right just slightly while the pass. side tire looks straight. It might be the pass. side that's off, and not the driver side.... I'll check the pitman alignment mark and decide from there. It might also be 'toe out' on the driver side...Kinda hard to tell, so it's not dramatic if it is, but I guess I'm just wondering, ............
*** WHAT COULD BE CAUSING THIS? ***
I haven't TOTALLY torqued down the ball joint to knuckle unions yet. But I got the marks on the cam adjusters for the LCA pretty much DEAD ON... The knuckle thing might explain the "TOE OUT" stuff... but the turned inward thing,...that seems it would be more LCA adjusting cam stuffs.
*** ANY IDEAS???? ***
I'm going to get it aligned since I've installed the lift, etc. But I'm wondering if something might be 'wrong'..... Because; When I look from the front of the truck, ...the driver side tire looks as if it's turning right just slightly while the pass. side tire looks straight. It might be the pass. side that's off, and not the driver side.... I'll check the pitman alignment mark and decide from there. It might also be 'toe out' on the driver side...Kinda hard to tell, so it's not dramatic if it is, but I guess I'm just wondering, ............
*** WHAT COULD BE CAUSING THIS? ***
I haven't TOTALLY torqued down the ball joint to knuckle unions yet. But I got the marks on the cam adjusters for the LCA pretty much DEAD ON... The knuckle thing might explain the "TOE OUT" stuff... but the turned inward thing,...that seems it would be more LCA adjusting cam stuffs.
*** ANY IDEAS???? ***
#2346
Registered User
You changed the position the ball joints as ca bushings you pushed things back into places they haven't been for a long time. Also no weight on that front end is gonna make it sit funny. I not sure but I would think it would even affect the length of your tie rods. Just my opinion man.
#2347
Yeah, tie rods may need adjusting as well. Hmmmm! It is on the ground, btw... see in the pic above?^^ .... that's how I'm looking at it from the front, and seeing it's 'off'... (not being smartypants, btw...just sayin, lol)... I guess it would HAVE to be the ends that pull it left or right, correct? DANG, I hope I didn't bend anything! Grrr! lol. However, ..... Could it be that, since I CAN'T KNOW if it's the left or right tugged inward, ....could it be that BOTH are? lol. That would be ideal, as it would rule out BENT CRAP! lol. I did mes with the steering wheel a couple times(can't remember why, lol).... so I'm not sure I got it back to straight. Anyhow, ...........
Is this something that the alignment shop would charge me a bunch extra for?
Is this something that the alignment shop would charge me a bunch extra for?
#2349
Registered User
I think the tie rods would be affected mark I'm no front end Guy but I'm pretty sure. Both sides would have moved and I don't think you could put enough pressure on anything to bend it. I don't think an alignment shop is gonna charge you anymore the point of what they do is to get it straight. Again my opinion.
#2352
Registered User
Chef your being paranoid again. Yes it's off because you need to get an alignment whenever you put in the spacers because you changed the geometry slightly. This is because the center of the steering got raised and the tie rods want to pull in. Which will cause a toe in. There will also be a camber change as well. You can actually see this anytime you put the truck up on a jack where you lift both tires off the ground.
As far as the bump stops go, yes you only have to shim when your using the low profile droop stops. And it's only the droop stops (top ones) that get shimmed not the compression stops. It says that right on 4crawlers site.
As far as the bump stops go, yes you only have to shim when your using the low profile droop stops. And it's only the droop stops (top ones) that get shimmed not the compression stops. It says that right on 4crawlers site.
#2354
Registered User
The more people say he's being paranoid the better, although I don't blame him too much. Sorry Chef been working on alot of video and having some comp problems, haven't checked into too many threads lately. I figured I had better pop my head in.
#2355
WAIT, WHO'S FOLLOWING ME?????????? hahahaha. .... Sorry, just being paranoid again! lol. Jk, jk.... I know, but I figure, 'why not make sure', ya know?
Far as the 4crawler stuff.... I saw that, ..the uppers low pro were shimmed. I understand that the bj spacer is essentially forcing the lower arm downward at a stronger angle and upper arm upward, against the T-bar pressure. New Ball joints, CA bushings, etc... I'm sure it has SOME to do with this stuff, and the book does say< "get the alignment checked" AFTER MOST of it.... I intended to... But I was just curious if something that I 'could have ' done improperly might have caused one tire to go cock eyed but the other(pass.) did not, and looks to be straight as ever.
Oh well, I'll just torque everything down to 'directions' and let'm fix it! Just gotta decide who to trust with the alignment. Firestone seems so expensive! lol. Found another guy that told me, "100$, and I'll re-do it, if needed, for the life you have it..... just bring it back if it ever goes cocked".... He does lots of Toyota stuff, used to work at TLC inc. We'll see.
Thanks, guys! Off to pick up some parts!(rear main seal, rear main seal housing gasket, couple others)
Far as the 4crawler stuff.... I saw that, ..the uppers low pro were shimmed. I understand that the bj spacer is essentially forcing the lower arm downward at a stronger angle and upper arm upward, against the T-bar pressure. New Ball joints, CA bushings, etc... I'm sure it has SOME to do with this stuff, and the book does say< "get the alignment checked" AFTER MOST of it.... I intended to... But I was just curious if something that I 'could have ' done improperly might have caused one tire to go cock eyed but the other(pass.) did not, and looks to be straight as ever.
