** '03 PreRunner --> 4x4 SAS! **

[Revivalist]

** Edited to show "before" and "after" pics . . .

Well, I decided to overhaul my 2003 Tacoma PreRunner and turn it into a rig that can perform a little better off-road. Here’s the plan in a nutshell:

IFS --> Solid axle
2WD --> 4WD (using an adaptor)
No T-case --> Dual T-cases
No front diff --> Front diff with locker
4.11 gears in back --> 5.29 gears front and back
Stock height --> 5” spring lift and 2" body lift
Stock wheels --> 37” MT/Rs
No armor --> Sliders, bumpers, and a winch!

Here’s some pics of the stock rig I picked up in June. . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/01-The%20stock%20truck/02-ToyotaTacoma3.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/01-The%20stock%20truck/05-ToyotaTacoma6.jpg


And here's a pic of the rig now in December (the only thing left is to lower it an inch or two) . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/04-Modified%20truck/03-SAS%20and%207in%20lift%20with%20armor/BaldMountain1b.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/04-Modified%20truck/03-SAS%20and%207in%20lift%20with%20armor/Myrig6.jpg


As for the rest of the story on how this happened . . . here it goes . . .

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So I’ve done lots and lots of research to figure out what the best options are. So far, here are the parts I already have . . .

1. Custom IFS Eliminator Kit from Trail Gear (http://www.trail-gear.com/sas.html)

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/SASParts2.jpg

It’s “custom” because some of the components were removed that won’t work with my 03 Tacoma sine the whole kit is made for a 79-85 Pickup or 4Runner. The parts I got are the following:

• 5" Springs – Front (110013-1-K)
• Front Spring Hanger (110045-1-K)
• Shackles Front Offset 5" (110007-1-K)
• Steering Stabilizer Kit (13003-1-K)
• Shock Hoops, 14", (110023-1-K)
• Bilstein 5125 14" Shocks (110009-1)
• Bumpstop Extensions (110034-1-K)
• Bumpstops (1100118-1-K)
• Motor Mount Plates (110035-1)

2. Rear Lift Kit from Trail Gear (http://www.trail-gear.com/rearsuspension.html) (110035-1-Kit)

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/SASParts1.jpg

• 5" Springs – Rear (110014-1-K)
• Welded Spring Hangers (110031-1-KIT)
• Rear Shackle Mounts (110027-1-Kit)
• Shackles Rear Wide 5" (110020-1-K)
• Bilstein 5125 12" Shock (110008-1)
• Lower Shock Mounts (110036-1)
• U-bolt Flip Kit Rear
• Brake Line, Individual Rear F-M (140004-1)
• Three Hole Spring Perches (110028-1-KIT)
• Greasable Spring Bolts & Bushings

------------------------------------------------

Ok, so here are the parts that I know I still need to obtain:

-- For 4WD Conversion --
• 4x4 Transmission
• Stock T-case
• Second T-case
• T-case mount
• Dual transfer case crossmember
• Floor shift plate
• 4WD shifter boots (exterior and interior)
• Interior plastics
• Speed sensor (if 4WD transmission doesn’t come with one)

-- For SAS --
• Front Axle (FJ80)
• Hub assembly (if it doesn’t come with axle) (new or junkyard)
• New brakes and caliper (if the ones on axle can’t be used)
• Studs for wheel mount
• 5.29 gears (front and back)
• E-Locker
• Rear drive shaft
• Front drive shaft (brand new, lengthened 10” spline, balanced): $260 (Bentup.com)
• 37” mud terrain tires (that fit 16x8 rims)


I’ll be doing getting the work done this weekend with AJ from bentup.com. We already found an FJ80 full assembly, however the seller wanted $1100 for it. Is that a reasonable price? . . . . Also, we still need to figure out what we need to do for steering drag links on it.

Thanks for any tips or suggestions from anyone! :)

[Aaronb]

1100 sounds a little steep. why the 80 axle and not a minitruck axle?

[Revivalist]

The Tacoma has a wider frame so the minitruck axle isn't wide enough for it. For the Tacoma you need to go with either a Dana44, Dana60, or FJ80 . . .

Yeah, I was thinking that $1100 was steep also . . . But I know that the FJ8- is much more rare and it's also a lot stronger (30 spline). . . . So the nice thing is that I'm not going to have to upgrade the inner axles and stuff as I would for the Dana44 . . .

[locktup]

When does it go in for the make over?

[Revivalist]

This Sunday I'll be up at Aj's (bentup.com) by about 6pm. Hopefully the axle will be there or we'll go pick it up. Then the fun begins . . .

Yesterday I spent half the day at Marlin's getting his incredibly knowledgable advice. He is such an awesome guy to work with. . . . He already hunted down a tranny for me and we'll be picking it up today. He'll also have the Dual Ultimte Crawler with 23 spline shaft ready by the end of the day (2.28 gear box with a 4.70 Crawler). I'll also get the shifters, t-case mounts, crossmember (that AJ will modify), and Powertank for airing the tires. . . . (I want to take the wife wheelin' on Saturday so later she can see why the work we're doin' is necessary to actually get through most of the trails around here.)

Aj said we could start on the truck Sunday night and continue for most of Monday. (After all, it's "labor" day!!) . . . Then I'll have to leave it at his place for at least week. He'll have to contact Marlin with exact measurements for the drag links and we'll ship those back to him. (Since he doesn't have the metric bungs needed.) He'll also have to take measurements for both drive shafts and order those up. . . .

So unfortunately I won't get to help with the whole job and take pics during the whole process. But I'll take as many as I can. . . .

[91Toyota4x4]

update? looks like a sweet project

[Revivalist]

Yup, there's updates . . .We made a lot progress yesterday on the SAS and 4WD conversion. I hauled the parts up to Sacramento and met up with Aj to start on the work. Here’s some pics from the day’s work. . . .

Aj sorting through the parts . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/SAS1.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/SAS2.jpg


First we dropped the skid plates, bumper, and crush zone . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/SAS3.jpg


Next came all the wheels, all the shocks, the upper and lower arms, the rack n’ pinion, the rear leaf packs, U-bolts, and bump stops . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/SAS5.jpg

[Revivalist]

After that, Aj measured and cut a front crossmember support to strengthen the front of the frame. It was welded on just in front of the bottom of the radiator . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/SAS6.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/SAS10.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/SAS20.jpg

[Revivalist]

Next it was time to cut off the IFS mounts on the frame. The plasma cutter made that a quick job . . . .

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/SAS23.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/SAS25.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/SAS27.jpg


First one down . . .on to the second one behind it. . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/SAS29.jpg

[Revivalist]

Hammering off the second . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/SAS31.jpg


Next was torching off the remains of the IFS mounting area . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/SAS35.jpg


The oxygen tank ran out so we couldn’t finish torching and go on to the grinding. It’ll have to be done later . . .. So we went on to remove the tranny. . . First we dropped the drive shaft and then Aj loosened up the tranny bolts. It was a lot easier getting to the bolts on top because of the 3” body lift. . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/SAS42.jpg

[Revivalist]

We strapped the tranny to the tranny-lift and I stepped back to take another pic . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/SAS45.jpg


After lifting the tranny off the jack, we set it down next to the 4x4 tranny and swapped some of the wiring. . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/SAS48.jpg


One of the plugs was actually mounted from inside the trannys so we had to pull off the oil pans to swap them . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/SAS50.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/SAS51.jpg

[Revivalist]

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/SAS52.jpg

I never saw the innards of a tranny before . . . pretty cool! . . . After putting the new tranny on the lift and jacking it up, we were happy to see that it mounted right in without any problems . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/SAS58.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/SAS59.jpg

[Revivalist]

Next we hoisted the Dual Ultimate Crawler on the jack and mounted it in . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/SAS75.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/SAS80.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/SAS74.jpg


The only problem (which we already anticipated) is that the exhaust would have to be slightly rerouted. The second cat was right up against the output for the front drive shaft. . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/SAS76.jpg


Aj said he could heat it and bend himself, or his buddy from Midas can take care of it later. . . .

[Revivalist]

Next we needed to swap the oil pan with one from a 2WD T100 which has the bulge on the back side instead of the front. That should give the clearance needed for the front axle to flex. Dropping the oil pan . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/SAS67.jpg


Swapping the oil strainer . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/SAS69.jpg


Prepping the new pan with a sealant and mounting it . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/SAS71.jpg


Installing the new pan . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/SAS73.jpg

[Revivalist]

The last thing we done that day was to prep the shackles and springs on the rear axle. The bolt holes on my current ToyTec shackles needed to be bored out for the bigger bolts and bushing of the new springs . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/SAS85.jpg


We mounted the new springs and U-bolts to the axle and put the shackles back . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/SAS87.jpg


That was really more than enough work for one day so we cleaned up shop and called it quits. We really can’t do a whole lot more until we wait for several parts to come in . . . .

[Revivalist]

Parts Still Needed

Now we basically need to wait for the following parts before we can continue . . .

