Builds 86 Xtra Cab Build (4Wheelunderground 3 link front, 4 link rear and 3.4 swap) (7 Viewers)

[aztoyman]

@Manhattan , I like em. Thanks for posting the pics. Hard use would just mean thicker steel. I picked up some sheet steel for my bumper today. (Finally) Still working on getting material for my sliders.

Sometimes the little $hit can cause some big delays. My flasher relay that was supposed to be next day went from Indiana to Kentucky and is now in San Bernardino.

 

[Broski]

I struck out at the metal supply place today. Not many choices in Tucson. (That I know of ) I usually buy remnants but the steel racks were empty and they only had one 10 foot piece of 1 3/4" DOM. I usually get 20 foot sticks.

I found some 10 gauge cold rolled sheet in stock at another place that I'll pick up tomorrow.

We only have one metal place here and it’s a 45 minute drive one way.
They charge full price for remnants, if you want a half of stick of anything it almost double the price.
They are well stocked though.

 

[aztoyman]

Yeah, the only game in town for DOM and remnants is the place I went to. I live in NW corner of Tucson and this place is also 45 minutes away on the SE side.

They don't even put prices on since it changes with the market. They do put by the pound prices on the remnants but also a sign saying it might have changed so ask.

I HAVE to make the trip to see what they have and how much it is at the moment. Crazy

There's a couple better places as far as prices. I can call and check availability and get a quote at least. But you have to buy full stick's or sheets and no round tubing available.

Phoenix has more available and better prices but it's at least 2 hours or more one way drive.

 

[ntsqd]

A friend of mine keeps pushing Industrial Metal Supply at me, but every time I check them for a shape they don't have what I'm looking for. Admittedly the last time was for a 12" tall wide flange I-beam rem to modify a gantry hoist that was on FBMP to fit over a full size.......

Industrial Metal Supply Co. | Metal Made Easy

www.industrialmetalsupply.com

 

[aztoyman]

IMS is where I was. You really have to just go there and look and see if they have what you need. Rems are inside in the back. There is also stuff outside with cardboard signs or spray painted as a super deal. I happened to noticed it as I was driving out. It's usually industrial sized stuff and priced by the pound. Whenever I try to call I get connected to Phoenix. If I do manage to get connected to Tucson I can get a quote for stock listed in the computer. Remnants........you're on your own it seems.

I found a good deal on some 10 gauge cold rolled sheet at a metal supply that mainly caters to gate and fence fabricators. Only a few bucks more than hot rolled which they were out of stock on. I had to buy a 4x8 sheet and I have nowhere to put it. I'm cutting what I need off using my tailgate as my work bench. I can almost close my tailgate. Bed is only 6 1/2' I think. We haven't had rain in a LONG time but it WILL rain if I leave the sheet outside.

I did make a little progress on my front bumper but my truck keeps getting bumped off the priority list. Still getting my wife's FJ Cruiser in shape. Rebuilt the UCA's, new LCA ball joints and bushings, New ICON coilovers, all the rear links have been ordered. Bushings are shot. It's basically time to get it back into shape. It's a 2008, with just over 200K miles. I never heard a complaint and then I drive it one day and I about $hit with how it handled. My wife and grandkids need to be safe.

I had a bunch of medical stuff this past year and had a device removed from my chest yesterday. That's actually a good thing and hopefully I can look forward to a better year ahead.

 

[ntsqd]

<< My wife and grandkids need to be safe. >>
This is my highest priority, too! Everything else comes after that.

 

[Broski]

A friend of mine keeps pushing Industrial Metal Supply at me, but every time I check them for a shape they don't have what I'm looking for. Admittedly the last time was for a 12" tall wide flange I-beam rem to modify a gantry hoist that was on FBMP to fit over a full size.......

Industrial Metal Supply Co. | Metal Made Easy

www.industrialmetalsupply.com

IMS is where we got our metal when I work in the movie industry, better then what I have where I live at least price wise.

And I'm not getting notifications again

 

[aztoyman]

Parts are still trickling in for the FJC so I picked away at what I could to get going on the front bumper. You all saw the winch section I started with. It's 1/4" plate and the foundation for the outer sections. The winch section will get some gussets at the frame attachment point and I'm thinking about cutting an opening in the bottom for a "possible" suck down winch function.