Oh well, I'll just torque everything down to 'directions' and let'm fix it! Just gotta decide who to trust with the alignment. Firestone seems so expensive! lol. Found another guy that told me, "100$, and I'll re-do it, if needed, for the life you have it..... just bring it back if it ever goes cocked".... He does lots of Toyota stuff, used to work at TLC inc. We'll see.
Thanks, guys! Off to pick up some parts!(rear main seal, rear main seal housing gasket, couple others)
Last edited by ChefYota4x4; 05-28-2011 at 12:06 PM.
#2356
Hey chef good work im startn my bj spacers tomorrow evening hope it goes as good as yours they look great. And find a shop the can give you a print out of where everything is sitting. Our local shop has a meachine that is run with lasers and a computer and when they get everything in place and tightn it down the computer has a pic of four wheels and its got a reading out beside each one exm. (.001) and it will be green for good and red if they didnt get it right that way you know what they did and aint just taken someones word. Did your torsion bars give you any problems loosening or tighting them in anyway?? My driver side a can't get to turn even after spraying it with pb baster for like a week straight the passenger side turns smooth as butter.
#2357
YES, they gave me problems! I've read up a bit and learned that MANYYYYYYYYYYYYY of the bolt/to/larger nut joining's break. If you turn the top nut and the bolt turns, ...you got problems, lol. Sorry to hear that, Baddest, on the 'stuck' one! Grrr!
I did a video of some tips, ...and I'll post it asap. I think it might help ya(maybe a few more). I actually installed mine WITHOUT loosening my Torsion Bars. I'm going to have my machinist help me, as he has done a 'fix or two' on these, as he said, lol.(I guess he has a trick/special tool)....but he wont tell me, says he'd rather show me, lol.
I jacked up the upper arm with a large floor jack, reverse/stuffed the arm a lil bit off the stop, shoved a wedge in there to hold it up(Remember, I don't have A MOTOR, ...so all that weight is not there to counter the torsion bars,lol....Let's just say the A-arms went up...and so did the whole truck! lol... couldn't even get the upper arm off the stop w/out jacking up the arm>>>See, when you do that, there is resistance from the ground to arm, jack pushing up,...so it has to go up a LIL more than when you push up from the lower arm), then back and forth to the jack and the ball joint/and/spacer, wiggling and finagling until I could get a stud in the front and rear, diagonally, started those two nuts, then finagled some more, .......and then realized that THE FRIGGEN CUT OUT I MADE WASN'T ENOUGH!!!! GRRR~! LOL. I got over it and finished cutting some more and VOILA, IT FIT! (You can test the ball joint spacer in that hole where you've cut, .....but when you add the ball joint, ....WHICH IS WIDER AT POINTS THAN THE SPACER, ... you will see that you have to 'TEST' your cut with both..... And, well, remember, ....I was doing the ball joints as well! But, I'd already installed it into the knuckle, so I was 'testing the fit with my cut' with just the spacer.... that is NOT sufficient! lol)..
Don't forget to support the lower arm when you knock the studs down from the BJoint, ya know?
I did a video of some tips, ...and I'll post it asap. I think it might help ya(maybe a few more). I actually installed mine WITHOUT loosening my Torsion Bars. I'm going to have my machinist help me, as he has done a 'fix or two' on these, as he said, lol.(I guess he has a trick/special tool)....but he wont tell me, says he'd rather show me, lol.
I jacked up the upper arm with a large floor jack, reverse/stuffed the arm a lil bit off the stop, shoved a wedge in there to hold it up(Remember, I don't have A MOTOR, ...so all that weight is not there to counter the torsion bars,lol....Let's just say the A-arms went up...and so did the whole truck! lol... couldn't even get the upper arm off the stop w/out jacking up the arm>>>See, when you do that, there is resistance from the ground to arm, jack pushing up,...so it has to go up a LIL more than when you push up from the lower arm), then back and forth to the jack and the ball joint/and/spacer, wiggling and finagling until I could get a stud in the front and rear, diagonally, started those two nuts, then finagled some more, .......and then realized that THE FRIGGEN CUT OUT I MADE WASN'T ENOUGH!!!! GRRR~! LOL. I got over it and finished cutting some more and VOILA, IT FIT! (You can test the ball joint spacer in that hole where you've cut, .....but when you add the ball joint, ....WHICH IS WIDER AT POINTS THAN THE SPACER, ... you will see that you have to 'TEST' your cut with both..... And, well, remember, ....I was doing the ball joints as well! But, I'd already installed it into the knuckle, so I was 'testing the fit with my cut' with just the spacer.... that is NOT sufficient! lol)..
Don't forget to support the lower arm when you knock the studs down from the BJoint, ya know?
Last edited by ChefYota4x4; 05-28-2011 at 10:25 PM.
#2359
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chef by looking at pics your axles are at an angle. When at full droop they may be too much, watch pass side . I have had to shim 3 ifs vehicles after bj spacers, the first one I did was my own ruined original boots on first ride . replaced axles put in drop kit ruined new bootsafter 2 weeks- replaced by napa no cost to me but added spacers on upper bump stops (not low profile) all good after that. Have done 2 other 1 pick up and one runner did drop kit and spacers from start no problems. I like no problems you can do what you think is best it is only $60 at napa to replace your axle go for it!
Last edited by mfwimg82; 05-29-2011 at 02:57 AM.
#2360
Registered User
Chef, ive always been curious on the BJ spacers for IFS. i mean, it will give you lift, but geometrically, you lose suspension travel and ride quality, don't you?