1. First, make sure you have your front axle on hand. Choices: '79-'85 truck or 4Runner front axle, preferably '84 or '85 due to extended truss under the housing. Dana 44s and 60s also work provided      spring perches are moved to match Toyota perch width (29 1/4 inches from center of center-pin hole to center of center-pin hole). 

2. Optional: but most swappers prefer to torch off the straight axle's torque arm bracket and sway bar brackets.

3. Safety First!! Securely support truck on jack stands; chock rear wheels. Disconnect steering, torque arm, upper shock studs, sway bar, brake lines and drive shaft. Remove brake calipers if you plan to reuse them on the straight axle.A.O.R. can supply the FJ40 rotors you'll need.

4. Relieve torsion bar tension and remove bars (consult Toyota shop manual for details). Unbolt IFS center differential mount (shown above with aftermarket lift), located on the driver side frame rail next to the engine's oil pan.  

5. Support A-arm assembly from below. Unbolt upper A-arm caps. Now, CAREFULLY start torching off lower control-arm bracketry. The trick is not to gouge the frame with the torch flame.

6. Lower control-arm bracket seen from under truck looking outward. Entire circumference of bracket must be torched off.

7. Lower control-arm bracket after being torched all the way around. 

8. The rear lower control arm/bumpstop bracket has some internal gussets that must be torched after the outer cutting is done. Pry bracket outward to reach the innards. 

9. Torch the upper control-arm/upper shock mount as shown, but SEE CAUTION at right FIRST. The motor mounts on both sides are part of this bracket.

10. MAJOR CAUTION: The motor mounts on both sides are part of the upper control-arm/shock brackets. When you torch off those brackets, make sure to leave the motor mounts as shown.

11. Watch your toes! You'll know you've done all the cutting when the whole assembly drops. This top-down view shows one side. Other side is identical.

12. Driver-side frame rail seen from below, looking outward from under engine. The IFS diff horn is shown still in place. removing it is optional.  

13. Far better to do grinder time than to cut into the frame with the torch!  Besides, grinding like this is purely for looks--the conversion works just as well whether the frame is pretty or not.

14. Use the A.O.R. kit's angle bracket as a guide to grinding the motor mount. The bracket should have as much contact as possible for welding. 

15. Position and tack both the angle bracket and gusset (also included). Then weld both. Repeat process on both motor mounts.

16. Here's a finished view of the frame and boxed motor mount. 

17. For Orbit-Eye front hangers: Position hanger as shown with gussets against the frame rail and front edge of hanger flush with front edge of frame. Adjust hanger so that the BOLT is level and sqaure (90 degrees) to frame rail's front-to-rear centerline. Here, identical washers that hang below the hanger are used to check BOLT level.  

18. After BOLT level and square positions are double checked, tack weld the hanger into place. Repeat process on both front hangers.

18. For Poly-Eye (regular) front hangers: Assemble front hangers and jig. Check to be sure jig holds hangers exactly 26 inches apart (measured between hangers' inside edges).

19. Use jig and hanger assembly to position hangers' front edges flush with front edge of frame. Make sure bolts are level and square to frame as in photo 17 above. Then tack weld gussets to hanger and frame as shown in photo 18 above.  

20. The best way to check correct hanger mounting is to bolt the springs to the axle and trial fit the assembly. The U-bolt Flip Kit shown here is available from A.O.R. The stock Toy U-bolt setup will only work with 5-leaf spring packs anyway.

21. Now for the really fun part: drilling the frame for the upper shackle pivot sleeve. Use the A.O.R. kit's template as shown to mark the frame using a center punch. Template rests under frame and against body mount bracket. Guide holes are marked L for left (driver side) and R for right (passenger side).

22. Drill the frame using a high quality 1 3/4" hole-saw bit. Try to keep the drill level and square to the frame, but at this point, you're only drilling through the outer part of the frame.

23. Pry the frame's inner webbing down a bit so you can more easily torch it out of the way.

24. Torch out webbing, then drill thru rest of frame. Now it's important to keep drill level and square to frame.

25. Assemble and trial-install both-side shackles, sleeves, bushings and jig as shown. 

26. Position the upper sleeves in the frame holes so that the same amount of sleeve protrudes from both sides of the frame and so that left and right-side bolts are the distance below the frame and level. A little leeway is okay, but the goal is to make the SPRING-EYE BOLTS level and square (90 degrees) to the frame rail's front-to-rear centerline. Shackles should hang at very nearly the same angles.  When you're confident of correct position, tack weld the sleeves into place and double check straightness.

27.  After tack welding, remove the shackles and bushings and weld the provided cover plate over the square frame hole as shown.

28. Weld the sleeves and cover plates. Don't forget to weld on the inside of the frame, too!

29. Assemble the springs and shackles. It's normal for the shackles to cant forward slightly when the weight is off the front end. But both sides should angle about the same.

30. If you haven't already done so, go back now and finish welding the front spring hangers. 

31. A.O.R. recommends waiting until the springs are completely installed before positioning shocks and mounts. Contact A.O.R. for all your shock and mounting needs! We also offer crossover steering and extended brake lines.

32. It's a good ides to ramp test the finished conversion before heading for the hills. Check for clearances, adequate brake line slack, etc.