• FJ-80 axle (Aj should be picking it up on Tuesday)
• High steer kit (Marlin said he can customize drag links when we send him measurements. The tie rod ends and pitman arm are also available. The only thing we’re waiting on is the steering arms. OTT says they will not make them anymore. However, 4x4 labs is going to get back to us about possibly building some.)
• Custom drive shafts (The front will have a lengthened 10” spline so it doesn’t fall out during full flex. Aj still needs to measure the drive line to order them.)
• Custom brake lines. (They need to be longer than the ones for the Toyota pickup.)
• Steering shaft (from Aj)
• 3 sets of drive shaft bolts (from Marlin)
• 3 T-case bolts
• Lots of oils & fluids (engine, tranny, t-cases, brakes, power steering, and gears) (I’m still waiting for a shipment of most of that from Amsoil!)


Labor that still needs to be done

The following are the tasks still ahead . . .

• Relocate rear spring mounts 3” forward, weld on shock mounts, bolt up rear springs with axle, and install rear shocks
• Install high steer kit
• Weld up front spring hanger, measure shackle angle for axle to be as far forward as possible, weld on shack mounts, bolt on shackles, and and bolt up front axle
• Weld up shock hoops and install front shocks
• Mount steering box (Aj will fabricate a mount for it since the one from Marlin is too big.)
• Modify and weld up dual t-case crossmember
• Modify center console to accommodate Marlin t-case shifter and twin stick
• Modify and reinstall catalytic converter
• Install drive shafts


A few questions . . .

The following are a few questions that we need to clear up to be sure the 4WD conversion is going to work. . .

• Why does the 2WD tranny seem to have 4 solenoids while the 4WD tranny has 3 solenoids? (The difference can be seen in this picture with Aj holding the wire inside the 2WD tranny.)


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/SAS53.jpg


• What is the cable shifter on the 4x4 tranny that isn’t on the 2WD tranny? (I circled it in the following pictures.)


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/SAS49edited.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/SAS73edited.jpg


• What is the best route to take for steering? (Is there any other place that makes arms for the FJ-80? . . . If we can't find them, should we resort to low steering?)

[Revivalist]

Ok, at this point I just need to settle two issues to finish this project:

1. Is it possible to run a high steer setup on the FJ80 with front leaf springs, and if so then where can I get the steering arms? . . . We were in touch with OTT and they said they’re not making then because there isn’t enough demand. Plus, when Aj went to look at the axle, there didn’t seem to be any clear way to set it up. . . . Can anyone offer a conclusive way on how to do it? . . . Otherwise I’m going to have to resort back to a Dana44 . . .

2. I talked to Marlin yesterday about the differences between the transmissions (that shifter cable I mentioned and the 3 versus 4 solenoids). He doesn’t think it’s going to work. Right now it’s already installed. Should we measure out the drive line, order the drive shafts and given it a try? Or should we just take it out now before we possibly mess something up by trying to run it? . . . I’m already starting to look around for a better match tranny (2003, V6, 3.4L, auto from a 4x4) . . .

[Revivalist]

Ok, at this point I just need to make a final choice on the axle. I don't have all the details as far as prices go, but I have a lot. . . .. Please give me your vote anyways. . .

1. FJ-80
This was the original plan. It's high-pinion, has stronger birfields than a Toyota mini, it can run 5.29s to match the rear, and it's a got a driver's side drop which matches the dual t-cases I have. . . .

(OTT said they would make the steering and arms and send them to Jim at Inchworm to do the machining on the knuckles. The only problem is that it will take 6-8 weeks for that to happen. ) . . . The total cost is as follows . . .

Cost breakdown
• Used FJ-80 axle: $1100
• Longfield Chromoly FJ-80 Super Set: $750
• Knuckle Rebuild Kit: $75???
• Wheel Bearing Kits: $40 x 2 = $80???
• 3rd member (with 5.29s and e-locker): $1300
• E-locker Motor Guard: $75
• High-steer kit (tie rod $60, tie-rod ends $40, drag link $60, pitman arm $70, arms $250): $480
• Extended Brake Lines: $50
• Elocker Control Kit: $75
• Differential armor: $70
• Labor to modify housing for e-locker, install gears & locker: ~$400???
• Labor for machined knuckles: $100
• Labor to reroute the exhaust: $60

Total Estimated Cost for FJ-80: $4615

----------------------------------------------------------

2. Dana44 with chromoly shafts.
Aj found someone who is willing to sell a Dana44 with chromoly shafts for $650. I don’t know if it’s high pinion. Also, the diff is on the driver’s side which means I would need to exchange the dual t-case setup for a passenger side. I also have to run 5.38s in the front which don’t match exactly. (But I guess that’s not a big deal.) I would also have to go with a ARB locker . . .

Cost breakdown
• Used Dana44 with chromoly shafts: $650
• Knuckle Rebuild Kit: $75???
• Wheel Bearing Kits: $40 x 2 = $80???
• 5.29 gears: $200
• ARB locker (locker $750, install kit $40, compressor $220): $810
• High-steer kit: ~ $400???
• Extended Brake Lines: $50
• Differential armor: $70
• Labor to service axle: $200
• Labor to install gears and locker: ~ $500
• Hubs:
• Spindles, calipers, brake pads: $300???

Total Estimated Cost for Dana44: $3335

----------------------------------------------------------

3. Custom Diamond axle ready to go.
It’s high pinion, has a passenger side differential (so I don’t need to exchange the t-cases), and is 64” wide which is a bit wider than the rear 61”. . . . This is the axle that I mentioned earlier in the thread that was for $6000. I really didn’t do justice to the amount of parts that went into it. The steering is WAY more beefed up than I realized. (There’s almost $1000 in parts going into it.) Here’s the breakdown.

Cost breakdown
• Diamond Housing $900
• Core Toyota Front Axle $300 (for knuckles, spindles, wheel hubs, locking hubs, etc...)
• Ball Gussets $50
• Longfield Super Set w/Custom Length Inners: $645 + $200 = $845
• 3rd member (high pinion, E-locker, 5.29s): $1300
• Elocker Motor Guard: $75
• Tie Rod: $60
• Drag Link (we'll make one to fit your rig): $60
• 1 Ton Rod Ends: $135
• D44 Knuckle Studs/Cones: $80
• Knuckles Machined for D44 Studs: $100
• Custom OTT High Steer Arms - Machined for 1Ton Rod Ends and D44 Knuckle Studs+Cone Washers: $280
• Ott Dropped Pitman Arm - Machined for 1Ton End: $150
• ARP Hub Studs: $70
• Longfield Chromo Hub Gears: $70 x 2 = $140
• Knuckle Rebuild Kit: $75
• Wheel Bearing Kits: $40 x 2 = $80
• Brass Spindle Bushings: $36 x 2 = $72
• Loaded IFS Calipers: $119 x 2 = $238
• Vented Rotors: $39 x 2 = $78
• Extended Brake Lines: $50
• Rock Rings: $20
• Elocker Control Kit: $75
• Labor for assembling axle: $200
• Labor for regearing and installing locker: $400

Total: $5833 . . . The seller is willing to let it go for $5400.

----------------------------------------------------------

4. Custom Diamond (made to order)
I can order a Diamond axle that’s basically identical to the one above except the steering won’t be all beefed up. The only problem is that Brian from Diamond Axle said it could take 6-8 weeks to prepare.

The cost is $4600 + $400 (shipping) = $5000

----------------------------------------------------------

5. Look into a custom Dana60
Someone advised me to consider checking out Dana Tack or Courier Enterprises (spelling?) for prices on a custom Dana60 because the cost will probably come out pretty close but the axle will be much stronger. . . .

Well, those are my choices. Let me know what you guys think . . . .I need to make the choice as soon as possible because this weekend I'm going up to Sacramento to get the 2WD to 4WD adaptor from Jim at Inchworm. I'm also going to take in the rear differential to have it regeared to 5.29. So I'd like to make a final decision before I go so we can start to wrap up the project . . .Thanks!

[Revivalist]

Well, we made a bit more progress on the project this weekend. We took a trip over to Inchworm to meet Jim and pick up the 2WD to 4WD adaptor along with a few other parts . . . . I also decided to pick up that custom Diamond axle after all. Basically, my choices came down to this . . .

After calling about 7 custom axle shops it turns out that a complete custom Dana60 front end would run about $7000 with everything needed from hub to hub. That was obviously way over the budget.. . . . The next choice was a custom 9”. However, it turns out that a high pinion 9” only comes in 4.88 gears. I could get a low pinion 9” with 5.29s but I was told that a low pinion 9” is really, really low. So I wasn’t very happy with that choice either. Plus all the custom stuff seems to have a 4-6 week turn around time which is longer than we want to wait to finish this project. . . Lastly, I could have gone with a rebuilt Dana44, but the high pinions are pretty rare and would also require a bolt pattern conversion. . . .

