|
A MORE "DOWN-TO-EARTH" TOYOTA |
| DJM launches a 3-4 drop kit for the '06
Tacoma… |
| Story & photos by Marshall Spiegel |
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| If you
haven't driven the '06 Toyota Tacoma, you probably won't appreciate this
article. The new Tacoma has to be a neat package in anybody's book. It is
powered right. It is well balanced. It is roomy and comfortable. The sheet
metal is bent just right. It has attractive appointments. It rides and handles
well. It features a top quality, semi- permanent, ultra-modern drop-in
bed-liner. Like many people, I found it a difficult vehicle to fault. However,
I've always felt that selecting a vehicle is like choosing a spouse: Not every
one works for everyone. Thus, there are going to be those who aren't as
enchanted by the Tacoma as I am. Oh, well, that's life. Now, take the good guys
at DJM Suspension in Gardena, CA, for example. They faulted the stock '06
Tacoma, but only because they felt it is too far off the ground. The Tacoma's
standard ride height was recorded at 18 ¾ inches in front and 19-7/8
inches in the rear, both ends measured from the center of the wheel hub to the
lip of the fender well. Of course, the DJM guys are in the business of
designing, engineering and marketing drop kits and they tend to think that the
stock suspension of every vehicle built anywhere on this earth is too high. But
they didn't just fault the ride height. They set out to do something about it.
They engineered a lowering kit especially for the '06 Tacoma that would bring
the popular mid-sized pick-up down to where they and, they hope, many Tacoma
owners think it should be. While lowering the new Tacoma, the engineers at DJM
strove to preserve the quality of Toyota's ride and handling. The result is the
DJM 3-4 lowering kit for the '06 Tacoma. The kit is based on specially
engineered upper and lower control arms to drop the front. The rear is lowered
with DJM's heavy-duty steel four-inch lowering blocks; a C-notched frame for
additional upward axle travel and carefully-sized and positioned DJM bump
stops. When the engineers got into the Tacoma, they discovered a unique
phenomenon. The C-notch on the driver's side differed slightly from the C-notch
on the passenger side because of the placement of the shock mounts.
Nevertheless, the DJM guys created a top-notch 3-4 lowering kit that made for a
more "down-to-earth" Toyota and still left the '06 Tacoma with its quality ride
and outstanding handling. Installing the new DJM drop kit for the Tacoma
requires some effort. The DJM engineering staff demonstrated the installation
for us on a brand-new, rich blue '06 Tacoma extended cab. The accompanying
photos cover just about every detail of the installation. |
#1. From the center of the hub to the
lip of the fender-well, the ride height of the stock '06 Toyota Tacoma measured
18¾ inches in front and 19 7/8 inches in the rear. |
#2. With the Tacoma up on a lift, our
installer begins the drop kit installation by removing the front wheels so he
can dismantle the stock front suspension. |
#3. After the stock upper control arm
is removed by undoing three bolts as explained in the DJM instructions, the
ball joint nut is loosened. |
#4. Here is a good look at the new DJM
upper control arm (left) compared to the stock control arm. |
#5. The ball joint boot is removed from
the stock upper control arm. |
#6. The retaining clip is removed from
the original ball joint. |
#7. The ball joint is pressed out of
the stock control arm on the H-frame press. |
#8. Here is the ball joint removed to
be reused in the new control arm. |
#9. The stock ball joint is now pressed
into the new DJM control arm and the retaining clip and boot are
re-installed. |
#10. Our installer removes the boot
from the ball joint, now installed onto the new DJM control arm. |
#11. With a long screwdriver, our
installer re-seats the retaining clip securing the ball joint. |
#12. To prevent damage in shipping, the
zerk fittings are included in the kit, but must be screwed into the pre-drilled
lubrication holes in the twin sleeves by the installer. |
#13. Our installer spreads grease on
the bushings by hand before installing them. |
#14. The new DJM upper control arm is
then positioned into place at the driver's front corner. |
#15. A pivot bolt to hold the upper
control arm in place is positioned in the pivot tube |
#16. Our installer puts his wrench to
the pivot bolt and tightens it. |
#17. The upper ball joint nut is
installed. |
#18. Our installer then tightens the
upper ball joint nut thoroughly. |
#19. The retaining clip that Toyota
uses to replace the traditional cotter pin is ready to be installed. |
#20. The clip is installed. |
#21. Our installer now bolts on the ABS
retaining bracket. |
#22. The retaining bracket is then
tightened. |
#23. He loosens the tie rod end. |
#24. Next, he unbolts the sway bar end
link. |
#25. The stock sway bar end link is
removed. |
#26. The ball joint attaching plate is
removed from the spindle. |
#27. The anchoring bolt is removed from
the lower strut. |
#28. Our installer then removes the
strut bolt completely. |
#29. Next, he begins to remove the
pivot bolts and alignment adjusters. |
