cheap tricks for newbies
02-04-2011, 10:50 PM
#23
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Get some non sagging replacement springs. A decent set of used tires.
And save the rest for now. Learn, before you start messing with lifts and lockers. You will probably end up finding out that wheeling an armored truck, stock height with stock tire size, wheels better than you think and still is a great daily driver.
Craigslist and Google are your new best friends.
And save the rest for now. Learn, before you start messing with lifts and lockers. You will probably end up finding out that wheeling an armored truck, stock height with stock tire size, wheels better than you think and still is a great daily driver.
Craigslist and Google are your new best friends.
02-04-2011, 11:24 PM
#24
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there is a thread here titled "Cheap tips and tricks" already I think
For your situation, I recommend the ZUK mod ($70 in parts and a saturday), and ball joint spacers up front on your IFS to even it out ($150 in parts).
No welding, just some cutting and elbow grease.
Welcome and good luck.....and don't ever go to Pirate4x4 - they will kill you.
For your situation, I recommend the ZUK mod ($70 in parts and a saturday), and ball joint spacers up front on your IFS to even it out ($150 in parts).
No welding, just some cutting and elbow grease.
Welcome and good luck.....and don't ever go to Pirate4x4 - they will kill you.
02-04-2011, 11:27 PM
#25
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well i dont want to be that guy but iam...your 16 and you have limited experience driving (not saying your a bad driver) so ill say start off with some good tires, gain experience with 4x4ing stock. then once that happens you will have saved even more money and your can buy something else, maybe a e-locker or air locker? or bj spacers and coils?
just have fun with it now and get some good tires.
just have fun with it now and get some good tires.
02-05-2011, 03:10 AM
#26
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Actually look into balljoint spacers and add a leafs.
I went the slightly cheaper route when lifting the fron and cranked it up about 3/4ths of an inch to lessen the massive rake.
Honestly my ride didn't suffer all that bad. Probably because it was terribel before.
Go to wabbits site and get his 2 inch lift kit if you really want it, for 250.
But you should really focus more on maintenence, then wheeling. How reliable is the truck? Does it smoke, does it knock, does it start and die? Things like this need to be addressed before you buy any kind of lift.
Plugs, wires, rotor, and cap should be your first priority on any used engine. Followed by an oil change, coolant flush, and tune up and timing adjust.. then, and only if your engine is running top notch, should you start to worry about lifting, lockers, and tires.
I went the slightly cheaper route when lifting the fron and cranked it up about 3/4ths of an inch to lessen the massive rake.
Honestly my ride didn't suffer all that bad. Probably because it was terribel before.
Go to wabbits site and get his 2 inch lift kit if you really want it, for 250.
But you should really focus more on maintenence, then wheeling. How reliable is the truck? Does it smoke, does it knock, does it start and die? Things like this need to be addressed before you buy any kind of lift.
Plugs, wires, rotor, and cap should be your first priority on any used engine. Followed by an oil change, coolant flush, and tune up and timing adjust.. then, and only if your engine is running top notch, should you start to worry about lifting, lockers, and tires.
02-05-2011, 05:34 AM
#27
They are called "Ball Joint Spacers" Buddie.
Dont let these guys fool you, we were all young at one time, but our knoledge has just increased with the Toyota world.
Its not hard once you get the hang of it.
If you add a leaf to the rearend and put ball joint spacers up front...About $265 with shipping, it should lift you up about 2 inches all the way around and give you a little more clearance...There's a member on here called Wabbit :wabbit2:
He can set you up right.
But as many others have already said, i suggest you get your rig running top notch before you even think about lifting it.
I was 16 once, and spent all of my money and time on lifts tires and flashy stuff.
But the problem with that is you can have an AMAZING looking truck, But what good is that going to do if your timing chain snaps or your head gasket blows and it has to sit in the driveway for a month till you get the money to fix it?
If your tires are drivable, drive on them till you find a deal on some mud tires. (Only if your rig is running right)
I just picked up a brand new set of swampers with rims from a guy on craigslist.com for $500 bucks
Craigslist is now your new best friend.
