Front suspension from a MK3 4R to a MK2 4R

[OffieDK]

I have for a long time thought about taking the McPherson front system from the 3gen and installing it on the 2gen.
I've seen some kits, but i think they are pretty expensive.
Is there someone out that have done it?
And if possible that someone could supply me with some pictures of arms and shock system.

Thanks

[slosurfer]

What are the benefits of doing this?

[Seanz0rz]

id say the biggest benefit is the ditching of the torsion bars for the struts opens up alot of options for different spring rates, coilovers, etc.

ive never seen this done in my 4 years of researching toyotas. you would be better off going with a total chaos long travel kit up front with some nice coilovers. probably cheaper and most certainly much better than ANY stock offering from any year.

[DHC6twinotter]

I've never seen it done either, but another benefit would be the ability to run Tundra brakes. Whether or not it's worth all the trouble is something I dunno about.

Some other things to consider with this too, is that you would have to make diff from a 2nd gen work with the 3rd gen suspension. You will also have to figure out whether or not you want/have to use the steering rack from the 3rd gen.

Seems like a lot of work just to make a stock IFS setup into another stock IFS setup.

[slosurfer]

Yeah, I'm thinking total chaos as well.

Switching to a 3rd gen diff will be a pain (wrong side) and it doesn't gain you any strenght.

I don't think the brake upgrade is that big a deal, 2nd gens have pretty good front brakes.

Only "pro's" I can see is coilovers and possibly steering. For that I'd go TC and use all their upgraded steering parts (idler,center link, etc...) Also can be done with no fab work (minus having a shock hoop welded on).

Then again we may be missing something? I'm interested to hear more.


Closest thing I have heard to being anywhere similar to this is "Death Metal" which is a '87 4wd Toyota van that had a 2.7L swapped in and he swapped the front diff and some of the arms from a 3rd gen 4runner in it. The thing is the van already was a driverside drop and it already has a rack steering system.

[OffieDK]

I were only thinking about changing the arms and struts, as Seanz0rz says the benefits to ditch the torsion bars and getting a better flex with the IFS.
It's was only a thought i had, at the start i also thought of doing the SAS kit but with coils, then I thought of this.

[OffieDK]

Now I found a photo, i would like to use the strut and tower, of course making my own tower and maybee using another upper arm, depends on how much room the old arms got.
Could someone with a 3gen measure the length of the strut and diameter of the coil.

[slosurfer]

I see, I don't think you will gain any travel as with bjspacers we're already maxing out what the inner cv can handle.

Have you measured the distance between the mounting points for the lower Aarms on a 3rd gen? If they aren't the same distance apart, I can foresee it being hard to change that distance. The top seems like it would be easier to change as you have the top of the frame to work with. While the bottom might need you to move your rear mount farther back and add a crossmember.

That will be interesting to see what the coil diameter is, I don't think it will fit with our stock UCA's because they have that bar between the front and rear mount.

[Robinhood4x4]

I don't think any perceived gains is worth the work unless you want to use it for high speed running. You'd have to change more that just the A arm and shock, like the others are saying. Definitely, the steering would have to be changed too.

Also, it's not a mcphearson strut. Mcphearson strut type suspension has no upper control arm. It uses the shock itself to determine the travel path of the suspension stroke. Basically, the shock takes some of the side load where as a coilover with double wishbone does not.

[CJM]

Dont think its worth it, would be better to run a total chaos uniball caddy kit or a SFA. Both equate to overall less work than this idea I think and both offer much more travel than doing what you speak of. Plus you have the benefit that they have been done before, in all my years of wheeling I have never heard of your idea.