What have you done to your Tacoma today? 1st Gen Edition

Successfully dropped my tranny, replaced my clutch, flywheel, and throw out bearing, and got the tranny back in. Only cost me $225 for parts and a few hours of labor thanks to my buddy having a lift.

 

How much of a nightmare would you imagine it'd be without a lift?

 

like a car lift oh thats a dream for me lol

 

the lifts themselves can actually be found fairly cheap. its having a garage/shed with a high enough roof thats the issue.

 

This is what I hear from everyone. So jack and jackstands forevermore.

 

You will have to disassemble the leaf pack down to the main leaf to be able to properly cycle the leafs and get the collapsed measument. Make sure to add a block/spacer to a count for the springs you take out. You don't have to take them apart to droop the axle out just to jack it up. I like to go a little negative with my leafs but others will say no negative. Where your happy is where you put your bump stop compressed.

Just put jack stands under the rear bumper/frame and take the tires off and lower the axle for the extended length.

The measument you need is from the middle of the upper shock mount to the middle of the lower/axle shock mount. One when the suspension is all the way down and one when the suspension is all the way up. That is collapsed and extended measurements. Look at the measument on the shocks you want and you'd rather have them 2 inches to long than short so you don't over extend the shocks. But you don't want to big of a shock or else the shock body is to big and won't compress enough.

So with all that said you need to have an idea of where your shock mounts will be to be able to measure for them if your doing new shock mounts

 

I'm really not looking to disassemble leaf packs. I know it sounds pissy, but I really don't want to do it. They aren't disassembled when using them, so I don't even understand why the need to do it. Assuming the extra leafs limit the main leaf and thus you can't get a full measurement, well then for what purpose would you need to have the full, single-leaf collapsed length anyway?

Oh, so both measurements are taken from shock mounts. Okay, that makes more sense now. I can actually visualize what I'm measuring. Thanks

Not doing new shock mounts. I am not bothered by the limiting nature of the stock mounts, so I will be using them.
Slightly longer is what I figured made more sense. But in general, get close to the exact length, ya?

 

No way to measure collapsed lengths without disasembling it or say a fork lift to lift till the suspension is compressed at its max (lift rear tire till front tire lifts).

Just get stock replacement shocks that are for a 2 or 3 in lift them. Or don't be lazy and disassemble the pack. It's not that hard. Only one bolt and takes 2 clamps to disasemble re assemble.

The reason it doesn't work is because you don't have the weight or down force. With the pack assembled you'll just lift the vehicle off the jack stands. But if your not doing new shock mounts just buy a stock replacement thats meant for the amount of lift your running.

 

Guess I’m not cool since I’ve never done the deck plate mod but I’ve done the snorkel mod. So what does that make me??

 

See this is where I'm drawing confusion about all of this. I've heard that this is only needed when moving mounts and I have also heard when this is needed for any longer shocks. I don't know which to do then. I don't want to fuck things up but I also don't want to be doing more than I need to. It'll probably be December by then and I will be doing this mostly or entirely solo and outside. The installation is going to be bad enough, made only worse by the likely colder weather. The less I have to do, the better.

If I do have to still test the lengths, would using a sufficient ramp (RTI or something equally as useful) manage it with the pack still assembled or do I have to disassemble it either way?

 

I got mine from this place with boots that supposedly work well with bigger angles
http://www.cvjaxles.com

 

I did mine in my garage when it was over 110. Seriously not that hard.

Most the time not needed with stock mounts and stock bump stops and the collapsed length on the shocks matches the collapsed on the new shocks. The new ones would be a few inches longer to accomadate the extra droop from a new pack.

But add new bump stops and longer shock body (different collapsed length) them there's no way to know when everything will hit without cycling suspension.

RTI ramp could work. Still don't think it's as accurate. By doing this though your still only compressing one side. It's best to cycle the suspension 1 side up 1 side down. Both sides up both sides down etc. This ensures nothing binds or hits and is done probably.

 

Well I guess I have no choice. I apparently don't know nearly enough about suspension to not do things right. I'll have to get clamps and w/e else is needed to do it. And can I reuse the center pin/bolt in the packs or do I have to get those too?

 

Just buy some 9" 5125s and toss it all together. It will work good enough for most people's uses.

 

In the picture below measure were I drew the red line on your truck and then measure from shock mount to shock mount. Take those two numbers, subtract the measurement where the red line is from the measurement of your shock mounts and that number will be the shortest length your shock can be when it is collapsed.
For the droop length jack your truck up and set it on jack stands on the frame so you rear wheels are off the ground You may have to take your wheels off so they dont touch the ground. Then measure the length between the shock mounting points and add at less a half inch to that number and that will be the number for the fully extended length.

Take those two numbers and find a shock that is shorter than the small number when collapsed and a little longer than the longest number when fully extended.

If you use the super bumps that will make the distance of the red line measurement shorter so you can run a longer collapsed length.

 

Does anyone know any builds with the addicted offroad front hybrid bumper? The only pictures I can find of the thing are on their own SAS taco..

 

I don't know. Maybe. Not sure what to think of suspension at this point. Getting lost in it.

This is the type of approach I would take, from a logically simplistic standpoint. But no one ever mentions these types of routes, so I always assume they are inconclusive.

 

What happened with the frame? Still figuring that out?

 

I didn't have a hole saw actually, just the limited bits on my dremel that I typically use for other things. Since I found myself lacking the ideal tools, I decided to make use of what I had available to me. In the end I got the same result

 

Come to the dark side, we have mods!