Toasty
Looking for that thing i just had in my hand...
. A number of you have asked for my parts list and a total cost estimate, I did all my own labor so that's a variable you'll have to figure out yourself if you're not DIY'ing. So as to not totally derail my build thread, this will serve for Q&A on the swap for those of you looking to up the ante. Here is the parts list, obviously it doesn't need to be followed 100% but it would serve as a checklist for those looking to swap coils or coilovers. If going leafs the process would be different but the steering, shock towers, axle, driveshaft would be basically the same. One thing i'm not going into is the T-case swap because it's not really a prerequisite to the SAS but it does help, the alternative is to drill and tap the front output of the Montero so you can use the original slip yoke as a fixed yoke (a number of ways to do this also not covered). This thread is more for parts, where to get them and things to consider before attempting the swap.
. The total cost could have been much cheaper had I went with standard coils and not gotten carried away on the small parts but a lot of this stuff is unavoidable. I pieced these parts together over two years so the big expenses didn't hurt as much, prices are rounded and i mostly waited for holiday deals and free shipping promos so you may find better or worse deals. I'll compare my swap to roughly the cost of swapping a first gen Bronco axle/radius arm suspension and stock replacement parts since that's a fair bit less expensive and the end goal is the same. Even though i installed 70's style steering and suspsnsion i wanted it to perform more like a modern live axle setup and that's why i bought all the performance bits. One could even do the SAS then upgrade steering, shocks and brakes at a later time.
. Axle;
1. 1980 AMC Wagoneer Spicer 44 $100-400 (sub 66-77 Bronco Spicer 44 ($400-700) w/Chevy outers for coils and Ford radius arms)
Spicer
2. Ball joints $120
3. Differential rebuild kit $120
4. Wheel bearing and seal kit $180
5. 4.88 gear set $320 (Yukon)
ARB
6. Locker $1000
7. Compressor $200 mini or $500 for the twin air
8. Diff cover $180
9. WFO Pinion Flange D44 to Toyota $75 (original yokes could be used)
10. RCV axle shafts $1600 + $140 for Warn Premium hubs (prerequisite)
. My total on axle was about $3940, i got my axle for free and not counting that i bought both compressors because the larger one is just for tires and tools on my truck. You'd be in deeper with a Bronco 44 but it would save you money later as you'll see.
. Brakes;
1. Wilwood calipers $320
2. Stoptec slotted rotors $160
3. Metric studs (Hilux) $20
4. Stainless lines $120
5. Hardlines $100
. Total $720 but regular ol' Rockauto parts would have cost under $200
. Steering;
I used Barnes 4wd but if i had to do over i'd get Ruffstuff TRE kit $160 only because the "Cure" bushings fit better
1. GM 1 Ton Tie Rod End ES2234R Right Hand Driver Side x2
2. GM 1 Ton Tie Rod End ES2234R Right Hand Driver Side
3. Over The Kunckle Y-Link GM 1 Ton Tie Rod End ES2233L Left Hand Passenger Side
4. EMF rod end 2 Inch Mounting Width 5/8 Inch Bolt Hole 3/4-16 Right Hand Threads $90
5. EMF rod end 2 Inch Mounting Width 5/8 Inch Bolt Hole 3/4-16 Left Hand Threads $90
6. WFO DMAX pitman arm part #1102D $100 <Recommended
7. 78-79 Bronco Steering gear w/ports $900 From Benchwork Steering <Highly recommended
8. 3/4-16 to 3/4 Steering coupler from Speedway $13
Wide Open Design 7075 aluminum links
9. Tie rod and drag links $110
10. Panhard $100
Ruffstuff
11. "Cure" bushing $30 (stops tie rod roll on 1-Ton joints)
12. 1.5" Stabilizer link clamp and tabs $50
13. Fox 2.0 IPF Stabilizer 8" travel $170
. Total $1823 but about $280 in aftermarket stock style steering plus $500 for a non ported 78/79 Bronco steering gear
. Weldments and mounts;
Under cover fabworks
1. Lower-Link Frame Brackets UCF142 $75
Ruffstuff
2. Shock towers STOWER12 $120
3. Panhard axle PAN-OFF (need to draw custom part) $30
4. Panhard frame PAN-OUT $30
5. Limit straps $50
6. Stabilizer link clamp and tabs $65
7. Lower shock tabs $10
Next Venture
8. Axle truss $400 (alternate alternate would be to run the coil bucket kit with this and adjustable radius arms instead of Bronco axle) <insert math
9. Hello kitty skid
. Total $780 vs $305 if you were to buy new Bronco towers and radius arms mounts from Jeff's Bronco graveyard and coil towers from Ballistic
. Suspension:
I used adjustable radius arms because it makes it really easy to dial in and they're common.