So I finally broke down and decided to go with the custom Diamond axle that was ready to go with a high pinion diff, 5.29s, e-locker, and just about every upgrade possible including knuckle ball gussets, Longfield Super Set with custom inners, Longfield chromo hub gears, ARP hub studs, and a super beefed up high steer with custom OTT arms. . . . Plus, it was the width I needed (64”), it has the diff on the passenger side to match my Crawler, and it was only 15 minutes away from AJ’s shop which means no wait-time and no shipping. . . .So I went for it. . . . Here’s some pics of the steering arm and pitman arm. . . .

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/WorkingwithAjatBentup-2ndDay1.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/WorkingwithAjatBentup-2ndDay2.jpg

Talk about some beef on those things! . . .

One other nice feature was the way Jim eliminated the need for one of the passenger side U-bolts by welding nuts straight to the axle and using regular bolts. You can see it in this pic . . .

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/WorkingwithAjatBentup-2ndDay4.jpg

It turns out that the U-bolt that would normally go there won’t really sit right, so this bypassed that problem. It also made it possible to use the usual spring hanger that comes with the Toyota mini SAS kit. No need for AJ to fab up a wider one for my Tacoma. . . .

[Revivalist]

Here’s AJ and Jim pulling it off Jim’s rig and putting it on the lift. . . .

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/WorkingwithAjatBentup-2ndDay10.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/WorkingwithAjatBentup-2ndDay15.jpg

While we were there, I also picked up a chromo output shaft for the t-cases to help avoid any breakage on the trail which could leave me with only FWD or no power at all. It seemed like a worthwhile upgrade. . . .

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/WorkingwithAjatBentup-2ndDay16.jpg

[Revivalist]

The 2WD to 4WD adaptor is actually only the second to be sold thus far. It basically consisted of two pieces . . . a replacement tail housing for the tranny and an adaptor that can be a clocked to 10 degrees. Here’s AJ installing it . . .

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/WorkingwithAjatBentup-2ndDay23.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/WorkingwithAjatBentup-2ndDay30.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/WorkingwithAjatBentup-2ndDay31.jpg


So that was about it for today. There’s quite a bit more work that needs to be done but Aj plans on working on it through the week so unfortunately I won’t be there to keep taking progress pics. But it’ll hopefully be done by next weekend and I’ll take pics of the end result. . . .

In the meantime, I’m trying to choose some tires to order up so we can put them on and check for any rubbing before I take it. I’d like to run 38” mud terrains. My current rims are 16x8 but I’m willing to sell them and pick up new ones if needed. . . .

Can anyone offer some suggestions concerning tires? . . . Thanks!

[Aaronb]

sweet buildup cant wait to see it finished

[Revivalist]

sweet buildup cant wait to see it finished
Thank you! . . . Hopefully it'll be done this weekend.

[COLOR="Lime"]Wow!! . . . It sounds like MTRs are a winner than. . . .

So far I'm thinking about going with Goodyear MTRs from Discount Tire (American Tire) (http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/findTireDetail.do?rcz=95630&rc=CNFINT&c=1&cf=false&cs=37&pc=31207&rd=15&ar=1250&ct=&rf=true). . . But they don't have any rims that I like. . . . I'm thinking about picking up the ProComps 1079 polished allow wheels (http://www.procomptires.com/series1079.htm) from a local shop here. What do you guys think about 3.75" backspacing. . . . Keep in mind that the rear axle is 60" and the front is 64". (I'll probably run spacers in the rear.)

[Revivalist]

Alright, the truck is just about done. Much of the work was finished up last week. Aj installed the Marlin Crawler unto the new 2WD-->4WD adaptor. He also modified the dual T-case crossmember (made for 85 pickups) so it would extend across the wider frame of the Tacoma. Very cool fab work. . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/WorkingwithAjatBentup-3rdDay1.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/WorkingwithAjatBentup-3rdDay2.jpg


The shackle hangers for the rear axle were also welded up in place. . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/WorkingwithAjatBentup-3rdDay6.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/WorkingwithAjatBentup-3rdDay10.jpg


I asked AJ if he could also weld up some differential armor for the rear and it turned out great. He was able to relocate the brake line bracket to make room for the armor. . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/WorkingwithAjatBentup-3rdDay11.jpg


The transmission, 2WD-->4WD adaptor, and dual T-cases made for a pretty long drive train so using two rear shafts with a carrier would have caused the rear shaft to have a very steep angle. . . Instead, it turned out better to go with a single rear drive shaft from the T-case to the rear differential . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/WorkingwithAjatBentup-3rdDay15.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/WorkingwithAjatBentup-3rdDay18.jpg


The front spring hanger was also welded up and the axle was tested fitted. AJ also prepped up a steering box mount since the usual mount for an 85 pickup is too big. . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/WorkingwithAjatBentup-3rdDay22.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/WorkingwithAjatBentup-3rdDay25.jpg

[Revivalist]

The steering box and shaft were mounted, the shackle hangers were welded in place, and the shackles were bolted on. . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/WorkingwithAjatBentup-3rdDay28.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/WorkingwithAjatBentup-3rdDay29.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/WorkingwithAjatBentup-3rdDay31.jpg


The wheels were test fitted and approved! (I went with the 37” Goodyear MTRs on ProComp 15”s.) . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/WorkingwithAjatBentup-3rdDay37.jpg


Next came the shock hoops that were set in place with an old shock used for a mock setup. After that came the Bilstein 5150s . . .

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/WorkingwithAjatBentup-3rdDay41.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/WorkingwithAjatBentup-3rdDay42.jpg


The front drive shaft was put in with a nice long yoke that was at least 10” or longer . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/WorkingwithAjatBentup-3rdDay44.jpg


We also installed a power steering cooler that I picked up from Summit since I would be using a ram for hydro-assisted steering. . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/WorkingwithAjatBentup-3rdDay47.jpg


With the tires all in place we lifted here up to install the ram with the hoses and bracket. AJ fabbed up a nice mount for the ram to fit on the Diamond axle. . . .

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/WorkingwithAjatBentup-3rdDay49.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/WorkingwithAjatBentup-3rdDay50.jpg

[Revivalist]

Next the rear shock mounts and shocks were also installed. . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/WorkingwithAjatBentup-3rdDay56.jpg


AJ also relocated the spare tire bracket so that I would be able to fit a 35” tire under there as a spare instead of the usual 31”. . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/WorkingwithAjatBentup-3rdDay60.jpg


By this time it was already getting late and no muffler shops would be open. So a little home-made exhaust rerouting was pieced together with some elbows picked up from Pep Boys. Not the prettiest setup, but good enough to get me home. . . . Man is that thing LOUD!! . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/WorkingwithAjatBentup-3rdDay61.jpg


AJ also welded in a bung for me on the exhaust line just before the first cat so I can attach the O2 sensor of my LM1 and tune the air-fuel ratio. . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/WorkingwithAjatBentup-3rdDay65.jpg


At first it seemed that the shifters weren’t even close to matching up with my console. . . . But after some test drilling, it actually turned out perfect. We cut out a chunk of the console and made room for the Marlin crawler shifter and the twin stick . . . It came out great! . . . . I’ll just have to drop by a custom upholstery shop later and have them clean it up with some plastic and carpet. . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/WorkingwithAjatBentup-3rdDay73.jpg


The locker switch and indicator light came out nice as well. There’s just a small issue with the fuse not fitting right so the locker is not operable yet. But that should be a minor fix . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/WorkingwithAjatBentup-3rdDay77.jpg


AJ was also kind enough to take care of a little issue I had with the intake. . . . The Volant air box has a nice big intake but the stock hole in the fender is much smaller. So he cut a hole in the fender that matches the Volant and put a nice seal around it to keep out the hot engine air. Beautiful solution. . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/S3600001-1.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/WorkingwithAjatBentup-3rdDay82.jpg


There was only one major hitch -- we had a pretty bad leak came from between the transmission and the 2WD-->4WD adaptor. But AJ took care of it with some heavy duty sealant. (They call it “hockey puck” because it’s as hard as a hockey puck when it dries) . . .

So with the truck packed up I hit the road . . . Here’s a pic with all the old parts and wheels in the back. . . . Kind of a hard way to break in the new springs!. . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/WorkingwithAjatBentup-3rdDay86.jpg


I must say that I’m definitely glad that I went for 5.29 r&p gears rather than 4.88s. Already I can feel that the truck is bogged down much more than before. With 4.88s I imagine it would be worse. . . . Here’s a pic of the front. At 64” the front axle is definitely wider than the rear (which is 60.75”.) . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/WorkingwithAjatBentup-3rdDay91.jpg

[Revivalist]

After I got home I parked the truck in the garage and unloaded it. . . . Then later I discovered that with the weight of all that stuff I couldn’t get it back out of the garage! . . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/WorkingwithAjatBentup-3rdDay93.jpg


So I had to air down the tires, put the wheels back on the bed, and pull the garage release so I could push the door up an inch higher. . . . I baaaarely made it back out again. Hopefully when the springs settle then I’ll be able to fit without problems. . . . Here’s one more pic with me standing by it for reference. I’m about 5’8” . . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/WorkingwithAjatBentup-3rdDay107.jpg


The followingare the remaing tasks that need to be taken care of:

• Shift out of 4WD. For some reason we couldn’t shift to 2WD. So AJ just removed the front drive shaft so that I can drive home. Hopefully Marlin will be able to help out with that.

