The limiting factor for a factory toyota suspension built after 1985 is the independant front suspension. While it is possible to design IFS suspension systems which can achieve large travel values it is impossible to get away from the fact that an IFS suspension loses ground clearance as the suspension is compressed.
In recent years the price and availibility of the parts needed to hang a solid axle under a truck which originally came with independant suspension have improved greatly due to the increase in both demand and the number of vendors.
I chose a kit from All Pro Offroad since thier products had been around a long time, and the system was proven to work. Having everything come in one shipment was also a nice perk.
When i recieved the parts they were all of top quality. As of summer '04 the AP kit cost $1499 not including an axle, installation, and a driveshaft. The parts that came with the kit were (not all pictured)
Hy-Steer crossover steering
Weld on Shock Hoops with Bilstein shocks
3", 4" or 5" lift, long travel front leaf springs
1" lift Spring hanger kit with greasable shackles
Vented Land Cruiser style rotors
1.5" front wheel spacer kit
U-Bolt flip kit
Steel Braided DOT approved brake lines
Bumpstops
Steering Stabilizer and bracket
The only part of the solid axle installation i was not able to personally complete was welding the front spring hanger and rear shackles. Every other step is possible to complete with basic hand tools and approprate jacks and jack stands. I found a local welder who i felt could reliably weld the hanger on strong enough that i didnt have to worry about it ever failing.
After removing the shocks and torsion bars the A-arms were unbolted and junked. The brackets still on the frame were then plasma cut as close to the frame
as possible. The holes under the body mounts were cut for the shackle jigs and then the remaining metal was ground down to a smooth base for the shock hoops to be welded too.
The first major segment of the axle swap was complete. All IFS components are completely removed, and the frame is ready to be welded on. The axle had already been assembled except for the 3rd member. Please dont make fun of the diff diaper as it came later to be known, i just didnt want dust and crap getting into the axle :)
Then came the critical part of the installation, welding the leaf spring and shackle hangers. After about 8 continuous hours of work the swap was now complete, and significantly larger than planned. The truck is missing about 1500 lbs worth of gear and parts that would be added later; including the trans/tcase, the gas tank, sliders, bumpers, winch, etc.
This coupled with the brand new and fairly stiff springs made the front taller than exptected, and is also highlighted by how small the 3in rear lift now looks. Time for some rear suspension work so the truck doesnt look so strange ! check out the rear suspension section for more details on what i did there.
