Allenfab’s 2008 5-lug SAS and LS swap

For sure! You'll be the rare voice out there who gets to say say, "my Tacoma is actually overpowered" LOL.

Agree on all accounts about the reg cabs. Best kept secret, I think, for these types of projects; even with the shorter wheel base.

Is the build thread of you white reg cab still alive, or did you take it down after decommissioning that truck? There was a wealth of tech info on that thread!

 

The old thread is still here. I go back and look at it myself time to time to remember what I did on that one so I can do some of the same things to this build. It pays off sometimes to document stuff on the internet lol

 

True LOL.

I referenced that build so many times in the past. It was especially helpful when I was trying to figure out the exo cage and how to install a harness bar for my PRP seats. There's a wealth of knowledge in that old thread!

 

I really like how you outboarded those leaf spring hangers.

Typically, when you hear the words 1-tons, leaf springs and 37" plus tires in the same sentence, you think about a super tall vehicle. But this thing is looking great!

 

I researched leaf sprung second gens for a while and found 2, one on here with slider boxes up front and another that was Hawaii style. All other info said that these things couldn't stay low with leafs and shackles but I knew it would just take some extra work to keep it short. I really just took the idea that Trail-Gear and Sky Manufacturing had with their 1st gen SAS kits with the frenched shackle hangers and made it happen for a second gen. Plus, these 2.5" lift springs really did the trick with keeping it low. I have an 86 pickup at the house right now with the TG 3" IFS eliminator kit and it is a skyscraper compared to this.

 

Interesting you have a panhard bar on there.

 

That's great man. You're right, and I actually haven't even seen a 2nd gen (or 3rd gen for that matter ) on leafs and 1-ton axles, let alone ones that would be low. Now people know it can be done!

I've seen a few builds like that, but I don't think it's something very common.

 

I’ll never not run a panhard on leafs. I’ve driven trucks with and without one, and it’s still a night and day difference. Not to mention, they are 10x easier to package on a leaf spring truck than a linked truck

 

Really, interesting! I remember taking the panhard bars off my yj, throwing them in the garbage and never looking back lol!

 

I've done the same thing actually to my cousins YJ and he said he liked it way better. Maybe it has something to do with the spring under setup working better than a spring over? who knows... I am not smart enough to figure that out lol

 

Could be!!

In all fairness there is basically no leaf spring suspension setup tech out there, it's basically make sure it's square and burn it in type stuff. I was trying to research the "right" way to setup my rear end now that I have to all ripped apart and found myself watching tech on how to setup drag cars.

Long winded way of saying you can't find much leaf spring engineering nerdery out there even if you wanted to LOL

 

Looks great!!

 

Because spring under is less susceptible to axle wrap?

 

The panhard bar locates the axle side to side under the truck, leaf spring suspensions typically don't need them due to the fact the springs already do that.

Now spring under does help with axle wrap though.

 

@allenfab is this thing going to be ready to hit some trails in the spring or summer? We need to plan a trip!!

 

Shiiiiieeeettt I’ll be lucky if I have it done by the end of this year. Still got way too much stuff to buy, and it’s all the most expensive stuff

 

Finally got around to buying a Tundra booster from a salvage yard so I could get my GM 1 5/16" master cylinder installed. The adapter was not countersunk near enough to allow the bolts to sit in there flush/below the surface of the adapter so I had to countersink those deeper, the interior pushrod extender was full of trash that had to be cleaned/threads chased, and the pushrod extension was way too long. Though all this was annoying, it was all an easy fix so I am not too mad about it. Also had to move the factory fuse box forward a couple of inches to clear the MC. Some drilling and rivnuts fixed that.

Also removed all factory fuel lines/emissions shit/factory fuel tank components in prep for a new setup. The rear gas tank kit from JD Fabrication caught my eye and gave me some ideas that I think I can make better. The plan is to run a late 80s 25 gallon Blazer tank with matching GM sending unit under the bed behind the rear axle. I'm confident I can get it tucked up higher than the JD kit because it appears to hang super low. I'll be ditching all factory gauges inside as well so I will use a new Autometer fuel gauge that matches the factory ohm range of the new Blazer FI sending unit.

 

@SMKYTXN

 

You might have been better off going with a hydro-boost brake system. Tried to talk my uncle into doing that on his Heep since I'm pretty sure it had manual brakes. Not holding my breath though. At any rate, on my fantasy Civic/buggy that I'll never build, that's the way I will go, lol.

BTW: Autometer FTMFW!