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

Read your entire build thread and information on this kit in the Marlin Crawler forum. Most of us here are just anxiously awaiting pricing, release, and if it'll be more readily available than the crawl box.

 

Stoked

 

Wow....pretty slick. Sub'd for updates.

 

This

 

Give us a stock length mar rack too

If you build it, they will come

 

You going to the DTOR trip?

 

Nope. Doing Windrock next weekend and for Toyota Jamboree later this year. Can't get the time for DTOR. I am going to look at a SXS this weekend also. That'll probably be happening sooner rather than later.

 

The jamboree in TX or the ATR

 

At Windrock in August I believe. Hopefully I'll have my Dana 60 by then. Hopefully we'll know the status of this kit before I order the 60.

 

I'll be there, waiting on the snail mail for all the information. Should be a pretty cool little trip. Looking forward to seeing some cool old FJs and stuff.

 

I’m interested in this. Great work @BigMike

 

Sorry i forgot to ask earlier @BigMike , what’s the wheel travel on the +2RC kit?

 

My guess is it'll be pretty close to the same as typical +2 kits so you can look at those guys to good estimate.

 

I’m thinking less due to the fact that the CV is moved forward and down. The ground clearance on this kit is insane

 

It's not moved down the control arms are designed differently than the typical straight ones. You can't really move the CV down or you'll run into interference issues with lower balljoint. Possibly a little limited in down travel based on moving it forward but I doubt it's going to be a lot. I think it will be a lot in how you set up your coilovers and stuff to take full advantage. That and getting some RCVs.

 

Good morning TW! Got some updates to share today

edit: I have moved this info to the next reply to get all updates on the same page

 

Last night I updated my build thread (starting from reply #875) so this will be much of the same info. I haven't looked over the many replies yet but I will hold responses until after posting this new info and take questions after this. I'll also be updating the opening post with current info, thanks!

To take a quick step back, on May 7 I posted the following updated regarding progress on RCLT:

===========QUOTE (Reply #856 from my build thread)=============

Winter/Spring 2019: An Overview

If I may speak freely for a moment, before our Round-Up I had torn both CV boots (again) back in Aug/Sept, at a time when I was originally planning to install the first prototype Rock Crawling Long Travel IFS kit (RCLT) to my Tacoma. I told people it would be on the truck for the Round-Up, which came and passed, with more plans and scheduling going to sh*t among a really long and messed up fall/winter. Many plans were shifted around on a number of projects. I've had my share of things to be upset about over the last 8 or 9 months, including re-tearing the meniscus in my left knee while finishing up the RCLT KOH project 4Runner... During all of this I've let the Tacoma run itself into the ground.

After getting the first Prototype RCLT HD done on January 3rd, I took a two week break and then began on V2 Prototype.

I know many are asking for RCLT and MarRack updates. These things take time and we've only produced one article; It will be longer until we start on pricing. It feels like V1 Prototype MarRack has been on my Tacoma for many years but in reality it was only finished two months before starting on RCLT. I've been working extremely hard on everything plus I have a company to run. Here is an updated project summary:

Prototype MarRack & RCLT Updates
Spring 2018: The MarRack is born & V1 Prototype installed to my Tacoma
Spring 2018: RCLT is born
Nov 27, 2018: Work on V2 Prototype MarRack begins!!
Dec 25, 2018: V2 Prototype MarRack design is finished on Christmas Day
Dec 27, 2018: V2 Prototype MarRack installation on KOH 4R is finished!
Jan 01, 2019: V1 Prototype RCLT HD installation begins on New Years Day
Jan 03, 2019: V1 Prototype RCLT HD installation on KOH 4R is finished!
Jan 16, 2019: Work on V2 Prototype RCLT HD begins!!
Feb 06, 2019: V1 Prototype RCLT HD + V2 Prototype MarRack competes in the King Of The Hammers. It was the only Toyota-based IFS system in all of KOH!!
Feb 21, 2019: V2 Prototype RCLT HD reaches Feature Lock with more than 100 (mostly small) improvements over V1
Mar 07, 2019: V2 Prototype RCLT HD starts pre-production!!!
======================END QUOTE========================

So from early March I waited for V2.0 parts to began trickling in and by early April raw goods were in, my lead fabricator Rocky and I built RCLT HD V2.0, sent it out for powder coating, then finally I prepped my Tacoma by ditching my old custom-built LT setup and proceeded to taste RCLT for myself!!

Incoming info from my build thread with RCLT HD updates!

Late April, 2019: RCLT HD Prototype V2.0 is installed!

Well ladies and gentlemen!! After a crap ton of work I am extremely pleased to announce...

RCLT HD Prototype V2.0!

