upgrades on 720, plans, etc.

[mikec]

Hey guys, new to this forum

 

i've been doing some work on my 720, and needed a little advice...i lowered it yesterday via the torsion bar method....i love how it looks/rides, but now my camber is way off and the only way to adjust is with...the torsion bar haha. anyways, there's a pic of how it sits now below. i recently changed out the entire front end...all new balljoints, tie rods, steering gear, center link, etc and i'm hungry to do more. unfortunately, i'll probably have to bring my truck back up to avoid getting new tires in a month, but i'll enjoy it for now :)

 

i've recently come into some money, $5k of which i want to allocate into my truck..rims are an obvious must. besides that, i'm gonna block the back down 2" to even it out. after that, i need ideas. i'd LOVE to give it more fast, but in CA that is just about impossible b/c i can't weber and still pass smog :( i'm not willing to do an engine swap *yet* b/c it's a one-owner all OE truck. infamousnissan folks said to do visual things only, but i'd like more. any cat-back exhausts out there? is there any way to bring control arm suspension to the rear? just spitballing. let me know what you think.

 

[izzo]

I went thru this as well, your camber should be just about right. I dropped mine down almost as low as it would go. Just take it to a tire shop and have them do an alignment, it will take care of it...

[Pumpkn210]

NOS=More Fast :lol:

[mikec]

dang, you DID drop it more than me! the problem is that i just re-did my suspension and paid $$$ to have it aligned...it would kill me to pay again...

[izzo]

maybe take acloser picture of your tires so i can see what you are talking about. after looking at the picture again it looks like the top of the tires are sticking out??

[mikec]

here you go izzo. did my best to show how off they are. hope this helps...

 

[izzo]

Damn dood, yeah thats a bit off.

 

On the early 720s the camber adjustment was on the inside of the frame, so you could pull the top of the tire inwards towards the motor. I think on the later 720s and hardbody pickups they were on the outside of the frame. So you could move the top of the tire outwards from the motor. That there is a problem.

 

You could extend your lower control arm outwards to fix it, or modify the upper control arm to be a little shorter. There might be another solution too... I think they make a shorter upper control arm for the 720 4x4s. that would bring the tops of your tires back in some. you would have to compare them and call the place and ask them for the length of these and make a call yourself if it will work or not.

 

Another thing.. Find hardbody drop spindles. They will lower the front end 2 inches. You could adjust your torsion bars back up, install the hardbody spindles and be set. I think the later 720 used the same size calipers etc as the hardbody. If not, you would need to find hardbody calipers and rotors.

 

Here is a link to the drop spindles, look aroudn for a better price im just using this as reference.

https://www.4x4parts.com/catalog/dropped-spindles-p-1208.html

 

heres the shorter a-arms, again... compare, measure twice, call and ask length.

https://www.4x4parts.com/catalog/720-upper-control-arms-p-143.html

 

 

 

Good luck man

[mikec]

i don't really see how i could modify the UCAs without getting new ones...maybe by modifying the bushings? after all, i think we're only talking mms here...how would i extend out the LCAs? here's l/r tires against a plank:

 

[mikec]

thanks for all the info...i thought it was wayyyyy common for 720 folks to drop this way. do they just dgaf their tires and ride bow-legged? i mean..how does everyone else do it RIGHT?

[izzo]

Dunno on the later ones man. mines an 80 and sat right when it dropped :rofl:

 

Look at your upper control arms too and see where they are bolted to whatever, see if there is spacers in there. might be able to take them out?

 

I dont have my truck near me ill try and find a picture...

 

edit

 

 

You can kind of see it here. On the 80-83 the UCA was bolted to the inside of the frame, if you look just to the left and right of the blue shock absorber you can see the bolts in the lil holes there.. Yours are opposite.

