Rob's 2001 Toyota Tacoma Solid Axle Swap

I will be updating this page periodically with photos and dialogue from the swap.  Newest stuff will be on top.  We are starting on Saturday, November 8th 2003 at the WATTORA garage and working our way through until it's road worthy again...

2003/12/11 - 10:00 PM PST

It's been a while since I posted here, but rest assured we have been busy.  The big news is that I have been driving it every day and we have been fine tuning issues as I have found them.  So far, nothing major has been uncovered, so we must have done something right.

We are just about complete with "Phase II", making it a 4x4 again so JRuz will quit hassling me about turning a perfectly good, four-wheel drive into a pre-runner...  Front and rear gears have been done and a driveshaft is on the way.  We also installed a fancy new crossmember from Front Range Off Road, the ChrisCo cut out the old, stock crossmember.  Notice the nice, clean new look to the undercarriage.

Once the driveshaft gets here next week, we will bolt that in and close the file on this project :)

2003/11/24 - 10:00 PM PST

Tonight, we did final adjustments on the steering and headed out for the freeway.  After that, we loaded up my tools and I drove it home. :)

Impressions; it rides BETTER than the truck did with the SAW's and Trail Disaster lift. A lot better. The front end is quieter. Instead of hearing axles spinning, I hear the tires on the road. It's still got a bit of wander that the steering stabilizer and tightening everything down did not cure, but I have driven vehicles that were 10 times worse in that department. It's not as crisp steering as the IFS was, but it's something you get the hang of. The brakes work fine, but I would like to do some more there to raise the pedal and firm things up. Perhaps I can find a larger master cylinder that can be adapted or perhaps I can go to multi cylinder slaves. It sits at EXACTLY the same height that I had before the swap, just a bit more level.

The power bleeder ChrisCo got in really did the job. The difference is amazing.

Overall, I am glad I did it. There's some dialing in to be done and I am looking forward to phase II where it becomes four-wheel drive again, but otherwise I am quite pleased.
 

2003/11/22 - 4:00 PM PST

Okay, okay... here's a couple of pictures...

First, one of a site that really got us going, then one of the truck parked out front of the shop.  We are working up to that mandatory flex shot...

2003/11/22 - 3:30 PM PST

We have been working on steering and brakes the past couple of days.  A steering stabilizer has been added and we went around and re-torqued everything.  Now, other than a bit of play in the steering box itself, it's quite driveable.  The power bleeder ChrisCo ordered is sitting at the distribution center for UPS, just a few miles away, but they won't let us go pick it up, saying the earliest ChrisCo is going to get his hands on it will be Monday when it's delivered.  So much for UPS... I have just about had it with them, overnight deliveries that take two days and two-day deliveries that take four...  That is when they don't tell me that my shipping address is invalid, despite it being a "UPS Store"...  FedEx is not much better, but at least they will go the extra mile for the customer, once in a while anyway... 

We just got back from a long test drive around town.  We stopped at Burger King for lunch and had a guy come up and start talking trucks to us as we pulled in.  He seemed to like the truck.  However, while I was fueling it up, a guy in a Chevy truck stopped to tell me; "Dude!  Your truck is sick as F*CK!!!!".  I think that is a ringing endorsement, but I am still awaiting official word from our translation department ;)  So, the masses like it anyway...

Now, off to try to get a bit more brake so I can actually drive it safely...

Photos and more commentary later today...

2003/11/19 - 6:30 PM PST

It's been a couple of days since I posted here :(  ALL of the major items are done.  We have been driving the rig and trying to get the bugs worked out before we unveil it to the world... muhahhahahahhah  ;)  At the moment, it's got Flintstone brakes.  You know, the kind where you stop faster if you drag your feet?  It's also got a bit a steering wobble that makes it scary to drive above about 40 mph.  On the first count, ChrisCo ordered a power bleeder system that should help us get the astounding amount of air left in the system so we can rule that out as a cause.  It should be here for the weekend.  On the second account, I picked up a steering stabilizer and we are going to continue to tweak the alignment to see if we can find a combination that will get me to an alignment shop.

We are taking tonight off, but the webcam should be back up on Thursday evening, then through the weekend until I drive it away :)

But, here's a couple of shots anyway...

2003/11/16 - 11:00 PM PST

We are almost done and I can't believe I forgot to do this...  Some thanks are in order for those who made this possible.  First:  Special thanks go to Donna for being so supportive this week, especially when she doesn't understand entirely why I am doing it in the first place.  It's been long hours and long days and you have been great about it, thanks! :)  ((HUGS)).

Next, thank you to the ChrisCo family for the use of the WATTORA garage for the past week plus.  I know this was inconvenient, noisy and occupied ChrisCo for a week of his vacation time and I am DEEPLY in your debt.  Mrs. ChrisCo, you ROCK!  Thanks for putting up with us and thanks for the home cooked meals along the way.  ChrisCo, I have not the words to express my gratitude.  You were the heart and soul of this project and I could not have done it without you.  I am humbled by your fabrication skill.  I owe you BIG TIME.

