Well, I took the 85 offroad this past weekend on some forest roads and it just about beat my wife to death. Is it possible to rebuild the stock leaf springs? I've got what looks like stock leafs in there and I don't want to lift it. Can these be torn apart, blasted, repainted, and lubed up to get a close-to-stock ride back? or do I need to get new leafs? If new leafs, where can I get stock ride height ones?

Thanks

Yep, the above will work, or JC Whitney carries some decent stock height replacements. You might consider replacing the rubber bushings with poly while at it. You can also have the leaves re-arched (at a spring shop) to help restore the factory ride height. Probably will not last forever, but will be better than what you have now.

Will not do any good, the spring steel is worn out after twenty-one years and god knows how many miles.

How fast were you driving? Did you air the tires down a bit?

I do not know where to get stock springs except the dealer.

Two rules of off-roading, slow down, air down!!!!!

Thanks guys, I wasn't going to fast, taking it pretty easy as we were just kinda sightseeing, you know, honking the horn at the deer hunters <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/nana.gif" alt="" /> j/k of course.

I did air the tires down some, but I didn't have my air gauge with me to check, I'll check when I get home as I haven't put any back in since the trip. Probably didn't go down enough, the little bit I did helped out though.

I'm giving Toyota a call now to see about replacement springs.

Thanks again for the inputs, I kinda figured the same with 21 year old steel, but you never know I guess.

My guess is the dealer springs will be WAY more money than jc whittney's. If so, get the JCW's. I have had them and they are good quality. Definently not what you want for rock crawling, but perfect for the street and mild offroading/fire roads. They come wiht new (rubber) bushings, which I'm not sure the dealer springs come with.

-Scerb

Another decent option are the OME 2" lift springs/shocks. Gives you a mild lift but that increases the uptravel in the suspension so it is not bottoming out as much as the sagging stock springs do.

And don't count out the stock springs, my front leaves are 21 to 23 years old and working quite well, thank you



http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/4R_suspension-III.shtml#Front

These are very nice springs; great recommendation, IMHO.

Not sure if thats directed towards me, but I was referring to JCW stock replacement rear leafs:



Thats 'bout all I got from them.

-Scerb

Called Toyota yesterday afternoon, new leafs for the 85's are discontinued, and the last price they had was over $400, I didn't even ask if that was per set or each.

Well, eventually I'll probably end up going with the OME or NWOR leafs. But for now I've got stop the leak in my rear diff, find out where the heck the AAV is and disconect it, and replace or grease the center support bearing.

Thanks,
Lance

AAV ????

or

AAP ???