1980 Beater Build!!

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Yep.... I knew it too I just tell myself I will eventually throw some 35s on it and drive it around a little so the locker would help with tire life but honestly really? I will say the lockrite was useful it gave one heck of a welding surface. I heated it a bit first since it was hardened but I really do not claim to understand metal and what to do or what not to do. I do not see this thing budging though. Also for those who care the little 4 cylinder radiator did just fine on keeping it cool despite the fact that it ran all day wound for sound even at idle. I am still plumbing to the rear though for increased cooling as well as space for the winch flush with the grill. I started the rear tire carrier/shock mount/radiator mount last night as I had removed my shock mounts and needed it ready for today. I will post up some pics soon it turned out decent and flows with the rear bars well. As of a few minutes ago it is back together ready to roll.
 
Trucks like this are all about simplicity.
Especially if a competition's on the line, the last thing I'd want is for anything to fail and leave me behind.

Keep it up, man!
I look forward to your rear-radiator solution!
:cheers:
 
I could not agree more... Don't ask why I deviated from the norm becuase i am not sure.

Update: I was very pleased with the brake upgrade as well. FJ40 vented rotors (early 6 hole style since mine is an 80) ended up with regular ifs calipers not the v6 double large bore (was a mistake but am ok with it as I didnt have to get crazy with bore size of master) and since my master was bad I upgraded from a 7/8 to a 15/16 bore. Definately a smidgen stiffer pedal but not enough to even notice really. I had to use the brakes a ton since the dang high idle was killing me and they never seemed to heat up going down the gravel hills in neutral trying to pray the locker made it home. I am not sure if it is the front axle being so far forward on the leafs or the extra weight of the motor but wash boards practically tore my yota in half.... It was brutal. I am going to have to do something about that for sure.
 
Here is a pic of where the radiator will go.
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I mentioned I was going to build a hoop to mount shocks, spare tire, as well as protect the radiator and provide a top radiator mount. Here is the beginning of that.
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We pulled willy in tonight to tear the front axle back down. Another broken rockwell axle and the other side was pretzeled. We are sending the parts of to get machined now and soon will have a set of 2" gun drilled violator shafts. Should be the end of broken front axles.
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yep unfortunately almost on demand.... Rears are the worst and fronts arent much better but with 54s it doesnt take much.... the new shafts are going to be 2" diameter gun drilled. As an fyi they make two front stock axles in a rockwell and one is a ball and joint style kinda similar in a way to our yota birfs and when they break they destroy stuff. We only use the u-joint style.
 
looking forward to my best repair on my yota to date!! heater has never worked properly resulting in a cold foggy miserable trip! i tore the whole unit out because the issue just didnt make sense... I found someone had screwed a sheet rock screw into the housing in efforts to install a pice of strap most likely to hold the stereo. It would not allow the flapper door to close resulting in all front venting. That however didnt explain the lack of heat. I flushed the core and it was wide open but you wouldnt want to drink the water.... And my coolant is perfectly clean so that was an obvious indicator it wasnt recircing. I checked the hoses and they flowed right up to the valve. Even though the valve was cyling open and closed it is plugged.

Bring on the heat!!
 
4x4 Station Wagon said:
looking forward to my best repair on my yota to date!! heater has never worked properly resulting in a cold foggy miserable trip! i tore the whole unit out because the issue just didnt make sense... I found someone had screwed a sheet rock screw into the housing in efforts to install a pice of strap most likely to hold the stereo. It would not allow the flapper door to close resulting in all front venting. That however didnt explain the lack of heat. I flushed the core and it was wide open but you wouldnt want to drink the water.... And my coolant is perfectly clean so that was an obvious indicator it wasnt recircing. I checked the hoses and they flowed right up to the valve. Even though the valve was cyling open and closed it is plugged.

Bring on the heat!!
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I just yanked my dash apart to fix the heater in my 85 and found the control cable had pulled off the lever and that my heater valve was seized up. I can't wait for heat! Hopefully the part gets here this week.
 
The world of adapters...

