Yanman's 88 Pickup

[Yanman]

Welcome to my build thread!

Disclaimer
All the opinions expressed in this thread are my own and in no way represent TTORA, its members, or its vendor/sponsors. Nor should my opinions, what so ever, influence others with their builds. This includes doing what I've done and/or doing business with and/or purchasing products from the same vendor(s).

However, if reading this thread has helped give you some ideas for your build, and/or helped you learn from my mistakes, then I am happy to have helped out. Enjoy!

Everyone knows that alot of projects are a work in progress and this thread is no exception. Therefore, I will be tweaking the existing posts along with posting new mod updates as my rig evolves.

I've had a lot of fun creating this chronological thread and going back and seeing the transformation of my rig from stock to where it is now. Plus it's not a bad idea to do this incase something happens to my rig, so I can be compensated by my insurance company.

Back when I first joined TTORA, in Oct 2008, I was going to build up my 03 Taco, and I did do a few mods, with armor, wheels, tires, front suspension, gray wire, exhaust, and intake:



But my taco was just too clean and pretty to wheel and I didn't want to hack/chop/scratch/bash up such a nice truck. So, back in May of 09 I decided to get this truck:







A 1988 SR5 V6 5spd Xtracab Short Bed Hilux Pickup.

It had over 230k on it, and was in really good shape other than the typical 84-88 bed rust, it ran well, drove straight, didn't appear to have been wheeled on anything too nasty, and everything seemed to work except the AC.

Bone stock, except for:

• upgraded Infinity speakers
• a ton of speaker wire all over the cab
• no radio
• no tailgate
• no jack
• no spare tire tool kit
• Classic Husky floor mats
• cloth seat covers
• aftermarket rear bumper
• bed mat
• wiring for a camper shell
• wiring for towing
• peeling window tint
• a ton of dog hair everywhere in the cab

So, why did I go with a pickup truck, specifically this generation, instead of a later or earlier truck, 4Runner, FJ Cruiser, or a Landcruiser?

• Landcruisers:
  • 61-83 2nd gen FJ40s will always have a special place in my heart, but to get one in decent shape thats not a rust bucket is big $$$, and unless they have been modified they are not fuel injected and I HATE screwing with a carburator.
  • 81-87 4th gen FJ60s, IMHO, don't have enough power for that heavy of a vehicle.
  • 91-97 5th gen FJ80s are too $$$ and too wide for my liking.
• 4Runners:
  • There are only 3 generations of 4Runners that I like, the 84-89 1st gen, 96-02 3rd gen, and 03-09 4th gen.
  • The 3rd and 4th gen 4Runners were more $$$ than I wanted to shell out.
  • The 1st gens, like the FJ60s and 2nd gen 4Runners, are heavy rigs due to all the glass in the rear and the stock engine is underpowered for a vehicle that is that heavy. Now it can be helped by removing the stock topper. But I could not find one that I liked enough to buy.
• FJ Cruisers:
  • I had a chance to test drive a brand new limited edition all White TRD FJ Cruiser. They are nice, and probably very capable offroad, but they are so new that they are $$$, plus there is a HUGE blind spot on them and they are too wide.
• Trucks:
  • 79-83 1st gen Trucks do not have an XtraCab option, and most of those trucks have worse rust problems than the 84-88 trucks, and they are not fuel injected.
  • 89-94 3rd gen Trucks came in at a VERY close second. My first Toyota was a 91 Deluxe V6 5spd Xtracab 4wd Short Bed that I had for 12 years and loved it.
    
    But at the time when I was looking for my 88 I didn't find any that I liked well enough or were in my price range. Thinking back on it now, I should have kept my 91 and made IT my trail rig.
  • 95-04 1st gen Tacos, I already have an 03 so it seemed redundant, plus modifying the newer trucks is way more $$$ than the older ones, and there are more aftermarket and used parts available.
  • 05+ 2nd gen Tacos are too $$$ and too big for me, plus they are so new that 95% are real nice and I would just be back in the same boat I was in with my 03 Taco.
  • T100 and Tundras like the 05+ Tacos and FJ80s are too big
• Wheel Base: The stock wheel base on this truck to me is at a nice sweet spot. At 112" it will make it less suceptable to end over rolls when going up or down steep inclines, compared to shorter wheel bases, and less suceptable to getting high centered, compared to longer wheelbases. Anyway, just for comparison here are stock wheel bases of other vehicles I was interested in, this info was provided by ToyotaReference.com:
  • FJ40s are at 90"
  • 1st & 2nd Gen 4Runners, 79-94 Standard Cab Pickups, and 95-04 Standard Cab Tacos have 103"
  • 3rd Gen 4Runners are 105"
  • FJ Cruisers stand at 106"
  • FJ60s are closer at 108"
  • 4th Gen 4Runners and 05+ Regular Cab Tacos are even closer at 110"
  • FJ80s are the same as my truck
  • 89-94 XtraCab Pickups and 95-04 XtraCab Tacos are sitting at 122"
  • 05+ Access Cab Tacos have 128"
• Other Stuff:
  • I don't have a family to justify the need for an SUV, and I've always liked Pickup Trucks more than SUVs.
  • I've always liked the body style of the 2nd gen Pickups and 1st gen 4Runners

