Long Travel BS Thread

Thanks, always curious on the design intent on people that change their factory geometry. I see the full blown race trucks running no anti dive (or at least doesn't look like they run any). I have no idea if it would make street driving any worse when you consider a long travel truck with 13+ inches of wheel travel up front and 17+ in the rear. I think the factory anti dive is pretty aggressive on a tacoma with aftermarket suspension. I haven't modeled my truck suspension yet , but seems fun when I make the time to do it. I can see doing something right in the middle being a good starting point for a truck that sees dirt and street equally.

 

Originally I had a design that ran the stock mounts, but had issues trying to get a second shock to fit which prompted the idea to spread the upper a arm and put both shocks between, but I needed to run over 6deg caster at ride height or it would go negative at droop; thus the other change to decrease the angle

 

Good info. Thanks. Sounds like a fun challenge. Post some teaser pics when you think you have a good design.

 

I've been doing some reading through threads trying to decide which way to go on suspension mods and have some questions...Once my Tacoma is back in my possession I will be selling off my Tundra at some point and am hoping to get about 4k for it. That money will most likely go straight into modifications so I am going to start getting a part/cost sheet going to see where my final costs would end on a complete LT setup (Tires, wheels, gearing, rear end done up etc). I don't want to start the LT without being able to complete it all in one go.

I doubt I will be doing any sort of high speed off-road running, I mainly want to build my truck up for trail use and some minor/medium rock rolling. Considering this I have thought about just doing a mid travel and calling it good but I have always cheaped out on suspension and usually just go with some sort of leveling kit, upgraded shocks and whatever tire size I can comfortably stuff without any body modification. This is all mainly due to the fact I have never owned a 4x4, only trucks with a rear locker.

I would go with the Allpro kit as I don't want to have to deal with glass fenders and the added cost that comes with it.

So for the intended way I would be using the truck would a LT kit be beneficial or should I stick with just Mid-Travel?
As I understand it with the Allpro kit you can run 33" tires without any sort of trimming?
How do you (or not) go about evening the spacing on the rear to match the front outside of wheel spacers? Are wheel spacers an effective option?
From the stickied post about a proper LT setup on 05+ Tacoma's - is all the added reinforcement necessary and if so is it something I could do from an at home garage (torch and stick welder)?
Gearing.....I would be changing (and also adding an ARB Locker) gearing in the rear - What about the front though, I doubt I will add a locker in the front as I have read that it requires more upgraded parts to not tear sh*t apart - Any thoughts on this or someone who has done it?

 

Anyone running a SUA kit with a bamf shock relocation kit? If so what is your set up on the shocks?

 

Unless you're running a midtravel sua kit like tc or Baja kits, the bamf kit really doesn't make any sense

 

Your best bet is to stay mid travel or go with tc's +2 kit. Going all-pro is "cheaping out" I'd take a solid mid travel kit over the junk all pro kit all day

 

Lots of good questions; good on you for doing the research.

#1: Your stated use does not justify the expense, maintenance, or disadvantages (highway handling) of a full blown long travel suspension truck. You would be best served by a mid-travel set up. There's no compromise on quality there, it's just a different configuration for a different purpose.

#2: You will have to perform "body modifications" to run a 33", even on mid-travel, if you offroad it. A cab mount chop and some fender trimming will be necessary.

#3: Any long travel kit, even the All Pro, is going to require fiberglass front fenders or significant trimming of the fender. I know All Pro advertises it doesn't require fenders... I don't where they get that from. If you use any of the travel the kit provides, even on 33's, you're going to need them.

#4: Wheel spacers are necessary and they are appropriate. Otherwise when you articulate the rear axle on the trail, you will be rubbing/binding the tires against your shocks. A new rear axle is the optimum, but that's bookoo bucks and wheel spacers are safe and effective to equal out your track width front to rear.

#5: Gussets are a must. If you can weld, you can do it yourself.

#6: If you're going to re-gear the front, you might as well lock it at the same time. I swapped my front differential and rear third member out for pre-assembled differentials from East Coast Gear Supply. To me, that is the most effective way to do it. You're getting gears/lockers that are set up by professionals who back their work with a great warranty, rather than trusting in a local shop that might only have a few re-gear jobs under their belt. It's not a common task. Outside of the differential itself, there's really nothing you can "beef up" without significantly changing things up (different CVs). As long as you exercise due care when locked up front, you will be fine. I can get 95% of the places I want to go without the front locker. The 5% of the time I use it, there is no other substitute to getting over / through the obstacle.