• Get the twin sticks to shift smoothly. For some reason they are very stiff and sometimes won’t shift at all. I don’t know if it’s because they’re new or something needs to be adjusted.

• Fix the fuse for the front locker and indicator light.

• Fix a minor leak that still continues from the t-cases.

• Have the exhaust redone.

• Have the center console cleaned up.

• Trim the fenders. We tested the truck on a loading dock ramp and found that it was slightly rubbing the rear fender flare and the front bumper. And I don’t think the truck was even flexed to its max like it will be on the trail. So I think I’ll wait for the springs to settle before figuring out how much to trim. Otherwise we may not trim enough.

• Lower the lift. Right now the truck sits at a height of 6’10” with the 6” suspension lift and 3” body lift. It has A LOT of body roll going around corners. I would like to lose the body lift but there’s no way I would clear the tires. So hopefully after enough trimming, I might be able to at least reduce the body lift by 2” or so. . .

• Install air bumps. AJ suggested installing some air bumps instead of bump stops for a better ride. I was looking at these (http://www.polyperformance.com/shop/home.php?cat=343). I was thinking the Fox 2.0” air bumps with a 4” stroke (http://www.polyperformance.com/shop/product.php?productid=63&cat=343&page=1) and the chromoly 2.0 Fox air bump can (http://www.polyperformance.com/shop/product.php?productid=772&cat=344&page=1). Sound good? Also, do I need this hardware (http://www.polyperformance.com/shop/product.php?productid=703&cat=343&page=)? And lastly, is polyperformance the best place to get them or is there a cheaper place?

• Install tranny gauge. It turned out that the tranny gauge I bought is not an inline gauge. So I have to order up an inline sensor and then install it with the gauge. I'm not sure what part I need exactly. Any hints would be appreciated. . .

• Bumpers and tubes. I’m thinking about eventually installing a bentup bumper (probably front and back) and some tubes around the rear panels.

[locktup]

LOOKS GOOD!!!!

You ready to run Little Sluice with me. Chicks dig body damage.
Are you going to have it done for the Tin Benders Jambo at the Hammers in April.

Jason

[90pickup]

that truck isfriggin sick. congrats!

[Revivalist]

Thanks guys! . . .

Hey Jason, when's the Jambo? . . . And is that in southern CA? . . .

The truck should be ready to hit the trails in the next week or so. The main issue is switching between 2WD and 4WD, the minor t-case leak, and the rubbing. Hopefully those can all be cleared up soon. . .

[90pickup]

hey, i saw ur truck at 4 wheel parts. pictures dont do it justice..its huge!!!

[Revivalist]

Ha, ha, . . . Yeah, I guess it does look a little smaller in the pics, doesn't it. . . .

Well I got to have a little fun on the forklift yesterday. . . . We got the front tire up 34” before one of the rear tires lifted . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/04-Modified%20truck/02-SAS%20and%209in%20Lift/SAS9inchliftand37intires11.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/04-Modified%20truck/02-SAS%20and%209in%20Lift/SAS9inchliftand37intires12.jpg


Looking underneath, we could see that the front shackle was practically maxing out. It seems that it’s because of a bad angle to begin with. AJ mentioned that some boomer rang shackles would work fine to solve that problem. . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/04-Modified%20truck/02-SAS%20and%209in%20Lift/SAS9inchliftand37intires13.jpg


The springs were also flattening out since we didn’t put bump stop extenders yet. It’s clear that we’ll need longer bump stop extensions than the usual ones that come with IFS Eliminator kits. . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/04-Modified%20truck/02-SAS%20and%209in%20Lift/SAS9inchliftand37intires19.jpg


There was also considerable rubbing for the front , as I expected there would be. . . I’m thinking of swapping out the front and rear bumpers for custom steel bumpers by AJ. That will solve the rubbing on the front bumper and provide much better protection. We’ll have to also cut out the back of the front wheelwell and maybe pound the firewall to take care of the rest of the rubbing in the front. . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/04-Modified%20truck/02-SAS%20and%209in%20Lift/SAS9inchliftand37intires15.jpg


As for the rear, there was rubbing there as well . . .We’ll have to cut off a good portion of the bottom of the bed and then AJ’s custom bumper can swing around and give better protection there as well. . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/04-Modified%20truck/02-SAS%20and%209in%20Lift/SAS9inchliftand37intires14.jpg


Here’s the truck flexed from the rear . . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/04-Modified%20truck/02-SAS%20and%209in%20Lift/SAS9inchliftand37intires17.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/04-Modified%20truck/02-SAS%20and%209in%20Lift/SAS9inchliftand37intires18.jpg


We’re also planning on dropping the body lift to 1.5”. That way the rear cross member holding up the shocks can remain and provide support under the bed. I don’t think I want to remove the body lift completely cuz that would require WAY too much cutting. . . .

[Revivalist]

Ok, well I think I've settled on going with a ARB bumper in the front. That will give the extra protection I'm looking for around the lights and I think it's pretty strong in general. . . .

http://www.4wheelonline.com/Images/CategoryImages/ARB3420010.gif

The only questions I have is whether it reduces the approach angle, and whether I can use the Warn multi-mount with a front receive instead of using a winch in the bumper. I want to use these . . .

http://www.warn.com/truck/mounting-systems/images/192/receiver.jpg

http://www.warn.com/truck/mounting-systems/images/193/winch-carrier.gif

That way I can remove the winch when I'm not wheelin and also put it on the back hitch if I ever need to winch from behind . . .

Anyone have experience or pictures running an ARB bumper on their Taco? . . . Or experience with the multi-mount? . . .

[92toy4130]

ive been watching this on the pirate board. the trucks going to look good when its all finished up. when does it leave ajs?

[Revivalist]

Thank you! . . .

It looks like it's going to be at least a few more weeks. . . . There's still a bunch of stuff that needs to be done . . .

-- Repair
Take apart t-case to fix 4WD-->2WD shifter
Fix t-case leak
Fix speedometer sensor
Make front locker and indicator light work
Put front drive shaft in
Replace hard brake line and bleed (one broke)
Reroute hydro-steering hose and put synthetic steering fluid
Move power steering cooler in front of radiator (under grill)
Wheels alignment

-- Suspension / Body
Install bumpstops and extenders
Install swaybar and quick disconnects
Install polyurethane body mounts
Reduce body lift to 2"
Trim inner fenders for wheel clearance
Trim pinch weld (and firewall if needed)

-- Armor / Winch
Install ARB front bumper
Install Bentup wrap-around rear bumper with tubes & spare tire mount
Install front and rear receivers for Warn multi-mount winch carrier
Install front and rear wiring for winch
Replace winch cable with synthetic rope and aluminum fairlead

-- Miscellaneous
Install tranny temp gauge
Install Billet grill insert (yes, I know . . . bling, bling!)
Bend spare tire mount to fit 35" tire
Make RTI ramp (I want to have one at home!!)

-- Interior
Clock the t-case shifters (at Marlin Crawler)
Clean up center console with shifter boots (at Marlin Crawler)

[Loki]

very nice build...i have a set of boomerang shackles, and i think they'll work great for your application. (i'm glad i went with them) that's 2 years newer than my girlfriend's truck, but that would be a fun build if i had 15grand to throw at it...if not more.

Where abouts is this shop you keep going to? are you in norcal?

[Revivalist]

Thanks for the compliment. . . . We're thinkin that when we get the bumpstops on there we won't need to change the shackles. We'll know for sure in a few days. . . . The shop is in Folsom, just outside Sacramento. I'm actually living in Fresno, so it's a little ways from here. But I wanted to make sure to have someone do it who has experience with Tacomas and will get the job done right. . . .

[Loki]

I hear you on that...i wouldn't want some hack like me working on that pretty of a truck. Just kidding. I like to build my own, but as custom as your application is, it's always great to have an experienced builder on the job.

I don't live too far from Folsom. I actually got held up there recently on our way out to Folsom lake due to major construction on that road. How happy are you with those Rims/Tires? (also how much backspacing on the Rims?) that's the tire setup i want to go with. just not sure about the wheels yet. My truck isn't pretty enough for ProComps.

[Revivalist]

As for looks, I definitely like the tires and wheels. As for performance, I have yet to find out how they do on the trail. . . . It's still probably going to be a few more weeks before I can go wheelin. . . . And it's probably gonna be snow wheelin by then! :rolleyes:

[Loki]

My buddy has a set of MT/Rs (35's) but they are definately the tits if you drive your vehicle to the trails rather than trailoring.

I can't wait to get up to the snow this winter.

[Revivalist]

What do you mean, that the MT/Rs aren't good for street use?

[Loki]

quite the opposite. i'd rather have the MT/Rs because i drive to the trails and they work good on the street and the trails. If i had a trailor queen, i'd probably roll with some boggers

[Revivalist]

Yes, that is exactly why I choose the MT/Rs. As you can probably tell, my truck is definitely not a trail-only rig. . . . I was going to go for the Iroks but I heard that they wear a lot faster on the street. I like the MT/Rs because they're supposed to be a good balance of off-road and on-road performance.

