slow, budget built '89 toyota pickup expedition rig
- Thread starter xlcaferacer
- Start date
xlcaferacer
Adventurer
Function before fashion!
xlcaferacer
Adventurer
Took one last pre-winter trip to the San Rafael Swell in Utah in order test out my new setup. It worked well! Better than I could have expected. Rear tires rubbed minimally on the frame rails, so minimally that I am not going to worry about it. Organization of camping gear, tools and parts was phenomenal. And the truck performed well on the trail. We camped for 3 nights and played for 2 days on various trails. It was such a good weekend that I am now ready to be done for the year. Bring on winter!
red EOD veteran
Adventurer
Really like the organized design of the flatbed and how you kept the tent even with the top of the cab. How difficult is the spare tire removal?
Well built rig, good job
Well built rig, good job
xlcaferacer
Adventurer
Tire is heavy. I can access the two ratchet straps holding it in from the driver side really easy. I've got about 6" of spare room between the tent and tire; so enough to work with when necessary. Once it's untied I can roll it up over the box and kind of lay it on top of the box and the tent, climb down, and then lower 90 lbs of tire and wheel to the ground. Or, I can unload the cargo under the tent and slide it out the back. Either way it's a bit of a pain but still doable.
I've only had to change a tire on the trail a couple times in 20 some odd years, so I'm good with it. I carry a plug kit and a compressor so the spare is last resort anyway. It's better than dealing with a swing out tire carrier every time you want to access stuff in the bed.
I've only had to change a tire on the trail a couple times in 20 some odd years, so I'm good with it. I carry a plug kit and a compressor so the spare is last resort anyway. It's better than dealing with a swing out tire carrier every time you want to access stuff in the bed.
I just read through the entire thread. I love your truck, in all it's various stages, but where it's at now with the flatbed, boxes and RTT, is just AWESOME! Very inspirational build. I had a 90 extra cab with the 3.0. Your build makes me miss it.
Keep exploring in that 'slow budget build'. :elkgrin:
Durwin
Keep exploring in that 'slow budget build'. :elkgrin:
Durwin
SirWilliamGoes
Adventurer
Sweet truck.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk
xlcaferacer
Adventurer
Tyler, I had a blast on the trail. It was good to meet you and I hope to run into you on the trail in the future.
Thanks everyone else for the kind words. The truck has definately been an evolution of sorts. I love where it's at now and I just need to do a little maintenance before spring and she should provide me with another season of travel and fun. With all the snow we've gotten already this year I am already dreaming of sunshine and dirt roads to explore.
xlcaferacer
Adventurer
I’m going to revive this thread from the dead zone. A lot has happened in the last couple of years. I’ve added a lot more “fun stuff” to make the truck more capable on the trail. It has taken me on a lot of adventures to some really cool places with some really cool friends; many of which I have met because I have slowly been building my truck to go to these cool places. Honda motorcycles had a tag line in the 70’s that stated “you meet the nicest people on a Honda”. I have found this to be true in the off-road world as well, although I would now change the tag line to: “you meet the nicest people in a Toyota!”
As of my last post the truck was built with just enough stuff to make it fairly capable on the trail. It had a ball joint spacer lift up front and Old Man Emu springs in the rear (basically a 1 1/2” lift) with 4.7 gearing in a single transfer case and a Detroit locker in the rear axle with 4:88 gearing, and I had just added a 1” body lift on the cab to clear 35’s. This setup worked great even though suspension travel up front was limited.
To compensate for having a front wheel in the air a lot of times; or what seemed like all the time, I made my biggest purchase yet for the truck. I ordered a built front ifs differential from Marlin Crawler. 4:88 Yukon gears with an ARB air locker. Wow!
Swapped some old parts over to the new parts, installed a compressor, and “off-road magic” now happened at the push of a button. Game changer! Like I said, this was the most $$ I have spent on the truck and it was $$ we’ll spent. It not only strengthened my front differential but the added traction while having a wheel in the air is awesome. It also adds a level of security to the CV Axles as power is now split constantly 50/50 to the Axles, as opposed to an open differential where all of the power is being sent to the axle in the air. In an open differential scenario this equates to 100% of that power being sent to spinning wheel in the air when it touches the ground. Ouch! With the 50/50 bias it lessens the chance of breaking a CV axle by 50%.
As a side benefit the ARB allows you to turn by turning it off. The steering parts on these trucks aren’t that strong, and not having to turn a locked front end saves a lot of wear and tear on these parts.
