Smoothing The Bounce
Dear MT,
I have a '93 Toyota pickup that was 'bagged when I bought it. I am working on improving the truck and making it look better and ride smoother. Right now, I have a monster notch on top of the axle-style 'bag mounts. It also has a monoleaf-spring setup but doesn't lay out completely. My main goal is to ride better, and I'd like to be able to drag, but I don't want to drag through my leaf springs or hangers. Can you give me some advice on what I should do?
James W.
via e-mail
James,
We're glad to hear that you want to rail your truck because we love mini-truckers who are down with dragging. First, you need to toss the monoleaf springs in the trash can and update your truck with something new and improved. To do this, we recommend a multilink setup. You have many different options with the links. You can contact FBI, Master Image Customs, AIM Industries, BCS, Silver Star, or one of our other fine advertisers and choose from a two-, three-, or four-link setup; this will put you on your way to dragging by removing the stock hangers. If you wish to improve your ride yourself, you can mount your 'bags directly on the link bar, giving you a leverage setup with a better ride and more lift. With 'bags mounted on the axle, you'll have a fairly bouncy ride. This is the gist of what needs to be done, but there are many more factors that need to be addressed, such as pinion angle and rear-end movement. We suggest you contact your local custom shop for professional installation and advice.
El switcheroo?
Dear MT,
What ever happened to the third part of El Switcheroo that was supposed to be in the September issue? I just bought the newest issue, and it looks like you guys forgot to put it in the magazine.
Scott Phillips
via e-mail
Scott,
Yeah, we know we flaked on getting the tech back in as promised, but there's only so much you can do when you're waiting for parts and have to rely on others to do the work. If you look closely at the issue you're holding right now, you'll probably find the tech article installment you're after. If not, you can always check back next month! Just kidding, bro, look no further. We got you covered.
Strut-Rod Solution
Dear MT,
My '89 Mazda B2000 has been 'bagged for more than two years now. My friends and I are starting to do some work in my garage. We just shaved the truck out completely, and it came out pretty good. I think I'm ready to body drop my truck to the rocker and cut the pinch off. I've been looking online and at your body-drop tech articles, which helped out a lot. I think I have everything down now except one thing: After I cut my front frame for the core support, my strut rods will no longer fit, and I know I need to have them on my truck. What can I do with these as they won't bolt to the factory location anymore? Any help would be much appreciated.
Rudy
Los Angeles
Rudy,
That is an excellent question. That part of the body drop is often overlooked and almost never mentioned when people talk about body drops. Toyotas, Nissans, and Mazdas all have strut rods running from the lower arms to the front frame, directly under your core support. You have a few options, and depending on the tools you own, some of these are doable. The most common fix is to make a new bar run forward or backward, with a Heim joint at each end that runs outside the framerail to the side of the lower arm. Another fix is to switch the rods left-to-right and right-to-left and use a tube bender to bend the bar so that the wheel can turn back to its normal capabilities. Make a new mount for the stock strut rod off the outside of the frame. If you have a bender, that's a nice way to go and easy on the wallet. I hope this helps you out with your problem. Good luck on the body drop, and send us some pictures of your truck after you guys are all done.
Picture Me Railin'
Dear MT,
What's up, guys? I've been a subscriber for almost a year now, and I just bought a 'bagged S-10. My problem is that it doesn't lay frame, so I can't drag, and my tires are always rubbing. I want it to lay out and be able to drag on 18s and 20s. I don't have much money because I just bought the truck, so I am going to try to do it myself. Where doI start?
Santana Customs
La Verne, California
Santana,
You want to lay, huh? You should be able to work some magic and throw sparks in no time. First things first, ditch the fenderwells up front. You can go with tubs, but I know you are low on the funds, so just cut or remove them for now. You will need to relocate your computer and ABS toward the core support and buy a new radiator overflow bottle, which runs around $35. The fuse box will be moved forward with new mounts that can be made from tubing; you shouldn't have to extend the wires because it will reach to where you removed the windshield-wiper reservoir. If you want to throw sparks, you will need to ditch the factory gas tank. Flip through the pages and check out one of our many advertisers, such as Devious Customs, for a tank that will put you well on your way to reflector-removing duty. Good luck, and drag it once for us!
Big-Rim Bds
Dear MT,
I've received some pretty mixed answers on a few questions of mine. I hope you guys can help me out because I know you have all the top-secret information. I have a '97 S-10 that I have already 'bagged and body-dropped, but I've been shown up. I heard from one of my buddies that someone fit some huge rims up front, but he was sketchy on the details. I have seen a few with 20s up front, but my buddy said they were bigger, maybe 22s. Is this possible? How would that fit under the fenders and hood? I am on 20s right now, so what would I have to do to make 22s fit up front, and who could I call? Thanks so much; if anyone can help me, I know you guys can. Keep cranking out the hard-core issues!
Ryan,
With Small-Rim Blues,
SoCal
Ryan,
The truth of the matter is this: There is indeed an S-10 body-dropped with 22s in the front on the scene. You might have seen it around at the local shows here in Cali' in the Under-Construction class. The truck is Mike Alexander's, and Ken Leet, owner of Leet Auto Design in Hesperia, is the one building it. You will probably want to call him at (760) 948-4062 for all the specifics. What I can tell you is that even though the mods on the hood and fender look stock, they're not. They've been sectioned and opened up to fit such a big wheel, and the suspension and frame have been completely rebuilt to make that wheel combination work on a mini. This task is tedious and definitely not on the cheap side, so if you want to roll double deuces, give Ken a call. Good luck, and keep on reading for updated information on those big-rim body drops.