[Loki]

My choice of tires for the truck would be as follows.

1. New Crawler (creepy crawler) - very nice tire for crawling, but really expensive
2. Goodyear Wrangler MT/R - What i'm getting all around good performance
3. TSL Swamper Bogger - Excellent for wheeling, just not suitable for road use in my opinion
4. BFG Mud Terrain - Still a really good tire, but don't match up to the MT/Rs in my opinion.

[Revivalist]

Cool. With that order, I'm glad I went with the MT/Rs.

[Revivalist]

I haven't had a chance to take a lot of new pics. But since I last posted we installed an ARB bumper up front with a Warn M8000 winch, hawse fairlead, and synthetic rope. . . .

For the rear Aj custom fabbed a wrap around bumper with rear panel tubes, a hitch, spare tire mount, and D-ring loops. . . . In addition we put a swaybar with quick disconnects, dropped the body lift to 2", and clearanced the front wheelwells a bit. . . .

I finally got a chance to take her wheelin! . . . Here's a pic in my drive way all packed up and ready to roll! . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/02-Off-Road%20Trips/03-Bald_Mountain/BaldMountain1b.jpg


The trail ride went well. I took video clips that I'll piece together and post later. . . . There was only really bad spot where I took a wrong line and leaned her over too close for comfort! . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/02-Off-Road%20Trips/03-Bald_Mountain/BaldMountain4.jpg


We tethered up the front to a tree with the winch and a buddy I met on the trail hooked a tow strap and winch line to the rear of the rock slider. . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/02-Off-Road%20Trips/03-Bald_Mountain/BaldMountain6b.jpg


It turned out fine as I eased off driver's side rocks and tigtened the winch . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/02-Off-Road%20Trips/03-Bald_Mountain/BaldMountain7b.jpg


We made it to the look-out tower at the top but it was already gettin later so the pics came out dark. . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/02-Off-Road%20Trips/03-Bald_Mountain/BaldMountain16.jpg


I got some good video clips that I'll piece together post up later. . . .

[locktup]

Not sure I would tie onto the rock sliders if Dunbar welded them.

[Revivalist]

Ah come on! . . . Go easy on the guy. He did good! :cool:

[locktup]

Looks good. Are you going to be ready for the Hammers? I am doing a bunch of stuff to mine but I will make it.

[Revivalist]

Well, I've never been there. . . But I'm guessing they call it "The Hammers" because your rig is likely to get HAMMERED BY THE ROCKS!! . . . How bout if I enjoy my rig a little longer before thrashing it. :cool:

[Loki]

looking good revivalist...i'm not a big fan of the arb front bumper, but it doesn't look bad on your pre-runner. any plans to get a full exo going? maybe you'll be more ready to let it roll next time and take bigger chances.

looks good though

[Revivalist]

Thanks Loki. . . . As for the exo, that would be pretty cool for a future project. The thing is that my rig is still a street rig also so I'm trying to keep it "clean." . . . . But I'm sure after enough years (and harder trail runs) it will work it's way to being a dedicated off-road rig. . . . At that time an exo would be one of the first mods on my list! :cool:

[Loki]

well i hear you on that bro. but if i did all that work on it, the first thing i'd do is build an exo and start rolling it down hills. maybe i can get my girlfriend to buy off on letting me convert her PreRunner to 4wd and SAS The front...or maybe i'll just take the e-locker out of her rig and put it on

mine...actually...i'll just take her whole rear axle and wiring for it.

[Revivalist]

Wow! . . . Generous girlfriend you must have. :o . . .

As for an exo, I can already hear my wife's response . . . "What?! . . . You're gonna put one of those ugly cages around your truck? No way!" . . .

But then again, I remember when she said, "Don't go putting one of those rope and hook things on the front of your truck. Those are so ulgy looking!. . . " But now she thinks it's kind of cool!

[Loki]

well, i'm sure if she knew why i wanted her rear end, she wouldn't let me take it.

i'm still trying to find a good exhaust for her truck though. which magnaflow did you go with?

my girlfriend doesn't want me to put on an exo, but i told her tough ****. she'll like it eventually. i'm about to order up a tubing bender in january, so after the flat bed is constructed, the exo starts.

i finally hung my rear axle yesterday and realized that i had the wrong ubolt kit for the rear, so i'm ordering more parts today.

[Revivalist]

Well I got the new heavy duty Trail Gear springs on so I thought I would have fun ramping my truck. (AJ from bentup.com was kind enough to make the ramp so I could do some flexin at home . . . )

I was looking to do three things . . .

1. Check if I need to put bumpstops to protect the steering from hitting the leaf springs or oil pan. . . .

2. See how close the tires are to rubbing so I predict what will happen if I drop the 2” body lift . . .

3. Just have fun seeing my truck flexin’ in front of my house! :D

Ok, so here it goes . . .

Flexing the front. . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/04-Modified%20truck/03-SAS%20and%207in%20lift%20with%20armor/Myrig2.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/04-Modified%20truck/03-SAS%20and%207in%20lift%20with%20armor/Myrig3.jpg


I got about 33” from the ground to the bottom of the tire. The rear still didn’t lift yet. It would be nice to have a longer ramp to stop right when it does lift. . . . But I had the truck on a fork lift last week and I know the rear starts to lift at about 36”. . . .

I was happy to see that nothing was hitting even without bumpstops. . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/04-Modified%20truck/03-SAS%20and%207in%20lift%20with%20armor/Myrig7.jpg


The tie-rod and drag link are still a good 1-2” from hitting the springs. . . . And it looks like the front shock was getting close to full compression anyways. So if I were to go a little further I still don’t think anything would hit . . .

It looks like the rear springs are fully flattened in this position. But at least the shock is fully compressed before they start really reversing. . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/04-Modified%20truck/03-SAS%20and%207in%20lift%20with%20armor/Myrig8.jpg


As for the tires getting close to rubbing, here’s the front . . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/04-Modified%20truck/03-SAS%20and%207in%20lift%20with%20armor/Myrig9.jpg


It’s obvious that if I drop the body lift, then I’m gonna have to either chop at that splash guard or remove it . . . . The ARB bumper is also probably gonna have to be trimmed cuz it’s already pretty close. . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/04-Modified%20truck/03-SAS%20and%207in%20lift%20with%20armor/Myrig10.jpg


And now to flex the rear. . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/04-Modified%20truck/03-SAS%20and%207in%20lift%20with%20armor/Myrig4.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/04-Modified%20truck/03-SAS%20and%207in%20lift%20with%20armor/Myrig5.jpg


Again, it looks like nothing is hitting . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/04-Modified%20truck/03-SAS%20and%207in%20lift%20with%20armor/Myrig11.jpg


So it seems to me at this point that bumpstops are optional because I don’t think I’m likely to hit the steering on the springs. Maybe it would be a good idea to put the little Trail Gear bumpstops back on just in case the truck comes down hard off a drop and flexes further than what I can achieve on a static ramp . . .

As for dropping the body lift, I definitely want to do it to lower the cog and gain more stability. But there’s obviously gonna have to be a lot of cutting to clear the tires. . . .

[Loki]

looks good man...looks like your front right spring went reverse on you a little when you flexed out the rear.

Are those the 10" 5150's? If so i would at least go 12s in the rear...

about the rear. who did your chevy swap? i'm sure the axle is centered and all, but i noticed your hangars are a little backwards...or at least it looks that way to me

[Revivalist]

Thank you sir . . .

Yeah, I realized that I better leave at the Trail Gear bumpstops on there so the springs don't reverse and so the shocks don't end up playing the role of bumpstops when they get fully compressed . . .

The Bilsteins in the rear are indeed the 12" ones. . . The only way to allow more flex there would be to angle them further, but then I'll lose stability and there's already enough body roll as it is. . . .

Aj from bentup.com did the SAS for me. The rear springs are actually the Trail Gear 5" springs, not Chevy's. . . . I didn't notice anything wrong with the rear spring hangers. Which pic are you referring to?

[Loki]

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/04-Modified%20truck/03-SAS%20and%207in%20lift%20with%20armor/Myrig8.jpg
I see after further investigation that the front hanger is good, i was referring to the rear shackle hangar.I don't think it matters that much now, but it looked like it should have been flipped around, but since the shackle hole is centered for the most part in that hanger, i don't think it matters. hell, now that i think of it, that could be the stock hanger for all i know.

Is there a reason that you didn't go with the 14" 5150s? that's what i'm running. but my rear shock hoops probably going to end up above the bed.

**edit**
how much did you clock the rear axle? and how does that double cardon work for you at speed?

[Revivalist]

Yes, the rear shackle hanger is actually the stock hanger . . .

As for the shocks, AJ (who did the work) said that the 14" Bilsteins would be too long and would require cutting into the fender well in the front But it looks like we'll have to do that anyways when we drop the body lift. (So if I tried to run the 14" Bilsteins at that point, they'd probably come out of my hood!) . . . In the rear, they again wouldn't fit very well. The shock would have to be titled to a very extreme angle . . .