Getting Organized

When I was in the process of modifying my Taco, I wanted to stay organized and focused on the modifications I wanted to do.

I applied the same practice to my 88. So I created an Excel spreadsheet and organized it accordingly:

• Divide the modifications up into categories per areas of my truck, Drivetrain, Wheels & Tires, Suspension, Exterior, Interior, and misc.
• List the description of the modification
• Price of the mod
• Date of the price of the mod when I got the quote or saw it on the net and/or ad
• The vendor that was selling the mod
• The vendor's web site link to the mod, or phone number
• Date when the mod was purchased, specifically parts
• Date when the mod was installed
• Notes about the mod

The information on this list would change as I would change my mind, or find a better product and/or vendor.

I would highlight a mod that I wanted to focus on and get done to make sure I would stick with it. When a mod was complete I would highlight it in a different color, in a way of checking it off my list.



This approach was EXTREMELY helpful!

[Yanman]

The very first mod I did was remove the IFS sway bar.

The next thing was I got a used bed toolbox from Craig's List, to put all the stuff that would not fit in the Xtracab.

Next was removing the mud flaps and doing the pinch weld mod.

Then I retired my taco from wheeling and put on the 32x11.50r15 BFG MT KM1's with the ProComp Rock Crawler Series 87-5883, 15x8 w/ 3.75bs Wheels:



I got the tires used from a member from Colorado 4x4, and I got the rims from Performance Products.

The next mod was adding some Sliders from Trail-Gear.



Now at this point in time I was living in a place where I did not have a place or tools to do any major modifications, ie: and

So I went to a local vendor, ToyCrawlers, to get my sliders installed.

I was totally stoked at this point and all was well, but I was totally unaware of the ticking time bomb...

[Yanman]

All used vehicles have their problems. This specific problem I could have fixed IF I payed attention to the warning signs, and it would have saved me a TON of money, time, and frustration!

In a nut shell, the engine was overheating! Most of the cooling system was shot, particularly the radiator and fan clutch, and the temp gauge on the dash only works half the time.

The results of my ignorance was the infamous blown head gasket.

So for the moment it looked like my rig would be doomed to sit and be parted out.

But, I thought it out and decided that if I were to get another used truck I would be faced with the unknown all over again, ie not knowing all the problems with the vehicle, granted probably not to this magnatude.

So I stuck with this truck and decided to fix it up so it would run again.

I removed the BFG MT tires and put the stock tires and rims back on and stored it away at a storage unit for almost a year.

In the mean time, I did a lot of research:

1. Doing the 3.4 swap, reading threads, calculating costs, trying to find a shop that could/would do such a project.
2. Then I compared the 3.4 info with just replacing my old 3.0 with a remaned 3.0.
3. I also looked into the cost of fixing the existing engine.

I went with option 2, and start saving up the money to get a remaned 3.0.

Yes, I would still have the same gutless engine, but it would be brand new, and would be a direct replacement of the old one, and it would get me back in action quicker.

So I started looking around on the internet trying to find a shop that sells remaned long block 3.0s, and I found APR Auto Care.

What made me decide on APR Auto Care was that I bought into their propaganda on their web site. Mostly they were a Colorado company that was a two hour drive away. So no shipping charges.

However, I should have done more research into the customer satisfaction and quality of work on APR Auto Care. But I didn't, and I cringe everytime I hear about something bad about this company and/or something going wrong with the engines they sell.

Looking back on it now I should have sucked up the shipping cost and got an engine from TCR Automotive and Performance.

Or better yet, go with the 3.4, as many have said "There is no replacement for displacement." But, I was growing impatient and wanted my rig back. So, it is what it is, and I can't turn back the clock.

So, I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best. If this engine goes, I will be going 3.4 all the way.

Anyway, I contacted ToyCrawlers again and asked if he would be interested in helping me install a new engine. He was, and we made arrangements when to do the project, plus he agreed to let me help with the install.

Later, I towed my 88 over to his shop, then the next day I went down to pickup the new engine.