Oh...And ebay.
....Better yet...Stay away from ebay...
Welcome to Yotatech fresh meat, Dont let these guys hurt your feelings.
Dont let these guys fool you, we were all young at one time, but our knoledge has just increased with the Toyota world.
Its not hard once you get the hang of it.
If you add a leaf to the rearend and put ball joint spacers up front...About $265 with shipping, it should lift you up about 2 inches all the way around and give you a little more clearance...There's a member on here called Wabbit :wabbit2:
He can set you up right.
But as many others have already said, i suggest you get your rig running top notch before you even think about lifting it.
I was 16 once, and spent all of my money and time on lifts tires and flashy stuff.
But the problem with that is you can have an AMAZING looking truck, But what good is that going to do if your timing chain snaps or your head gasket blows and it has to sit in the driveway for a month till you get the money to fix it?
If your tires are drivable, drive on them till you find a deal on some mud tires. (Only if your rig is running right)
I just picked up a brand new set of swampers with rims from a guy on craigslist.com for $500 bucks
Craigslist is now your new best friend.
Oh...And ebay.
....Better yet...Stay away from ebay...
Welcome to Yotatech fresh meat, Dont let these guys hurt your feelings.
02-05-2011, 12:44 PM
#29
Two ways to get your suspension back in order on the cheap:
- Buy some junkyard stock springs, bring them to a spring shop (not a mechanic, a spring shop, like standens in Calgary), have them re-sprung (heated and arc-ed again).
- Buy some chevy leafs from a junkyard, make the brackets and shackles yourself and put those under your truck. I got 2" over stock, looked like more because of the sagged front and in comparison to the sagged stock rear leafs, although some people get as much as 4" over stock. Which sounds excessive to me. Check out Pirate for more info.
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showt...vy+spring+swap
I managed to match the front to the rear chevy's with a torsion bar crank.
The ride is 10 times better than a sagged front end and bouncing off the bump stops. Don't believe all the negativity against cranking the front torsion bars.
As mentioned above, your truck is driveable and legal right now, right. Make sure everything else is in order before you start modifying it. Timing chain being one of them for the 22re, interferance motor means it goes boom if your timing chain snaps (however unlikely) or it seizes when it finally cuts through the timing cover. Or headgaskets for the 3VZE, were they ever done during the recall? Call your local toyota dealership with your VIN number, they'll tell ya if all the recalls are done.
- Buy some junkyard stock springs, bring them to a spring shop (not a mechanic, a spring shop, like standens in Calgary), have them re-sprung (heated and arc-ed again).
- Buy some chevy leafs from a junkyard, make the brackets and shackles yourself and put those under your truck. I got 2" over stock, looked like more because of the sagged front and in comparison to the sagged stock rear leafs, although some people get as much as 4" over stock. Which sounds excessive to me. Check out Pirate for more info.
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showt...vy+spring+swap
I managed to match the front to the rear chevy's with a torsion bar crank.
The ride is 10 times better than a sagged front end and bouncing off the bump stops. Don't believe all the negativity against cranking the front torsion bars.
As mentioned above, your truck is driveable and legal right now, right. Make sure everything else is in order before you start modifying it. Timing chain being one of them for the 22re, interferance motor means it goes boom if your timing chain snaps (however unlikely) or it seizes when it finally cuts through the timing cover. Or headgaskets for the 3VZE, were they ever done during the recall? Call your local toyota dealership with your VIN number, they'll tell ya if all the recalls are done.
02-07-2011, 10:26 PM
#30
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I'm 18 and everything ive done to mytoy is in my sig, here's my advice go pull yourself a set of used but good leafs from another toy in the local junkyard, buy and install a rollbar, and buy yourself some good used tires you can fit a 31x10.50 stock, or 265x75 15 or 16 inch rims.
I'm estimating here, but...
used rear leafs should run you around $60-120? Never have bought leafs so someone correct me if I'm wrong
Rollbar that's been setting in someones yard for years $0-75
Used 265x75 tires $90-200
Taking the upper end of all those prices your looking at $395 that leaves you with $105 which you could put up and save, or buy yourself about two tanks of gas with.
