EA82 ideas for REAR suspension travel

[alexbuoy]

I've spent this whole day on researching about improving travel for EA82. Not trying to make it long travel, just trying to gain a couple more inches of flex. IF ANYONE HAS ANY IDEAS ON INCREASING REAR SUSPENSION TRAVEL PLEASE CHIME IN!!

 

I'm not very knowledgable in suspension stuff, so if I sound like a complete dumbass now you know why

 

A popular upgrade for ea82 rear suspension is swapping in 4runner struts. So I did some research on the 4runner forums and found that a common thing to do was putting in Bilstein 24-188265 (part # for tundra, need to find tacoma) shock absorbers in place of the front struts. These shock absorbers are adjustable providing 0 - 2.75 inches of lift (so no more rear lift blocks???). 

 

The 4Runner folks use taller springs in bilstein shocks to gain a couple inches of lift. Fully extended the bilsteins are 18.7 inches. Not sure the inches of a fully extended EA82 rear shock is, but I am sure this is an improvement?

 

If I were to put these into the rear end of my 91 Loyale will it even work? I'm thinking if 4runner shock absorbers fit than these bilsteins have to work too..

 

So onto increasing rear travel. If these shocks extend more than Loyale shocks (I think) than it has to increase flex at full droop. What else is limiting the rump roast end from flexing? I know axles will limit you but if I do this I plan on dropping the rear diff enough to compensate for the flex. 

So are 

-the bushings going to tweak not letting suspension max out

-shocks still not going to extend enough

 

Is this going to work or am I a complete dumbass?

[Gloyale]

you would need the longer matching springs to match.

 

Otherwise you just get a fully compressed coil after 6-8 inches travel no matter how tall the shock.

[djellum]

short answer is not a lot of wiggle room for actual increased articulation.  lift is easy but the stock suspension parts will ruin most attempts to increase travel.  extending the springs to gain lift reduces the actual down travel so not great for what you wish to do, id stick to lift blocks.

 

depending on how much custom fab you might be able to do, you could perhaps use the upper half of the cv axle travel.  would mean a saggy rear diff, but might be worth it if you want a kind of buggy style build. 

 

watch out for the year of forerunner to pick parts from.  only certain years work on our cars so you have to make sure those years are what the yota guys use for their swaps.

[Numbchux]

you would need the longer matching springs to match.

 

Otherwise you just get a fully compressed coil after 6-8 inches travel no matter how tall the shock.

 

Bingo.

 

 

I think the trailing arm and such could take a decent amount of extra travel, if the shock/spring combo could handle it.

 

I don't know anything about the 4Runner shock swap, so I really can't help there. But when I was looking for something for street use, every viable option I could find had less travel than the stock ones (I ended up with Miata stuff, which had several inches less travel).

 

I suspect the only way to really get more, is to basically go to a custom long travel setup, with about a 20" long coilover spring.

[Gloyale]

short answer is not a lot of wiggle room for actual increased articulation. extending the springs to gain lift reduces the actual down travel so not great for what you wish to do, id stick to lift blocks.

 

With a 6" lift, and some very long bilsteins on my EA81 I was able to get a pretty good amount of travel, about 14".   That required extending the shock mounts way up into the rear towers, actual up into the car behind the rear seat.  And that required a 34" full extension shock.

 

Now that is an EA81 w/ torsion bar, so the length of the spring isn't limiting.

 

To do that with an EA82, you need said longer shock, say 30-34" inches, and a spring at least 26".  It gets hard finding a shock/coilover setup that long.

 

I have seen some "helper" shocks for pickups that have long coils on them.....gabriel I think.  Try looking up something like that for trucks.

[XHighOctanex]

Solid axle ????❤️