In addition to the long block we needed other parts for this job. Fortunately the owner/operator of ToyCrawlers is a Toyota Technician for a local Toyota Dealership, and I was able to take advantage of his discount.

He and I spent an entire weekend, before Thanksgiving 2010, pulling out the old engine and putting in the new one.



Old engine out and ready to be stripped of all the reuseable parts.



New engine fresh out of the box.



New engine assembled ready to go back in.



I also decided to install some headers while we were doing the engine job, the headers are from Northwest Offroad. They are the only emission legal (Except for California) headers I've been able to find for the 3.0.

We also ditched the Air Conditioning system to reduce weight and help keep the engine cool.

Other than those deviations it was a direct engine replacement.

At the end of that weekend my truck was back on the street running under its own power. Thank you ToyCrawlers!

UPDATE: December 2011.

I am 95% happy with the remaned engine so far.

There were some initial quality issues that came out shortly after we got it in and during the break in process. APR Auto Care didn't properly seal the passenger side head toward the camshaft housing rear plate so there was a bit of an oil leak that needed to be fixed. And the middle freeze plug on the driver's side was leaking coolant and that got fixed too.

Other than those issues it has been trouble free.

Powerwise It does OK out on the flat, but when I get to inclines I start losing power and have to downshift. At a dead stop it takes a bit to get up to speed, but not too bad. The power band on it seems to be between 2500 to 4000 RPMs.

It also needs to be good and warmed up for it to perform well, and thats due to it being an 88 engine. I talked with a Toyota Tech and he told me that 88 3.0s have poor logic and do not perform well when cold.

I have to keep reminding myself, after I get spoiled driving my near stock taco with the 3.4, that my 88 is not a powerhouse and never will be. This truck was not built for speed, hence the name "RockCRAWLER".

As far as milage, at 100% stock the EPA rated this truck at 16 city/20 hiway, with the 32s I get around 12-15 MPG.

I plan on regearing my diffs in the near future and that should help powerwise but not so with milage.

[Yanman]

Since the engine job, I became obsessed with making sure my engine stayed cool, borderlined paranoid.

So I went out and got some Medium Black Powder Coat Aluminum Hood Loovers from Run Cool.



Then I went out and got myself a 25 WX NW ST with Weather and NightWatch CB Radio from Cobra and a Firestik FS CB Antenna Kit from Right Channel Radios. I should have got my CB from Right Channel Radios instead of Cobra, I could have saved a few bucks, Oh well:



The next change to my rig was adding a front custom winch bumper.

wakkjobb was selling his winch bumper, and was offering to install it as well. So, he and I made arrangements to get it done.

But before I went down there I picked up an old style Warn M8000 winch from Street Side Auto.



I also had some 130 Watt ProComp Explorer Stainless 6" Driving Lights that a friend gave to me before moving off to Cali.



When I got these parts collected, I went down to wakkjobb's shop and He and I spent the weekend and so that bumper would fit nicely on my truck and could accomidate the winch and the offroad driving lights:



Then when I got it home I added the finishing touches, some OEM fog light switches, one is for the offroad driving lights and the other will be for a future rock light install:



Then wired and installed everything else:



It came out real well, thanks again wakkjobb.

[Yanman]

After the last few modifications I decided to start saving up for the SAS/Lift.

But before that, I put the BFG MTs back on and took some pre-SAS/Lift pics:





Then I got bored and wanted to add a little bling to my Toolbox.

I wanted to put the tailgate logos on, so I started by looking around for places that sold Toyota OEM body decals and found James Dean Creations.

I then used the decals to make some stencils:



Then painted the logos on to my Toolbox:

[Yanman]

Around December of 2010, Sammity Sam posted up in the Colorado Chapter that he was selling his 85 Solid Front Axle off of his truck, and would be in Colorado for the holidays.

So, he and I made arrangements to meet and I took it off of his hands:



Next I waited to get my 2010 tax refund, and contacted ToyCrawlers again to see if he was available to do a SAS/Lift project.

He was, and when my refund came in, he started ordering parts from Trail-Gear.

