Builds 86 Xtra Cab Build (4Wheelunderground 3 link front, 4 link rear and 3.4 swap) (6 Viewers)

[aztoyman]

They are both good numbers. The new bearing supersedes the old one and I didn't understand why they would go to a seemingly weaker bearing. I sent out some emails and East Coast Gear Supply was the only place that gave me an answer other than "it's the new number".

They said the old bearing IS actually stronger and what they use in their builds.

So I ordered one, it didn't arrive on the delivery date, found out it was coming out of Florida. (Hurricane) Anyway, not sure when I'll get it. (Ordered from eBay seller not ECGS.)

I also have a different muffler on the way. I cut, turned and shortened the exhaust a bit right off the engine. I'll get pics once I get the muffler and some tubing fit up.

 

[aztoyman]

The only real progress I made was today. I popped the steering box apart so I could drill a port for the hydro assist. I recently rebuilt it so I just needed to plug the port I was using when it was on my 88 and drill the other for this build.

My tire was way too close to the fitting in this truck.

 

[aztoyman]

Well I bought an offset inlet/ offset outlet muffler and I ended up using the muffler I had. I'm glad it was cheap. The new one worked but I didn't like how close to the T-case output flange it was. I ended up putting a bit of angle on the short pipe out of the cat to the muffler to get this one to work. I like it better.

I rotated the cat a bit and put it out over open air instead of being between the skid plate and cab floor. I think it will shed heat better and it's a bit further away from my trans. It's above the lower link so still somewhat protected. I'm thinking about fabbing up a sheet metal heat shield for the side of the trans. I'll be putting DEI adhesive backed heat shield on the bottom of the cab and trans tunnel too.

I have some DEI header wrap to put on the two short pipes in the pics. I bought new gaskets for the O2 sensors and pipe joints but I haven't found the two for the 2 into 1 down pipe yet. I need to put the wire harness through some heat wrap too. @gnob fixed me up with connector housings for the melted ones on my rear O2 sensor. THANKS!

I'm only going as far as the crossmember at this point. I need to figure out my fuel tank location before running any further back.

My pinion bearing finally got here so I can get my rear diff back together, get the axle housing back in and figure out my driveshaft and get it ordered.

I have a lot going on so not a lot of time to dedicate to this right now. Kinda picking away at what I can.

 

[aztoyman]

I actually had some time this weekend and got the rear differential setup and installed.

I had just done the rear brakes and axle bearings in 2020 so I swapped the axles from the 88 into this 86 housing. I did go ahead and replace the lip seals and o-rings at the ends of the housing.

The parking brake cable is just mocked up in the pic. That will get finished after the Ruff Stuff Back Brace gets welded on. And that will be after final pinion angle is set and I weld all the brackets permanently.

 

[aztoyman]

The springs are off because I cycled the suspension and measured for the rear drive shaft. I talked to Shawn at Tom Wood's Drive Shafts today and gave him all the measurements. Sounds like my "guess" for pinion angle for mockup was within 1 degree of where it should be. I have both drive shafts ordered.

 

[aztoyman]

I replaced the connector housings for my O2 sensor (THANKS again gnob), installed new exhaust seals and wrapped the forward section of pipe.

Unwrapped the wire harness that runs through that area to reorganize the routing. I still need to finish that and make a tin heat shield for the trans.

I'm not going to be back on this again for a while.

 

[aztoyman]

I actually had some time today to come up with this hopefully functional heat shield. Still not done but this is the general shape. It's aluminum I had. I think 1/16".

I didn't want to contain the heat in that space. I left room for air to flow through and hopefully deflect most of it to the rear and/or over the frame. Instead of heat soaking the transmission and collecting in the trans tunnel.

This is what I hope will work. I still need to bend a few edges and make a bracket to support the front.

I used existing bolt holes I have good access from underneath. Uses 4 T-case mount bolts in the rear and I'm going to use two unused bolt holes at the front of the trans case.

Gotta be better than nothing.

