Reid did all the body work on his old 4runner. Shouldn't be too hard to do with the square lines onthe 1st gen. If it was my truck,though,I don't think I would let an Upchurch help me with any part were I was worried about the cosmetics. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shiner.gif" alt="" />

hey now, we spent 2 hours putting in 3 bolts on his junk today <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> ... never doubt the skills of 3 broke backyard wrenchers with a case of "engineering juice" <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/drunk.gif" alt="" />

here is a drawing of what I have been thinking of doing with the front suspension:



If I can get everything to fit under there, it will allow me to go spring over, very low lift, lots of flex. the frame will stop the shackle from inverting, and I will run bumpstops to limit uptravel, and keep my axle out of my engine bay <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shiner.gif" alt="" /> Actually, I'll probably go for more angle out of that front shackle when I put it together.

With toyota rear springs (military wrapped on both ends <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" /> ), it will move my front tires forward about 8" give or take, and I will have to switch to a steering box w/ a forward facing pitman arm. I'm looking at the chevy astro box right now for that.

That is how Ivan and I set up my 87 Trooper. Never got to test that to see how well it worked. I think the front shackles will if you keep the Isuzu case. The DS will need less slip and the pinion angle will be better through the travel. With the Isuzu frames it is really hard to get a low lift with the shackles in the rear and keeping the springs close to level. I know my 99 came a few inches higher than I would like.

Thats how i set mine up only spring under, over was way to tall for my liking, i used rancho springs and i really like the way it sits and rides, it's a little flexy on turns but you get use to it. Will see how it rides once i put the 4.3 in it. it goes under the knife next month so we'll see how it handles the extra weight. Don

yeah that is what I have been seeing on others' rigs with the shackle to the rear. Just too much lift to deal with w/out going full width.

One thing I didn't think about is how the frame narrows towards the front of the rig. so I think I will build a hanger directly across the front of the frame, put the shackle mounts coming right off the top of that, and brace those against the front of the hanger.

hopefully this weekend I can hit the yards and find some parts, cut some stuff off of the troop, and get my mitts on some steel and get a few things built.

I'm finally gonna get to work on this tomorrow. I'm going to at least get all my front spring/shackle mounts tacked. thinking of frenching the spring hangers into the frame. At this point I think I'll just try to move the axle forward 3 or 4 inches.

If we can find a torch, I'll cut the ifs out and get with the grinding. that is probably as far as I'll get until next weekend.

after that, probably gonna spring over the rear temporarily (basically until the stock springs bend, which shouldn't be long) and either doing a link setup or run long chevy lift springs SUA.

I'm hearing the stock front driveshaft ujoint on the tcase end doesn't allow for much angle. I'll probably try to adapt toyota stuff. I should be able to build my own driveshafts with some help and might try balancing them with fine sand or atf.

all I really need now parts wise is get the pitman arm reamed to accept from the bottom, a draglink, some 5.38's for the rear and I guess I'll just weld the carrier. oh, and shocks. and new tires to go with the 2" backspaced 15x8's (can you say wide?) <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shiner.gif" alt="" />

In a front-end application, I'd be less concerned with balancing. What's your top speed going to be with the front drivetrain engaged, 5mph? I have seen a handful of trail trucks with owner-made square front driveshafts (receiver hitch material with 2x2x1/4" square tube inside)... there's no way those things are balanced <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

Sweet, be sure to post pics....... Not to hijack but how do you like the 3.4L do you think you will ever need more power? I'm getting close to doing a engine swap and I'm ether going for a 3.4L or the 4.9L caddy. Thanks and sorry to hijack aittle.....

paul I am dealing with the same issues now. I'm picking up some Chevy 63" springs for the rear, and for the front I was going to do pup rears with an addaleaf SOA with shackle to rear drilled through frame. Not sure if I can pull that off though here in MA lift laws are much more strict than in your area I bet. I saw (Tuite) Nick's sas with troop rears up front and I still think that is too much lift for me.

I bought the Skyy manufacturing 63" spring kit which includes shackles, f+r 2.5" spring mounts, hardware, bushings for $115 pretty good deal.

Maybe I will go toy rears up front since they are flatter hope you get some ideas this weekend i will get back to you about what I find out.