Final major upgrade is to the front suspension. I haven’t cut it off yet to do a solid axle swap, I am still rocking independent front suspension. I did upgrade it though. I bought a kit from Blazeland that offers a “weld it yourself” option. It entails cutting your lower A-arm in half and extending it by welding it back together using the supplied tube extensions and pre cut metal plating. For the top A-arm it includes a weld together extension piece. Don’t have photos of the kit but it’s basically a poor mans version of a long travel kit. But it works well!
With the Blazeland long travel kit I doubled my front suspension travel. I went to Moab a few weeks ago and the truck did amazing. I ran ran the Golden Spike and Steel Bender trails and had a blast. Could I have done them in the past without a front locker and a long travel suspension? Yes. But, with these improvements I didn’t have to worry as much about traction, tippyness, or if I was going to break something. Piece of mind makes for a much more alert driving experience and a happier day on the trail.
This truck has been slowly built over a lot of years, as funds have allowed, it’s paid for and I love it! No excuses; start building yours and learn as you go, frustrate the heck out of yourself but don’t give up. The end result can be a fun truck and a wealth of knowledge.
As of my last post the truck was built with just enough stuff to make it fairly capable on the trail. It had a ball joint spacer lift up front and Old Man Emu springs in the rear (basically a 1 1/2” lift) with 4.7 gearing in a single transfer case and a Detroit locker in the rear axle with 4:88 gearing, and I had just added a 1” body lift on the cab to clear 35’s. This setup worked great even though suspension travel up front was limited.
To compensate for having a front wheel in the air a lot of times; or what seemed like all the time, I made my biggest purchase yet for the truck. I ordered a built front ifs differential from Marlin Crawler. 4:88 Yukon gears with an ARB air locker. Wow!
Swapped some old parts over to the new parts, installed a compressor, and “off-road magic” now happened at the push of a button. Game changer! Like I said, this was the most $$ I have spent on the truck and it was $$ we’ll spent. It not only strengthened my front differential but the added traction while having a wheel in the air is awesome. It also adds a level of security to the CV Axles as power is now split constantly 50/50 to the Axles, as opposed to an open differential where all of the power is being sent to the axle in the air. In an open differential scenario this equates to 100% of that power being sent to spinning wheel in the air when it touches the ground. Ouch! With the 50/50 bias it lessens the chance of breaking a CV axle by 50%.
As a side benefit the ARB allows you to turn by turning it off. The steering parts on these trucks aren’t that strong, and not having to turn a locked front end saves a lot of wear and tear on these parts.
Final major upgrade is to the front suspension. I haven’t cut it off yet to do a solid axle swap, I am still rocking independent front suspension. I did upgrade it though. I bought a kit from Blazeland that offers a “weld it yourself” option. It entails cutting your lower A-arm in half and extending it by welding it back together using the supplied tube extensions and pre cut metal plating. For the top A-arm it includes a weld together extension piece. Don’t have photos of the kit but it’s basically a poor mans version of a long travel kit. But it works well!
With the Blazeland long travel kit I doubled my front suspension travel. I went to Moab a few weeks ago and the truck did amazing. I ran ran the Golden Spike and Steel Bender trails and had a blast. Could I have done them in the past without a front locker and a long travel suspension? Yes. But, with these improvements I didn’t have to worry as much about traction, tippyness, or if I was going to break something. Piece of mind makes for a much more alert driving experience and a happier day on the trail.
This truck has been slowly built over a lot of years, as funds have allowed, it’s paid for and I love it! No excuses; start building yours and learn as you go, frustrate the heck out of yourself but don’t give up. The end result can be a fun truck and a wealth of knowledge.
Overlandtowater
Well-known member
Yes! I love the early IFS Toyotas! I almost want to stick my 82 body on my 86 frame just so I can utilize a blazeland kit!
Thanks for typing this whole thread, I enjoyed the evolution! My buddy had a red short cab in Gunny for a few years I always enjoyed the valley (visiting from Santa Fe) ! Headed to MOAB soon to see that same friend and I just bought a front locker !!!
I was wondering what will happen to your BJ lift after the LT kit? shoot me an email if you wanna sell them on. rjz5400@hotmail.com
Thanks!
I was wondering what will happen to your BJ lift after the LT kit? shoot me an email if you wanna sell them on. rjz5400@hotmail.com
Thanks!
xlcaferacer
Adventurer
Thanks rzj. It’s been a fun evolution. As I upgrade I am keeping old parts that are still good because these are good trucks and I will probably own another one someday.