Metal Cloak (Any TJ Long arm kit would work with JK uppers or drilled TJ uppers)
1. Radius arm TJ lower #7090 $429
2. Radius arm JK upper #7232 x2 $240 (TJ upper could be used but would require holes to be oversized)
3. Axle bushing kit #7349 $70 (Standard clevite bushings coule be substituted)
Accutune
4. Shocks $1756
5. Hydro bumps $600 ( These didn't end up working the way i wanted and will be moved to rear suspension) Rubber can be sub'd for $0
6. Mounting cans $80
7. Anti-Rock sway bar $510
8. Limit straps $50
. Total $3736 If Bronco radius arm suspension was subbed w/TJ coils and emulsion shocks you'd be under $700 for all new parts with used radius arms which account for $250 of that $700 so if you found a better deal...
. Driveshafts;
Tom woods
1. Front 1310 Series $400
2. Rear1350 Sieries $600 (If also upgrading rear)
3. 1350 Output Flanges $200
4. 1350 F350 pilot adapter $80 (If upgrading rear) adapts F350 yoke pilot to Mitsu Flange otherwise the Mitsu pattern matches.
. Total $1280 Again you could do just the front shaft and use stock yokes and be all in for about $300 or less if you're crafty.
. Custom, semi custom parts built yourself or made per drawings which i'm working on. Specifically the crossmember and frame plates make this largely a bolt on to locate SAS with the adjustable long arms.
1. Frame plates $300
2. Mitsubishi to Ford steering gear adapter $150
3. Crossmember $500
4. Trans mount bracket $100
5. Misc materials and consumables $200
6. Mirage Trans mount x2 MR297256 $50-120 (Rockauto vs OEM)
7. Misc Hardware $150
. Total $1450 which is pretty realistic, i bought the Rockauto trans mounts because i wasn't sure they'd be what i wanted but they were much better than i expected and that was great.
.So the grand total would be about $14,580 using the same parts where the Bronco swap with reasonable parts would be closer to $5000 still doing all your own work. Like my notes suggest you could also run coils with the Wagoneer axle but it would require an adjustable radius arms and you might only add $1000 over the cost of the Ford setup but it's a slippery slope. The reason i went with a "Jeep" radius arm is that they are super common and they are much more modern than the Ford style. Radius arms just plain work, they're really functional on and off road so makes sense why so many TJ, JK and now JL owners have been converting their trucks to radius arms.
That's basically it, i'll add if i remember something.
. The total cost could have been much cheaper had I went with standard coils and not gotten carried away on the small parts but a lot of this stuff is unavoidable. I pieced these parts together over two years so the big expenses didn't hurt as much, prices are rounded and i mostly waited for holiday deals and free shipping promos so you may find better or worse deals. I'll compare my swap to roughly the cost of swapping a first gen Bronco axle/radius arm suspension and stock replacement parts since that's a fair bit less expensive and the end goal is the same. Even though i installed 70's style steering and suspsnsion i wanted it to perform more like a modern live axle setup and that's why i bought all the performance bits. One could even do the SAS then upgrade steering, shocks and brakes at a later time.
. Axle;
1. 1980 AMC Wagoneer Spicer 44 $100-400 (sub 66-77 Bronco Spicer 44 ($400-700) w/Chevy outers for coils and Ford radius arms)
Spicer
2. Ball joints $120
3. Differential rebuild kit $120
4. Wheel bearing and seal kit $180
5. 4.88 gear set $320 (Yukon)
ARB
6. Locker $1000
7. Compressor $200 mini or $500 for the twin air
8. Diff cover $180
9. WFO Pinion Flange D44 to Toyota $75 (original yokes could be used)
10. RCV axle shafts $1600 + $140 for Warn Premium hubs (prerequisite)
. My total on axle was about $3940, i got my axle for free and not counting that i bought both compressors because the larger one is just for tires and tools on my truck. You'd be in deeper with a Bronco 44 but it would save you money later as you'll see.
