akdenali118

I have a 1993 Pickup 3.0 5 speed 4x4 with 31 10.5 Goodyear Wranglers and completely stock suspension. I like to drive fast down rough gravel roads (60+ mph) and I always feel like somethings going to break when I hit a deep pot hole or accidentally drift into the ditch. I already plan on getting new shocks. I was thinking Rancho RS9000s. What else can I do to strengthen the IFS for high speeds and make the ride better? I'd love to get a long travel kit but thats way out of my budget.

brianh699

Brace the rear of the lower control arms they have been known to spread if pounded hard off pavement. Something like this http://www.sdori.com/SDORI_Products.html

Stetson_md

... a governer for the throttle lol

redbayredneck

Unless its badly corroded, I would think that the stock IFS system should work fine for a little high speed down dirt (or gravel) roads. I hunt in a Solid axle truck, but I've got a couple buddies just running stock IFS and I know we've hit 65-70 trying to get ahead of the dogs without an issue.

Just got to avoid the really big potholes.

Buck87

^^^^^
Do it!! Cheap, easy, it works. If you have trouble squeezing it in it is because the frame needs to be spread back to where it is supposed to be; so you may need a bottle jack to get it in.

PS. send after pictures

Buck87

Lower tire air pressure helps, but you will want to air up for asphalt.

warpigg

why not do blazeland long travel its pretty cheap

akdenali118

I'm definitely going to get the frame brace. The blazeland long travel kit is still out of budget.

ThatGuy1295

Friend of mine rally'd the piss out of his 91. Hit trees, rocks, holes, driving hammered at 70mph thru warehouser. He had 31's and was trying to break it everywhere he went. It never really broke anything except cv's and diffs, lots of them, and needed an alignment or 2. If I had to say what was weak and what was strong id say the suspensions fine for abuse. I rode with him a few times and would have bet money that something was going to snap in half the way he was treating this thing. But noooopp... But if your really intending on beating the ---- out of this thing then sure reinforce everything. But its a lot of work into a suspension thats tough but doesnt really perform that well. And you will always have weak cv's and diff. Me I just buy cheap old cars and smash on them thru the woods if feeling like murdering something. I like keep my yota happy.

akdenali118

That makes me feel more confident that I wont break anything. I dont plan on rallying it that hard. I'm 16 and this is the first truck I've owned so I cant afford to break anything major. Ive already had to replace the injectors, rear break shoes and a CV axle since I bought it last summer.

ThatGuy1295

I think you'll be alright. Just dont reck into something at high seed. No amount of reinforcing can make that ok.

I know you didn't come here to have somebody say this, but be careful doing that high speed gravel road thing, I lost a friend who was doing that when another car was coming around the corner. Just sayin.

akdenali118

Yeah I know I have to be careful. The roads I'm on are like 20 miles out side of the little town in Alaska I live in so there arent too many cars around. I still take blind corners carefully because I know theres always a chance of someone being there. And most of the roads are through fields so there isnt really anything out there I could run into.

toyota4x4907

I'm in Fairbanks... >.>

Zpd426

check out bilstein 5150s. they will do better for high speed stuff and resist shock fade longer than the 9000s

Zpd426

If the ball joints have never been replaced that is something that is a good idea to do.

akdenali118

Im in Fairbanks too but spend my summers in Delta.

I thought the 5150s were discontinued. It could probably use new ball joints. The truck has 284,xxx miles on it and I'm not sure when or if they've ever been replaced.

Zpd426

Oh that may be. Find a shock with a nitrogen filled reservoir thats separate from the oil. that type of shock will work great for you. Bilstein may have other somewhat inexpensive options

akdenali118

I dont think I really need remote reservoir shocks. Its not like I'm doing anything too crazy. I think the RS9000s would be fine and they arent super expensive. Theres the Bilstein 5160 with the remote reservoir but those are almost $200 each.

Zpd426

5150s 100 bucks per shock. Dont get me wrong I love the ranchos and used to run them myself but the bilsteins will hold up better and perform better off road

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BILSTEIN-25-186284-MONOTUBE-SHOCK-ABSORBER-WITH-CROSSFLOW-RESERVOIR-5150-SERIES-/121045738973?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item1c2ee365dd&vxp=mtr

akdenali118

Would the upper control arm be able to clear the reservoir? And I would have to build shock towers for the front since they mount differently.