The t-case is clocked 10 degrees. But that may change as well when we drop the body lift . . .

I'm not sure what you mean by double cardon?

[Loki]

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/WorkingwithAjatBentup-3rdDay61.jpg
That's a double cardon CV drive...the link that comes out of your transfer case.

[Revivalist]

Oh, gottya. . . . Never, heard it called that before. . . . I think that was already there stock. So it rides fine. . . . My real problem is that the front drive shaft has a spicer u-joint (not Toyota) so it already binds at less than full droop. . . . And there's no cv at the t-case. . . . I want to have that switched out. I'll probably do it when I drop the body lift because I might need a shorter shaft anyhow since the t-cases will be lowered. . . .

[Buddha]

Oh, gottya. . . . Never, heard it called that before. . . . I think that was already there stock. So it rides fine. . . . My real problem is that the front drive shaft has a spicer u-joint (not Toyota) so it already binds at less than full droop. . . . And there's no cv at the t-case. . . . I want to have that switched out. I'll probably do it when I drop the body lift because I might need a shorter shaft anyhow since the t-cases will be lowered. . . .

So . . . , how are those 5 inch heavy duty springs holding up?

Tim

[Revivalist]

They're definitely doing a lot better. . . . No more flat leaf pack or bad shackle angle. . . . The only problem is that they caused the front end to about 1" higher. . . .

[rockrash]

Dude I have seen your rig around town it looks awsome.

[Revivalist]

Thanks man. . . . Do you live in Fresno? If so, let me know whenever you'd like to head up and do some wheelin. . . . I'm thinking about going up on March 3. . . .

Here's some pics from when we went up last weekend. . . .

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/02-Off-Road%20Trips/06-Bald%20Mountain%202-07/BaldMountain1b.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/02-Off-Road%20Trips/06-Bald%20Mountain%202-07/BaldMountain12b.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/02-Off-Road%20Trips/06-Bald%20Mountain%202-07/BaldMountain17b-1.jpg

[Loki]

looks nice Reivivalist...how did those MTR's hold up in the snow? My 37's just got here last week. Where did you guys go wheelin?

[Revivalist]

Thanks! . . . . I thought the MT/Rs did great. I aired them down to 5PSI and rarely lost traction. . . . That was up on Bald Mountain in Shaver Lake. . . . Let me know if you're ever down in this area. We can go hit that trail. :D . . .

[Loki]

hell...that's a little over a 4 hour drive in my turd. but looks like a nice place to wheel. hell i'm 2 hours from the sierras and there's hardly any snow up here. :(

I can't run that low psi on street steelies. i'm thinking about investing in some internal bead locks. Are you running beadlocks or street locks?

[Revivalist]

Neither . . . I heard that internal beadlocks are the only ones recommended for a street rig cuz all the others let air leak and also can't be balanced right. . .

What are street locks?

[Loki]

Street locks are basically steel wheels that look like beadlocks, but aren't. just look-a-like bead locks

so you are running low psi on regular steel wheels...nice

[Revivalist]

Oh, I see. . . . Yeah they're just street locks. . . .

They're actually aluminum so they're not quite as heavy as steelies. . . . I've run them with 5PSI without problems. . . . But I don't know if going lower would be asking to lose a bead.

[Loki]

Oh, I see. . . . Yeah they're just street locks. . . .

They're actually aluminum so they're not quite as heavy as steelies. . . . I've run them with 5PSI without problems. . . . But I don't know if going lower would be asking to lose a bead.

might want to think about steelies if you're going to be going up on rocks at 5psi...and just carry some starting fluid and a box of matches...that works wonders for resetting beads :psss:

[Volcom]

You can get away with 5 psi in the snow but if it's dry, you might have trouble. I'd start at 12-13 and work your way down.

[Revivalist]

Yeah, that's true. . . . But I guess I'll just ride on these aluminums and see how long they last me. . . .

As for reseating beads, I read that it can also be done with a Power Tank which I always carry with me on the trail. . . .

[Loki]

yeah but air + starting fluid and matches = lots of fun ;)

[Revivalist]

yeah but air + starting fluid and matches = lots of fun ;)It's always fun till someone get hurt! :thud: (and no, then it's NOT hilarious!) :rolleyes:

So when are ya gonna be down here so we can all actually meet in person and run a trail or two? :D

[Loki]

I'm thinking about doing the hammers the last weekend in April. I just saw the thread on it in the events forum. Other than that, i updated my build thread this morning. a couple of snags, but it should be ready for a test run this weekend...possibly earlier depending on how safe i think it is for my daughter to ride in.

[Revivalist]

Well, someone offered me a good price on my tires and wheels so I sold them and picked up a set of 40” Iroks. With the move up in tire size I decided to change to a 17” rim and have them beadlocked. . . .

There’s a local place here in Fresno called Beadlock Specialties (http://www.beadlockspecialties.com/) that does great work. The owner Clint was very helpful. I went down there and watched them being made. Mounting them was easier than I thought. I couldn’t find a place that would balance them so I bought some of that powder stuff that big rigs use and put that in the tire. I guess it’s supposed to help balance the tire by staying at the part of the tire that weighs the least. . . .

Anyhow, here’s how the truck looks in my driveway now. . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/01-Truck%20pics/06-40in%20Iroks%20on%2017in%20beadlocks/Driveway03.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/01-Truck%20pics/06-40in%20Iroks%20on%2017in%20beadlocks/Driveway05.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/01-Truck%20pics/06-40in%20Iroks%20on%2017in%20beadlocks/Driveway15.jpg


I like the protection that the thick rock rings give. They basicaly leave just enough room to get a socket in there for the lugs . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/01-Truck%20pics/06-40in%20Iroks%20on%2017in%20beadlocks/Driveway08.jpg


I pulled out the old ramp to see what clearance issues I might have . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/01-Truck%20pics/06-40in%20Iroks%20on%2017in%20beadlocks/Front02.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/01-Truck%20pics/06-40in%20Iroks%20on%2017in%20beadlocks/Front03.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/01-Truck%20pics/06-40in%20Iroks%20on%2017in%20beadlocks/Front05.jpg


In the rear, it looks like I just need to clearance the fender flare a little bit and trim the wrap-around on the rear bumper. It will probably need to be cut shorter and plated again . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/01-Truck%20pics/06-40in%20Iroks%20on%2017in%20beadlocks/Front07.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/01-Truck%20pics/06-40in%20Iroks%20on%2017in%20beadlocks/Front8.jpg


Next, I flexed the rear . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/01-Truck%20pics/06-40in%20Iroks%20on%2017in%20beadlocks/Rear8.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/01-Truck%20pics/06-40in%20Iroks%20on%2017in%20beadlocks/Rear10.jpg


On full compression in the front, it looks like all I have to do is trim the ARB bumper a little more. There’s also a little bracket comming down that needs to be cut off. (I think it’s the mount for the stock bumper.) That thing looks like it could pop the tire if I hit it hard enough! . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/01-Truck%20pics/06-40in%20Iroks%20on%2017in%20beadlocks/Rear13.jpg


Over all, I could definitely feel the benefit of the bigger tires already. My truck felt much more stable on the ramp. In fact, I think that ramp is too small now. . . . I can’t wait to see what these things can do on the trail! . . .

This weekend hopefully the trac-bar should be in. . . Then I'll feel a little more comfortable about running these tires hopefully without blowing up a 3rd. . .

[tj40ounce]

Nice... definitely envious of your budget....

[bigBs84]

hey Rev. that looks good Love the new 40's and bead locks. :driving: Lets go run cheapo again and take it through seperate reality. :thumbs: maybe this weekend or next PM me if you lost my #. I have yet to be out since moonlight madness and I am going nuts because of it. I promise not to take you through all that brush you went through last time:haha: . Hope to talk to ya soon.
C-ya B.

[Revivalist]

Hey bro . . . Good to hear from you. . .

I'd definitely like to do Cheapo Saddle again. I didn't get to finish it last time cuz the wifey was pretty much done for the day once we got half way through. . . . This weekend I was gonna be putting in a traction bar and doing some work on the the rear 3rd. So I don't know if I'll be able to make it. I'll let you know. . .

The following weekend some friend want to run the Red and Coyote trails up in Shaver. . . . Would you be interested?

[bigBs84]

We are going to go up to red/coyote this weekend I have never been and bulfytr is going to lead the trail so it should be fun. So anyway keep in touch once again truck looks great.:thumbs:

[Revivalist]

That sounds fun. I might join ya . . . What time are you planning to be at the trail head?

[Revivalist]

Well I discovered that my rear housing is starting to give in. . . . The axle tubes are starting to buckle where the spring perches are mounted. Here’s a few pics.. . . .


