Igor: Double Cab 4x4. Frankenstein's Helper

Decided to lower the shocks. Was too tall and I like rake. Plus CV angles were not good.

I don't have a scanner wrench so I made one. I bought a 3 pack or something of some pry bars on a whim the other day. I choose the 14" one or so as I had two and wouldn't miss one.



Then I cut the bent tip off...which in retrospect I shouldn't have..more on that in a bit.




Then I started grinding it down to a rounded point. I wished to god I had a bench grinder for this. Would have been quick work. Or at least a vise..I just free handed it though. Used the king's as a template to make sure it fit well.




Not bad! Plus handy tool for later.



Then instant regret. Sort of. I had to pull the driver side shock to get to the ring bolt. Then I installed it again so it would be held in place while I twisted the ring. Worked perfect! Suoer easy to turn. Didn't bend at all unlike basically every other tool I've tried to do this with that's supposedly designed to do it. Save your money! Cut up a $6 prybar!

However. Don't cut off the bent tip. I should have just cut off the flat part and then ground down the bend end to fit the hole. This would allow me to turn the ring further than I could with it straight. Due to the design of the ring I couldn't turn it far enough to get to the next hole past the clamp bolt.

Damn.

So out the coilover came and used another longer prybar to leverage it still and easily cranked the coilover.






Then cranked away.

Video:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/TQz6a5qehPNPwCZG8

Repeated on the other side.

I think I'll go buy another pry bar and make an angled one as then I could easily do this with the shock in the truck.

However. My lca bushings are going out. This one's kind of gone..

Video: https://photos.app.goo.gl/GWQGqCyFJmKF5k1T7


So. Now have to do that. Thinking of doing solo lcas purely due to the better bushing design. Likely do cam tabs gussets too.

Ugh.

 

Theres nothing left of that bushing.

Weren't you having issues with alignments and killing front tires?

 

Never ending list of "might as well since I'm in this far" mods suck sometimes

 

Yeah not good..

No that's what's odd is it aligned fine haha I killed some tires after hitting the deer and not getting it to the shop soon enough.

However I have had issues with it wanted to change direction when braking hard. Would pull to the left. I thought it was a leaking caliper which is why I replaced it last weekend which is what started this whole fiasco.

Story of my life..

 

My wallet is in vain haha

 

x2. i put new springs on the gto, then realized the struts were bad, endlinks bad, bumpstops bad. so i bought coilovers, ha.

and smashed the living shit out of my hand last night

 

Taking pre-load out is always way easier than dialing it in. Especially on threads that don't have thousands of miles of cred/build-up on them.

Very kool idea for the tool mod tho.

Ouch!

 

I tried it both ways and it was much easier than anything ive tried. Of course new threads help a LOT haha but still. It works better than I though. Im going to make another one with an angled tip so i can use it while the coilover is installed.

 

Well ordered solo lcas. Hopefully get powder coated early next week and show up at my dad's place before I get back.

Trying to decide if I should get all new cam bolts too..

 

They are kinda spendy for what they are. The problem is, you wont know if one or more are frozen and will have to be cut off and you don't have a local source for them either.

When I did mine, Zane and I literally made a 50 mile loop, visiting 4 Toyota dealerships in a 3 hour road trip to find all the necessary parts and pieces. We were able to scrape up what we needed but just barely.

If I had to do it again, I would order 4 full sets and have them on hand. Then return for a refund what ever I didn't need.

Where is the nearest dealership? Billings?

 

I'll be doing this in Powell as I might try and do cam tab gussets too time depending. So Powell has a dealership and Billings and Cody. But not going to be open on Sunday.

Not sure I can find all the parts online either haha

 

Are you referring to this next Sunday?

 

That's been the entirety of what started as a head gasket job on my 300zx. As I now finish an almost full mechanical refresh...

 

The advantage of a Toyota dealership is they will take partial returns on items you buy from them. Pretty sure Amazon and other online stores wont.

 

Next Sunday after the trip. Gonna just go for it. Solo lcas should have gone to PC today but I'm not sure if they will show up by next weekend in Powell.

Yeah I know. My wallet is just hurting in every way from this last week. Oh well...I'll try and do that on the road tonight

 

Yes I could have. But I see it as worth it for the ease of the bushing swaps. And better bushings. And better alignment.

That and I don't have time to do that swap. Hoping to be able to do this all in a day maybe day and a half if that.

But whatever. Should be worth.

 

Lower mount is 1" forward so adds a good amount of castor but doesn't push the tire into the firewall. I haven't been able to get positive castor since the king's went on. So now I will.

Yeah my short years in Missouri did their toll..

 

I have king rod ends, bearings, and spacers in stock.

 

You were my first choice. I'll hit you up later in April.

 

First week of May is best, got a baja trip the end of April.