Frankenstein parts to our platform?

[jpetree85]

Quick question...has any one tried to fit parts from other platforms (tacomas, cherokees, etc) to ours? I roll with other platforms and it seems as if the tacomas/fourrunners my be a fit for bumers and suspension upgrades. Any thoughts?

[bartonmd]

AlekG had what I recall being an FJ bumper adapted to his TB, before I started making bumpers. I think that's about the only one I can think of as far as bumpers...

Johnny at Wheeler's Offroad out in the northwest made (or had made?) some adapters for FJ coilovers to work with out platform, before Radflo made them for out platform.

Mike

[RyansTBLS]

Correct me if I'm wrong on this. I think the trail-gear rocksliders that are closest to ours is for a Tacoma, but we have to cut them a little shorter for the TBs.

[bartonmd]

Yeah, the medium ones are just a little short, and we have to cut an inch or so of the ends of the long ones.

Mike

[Opeth]

Tahoe springs work well for us too :-p

[jpetree85]

Got the Tahoe springs and they are fantastic! I'm looking to upgrade the ifs. Better control arms, axles, etc. I am suprised nobody has experimented more with this...

[NC_IslandRunner]

Outer tie rod ends from a 2500 Silverado has been done by a few.

[DirtyBacon04]

I used a steering wheel cover from a 2002 GMC Yukon XL Denali...................... Bill has parts from a Jeep ManSausageMobile in his rig.

[navigator]

I think folks have researched the IFS extensively with little fruit for their labor.

[The Roadie]

Bill has parts from a Jeep ManSausageMobile in his rig.

Yah, I don't share this with everybody....

[v7guy]

There's a big ole can of worms in this thread, there's thoughts on the subject littered all over the forum as hijacks in many threads.

I don't think a 14 bolt rear in the earlier trucks with the ABS in the TC would be too crazy. They can be had for dirt cheap, they're strong, have lockers, you can build links as you see fit. You can also just swap in the SS rear like HARDTRAILZ did. The SS rear seems to be more than adequate.

The front is where it gets tricky, there are a few guys looking at CV inners to replace the tripot. There's at least a couple guys looking at fixing our balljoint angles. I think we haven't seen any serious conversations about it cause nobody is building anything/buying parts and testing them now. But it seems that it's coming. There's not a shortage of guys looking at options. But speculation isn't a specialty of this forum.

Concerning pushing the truck further than what fishsticks and HARDTRAILZ has, you kinda run into a situation of "where do you stop".

If you're going to make control arms for the front and use cobbled together CVs do you fit a larger hub? HARDTRAILZ is replacing his stock hubs yearly with 35s and the stock suspension limitations.
Do you try to keep ABS?
Do you use a 930 CV, or a 934, or go bigger?
Do you have stub shafts made for our diff or change diffs?
Do you use a rear sump oil pan to fit a different diff?
Do you try to lock the front diff?
Do you mount a traditional shock or keep the goofy stock setup?
Can you get a longer shock with our stock mounting setup made for a reasonable price or is it feasible to make an a arm with a mount for the shock that will clear the front axle?
What spindle do you use?
What do you do about the transfer case?
Can you keep ABS with a different transfer case?
How do you handle the steering?
If you are going to all this trouble do you make the front control arms longer?
Do you keep the stock geometry?

and the list goes on and on and on


Our drivetrain/suspension setup is pretty unique, so there's not a lot of options to swap or build parts without redoing almost everything.
Even if you overcome all of this, and build a spiffy IFS, your shit is still going to be weaker than a solid axle, and it's probably going to cost just as much (but probably much more).
It'd be really cool, and it'd be an adventure. But the biggest deterrent so far has been the scale of the project and the money needed to do it.

If you've got thoughts and measurements to back it up I'm sure we're all interested.

[Opeth]

High angle cv cost stopped me right there from trying to go anymore than marks 3" lift. I've gotten quotes from $1500-2500/ set. To me, that's way too much capital to spend on a part still likely to break. $2500... I'm sure you could go SAS with that coin or at least have all the needed parts.

[HARDTRAILZ]

Teebes used a JK front bumper.

[mikekey]

Somewhere around here we've got someone who used a Tahoe Fuel tank (with modding)

And we've got Silverado mirrors that kind of fit.

I'm thinking there are a number of GM parts from other vehicles that do fit or might fit with modification that aren't exclusively suspension related depending on what you're trying to do.

[dvanbramer88]

I don't think a 14 bolt rear in the earlier trucks with the ABS in the TC would be too crazy.

That's been done. The same guy with the 44 gallon fuel tank.

[v7guy]

I don't think a 14 bolt rear in the earlier trucks with the ABS in the TC would be too crazy.

That's been done. The same guy with the 44 gallon fuel tank.

yeah, but he welded to the cast pumpkin/ hogshead... that was crazy lol

[v7guy]

High angle cv cost stopped me right there from trying to go anymore than marks 3" lift. I've gotten quotes from $1500-2500/ set. To me, that's way too much capital to spend on a part still likely to break. $2500... I'm sure you could go SAS with that coin or at least have all the needed parts.

Since I'm on a PC and can respond better...

There are some 930 adapters that would probably work alright, just need a splined shaft with a bearing surface made up to plug into the adapter and front diff... or maybe cut up a stock tripot and get it welded to the adapter. From there a 930 CV bolts on. Then an axle that has 28 instead of 27 splines for the inboard side completes the package. I'm reasonably sure you could do it for a good bit cheaper than your low price. It would depend on what you could get the shafts made for.

http://www.racereadyproducts.com/transm ... n-flanges/
http://www.appletreeauto.com/TYPE-1-TO- ... -AC525105/

It would get you more angle, not sure if it's worth the effort when we're still limited by the balljoint and shock.

[0RESET0]

Correct me if I'm wrong on this. I think the trail-gear rocksliders that are closest to ours is for a Tacoma, but we have to cut them a little shorter for the TBs.

How much too short would the long ones be on an ext? Any reason to get these instead of some from Barton?

[bartonmd]

IIRC, they're about a foot too short. They're only like 2" too long for a non-EXT.

However, if you've got a welder to weld them on, you could always get the long ones from TG and lengthen them in the middle. I shortened the ones in the middle on Regulator's, and they have held up just fine. Just bevel your edges and fill in the bevel, then grind smooth. They're just 1.75x.120 tubing.

If you happen to be through Indy, I could sell you the tube with a couple bends at the ends, and you could make the rest of the sliders, but something like that doesn't save you much money if I have to ship it.

Mike

[0RESET0]

Thanks. I have been to indi for training a couple times but not in a few years. I am seriously considering your front bumper kit, I may have to make a trip and pick up both when I get the cash.