1st Gen 4x4 Trekker build *opinions needed*

[Magnum Johnson]

First of all I want to say how much I love reading these forums and it has really contributed to me wanting to build a Expo vehicle. I figure that my truck will likely fit in here since it is mostly a 4runner...kinda...

I just purchased my first off road capable vehicle and I want to set it up as a pseudo expo rig the only problem is that im a total off road novice and im just looking for opinions, ideas, tricks, and tips. Im a decent fabricator, own a TIG and MIG welder, and former mechanic with a background in high horsepower domestic cars and Toyota Supra's.


My Supra for personal background ref.
http://s51.photobucket.com/albums/f387/IceMacchiato/Supra/

Now onto my little turd truck, its an 81' Toyota Trekker with:

Old school lift (dual shocks that beat you to death)
Rear auto locker (don't care much for it, but it works)
Provisions for a winch that is no longer there
Roof rack
Tube front bumper
31' Toyo At's with 3.90's (its geared too high but seems to be "ok")

The rest of the truck looks to be mostly stock and has working AC/Heat etc. It runs well and passed SMOG with room to spare.

Here is a list of work that will be done to it:

General engine/drivetrain rejuvenation.
Front knuckle rebuild
Front springs (flat)
U joints
Tie rod ends
Resealing most of the engine and transfer case seal
Marlin Clutch (when mine fails)
Replace seats with something that doesn't cause spinal damage
Possibly replace the clutch fan with an good electric fan
**Getting rid of the Dual shocks, need advise there**
Swing away spare tire carrier
Winch
Auxiliary tank in place of factory spare tire location
Rear Bumper (factory Trekker one is just dumb)
Some sort of Lighting, opinions needed.
Later on down the road im considering a TDI or 22RE/2.7 swap.


I picked this thing up to be my new DD and its driven 6 miles to work but I want it to be able to be taken on extended weekend trips as far as the Sierras. On the top of my priory list is getting rid of the dual shock Bulls**t thats beating me to death, so I need advise there for sure. Also I have read through all the do not's of vehicle modifications and really appreciated them! Also very important to me is building this thing on a budget, I got it to lose a car payment because my wife and I have our first kid on the way.

Here's my little Turd!
(she's a bit surface rusty, spent her life on the coast)

 

[alextreme76]

love trekkers! cool poopra to! :smiley_drive:

trekkers are built off the 79-84 pickup so you can use any manufacture suspension for those, All-Pro, Rancho, etc. having the extra weight in the back will wear out pickup springs fast. you may want to look at Deavers with the extra weight in the back and if you are adding a winch. http://www.deaverspring.com/ those dual shocks look pretty bad, the lift block in the rear has to go to, blocks cause greater axle wrap.

otherwise you got a pretty clean looking rig esp considering how rare trekkers are.

 

[Martinjmpr]

Awesome vehicle! That has the 20R engine, correct? 1800cc, IIRC.

I remember when those came out, I thought they were a great idea then.

 

[Magnum Johnson]

Thanks guys!

Should I look into some 3" or so springs/shocks to replace the tired old setup with the blocks?

Its a 22r, only vehicle with a carb I have ever seen not need a carb rebuild after it was sitting for years.

 

[corax]

Sweet base to start from, always dug that body style :smiley_drive:

If you haven't already, check here for any of the body parts you might need. Corey from Toyota Fiberglass is currently working on a full restore and even has a Trekker conversion kit in the works.

One other suggestion since you're already familiar with the Supra - you said you'll be freshening up the engine and drivetrain, have you given any thought to swapping in a 7MGE? At the very least, look into ditching the "L" series transmission for a W56 for a little bit of added strength

*edit* If you're thinking of going with a diesel swap make sure to research California's swap laws first. I just about had my 7M swap through the Referee system before they shut down for the budget crisis in late 2008, then I moved out of state. If you can do a diesel, you might also want to consider a Mercedes OM617 turbo diesel - IIRC, it mates to the Toyota transmission with a simple adapter plate between the bellhousing and engine.

