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'82 Brat: Solid Axle Build *** DONE! :) ***


mcbrat
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Why the narrower front axle? Your scrub radius will be all wrong with the wheel spacers. :confused:

 

because toyota stopped making solid front axles in the US in '86. which happened to be the same year they widened the rear axles.

 

so choices are, use the narrower rear to match, or wheel spacers. thousands of toyota guys use spacers. the scrub radius change is not a big deal, it's not like this is an AutoX car.

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Why the narrower front axle? Your scrub radius will be all wrong with the wheel spacers. :confused:

 

I wanted to use Toyota axles. the stock brat rear axle width is 58",so I wentwith the 86+ wider axles to make sure everything was clearing with the new suspension travel...

 

and I wanted to get the fronts out to match (well a tad wider).

 

For the type of use this will have, I will accept the extra stress and wear it'll get because of the scrub radius....

 

I will be losing sheetmetal too....

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I just read through this thread for the first time. This thing is going to be unreal!!!! I can't wait to see it finished. Now I have to try and get to sleep with lots of crazy ideas racing through my head for my '81 wagon or ???. Nice fab work and good luck with everything.

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I wanted to use Toyota axles. the stock brat rear axle width is 58",so I wentwith the 86+ wider axles to make sure everything was clearing with the new suspension travel...

 

and I wanted to get the fronts out to match (well a tad wider).

 

For the type of use this will have, I will accept the extra stress and wear it'll get because of the scrub radius....

 

I will be losing sheetmetal too....

 

Austalia got live front axles in the Hilux (your Toyota truck) until '97. There's a mod I've heard of here that uses IFS hubs on a live axle that gives an extra 2" of track if you're interested. I bet you'll lose plenty of sheetmetal. The more you lose the better it gets.:)

Keep posting plenty of pics.

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Mick explored the option of using the IFS hubs, but it only increases the track width by 3" and the scrub radius would be the same as using spacers (since the king pins aren't moving). The spacers were cheap and easy and we didn't have to use spacers between the hub and the rotor this way. The Toyota axles have been great for this project because of the sheetmetal housings' ability to have brackets welded on just about anywhere. They're light and strong and have a tremendous aftermarket parts availability.

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So does this mean you will have a dual range for sale. And did i read 17 inch wheels. For the love of god Y:eek:

 

No, he's running the power from the tailshaft of the D/R to the transfer case, if i read this all correctly

-Bill

 

 

right, no D/R for sale. the one in it has about 210k on it, and I've got a nice 80k one stored at my parents house for when this one finally gives up :)

stored with it is the matching 80k ea82 carbed engine that IS for sale though :) )

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17s Mick. Why didnt you go 15s with more meat on the sidewalls

 

better road manners since this won't be a trail only rig, plus my wheels are still less than half the tire height. plenty of meat there still.... and it's only an inch of sidewall difference.....

 

and more than I had before....

 

picture.php?albumid=46&pictureid=345

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And this is why Mick had previously stated that he can't run any wider of a motor in this. I will move the steering box forward about an inch and french it into the new frame rail up to an inch to get better steering at full lock and full stuff. The steering shaft actually heads down out of the toyota box to meet up with the brat steering column at the firewall.

 

In that first picture you can see what's left of the very front of the stock frame rail. The new rail section is 2x4 .120 wall rectangular tube, which will be blended into the stock rail and braced. The front is completely inside of where the stock one poked through the radiator support.

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maybe consider running coilover coils. lighter, narrower(packaging), and available in just about any rate and length you could want. jeep coils are going to be pretty stiff for a vehicle that light. even the 2.5 jeep motor is way heavier than an EA plus they are a heavier vehicle to begin with.

check these out, plenty of rates available. also swayaway, eibach, probably a few others.

 

http://www.afabcorp.com/AFCO_Dynatech_USbrake/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=A&Category_Code=ct_coil-over-14

 

wider, longer

http://www.afabcorp.com/AFCO_Dynatech_USbrake/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=A&Category_Code=ct_springs-2-rear

 

airshocks would be bad rump roast but expensive and a pain to tune.

 

got any more pics of the front link setup? and are you going to run a panhard?

 

also have you thought about what the rig might weigh when you are done? looks like it will be right around 2700 maybe a bit less.

 

 

 

and freakin SAWEEET build!!

Edited by 970subaru
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We talked a little bit about the coilover coils as being an option, but wanted to explore the lower-cost option of TJ coils first. It looks like the TJ coils are going to work out great. The thing to keep in mind, is that layout is completely different on a TJ and the Soob, so it's not a direct comparison when talking about how much they weigh. On a 2.5 TJ, the balancer is about 6" back from the center of the front axle (weight is much farther back) and on the stretched Soob, the bellhousing is pretty much above the front axle centerline. With the weight of the brat on the coils, the height is within 1/2" of what a buddy said they were on a stock TJ, and that's without a front bumper or winch.

 

Yes, it'll have a panhard. I always build them last after the steering is done to try to get as little bump steer as possible. We'll see about getting you more pictures of the 3 link.

 

It'll weigh quite a bit more than a stock brat, but a lot of that will be unsprung weight (axles, wheels/tires). There is about 60' of 1 1/2" .120 wall tubing in it so far, with probably 20' more to go. Plus, the sammy transfer case. I don't think I cut enough sheetmetal out of it yet to offset the additions...:rolleyes:

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