Howdy! whado i do?

[wentz912]

Howdy there guys! I'm new to the site so I thought I'd introduce myself and ask a question at the same time.

I'm from Kelso, Washington (about 1 hour North of Portland,OR) and I own a 1985 Toyota 4x4 SR5 with a 22R and 195k miles.

So that's me introducing myself, now for the real part of the thread, my question. What I want to do with my truck is make it into basically the ultimate hunting rig. Something that I can drive on the pavement out to the logging roads or deep into the back country and crawl right back out alive and smellin like roses (or freshly killed game), I've done some of the basics like I've gotten it repainted, and I've got some decent all around 30x9.50s for it, and an insulated, sealed canopy. But other than that, all the things ive heard of doing are either too hardcore wheeling like chopping up/off the suspension or sheetmetal or something like that, and I would like to know what i could do to make the truck go where I want to without spending a lot of money or tearing and welding every little bit apart.:ylsmoke:

Thanks

Wentz

 

[Grim Reaper]

Welcome aboard!

Your truck is a true "world truck" it was sold everywhere and built to a little different standard then the typical US market truck. It was built to handle exactly what you are planning in third world countries. It won't even bat an eye at what you want to do.

That said you can do some to improve it if you like. The rear springs are very prone to sagging. The front springs are a little stiff. You would be surprised at the ride improvement with a mild lift spring in the 2-3 inch range. It would be a bolt on affair. Old Man Emu has a nice set of springs as does Marlincrawler.com

Tire size. For your stock gearing your choice was good.

The truck can clear larger especially with a little bit of lift. A 33x10.5 does amazing things to these little trucks for offroad performance. It would be best to regear to 4.88 to get the truck back in its happy spot. 5.29 if you want to tow or haul a lot of weight.

The good news is with the third member design you can usually look around and find set up 3rds reasonably cheap. You can even swap in a TRD electric locker from the 90's trucks. Takes a little bit extra modification but easily done. When Diff shopping the 8 inch will be a bolt in for your axles. 4cyl or v6 will work. The V6 being a little more strong but with what you are planning the 4cyl would be fine.


The following are good sites for used parts and general knowledge. More prone to the rock crawl crowds but excellent tech available.

http://www.brian894x4.com/ He has a lot of travel prep write ups as well as a lot of Toytota information on his site. He is also a member of this site.
http://www.tacomaterritory.com/
http://www.pirate4x4.com/ Newbie's get hazed on that site so beware. The FAQ post in the Toyota truck forum is second to none. These folks have take Toyota trucks to places you would never dream. Be sure to read the newbie thread before posting.
http://www.ih8mud.com/ More geared to the Land Cruisers but again it has active classifieds and knowledgeable members
http://www.yotatech.com/ Well rounded board.
www.4Crawler.com Rodger has some great tech information on his site and he makes a few odds and ends. Of special interest are the electrical upgrades and repairs on Starters. Toyota Starters can be fixed on the cheap and he sells the parts.
http://www.4x4wire.com/ good tech write ups and a detailed how to install that 8.4 E-Locker in your truck.

www.Marlincrawler.com is one of the better sites for things like transmission parts, seal kits for the front axle etc. Marlin is a friend to all Stories of how far he has gone to take care of his customers abound. They also have a decent Forum run by Mike, Marlins Son. If you need a transmission rebuilt Marlin is considered the place to go.

And for back country travel (not rock crawling) I think you have found one of the best places right here. This site is unique in its attitude towards extended travel in the terrain you are planning to go on. It is more biased to extended trips and there are quite a few people making world trips to distant lands and thier prep and travel stories are good reads. :ylsmoke:

 

[BogusBlake]

:iagree:

Except, I would get an Aussie locker (maybe even a pair) instead of the factory e-locker. They're only $300.

I drove the piss out of my '85 on stock suspension and just a rear locker. Lockers and gears are hands down the most drastic way to increase offroad performance. Even crappy tires will grip when aired way down.

Take that swaybar off the front too- that'll help a little.

Oh yeah- Welcome!:wavey:

 

[Bergger]

Welcome. It all depends on how much you want to spend and what type of terrain you are going to drive. If it is going to be used for hunting and staying mostly on logging roads I'd do the following in this order: sliders, OME suspension, front winch bumper, winch (especially if you travel alone), 31-32" AT tires (may need to think about re-gearing with the 32"). These mods can all be simply bolt on, sliders may need to be welded.

 

[cruiser guy]

Lockers will be the biggest bang for your buck! Go with the Aussie lockers, they are inexpensive and work great just follow the instructions. They do not require any non-reversible modifications and are easy to install by anyone with basic tools and a feeler gauge.

 

[Scott Brady]

Welcome to ExPo.

You came to the right place for your build.

Having owned an 85 Toyota, I can say without question that they are one of the greatest vehicles of all time.

Here is my recommendation:

Load Capacity, Articulation and increased Clearance:

Old Man Emu Suspension: Gives about a 2" lift and can be set to the load you need. Very good ride (better than stock)

I have also tested the Northwest Springs. These guys are in your back yard:

Front Bumper: Animal Strike and Recovery

Install an ARB front bumper with an M8000 Warn winch. Animal strikes are common in WA, and so is mud. Get the winch before a locker.