 

[Magnum Johnson]

Sweet base to start from, always dug that body style :smiley_drive:

If you haven't already, check here for any of the body parts you might need. Corey from Toyota Fiberglass is currently working on a full restore and even has a Trekker conversion kit in the works.

One other suggestion since you're already familiar with the Supra - you said you'll be freshening up the engine and drivetrain, have you given any thought to swapping in a 7MGE? At the very least, look into ditching the "L" series transmission for a W56 for a little bit of added strength

I have been in touch with Corey already and im going to be getting my much needed rear latch and weather seal from him.

The thought has crossed my mind about a 7m swap, but im not really a big fan of the "M" series engines, if anything I would do a 2jzge. I think the issue is the weight of the Toyota straight six engines, the length, and the fact that I would need to beef up everything that the engine turns. I think I would be more happy with a TDI but it would cost me an arm and a leg to do it.

 

[corax]

Oops, looks like I was "editing" while you were replying - check out the OM617 diesel (link above), might be cheaper than the TDI swap.

As far as drivetrain strength: you don't really have to worry about the axles or transfer case. The "L" transmission might be limiting factor. My W56 trans has pulled a 2 ton enclosed trailer from coast-to-coast 3 times already, but admittedly has just started to make a bit of noise (though my driving habits probably don't help).

 

[refried]

Looks nice. I see lots of Downey Toyota parts on it, many of them on my truck too.
I had the same dual shock setup on my truck 25 years ago , I didn't like it either, I ran single rancho 7000s for a while but when I broke a spring 15 or 16 years ago I went with KYBs and Northwest Offroad springs. They ride hard too but they are not as bad as dual 5000s, the springs are a little stiff but not as bad as people say they are. My truck does lots of hauling firewood so I'm not that concerned about he smooth ride as I am about getting 3/4 of a cord of wood on a shortbed Toyota (8' logs more than cab high).
For lights I'm using Hella lights with 90/120 watt bulbs (with relays), they give me more than enough light (I'm sure the bulbs aren't legal in CA. but the replacement lenses are with 50 or 60 watt bulbs).
I have a 10 gallon plastic tank that fits above the spare, never installed it but I will someday.
I'm running 3.90s again, they work well with the Buick 231, turbo 350 and 32" tires. I've been running a Lock-Rite in the rear for 20 years without problems other than planning ahead for corners.
You'll have no problems with the transfer case or axles if you do a swap, I've only broken one ring gear in 30 years

edit-I had a hoop for the front shocks, not the kit that just doubles them up on the same mounts.

 

[PirateMcGee]

if you're thinking motor swap I would go with a 3rzfe
as for the dual shocks I would go to a junk yard and find the stock parts and swap those back on with some correct length bilsteins or kyb's

 

[refried]

All the parts are still there if you remove the double shock kit, I don't see a hoop for the upper mount so it has the kit that just doubles up the shocks. On the rear I'm only using one of the two sets of shock mounts (I have the same truss).

 

[hillbillyjake]

check out acme adapters for the tdi swap i have also been looking at this or a om617the past couple days. check the toyota section on pirate 4x4 and search for tdi and om617. lots of good info and maybe not as involved as you might think

i don't know if you've been to pirate yet or not, but be warned. they are not as new guy friendly as expo. there are probably prisons that are more new guy friendly, but a lot of good info none the less.

welcome to portal and good luck with the build.

 

[Dave Bennett]

Toyota Trekker

Welcome to ExPo!

Just in case you haven't figured it out, you sir have found a rare rig! Very much worth restoring IMO.

The Toyota Trekker was a conversion done by Winnebago, very rare truck:

http://www.toyotatrekker.com/

http://www.yotatech.com/wiki/index.php?title=Pre_84_Trucks_FAQ&diff=prev&oldid=477&printable=yes

http://www.toyotaoffroad.com/articles/Toyota/Trekker/Trekker.htm

The Toyota Trailblazer was a conversion done by Griffith, uber rare truck:

http://www.ernestflores.net/hilux/images/1983_griffith/spread.htm

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=10138536

Both were ahead of their time and as a result of these collaborations the 4Runner was born

There is also a fairly rare 2 door Gen II 4Runner out there in small numbers.

