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How short of a solid axle swap on first gen Tacoma is possible?

rockota said:
You’re dreaming of you think you can do a quality SAS for $2k….
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Right? I set out to do mine as cheap as possible for the challenge of it and I came in around $3k without tires. That was using free leaf springs, a ton of used parts and a $150 axle housing in 2016.

For the OP if you want to save some $$$ look at some OME front struts and coils or the Bilstein 5100s with coils. You can get them pre assembled so it's like a 30min per side job. Also look at the upper strut mounts as they crack up there.
www.toyteclifts.com

OMEFR9504- OME Front Coilovers (95-04 Tacoma/96-02 4Runner)

OMEFR9504- OME Front Coilovers (95-04 Tacoma/96-02 4Runner) OMEFR9504- OME Front Coilovers (95-04 Tacoma/96-02 4Runner) Designed for superior performance across all terrain, an Old Man Emu suspension upgrade by ARB will provide noticeable improvements to
www.toyteclifts.com www.toyteclifts.com

I know it says coilovers, obviously not.
 
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rockota said:
You’re dreaming of you think you can do a quality SAS for $2k….
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It will be close. Spring stuff is spring stuff... nothing special there. PS box and fittings, again... nothing special. I forgot the oil pan. Used axle and rebuild is no big deal. I guess your opinion is unless I'm using a Ruffstuff or prefab housing, I'm not doing quality:shaking:

Thanks for your input so far... but it looks like your ability or desire to add quality content is at an end.
 
Lil'John said:
It will be close. Spring stuff is spring stuff... nothing special there. PS box and fittings, again... nothing special. I forgot the oil pan. Used axle and rebuild is no big deal. I guess your opinion is unless I'm using a Ruffstuff or prefab housing, I'm not doing quality:shaking:

Thanks for your input so far... but it looks like your ability or desire to add quality content is at an end.
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I’ve done a number of SAS’s over the years. It can’t be done on a 3rd gen for that price. It simply cannot. Unless you get a free fzj 80 and can pilfer the entire front suspension… then maybe.

If you do decide to do an SAS, please document the costs.
 
I'd agree that could be toe wear, the feathering looks like mine.

Alignment shops can be pretty "whatever" about things, Some will give you a list of shit you gotta fix beforehand, some will just "eh whatever" and align it close enough.

If your front alignment eccentrics sit half behind the skid plate, like mine, It's entirely possibly they don't get tightened enough. Mine didn't, and I paid a pretty penny at a Chevrolet Dealership.

x2 on replacing the rack bushings, and the struts could be blown, there's half a billion things to go wrong and its a real PITA to deal with.

It could be a bunch of different things, But at the end of the day if you want to SAS it, Giver. I totally get the frustration with IFS.

Definitely gather all the parts first, if you've never done it before its stupid easy to forget about something (driveshaft parts, slip yoke eliminator if applicable) and then you're hooped waiting for it to come in, having another vehicle to daily helps too LOL

Fabrats on youtube has a good video on his Taco, but its a gen newer.

Everyone has a budget going into a project like that, allot of people blow through it. I've been there.

Another thing is, While you replace a bunch of things on the IFS, its still pretty drivable, If you go SAS, you're cutting the whole subframe out and she's parked for a long while.

Just my two cents, Gotta decide yourself if its worth it.
 
Lil'John said:
It will be close. Spring stuff is spring stuff... nothing special there. PS box and fittings, again... nothing special. I forgot the oil pan. Used axle and rebuild is no big deal. I guess your opinion is unless I'm using a Ruffstuff or prefab housing, I'm not doing quality:shaking:

Thanks for your input so far... but it looks like your ability or desire to add quality content is at an end.
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I guess I'm getting lost, are you trying to fix what you have or just cut shit out and swap it? Fixing would be easier and cheaper, almost up to a full rebuild. But if you want to chop and weld, then a SAS would work.

Still post pictures of the front as is, and if you can get one of each side.
 
I just think replacing a coilover ifs with r&p steering with the cheapest leaf sas possible for better tire wear only sounds pretty silly.

Heck you can't even find a driver drop waggy D44 for less than like $750 in norcal anymore anyway. Then rebuild it and there is your whole budget in a shit axle before you even start putting it under the truck.
 
Just looked it up, pre built OEM struts are like $115 a side from toyotapartsdeal.com. you could rebuild the front end with OEM parts for less than the axle swap.
 
Lil'John said:
Nothing says I don't have the skills to rebuild front IFS. I lack experience/knowledge of diagnosing what is going on in the front.

I do have the skill to a SAS with no issue. I've done more than a few similar projects. Most recent was rear spring replacement in a project.

$2k on coilovers won't happen... that will almost pay for all the parts needed for SAS: ~$350 for springs/brackets, ~$350 PS stuff, and a bunch left for choosing axle... if I up the budget a hair, that can be Ruffstuff housing.

