1982 toyota lifting advice

priceless

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Sep 1, 2007
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allentown
in stead of me looking everywhere and thinking of different ways to lift it. i figured most guys here know the answer. whats the easiest and cheapest way to lift a 1982 toyota.

all i want is a little ground clearence prolly run 33's but dont want a body lift. just new leafs or blocks. i can fabricate about anything. but its a off road only POS yota just need to get it done nothing fancy. but id like to know the opinouns of yall on whats good an bad and all that. new 4WD i guess but i know car and have been fabricating motorcyles for years.

im going to do a cage and sliders later and a bruch guard just need some tubing and time. but any ideas on what you want to do basically.
 
well what most of the guys run is a mixture pack of stock rears up front, and 63" chevy leafs in the rear...

some more might chip in here, but you could check out NCTTORA.COM, alotta good info
 
If you are looking low $$, you can probably get some budget lift springs from somewhere like 4 wheel wholesalers or something like that. Just make sure you don't use blocks in the front!!
 
yea, you can fit 33s without any lift.

If its just an offroad only "pos", don't lift it. Just cut the fenders away a bit and you can run up 35s-36s (although you will need to tub the firewall) on that thing. Ive got less than 2 inches of lift and can fit 38s easily without rubbing (i could go bigger, but havent tried to yet). You may have to get some spacers to get the tires off the springs.
 
Easy and cheap way to get 2" or so is to use extended shackles. Not sure how kocker that is up front, but rear is easy enough. Just have to keep an eye on pinion angle etc.
 
Pics

slravene said:
yea, you can fit 33s without any lift.

If its just an offroad only "pos", don't lift it. Just cut the fenders away a bit and you can run up 35s-36s (although you will need to tub the firewall) on that thing. Ive got less than 2 inches of lift and can fit 38s easily without rubbing (i could go bigger, but havent tried to yet). You may have to get some spacers to get the tires off the springs.
Click to expand...

Srlavene,

I would like to see a few pics of your yota. got any you can email to eewarman@nc.rr.com?
 
yeah i know i could fit 33's with no lift. im going to cut the fenders sometime soon anyway. i just got a new weber carb on the truck. but i want to keep the lift under 4 inches. i want it with big tires but not much lift. but still have it tight enough and small enough to fit on trails easy. but eventually once i roll it. i plan on putting a full tube body on it and re work the frame. but it has no bed just a wooden flat bed with a tool box. i cut the bed short and im going to pull the wood make solid mounts for toolbox. then a lil tube basket type thing behind it and then close up the frame and everything. eventually it will become a real 4x4. but i want a good lil hunting/trail rig with the cab intact for when its cold or raining.

so any other pics or info is appreciated. i figured i get new leafs or some others and make new mounts and raise it that way. just checking. ive read alot about moving axles and wrapping. but i know motorcycles and there frames ive built plenty of custom motorcyle or shoppers fromt he ground up. but 4x4 big stuff i am new to.
 
Hey man, go to Pirate under the FAQ and look at the post about putting rears in the front and chevys in the back.

I have a 85 yota I was looking for the same thing as you a cheap way to lift it.

FRONT
All you need to do is find a set of toyota rear leaf springs out of a 87-94 4x4 yota and put them in the front, these springs do not give any lift but they flex like crazy. in order to get the lift you want in the front.... cut your stock spring hangers off, take a piece of 3" x 4" tubing, box it in and make some spring hangers, measure the right width and weld them to the bottom, this along with the right shackles in the front will give you the right amount lift you are looking for.

REAR
In the rear get a set of rear chevy leafs from a 88-98 chevy tk (2wd..has 3 leafs) (4wd..has 4 leafs, more lift)
move the front spring hangers forward....somthing like 11" and run a double shackle in the rear, all the steps on how to do this is on Pirate. And if that aint enough lift in the rear run a set of 2" or 3" blocks.

I'm running this same setup on mine with the fenders cut and running 39's......it does awesome and flexes a ton

You can do this and find a IFS steering box..... (about 100 bucks) off of an 87-94 toyota pickup, take the steering box, and you'll need to move it forward on the frame an inch or so, because the toyota rears moves you axle forward 1" (better approach angle). Then go to trail-gear.com and pick up a set of Hy-steer for 300.00 (this puts your steering arms above the springs so they don't hit rocks)

you need some more info let me know

thanks
Josh
 
thats the answer i wanted. will this give a softer ride as well. i dont need flex out the ass its mainly all my homebuilt trails for now i got about 300 acres that ive made trails on the last few years.


but the factory springs are stiff as shit. it bounces over the littlest shit. my lil 2wd mazda b2600 has me spoiled i fly through the lil trails and fields and its smooth.

but any advice on getting a softer suspension. again its a off road only truck. it also has no power steering so the conversion your talking about makes it power steering. but ill probably leave it alone for know and do something later. i just need it smoother and a lil more tire. i know with bigger tires and low air pressure and more flex it will get smoother.

but im sure you gyus who ride big trails have found other stuff to smooth them out i hit the roof all the tim on mine and im short,. my seats are bouncy and are fabrice so the pull your shirt the whole time.

but i really appreciate all the advice. im used to giving it. ive built several complet ground up bikes build my own frames and sheetmetal. just 4X4 is something im new to.
 
Hey dude leaf springs that have really good flex = soft as shit!!!!

Running my truck with the rears and chevys, and beadlocks aired down to 4psi is a really nice ride, my truck don't bounce hardly at all!
 
yeah i knew it would just didnt know how good till i read those tech post on pirate4X4. but im pretty sure im going to do that leaf swap ASAP.
 
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