Lifting a Tercel!?!

DaveG1 · Post by **DaveG1** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 12:47 am

hey guys, thanks for all the good info, I just joined after getting a super clean 86 with working AC and cruise control. I had been looking for something to replace my 14mpg Econoline as a daily driver. SOmeday I hope to make a little baja beast out of it. I was thinking roll cage and 4 wheel coil over suspension, but the wife has me on a tight budget until we get outta credit card debt. has any one looked into Bilstein shocks and struts for the tercels? Where is Pohl springs located? I know National spring does a lot of stuff for off road racers out here in Cali and the are down there in Santa Fe springs. Thanks again, this site pushed me over the edge for buying another Tercel, I had looked at maybe a subaru but since y'all had done so much w/ 'yotas I went and found one. BTW there are a bunch of tercels in the LA area if you are looking. People here don't know what they got!

DaveG1 · Post by **DaveG1** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 1:05 am

Oh, bthe the way, I checked out some aussie sites and I think the Falcon is the same as a taurus and a mits magna is the same as a colt and whatever the mits version of the colt is. I might give the springs off those cars a try and see if it works.

Thereminator · Post by **Thereminator** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 1:41 am

Welcome to the group Dave,I noticed there's alot of Tercels in this area also(Im in San Diego),and the more I drive mine,the more Im impressed with its straitforward and practical desine.Im setting~up mine for Baja too,but more for camping(fishing,diving,surfing,rockhounding) then pre~run'in,so I'll be do'in a suspenshion up~grade in the not to distant future.Nothing too fancy,Takza's been do'in alot of experimentation on practical Mod's so I'll probably go that route.I hope you get alot from this site,as I have.

DaveG1 · Post by **DaveG1** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 11:36 pm

I used to have one when I lived up in mammoth and it was a beater, but i could go anywhere in it. I want to get mine ready to go down to abreojos or scorpion bay for surf trips and explore around to get to the more out of the way spots. I would love to make it Mikes sky rancho worthy. I took the 1st step today by putting on some winston 205/60r13s. Handles 100% better. Therminator, do you ever surf Malibu? I work up there, come say hi if you make it my way.

tercel4wdrules · Post by **tercel4wdrules** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 12:20 am

Yes! Someone who finally speaks Malibu. I like Malibu and also Topanga Canyon Rd. I find it fun going up the mountain and back down. I really like that area, it seems like fun.

Thereminator · Post by **Thereminator** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 2:21 am

I was just talking to someone that recomended Scorpion bay,is that near La paz? One of my favorite places that I want go check~out again(its been about 20 years) is the Punta Final area,its only about 300 Mi down then you cut across about 75mi to the sea of Cortez.Not all that great for surfing but there should be a couple breaks along way.Ive been diving more than surfing since I moved back down from Oregon.When I lived in Santa Barbara a wile~back I was into Tehegas and Rincon,but Im useing a longboard now (9'-Hap Jacob's) and I dont go~out as much.There a custom hot~rod show in Glendale this weekend.I think some friends are playing(music) there so I'll probably check it out.They've been haveing it for over ten years now and it sounds like a good show,have you been to it? Alan B)

DaveG1 · Post by **DaveG1** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 10:24 pm

I have lived in Topanga for 25 years, that road is super fun at night with no bozos in front of you. As for Scorpion Bay i have nt been there yet my self, but It is rumored to be like Malibu, a long right hand wall. It is quite a trip to get down there, it is 15 or so hours south of the border. Not quite as far as La Paz, but almost. I think a tercel set up with racks should carry a 9' Jacobs there perfectly. I ride a quiver of longboards myself, my best board is a 10'0" Lance Carson- sweet noserider. Have fun at that hot rod show, I have never been, I don't get too many weekends off and when I do it is usually filled w/ wife stuff, she's not too into old cars. I was more into desert racing before i got married, but i still can appreciate a sweet '55 chevy.

DaveG1 · Post by **DaveG1** » Tue Aug 03, 2004 10:20 pm

I have been spending way too much time on my new obsession, but along the way I found some subaru sites and a manufacturer of Subie lift kits. i wonder if we all got together if he would set up a tercel lift. Any more word from Downey regarding their old kit? Some of those Subie guys have some pretty trick rides. One link has this guy about 15' in the air off a pretty wicked jump. No shot of him landing strangely enough. as my obsession grows I have a dream of racing the Baja 500 or the 1000 in a super trick tercel. Anyone want to pit crew?

tercel4wdrules · Post by **tercel4wdrules** » Wed Aug 04, 2004 12:15 am

I haven't had a chance to go there (Downey Off-Road manufacturing) and then I have to figure out who will take me. B)

JIMCAT · Post by **JIMCAT** » Sun Sep 05, 2004 9:03 pm

Anyone had any luck finding a design for a lift kit yet?

takza · Post by **takza** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 4:42 am

aussie 4x4 has the best real world ground clearance. The limit he found was that the front strut tended to hit the stop when fully extended with the longer stronger springs he found in Oz. Couldn't find a longer strut that would fit.

He added an alum "packer" at the bottom and extended the nut upwards on the threads at top. Have seen steel hex stock threaded at each end to extend the strut rod...but for another car.

If you go back on this thread he explains it pretty well.

When I get serious about new springs, I'm going to do some research into OEM springs from other cars that might give some boost and can be found new for a decent price...having them custom wound is costly.

Thought you got lost in the desert or something? <_<

JIMCAT · Post by **JIMCAT** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 11:11 am

Ha! Lost? Not me! I never get lost.......any more...well...hardly ever.

I just got distracted by another project. Nope, not lost, just distracted.

So far, no one has discussed whether suspension parts from other Toyotas (larger)
can be subsitituted, with or without alteration, to achieve a lift.

I may start prowling junk yards looking for other Toyotas' suspensions. Any suggestions?

takza · Post by **takza** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 11:51 am

I was going to go to a "local" custom spring place where I hope I can get the OEM specs for the Tercel 4WD springs and then see if they can look up some OEM springs that might fit and give some boost.

Somebody mentioned something about springs from a "Falcon"...but this might be a name for a Toyota someplace for all I know.

Far as I know IDEALLY you want about the same spring rate...but a taller spring...the car sits higher but the springs still compress just as easy for good ARTICULATION.

Since you can weld/cut/fabricate and all that good stuff...you should know what might fit or how to make it fit...issue is those pesky front struts...no point in getting the back end all jacked up...if the front end still droops....

<_<

DaveG1 · Post by **DaveG1** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 6:24 pm

The aussie guy had said that springs out of a falcon worked on the rear, we don't have falcons here in the us but the taurus is similar to the falcon he had mentioned. I forget thte other car he specified, but here in the us it turned out to be similar to a mitsubishi front spring. you can find it all out by going back through the thread.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Sep 07, 2004 6:56 am

If a longer strut that will bolt on is not found, perhaps brackets can be fabricated to use the factory stuts. But some things can not be fabricated so easily. When I lifted my FullSizeJeep, I had to buy an extended Pitman arm. There may be similar issues in lifting a Tercel 4WD wagon.

I know this thread started with a comment about lifting enough for 27" swamp buggy tires, but what is your sense of a realistic maximum?