3rd gen 4runner with 63 chevy springs

[ryansweatt]

Its been almost two years for me since I sold my 98 SAS Tacoma and am finally getting back into the hobby again. I'm in the planning phase of swapping out my stock rear links on my 99 4runner for some 63 Chevy springs with the Balistic fab kit. I know this is a cheap and easy mod that is very popular on the Tacomas and with my third kid on the way I don't have the money for after market lifts. What I want to know is has Anyone ever had any state inspection issues with this swap for the 4runner? Also I have been searching for some before and after pics without much luck, I would love to see some pics of this swap if anyone has them. Thanks

[trailmix]

why do you want to replace the coils with leafs?

[ryansweatt]

In the near future My 4runner is going to be SAS's with leaf springs in the front, I had originally priced everything out to do a 3 link front and now its out of my price range so for now I'm gonna go the route of leaf springs up front. That left me with the issue of the rear, to upgrade the links and buy longer shocks and coils is pricey and then if I decide to change something there will a lot more fab work cutting and re-welding all the axle brackets. At worst a 63 Chevy spring swap will be around $350 bucks and I can fab it all together myself and its easier to swap out to a larger axle when the time comes. Been there done that with my last SAS Tacoma that I had. I may be wrong but to me It just seems easier and more cost effective for me with a lot of the same benefits that mt old Tacoma had.

[devinsixtyseven]

My guess is, as long as you rattlecan everything black, and your welds are quality and nothing looks like desperado fabrication, no state inspection would recognize a suspension swap even if it smacked them on the ass.

They'll be too busy checking your gas cap and brake pads anyway.

[Jomentum]

Maine state inspection regulations .....Long read:here

[devinsixtyseven]

...Please note that when a vehicle is found to have low castor, that castor oil should be added to the reservoir ...

Interesting read. I'll be referring to that publication later, as my junk gets closer to being road-worthy...it's like a massive checklist of "did you do it right, or does it need more fixing?"

Standard IANAL warning, but the section didn't say anything about changing from one type to another, only that whatever you decide needs to be done well.

[keepitonall4s]

You do realize that you can get an OME setup for the rear of your runner for about the same price right? To me its a no brainer, no fab work, just the install.
http://trdparts4u.com/Scripts/prodVi...dproduct=-7237
http://trdparts4u.com/Scripts/prodVi...dproduct=-7239

[Jomentum]

Originally Posted by keepitonall4s

You do realize that you can get an OME setup for the rear of your runner for about the same price right? To me its a no brainer, no fab work, just the install.

Yeah...BUT..2 or 2~1/2", is about max lift, for stock rear coil suspension.....You need the longer links, trac bar, and shocks..

[ryansweatt]

I've looked at most of the after market lifts. It still leaves a lot of fab work anytime I decide that I want to change anything. For example, At the moment I plan to keep the stock toyota rear axle. If I go with leaf springs like how a tacoma is set up, the majority of the fab work will be done the first time around making it relativly easy to just set up the pinion angle with some new perches and throw under a one ton rear end. Thats my goal.

[Boomtacoma01]

That Ballistic Kit is kinda pricey compared to the Sky's 63" version. That was the deciding factor when I bought mine.

[BOVADS]

Originally Posted by Boomtacoma01

That Ballistic Kit is kinda pricey compared to the Sky's 63" version. That was the deciding factor when I bought mine.

and nothing fits on the ballistic kit

i pretty much had to "redesign" my ballistic kit

[Boomtacoma01]

Damn I really glad I went with the Sky kit now.

[ryansweatt]

So what have you guys seen for fittment issues with the balistic fab kit? I like it because its a complete kit. The Sky kit doesn't have the perches, new u-bolts or top plates for a u-bolt flip. From what I can see if you subtract out the cost of all the extras that the balistic kit has, their basic kit that is allmost the same as what you would get from the Sky kit but about $10 cheaper. I am very intersted about fittment issues and what had to be fixed with balistics kit though.