More ?s on diff lifts and dual trans case

[axel9615]

Truck: 1985 EFI 4cyl Toyota pickup 4x4
Plans (in order):
Fiberglass front fenders, bedsides, and custom bed and paint job (High cut fenders for added clearance)
Interior redecoration done while exterior repairs as well as roll cage

Exterior or Interior cage??


5" Skyjacker kit with Johnny Joints (All Pro) or 5" Orbit Eye custom kit

What else do I need besides springs, brake lines, and drag link?


3" Body lift with new crossmember and adapter to raise trans case

How do BL affect steering column and does the adapter work?

What else do I need to worry about when doing a BL?


dual trans case setup, plan to get complete adapter and 4.7 gears, I also will probably change my diff gears to 4.88 and get a detroit front and lockrite rear


**just wondering if the driveshafts will be ok if I wait until i do the dual setup...I don't want to get new ones for the suspension and then later having to replace them again for the dual trans case setup...

[snorkleman]

Truck: 1985 EFI 4cyl Toyota pickup 4x4
Plans (in order):
Fiberglass front fenders, bedsides, and custom bed and paint job (High cut fenders for added clearance)
Interior redecoration done while exterior repairs as well as roll cage

Exterior or Interior cage?? Depends on what you want. I like the exterior cages cause they protect your sheetmetal in a roll. The interior cage will keep the cab from crushing but the sheetmetal still takes the brunt of the roll


5" Skyjacker kit with Johnny Joints (All Pro) or 5" Orbit Eye custom kit That would be sweet with either one

What else do I need besides springs, brake lines, and drag link? You might need to lengthen the driveshafts but could possibly be ok. Just need to check them out. Of course if you do the Marlin crawler kit then you would redo the drivelines anyway


3" Body lift with new crossmember and adapter to raise trans case

How do BL affect steering column and does the adapter work? I've seen the adaptor work for people. Your just going to extend the steering column shaft.

What else do I need to worry about when doing a BL?
Not sure on that year model but I've heard AC lines can be a pain to extend. Why are you using such a large amount of body lift? It seems with the suspension lift you have that you wouldnt need that much to make your truck effective off road. Is it just to clear bigger tires?

dual trans case setup, plan to get complete adapter and 4.7 gears, I also will probably change my diff gears to 4.88 and get a detroit front and lockrite rear I would recommend using the stronger locker in the rear. Detroits are much stronger than the lockright. The 4.7 gear kit is awesome. I'm saving to do that kit myself.


**just wondering if the driveshafts will be ok if I wait until i do the dual setup...I don't want to get new ones for the suspension and then later having to replace them again for the dual trans case setup... Yeah I agree with ya on this. You'll just have to wait and see when the lift is on. Driveshaft extensions aren't too terribly expensive. I had mine lengthened for about $100 from a local driveshaft shop.

Otherwise it sounds like an awesome rig. You will have to take some pics through the process. Do you already have some cash to begin or are you just plotting your course?

[axel9615]

I have the cash to begin the exterior upgrades and some of my interior stuff while im at it

Ive actually begun looking at the all pro kits now, but im not kicking the skyjacker plan yet, either way i want johnny joints...

i want the 3" BL cause i want max flex room, Im using 35s

[axel9615]

just wondering if the cage would protect fiberglass, or not

[axel9615]

does the column extend well, i did a BL on an s10 blazer and it really screwed up the steering column...

and I dont have AC lines so im ok there

[fourwd1]

With 5" of suspension lift you don't need a BL to fit 35's, unless you just want to have a high COG so you can flop over all the time.

A 3" BL requires more work than a 2".
For a 2": Lower radiator, longer clutch hose, longer ground cable, adjust fuel filler neck, lenghten steering shaft, check brake hardlines and PS hoses...

With 5" lift, in addition to springs and brakelines, you'll need cross-over steering.

Put the Detroit in the rear and the LR in front.

** With 5" lift (single case) you'll have to extend the DS's and get long slip joints.

[axel9615]

im looking for some major flexing, so yea I would like the extra room, maybe ill only go 2" if its that much easier...another thing is that the all pro kit has optional 6" springs...is there going to be anything else needed if i wanted to do that, im looking at their extreme lift kit, gotta save for it though $$$$$ lol

[snorkleman]

I honestly don't think you need the BL. If you want to stuff 35's you won't need a BL. I have 36's and with a little fender trimming they stuff completely. The restriction on your articulation shouldn't be focused on the body of the truck but on the suspension. Keep a low center of gravity as much as you can. If your truck can flex that is great, but it doesn't help if your truck flops before it maxes its flex. I have 36's with no body lift and 5" lift springs from all pro. I can stuff the 36's completely till my suspension stops. I'll dig up a photo to show ya. Get the suspension stuff first, then decide if its working for ya and if you want the body lift.

You will be happy without the added pain of a BL.

[snorkleman]

Here is a pic...

I have 5" all pro springs. The fenders are cut enough so the tire bottoms out on the fender when travel is stopped. As you can see I have about 4" more of travel till i hit the fender in the rear. This is without body lift. When it is at full stuff, the tire is up under the fender.