1980 Beater Build!!

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As soon as I get time to throw it on I might bum some thoughts from Mace. I keep telling myself if I can get it going and get some of the upcoming bugs worked out of it i can view TBI as a later mod if you know what I meen. My current plan is to see how low I can run my fuel pressure to help me a bit more.
 
Yeah, you've done alot with this little truck, and all on a shoestring budget.
I am impressed, your build is the epitome of "Built, not Bought".
 
Combat Chuck said:
Yeah, you've done alot with this little truck, and all on a shoestring budget.
I am impressed, your build is the epitome of "Built, not Bought".
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WOW... seriously thanks guys I went a year with like maybe 6 replies! Cheap was the goal. I told myself I have a mint in my FJ40 and I can not afford to do that again for another hobby.... My son is a mud truck freak (mud puddles will suffice :)) and although I probably could buy it for a few bucks more I have nothing better to do than build it while he jumps on the trampoline and yells "Watch this trick dad" Except lately he has been digging in the tool box, climbing up on the tire and saying "where can i use this dad?" :wrench:

Thanks again guys the comments have me fired up for when hunting season is over.

Update as for now is I got my hands on some 1.5" tubing and will be bending up some water lines. I have a large aluminum radiator that I need to find some stock chevy mounts to modify from in order to get it mounted behind the tool box in the bed.
 
I found some time to work on the yota even though its hunting season. I mounted the new protools bender but after some staring at the yota for a while the water lines are just to big of a project for me for my first time. We are talking some serious compound bends to try and clear everything. There is definately a reason people go with body lifts and suspension lifts. I am really pushing my luck on space. I refuse to give up as I want to keep my stance low. I am going to take it to my exhaust guy and let him do it. I cut off my temp rear shock mount and started the rear lower radiator bracket. I need to pick up a stick of .120 x 1.5 tubing to bend a small hoop for the top of the radiator mount as well as a large hoop to go just in front of the radiator to serve 3 purposes:
protect the radiator
serve as a new rear shock mount
serve as a spare tire carrier.

I think if I do it right I will be able to later utilize it for a coil over mount if I choose that route. I tried to take pics but my battery died. More to come...
 
A few days ago I ordered some more junk that is suppose to be here tomorrow....
The last large wheeling trip landed me at home with the brakes metal on metal. While moving the front axle forward an additional inch we broke a brake line and I let it sit through hunting season. Now with it fixed I cant get the brakes to build pressure and it isnt a bench bleeding issue. I believe my master has failed..... None the less now is as good of time as any so I have fj60 vented rotors, v6 calipers, as well as a v6 master with the larger bore coming. Once i get that stuff on I should finally be able to get it to my exhuast guy to get the water lines ran to the back. It wont be long and it will no longer be hunting season and will be mud season. :)

some additional notes:
I had two passenger side calipers (bleeder on top) as well as ruined rotors and a failed master cylinder so this upgrade wasnt a must but why the heck not at this point
 
So lets face it I could screw up a wet dream..... :rolleyes:
We went to throw the parts on and the 1988 v6 4runner master I ordered was a 13/16 which I can not explain as it looks like from my searching it should be a 15/16s but??? My stock MC is a 7/8s so I am hosed there for tonight as well as even though my yota is an 80 I had always thought I had a newer front axle housing under it based off of the gusset but I was wrong it at minimum has 80 hubs so I need the 79 fj40 vented rotors (6 hole rather than the 88 fj60 8 hole). So those are not going to work either.... And not all v6 4 runner calipers have the 2 large pistons the 88 apparently did not. You need newer than that to have the 2 large pistons BUT after reading more I am ok with the smaller because you MAY end up with a squishy pedal without swapping in a large bore Chevy style MC with an adapter from Rockstomper. I dont need to get that wild I am ok with the one large one small piston calipers and upgrading to a 1" MC.

Live and learn for me but do me a favor and learn from me so you do not have to live it.
 
So the second round of brake parts have shown up and I had a chance to pick away at tearing it back down. I knew the front end was coming back apart so I only used the new gaskets with no rtv sealer and one side definately took on water and one didnt. Anyways I initially threw the one side back together with the new brake parts as I want to get it to the exhaust guy for rear radiator plumbing but I decided if I did that I will be slow to tear it back apart to put the gears in.... So now I tore both sides back down and will get the 4.88s in it. I also am going to need to dig up a lock rite or something for now even though I really wanted an E-locker for the front.
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aussie or lockrite for the front? If I understand properly pretty much everyone of those spider gear replacement type lockers copied lockrite but I really like the 2 year warranty of the aussie as compared to 1 year. Price is driving this decision or I would have already ordered an ARB. I have destroyed two lockrites in the back of a samurai before.... I always thought maybe it was because those suckers were so small it just didnt work... Plus that was in the rear vs. the front
 
Both!
Fab up a double-pumpkin front axle!