Rack bushings were replaced in Jan along with other parts when I got ball joint repaired. I don't recall if the control arms were replaced at same time. I'm still looking for my receipt.
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the wheels are pointing straight, if the alignment shop says the alignment is good then something is moving during driving. blown out struts cause cupping on the tires and you should feel shaking in the steering wheel. get the alignment done again, then MARK EVERYTHING that has a bolt head or nut with marking paint. drive it for a while and check it often youll find the problem.

what axle are you going to use for the SAS?
 
Slander said:
Just looked it up, pre built OEM struts are like $115 a side from toyotapartsdeal.com. you could rebuild the front end with OEM parts for less than the axle swap.
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should be able to do everything but the rack and spindles ... new uppers/lowers/ball joints, etc.. for ~$1k.
 
guy local to me has a stock height taco with a sprung under waggy 44 axle for his daily driver its pretty slick. Definitely doable if you can figure out the steering and aren't worried about uptravel
 
Quick update now that I've been to an alignment shop(different from shop that did original): All bushings are worn and they won't do an alignment until fixed. Their diagnosis was less than five minutes so I'm not sure how they determined it since bushings are buried behind brackets(I'm going to youtube how to diagnose so I can figure out what they saw that an untrained person couldn't see)

So I'm somewhat to the "who is fucking lying"? Shop that fixed the blown ball joint on the passenger side, the first alignment shop, or this current shop. If 'diagnosing' the control arm is really only less than five minutes, then shop one screwed up and/or first alignment shop. The shop and first alignment shop were Jan 1st of this year. I haven't hit any sizeable pot holes in that time. The alignment failed in six/seven months. The truck has always had this tire chewing issue.

I'm still interested in ultra low SAS for Tacoma so I'd like to leave this thread for that topic over repairs. I'll start a new thread to see if there are any worthwhile control arm upgrades shortly.

Strut bushings were replaced under a year ago with Delphi brand. As I noted, the strut passes the push down/rebound test. But bushings are shot.

For axle, the waggy 44 is what I'm most familiar with. If I were considering new build, I'd go with Ruffstuff housing and LP 8" Toy with unknown outers.

mobil1syn I have not personally pulled the front apart to check the wheel bearings but I get no play out of grabbing top of wheel and trying to pull in/out.

In general, the reason for SAS over 'repair' is the fact if it can't keep an alignment, I will be putting out $600 in tires every 9 months plus $100 alignment. Tires should last at least 2 years with the low mileage I drive.
 
Slander said:
Go read my build thread, 23.5" belly height on leafs and 37s
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low is when the belly is half the tire diameter, so you are a mega truck. try again

if he wants low slug with leaves, he needs to have the shackle in the front, old school crossover steering, and minimal uptravel. ride quality will go down from the IFS
 
mobil1syn said:
if he wants low slug with leaves, he needs to have the shackle in the front, old school crossover steering, and minimal uptravel. ride quality will go down from the IFS
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Had a 4runner come in a while back. Was on 60's had sliders on the front. For a rig on 37's it wasnt all that much higher than a stock tacoma on 33's.
 
mobil1syn said:
if he wants low slug with leaves, he needs to have the shackle in the front, old school crossover steering, and minimal uptravel. ride quality will go down from the IFS
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Shackle front is my preferred method of solid axles... to the point of reversing a shackle reversal on my old FJ40. I would actually go leaf springs sliders.

My solid axle lifted FJ55 on 35s easily out handles and rides better than my Tacoma on the same road. So in my sample size of three, the solid axle actually feels best; third vehicle being 2" drop 4wd S10 truck.

Slander said:
If you aren't going to hardcore rock crawl it, I would rebuild the IFS.
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I'm not against rebuilding IFS. But if I'm doing alignments and tires every six months after rebuilding the front, I'd rather not piss money away on that route.
 
Lil'John said:
My solid axle lifted FJ55 on 35s easily out handles and rides better than my Tacoma on the same road. So in my sample size of three, the solid axle actually feels best; third vehicle being 2" drop 4wd S10 truck.
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easy to say those things ride better than a truck with a suspension so blown out it wont hold an alignment.

replace the bushings on the lower and upper arms, replace the blown out struts, send it back for an alignment.
 
mobil1syn said:
easy to say those things ride better than a truck with a suspension so blown out it wont hold an alignment.

replace the bushings on the lower and upper arms, replace the blown out struts, send it back for an alignment.
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Missed the part that it does better than two other trucks including the Tacoma.

Steve300xcw said:
Is it smoking one tire or both?
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Both tires. I'm now on fifth set with the previous four looking like the one I posted earlier(first set)
 
Thats bizzar. Have thrashed on mine, even jumped it off the hiway an blew out the suspension, still doesnt wear tires:homer:
 
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