The outer sections are 1/8" and very similar to the bumper I built for my 88. They were just basically an outer shell on the 88 and one side did bend slightly. This time I'm adding internal bulkheads so hopefully stronger and not too much heavier. The center section all tapers down to allow airflow to the radiator. My 88 never got hot with this design. It did get hot with the prior bumper I had that was basically a SmittyBuilt Tube bumper with a mod to fit the winch.

Another thing I didn't like about the last bumper was the typical Toyota mounting method that left a step at the frame. This time I went under the frame so I could bolt it from the bottom as well as the front and it forms a tapered skid plate instead of that angle at the bottom.

Here's some pics of my progress. I still have to get the outer ends that wrap around and protect the corner lights. Winter kinda hit today. It was nice and all of a sudden it's really cold, windy and raining. I had cut just enough off that sheet of steel that I could finally close my tailgate. Just in time.

 

[gnob]

looks good.

 

[aztoyman]

I made sure it was bolted on tight before tacking it together piece by piece. I cut both sides together to ensure symmetry. I clamped straight pieces of tube across both sides as I welded because this thin stuff really moved. I even clamped tube across when I removed it from the truck to weld the back side.

 

[aztoyman]

Thanks gnob. It kinda looks like a fat lip from that low angle but it looks good to me straight on.

All I got done today was a couple patterns of cardboard cut. Got set up and rained out twice. I did keep the sheet of steel out of the rain.

 

[aztoyman]

Here's a side view. The camera angle makes it look tilted on top but it's actually 90 degrees to the frame. Flat and level across the top. It's about as tucked in as I can get it without sacrificing the hood latch and A/C components.

I'm building it to allow easy access/removal of anything I need to get to. I can pull the grill if I need to. Corner lights are easy to R&I, I can get the winch in and out easily if the grill is off. I can get tools on the rad support bolts. I even made a couple guide bolts so I can R&I the bumper easily myself. They go in the top two bolt holes in the front. The bumper hangs in place and I can easily run all the mounting bolts in. There's a couple existing bolt holes on the frame to store them in. Pretty slick.

Forgot I have a jack under it. The front IS tilted up.

 

[ntsqd]

When I built Patch's front bumper I tied in some strap that picked up the tow hook mounting bolt holes on the bottom of the frame. I tunneled down to those bolts on the front of the frame. Pic from during fabrication, late 90's:

 

[aztoyman]

I've had very little time for this. So much going on that I cut a piece of steel if I had a few minutes and the same another day. A piece a day at times. I "ASSUMED" the top of the bumper would wrap around the blinkers and to the fender on the same plane. Actually it needs to be higher around the corners than it is below the grill.
The bulk of the bumper is exactly where I want it so I'm not starting over.

So I cut the top outer end pieces off at the junction of the headlights and corner lights instead of the top wrapping around and ending up too low where it meets the fender.

 

[aztoyman]

I took the top corners that I cut off, cut a slot where I needed a straight bend and stepped the ends up so it blends into the fender on the sides.

 

[aztoyman]

Hopefully I'm ok with the finished look. I REALLY don't want to start over. I still have areas to trim and other areas to gusset before it's done. I'll also have a 1 3/4" tube to add across the top to protect the radiator and mount a light bar. We'll see.

 

[Broski]

Looking great, nice work as usual.
Both of my bumper make contact with the body as they were fit too nicely/close.
I actually think the body flexes into the bumpers as both bumper are pretty stout. Leave more room them you think you need JMO

 

[aztoyman]

Thanks Broski, I appreciate all feedback and advice. I'm leaving a pretty good gap. I want to be able to get to the mounting screws and be able to pull the corner lights and grill easily if needed. It was difficult to hold those pieces in place with one hand and take pics with my phone in the other.

 

[aztoyman]

I got a little time to work on this a couple times recently. I don't want you guys to think I gave up.

My solution for the corners of the bumper looked ok from certain angles but overall it wasn't working for me. I ended up cutting it down some. Here's a couple pics of it before I cut it. You can see my mark for the cut.

 

[aztoyman]

This is after cutting at the line you see in the last pics. It's not ideal but I'm ok with it. My last bumper on my 88 stuck out a bit too far and ended up bent. I'll see how this works out. It's still not done. It's just the top and one side.