2002 Sequoia Limited 4WD

[RogueTacoma]

Hey Sal, Have you looked at the Toytec suspension?

Toytec Rear Shocks

They're based here in Denver and specialize in Toyota products. I've been looking at them as a possible suspension upgrade on my new Sequoia.

 

[Sal R.]

Hey Sal, Have you looked at the Toytec suspension?

Toytec Rear Shocks

They're based here in Denver and specialize in Toyota products. I've been looking at them as a possible suspension upgrade on my new Sequoia.

Considering the shocks are also applicable to the FJC, I'm going out on a limb here and believe they are spec'd like the 5100s and are too short for the Sequoia, despite being labelled for 3" of lift.

I'm willing to bet the shocks are, at most, 26" in length, and that is short for an OME application. Your articulation will be limited by the shock.

 

[Sal R.]

Hey Sal, Have you looked at the Toytec suspension?

Toytec Rear Shocks

They're based here in Denver and specialize in Toyota products. I've been looking at them as a possible suspension upgrade on my new Sequoia.

Got some rough measurements on the Toytec rear shock. It appears to be 25-26" extended. A decent option, dimensionally speaking, if you go with Dobinson coils like me, but too short of any applicable OME rear coil.

Can't speak to the valving or ride quality.

 

[Sal R.]

It appears that the LC100 icons are no more than 25" long extended. I wouldn't recommend them for OME coils if you're looking to maximize your articulation.

 

[Sal R.]

Best shocks to use with LC100 OME rear coil springs 2"-5" of lift, off-the-shelf.

Dobinson shocks:
GS59-685: armored rear, oversized full size spare, geared to the teeth.
GS59-575: Stock rear, oversized full size spare, with fair amount of gear.

***

Thanks to Jim Smola's efforts, he was able to spec out the above shocks. Given their application, I backed out the applicability best suited for a specific carry weight.

Both shocks are:
17.01" compressed
28.74" extended
11.73" shock travel
Stem and eye fitment
2.5" smooth body gas shocks

The -685 shock is for LC80 with 6-7" of lift with a carry weight of 220-880lbs (C59-311, -317, -319).

The -575 shock is for 2010-2018 T4Rs with 2-3.5" of lift with a carry weight of 0-600 lbs (C59-675V, -677V).

The -575 provides a softer ride, respectively speaking.

Oddly enough, both shocks are "long travel" applications for the 80 and T4R.

Keep in mind that these shocks are valved for vehicles, roughly, 500 lbs lighter than the Sequoia, stock.

 

[Sal R.]

I did a quick flex test at a loading ramp at work and got the following results.

In short, I attained 15" of wheel travel (stuffed to droop) with the new shock and control arm setup. I can achieve another 1-2", maybe more, if I re-adjust the limit straps lower since the coil has room to extend, still. Both measurements were taken thru the centerline of the wheel for consistency.

Sure, I could have crawled under the car and measured shock extension for a more accurate representation of wheel travel, but I like living, most of the time.

All in all, I'm pretty pleased with how this turned out and it was well worth the effort.

Static ride height:


Flexed, not stuffed, wheel off the ground, limit strap is taught:

 

[vkfzj80]

just wanted to say that you got an awesome build going and your attention to detail is amazing...

 

[Sal R.]

just wanted to say that you got an awesome build going and your attention to detail is amazing...

Thanks for taking the time. ?

 

[Sal R.]

MODIFICATION: Radio Stays on During Crank

GOAL:
Keep radio on while cranking car from ACC position.

PURPOSE:
It was ALWAYS annoying hanging out in the car, listening to BT audio, only for the radio to shut off when turning over the car and resetting the connection.

MATERIALS:
2200 uF 35V Capacitor
3A diode

DURATION: 1 hour

COST: $5

HOW-TO:
I knew I needed a capacitor to keep the radio system energized to survive cranking, but didn't know what size I needed or where to best put the capacitor.

A simple search yielded this resulting schematic:


In short, the diode was needed to keep the current from back flowing into the electrical system. Without it, the discharging capacitor did blow the 7.5amp radio fuse. I spliced the capacitor and diode onto the radio harness to keep it simple.