Here is the list of parts from TG:

• Trail Creeper™ 2.28 x 4.7 Dual Transfer Cases: 23-Spline Input, Top Shift, 100516-1-K
• 3.0L V6 Adapter Plate
• Dual Transfer Case Crossmember, V6, 1987-1995, 120014-1-K
• TGHD Heavy Duty Transfer Case Mount (2x)
• Speedometer Extension Cable
• Weld-On Differential Armor - Large (2x)
• Bilstein 5150 14" Shock, 110068-1 (2x)
• Classic Rear Lift Kit, 4" Springs, 79-88, 110034-1-K
• IFS Eliminator Kit, 3" HD Springs, 110225-1-K, IFS Eliminator Kit Upgrades: Upgrade to 5150 Shocks
• Rubber Shift Knob, 4.70, 182502-K (I painted the recesses)

Other Parts:

• 85 Solid Front Axle Assembly
• Beefed up Front Driveshaft w/ extra long slip yoke
• Beefed up Rear Driveshaft w/ 85 front double cardon joint
• 4-cylinder T-Case Shifter Sticks (2x)
• Rear shock mount
• Custom Exhaust

Then in April 2011, he and I both took a week off from work and started at it.

We first started with the rear lift:

Removal of the stock leafs



Rear lift almost done, needed to cut off and weld on the rear shackle mounts:



New shocks and diff armor in:



Up next was removing the IFS stuff:



Then cut off the IFS frame bracketry:



Now grind off what was left:



Now rebuild the SFA with new rotors:



Add the new front leafs:



Mount up the SFA:



Put everything back together.



We also ditched the rear bumper and took the tow receiver off my taco and put it on my 88 so I would still have a rear recovery point.

SAS/Lift all done! Just waiting for the T-Cases and the drive shafts!

Now I do hear complaints that my rig, as well as others who went with Trail-Gear lifts, are too high. But remember those tires are 32s. So, I'll have to see what things look like when the springs get a chance to settle and with 35s, maybe 37s.

If I do decide to lower it I will remove the HD leaf from the front and order some 3" rear leafs.



The T-cases came in about a week later, as well as the rear drive shaft:



Then it was off to the exhaust shop to get the custom exhaust installed.





When it got back from the exhaust shop, I was able to drive my rig away, but I still had to do some finishing touches with the center console and install the front drive shaft:



There you are!





THANK YOU AGAIN, TOYCRAWLERS!

[Yanman]

Shortly after the SAS/Lift project and before I went out and wheeled it, I upgraded my stock front axles and birfs.

So, I went to Trail-Gear again:

• Dirty 30's™ 30 Spline Birfield/Axle Kit
• Trail Safe™ Inner Axle Seal
• Trail Safe™ Knuckle Ball Wiper Seal
• Knuckle Service Kit
• Backing Plate Eliminator
• Knuckle Pull Scale
• 54mm Spindle Socket

I spent the entire 2011 4th of July weekend taking apart and rebuilding my SFA and installing the Dirty 30 axles.



The rebuild went well, the only thing I would caution is that the bearings in the rebuild kit are from China, so your probably better off finding some Koyo or Timken bearings.

[Yanman]

I wanted to add some cool factor to the interior of my rig. So, I went to Yoda Jims, aka Jim's Used Toyota Truck Parts, a local Toyota salvage yard, and got one of these:





Installing one of these is a snap! There is already wiring for the back lighting and the dash has prexisting mounting holes that just need to be drilled out. The hardest part was dis-assembling and re-assembling the dash for the first time.

[Yanman]

In a never ending (yet almost pointless) quest to squeeze more horse power out of that 3.slow, I installed a K&N Cold Air Intake from Street Side Auto, in October 2011.

[Yanman]

At this time I had a chain and pad lock loosely keeping my spare tire in the bed of my truck.

Well while going on a trail run in October 2011, the spare shifted all over the place and dislodged the bed mat. So, I went to Amazon.com and got a Fabtech flush spare tire mount:

Around the same time I decided for safety reasons to move my Hi-Lift out of the cab and mount it to my toolbox:

[Yanman]

My Dad has an 85 4Runner with some really nice seats. Naturally I wanted some more comfy seats for my rig too. At first I was thinking of some Recaro or equivalent racing seats but decided to go a different route and save some money.

So, In December 2011, I went down to the Toyota salvage yard again and picked these up:



The Driver's seat went in no problem, but the 4Runner Passenger seat's tracks are shorter than the pickups, no biggie, two drilled holes in the floor board, done.

[Yanman]

In January 2012, firestormtrooper started to part out his 85 4Runner, and sold these tires to me:



As an extra bonus, thefatkid wanted to buy my 32x11.50r15 BFG MT KM1s. However, I still wanted to keep my ProComp Steelies.

Where it gets better is thefatkid is a Toyota Technician at a local Toyota dealership where we could swap tires and rims, and get them balanced. Just to clarify, thefatkid is not the same guy as the owner/operator of ToyCrawlers.

thefatkid also had an old 33x9.50r15 BFG MT to give me as a spare!

So, I went down to his dealership where we played musical chairs with the tires and rims.

