RMP&O's v8 80-series

[RMP&O]

Here is my new rear bumper. This Cruiser is the builders and not mine, obviously. Bumper will be here Tuesday. I had him leave it raw, unpainted, so I can change it around if I want. Cut & weld type changes. I will just be rattle canning it black until sometime in the future when it is exactly what I am after, at that time I will powder coat it. I might cut some lights into it, LEDs back up and brake, I might change the shelf a little bit, I need to add a license plate light. That is the kind of changes I am talking about. Overall I am happy with it and saved nearly $1000 over a CBI rear bumper.

I suppose I didn't post any pics of my sliders, I will do that. They are more like steps that can take a hit though than sliders. Which is what I wanted, this truck doesn't see the rocks much and accessing the roof is much more needed than rock protection.

Drove the Cruiser today. New Fox shocks are awesome but feel odd to me. Must be that the OME were pretty trashed and I was used to it. Not only did the OME have the issues I mention above but they only are taking 40psi or so to compress them so they were pretty much done. Ten years out of them though and now a nice upgrade. Going to take some seat time before I decide more on the Fox but so far I like them, easy to re-valve too.

Brake light switch seems to be working excellent. I also installed a scan gauge last night and am diggin' it. Fuel tracking and other features will be useful!

Oh ya and I was digging in some old boxes last night from when I set up my Taco. Found some quick fists I never used. One of them is the perfect size for the Vision X LED light. So I mounted the light to it and like it! The quick fist lets me mount the light just about anywhere, it is a really bright spot light-work light, I am pretty happy for $100. I also found my old hold downs for the Engel to the slide. I had customized some turnbuckles years back and plasti dipped the hooks. Works great and I am set on that now!

Cheers

 

[RMP&O]

Lot's more progress. Apologies if it seems like I am spamming my own thread but the Cruiser is in build mode with only 16 days left until departure.


Fabb'ed some brackets last night for the Baja Design lights out the back. These are just tabs mounted to the old rear jump seat mounts. Most of this stuff I am not planning out all that much, more winging it. I would like to set some things up a bit more permanent but time is aginst me and if I start running wires behind panels, mounting stuff in difficult to access location and so forth I will run out of time before the truck is ready.

Got a huge box of Toyota parts the other day. New wipers installed and a few other items last night. I bought new wiper arms and blades, the blades from Toyota were surprisingly cheap. Unfortunately my rear wiper arm is rusted up pretty badly, soaking the post with nut blaster.

Driveline is out and ready to ship off, shipping it out this afternoon for a rebuild.

Starting tonight or tomorrow I am tearing the front axle down to begin the cut & turn.

I don't plan to do anything for New Years besides work in the shop on the Cruiser. Matter of fact I am likely going to be in the shop everyday until I leave. Been in there everyday since Christmas already!

Cheers

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

What will you be using for an air source?

 

[Mauka2Makai]

That's some serious work going on with your 80... Loved your first thread traveling down south, looking forward to this one in an 80. Have fun, I know I'll be looking forward to the updates and pics. If your beach side take some pics of the surf as well if you don't mind. Thanks

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Coming along Ian, excited for you and your trip!

 

[RMP&O]

What will you be using for an air source?

Hey I have an old Viair compressor that I bought like 6yrs ago for my trips. It is still going strong so that will be my air source.

Cheers

 

[RMP&O]

That's some serious work going on with your 80... Loved your first thread traveling down south, looking forward to this one in an 80. Have fun, I know I'll be looking forward to the updates and pics. If your beach side take some pics of the surf as well if you don't mind. Thanks

Thank you!

I wish I had more time for the build, really feel like I am crunching to get everything I want done before departure. Would have started earlier on it but I had to finish out my work season and then get paid! That took more time then I like.

Last night I tore out my rear lower control arms. The bushings were cracked and looked original. Unfortunately I busted the arbor for the cheap press I have last summer. I screwed around for about 30 minutes trying to just use some steel plates as an arbor. Not going to work and dangerous so I fabb'ed up an arbor. That took me near a couple hours. I then attempt to press out the bushings and end up cursing Toyota a lot! They made these friggin' bushings a really odd size, like 2.18" rather than just an even 2". This makes finding the right die to press them out difficult. After struggling for a while I said screw it and out comes the sawzall! Five minutes later and bushings are out! Should have just started with the sawzall! I got a socket that is 2.10" outside diameter so using that to press in new bushes. Anti-sieaze on them too and cleaning up the bores with an 80grit round disc on my die grinder. That all took me longer than I would have liked. But I am on the down slope now. Oh ya and I took some angle iron and welded it to the bottom of the arm. Not uncommon for these arms to bend fairly easy and this angle iron should solve that prob for the foreseeable future.