We'll, I was gonna say that Lokrite's a brand I know, and think has proven itself, but then your story about the Sami axle shot that down.
Aussie lockers are good, and 2 years means something too.
Why not try the Aussie out?
 
Fab up a double-pumpkin front axle!
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Hey I will try anything once.... well not anything :)

I think at this point I will take the advice and lean towards the aussie. The third is sitting on the ground ready for the 4.88s and I have a day after thanksgiving run to attend so I better crap or get off the pot. I have set up 5 rearends but never once did I feal great or confident so to speak about the pattern.... I think it was because I didnt hold good pressure on the ring gear while I spun the pinion making it hard to read the pattern but none the less they all worked except one I pulled the 4.88s back out of and to my suprise had a broken tooth.... i am not sure if it was the set up or the attempts at wheelies in the fuel injected rotary samurai.... anyways does anyone know a good tech article on the "cd" measurement technique for setting up gears rather than focusing on the pattern? For now I am off to search
 
SO in attempts to not be one of those guys who asks for advice and then does whatever he wants anyways I originally thought the spartan lockers were a cheepo ebay item but after searching last night I found that they too are in the running on being a decent locker. I like the idea of the larger small pins as well as I pm'ed the guy on pirate claiming they had great deals on them and wow they did.... i plan to call tomorrow and order a spartan. I am bummed they only have a 1 year warranty as compared to the aussie's 2 year but I couldn't find much info on anyone needing the warranty. If you have data to change my mind before tomorrow morning when I take off to work I would gladly appreciate it.

I also found a bit of data on the "CD" measurement for the pinion depth as well as generic tools at summit for around 90.... but I think I can do the same with a machined straight edge. The best part is I can still check the pattern to ensure I didnt choke.
 
No news is good news so spartan is ordered..... I picked up a lockrite that from a friend that he had trouble with but thinks it wasnt shimmed properly I will play with it in the rear since the rear is a bit funner to take apart than the front. I really do not mind the welded rearend so either way would be fine.
 
So I started with my factory .080 shim with the new 4.88s and I didnt run a pattern but it measured a 2.454 and my pinion calls for a cd of 2.441 so I pulled it back apart, pressed the bearing back off, and added a .010 shim. Now it is at 2.443 and the smallest shim in the kit is .010 so I am guessing it doesnt get any closer. I am going to throw it together tomorrow and run a pattern to verify
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Well, I've not heard of Spartan lockers befre, please share your thoughts when you have 'em set up!
 
It was without a doubt cheaper and everything I could find was decent reviews. It is a design copy of the lockrite or aussie only they claim some upgrades which can be seen with the eye. I am not going to list them as I am not saying these are better than anything else... I am willing to try them though in very harsh conditions and gladly report back
 
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So I tried to butter the guy I bought the Spartan from by saying "if you provide me with a flattering price on a second locker I will do a write up on this build thread and put these to the test" He basically emailed me back and said YA RIGHT... and by the way "A V6 is not a test for these I have vehicles out there running them with 44 boggers and BBC's - Yes on T8's" I emailed him back and thanked him for his time and great price on the first one. Oh and I wished the knuckle studs the best of luck with the 44s let alone with the BBC for extra weight.... He emailed back and stated Reid racing knuckles yada yada.... I couldn't care less about the few bucks off on a second locker but I do stay up at night thinking about an 8" center section with 44s and BBC power.... :rolleyes: Any ways I just wanted to get that out now I can mention he had a great price and so far what appears to be a good product. He was also extremely quick on the shipping and returning emails. By the way I paid 230 plus 15 shipping if anyone is wondering

So it arrived today:
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It was packaged nicely and double boxed for shipping
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Also I have a lockrite sitting here for the rear (used has been in two vehicles and was nothing but problems which is why I refused to put it in the front but I am not afraid to play with it in the rear. The teeth look fine and a friend thinks it was never adjusted correctly. I took a picture of the two pins and springs. The Spartans claim to fame is the larger pins and they totally are but a portion of them is hollow and the spring goes up inside of them unlike the solid smaller lockrite pins. I do think at the point they are engaging they are full thickness but that is a guess at this point. The lockrite springs are larger I have no idea of spring rates but they are larger. So lockrite larger springs and spartan larger pins.
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One thing I do like is on the spartan pin you can see the notch on the one end.... That is to insert a small piece of wire just like you do with brushes on an alternator so you can install it easily and then pull the pins out and whammoe...

One uncertainty is that I do not know how much strength this adds.... The pins are made to push the teeth and the center pin do the holding in my mind. Yes these would add to that as they sit in a small notch on the other side. I like the concept of the larger pins and the way they are hollowed out to basically trap the springs but I am not sure which one puts more spring rate on the teeth. They claim the new center pin the locker comes with is stronger than stock and if so that would be a strength bonus but I personally have not broke a pin nor have my friends but I suppose it is possible.
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