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SAS with a Sawzall?

3K views 33 replies 22 participants last post by  SR5Dave 
#1 ·
I tried searching, didn't find anything, maybe I didn't search right.

I'm gettin set to do a SAS on my '87 xcab this summer. My problem is the welder and torches are at school where I work (one hour away), but I can't really leave the truck there in the shop for very long. I need to do as much work at home as I can, then take it there for the welding/cutting. Here's my idea:

* Design/fab/weld the front hanger bracket on, and drill/weld the tubes for the shackles in the frame. This can be done over the course of several days (I'm slow), but I know it can all be done and keep the truck drivable with the IFS still in place.

* Weld the rear shock mounts to the frame and rear axle housing. I'll probably pull the bed off to do this, I've already had it off once, not very hard.

* At home, unbolt as much of the IFS crap as I need to, then cut enough bracketry off the frame with my Sawzall to get the springs & axle bolted on. Bolt on the hi steer stuff.

* Install the rear springs so truck sits level.

* Flex as much as possible, measure and order shocks. Bolt on rear shocks.

* Drive the truck to the shop (slowly, no front shocks), drop the front suspension enough (don't know if this is necessary) to plasma off the rest of the brackets, clean up with the grinder, then weld on the shock hoops. Install front shocks, and re-attach everything up front.

I'll worry about the front driveshaft later. Does this seem like a good plan? Am I missing something? Can I do what I need with a Sawzall? Am I spending too much time thinking about this?

Thanks.
 
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#2 ·
i removed all of my ifs junk with a 4.5" angle grinder from harbor frieght. it actually took 3 grinders( :nuke: ) and 39 wheels, the following week my brother bought a plasma torch :crybaby:

i drove around for a while with the front hanger mounted and shackle mounting(thanks pat :D )
 
#3 ·
Thats way I love to weld :D grinding takes for ever and thats the way I built my pile;) my buddy is about to do a sas and I told him to go get a good 4 inch angle grinder and start sleeping with it cause when he is done he is going to hate that grinder:flipoff2:
 
#4 ·
How long can you leave your truck at the shop at school? What I did on my 4Runner was ErikB welded the front hanger assembly on, front shackle hangers and all were prewelded. I drove like that for a few days too :) Then, when the weekend came up. The IFS came off in less than an hour with a torch. I had the front axle assembly, springs and steering already all ready on the axle and everything. So, basically after the IFS was torched off and frame was cleaned out (Took like 3 hours total), the front axle/steering/springs junk was just a bolt on process. Took about another hour. So...SAS labor time (Excluding labor of building the shackle hangers and front hanger, as well as putting the front axle and steering together) was only about 4 hours total. So if you do it right, your truck won't even sit at the shop for more than 6 hours. I did it all the labor by myself too cause all my friends had to work :flipoff2: fawkers.
 
#5 ·
I suppose a weekend would be OK, this way I could do all the noisy grinding when the place is quiet and nobody's around. Not sure what to do about the shocks, though. Not sure it would be a good idea to drive very far without them, I'd really hate to go boingy-boingy into the ditch. Hmmm....
 
#7 ·
davefj40 said:
hey ken, i was wondering if you were gonna SAS that thing or not. that is one nice truck.

dave
You mean this one?



Oh yeah. I'm pretty sick of that IFS crap gettin in the way. And I really miss my old '84. Here's my latest project:



You coming up for any of the NEUROCs events? I should be there in June.
 
#8 ·
KLF said:
I suppose a weekend would be OK, this way I could do all the noisy grinding when the place is quiet and nobody's around. Not sure what to do about the shocks, though. Not sure it would be a good idea to drive very far without them, I'd really hate to go boingy-boingy into the ditch. Hmmm....
What is the dilema w/ the shocks? Needing to flex it up and measure before mounting them permanently?

