Rusty Red
- Thread starter SByota
- Start date
UR_Mawm69
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 13, 2022
- Messages
- 683
hell yeah man! love it!
i love that you're getting your boy involved in it too! i sure wish i got my son into this stuff. i mean, theres still time. hes only 7. but i just need to get back into the doing it MYSELF. haha.
you really turned this thing around!
i love that you're getting your boy involved in it too! i sure wish i got my son into this stuff. i mean, theres still time. hes only 7. but i just need to get back into the doing it MYSELF. haha.
you really turned this thing around!
October 2022
Took the truck to Hungry Valley for the CORVA Halloween event. Had a blast, drove it for two days straight. This was its first actual trip being driven somewhere and driven back home.
Had a little vibration on the way home. Ended up rebuilding the whole rear driveline. The CV uses hard to find U joints. eBay to the rescue for the parts. Not a fun job, would not recommend.
Took the truck to Hungry Valley for the CORVA Halloween event. Had a blast, drove it for two days straight. This was its first actual trip being driven somewhere and driven back home.
Had a little vibration on the way home. Ended up rebuilding the whole rear driveline. The CV uses hard to find U joints. eBay to the rescue for the parts. Not a fun job, would not recommend.
November/December 2022
Modifies factory transmission mount to use two urethane bushings instead of the super soft squishy rubber mount. This was badly needed as hard mounted motor and soft mountes transmission is a recipe for disaster.
Also welded up some new shackles and replaced the upper bushings. The new bushings have a larger ID allowing my to run .250” wall inner pivots and are much harder. The idea is to reduce the deflection from all the leverage from the 12” shackles.
I asks added UHMW slider plates on both sides of the frame. The all knowing @Turboyota suggested these as he had experience with the shackle rubbing on the frame.
Modifies factory transmission mount to use two urethane bushings instead of the super soft squishy rubber mount. This was badly needed as hard mounted motor and soft mountes transmission is a recipe for disaster.
Also welded up some new shackles and replaced the upper bushings. The new bushings have a larger ID allowing my to run .250” wall inner pivots and are much harder. The idea is to reduce the deflection from all the leverage from the 12” shackles.
I asks added UHMW slider plates on both sides of the frame. The all knowing @Turboyota suggested these as he had experience with the shackle rubbing on the frame.
December 2022
Upgraded to ruffstuff spring plates and new u bolts. The OG Total Chaos spring plates lived and honorable and long life. There came with the truck and needed replacement. Also installed the Spal fan for the transmission cooler.
Upgraded to ruffstuff spring plates and new u bolts. The OG Total Chaos spring plates lived and honorable and long life. There came with the truck and needed replacement. Also installed the Spal fan for the transmission cooler.
December 2022
With my annual KOH trip looming, I went all in and ripped out the interior and started the cab cage. The plan was to keep it simple. Provide some protection and chassis reinforcement, but not make it a race car jungle gym. This thing will never be a race car and doesn’t need a fully laced out race cage.
With my annual KOH trip looming, I went all in and ripped out the interior and started the cab cage. The plan was to keep it simple. Provide some protection and chassis reinforcement, but not make it a race car jungle gym. This thing will never be a race car and doesn’t need a fully laced out race cage.
January/February 2023
Like every year, I scramble to get the truck together for KOH and stop taking pictures. KOH was awesome/a shit show as usual. I went the first weekend for the desert racing. Drank all the beers, told all the lies and drove all the dirt miles.
Truck did great. Opened up the bypass tubes on both ends. Helped a lot with smaller bumps and chatter. Truck is still limited by the 12” of travel in the front, but does great for what it is.
One of my buddies manages a bunch of strawberry/raspberry/blueberry agriculture. He came fully equipped with our own camp shitter. If anyone has experienced KOH porta johns, you know how bad they can be.
Gotta love having a 6.0L has tow rig. I can hear the dollars flying out of the tailpipe.
Like every year, I scramble to get the truck together for KOH and stop taking pictures. KOH was awesome/a shit show as usual. I went the first weekend for the desert racing. Drank all the beers, told all the lies and drove all the dirt miles.
Truck did great. Opened up the bypass tubes on both ends. Helped a lot with smaller bumps and chatter. Truck is still limited by the 12” of travel in the front, but does great for what it is.
One of my buddies manages a bunch of strawberry/raspberry/blueberry agriculture. He came fully equipped with our own camp shitter. If anyone has experienced KOH porta johns, you know how bad they can be.
Gotta love having a 6.0L has tow rig. I can hear the dollars flying out of the tailpipe.
Kmattox
New member
- Joined
- Jun 3, 2023
- Messages
- 22
How much different are the h70’s to the f67’s? I was talked into the h70’s then giant only was able to get the h70hd’s but marked some leafs to remove that made them hd’s. Also I didn’t want any more lift but dang so far it sits quite high with them. With no weight they ride stiff but are brand new and my 200lbs barely makes them wiggle.
