Marlin Crawler's New Rock Crawling Long Travel IFS Suspension System (#RCLT)

Got it. Do you have a build thread or IG?

 

TW is all al (sort of) maintain: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/wishbone-runners-build.238998/

 

Work looks good! I was wondering how much up travel you were going to get with the Trussed Dana 60. I have the same rear end with a three link on my FJ and at full stuff (with my link geometry) I had to cut out and reinforce the pan hard bar cross member. I was wondering what you were going to do with your third link and that cross member! Also, glad to see you were brave enough to go into the cab with your coil overs, I have shorter coil overs and bypasses that have a larger motion ratio, certainly provides me with some complexities to the tuning. I've been in the process of going to the Land cruiser steering rack, hopefully I can get my stuff together soon maybe catch you on a trail run.

Edit: I've made a new pan hard bar since this initial mock picture was taken. Needed more clearance to the diff.

 

I am ever so slightly annoyed that Marlin wasnt forthcoming with this info at the start. While I am aware many people seem to know that a +2 forward kit will require inner fender wall modifications and subsequent component relocation, this wasn't clear on their website back in Feb of this year (when I ordered). They sort of pushed the fact that you could run bigger tires without a body mount modification, which I wasnt concerned with because I already did a relocation of the cab mount. However, inner fender modification is waaaaaay more involved and destructive than the cab mount relocation and I would have appreciated having this info before ordering.

Anyway, I appreciate all the info and input you guys are sharing.

 

This ^^^.

this is why I said that their kit is far from what they advertised it as. Not a one off rack, can’t clear big tires without cutting your shit up, and more expensive than any other LT out there

 

I really dont want to cut my truck up, that was the appeal of this kit. I already received everything I need for this install, new wheels, new tires, axles, hubs, the special SST tool, everything. And I am still waiting on the kit itself, but only now learning I wont be able to easily run the 37s I have sitting here. The truth is burried in their install instructions that they didn't release until 4 months after my order.

At this point it seems like I need to hack my truck, go down to 35's, or limit the up travel with the 37s, but then what was the point of all the time and money spent?

 

Yup marketing definitely sounded to people who didn't know that you could bolt on and run huge tires, no cutting required. True if you don't like up travel, which 1/2 the reason that makes this kit varied from any off the shelf kit is the vertical upper uniball making enough uptravel possible that you'll be cutting a ton...

 

Yep, that's how it was marketed, 40s with minimal cutting was what caught my eye, but at 10k I was just window shopping. Sucks it's not all it was hyped to be. Harry definitely has me swayed towards their solutions when money is allowing.

 

Either 34s or start cutting.

35s mush have fender plastic trimmed; should have fender sheet metal and core work done too.

37s, see above.

I'd recommend fiberglass fenders from Advanced Fiberglass Concepts and cut/tub the shit out of your fender wells to make 37s fit.

 

I mean there is a company working on some inner fenders that'll give you more clearance.

 

Which company?

 

Yes, those inner fenders will clear 35s. 37s will need more work. I am unfortunately learning this all after the fact, but better late than never.

 

Here is a link to Jd fabs inner fender for any one looking

https://jdfabrication.com/products/tacoma-inner-fender-replacements?_pos=14&_sid=3c3474d34&_ss=r

 

Doing it right would mean basic cage supporting the fuse box and other parts in the engine bay. Too bad it's not made clear, but that's why the whole thing sounded subversive; having guys coming away with the impression they'd be stuffing big tires and not cutting anything.

 

So the average RCLT owner would have spent 10k on a kit that will be limited close to stock travel numbers because they will be unwilling, or don't have the means to modify the firewall/inner core to the extent that is needed? Big Mike is an absolute marketing genius...

 

So if you have the fab skills to do what it takes to clear 40's on this kit what makes it a better solution than just going SAS for 40's. Other than being one of the few that are doing 40's on IFS. Which I admit, I like that myself, but in the end a SAS would still be stronger for hardcore crawling. Yeah, the marketing on this with all the info was like play hide and go seek.

 

Mallcrawlers don't even know what uptravel is. This kit appeals to the biggest market segment out there - 37s technically fitting and looking good

 

I'll fall on that grenade . I expected tubbing at the very least, and relocating the airbox intake. I didn't plan on completely relocating the battery, which I still hope to avoid. We shall see.