LOTSOFTOYS PANDA BUILD

Mall crawler style

||\\ //|| ← ALL CHROME!

 

i chose to keep my shocks mounted staggered for stabbility reasons. i ended up doing almost exactly what the guy in this thread did
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/1st-gen-tacomas/236813-rear-shock-relocation-question.html
for the top of the shocks. I couldnt weld the shock mounts closer to the ubolts because the axle tube tapers right there. I would throw the mount off angle. so i welded them horizontal with the axle and just on the edge of the taper. this required me to space out the top of the shock like in those pics in that thread. pain in the ass.
finding sleeves that were the right ID and OD for the bolt and shock bushing..... i was lucking to find aluminum spacers which worked really well.

onece i had the shocks mounted straight up and down. i removed them and started measuring.
full droop measurement 26 1/2
droop while flexed, almost lifting a front tire 23 1/2
compressed while flexing 17 3/4
(not sure how else to measure compression? cant compress both sides all the way? )

so im looking at some billies that are 17 compressed and 28 extended. should work fine...

all in all this project kicked my ass. so much measuring and cutting and trimming and grinding.... but it is pretty cool looking, theres almost nothing under the axle to get hung up on now

still gotta mount bump stops and reinforce above the shackle hanger



pictures!

 

a while ago i moved my axle 3/4" backwards to clear the fenders. Adam did it too, the Dakar leaves centering pin moves the axle way far forward...

just posted^

not this time gramps.... lo

 

jason, do you think its necessary to use a grade 8 bolt for the top shock bolt. theres a solid half inch of threads used, im just wondring if you think the shock experiences that hard of forces to bend/break.... kinda thinkin it cant hurt....

 

ha ok, ill swap em out tomorrow...

 

not arguing there.... although u jump yours

 

what do u think about the shock travel numbers vs the new shock numbers? shorter then needed by 3/4 inch and longer by almost 2 inches, should work right?

 

I need to get to this one day... but want to wait till after sas in case I have to re do the rear lift to match the front but hopefully I can keep the front as low as possible, I have 2 sets of billies starring at me on a daily basis

 

u linkn the front? probly the ony way your gonna keep the front low enough to match the rear as it sits.... but yes i woudnt do this til after u sas in your case

 

Still debating, depends on how many bumpers I can pump out haha but as of now I have everything to do it on leafs. Id French the front hangers and do whatever I could to get it low as possible but id like to link it just needs about 4k more than I have atm haha I currently have around 6" in the rear, my tailgate comes upto my shoulders...

 

itd be tough torun leaves and stay level

 

Ill figure something out. Frenchy did it lol

 

made these today....

 

nice...another step closer

 

What are those things you built?

 

bump stop mounts...weld them to the frame where the old bump stop strike plate was

 

OIC