Now I'm all for big lifts and what not too, but lets be reasonable, your still in high school, lifts kill your gas mileage, big tires and rims kill your gas mileage, and these trucks are top heavy enough factory stock, which means you can and probably will rollover, trust me been there done that got a rollbar...
That's my .02 and welcome to yotatech.
I'm estimating here, but...
used rear leafs should run you around $60-120? Never have bought leafs so someone correct me if I'm wrong
Rollbar that's been setting in someones yard for years $0-75
Used 265x75 tires $90-200
Taking the upper end of all those prices your looking at $395 that leaves you with $105 which you could put up and save, or buy yourself about two tanks of gas with.
Now I'm all for big lifts and what not too, but lets be reasonable, your still in high school, lifts kill your gas mileage, big tires and rims kill your gas mileage, and these trucks are top heavy enough factory stock, which means you can and probably will rollover, trust me been there done that got a rollbar...
That's my .02 and welcome to yotatech.
02-11-2011, 12:20 PM
#32
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Pirate isnt bad, alot of good information on there. Just know people over there are not as friendly to new comers.
02-20-2011, 02:48 PM
#33
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yeah. Im going to try to get my truck up to stock height and find some good offset rims with wide tires to give it a better look. Plus im going to go tree planting to make some extra money
02-20-2011, 03:08 PM
#34
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My advice is to beat on it as it is and save that money for things that will break. The worst part of being an adult is thinking of the worst case scenario, such as dropping $500 on a set of springs and tires, only to need a new radiator, or alternator a few weeks later. Then you're stuck with no money and no transportation. Saw more than one buddy go down that road.
02-20-2011, 07:31 PM
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ZUK mod to fix your saggy rear:
http://gearinstalls.com/helper.htm
Crank the t-bars to match if you need to. I think you can fit 33x10.50 tires stock, might have to do a little pounding. No real need to lift. Spend the rest of the money on tune up stuff, plugs, cap and rotor, filters, etc.
http://gearinstalls.com/helper.htm
Crank the t-bars to match if you need to. I think you can fit 33x10.50 tires stock, might have to do a little pounding. No real need to lift. Spend the rest of the money on tune up stuff, plugs, cap and rotor, filters, etc.
02-20-2011, 07:52 PM
#37
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i do think that ur rear are springs and not leaf springs, mine was sagging and not the best way but i just put in 2 inch spacers to get a little higher and it looks good, i then want to find a supra diff and put put it in the rear, even tho lockers would do better but if u dont have money for it go with a limited slip. but it also depends on what type of off roading u plan on doing.
02-20-2011, 07:52 PM
#38
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ZUK mod to fix your saggy rear:
http://gearinstalls.com/helper.htm
Crank the t-bars to match if you need to. I think you can fit 33x10.50 tires stock, might have to do a little pounding. No real need to lift. Spend the rest of the money on tune up stuff, plugs, cap and rotor, filters, etc.
http://gearinstalls.com/helper.htm
Crank the t-bars to match if you need to. I think you can fit 33x10.50 tires stock, might have to do a little pounding. No real need to lift. Spend the rest of the money on tune up stuff, plugs, cap and rotor, filters, etc.
After you do that... do the springs take all the load? And what do you have to do to make the spring fit
02-20-2011, 08:03 PM
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Maybe I should buy those manual hubs.......
02-20-2011, 08:16 PM
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[quote=rhill;51664650]No, they don't. Does your runner have leafs? If so, that write up and ZUKs site gearinstalls.com should have plenty of info for you. You can use a spring compressor, or disconnect the shocks and raise up the rear, the axle should droop far enough to jam em in there. You should be able to pop a set of springs in for around 50 bucks. It's very well documented on the site and I've never seen anyone complain about it.
It doesnt say anything about wielding it on.. but if you didn't wield it on, what stops it from popping off when it droops
It doesnt say anything about wielding it on.. but if you didn't wield it on, what stops it from popping off when it droops