My recommendation when using ~14" travel shocks would be to set them up so that there is about 6" of shaft showing when the truck is sitting at what you expect or plan your final ride height to be. No need to flex it up really. Its pretty hard to go wrong w/ that, IMHO.
 
#10 ·
I did my entire SAS (with the help of 3 buddies) in two days.

First day was about 3 hours worth of work: We burned on the front hanger, and put the frame sleeves in for the shackes.

Second day was from about 10:30AM to 4:30PM. This was everything else. Cutting everything off with a torch took about two hours. Sawzalling everything off *could* be done.

Only tools I used were airtools for all the wrenching, torch, welder, and a 4" grinder with a grinding disc and flapper wheel thingy, which rocks for pulling that last bit of crap off of the frame. :D
 
#12 ·
ken when I did mine I used a sawzall and a circluar saw with a metal cutting blade. It took a day or so to get it all off and alot of blades for the sawzall.
I helped trey with his down at foxfab and it only took about 2 hrs to torch all the ifs stuff off. I would never do it the hard way again.
 
#13 ·
..

Sawzall works fine... I got all my IFS stuff in about 2 hrs of actual cutting and if you use First Aid blades (the ones used by fire departments for rescue) you should only need one blade... that and about 30minutes of grinding and your good to go. :)
 
#17 ·
KLF said:



You coming up for any of the NEUROCs events? I should be there in June.
yea, i should make most of them. and the toy jambo thing in june. wife's having a baby for the CMCC this year so i'll miss that. just picked up a 85 4runner i'm working on, and get this-the frame is good

dave
 
#18 ·
Re: ..

muddy_1 said:
Sawzall works fine... I got all my IFS stuff in about 2 hrs of actual cutting and if you use First Aid blades (the ones used by fire departments for rescue) you should only need one blade... that and about 30minutes of grinding and your good to go. :)
your joking right ... one blade? i find that hard to believe.
 
#19 ·
Using either the search and resuce blades he mentioned (dunno exactly what they're calle, but they've got a red cross on 'em) or even better, those "THE TORCH" brand blades, I can believe that.

I cut through eight 5/8" grade 12 U-bolts with a "torch" blade. Still plenty sharp for more cutting, and those mild steel, 1/8" IFS brackets are pretty easy to cut. Spend money on good blades - it's worth it. Both the blades I mentioned are available from Home Depot.
 
#21 ·
It can be done with a sawzall. Plasma is better :D

It was really nice having an air hammer though. Once you get the brackets cut pretty close to the frame. The air hammer will take off most all of the welds that are left. Worked real well.

There's really not much to cut off.
 
#23 ·
Hi Lee:

Yeah, I'll get it out there eventually. The FJ62 is still here, it's hardcore wheeling days are over though. I wanna keep it kinda nice, hope to get it painted eventually.

Yeah, I have a bunch of those Torch blades. I used them to cut up an old bed a few weeks ago, I went thru 4 blades. I wasn't impressed.
 
#24 ·
davefj40 said:


yea, i should make most of them. and the toy jambo thing in june. wife's having a baby for the CMCC this year so i'll miss that. just picked up a 85 4runner i'm working on, and get this-the frame is good

dave
What? No CMCC? Tell her to just hold that kid in a few more weeks, you can't miss CMCC!
 
#25 ·
Sending this back up to the top. Today was the day I finally started cutting. Because I was gonna try to use a Sawzall and grinder to do this, I unbolted all the IFS stuff first so I had plenty of room.

Final word: Don't use a sawzall for a SAS. I gave up after 3 hours of pure hell, that thing kicked my ass. I think I may have actually broken something in my new Milwaukee SuperSawzall, it's not working right anymore. :( I wasn't even half way done, either. I hopped in my wife's truck, drove up to school and borrowed a set of torches. An hour after I got back, all the brackets were on the ground.



Tomorrow I start grinding. I'm sure my neighbors are gonna love me...

Beg, borrow, steal, rent, do what ya have to, but get a torch.
 
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