Then it was back to my rig to get my bigger tires mounted up:



So why go from MTs to ATs and only go up to 33s?

1. Our emission test facilities around here will not test vehicles with tires 34 inches or larger.
2. IMHO, during the winter ATs have better traction on icy roads than MTs.
3. I wanted some in-town tires and ATs usually have longer wear life than MTs.
4. The ATs will save wear and tear on my newer, bigger MTs I plan to get and run in the summer.

[Yanman]

On to the next mod!

I still needed a place and the right tools to do this project. So, I sent out a feeler to my chapter members and minerdude1 stepped up to the plate.

So, we made arrangements to work on it during the month of January 2012. We started shortly before I got my 33s.

But before we started I needed to get some paint and bondo:

• minerdude1 already had some rust inhibitor, some Rust Tough Rust Fix.
• The primer I picked out was some RustOleum Stops Rust Automotive Gray.
• To appeal to the Home Owner's Association (HOA) Nazis , I wanted the base coat to match the cab of my truck. Luckily my Dad recently repainted a side mirror for a 98 Camry and told me about Microfinish aka automotivetouchup.com. I looked at their site to see what colors they have and compared their prices along with other touchup sites. They had the lowest prices I was able to find. So I ordered a few aerosol cans of Toyota Color 138.
• Next was some undercoating, enter some 3M Proffesional Grade Rubberized Undercoating.
• Finally I went over to a NAPA auto parts store and got some clear coat and the body puddy.

First off, take all the stuff out of the bed including the inner bed walls and brace the bed walls:



Next mark the the first cut:



Then cut off the end cap:





Next cut off a backing strip:





Next make the final cut and trim down the frame:





Then grind off all the paint on places to be welded, then weld on a new rear crossmember and bed mounts:



Next weld on the back strips:





Then weld on the end cap and grind down the welds:





Next apply and sand down some bondo:



Then take the bed off and:

1. powerwash everything on the bed
2. soak the rust with rust inhibitor
3. prime every seam and weld, top and bottom
4. undercoat every seam and weld, top and bottom, and any other place where water could possibly get in on the bed
5. make sure I'm legal and add a new LED plate light on the bed
6. weld on some new rear recovery points on the frame and ditch the tow receiver
7. prime and paint the new frame crossmember, bed mounts, and recovery points

Then cut down the inner bed panels:



Next put the bed back on, bolt in the inner bed panels, and apply a few base coats:





Next check to make sure the plate LED light works:



Next add some custom stripes, several clear coats, put all the stuff back in the bed, take it home and admire the view:









Over the course of the month, the project pretty much took most of mine and minerdude1's spare time, to cut out the 12.5 inches and put it back together, but we got 'er done!

I am very pleased with how it came out! Much more than what I had orignally saw the project going.

Thank you minerdude1!

UPDATE: 3 months after the bob,

Apparently the undercoating we used for the custom stripes is not UV resistant and has strated to fade! So, when I get a chance I will mask and repaint the stripes.

EDIT: Correction, the Undercoating IS UV resistant, its just a big dirt and dust magnet. Not sure what I will do about this. Perhaps remove the undercoating and repaint.

Why did we go with undercoating an not regular paint? At the time we were working on the project it was cold out and the paint was acting weird and would wrinkle. We tried several times to get it right, but in the end we decided to go with undercoating and call it good.

If I do remove the undercoating and repaint I'll make sure the temperature is ideal for painting.

[Yanman]

I know, I know, this is a 4wheeling forum, not a bling bling, polished chrome, five shocks per wheel, 3ft lift, hydraulic lifted spinning bed, mall crawler / pavement princess / show truck forum.

However, this is my build thread and I still want to document every change I've done to my rig.

So without further delay, I present to you, Wet Okole seat covers:





The main reason for this mod is I want to save some wear and tear on the fabric of those seats, and I sold the cloth covers along with my original seats, so I needed replacements and these wet suit covers will do the job nicely.

Later I'll take off the red plastic trim, paint 'em and put 'em back on.

[Yanman]

The next addition to my rig was a little device to help tell me where the hell I am when wheeling and hiking.



I picked up this little guy from Amazon.com on sale along with some charging jacks and a dash mount. The big selling point to me was that it has topographical maps.

Here it is installed in my rig:

[Yanman]

The same time when I picked up those SR5 4Runner bucket seats I also grabed a tailgate from Yoda Jims.

The thought was that I needed something stronger to keep stuff in my bed other than a tailgate net or bungie cords.

It took me most of February 2012 waiting for the weather to cooperate and be warm enough to paint.

I used the same primer, base coat, and clear coat that were used for the bed bob.