 

Why is that? I'm about to install a BAMF relocation kit with King 2.0x12", and looking to go TC SUA later on.

 

You'll be fine with the tc kit and bamf towers as the tc kit only pulls like 12-13". If you went dmz, giant, camburg, etc. the bamf shock towers wouldn't allow you to use a shock long enough to get more than 14ish inches of travel.

 

You're not gaining any up travel if you don't change to SUA, and your leaf pack is likely your limiting factor when it comes to droop (rather than your shock).

The only upside of those shock relocation kits, in my opinion, is keeping the bed intact when you go SUA. I wish I would've done it that way. I get mud through the holes in my bed (where the shocks run through) all the time.

 

even with the tc kit I probably still wouldn't go bamf as you'll have to hang the lower shock tabs fairly low to make up for the gained bump travel that comes from the tc kit. The bamf kit is really designed for a spring over setup. Spring under will allow for and extra 3" or so of bump travel. If I was going sua I'd want to get the upper shock mounts up as high as reasonably possible to allow for the most lower shock clearance.

If I was setting it up for a customer I'd run 14" shocks with the rod end welded to shock body to shorten overall length. By running 14" shocks you'll have enough length that you'll be using limit straps to limit leaf separation instead of limit shock over travel. It will also live a little more shock shaft at full bump

 

I will check out Total Chaos kits, All Pro seemed to merit good reviews from people who I have seen use them.

#1-5 - Thanks for answering my questions in detail. The more I read and look around at Long Travel setups and cost for a proper setup the more I am realizing if I am going to spend that kind of money I may as well go SAS. lol Which I highly doubt I will do with this new of a truck and the kind of money I would be working with. I reckon I will start looking into what it takes to chop things up and give the needed clearance as I want all the travel I can get out of whatever setup I go with. I think my main concern with the mid travel kits is the lower control arm is left stock, my past truck 02' Tundra has left me with three sheared lower ball joints over the life of the vehicle and that is something I DO NOT want to deal with on the Tacoma from changing suspension components.

#6: - Ok, well that makes sense. I read an article over IFS and the pro's/con's to adding a locker and the moral that the article came too was that you at least want to upgrade to heavy duty CV's or under heavy use and binding your guaranteed to screw one up. I'll have to find the article again but I believe a few other components like beefed tie rods and added support to your shock mounts were suggested. So here is the main question that I am sure I can find through reading but may as well just ask. If you change your rear gears is it necessary to change your fronts to match to keep everything spinning at the same speeds and also while in 4x4 to keep your front and rear from binding due to not making the same complete rotation? In other words will is screw sh*t up?! lol

 

If money wasn't a factor you'll find that most all pro owners would gladly make the swap to tc. All pro has also had a few failures. Haven't seen a single tc +2 race kit failure

 

I see what your saying now. You had me a little worried at first. Yea totally going to run BAMF kit, king, and SUA heavy duty in the rear.

Good points, I didn't think of it that way. I wasn't even planning on cutting holes in my bed period since I use mine for camping and trail rides, not Baja running. I like peoples designs on there bed mounted shocks, b/c I use to work with a friend where we did air bags and custom frames for people. It's art to me. Just not going that route. I wasn't even planning on doing a SUA until I felt the difference in articulation in the front LT and the rear now.

 

If I am not mistaken Total Chaos makes a stock length lower arm that has a uniball.

 

are steering joints the limiting factor for down travel on a MT 1st gen truck? I noticed something when doing the lower balljoints last weekend, and i swear i had to jack up the spindle a bit to get the steering balljoints back in. I didnt think about it at the time, but i wonder if this is limiting down travel and with out straps causing more stress on that joint.

 

They make two sets of arms. Standard and race series. Dirt king also makes a set of lca's.

 

Yes they make two kinds. I just sold my mid travel TC uniball upper and lower setup. I had the racing series lowers.

 

Plus dirt king doesn't have secondary shock mount. TC do