Featuring more than 100 (mostly small) improvements, the biggest being a one-piece integrated double-sheer & angled steering arm--to--wheel hub--to--brake caliper cut via CNC from billet steel to form a 100% solid lower knuckle assembly. Something I couldn't say before is that my original design called for a one-piece CNC billet steel lower assembly but due to time constraints imposed by the King Of The Hammers competition, I had to scramble and whip-up hand-welded plate-steel components which left much to be desired.

I have also greatly increased strength at the LCA uniball area, with even a bit more strength landing with V3.0.







Manufacturing for V2.0 was also greatly aided by using full one-piece jigs I designed & created for all six components: D/P LCA, D/P UCA, & D/P HD Knuckle. As a result, despite about a final 20 remaining (mostly small) issues, Rocky and I finished V2.0 in only TWO days as opposed to the nearly 30 days it took to build V1.0 free-hand with the countless issues a first prototype yields.

As RCLT HD stands currently, I am nearly finished with V3.0 which I am 90% confident will be the final prototype before we make the major shift towards full production.

Prototype V3.0 is already past Feature Lock with the largest improvements being an enclosed LCA V-Groove saddle (eliminates the need for water drain holes), stronger limit strap mount, dual shock mount (which has been a royal pain in the ass to design on an angled LCA designed for maximum ground clearance), and equipping the 7/8" TREs with larger 5/8" hardware (V2.0 shown here is running 7/8" heims with 1/2" hardware, which is 126% stronger than the single-sheer factory TRE, but we can achieve +253% at no extra cost so whynot).





I reached Feature Lock for V2.0 two months ago and looking at these pictures now makes me sick to think of all the issues V1.0 had... Such an inordinate amount of work to get to this point and we're only on the second prototype. This project has been no joke folks and it has taken a lot of time, energy, and money to get this far. I'll probably cry the first time I see a kit out in the wild haha It's ridiculous but true

 

Late April, 2019: RCLT HD Prototype V2.0 is installed! (continued)

Out with the old, in with the new! We are now an OFFICIAL Radflo distributor!! Please give us a call if you're in the area or looking for a deal on Radflo suspension products! (559) 25-CRAWL / 559-252-7295

These are custom designed and optimized for RCLT and we will be offering them once things go into production. That said however, other LT coilovers should be compatible so long as they have an upper heim joint mount.



SWOOOOON!



DOUBLE SWOOOOON!

Check out how the axle shaft runs nearly in-line with the lower shock mount at near full down-travel. I love how everything comes together to work as one with RCLT's design!

The amount of downtravel being demonstrated here wasn't remotely possible with RCLT HD V1.0; So many issues resolved with V2.0. That said, V2.0 still has not yet realized the full downtravel capability of RCLT HD

This is also the improved V2.0 MarRack design (Heavy Duty Rock Crawling Steering) that was featured in this year's King Of The Hammers competition



Front axle pushed forward yet another inch over the initial prototype LT setup I've been running since July 2017! Great Scott! Has it been that long...

Speaking of which, the former Long Travel Kit I've been running since 2017... honestly... was a huge pile of crap. I had NO idea how bad it was until I began comparing measurements with what I am doing.

This is why I wrote, GOOD RIDDANCE, and I CANNOT WAIT to finally experience RCLT HD myself!!!

 

April 30, 2019: RCLT HD Prototype V2.0 is installed! (continued)

RCLT HD V2.0 IS ALIVE!!!!!!!



OHHHHH MAN!!!!!!!! I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS!!!!

THE FIRST OF ITS KIND EVER INSTALLED INTO A TACOMA!!!!!!!

THE ONLY BOLT-ON IFS SYSTEM STRONG ENOUGH TO

ROCK CRAWL WITH 40" TIRES AND TRIPLE T/CASE!!

COME ON NOW!!!!!!!!!! LET'SSS GOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

Testing it on my wild daily driver Rock Crawler setup means it's gonna be bullet proof for everyone else

Just driving it out to the dirt area next to our building and I was CrAzY eXcItEd!!!







Updated pic with my Supercharged 6spd MR2 <3



Finally my front IFS is at least as wide and hopefully wider than the rear. This has been bugging the heck out of me for a long time as I feel Rock Crawlers should always have a wider front than rear to prevent clipping objects during sharp low-speed trail cornering.

So the front end is now our new & unique +2.75" mid-range Long Travel wider per side, which is +5.50" wider than factory. Right in the middle of +2" & +3.5".
..and for the rear I have 1.25" wheel spacers on each side which is +2.50" wider than factory

Honestly it only looks so wide because I've removed the factory flares. In my opinion the bodies on these "midsize" trucks are just so freak'n wide it's long past ridiculous Toyota, seriously...