Anyway, its done now and I like how it turned out. It was worth the wait.

All primed and ready for the base coat.



A few base coats and the tailgate logos, thanks again to the stencils I made when I painted the logos on my toolbox.



All done and on my rig.



The logos didn't come out as clean as I had hoped due to overspray, and brush strokes. I have to keep reminding myself that this IS a rockcrawler, and its not supposed to be pretty, just look good enough to keep the HOA Nazis happy.

This was a good test for how well the bed bob came out. Everything lined up perfectly and the tailgate opens and closes without running into anything. I just had to do some minor trimming on the spring latch bracket probably because the latch was off of a different model truck, or aftermarket.

[Yanman]

I will eventually start doing some night wheeling.

I already have offroad driving lights installed and I will install some rock lights.

My concern is over taxing the alternator.

I'm not sure if this mod will help but I thought it was worth a shot.

So the plan is to replace all the exterior lights that are on when night driving, the corner lights and the tail stop lights. I will leave the headlights off and use the offroad driving light on when wheeling.

This is done by replacing all of the OEM bulbs with LEDs.

So, I searched online to find LED replacement lights and found superbrightleds.com

Here come some before and after shots:

Front Corner Lights, OEM:



Front Corner Lights, LED, definately brighter!:



Tail Stop Lights, OEM:



Tail Stop Lights, LED, a little brighter but not much, they do use less juice:



The jury is still out as to how much this will help, so we will see.

[Yanman]

This mod got its start back in March 2011, when I got in on a group buy on this forum for some Nitro Gear ring and pinion gears from Sierra Expeditions.

When I was finalizing the sale the rep from Sierra Expeditions asked if he could do anything else for me. I jokingly said, "Well if you can cut me a deal on some ARB air lockers, I would be interested." He said he would get back to me.

When they got back to me I was shocked that they quoted the ARB air lockers at $200 per locker off of retail. So I said to myself, "I'd have to be stupid to pass up this deal!" So, I proceeded with purchasing the lockers.

At this point, both the gears and lockers have yet to be installed.

Naturally I needed an air compressor to actuate the lockers. At first I was going to do a Viair system, but then I noticed ARB came out with the CKMTA12 air compressor. So I placed an order with 4 Wheel Parts. I had to wait until November 2011 to pick it up, due to being on back order.

I also purchased the Tire Inflator Kit and Air Locker Manifold Kit.

So, here we are March 2012 and I'm ready to install the compressor and manifold, so here come the pics!

All of the ARB goodies:









Compressor and Manifold installed:



I wanted a clean looking installation for my switches, so I removed part of the dash that goes under the left driver's side vent. I reverse engineered the part by modeling it in my company's CAD system and added cutouts for the switches. Then I had the dash panel made using my company's 3D printer.



Finally I primed and painted the part.

Switches installed:



The gears and lockers may not be installed, but at least I can air up my tires and when I do get the lockers installed it will be plug and play.

[Yanman]

Moved from the original SAS/Lift post:

June 2012, around a year after the SAS/Lift project.

I am 90% happy with the SAS/lift and dual T-Cases so far. There are some issues that might need to be addressed. I did discuss these issues with the owner/operator of ToyCrawlers shortly after my build and he told me that they are not serious. But since the build and being around, seeing, and riding in other SASed/lifted rigs I'm not so sure.

So I've moved on from ToyCrawlers and talked with Scotty aka: ScottyC, owner/operator of Addicted Offroad, about these issues and here is what he thinks might be going on.

• I have a slight vibration when in 2WD when I get to around 2500RPMs.
  • The CV joints in the double cardon joint need to be rebuilt which is a BIG cause for the vibration. You would think that when the driveshafts where initially built that the shop would have re-built the CVs to begin with.
  • Scotty also thinks that rotating the rear axle housing so that the rear diff flange pointed at the rear drive flange of the T-case will help too.
• I get a BAD vibration when in 4WD at around 10mph from the front drive shaft.
  • Like the rear drive shaft the CV joints near the T-case need to be rebuilt. Again, why were these not re-built when the driveshaft was first built?
  • Also going with a double cardon joint would help too.
  • I also think that going to a high pinion 3rd will help too.
• Not sure if this is an issue or not but I don't have any bump stops.
  • No real issues with this
• I don't have any frame reinforcing at the base of the front shock hoops
  • No real issues with this, unless the shock hoops start to tear away from the frame
• The front shock hoops only have one brace welded to the engine mount.
  • Again not too serious.
• The Front shackles were not put in straight resulting in the shackle being twisted and cock-eyed and not allowing the springs to move correctly during flex.
  • Scotty can fix this but it is an extensive fix by cutting out the spring hanger spacer tube, replating the frame then putting in a new spacer tube. If I do this I will have to lower my rig by removing the HD spring from the front spring pack and get some 3" rear leafs, or go with a new set of regular 4" front springs. This way Scotty can get the shackels in the best angle.

