80 series links in a surf/ longer Controll arms

[brad 93hilux]

Hey guys, i have had a factory surf coil rear in my lux since 2007 and have talked about using 80 series links a few times but never got around to actually doing it...

Is there any one that has done this, if so any chance of some pics..

What i need to know is, do the cruiser arms bolt onto the housing without modding the brackets? Then i weld new chassy mounts for the top/bottom..

Or what have you done to get better handling on off road with this type of setup?

Cheers
Brad

[brad 93hilux]

Bump...

Seems strange no one has done this..

[bubs]

Bump...

Seems strange no one has done this..

Brad, I have not personally done it, but have had a surf come in which had it done, didn't get in to it to much with the owner about it but he said it was worth it.

[justinshere]

Ive got all the bits sitting here to do this but yet to pull my finger out.
From first glance i think the mounts on the diff may need to be drilled out to fit a bigger bolt.
Other than that not sure as yet, i will be running coilovers when i do it so i wont be fooling around with coil hats etc.

Keen to see it flexed out if someones got pics?

Cheers
Justin

[brad 93hilux]

Yeh same, I just bit the bullet and bought 80 series heavy duty adjustable rear lower trailing arms from superior Eng with the coil retainers and drop out cones..

Still got another 7 weeks of work away till I can put them in..

What you doing for the top arms?

[justinshere]

I got the standard 80 upper and lower arms. Will use the surf panhard.
Going to try the std lowers and buy another set of adjustable uppers.
I will have to get heavy duty lowers eventually cos i will bend them!
Keep us up to date with progress

[Dents LN65]

If you use longer lower arms what about the top ones will they need changing? there dosent seem to be much room there in the Surf / 4Runner to make new mounting points for upper arms.
I wouldn't mind seeing some pics of this because I have a Surf as my nex build up and want to improve it also.

[brad 93hilux]

I don't have the problem of the fuel tank like in a surf so I plan on running the lower links up top and 80 rear lowers.. I will just make up a new cross member to move the top link mounts forward...

I will put up a few pics when I do..

I have heard in the surf guys running a single top link in the centre so it clears the tank..

[Struth]

The 80 series arm bushes are a different width than the Surf bushes so chassis and axle housing brackets are all wrong and need to be modified or replaced.

Cheers

[brad 93hilux]

Thanks struth, I did ask the questions before but no one really had and definate answers..

Either way they are going in since I have already bought them..

Thanks

[Struth]

No worries. From memory the 80 bushes aren't as wide as the 4 runner/surf ones and use bigger diameter bolts.

[brad 93hilux]

Okay, so i finally got around to installing the trailing arms...

Just a bit of info:
1- the 4 runner bolts were 15mm and on the 80 series trailing arms are 18mm so on the lower mounts on the diff i die-grinded the holes a bit bigger and on the upper mounts on the diff i reused the factory bolts as the bushes in the 4 runner upper and lower arms are exactly the same..
2- as said above the bushes in the 80 series arms are slightly narrower then the 4 runner so i used a flat washer either side of the steel sleeve in the bush sso it is a nice tight fit..
3- i bought laser cut brackets from Lukeys 4x4 customs because it was alot easier then fabbing 4 mounts all the same with bugger all tools, and it looks alot neater.
4- so it was 80 series adjustable lower arms and i used the factory lowers up top.
5- i found it easier to put a piece of 100mm x 50mm RHS and mount the upper mounts off them because it was easier (and stronger) then gusseting it back to the chassy and i welded it to a fishplate eitherside.
6- my arb side rail/steps rear mount was exactly where the new lower arm chassy mount is so i had to modify and gusset the rails...

Pretty happy with the way it turned out, handles REALLY good now, almost like a normal car with no bump steer like before. Flex does not seem to be restricted but havnt been 4WD'n yet so time will tell..

Let me know what you think

Brad

before


New next to old


Still no mig, so the trusty stick welder it was


Old upper and lower arms, so swapping the small arm for the bigger one up top


Both arms installed


Upper arm chassy mount welded on the RHS


upper arm

[Struth]

Looks good, but what did you do with the fuel tank? The tank position has always been the major issue with putting longer upper arms into a Surf.

[80's_delirious]

Looks good.
While you have the welder out, I would suggest adding some rhs cut to a wedge shape in front of your new lower mounts. The angle on your bracket on the front edge is quite square, I see this being something you will get hung up on. On 80series its ramped more gently from the chassis to the bracket, but it is still a low point and I get hung up on them fairly regularly.

[brad 93hilux]

I removed the tank and have it under the tray, did this when I did the coil conversion. Rear tank is 80L which is bigger then the factory one any way.
My truck does not sag on the drivers side because of the tank now as well which is a bonus.

I'll add some more steel on the mounts as you were saying, thought that at the time..

Cheers

[rockcrawler31]

Nice and simple looking result.

Well done

[justinshere]

Any pics of it flexed yet bud?

[brad 93hilux]

Won't get a chance to go out now for a bit because I broke the cross shaft in my air locker and destroyed the air locker on road with 32's
So I go back to Sa for 2-3 months and won't get a chance to drive it for a while

But hopefully all is good because I get back and go to cape yorke.. With a freshly built diff n locker..

[brad 93hilux]

Any pics of it flexed yet bud?

Sorry for the huge wait but i finished working and am home now..

Few pics
Ohh.. and while i was at tuff truck i seen the guys at Allied wheels and bought some savannah alloy beadlocks








i have since bought 14" bilsteins and have retained the coils at the bottom, so in a few days i will put these in and then see how much down travel i can get...

[brad 93hilux]

I did though notice what may be a issue, the upper arm mount (factory mounts from 4 runner) do flex and distort under full travel..

Now i was worried these may bend or break off, any ideas on the best way to brace these to strengthen them up?

I know bracing them will stiffen it up and make it bind more but the links as they are with them shocks dont seem to be binding up yet..

Cheers
Brad

[justinshere]

I did though notice what may be a issue, the upper arm mount (factory mounts from 4 runner) do flex and distort under full travel..

Now i was worried these may bend or break off, any ideas on the best way to brace these to strengthen them up?

I know bracing them will stiffen it up and make it bind more but the links as they are with them shocks dont seem to be binding up yet..

Cheers
Brad

You talking about the diff end of the upper arm?

[brad 93hilux]

Yeh the mounts on the diff for upper arms

[justinshere]

Yeh the mounts on the diff for upper arms

Put some triangulation into them using a gusset back to the housing, should do the trick.

[justinshere]

Are you using the panhard?

[brad 93hilux]

Yeh I extended the chassy end of the panhard down so it was more level