Show us your Toyota 4runner, tacoma or truck.

Titanpat57

Expedition Leader
Still a work in progress...285's are next...also contemplating a rear bumper.

All and all...105,000 miles and still in love with it.

Running support for a bachelor party at a Yankee game...

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Picking mouldings for a project at home...



Or just getting out camping like we're supposed to

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toyotech

Expedition Leader
Recent trip to kings canyon national park. Can wheel inside a park !!!

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Those are both gorgeous! Seeing as I own a 97 and an 88 4runner, please tell us a little more about both. Does the 1st gen have a 4.0 Taco engine in it?

Thanks.

The white one is a '87. It came to me completely stock. We started the project with a ORS 3 link kit and Diamond axle, but it was a mile high and the customer finally let me cut the body, which I did to look as stock as possible. We cut 3 inches out of the front and rear fenders and lowered the truck almost 4 inches. After that it sat for a year while we were deciding on an engine swap. We explored everything from diesels to LS1 to turbo or supercharged 22RE. We ended up going with a 1GR-FE out of a 2006 Tundra and a brand new FJC 6 speed manual trans. It has dual cases, 4.7, ARB's with 5.29's disc brakes all around, custom fabbed bumpers, sliders, crossmembers, exhaust, etc. The intake manifold wouldn't work without a body lift so we made one. The oil pan wouldn't clear the top link so we modified it. The stock ECU was not capable of being tuned to match the intake, so we bought a standalone unit from Apadtronic. Etc, etc, etc.

It hauls ***!











The gold one is a 2001 (I think) and it also came to me bone stock. He had purchased an AllPro 3 link kit and leaf spring rear kit, a Diamond front axle, dual case setup and lockers, disc brakes, etc. The AllPro kit was such a joke that we ended up scrapping or modifying most of it. The only thing I didn't modify was the links. Actuall, I don't think that is even true. I think we had to shorten the top link to get the geometry right. If it sounds like I'm badmouthing AllPro, I apologize, but every step of the way it was either misrepresented or missing parts or wrong parts. If we installed it the way they had it set up, it would have had 10 to 12 inches of lift. The way we did it ended up with a 6 inch/8 inch lift. We took our time to get the wiring right so everything works as it should, and we also spent a lot of time dialing in the brakes and handling for on the road manners. That last bit required the use of a Currie sway bar in the front.



Both trucks are awesome and super clean, but it would be hard to pick just one of them.
 

Austo

Observer
Thanks.

The white one is a '87. It came to me completely stock. We started the project with a ORS 3 link kit and Diamond axle, but it was a mile high and the customer finally let me cut the body, which I did to look as stock as possible. We cut 3 inches out of the front and rear fenders and lowered the truck almost 4 inches. After that it sat for a year while we were deciding on an engine swap. We explored everything from diesels to LS1 to turbo or supercharged 22RE. We ended up going with a 1GR-FE out of a 2006 Tundra and a brand new FJC 6 speed manual trans. It has dual cases, 4.7, ARB's with 5.29's disc brakes all around, custom fabbed bumpers, sliders, crossmembers, exhaust, etc. The intake manifold wouldn't work without a body lift so we made one. The oil pan wouldn't clear the top link so we modified it. The stock ECU was not capable of being tuned to match the intake, so we bought a standalone unit from Apadtronic. Etc, etc, etc.

It hauls ***!











The gold one is a 2001 (I think) and it also came to me bone stock. He had purchased an AllPro 3 link kit and leaf spring rear kit, a Diamond front axle, dual case setup and lockers, disc brakes, etc. The AllPro kit was such a joke that we ended up scrapping or modifying most of it. The only thing I didn't modify was the links. Actuall, I don't think that is even true. I think we had to shorten the top link to get the geometry right. If it sounds like I'm badmouthing AllPro, I apologize, but every step of the way it was either misrepresented or missing parts or wrong parts. If we installed it the way they had it set up, it would have had 10 to 12 inches of lift. The way we did it ended up with a 6 inch/8 inch lift. We took our time to get the wiring right so everything works as it should, and we also spent a lot of time dialing in the brakes and handling for on the road manners. That last bit required the use of a Currie sway bar in the front.



Both trucks are awesome and super clean, but it would be hard to pick just one of them.

Awesome job on both trucks, the '87's amazing!
 
Interesting. I think my AP 3-link has <5" lift. Sits pretty low on 37's.
I'm curious about that build. Do you have a thread somewhere? Details? There were multiple problems with our setup. First was that they mount the shock on top of the axle, we moved it to the back of the axle. Second was the high steer, this kit would not work with high steer unless you used heims, which I don't like to do. Third was the upper link bracket, had to shorten the upper link to get the bracket to not hit the panhard. If you have details I would love to hear them.

Awesome job on both trucks, the '87's amazing!
Thanks.
 

bkg

Explorer
I'm curious about that build. Do you have a thread somewhere? Details? There were multiple problems with our setup. First was that they mount the shock on top of the axle, we moved it to the back of the axle. Second was the high steer, this kit would not work with high steer unless you used heims, which I don't like to do. Third was the upper link bracket, had to shorten the upper link to get the bracket to not hit the panhard. If you have details I would love to hear them.

Hmmm... Candidly, none of your challenges make any sense to me. My shocks are mounted on rear of axle centered on axle line (hybrid Toy/Dana 60 Currie unit) - that's how the kit was originally designed. No interference with panhard, so I'm curious if you tried to mount it parallel to axle - it's not designed to be. Steering also doesn't make any sense to me, outside of frame interference at compression. So I guess I'm not going to be much help. :)

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I know the kit has changed a bit over the years, but every one that I've seen is same as mine. JayK's truck sits about the same height. I've lowered the truck about 2" (in front) since the last pick. PO liked it a bit higher than I do.
 
This was the first time I've ever installed an AllPro 3 link kit and your looks very similar to how ours ended up, aside from the use of heim joints in the steering.

I did not get any good instructions from AllPro and their customer service was little help. The only real instructions I got from them were abbreviated and the rest was in pic form. The pics they sent me showed a truck that was a mile high and built as I described earlier with shocks on top of the axle. I spent a good 2 hours on the phone with them and also exchanged a few emails, but after I realized I was wasting my time talking to them, I just started hanging parts. We could have saved a bit of time if we would have had good install instructions. Also, they recommended and sold to my customer a high steer setup with FJ80 TRE's that would not even come close to fitting. I mentioned earlier that I did not want to use heims, and I see that's how yours is set up. We ended up ditching the FJ80 joints and building an intersect style steering setup using one ton TRE's from Parts Mike. I re-tapered the arms to go "bottom-up" so the tie rod was under the arms. Doing this we were able to achieve near perfect bump steer and at the end of the day I am happy with how ours came out.

Even Jon Bundrant admitted to me that the instructions needed to be updated.

While we're at it, could you measure your frame height for me? Maybe axle tube to frame rail as well. I would really appreciate that.
 
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bkg

Explorer
IIRC, frame is 24". I'll have to double check. Below are measurements I took when comparing to JayK's... he's pretty close to these as well.

center of lower link axle bolt to bottom of frame: 12"
center to center, upper and lower shock bolts: 22.75"
shaft showing - via center of lower shock bolt to shock body: 5.375"
dual rate collar (measured from lip @ anodized part of upper shock to bottom of dual rate collar): 7.5"
 

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