The difference between the F67 and H70 is 2-2.5” inches of free arch. I got them direct from Deaver. They told me the H70HD was more of an “overland” pack than a race pack. They made it to carry more weight, since lots of guys are building mini RV’s out of their Tacoma’s now.
My truck is a little butt high when empty, but once I add the double spare and gear to the storage rack, it sits perfect. It works awesome and keeps up pretty good with linked trucks on mild to moderate terrain. When the holes get too big, I can’t keep up anymore.
Shackle angle can play a big part on how the springs work too. Also make sure nothing is biding.
Kmattox
New member
- Joined
- Jun 3, 2023
- Messages
- 22
I semi used the magic number for locating the upper shackle mount on the 12” shackle but also did the 90 degrees at full droop. I even loosened the bolts so they weren’t impact tight on the springs and shackles. The bed is empty and I don’t have the bumper, bed rack or spares in the bed yet making it stiff as a brick. They’re also a lot higher but they marked a leaf I can pull out to reduce the lift like the leafs that make them hd’s
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desert_steve
Well-known member
Sounds like you have a couple of things that could be the issue (or a combo of them).
The "magic number" is supposed to apply to all 62" springs (f67/h70/etc) with a 12" shackle. I have the f67 pack on my p/u but didnt use the magic number when I set it up... no amount of weight will make this truck ride "great". Loaded for a weekend of camping gear, with a spare tire AND a RTT = ok-ish ride quality. Ive revalved the shocks and its made a slight difference, but in the end I know what the problem is - the idiot that set it up didnt do it right (thats me btw). Ive added hundreds of lbs to the bed in an effort to figure out what the problem is, and no matter what I do, the rear end never feels "soft".
I also have a 1st gen 4runner with what is essentially now an H70HD pack, and that truck rides GREAT. Nice and soft/compliant, boogies in the dirt and very comfortable. Doesnt squat until Ive added 3 200+ lb dudes and all of their shit for 4+ days in mexico, plus a giant cooler for the trip. No complaints with the HD pack. Keep in mind Ive got the factory hard top, a cage, full size spare, 100lbs in tools/parts/etc, all riding at or behind the rear axle.
If I were you, I'd add your weight (or what you think your stuff will weigh) to the ass of the truck and put a few hundred 'real world' dirt miles on it and try to get the pack to "break-in" (or 'settle', whatever you want to call it). If after that its still riding like a dump truck, Id move the shackle pivot to the "magic number" and try it all again. If after that youre still not happy, Id back and front half the truck, then sell the incomplete project for pennies on the dollar...
Kmattox
New member
- Joined
- Jun 3, 2023
- Messages
- 22
The last part gave me a good laugh. Yeah I’m sure I’ve done something wrong with the set up and think I’m like 1/2” from the magic number. I ordered the h70’s but giant gave me the hd’s and told me the bottom 3 leafs can be removed which I did. I don’t carry my tent all the time And now I guess I’m going to try and make a really heavy bumper. I kinda wish I went with the f55’s now since I didn’t really want to lift the truck and only run skinny 33’s
desert_steve
Well-known member
Honestly, it sounds like you did the same thing I did (incorrect initial setup). 1/2" makes a big difference, or at least thats what the ladies say... I ran F55s for a while but the truck squatted too bad, it sat really low. I switched to the F67s and at least now it sits level... still rides like a brick though. For shits and grins I'd strap 300lbs of (???) behind the axle and cruise around, see if that fixes your problem. My guess is that it wont, but its the cheaper and quicker "test" that you can do today to rule out the springs as the problem.
Seriously, Id spend a few hours and a hundred bucks on getting the "magic number" and run the springs you have. I wouldnt bother with the F55 unless it was a really light reg cab truck. F67 minimum... especially if youre going to be carrying ANY weight.
Tech talk and sharing knowledge it what build threads are about. I tried the “magic number” when setting up my springs and the spring eye hit the frame at bump. There was really only one spot where the spring didn’t hit the frame and the shackle didn’t go past 90 degrees at droop. It was pretty sensitive to positioning though, like a 1/2” one way or the other make things go bad.
My upper shackle mounts are also as close to the frame as possible and nothing hits now. Well the tires will rub the bypass tube, but that’s because I didn’t account for how much lateral movement a leaf spring live axle will have.
Also I have pretty mellow shock valving and will probably make it even softer as I’m not using all the bump travel and pushing the truck as hard as the front end will allow.
My upper shackle mounts are also as close to the frame as possible and nothing hits now. Well the tires will rub the bypass tube, but that’s because I didn’t account for how much lateral movement a leaf spring live axle will have.
Also I have pretty mellow shock valving and will probably make it even softer as I’m not using all the bump travel and pushing the truck as hard as the front end will allow.