With the 2200 uF capacitor, the radio stays on for 5 seconds when the key is removed before completely discharging.

Plenty of time to turn the car over and keep the radio alive.

Mission accomplished.

 

[Sal R.]

MODIFICATION: Dobinson Rear Shocks

GOAL:
Get the ride under control.

PURPOSE:
Having verified the the shock dims and a better feel for the valving requirements, it was time for the real deal. Considering my rig's carry weight, I opted to go with the LC80 shock. Seemed like a good idea and more cost effective than a custom shock. Not to mention you get a 2.5" smooth body shock cheaper than comparable Icons or Kings.

MATERIALS:
Dobinson Shock G59-685

DURATION: 1 hour

COST: $200

HOW-TO:
Not going to go into the nitty gritty.

The Dobinson shock dropped right in. It had all the required bushing washers for an OE fit and no washers were required for the lower shock eye. It is a complete bolt on modification.

Compared to the 5125, the G59-685 is a little over 0.5" longer, which is a nice pad for LC100 OME rear coil spring users.


Full Dobinson rear end:


While the 5125s rode like a caddy, it didn't last long w/ the weight of the bumper. 1 hour of highway driving and the shock fades to the point where accelerating will induce understeer when the rear end squats. Similarly, braking induces oversteer making long drives and stop and go a squirrelly experience.

With the Dobinsons under the same condition, there is no fade and all wheels are firmly planted even around corners. Steering control is more controlled. It is stiffer compared to the 5125, but still comfortable.

Definitely the right choice for my application.

 

[High Country]

Where did you get the Dobinsons?

 

[Sal R.]

Where did you get the Dobinsons?

There's an organized group buy on the Sequoia off-road Facebook group going on at that moment.

A few people have participated already.

https://m.facebook.com/groups/1517237998306158?view=permalink&id=2092790390750913

They can also be purchased on Amazon, but they're currently unavailable, for obvious reasons.

 

[Leibbrand]

whao, found this today, nice build Sal

 

[Sal R.]

REPAIR: Remove and Replace Steering Rack

TROUBLESHOOTING:
Other than a leaking guide bushing, the rack was, otherwise, functional. The rack has been leaking for years and it was a super duper slow leak.

Having refreshed the diffs, the rear, and the transmission, it got on my nerves (finally) that this little ******** was leaky. Not to mention it was making a mess of my undercarriage.

So, it was time to address this issue.

MATERIALS:
Napa Auto re-manufactured steering rack
1 quart Dextron III automatic transmission fluid
Total Chaos polyurethane steering bushing kit

DURATION: 4 hours

COST: $380

REPAIR:
There's an abundance of YouTube videos on this repair. Can't really remember which one I used, but basically:

1. Jack up front and remove front tires
2. Disconnect outer tie rod from lower ball joint
3. Loosen steering shaft coupler bolt
4. Remove steering rack bolts
5. Disconnect hydro feed/return lines from rack
6. Disconnect hydro feed/return support bracket from rack
7. Disconnect steering shaft from rack
8. Remove steering rack

Old vs. New


About 42k miles ago, I swapped out the crappy rubber bushings with Energy Suspension bushings (pictured black above) and it worked better than OEM for sure.

On this go around, I was advised to use the Total Chaos bushing kit (pictured red above) as it was stiffer compared to the ES set.

Comparing the two, the TC bushings were undeniably stiffer/more rigid than the ES set. The ES set felt like a step above a rubber bushing.

After re-installation and eye-balling my alignment, steering response was dramatically tighter and more responsive. I definitely feel more connected to the road. The drawback is that there is more steering input feedback from the tires. You can feel hints of bumpsteer resulting from road imperfections.

INSTALLATION NOTES:
Because my aftermarket power steering cooler is mounted slightly higher than the reservoir, i had to dismount the cooler and temporarily position it below the reservoir to completely bleed the air out of the lines when refilling the system.

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES:
<~42k miles ago, I installed some Moog inner and outer tierods. When I pulled the rack out and inspected the tierods, they were done. All joints were limp and worn out.

 

[Sal R.]

whao, found this today, nice build Sal

Thanks! Appreciate the read through.