Passenger side

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Rear%20axle%20housing/06-02-08_1130.jpg


Driver side

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Rear%20axle%20housing/06-02-08_1131.jpg


My guess is that this the result of repeated axle wrap before I recently installed the traction bar. I figure that when axle wrap occurs, the spring perches are basically being rotated into the housing tubes. So after a while the tubes became fatigued at the location where the perches sit and eventually the tubes started bending in there. I’m glad I discovered this in the shop and not on the trail where the tubes could have eventually collapsed completely and damaged the axle shafts. . . .

Trail Gear is in the process of developing an axle housing that can take a Toyota e-locker 3rd member.. Matt offered me the chance to run a prototype of their rear housing that’s setup for a Tacoma. Here's their Rock Assault axle housing has already been released for the Toyota pickup.


http://www.trail-gear.com/images/rah3-600.jpg



For the Tacoma they just lengthened the tubes and modified the face plate to accept an e-locker differential. (Basically the difference is that the e-locker housing requires a rectangular notch in the passenger side of the face plate and re-locating a few of the stud holes. This article from 4x4wire (http://www.4x4wire.com/toyota/tech/electric_locker/) describes the modification in detail.) Here's a glance at the modifications that need to be done


http://www.4x4wire.com/toyota/tech/electric_locker/new_housing_topB.jpg


Here’s a pic of the housing being installed. (Pics were taken with my phone camera so they’re not the greatest quality. I’ll get some better ones later.) . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Rear%20axle%20housing/06-02-08_1157.jpg



I anticipate this new housing will hold up much better to off-road abuse than my old stock housing did. The tubes should be considerably stronger with ¼” thick DOM and as well as the ½” thick mounting surface for the diff and the chromoly outer flanges. I’m also looking forward to the extra clearance provided from the offset tubes that are 3/8” higher and the flat-shaped center section that's supposed to provide at least 3/4" more clearance. Sometimes it’s only the matter of a little extra clearance to help a lot in a situation like this . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Rear%20axle%20housing/BrewerLake10b.jpg


The diff is also going to have to be shaved so it doesn’t hang lower than the axle housing. Here’s a pic looking from the back of the truck toward the front. You can see the lip that needs to be shaved off boxed in red.


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Rear%20axle%20housing/06-02-08_1154b.jpg


I will definitely opt for the extra inspection cap in the top which allows for quickly inspecting the ring gear if I ever run into trouble on the trail. That sure beats what I had to do before with was disconnect the brake lines, disconnect the e-brake, remove the wheels, unbolt the axles, drop the rear driveline, drain the gear oil, and unbolt the 3rd member all just to check the ring and pinion. Plus of course having to re-assemble everything, bleed the brakes, and refill the differential with gear oil to get going again. Now I can just pop off the inspection cap and take a quick look. I like that.

In the process of tearing down my rear axle, it was found that I had a bad wheel bearing and my ring gear had a tooth broken off. I’m not sure how/when that happened, but again I’m glad this was discovered in the shop. So it looks like I’ll need to have some new gears set up back there as well. I was debating getting the new gears cryoed but I'm not hearing a lot of positive feedback abou that process. I think I won't bother.

I was happy to find out that the chromoly shafts I got from Marlin Crawler fit nicely in the housing. However, the traction bar that was just built is going to have to be modified or rebuilt. This is where I need some advice . . . .

1. What thickness tubing should I go with for maximum strength? The tubing I have now I believe is .2 wall DOM. Is it worth starting from scratch to change to .25 wall?

2. What design should I go with for best articulation? Should I leave the shackle design I have or consider going with a slip design that has two tubes that slip inside each other like this?


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Traction%20bar/bar3.jpg


3. On the axle side should I run johnny joints, heim joints, or bushings? Currently I had bushings but I'm hearing that this could potentially cause some binding with full articulation.

4. On the axle side, how thick should the mount be? Should I go 1/4" like the axle tubes? What about this bracket from Trail Gear?

http://www.trail-gear.com/images/tg2006-5512-225.jpg


Right now I’m thinking that my best bet is to use the bracket from Trail Gear, leave the shackle up on the frame, keep the tubing I have, and just change the axle side so that it runs on jonny-joints rather than the bushings I had there. Any opinions?

[locktup]

Lookin good. I sure hope you dont have Dunbar working on your rig. Parts will start falling off.

Jason

[Revivalist]

:D

Ahh Jason, with all the wisdom you could offer to a thread like this, your comment does nothing but insult Trail Gear's senior engineer! :rolleyes: . . . Let me tell you, I'm feeling the love around here. :love:

Well, I for one have only good things to say about his work. :) . . .

By the way, I do believe I owe you a "thanks" for the design. :thumbs: . . . I'm pretty excited about running the new housing. I expect it will hold up well, but then again I'm sure it won't see nearly as much abuse with me as it has with you. :hammer: . . .

[Revivalist]

Progress continues on the rear build. The axle housing is under the truck with the 3rd member pulled and the axle shafts bolted in just to be able to move the truck around. . . The springs perches, shocks mounts, and parking brake brackets have all been welded on. . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Rear%20axle%20housing/16-Housinginstalled1.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Rear%20axle%20housing/17-Housinginstalled2.jpg


The brake line T needs to be tacked to the housing. The Tacoma has a L-shaped “T” that I don’t like because it doesn’t keep the brake lines along the axle housing. I’m gonna get from the dealer an actual T like the old pick-ups have which should work better to keep the line on the axle. . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Rear%20axle%20housing/26-BrakeT2.jpg


I don’t like how the hard brake lines come out of the drum assembly so low. (This is a result of rotating the drums 90 degrees which I did to bring the e-brake up high.)


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Rear%20axle%20housing/27-Brakelines1.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Rear%20axle%20housing/29-Brakelines3.jpg


So I came up with an idea to get those brake lines up higher. I found some banjo fittings that fit my wheel cylinders. Then I ran a bolt fitting up through the banjo fitting so that I’ll basically have an elbow at the drum assembly. Setting it up that way will bring the hard brake line immediately up along the drums and then I can bend them over the spring packs. That should help prevent the line from getting snagged by a rock. I’ll take pics later with the fittings in there.

I also found I have a little kink up by the BPV. I think I might bend that bracket (or cut a hole on the bottom side) to aim the brake line fitting directly down toward the axle.


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Rear%20axle%20housing/30-Brakelines4.jpg


Looking closer, you can see how low the shafts run inside the tubes. With the 3rd member in there, they’ll be about 1/8” above the bottom of the tube. . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Rear%20axle%20housing/23-Housinginstalled8.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Rear%20axle%20housing/24-Housinginstalled9.jpg


The bottom of the 3rd member was marked for shaving. Here’s a pic that shows how much will be taken off.


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Rear%20axle%20housing/14-Diffshaving2.jpg


The hole at the bottom is actually a dowel hole, not a stud hole. So there's nothing to worry about with that. The funny thing is that the stock housing doesn’t even have a dowel there. You can see what I mean from this pic of the stock housing. . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Rear%20axle%20housing/01-Stockhousing1.jpg


I spoke to the guys at Trail Gear about whether it’s safe to take that much off the 3rd and evidently it’s very common practice to remove about ¾” from a Toyota 3rd housing to gain clearance. After reading from the whole section about it on Pirate (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=4022732&highlight=shaved#post4022732) I know I’m not doing anything that hasn’t already been done by many people before me. . . .

Here’s some pics of the broken ring gear . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Rear%20axle%20housing/33-Brokenringandpinion1.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Rear%20axle%20housing/34-Brokenringandpinion2.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Rear%20axle%20housing/35-Brokenringandpinion3.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Rear%20axle%20housing/36-Brokenringandpinion4.jpg


It looks like the tooth broke off below the wear mark. So we don’t think it was from a faulty setup. Somehow a load on the gear (maybe while going in reverse) must have snapped the piece off. Or perhaps it was a result of a bad pinion angle under load before I had the traction bar installed. . . . Whatever it was, new gears will be installed this weekend.

As for the traction bar, it doesn’t look like I’ll be able to salvage what I had. The distance between the eyes on the current traction bar is 3”.


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Rear%20axle%20housing/06-Oldtractionbar.jpg


The distance between the eyes on the Trail Gear bracket is 8”.


http://www.trail-gear.com/images/tg2006-5512-400.jpg


I know that the larger the separation the better for anti-wrap, so I would rather run a traction bar with the 8” separation. I also want to run Johnny joints at the axle for so the bar has to be setup for that as well. I’m also going to change the design from a shackle at the frame to a Johnny joint attached directly to the frame and then run a slip joint that will allow unlimited articulation as well as droop or compression. I’m think that design will work best for avoiding any kind of binding or limitation of the flex/articulation.


So here’s a summary of what’s left to be done:
• Cut the inspection hole, weld in the bung, put the inspection cap, and mount a breather
• Setup new gears and shave the diff
• Install the stud eliminator kit, mount the 3rd, and fill with oil
• Setup the new traction bar.
• Setup the brake lines with banjo fittings and a true “T” welded to the housing, bleed brakes
• Paint everything nice and purty!

[locktup]

If your feelin the love when Dunbar is around LOOK OUT!!! Especially on Fridays.