 

Dunno, just my suggestions. I am not sure what other people do :( Just thought i would throw this information out there.. anyways, good luck

 

[PEZi720]

you simply use spacers/ washers in the upper control arm to bring the tire back in up top (camber)... you'll also need longer bolts

 

the toe however is only really something to fix at a shop... you can do it yourself but toe is what really fucks up your tires in a hurry.... so once you have your ride height sorted out... and camber fixed via the upper control arms.... THEN take it to get the toe aligned at a shop

 

i got a lifetime alignment package in order allow for as many trips for toe alignments as i need for $150

[mikec]

i might be wrong, but that looks exactly like my setup...i happen to have a pic from when the wheels were off. anyways, thanks again for all the input

 

PEZi720, i think i see what you're talking about, and if we're on the same page, that makes sense.

 

[PEZi720]

in your pic there... the bolts i'm talking about are the two that are poking through the strut tower thing...

step one: unbolt

step two: add spacers

step 3: re-bolt

 

that strut tower thingy is fixed in place.... so when you add in the spacers, it pushes the UCA back further giving you negative camber (or in your case.... brings you back to zero camber)

[mikec]

haha i need to stop editing posts..and yeah, that looks like it'll easily do the trick...looks like there's a little extra on the bolt end...if i space it out a few mm will it fix it w/o a new bolt?

[PEZi720]

it should.... it really depends on how much you end up needing to push it back... you want some decent threads to make it in the hole for safety reasons...

 

for a daily driver, running 0 camber... the stock ones should be fine so long as you don't add in too many spacers

 

i have my UCA moved back a good inch and a half to give me the camber i use for autocross.... so having longer stronger bolts was necessary for me

[mikec]

yeah if you see my other pic with the true angle it doesn't seem to be far off...but if it turns out i need a longer bolt, i'll get it. thanks SO much for both of your help! i was about to dissapointedly raise it back up.

[izzo]

Mike.

 

My bad, i thought the later 720s had a different setup, must be the hardbody that is different!

 

Washers as spacers will work. Just make sure you have a good length of bolt left to grip in that hole. I put 4 washers per bolt and it was a bit to much. 2-3 would probably do just fine. (then i figured out that i didnt need them so i have the original spacer in there now, just 1 washer per bolt)

[PEZi720]

not the greatest pic... but you can tell i have negative camber...

 

[mikec]

^

nice! looks sick.

 

so 2-3 washers of what thickness? i did the hardest bolt first (behind the steering column b/c i didn't want to disconnect it again) and i'm realizing what a job it would be to add/take away an extra washer after installing them and testing it out.

[datzenmike]

Get a hand full of washers that fit the bolt snug and are good and wide to spread the force then mix 'n match until the rim edge is vertical. I used a $5 magnetic torpedo level for the rim, it sticks to it. Use equal numbers of washers on the two bolts or you will fuck up the caster and that's a whole different ball game. I would start by taking one of those bolts in and getting a pair at least an inch longer. If they stick through, it won't harm anything. Try 1/2" of washers to start and add as needed. Be sure the truck is on level ground side to side and bounce it once or twice to stabilize the suspension before testing. I used a 6' carpenter's level to find a flat area to work on. Test several times and check the first side after the second is adjusted in case it affects the first.

[mikec]

okay....all done. i got the camber to be about the same as the rears...that's about the best comparison i have..pics as follows:

 

 

 

also, one of the hoses keeps coming disconnected from my carb...i think it's a vacuum hose, and now it's missing. what does it do?

[PEZi720]

do you know where it went to on the other end? i haven't looked at the stock carb in forever so i don't know off hand where it leads

[mikec]

no i can't find the hose at all :( it was an offshoot of the other skinny ones coming to/from the egr i think. it split a while back so i cut the end and it was shorter and kept coming off

[PEZi720]

well if you can figure out where it goes to i can prolly give you better info... for now... cap it off and try to find the other end

[elmerfudpucker]

doesnt that one go to the air breather too, not sure due to all of mine is deleted...