#30. The alignment adjuster bolt is
removed. |
#31. Here's a look at the stock lower
control arm (right), just removed from the Tacoma, and the new DJM lower
control arm. |
#32. Because the stock ball joint must
be moved to the new arm, our installer first taps out the retaining clip
holding the ball joint in place in the stock arm. |
#33. Here's the retaining clip
removed. |
#34. On the H-frame press, our
installer removes the lower ball joint from the ball joint mounting
bracket. |
#35. Our installer then presses the
ball joint out of the stock lower control arm and presses it into the new DJM
lower control arm. |
#36. Now our installer turns his
attention to further preparing the DJM lower control arm to be installed by
screwing in its grease fittings. |
#37. Like the DJM upper control arm,
the zerk fittings are shipped in the kit to be screwed into the threaded
lubrication holes by the installer to prevent damage in shipping. |
#38. After the zerk fitting is screwed
into the pre-drilled and threaded lube hole by hand, it is tightened thoroughly
with a box wrench. |
#39. Our installer then greased the
twin sleeves through the zerk fitting, making certain that the grease flowed
freely. |
#40. When the DJM lower control arms
had been thoroughly prepared for installation, our installer began by
positioning the arm on the driver's (left) front corner. |
#41. He then inserted a pivot bolt
through the pivot tube at each end of the control arm. |
#42. Our installer gets a hand from a
colleague in positioning the extension jack to adjust the position of the new
DJM lower control arm. |
#43. He then began re-assembling the
driver's (left) front corner. |
#44. The bolts are all tightened
thoroughly with a power ratchet. |
#45. Here's a close look at the
permanently installed new DJM lower control arm with its built-on bump stop.
|
#46. Our installer then tightened the
control arm pivot bolt positioned through the pivot tube. |
#47. The height of the control arm is
adjusted with a bottle jack |
#48. Satisfied that the new DJM control
arm is exactly where he wants it, our installer tightens the bolts holding the
arm thoroughly. |
#49. The tie rod end link is
re-installed. |
#50. Here's a look at the completed
driver's (left) front corner now fitted with new DJM upper and lower control
arms engineered to drop the front ride height. |
#51. After the DJM control arms had
been installed on the passenger's (right) side to complete the front end drop
kit installation, the front wheels are re-installed. |
#52. The Tacoma is securely supported
on jack stands and bottle jacks before the rear drop is begun. |
#53. The heavy-duty DJM 4" steel
lowering block is in place on the leaf pack secured by longer-than-stock
U-bolts. |
#54. The stock bump stop bracket
riveted to the frame must be cut off. |
#55. The stock bracket is removed. |
#56. A small sheet of metal is situated
to shield the fuel tank from the sparks when the C-notch is cut out. |
#57. Following a scribed cut line in
the frame, our installer uses his plasma cutter to cut out the C-notch. |
#58. Our installer removes the
too-hot-to-handle, cut-out piece with pliers. |
#59. Here's the raw cut out C-notch
that will give the axle considerable upward travel room. |
#60. Here's the DJM C-notch brace in
position, held by only two of the seven bolts that will ultimately secure
it. |
#61. The anchor bolts to hold the
C-notch brace are positioned. |
#62. With all seven bolts through the
mounting holes in the C-notch brace tightened, the C-notch looks strong and
secure. |
#63. The DJM bump stop is screwed into
its cleverly engineered niche in the C-notch brace. |
#64. Here is the completed driver's
(left) side C-notch all bolted up. |
#65. Our installer next moves to the
passenger's (right) side and gets ready to cut out the C-notch. |
#66. Following a cut line scribed into
the frame, our installer cuts the C-notch out with his plasma cutter. |
#67. He must use a cloth to handle the
hot cut-out piece. |
#68. Here's C-notch brace in place held
by two of the seven bolts. |
#69. The remaining anchoring bolts are
installed into the mounting holes in C-notch brace. |
#70. Here's the nut and washer used
with each of the seven bolts to anchor C-notch brace. |
#71. Our installer takes a moment to be
certain the brake line is safely routed away from any moving parts. |
#72. The bolts securing the C-notch
brace are thoroughly tightened with a wrench. |
#73. The DJM bump stop is screwed into
place in the C-notch brace. |
#74. Here is the finished C-notch on
the passenger side with all seven anchoring bolts and the bump stop in the
C-notch brace. |
#75. The front ride height from center
of hub to lip of the fender well measured 15 ¾ inches, a drop of exactly
three inches. |
#76. The rear measured 15-7/8 inches, a
drop of exactly four inches. |
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| Although these beauty shots show the startling improvement of the
Tacoma's stance after the DJM 3-4 drop kit installation, it's too bad they
don't show that the ride and handling are as good as stock. |
SOURCE:
DJM SUSPENSION
580 West 184th St.
Gardena, CA
90248
Phone: (310) 538-1583
Fax: (310) 538-0393
Website:
www.djmsuspension.com |