Camping Comfort:

Build a storage and bed system in the back. Brians 89 is awesome, as well as Chris' BajaTaco. If the bed is a nice place to sleep and keep things organized, you will get out more.

This will all cost you about $2,500. If you have more money, then look into traction devices (you live in snow country, so be careful with automatic options). A Detriot Tru-Trac is a great solution from my experience. Then consider a fridge.

Have fun with the hunt :steak:

 

[wentz912]

Take that swaybar off the front too- that'll help a little.
QUOTE]

Which one are you referring to? The anti rap bar on the front axle? Let me know yo. And thanks for the warm welcome the rest of you guys:safari-rig:

 

[BogusBlake]

Which one are you referring to? The anti rap bar on the front axle? Let me know yo.

The one that goes from the little tower on the axle houseing forward to the frame helps a bunch with brake dive. Leave that one on until you really start messing with the suspension. Take the other one off- you won't miss it.

There's a bunch of (cheap) ways to improve the suspension with junkyard springs, but you have to weld new hangers for the rear. If you have to have bolt-on, OME's are probably the best.

If you want to know how to get monster travel from junkyard springs, check out my buggy build: Bogus Buggy Build

 

[wentz912]

The one that goes from the little tower on the axle houseing forward to the frame helps a bunch with brake dive. Leave that one on until you really start messing with the suspension. Take the other one off- you won't miss it.

There's a bunch of (cheap) ways to improve the suspension with junkyard springs, but you have to weld new hangers for the rear. If you have to have bolt-on, OME's are probably the best.

If you want to know how to get monster travel from junkyard springs, check out my buggy build: Bogus Buggy Build

Yeah I know most of the "junkyard" ways of doing suspension like RUF, Chebbies, Waggys and the like, but you're right, i need to go with bolt on, and I'm looking into the Old Man Emu's as I write this. I like the looks of the NWO springs too, how did you like them?

 

[BogusBlake]

I like the looks of the NWO springs too, how did you like them?

I have never used them personally, but I did a swap for a guy who had them, didn't like them, and couldn't get rid of them fast enough. He went with Explorer springs in back and two packs of RUF, BTW.

 

[wentz912]

I have never used them personally, but I did a swap for a guy who had them, didn't like them, and couldn't get rid of them fast enough. He went with Explorer springs in back and two packs of RUF, BTW.

oh sorry, i thought it was you that said you had tested them, it was expeditionswest. speaking of him, how did you like them pal?

back to you blake, isnt it correct in my understanding that most people use a dropped front spring hanger with RUF in order not to throw their pinion angle all to hell? and how does the explorer thing work? ive never heard of that one.

 

[BogusBlake]

back to you blake, isnt it correct in my understanding that most people use a dropped front spring hanger with RUF in order not to throw their pinion angle all to hell? and how does the explorer thing work? ive never heard of that one.

RUF can be run with a stock '85 spring hanger, that's how I run 'em. The castor is pretty slack, but I don't drive the truck that much on the street so I don't really care. The pinion angle isn't a problem. You can cut-n-turn the knuckles or reweld the spring pads, but that's more of a pain than just dealing with it.

Explorer springs are like Ranger springs, 57" long, nice and flat, but with a higher rate. You move your hanger forward and use a long shackle to keep the axle in the stock location.

 

[wentz912]

RUF can be run with a stock '85 spring hanger, that's how I run 'em. The castor is pretty slack, but I don't drive the truck that much on the street so I don't really care. The pinion angle isn't a problem. You can cut-n-turn the knuckles or reweld the spring pads, but that's more of a pain than just dealing with it.

Explorer springs are like Ranger springs, 57" long, nice and flat, but with a higher rate. You move your hanger forward and use a long shackle to keep the axle in the stock location.

Blah........still more frame welding then i want to do.....oh well, i still got OME to try....gotta find a decent bolt on deal

 

[BogusBlake]

Blah........still more frame welding then i want to do.....oh well, i still got OME to try....gotta find a decent bolt on deal

Been there and I feel sorry, but I understand.

Once you open your mind (and rig) to cutting and welding, you have SOOOO many more options for everything. Some people build whole trucks that are awesome while never touching a welder (check out the Supercamper).

IIRC, even Marlin's a Trail-gear's flexy spring kits require you to weld new hangers for the rear.

I think we're getting away from the intent of your thread. You're not building a flexy crawler. I'd lose that swaybar and just wheel it. You'll be amazed what that truck will do stock.

 

[kcowyo]

A popular comment on certain Toyota boards regarding North West Off Road and their customer service. Buyers beware...

N - No
W - Warranties
O - Or
R - Returns

And regarding the underwhelming 90HP 22R, I had one and I would suggest being careful about bolting on too much unnecessary stuff. Normally I would recommend a locker before a winch, but for hunting in the muddy PNW woods, I agree with getting a winch, even a handwinch or at least a come-a-long, sooner than later.

Keep the lift mild, 2-3", add the proper length shocks, flip the u bolts and get the most aggressive tread you can on a tire no bigger than a 32". This will give you good ground clearence and you avoid costly gear swaps. Get a good 5 gallon fuel can as the stock 17 gallon tank seems to empty quickly in the woods.