After Scotty's evaluation I made an appointment on 6/2/12 to fix the following:

• Fix the vibration coming from the rear drive shaft, by having the rear drive shaft rebuilt and rebalanced and have the rear axle housing rotated.
• Weld on another brace for the front shock hoops
• Weld on a few more reinforcing plates for the front spring perch
• Cut off the stock steering pitman arm stop.

This should get my rig to ride nice and smooth down the road while in 2WD. The rest are just little extra reinforcing here and there.

Got it back from Addicted 6/16/12.

It rides nice and smooth when going 50mph or slower. I still have some vibration when going faster, due to the Heavy Duty Bomb Proof T-Case Mounts

I'll address the remaining issues at a later time.

[Yanman]

Moved from the original Engine job post:

Aug 2012:

My clutch started to go out when I would push my rig going over mountain passes. Ie: 3500 RPMs for extended amount of times.

My thoughts were:

1. that the clutch line passes real close to one of the exhaust header pipes and that possibly the hydraulic fluid was boiling inside the clutch line.
2. maybe there was a kink in the line someplace. When I installed my compressor and locker switches I zip tied the wire to the clutch line, and that maybe that was where the kink was at.

Also my Check Engine Light started to come on more frequently, and my Driver's side door got messed up a while back on a trail run so the door rod handle bracket finally broke and I could not open the door without using the inside handle. At one point the door locked itself and I couldn't get it open!

So I did the biggest do-it-yourselfers sin, I took my rig to a Toyota Stealership. So here comes my excuse. I just bought a house and at the moment I don't have time to work on my rig and I needed it to be working reliably ASAP.

Before that I tried to take it to a Just Brakes, because of it being a hydraulic clutch line. So they looked at it and refused to work on it because it would be a "custom job" and didn't want the liability. I think they just didn't want to have to climb into the lifted engine compartment.

Anyway, the dealership could not find a kink anywhere in the line but did move the clutch line away from the header pipe and didn't charge me for it.

They did charge me for the other stuff I had done, replace the bad O2 sensor and fix the outside driver's side door handle latch rod.

Unfortunately they only "bent" the rod back in place and replaced the plastic door handle fitting. The lock now binds up and I'm affraid to use the key for fear of breaking it off in the lock. The Stealership wants $400 for replacement parts. Looks like I'll be heading over to Yota Jim's for some used parts.

The jury is still out for the clutchline fix because the dealership could not duplicate the clutch failure, so we will see.

[Yanman]

It's finally done! My Gears and Lockers part of my build!

There are some issues, but I will get to that.

Around the middle of December 2012, I pulled my stock diffs and took them up to Addicted Offroad so Scotty could do the setups.

Anyway as stated earlier from the ARB Compressor post (post 18), I got the V6 Nitro Gear Ring and Pinions and the ARB air lockers from Sierra Expeditions.





I decided to go High Pinion on the front and got a High Pinion Conversion Kit from Trail-Gear.





Then I sold the 4 cylinder Master Install Kit and Ring and Pinion to a member of my chapter.

Along with collecting parts for the third members I also picked up new wheels and tires.

I wanted to try and keep things light and went with aluminum alloy wheels and got the Pro Comp Xtreme Alloy Series 8069-5883 15x8, 3.75 backspacing, 6 on 5.5 Bolt Pattern, which I picked up from 4 Wheel Parts.

Like most wheelers I prefer the old Style Goodyear Wrangler MT/R or the old BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM1s, but those old tires are getting more and more difficult to find.

So I decided to give the new Goodyear Wrangler MT/R Kevlars a try. The gear ratio I went with is 5.29 so that means 35s or bigger. The size of my new tires are 35x12.50r15s. I picked up 4 new tires from Discount Tires, and got an old spare from a chapter member.



I got everything installed just before 2013.



Thats the good news, here comes the bad news.

I have an air leak in my rear diff, probably something I did when I installed the 3rd member, and the front locker switch is not working. So, after I break in the new gears I'll try to solve the front locker switch issue, then take the rear end apart...AGAIN to try and find the air leak.

With this mod being done, the only thing left of my original drive train is the transmission, the rear axle housing, break assemblies, and axles.

UPDATE: February 2013

What a difference in performance re-gearing can make! I've always heard that from others who have re-geared and never really thought much about it, but WOW!

