Rig of the Bi-Week Via Gittinit

[gittinit]

Rig of the Bi-Week I'll try to update a lil everyday till I'm cought up with the last 4 years, but I don't have any pics of my truck before the exo, except on film, so there is gonna be quite a few undocumented details.
1st a pic to show how my rig sat as of new years.



I Bought my 85 toyota in the summer of 04, after breaking my then dd/wheeler an 85 fullsize Blazer, on 3/4 ton axles. I would wheel with some friends with ifs toys, who would go everywhere I went , but they were wheeling on 32" tires, while I was wheeling a powerfull, big tired TRUCK! I would break something almost everytime I wheeled, but they wouldn't, so I decided to downgrade, or so I thought at the time.

I bought a 85 reg cab toy from a friend at work, he said it was sitting for about a year, and was wrecked but ran. I took a look, handed over $450 , and drug my new scrap heap home. From here things started to move slow, as I had to fix the damage caused from the wreck, and try to make a capable rig out of a truck I wouldn't expect to make the 10 mile round trip to work and back home.

I tore the drivers fender off, and inspected the frame, to my suprise it was bent, and bent bad. Convinced it was just gonna be a temporary fix I used 3 trees at my friends house, some logging chains, and a 3 1/2 ton chain, comealong to straighten the frame to the point that I was satisfied. I then picked up a fender that matched the same color as the faided (red) pink truck, bolted it on and started to get it back to driveable condition, by cleaning it up, changing all the fluids, filters, and cleaning an inch of dust off of the dash and windows.

[gittinit]

Finally I had a truck to start making a trail rig from. I got a set of add a leafs, to put up front from a friend, and some blocks, for the rear. I was then a little to low in the front still, and my 31x12.5 boggers that I picked up from a local jeeper, were rubbing pretty bad. I took a sledge to the pinch weld, and added some oru lift shackles for the final clearance. Next up was some armor, so all my hard work didn't go to waste. I bought a tube bender, and borrowed a welder,bent some tube and got the front bumper put together. I bent some tube for sliders at the same time, but had to return the welder befor I could install them. I took the bent tubing pices to a dirt track racing friends house an had him weld the sliders up, and mount them to the truck. Next up I pulled the rear 3rd welded the spidergears together , and installed a lockright in the front.

I wheeled it for a while like this, till I blew the motor. I rebuilt it basically back to stock condition with a 60 over bore, but pretty much stock, and cheap as possible. It was down for about 6 months while I was building the motor, and most of my friends moved on to different hobies.

I did get to wheel a few times, and make some new friends, but I wasn't satisfied with the truck. I didn't know where to turn, but I had too much invested to stop, so I decided to tear my truck down, fix some issues and upgrade to something bigger, badder, better.

The frame was rusted behind the gas tank, the suspension didn't work as well as it could have, and the bed was beat due to me learning how to manuver my rig offroad. I needed some rollover protection, and didn't feel secure taking my then 5 year old son out wheeling on the rough stuff. It was a going little truck though and would wheel with all the local jeepers, no problem. It would take a little more work, to manuver it due to the pushpull steering, so that had to go as well.

I pulled the bed and inspected the frame, and decided it wasn't worth keeping. Out came the sawzall, and off came the narrow rear, and all the frame from the cab back. This is where the good stuff got started!

More to come.... Lots of pics too

[2ndGenToyotaFan]

Nice truck!!! Can't wait for more pics!!!

[rockrash]

More pics more pics thats a good lookin truck keep up the pic.

[gittinit]

Here I was with ahlf a truck on stands in my garage, and just an idea to start with. I wanted a simple cheap, and reliable toy I could load up in and run down to the local playgroung aka offroad area. I was thinking some 33s and all the saftey stuff to help me feel more confortable bouncing around the trails, with the kids in the truck. I picked up some 2x4x 3/16, and 2x3x3/16 wall tube to rebuild my frame. I inboarded some rear 63 chevy springs, while I was rebuilding the rear section of frame. I tapered my new framerails in just enough that my springs mount inside the rails at the hanger, and the shackles sit just under the corner of the frame rails in the rear. I finished off the rear suspension with some procomp 3" lift cherokee shocks a friend had lying around that he never used on his jeep.
Then it was on to the front. I used my origonal rear springs in the front with the lift shackles I mentioned earlier, and a custom drop spring hanger, with about 1 1/4 inch of drop and mounted it 1" forward from stock. With the rear springs I ended up with my front axle about 2 1/2 to 3" forward from the stock location. I finished off the front with some 85 f250 shock mounts, and some rancho 9012 shocks.

[gittinit]

This will take way too much time to tell it step by step. Who really wants to read that anyhow. I'm just gonna post pics and a list of specs . Yall can ask questions about the details if you want and I will be glad to answer em.

85 regular cab
22r /38 webber carb, and k/n filter bored 60 over and rebuilt by me
Marlin crawler highsteer crossover Hydro assist with 1 1/2x 6"stroke cylinder
Marlin dual cases with stock 2.28 gears
30 spline longfield superaxles, and cromoly hub gears
5.29 Yukon ring and pinions front(lockright)
5.29 v6 rear(Welded)
36 13.5 Iroc bias ply tires on 15x8 wagon wheels/ weld on beadlocks, powdercoated black with red rings
Square 1/4 wall front shaft, 3/16 wall rear shaft(not balanced)
Exo cage 1 3/4x 1.20 wall HREW
Warn 8264 upright winch
Front suspension-Origonal rears up front with s-10 rears added ORU lift shackles Rancho 5012 shocks 2" wheel spacers
Rear suspension- inboarded 63"chevy springs, and homemade shackles, and homemade taller than stock perches procomp shocks
Aftermarket seats, verry nice, tunerFX
Tube, and full doors
Custom diff armor, shaved rear housing.
cooler mount and tool box built into flatbed
T cases tucked up for a almost flat bottom side

I'm shure there is more, but I can't think of it right now. Presently going 4 seater with a walk through cab,fold and tumble seat.