Thanks to all who dropped in and turned a wrench during the course of the project; JRuz, Dread, GrapeApe, Lawnjob, Daryl, CSnyder, Midiwall, Criagge, WaterBoy and anyone else who I have neglected to mention.  My thanks go out to you all.

-Rob  (WATRD)

2003/11/16 - 7:00 PM PST

As promised, here's a couple of shock hoop photos;

2003/11/16 - 3:00 PM PST

I should mention that during the night, I had a revelation.  Suddenly I knew how to assemble the shock hoops with a minimum of muss and fuss, so we tested it out this morning and IT WORKED!  All we needed was a bit of string ;)  We are installing them now.

Still remaining:  Re-installing the ARB front bumper, re-torque all the bolts, check the fluids and drive it away.

Photos of the shock hoops as soon as we get one painted.

2003/11/16 - 12:00 PM PST

I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Cort Mead this past week.  Cort was my best friend in High School and the news has left me in a bit of a funk the latter part of this week.  I will miss him greatly.  Read his obituary here.

2003/11/15 - 8:30 PM PST

Some ups and downs today.  Yesterday we gave up on the shock hoop idea and decided to go with the tried and true Ford F250 shock towers.  We even found a Ford dealer not too far away who said they had three in stock.  So, we made the 90 minute drive from the shop, only to find that the dealer didn't know a shock tower for an F250 from an upper strut mount for an IFS rig.  *sigh*  So, we made the 90 minute drive back to the shop, empty handed.  Now I will have to wait until Monday to even order the part...

On the upside, the tie rod and drag link arrived via Saturday delivery.  :)  Thanks Parts Mike!  We were off on the length of the drag link by 1/2", but the chop saw fixed that.  Yes, the drag link and tie rod are painted to match the truck :)  It seemed more subtle than the safety yellow or other colors that I have seen.

2003/11/14 - 11:00 AM PST

Wednesday was kind of disappointing.  We found we were missing a part for the steering.  On the 4Runner steering box, there is a U-joint that connects the shaft to the box and we didn't have it.  That made getting the steering put in impossible, so much of the day was spent trying to chase that down.  Thursday was much better.  We found the part for the steering shaft in a wrecking yard an hour away, so ChrisCo made a parts run.  Special thanks are due for ChrisCo.  He took the lead on most of the steering stuff.  I was as nervous about getting the steering right as I was about chopping the IFS off with a torch.  :(  But he got it figured out.  thanks Chris!  We also got the T-100 oil pan with the rear sump in, so it will now clear the steering.  Late Thursday night, we got the steering box mounts completed and the box bolted into place.  Today we are taking on the shock hoops and starting to knock things off the punch list in preparation for Saturday when the tie rod and drag link will arrive and we will be able to try a road test :)

2003/11/12 - 10:00AM PST

NOTE:  We are knocking off early today... 8:00 PM PST is the planned end of business, for a bit of "friends and family" time.

2003/11/12 - 10:00AM PST

Pre-testing the droop and shackle angle.  We have right at 12" of droop from the rest position.  Pretty close to what we were aiming for.  We are working on the steering now.

2003/11/11 - 11:50PM PST

It's sitting on it's own now, on the tires :)  Tomorrow is steering day.

2003/11/10 - 4:55PM PST

ChrisCo finally got on my nerves, so I gave him a "Knuckle Sandwich"  :)  ehheheehhehehehe

Note that the truck is actually sitting on the axle, on the jack stands :)  Major checkpoint as far as we are concerned.

2003/11/09

Springs are under!  Working on the axle.  It should be under in the morning.  Yes, we know the axle is upside down and backward in the photo.  The 2x2 tube we were using to compress the springs was bending, so we decided to use the axle instead.  Since it was originally a spring-under axle, we had to flip it around to get the spring perches on the top so the centering bolts had something to sit in.  We have since flipped the axle back over and are putting the finishing touches on pinion angle and caster.  Thanks to all who sent mail warning us that the axle was upside down and backward :)  We appreciate you trying to stop us from making a scary mistake :)

2003/11/09

...and more grinding...

IFS is just a memory now and the springs are starting to go on.

2003/11/08

All the IFS stuff has been removed... grinding, grinding, grinding...

2003/11/05 15:30

All the parts are here!  I went in last night and picked up the steering box and the "banjo bolts" I was having such a hard time finding.  As I type this, the rotors are at the machine shop getting turned and the wheel studs pressed in.  I picked up the Grade 8, 9/16" bolts/washers/nuts for the springs this morning at Hi-Strength Bolt company, so that should be the last of it...