My rig performs like it did when it was stock, which with the 3.slow is not saying much, but I'll take it!

I'm still breaking in the gears for both diffs, so I have not had a chance to calculate my milage for 2WD. But I can tell you that driving in 4WD HI my milage SUCKS! I get around 7 MPG. Good thing its not my daily driver.

Also my speedometer is now reading a little more accurate. With the 33s and the 4.10s I was going 5 MPH faster than what my speedo indicated. With the 35s and the 5.29s, I'm going 2-3 MPH slower than what my speedo reads. So I imagine that if I go to 37s it will be right back to reading accurate MPH, lol.

UPDATE: March 2013

I believe I have found what was causing the air leak in my rear diff. I had a feeling that this might be the issue.

Anyway, anyone who has used the TRD e-locker knows that you have to "rock" the vehicle back and forth to get the gears in the locker to engage and "lock". Well same goes for my ARB. Once the gears engaged the air leak stopped.

[Yanman]

Feb 2013:

I am still in the process of breaking in the gears for my diffs, but this has resurrected some older issues.

As I said in the UPDATE: SAS/Lift and T-cases post I have some vibrations going at hiway speeds in 2WD and a real bad vibration when I'm in 4WD HI.

Well I believe I know the causes for the hi speed virations due to what Trail-Gear said about thier HD T-Case mounts.

I also think that I might have tracked down the 4WD HI vibration. This vibration is from the bottom of the T-Case rattling up against the crossmember.

This vibration was so bad that is started to shake loose mounting bolts, and I now have an oil leak coming from my T-Cases.

What I will do to try to improve and/or eliminate these vibrations is removing the T-Case crossmember and applying some rubber padding to the crossmember where the T-Case is rattling, and sandwitch some padding between the T-Case, the T-Case mount, the crossmember, and the frame.

If these vibrations do not improve, especially the 4WD HI vibration, I will see what going to stock T-Case mounts will do.

UPDATE: March 2013

Well, switching to stock V6 T-Case mounts and adding rubber padding did not do anything in mitigating the 4WD HI vibration. Which means that it's probably been the driveshaft all along, or something else.

Another vibration issue has popped up too. I noticed when installing the rear diff that the pinion flange was not perpendicular to the pinion shaft. I believe this has caused a BAD vibration coming from the rear diff going 40 mph or faster. So, one more thing to fix.

UPDATE: April 2013

This vibe issue is pissing me off! What really sucks is that I don't have the right tools to fix the problem myself, so back to the shop it goes.

Anyway, on with the saga.

I'm not comfortable with driving my rig on the highway, so I first tried to take my rig to a nearby Toyota Stealership. It was educational in that I'll never take my crawler to a traditional dealership again for anything that has been modified.

They were too freaked out to take any kind of liability on fixing the issue and refused to work on it. The thing is all that was done was swapping out the OEM parts and replacing them with aftermarket parts, ie: re-gearing the diffs! Anyway, they concurred with my assessment on what was causing the vibration on the rear diff. They also found a similar problem with the front diff too, but not as bad. They didn't even look into the vibration coming from the T-Cases.

The next step is to take a long slow drive up to Addicted Offroad and see if Scotty can do a better job.

Stay tuned...

UPDATE May 2013

Talked with Scotty and he fixed the issue with the rear diff, which was a spring that goes on before the flange that was not installed correctly. Scotty fixed that, no charge.

To stop the leakes coming from the T-Cases they need to be pulled, at least to stop one of the leaks. The other leak came from not having the 4WD switch intalled in the T-Case. A by product from when it was first installed. So, Scotty will pull the T-Cases, inspect them for anything else going on, like the T-Case vibration, reseal them and reinstall them.

The middle of this month I got my rig back from Addicted Offroad. My rear diff vibration is now fixed, so no more vibes from the rear end and it rides nice and smooth at speeds less than 45 mph. I still have high speed vibrations but they are tolerable.

Scotty didn't find anything wrong with the T-Cases other than my speedo gear was going bad. So, the 4WD vibe/rattle is still there. Also, when they dropped the T-Cases they had to drop the exhaust. When they put the exhaust back in it is now in a position where it rattles up against part of the frame. There is always going to be something.

[Yanman]

I purchased these Tube Doors from 4xInnovations a while ago and just now installed them. Bring on Summer!





As you can see I also got the Tube Door Mirror Kit and I got the Quick Release Hinge Kit too.

I plan on some future mods for theses doors, if it can be done. So stay tuned.

Oh, and "Why do you have the 33s back on?" you might ask. I need to get my rig in for an emissions test.