[gittinit]

[dirtoyboy]

I got some!

[gittinit]

the cage got a few braces behind the cab, and some triangulation on the roof, last fall.

[gittinit]

after the beefing of the cage.

[douglashuft]

nice looking exo. I love the idea of the protection but hate how most exos look. Yours looks good.

[gittinit]

thanks. Its gonna look way different after this weekend. I have to add to the back for the 4 seat conversion, I'm currently working on. Its gonna change the entire look of the cage. I hope its still appealing to the eye.

[douglashuft]

4 seat conversion is tempting, I almost went that route but bought an 80 instead.

[gittinit]

Well for a long time it was just me and my son in the truck. My wife and daughter were never all that into wheeling. My wife has since taken a new job, and works weekends. I needed more room so everyone has a seatbelt. Now I can take the whole family for a weekend getaway, and no one will be left out not even the dog. Its gonna be COLD in the winter. I may have to fab up a soft top of sorts. My mother-in-law does apholstery work, so mabye I can figure out something.

[gittinit]

Here is a crappy teaser pic, of the fold and tumble seat I mounted in the rear, along with the fenderwells I fabbed up to keep the passengers and myself safe from debris.

[WristPin]

its bad ass

[jonah tapert]

that is bad and the extra seat is killer but the poor folks in the rear are going to get stuff on them unless you go slow

[gittinit]

Slow? Yea I can crawl, but I have an interesting relation ship with the right pedal. I show it a little lovin from time to time. I built inner fender, and all that , and I do not plan to mud bog this thing. Well I might if its hot and everyone needs a shower.

[M3TAL D0RK]

don't see alot of rear seats like that. looks good. looks fun!

[gittinit]

Its a jeep yj rear seat.



Here are a couple pics from last weekend right before I dropped my camera in the water on the 1st trail.

[fortysixandtwo]

Your rig has always been one of my favorites man. I love that thing

Always cool to see someone who thinks they are downgrading then later realize they accomplished nothing more than the ultimate upgrade going to toyota

[gittinit]

I went to hotspring in April and the front was making a loud clicking nois when turning. Yea I broke the pins in the lockright. The locker would disenguage still but only when bound up hard in a turn. I tore it all down to find the center pin throught the differential broken in two as well as all 4 dial pins sheard. I broke the pins and they turned sideways in their holes causing the locker to stay enguaged. I also inspected the longfield axles to find that the cage on the drivers side birfield had a crack between 2 of the balls.

I sent the birfs off to bobbylong for warranty, and then struggled with the idea of isntalling the lockright back into the diff, only to break it again. I called around for some insight and opinions, then ordered a Detroit Locker.

Oh yea, I also got a bikini top made for the back.

I went out last weekend and tested it, everything is working well. I'm off to FlatNasty this coming weekend for a family wheeling weekend. Hopefully I will have pics as long as my camera hold up.

[gittinit]

Thanks 46&2.

[WristPin]

is that a warn 8274? does it interfere with the cooling at all?

[gittinit]

Originally Posted by WristPin

is that a warn 8274? does it interfere with the cooling at all?

Yes it is and it blocks the majority of the grill. I run the 2core rad (the small one) and my truck has no ac condensor, couse it was as base as a base model gets. It didnt even have power steering. It dosent get hot, but it warms up quickly. I don't drive this thing on the road for anything longer than 15 mins to the local wheeling spots either.

[gittinit]

I just got back from FlatNasty last weekend. Here are a couple video clips, and a couple pics of me and my Arkansas buddies.

[liljlandon]

Whose that nagging in the background? lol

Where in arkansas are you? You hit HotSprings? Cass?

[gittinit]

Originally Posted by liljlandon

Whose that nagging in the background? lol

Where in arkansas are you? You hit HotSprings? Cass?

I can't blame her for nagging, one fella in our group had stuck his leg out to catch his jeep earlier in the day. She is going to school to be a sugar moma, um I mean nurse, and currently works in a hospital, so she sees what happens when peole do stupid stuff. I can't blame her for being conscerned. Notice I was the only one in the vehicle, in those shots. When things get hairy everyone else gets out!

I'm in north east arkansas, Paragould to be exact. I have been switching back and forth between hot springs and FlatNasty for my trip for the last couple years now. I cant decide which park I like better, couse both are so different. I havent been to cass, but I also havent heard much good about it. I'm wanting to stretch my legs a little and make trip to other places, but I'm not didicated to anywhere yet.

You from arkansas as well? Where are you located? The next trip I have planned is the arttora event at hotsprings in september. You should come join in on some trails.

[x factor]

We were fortunate enough to be able to join you and you buddies for a trail ride at Flat Nasty and let me just say that your rig is very impressive in it's constuction and the way it works on trail. Maybe one day down the road a bit I will be lucky enough to be able to follow you through some of that ungodly terrain.