Builds 86 Xtra Cab Build (4Wheelunderground 3 link front, 4 link rear and 3.4 swap) (3 Viewers)

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Thanks Broski. I appreciate the support from all actually but your recent wheeling videos gave me more motivation to get moving. And ideas for my build. Especially armor. 🤔
 
Got another couple millimeters today. I'm only getting time in the garage intermittently. Got the top and bottom flanges formed and welded on. Tested fit to the frame. I won't be welding in on until I test fit the cab over it.

The flange overhang on the original cross member was to the rear. It's forward now to clear the battery box. Hopefully it doesn't hit the floor.

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I mocked up the brake cable and tacked on the linkage. The return spring originally hooked into a pear shaped hole in the cross member. I didn't want to put a hole that would allow water into it. I cut a thick hard washer in half and smoothed the surface the spring will hook over and welded it on.

If I can get some time on it tomorrow I need to figure out the bracket for the front section of cable from the cab. I know exactly where it WAS but the cross member is 2" forward. I need to get the cable out of my 88 for test fitting.

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Here's the original bracket I cut off and where it originally was. Stuck it on with a couple magnets. The cable from the cab originally came down from the firewall, across the trans and through the tube in this torsion bar bracket. You can see the bracket to secure the end of the cable welded on this huge bracket. The tube is blocked by the link bracket now so some rerouting is in order. And a smaller bracket.

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I crawled under the 88 to get the forward parking brake cable assuming it is the same as the 86. Then I noticed the bracket is reversed compared to the 86 and I thought they must be different. Standard cab vs Xtra Cab. Hmm 🤔.

Looked up cable part numbers by VIN and found they ARE the same part numbers for both front and rear cables. Toyota must have compensated for the length by reversing the mount.

I ended up cutting the brake cable bracket off the torsion bar mount. I had a scrap piece of square tubing that fits it perfectly. I cut the tube so it would mount on the front link bracket and welded the two pieces together. Looks like it should work. I think I'm going to add a gusset when I weld it in. Just tacked in the pics.

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It’s all in the details!!
Most guys just skip the E-Brake
 
I gotta have my E-brake Broski. I'd have done the rear full float axles and disc brakes if there was an affordable working parking brake option. I have a lot of the parts.

I'm glad you're keeping tabs on me. 👍
 
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I gotta have my E-brake Broski. I'd have done the rear full float axles and disc brakes if there was an affordable working parking brake option. I have a lot of the parts.

I'm glad you're keeping tabs on me. 👍
I with you man, Everyone need the parking brake !
 
I gotta have my E-brake Broski. I'd have done the rear full float axles and disc brakes if there was an affordable working parking brake option. I have a lot of the parts.

I'm glad you're keeping tabs on me. 👍

I like where you're going with the parking brake. An option that may work as an alternative (though I don't think you'll need to worry about it) is a manual line lock.

My tacoma has a Diamond rear w/ solid axle mini-truck rotors/calipers. Had issues with the electric line locks, and I didn't have the parts to replace the missing parking brake components, so I ran the rear brakes into the cab w/ braided steal lines to a manual valve mounted in the parking brake handle location.

Lock rear brakes - push pedal, turn valve...
 
Hydraulics will bleed down over time. There is a reason why dump beds and some tractors have a steel beam to hold the bed up or bucket up when work needs to be done under them. The various hydraulic parking brake options are OK for something like getting out to lock the hubs, they're not good for long term parking. Do Not Ever crawl under a vehicle with only hydraulic parking brakes.
 
you're comparing apples and oranges, though. Sure, hydraulics can bleed down... shouldn't, but can. But comparing a raised tractor bucket to a parking brake is very different. Many/Most tractors are open system, not closed like brakes.

And we rely on hydraulics to stop our vehicles all day every day... a parking brake isn't nearly as demanding as stopping the vehicle.

Is it ideal? Of course not. Is it a death sentence? Of course not.
 
Front Range Off Road now has the FJ Cruiser "Drotor" backing plate kit to go with their Full Float Disc Brake Kit. BIG BUCKS. In addition to the original kit, the backing plate kit is $500 and doesn't include anything but the backing plate, bolt and brake lever. You have to source all the parts. AND figure out your brake cable solution. Its designed to add to the Full Floater Kit which is $739 and you also have to source spindles, hubs discs, rotors and hardware.

It all looks like a good setup but for that much money I could just swap in a different axle. I'll stick to the basics. If 37's start breaking things I'll have to consider better options.

To add, I have been collecting parts for this "in case" I decide to get these kits. I have everything except the FJC backing plates. There's probably enough of them in the salvage yards now that I can scrounge up a set.
 
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FWIW the guy’s I wheel with are running mini truck rear axle’s on 38s & 40s with out drama.
It’s all about how one drives 😉
That being said if one wants a full float why not just go to 80 series rear axle with the 9.5 ring gear and disk brakes.
 
I'm glad you posted that Broski. I don't know anyone running big tires on stock axles so I wasn't sure what they could take. I don't have a heavy right foot so hopefully I'm good to go. My son could break an anvil or a steel ball in a rubber room and he never broke his stock rear 8" axle on 35's and he broke stuff I didn't think could be broken. 🤔

I don't have an 80 series axle or know where one is. What do they use for a parking brake?

I have some pretty serious trussing on my rear housing and a V6 3rd. I would think the weak link is the pressed bearing? Or the gears. The drum brakes work fine.

I can carry one spare axle if I feel the need. (Without brake so it fits either side and is more compact)
 
you're comparing apples and oranges, though. Sure, hydraulics can bleed down... shouldn't, but can. But comparing a raised tractor bucket to a parking brake is very different. Many/Most tractors are open system, not closed like brakes.

And we rely on hydraulics to stop our vehicles all day every day... a parking brake isn't nearly as demanding as stopping the vehicle.

Is it ideal? Of course not. Is it a death sentence? Of course not.
When comes down to the details of the system in a "holding" condition there really isn't any significant difference. Not "shouldn't, but can", it is "shouldn't, but will" when given enough time. The more pressure in a brake system the longer it will stay at pressure, but eventually it will bleed down. It's that time variable that's unpredictable and not worth gambling one's health or life with. Not when the solution is as simple as a rock or a block to chock a tire or two. Use the hyd. p-brake to get out and find those rocks or blocks, but don't rely on it when working under the truck.

I looked at the FROF RDB system as a way of getting locking hubs on the rear wheels so that I could flat tow the 4rnnr w/o crawling under it to disconnect the drive-shaft. For the way that I use that vehicle the locking hubs would be strong enough. Note that this kit will widen the rear track width too. I didn't want that. The problem was that I could buy a pretty nice trailer for what it all was going to cost to get rear locking hubs at a stock width.
 
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ntsqd, you just reminded me of the fact that those FROR kits require the use of IFS front hubs which widen the rear 3" or so which puts you back at a wider rear axle. I had emailed them to see if SFA hubs could be used to keep the width. No was the reply.
 

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