I am not doing anything tonight other than working on my Cruiser in the shop. Stay focused!

Cheers

 

[RMP&O]

Here is some pics finally!

I actually am digging the steps/sliders. makes roof access way easy.

Had to paint this, got to represent!

The GM tre reamer I have been waiting on

My new and improved RLCA

I got a little artsy fartsy with it, notching the angle iron to wrap up and around the rod end.

Front Fox 2.0

Rears, ya I got the guard on them, have to on an 80!

old vs new bushing

Chevy brake light switch installed, only using for TCC at this time but other prongs can be used to set up cruise control

pile o' Toyota parts

All this stuff has to get installed in the next 2-weeks!

The arbor I made for pressing out bushings

Cheers

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Go Ian. That is a bundle of goodies to slap on

 

[RMP&O]

There is a thread on Mud about the GM y-link steering upgrade. There is debate as to whether or not the inserts are a concern. In my opinion it is a concern because the inserts require more than 10mm of material to be removed while just reaming the hole to fit the GM tre only requires under 5mm to be removed. I am not using the inserts in the conversion on my truck. Here's why....

GM tree at its thickest part

The insert

how much you have to drill out of the steering arm to fit the insert, a lot!

smart guys mark the depth on the reamer so not to go to deep

The other RLCA

Here is how I am mounting up my Baja Designs camp light out the back of the truck

Cheers

 

[Shanfari]

Your builds are always fun & educational All the best for you, Ian ^_*

 

[skibum315]

Awesome ... love it when builds come together (those little camp lights look great, BTW ... I may have to look into a few myself!). The payoff when you're cruising down there with everything put together, will absolutely be worth it ... but it's a lot of work to push through and get there, I know! Good luck!

 

[RMP&O]

Awesome ... love it when builds come together (those little camp lights look great, BTW ... I may have to look into a few myself!). The payoff when you're cruising down there with everything put together, will absolutely be worth it ... but it's a lot of work to push through and get there, I know! Good luck!

The only guys who get how much work this is are guys who work on their own trucks. It is a lot of labor, especially when things fight you and you must fight it to repair it. More than once in the last week or so I am exhausted when I finish for the day in the shop.


New ign. barrel in last night, super easy once you know how. Mine was nearly 25yrs old with 250,000 miles on it so it was sloppy and starting to stick. Brand new now, stoked.

Fought with my rear brakes for awhile last night. Friggin' rotor just didn't want to come off. Once new rotors on not easy to fit new pads too! Really tight fit. And I forgot how much I dislike adjusting drum brakes, ie the parking brake.


With that all done, today I am starting on the cut & turn.

Cheers

 

[Shanfari]

The only guys who get how much work this is are guys who work on their own trucks. It is a lot of labor, especially when things fight you and you must fight it to repair it. More than once in the last week or so I am exhausted when I finish for the day in the shop.


New ign. barrel in last night, super easy once you know how. Mine was nearly 25yrs old with 250,000 miles on it so it was sloppy and starting to stick. Brand new now, stoked.

Fought with my rear brakes for awhile last night. Friggin' rotor just didn't want to come off. Once new rotors on not easy to fit new pads too! Really tight fit. And I forgot how much I dislike adjusting drum brakes, ie the parking brake.


With that all done, today I am starting on the cut & turn.

Cheers

Washing the car by myself is by far the hardest work ever done by me, lol!

 

[RMP&O]

Oh fun!

It is 4:30 am, just finished 15hrs in the shop. Front axle is ready to go for c&t but one big problem. I had birfield soup on the RHS, knew about it for 3+ weeks now. Not a Huge deal as 1 year ago I put in a cheapo local auto store mini truck seal on that side. Surprised it lasted a year. However, upon tear down I find sand in my knuckle from last run in the dunes. Not stoked! Only 1,000 miles or so on it since the dunes run so hoping I am ok. Everything but the knuckle is cleaned via parts washer. Tomorrow decide if bearings and such are trashed enough to replace. Hoping not, less than 40k miles on knuckle rebuild, probably only like 25k. Georg rebuilt it shortly before I got the truck and I have put 20k on it in the last 16 months.

Oh well, if I need a rebuild kit, Kurt you are my man, be calling ya first thing Monday morning.

Cheers