TG's kit dpoesn't include Hi-steer which you are going to want anyways, it would be pointless to do an SAS and use the old push pull steering. The H-steer which Marlin includes in his kit puts you less than $50 diff between his and TG's, not including shipping.

Also Marlin has been around since the early '90's, TG is a johnny-come-lately and who knows if the will be around next year to warranty out their products, not to mention the above actions.

As mentioned you will need a hi-steer X-over steering kit at another $300.


You will still need the 2" BL to clear the taller 3.4. However since you are going to increease the height of your rig by over 7", it would be better to not do a body lift. If you dont like the idea of a hood scoop, have a bodu shop bulge the hood enough to clear the taller engine. They should be able to set you up with something that retains the stock look for a couple of $100.

A few questions that really need to be answered before doing the SAS, are, what is your wheeling experience, and what do you plan to do with the Runner.

If your goal is to hit the trails, and your experience is limited, you will definately want to add in a few $k for the exo-cage to protect yourself from totaling your rig. Unlike a truck where you can replace the cab, if you crush your A-pillar on your runner you have to buy a new one.

as for the hood buldging thats the route i belive im gonna take but its still a little unclear to me the parts i will need for the sas im leaning toward the kit from marlin crawler for the sas lift kit and the rear lift kit. so what other parts will i need for the conversion

Most of us, didn't just jump from knowing nothing to an SAS. We had our IFS trucks for a while and learned a lot in the process. I would encourage you to search this board, and the internet in general to see what you are in for. There's A LOT of info on the solid axle swaps on the net that describe the process and the parts you need.

Here's my own SAS website, which should help some:

http://www.brian894x4.com/Solidaxleswappt1.html

You really need to have an intimate knowledge of how this all works so that you can make smart decisions both before you buy parts and while you're installing them. And that's going to require a lot of reading and studying the various Toyota websites out there.

I do have to say that I couldn't disagree more with your plan to run 5" springs and 3" B/L. You have to remember that the SAS spring mount will push your lift up few more inches. You're gonna be almost 10" of lift, which is extremely insane for a 4runner or mini-truck.

4" spring with no B/L and the SAS should clear up to at least 37s. Minor fender or front bumper mods may be needed at worst.

However, with a 4runner, you have a big problem with the coil spring rear. I don't know how much they can be lifted, even with 4" springs, you'll probably need to lift the rear at least 5" and possibly 6" and that may not be possible without tearing out the entire rear axle and suspension and going to leaf springs. And that's a whole other project itself.

TG's kit for $1099.00/shipped DOES include the highsteer, check their website. IFS Eliminator . Infact it is the most complete front kit on the market.

Read this about TG.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=546531

I haven't read the entire thread yet. got through about 1/3 of it, got a huge headache and gave up.

But you get the general idea of what's going on and how a lot of people feel about TG and why.

At this point there's not much more we can tell you, there's too much information to convey over a single thread. You need to start doing your own research on the various forums. Start with pirate4x4 in the FAQ thread. You'll need to buy a $20 star to be allowed to search but it's well worth it. Also search around on yotatech.com and here.

You've got about a month's worth of reading to do.

"Other stuff" you asked...

If the SAS kit is complete, you'll also need...

Axle
Drive shaft (front)
A way to lift the rear
A way to mount the front brake lines.
Gears ( You put on 37's and try to drive around with stock gears, say goodbye to 5th)
Tires
Wheels (optional)


You'll also need...

Patience
Tools
Protective clothing
safety glasses
patience
good back
floor jack (or two)
Jack stands
patience
cool head

<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I would encourage you to go with Marlin, or even All Pro. TG's rep, to me, anyway, is relevant. Yes, the TG kit is cheeper and has a few more bells and whistles, but at the expense of others. Not saying that others who buy the TG stuff are wrong...just saying that Marlin has always done me right and I want him to have my business. You do what you think is best.

Thanks for the link, (alot of reading) but I didn't see any proof for the accusations, only speculation.

Unless JRT's post was deleted, there is indeed proof of a lot of bad business practices and extremely poor ethics. If you want more, it's there for the reading and others have collected plenty as well, including myself. Problem is that it all falls on deaf ears because nobody wants to believe it when it involves saving some $$.

TG's "kit" is not the "most complete on the market." I'm tired of people regurgitating Chris' lines.

Also, keep in mind that Marlin's kit comes with USA made springs, not Chinese made springs.