I currently have an r150 with the chain drive behind it. In the corner of the shop I have a top shift reduction box and one other gear drive forward shift case that will have to be modded to a top shift sitting here with the adapter to put them together. Both cases are 21 spline. I have been planning to purchase an adpater for the v6 tranny to gear case as well as the 23 spline adapter which is a solid pretty penny. But now I am having heart burn about putting a 21 spline Seems like I am asking for a weak link or fuse if I may. I am not interested in putting another chunk of my life savings in this thing. I am basically at:

Do I run the chain case that honestly isnt that bad and has a lower reduction as well as shifts on the fly if i was to break they are dime a dozen thanks to the 3.0 and everyone originally thinking they were weak

or

Buy the adapter and install my cases and hope for the best out of the 21 spline second case?

I do rocks about once a year where the dual cases would in deed be nice but for the majority of the vehicles life it lives in mud where dual cases are a waste.

Any thoughts??
 
If it's a cost issue you should just run what you have (chain case) and if it breaks then worry about the twin stick option. You can always go back and change it if you don't like it.
 
Honestly, if it's 95% mud you're chasing, I wouldn't bother with duals, 4.7's into your current t-case will cover all your bases for when you need it.
 
Combat Chuck said:
Honestly, if it's 95% mud you're chasing, I wouldn't bother with duals, 4.7's into your current t-case will cover all your bases for when you need it.
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I adapted a r150 behind my v6 so I have the current chain case at the moment. I have 1.5 gear cases laying around here but to install the 4,7s I believe it has to be a gear case. I am still not convinced that my current set up will not suffice for what I do. Normally its simple I would play with it some more and then make a decision but I really need to lengthen my custom tacoma cv driveline unless I am going with the duals then ofcourse I need to shorten it (much simpler!)
 
So a few things done since last post. We installed the 2" rockwell violator shafts and locker. We tested it on a new years run (i had to ride along as I wasnt able to tackle the dang powersteering line.) Was absolutely insane and surely videos will pop up and if they do I will post a link. There is no way to describe the size of the axle shafts other than saying microscopically larger than a tube of caulk.
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I purchased a trailer a few weeks ago in order to be able to trailer the yota.
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I also posted a new thread and got some good info from ferg (thanks again) and was able to use a chevy powersteering hose and just reflare it and use the toyota thread on one end. The yota thread is the same thread pitch as the chevy side but is longer..... Done deal and money saved but more importantly time and insanity.
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So as mentioned earlier I am leaning away from the doubler.... One of the reasons I tell myself is that I have 2 forward shift tcases and only one top shift reduction half.... So I would have to source another top shift or pay the 100 bucks for the conversion (not going to happen would try to do it myself first)..... And then bam tranny and top shift tcase for 20 bucks today... Has to be a sign right??? :)
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I fought the power steering trying to get pressure... I tried every trick in the book. I finally gave up and replaced the mystery to me saginaw pump. When I removed the reservoir one of the metal ball bearings was stuck to the magnet. We cleaned everything up, installed the new pump, primed it and bingo done deal power steering.

Lowe
Now you just need to start shopping for one more tcase that looks identical to that. You need two top shift cases. It is possible to mod a forward shift cases rails but i didnt want to tackle it. Also I will be emailing you before too long I still need that O2 sensor!
 
4x4 Station Wagon said:
I fought the power steering trying to get pressure... I tried every trick in the book. I finally gave up and replaced the mystery to me saginaw pump. When I removed the reservoir one of the metal ball bearings was stuck to the magnet. We cleaned everything up, installed the new pump, primed it and bingo done deal power steering.

Lowe
Now you just need to start shopping for one more tcase that looks identical to that. You need two top shift cases. It is possible to mod a forward shift cases rails but i didnt want to tackle it. Also I will be emailing you before too long I still need that O2 sensor!
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I haven't looked into it that much since it's a ways off for me but I was thinking that I could just get a 5 speed trans/transfer and use the transfer off of it mated to the one I have now. Not true? Or, do you have to have the adapters and all that jazz?

And I'm ready when you are for the O2 brotato. :grinpimp:
 
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