So anyone on here have a pre-runner type truck that has managed to keep the 4x4 functional?

The reason being is I'm planning out a custom suspension for my dakota and would like to do my homework on it (mainly front suspension) before I start it. So I'm just curious if anyone here has done such a thing.

 

I'm sure with a nice welder, cutting torch the front end off a Jeep Wrangler and doing some custom modification to your entire font end and suspension.. and then changing out the rear end to keep the gears the same I'm sure you could do something.. LOL. At least Toyota got their designs right in this area..

 

Yeah.. What I've been thinking about is taking ideas from the ford raptor. As they did the exact thing I want to do on my dak, with it being a plain old production car there should be a wealth of info somewhere about the 4x4 working with the whole front and suspension setup.
I just need to figure out how I'd get the T-case to work with a completly custom control arm and suspension setup.

 

a solid axle (which every single jeep wrangler comes factory with) would be probably the worst suspension for a prerunner. when prerunning you want to have IFS so each front tire can absorb the different bumps in whatever you are driving across. most prerunners have long travel a-arm type suspensions so each tire can flex on its own. with a solid axle, if one side of the suspension flexes the other side droops. this is ideal for rock crawling which is why almost no rock crawlers run IFS. not so ideal for prerunning

 

Yeah lol
Solid axel + 50+mph offroad/desert = really bad idea.

I'm still rather stuck on my plans for the front suspension, which I want keep my 4x4, so I'm planning on stealing idea's from fords raptor which is pretty much a prerunner production car and it has 4x4. So what I'm stuck on is just getting a wealth of info about their 4x4 and how they're keeping it to work with a big suspension.
I've searched the web and come up with little or no info, so any tips/advice/suggestions would be great

 

Curious, where can you run a truck like that in OH?

There are a ton of shops in southern cali/nevada obviously, but they probably have a lot of articles on the web, or in magazines.

 

Well there a few good dirt roads here that are really beat up, but really fun to drive on outside the little town I live in. But other than that there is nothing; although silver lake sand dunes is only a half a day drive away and always makes a good camping trip.

Yes I'd imagine so, I have a friend out in socal at the moment for basic so I'm thinking about asking him to look into it for me as he has always been into prerunners and trophy trucks the same as I have.

 

I've beat up a few camp vehicles in my day. I've beat up a few jeeps,s10 and a nissian hard body. They all stood up to felxing,jumping and flying down dirt roads. These were all stock vehicles except for my jeep. Really unless your going full out like the pros do doing like 80mph across the desert you dont need a 5 grand front setup. The biggest thing that leads to break downs is not thoroughly checking over your parts after almost ever hard drive and face it who wants to be doing 40+ down a dirt road and your control arm snaps off. Biggest thing is ditch the torsion bars and brace all your suspension parts

 

I agree with ramguy....

also, isnt a premise of pre-runners 2wd? I thought I had heard/seen that once. Taht would make life cake for ya...fab up long control arms and get shocks and go!

4wd makes me think trophy truck...i guess its all long-travel independent suspension. Love to have one...no wallet for it here...Be interesting to see if you get it going.

 

Yeah I know what you mean I've done my fair share of that haha. I do understand how it would seem kind of a waste of money to get a 5 grand suspension on a truck that would never see the desert, but I do plan on moving out there after college with some friends (atleast thats my plan) but I would still like to have a 4x4 prerunner either way, everyone has theirs taste, mine just happens to be prerunners and TT's

Yeah prerunners and trophy trucks are both 2wd, makes everything lighter and faster.
Yeah for my truck now I just want a practical prerunner suspension I guess.. like the ford raptor lol. But yeah it'll be interesting to cause I wanna eventually make a true trophy truck twin of my current truck.