Here is a great thread with pics of the uber rare NA spec Gen II 2 door 4Runner:

http://yotatech.com/f116/1990-2-door-4-runner-rare-31590/

From Wiki:
"Nearly all second generation 4Runners were 4-door models; however, from 1989 to 1992, a 2-door model was also produced. These models are similar to the 4-door models of the time in that the bodies were formed as a single unit, instead of the fiberglass tops used in the first-generation 4Runners. Two-door 4Runners from this era are extremely rare, and were discontinued in August 1992, probably due to higher importation duties and owner insurance costs."

 

[slus]

Nice Trekker! I'm very jealous. I wanted one of those, but never could find even a 1/8th decent one! I settled on an 84 4runner instead and love that too, but the trekker is just too cool.

Hmm where to start...maybe with some of the things I have really enjoyed on my 4runner.

Drivetrain-Davezoffroad built 22r with a mild cam, rebuilt carb, LC Engineering tubular header and a 2.25" exhaust. Love the setup. It's not fast, and never will be, but the stock motor pulled 308k and still ran pretty decent when I pulled it. I think that's toyota's secret to reliability...not enough power to hurt yourself.

Brakes- I lived, and the 4runner still lives, in the Sierra foothills. The stock non vented brakes were downright scary sometimes, even just tooling around with no load. They faded like crazy. I put a set of Tundra brakes mounted with Front Range Off Road's brackets. They used machined down IFS hubs and a spacer/mounting ears. It also widens your front track 3.625". I now have a set of vented 13" beefy rotors up front. You do have to tear into the whole axle to set it up, but dollars to donuts your front axle is due for a rebuild anyway. Look for seepage under the knuckles. It's not hard, but it is messy, and does take time. A good rebuild kit with bearings runs about 150. I put a 3" wider rear axle with the larger drum brakes of an 86 pickup in the rear. Add in a 1" master cylinder and I have a very, VERY good braking system.

Clutch- I have a marlin crawler super HD and it's great. Doesn't feel like any noticeable increase in pedal pressure and hooks up great.

Other Stuff
A good trick for seats is to get buckets out of a newer 4runner. I used the sport seats out of a 94 Limited with adjustable side and leg bolsters, and lumbar support. Get two drivers side seat backs for the adjustment, that way your passenger rides comfy as well. The sliders were NOT a bolt on to my runner, but the seat backs and bottoms were a direct swap onto my 84 4runner frames, I think I drilled one hole for the bolster adjustment.

Suspension- I haven't done it yet, but go Old Man Emu:sombrero: 2.5" (actually a little higher) lift, complete with everything you need, should come in around a thousand bucks.

Graphics-
I love my retro graphics. JamesDeanCreations remakes all the totally awesome 80s graphics for our toyotas, you could get some for a 1st gen pickup I bet.

Any other questions, just ask.

 

[slus]

The more I look, the more I realize your suspension setup is 100% funky. I'm guessing it was put on before I was born, I've never seen those weird bolt on brackets for the double steering stabilizer, and what I can only assume is supposed to be some sort of truss, connected by weird u bolt plates, and different shock towers. Good thing you have a welder, although most things look bolted on, you might be changing some stuff around there.

 

[Toyotero]

Great looking Trekker! Those mods look like they were all installed in 1982 and never changed.... interesting historic pieces, buuuuuttttt gots to go! (see www.allprooffroad.com, www.marlincrawler.com, www.www.trail-gear.com, etc, etc)

if you're thinking motor swap I would go with a 3rzfe
as for the dual shocks I would go to a junk yard and find the stock parts and swap those back on with some correct length bilsteins or kyb's

Ditto on the 3RZ. The 7M is a great engine but personally I'd dig dropping a modern Toyota 4 cylinder in it.


edit : PS, nice Supra! Is that a 2jzgte?