I'm like the Duke boys. I'm justa meanin no harm. Besides they know I'm playin.

It looks like your plenty hard enough on it. Good Stuff.

Jason

[bigBs84]

Looking good Rev. :thumbs:

[Revivalist]

Thanks man . . . . I'm looking forward to the next Cheapo Saddle run. Think you'll be leading another one any time soon?

[bigBs84]

its closed till 4/20 depening on the weather, but when it opens back up im definitly down to lead.:thumbs:

[jackrista]

hey rev by rotating the backing plate on your axle to make the ebrake arm up higher also rotated the way your wheel cylinder is located you might want to inspect that the bleader screw is the highest piont if not you will never get all the air out of your brake system.

[jackrista]

have tried to bleed the brakes yet???

[Revivalist]

have tried to bleed the brakes yet???Yup, so far it seems ok. I don't know if there's some air preventing them being bled better, but they're certainly doing well enough for me to drive on the street.

[Revivalist]

The axle and the new traction bar are completed. Here’s some pics of the axle . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Rear%20axle%20housing/40-Finishedhousinginstalled4.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Rear%20axle%20housing/41-Finishedhousinginstalled5.jpg


Here’s some pictures of the clearance under the differential. Looking from the back of the truck toward the front . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Rear%20axle%20housing/42-Shaveddiff1.jpg


Looking from the front of the truck toward the back . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Rear%20axle%20housing/45-Shaveddiff4.jpg


Here’s some pictures of the traction bar. This time the bracket was made from ¼” and the tubes are made of .25 wall DOM. There are also Johnny joints at the axle as well . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Traction%20bar%20-%20new/Tractionbar1.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Traction%20bar%20-%20new/Tractionbar2.jpg


The Johnny joint was mounted to the stock cross member with an additional gusset to the frame.


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Traction%20bar%20-%20new/Tractionbar10.jpg


The drive line hangs a little lower than the traction bar, so it won't help much as far as protecting the driveline, but at least it won't hinder clearance and it's much less likely to ever get bent. . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Traction%20bar%20-%20new/Tractionbar12.jpg


I haven't personally seen it flexed out with the new traction bar and axle but the guys at Trail Gear did it to make sure there’s no binding. I’m looking forward to seeing how the new setup performs on the trail. . . .

[bigBs84]

Looks sweet Rev.:thumbs:

[88toyota]

very nice :thumbs:

[Revivalist]

I thought I would resurrect my old build thread. (I was out of commission for a while with a broken pelvic from a bad car accident. But I'm doing much better now.)

I'm planning to join a trip this August through the Dusy-Ershim. Last time I took some carnage to the door. So I just ordered up a set of these doors for front and rear from 4xInnovations. The rear doors are going to come in pieces so I can modify them as needed to get them to fit. They'll look something like this. . . .


http://4xinnovations.com/images/gaurding/tacomatubedoor2.jpg


http://4xinnovations.com/images/gaurding/TD05kb.jpg


I was hoping to be able to make some progress on an exo this summer as well. . . . I'm still thinking about something like this for starters. . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Exocage/Exo-cagejustrear.jpg

[Revivalist]

I got the front tube doors on today. I'm really like them so far. I went for a test drive on dirt slopes and they rattled a little bit but that's ok. . . . I haven't tried mounting the stock doors back on with the quick-release hinges. I heard that's the hard part. . . .

I'm going to work on the rear doors later this month. Adam at 4xInnovations is going to send the bent tubes and hardware because he doesn't have ready-to-go doors for the rear of the double-cab. It'll require some tinkering and welding them up but hopefully it won't be too difficult. . . . I'm hoping by mid-August the exo will also be underway. . .

Ok, so here's some pics so far . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Tube%20doors/tubedoors2.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Tube%20doors/tubedoors4.jpg


The doors are pretty flush with the body. I thought these were the ones with the 1.75" kick out, but now I'm not so sure. . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Tube%20doors/tubedoors7.jpg

[Revivalist]

I'm trying to get some ideas about mounting mirrors and speakers on the new tubes doors. For mirrors, I’m thinking about going with these . . . .

http://www.mooreparts.com/store/product/1645/AC857815/

http://images.nitrosell.com/product_images/2/379/AC857815.jpg


They seem to be the cheapest bar-mounted mirrors I can find for 1.5” tubing. The only thing I don’t like about them is that they don’t fold in. Of course, I could just take them off before hitting the trail but I like having a mirror on the passenger side so I can see my rear-passenger tire and bed on tight turns. . . . Anyone know of a better solution? . . .

For speakers, I think I may need to mount a plate on the bottom front of the tube door to mount the speakers. I saw these doors from Schaffer Offroad . . . .

http://www.shaffersoffroad.com/shop/images/pirate%20board%20001.jpg


http://www.shaffersoffroad.com/shop/images/tubedoor1.jpg


I’m trying to see if I can get a set of just those plates that cover the hinges. Perhaps I could work off of them for speaker mounts . . . Anyone have other ideas? Thanks.

[Revivalist]

I just installed an onboard air system with two Viair 480c compressors and two 9 gallon tanks. First we cut and shortened the brackets on the tanks so we could get the tanks tucked up nice and high under the bed. Here's a pic comparing a tank before being modified and one that was cut. . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Onboard%20Air%20System/Onboardair1.jpg


Here they are installed . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Onboard%20Air%20System/Onboardair3.jpg



http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Onboard%20Air%20System/Onboardair4.jpg


I also mounted the compressors under the bed as well near the bumper. . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Onboard%20Air%20System/Onboardair2.jpg


I used some reinforcement plates above the bed to help support the weight of the tanks and the compressors . . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Onboard%20Air%20System/Onboardair8.jpg


Here’s the pressure and gauge and switch mounted right in front of the shifter . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Onboard%20Air%20System/Onboardair5.jpg


Here are the results of some tests using the new system. . . .

First I aired down to 7 PSI which is usually the lowest I need to go on the trail. Then I hit the switch on the compressors to start airing up the tanks. I found that it took about 13.5 minutes to get the tanks from 0 PSI to 150 PSI. So when I’m wheelin I’ll probably just hit the switch when I know I’m 10-20 minutes from the end of the trail . . .

While waiting for the tanks to fill up, I connected my spare tire to the driving tires use something called the 4air (from 4crawler.com) which is basically just a bunch of hoses with Schrader Valves connect to a T. Here’s a pic of it in use . . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Onboard%20Air%20System/Onboardair6.jpg


This lets me take the air from the spare tire (which was at 45 PSI) and dump some of it into the driving tires so I can air them up faster. Doing that brought the pressure from 7PSI to 11 PSI on all four tires. Not a bad boost . . . .

After that, I connected the 4air to the air tanks and this took all four tires from 11 PSI to 25 PSI in about 3 minutes. I was impressed considering these are 40” tires! . . . The compressors came on again and took about 12 minutes to restore the tanks to 150 PSI. Dumping that into the tires again took all four tires to 37 PSI. All done and ready to hit the road. . .

So the nice thing about this system is that I’ll only have to stop to air up twice. Once I reach the end of the trail I can take all my tires from 7 PSI to 25 PSI. That’s enough to start driving on the road if I want, Then after about 12 minutes I can get out again and take tires all the way back up to 35PSI. I would say I’m very happy with the setup.

[jackrista]

where is the air intake at on those compressors??

[Chris Dunbar]

Looks good Nathan. :thumbs:

[Revivalist]

where is the air intake at on those compressors??I routed them into the cab to avoid getting the filter wet and to reduce dust.

Looks good Nathan. :thumbs:Thanks! I couldn't have done it without the help of a certain expert fabber! :)

[Chris Dunbar]

....Thanks! I couldn't have done it without the help of a certain expert fabber! :)

Now THAT is a good one!!!! :D

[jackrista]

[QUOTE=Revivalist;27728][COLOR="Lime"]I routed them into the cab to avoid getting the filter wet and to reduce dust.

good job! dont want to ruin your new toys in two runs.:clap:

[Revivalist]

Alright, I finally figured out the speaker and mirror issues with the tube doors. . . .

I went with the custom kick panel enclosures for the speakers. It turned out to be a very clean solution without having to modify the doors and possibly obstruct the view through the doors. . . .

Driver's Side . . .


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Tube%20doors/Tubedoorskickpanelspeakers15.jpg


Passenger Side . . .

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Tube%20doors/Tubedoorskickpanelspeakers19.jpg


For mirrors, I went with the Lange Mirror II which is meant for a CJ or TJ jeep. With bracket welded on each door, the mirrors bolted right up. They're perfect because they can be rotated into the vehicle for tight spots and they can be easily removed. I replaced the set screws with some thumb screws so they can be taken out quickly if needed. I also like that the mirror is big for a nice field of view and they come in black. . . .


Driver's Side . . .

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Tube%20doors/Tubedoorsmirrors28.jpg


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Tube%20doors/Tubedoorsmirrors22.jpg


Passenger Side . . .

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/Revivalist/06-My%20Truck/03-Working%20on%20the%20truck/Tube%20doors/Tubedoorsmirrors27.jpg