5 Lug mid travel????

i dont know much about how strut bars work other than the forward and backward movement of the control arm, how would this increase travel?

 

I cant remember where I read it (most likely customtacos or tacomaworld), but someone claimed they got more travel with those. If you have ever dealt with the existing strut bar, you know that its bushing is jammed in there pretty tight and doesn't allow for much movement. The testimonial I came across was claiming that the heim strut rod had more range of movement and effectively allowed the lower control arm to have more droop.

I cannot vouch for any of this, as I have not tried it. I will at some point install those heim versions and can post back my findings at that time. I will also post the source if I come across it again. I am sure you could find it with enough googling on the topic, though.

 

Found the original post, i didndt see a single thing about it affecting travel but tons of positive reviews stating it greatly improved dsteering response and slop
http://www.customtacos.com/forum/13-performance/133450-upgraded-strut-rod-kits-now-available-3.html

 

This is all good information, but if the thread doesn't have a post that mentions increased travel, then its not the thread I was referring to.

FWIW, I remember when installing my coil spring spacers that I had to remove the strut rods to allow the lower control arm to hinge downward more to remove the coil spring uncompressed. The fact that the strut rods hindered down travel in this scenario, I am inclined to believe that the heim strut rods could theoretically add travel. Again, no proof other than the testimonial I read. I will keep looking for the thread I am referring to.

 

that argument alone seems to do your claim justice. I read quite a few accounts that said the stock bushing is so tight in there it hinders movement. Who knows?(hopefully you soon enough)

 

I searched and still wasn't able to find the post I was talking about. I should start bookmarking more... hehe. I did find some others, though:

http://www.customtacos.com/forum/14...-lifted-5-lug-mini-thread-96.html#post1438838

"...one thing good about the downey kit which can be used on the fabtech kit also is the strut rod arm it uses a heim joint which gives it a little bit more travel and somewhat of a smoother ride less binding."

He's referring to the original Downey version which was pretty much the same thing.

https://web.archive.org/web/2008050...ff-road.com/SuspensionComponents/1995-04.html

"We have been forced to use heim joints at the front end of the strut arm to achieve full travel made available by our control arms."

 

I emailed the guy about the strut bars asking about it n he still hasn't replied to me

 

I was hoping since he still had the website and all that he was still in bidniz, but that might be wishful thinking. I'll email him as well and see if we can get anywhere.

 

Yea that's what I was hoping for. If only I could find a threaded bung to slide on the outside of the bar instead of the normal inside a tube. Then I'd do it myself

 

I sent him a PM on CT, and also an email at both email addresses I could find. There's also a phone number on the website if you get anxious and want to try it. I am not quite ready to pull the trigger on this yet, so I'll give him a few days to respond. Either way, though, it would be nice to have some sort of confirmation from him.

 

I haven't gotten a response. I think I might have them made locally, instead.

In my searching, I found that other Toyotas use a similar setup. The physical dimensions are different, but using these rods as a design guide, this would probably be an easier way to have them made:

https://www.semotors.com/suspension...a-mr2-89-95-sw20-front-tension-rod-arms-1080/


I was searching some more and found this:

http://www.keslers-fab.com/product/95-04-toyota-tacoma

From the photos, it looks like the lower shock mounts are missing but maybe those photos show the lower arms incomplete.

This looks like a pretty beefy kit! I have already started piecing mine together, though. I thought I would at least share since this is the first time I have come across it.

 

Welp... my Doetsch UCA and lift coils will be on sale soon if anyone was wondering

 

Didn't you just get it not too long ago?

 

Those lowers look like they use a balljoint from the uca (by looking at the holes) and the cross shaft looks a little skinny for the add weight n length. Doesn't give a lot info on it. How much more travel, is $1000 just for the uca or both uca lca, what shock can you use. Not even a picture of them on the truck.

I think I read that Kesler puts on the Show and Swap at Lake Elsinore and is pretty well known. I could be wrong

 

I think the pictures of the UCAs are the uniball versions ($1100-1200 kit). Otherwise, you'd be using a 6-lug balljoint without the "wings" on the sides. The pictures of the LCAs look like they use the ball joint bracket thing I linked the part number for earlier in the thread. A "spindle spacer" is also mentioned in the description. That's the first I have heard of one of those. Maybe it only works with stock spindles or something. If so, I bet the lift spindles are better, but maybe it gives extra lift with lift spindles too. The cross shafts just need to be a stronger material other than cast iron, really.

The only thing I noticed that was totally off was the lack of lower shock mounts.

There are so many questions unanswered! I know!

 

You can get press fit ball joints that are held in by snap rings. I would like lca with a uniball being the weak point. I've seen ball joint spacers that go between the uca n ball joint, to give some lift, I wonder if that's similar to spindle spacer.
I don't like that the lca are not boxed. Gives it a lot more strength then a couple tubes. And it looks to be laying completely flat. There should be some kind of bend to correct ball joint angle.
I wonder if the lack of a shock mount is so you can customize it for a bypass, bumps, straps. Some companies give you that option.
Also what about the steering?

I'm gonna email them and see what kind of feedback I get. Ill keep you posted if I get a response

 

Awesome, thanks! Maybe you can convince him to join our thread even!

 

Checked out his facebook. Looks like the kit is more for a lowered and bagged setup, not offroad.

 

Yeah, I was aware it was more for street applications, but I was just trying to think outside-the-box. There's not too many all in one kits for lifting our 5-lugs, so anything that beefs up existing parts with the added ability to create more travel would suffice. I was thinking as long as its close to stock geometry and with different coils, shocks, and spindles, it could be a winner. I def see what you mean, though. If it uses geometry that's optimized for lowering now that could be a problem.