. Brakes;
1. Wilwood calipers $320
2. Stoptec slotted rotors $160
3. Metric studs (Hilux) $20
4. Stainless lines $120
5. Hardlines $100
. Total $720 but regular ol' Rockauto parts would have cost under $200
. Steering;
I used Barnes 4wd but if i had to do over i'd get Ruffstuff TRE kit $160 only because the "Cure" bushings fit better
1. GM 1 Ton Tie Rod End ES2234R Right Hand Driver Side x2
2. GM 1 Ton Tie Rod End ES2234R Right Hand Driver Side
3. Over The Kunckle Y-Link GM 1 Ton Tie Rod End ES2233L Left Hand Passenger Side
4. EMF rod end 2 Inch Mounting Width 5/8 Inch Bolt Hole 3/4-16 Right Hand Threads $90
5. EMF rod end 2 Inch Mounting Width 5/8 Inch Bolt Hole 3/4-16 Left Hand Threads $90
6. WFO DMAX pitman arm part #1102D $100 <Recommended
7. 78-79 Bronco Steering gear w/ports $900 From Benchwork Steering <Highly recommended
8. 3/4-16 to 3/4 Steering coupler from Speedway $13
Wide Open Design 7075 aluminum links
9. Tie rod and drag links $110
10. Panhard $100
Ruffstuff
11. "Cure" bushing $30 (stops tie rod roll on 1-Ton joints)
12. 1.5" Stabilizer link clamp and tabs $50
13. Fox 2.0 IPF Stabilizer 8" travel $170
. Total $1823 but about $280 in aftermarket stock style steering plus $500 for a non ported 78/79 Bronco steering gear
. Weldments and mounts;
Under cover fabworks
1. Lower-Link Frame Brackets UCF142 $75
Ruffstuff
2. Shock towers STOWER12 $120
3. Panhard axle PAN-OFF (need to draw custom part) $30
4. Panhard frame PAN-OUT $30
5. Limit straps $50
6. Stabilizer link clamp and tabs $65
7. Lower shock tabs $10
Next Venture
8. Axle truss $400 (alternate alternate would be to run the coil bucket kit with this and adjustable radius arms instead of Bronco axle) <insert math
9. Hello kitty skid
. Total $780 vs $305 if you were to buy new Bronco towers and radius arms mounts from Jeff's Bronco graveyard and coil towers from Ballistic
. Suspension:
I used adjustable radius arms because it makes it really easy to dial in and they're common.
Metal Cloak (Any TJ Long arm kit would work with JK uppers or drilled TJ uppers)
1. Radius arm TJ lower #7090 $429
2. Radius arm JK upper #7232 x2 $240 (TJ upper could be used but would require holes to be oversized)
3. Axle bushing kit #7349 $70 (Standard clevite bushings coule be substituted)
Accutune
4. Shocks $1756
5. Hydro bumps $600 ( These didn't end up working the way i wanted and will be moved to rear suspension) Rubber can be sub'd for $0
6. Mounting cans $80
7. Anti-Rock sway bar $510
8. Limit straps $50
. Total $3736 If Bronco radius arm suspension was subbed w/TJ coils and emulsion shocks you'd be under $700 for all new parts with used radius arms which account for $250 of that $700 so if you found a better deal...
. Driveshafts;
Tom woods
1. Front 1310 Series $400
2. Rear1350 Sieries $600 (If also upgrading rear)
3. 1350 Output Flanges $200
4. 1350 F350 pilot adapter $80 (If upgrading rear) adapts F350 yoke pilot to Mitsu Flange otherwise the Mitsu pattern matches.
. Total $1280 Again you could do just the front shaft and use stock yokes and be all in for about $300 or less if you're crafty.
. Custom, semi custom parts built yourself or made per drawings which i'm working on. Specifically the crossmember and frame plates make this largely a bolt on to locate SAS with the adjustable long arms.
1. Frame plates $300
2. Mitsubishi to Ford steering gear adapter $150
3. Crossmember $500
4. Trans mount bracket $100
5. Misc materials and consumables $200
6. Mirage Trans mount x2 MR297256 $50-120 (Rockauto vs OEM)
7. Misc Hardware $150
. Total $1450 which is pretty realistic, i bought the Rockauto trans mounts because i wasn't sure they'd be what i wanted but they were much better than i expected and that was great.
.So the grand total would be about $14,580 using the same parts where the Bronco swap with reasonable parts would be closer to $5000 still doing all your own work. Like my notes suggest you could also run coils with the Wagoneer axle but it would require an adjustable radius arms and you might only add $1000 over the cost of the Ford setup but it's a slippery slope. The reason i went with a "Jeep" radius arm is that they are super common and they are much more modern than the Ford style. Radius arms just plain work, they're really functional on and off road so makes sense why so many TJ, JK and now JL owners have been converting their trucks to radius arms.
That's basically it, i'll add if i remember something.
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