 

[ntsqd]

Nice!
Only suggestion that I have would be to try to encourage airflow between the shield and the trans with an angled lip on the front edge to act a bit like a scoop. A friend was having a hot floor problem due to a close exhaust tube and added just such a heat shield. He was astonished by the difference it made. He then went looking for other, lesser trouble spots and added shields to a couple of them too.

 

[aztoyman]

@ntsqd, I actually had such a scoop in the leading edge and ended up cutting it off because it obstructed access to the trans fill plug. If it's that effective I can add a removable one to the bolt on brace I'll be adding at the forward end of the heat shield. You can see the two 10 mm headed bolts across from the O2 sensor in one of the pics. I intend to use them for the brace going back to the leading edge of the shield.

When I did the 3.4 swap into my 88, I adapted the heat shields from the donor 4Runner that were above the cat on to my 88. I basically pop riveted them on to my smaller OEM shield. So just a tin shield with an air gap to cab floor. The driver side floor still got hot.

I put DEI adhesive backed heat shield on the firewall behind the exhaust crossover pipe and it worked very well. The trans tunnel wasn't too bad except where my triple shifter was. It was touching the floor when the mounts flexed. That section got hot. I now have air space there since I raised my shifter tunnel. This time I was planning on using the DEI stick on shield on the entire bottom of the cab and the bottom of the tunnel cover.

Most of the heat off the radiator blows out the fender wells. When I open the hood you don't even notice heat so I like my open fender wells. I guess the trade off is no air forced back through the tunnel.

I was thinking of adding a tin shield to protect the T-case mounts. I can use a couple Riv-Nuts to hold it to the shield. IDK if it's really necessary though.


Thanks for the feedback.

 

[ntsqd]

Increasing the airflow can never hurt in situations like this, but sometimes the effort involved doesn't pay off. What is there is a hell of lot better than nothing. If you have to remove heat shield parts to service the trans I'd want to know that it was necessary. No desire to make service work any harder than it needs to be.

We used that DEI gold foil-like stuff on a prototype project at an old employer. That is really good stuff for tight spaces. I do worry a little that it is somewhat fragile and easily damaged by road trash etc. At least as compared to a metal shield.

On his project Scout 80 a friend has used the Lizardskin noise & thermal products on his floor and firewall. I'm intrigued by it, but no operational feed-back on it yet.

 

[aztoyman]

These made it today. Woohoo! I installed them mainly to make sure they would fit. I need to pull the tires and cycle the suspension to be positive they're good to go. Not sure when I can get to that.

 

[clx16]

Installing drive shafts with the body off is a sure fire way to set too high of expectations in the future. I put in a new drive shaft on my 80 couple nights ago..... Wasn't as fun as it was for you...

 

[aztoyman]

The exhaust is easy too. Gotta take advantage of it while I can. Those front drive shaft bolts at the T-case SUCK to get to from under the truck.

I also have to remember to put clamps and bolts where they need to be for when I'm UNDER the truck.

 

[gnob]

The exhaust is easy too. Gotta take advantage of it while I can. Those front drive shaft bolts at the T-case SUCK to get to from under the truck.

I also have to remember to put clamps and bolts where they need to be for when I'm UNDER the truck.

the front ds thing definitely brings the suck.

 

[RichardSkinner]

Just finished putting my front drive shaft on about 30 minutes ago. Definitely an easy way to get bloody knuckles.

Fancy shafts you have there, sir.

 

[aztoyman]

It's ALL about the STICKERS.

I couldn't find a shop in Tucson that said they could build them for me. I'm sure they could, they didn't want the job for whatever reason.

 

[ntsqd]

Stickers add HP according to the Ghetto Dyno.

 

[Broski]

It's ALL about the STICKERS.

I couldn't find a shop in Tucson that said they could build them for me. I'm sure they could, they didn't want the job for whatever reason.

I'm not a fan of stickers, but I do like tom woods driveshafts

Ha ha just busted a couple Knuckles swapping out the rear driveshafts.
I have thrashed a few now, so I keep one good one for when I know that I will be doing a lot of street driving like SAS then a semi beat one for trails like Fordyce where I know it's likely to take a hit. Then a fully beat one that I keep in the trailer as a spare just in case !

 

[aztoyman]

So I have been trying to figure out my fuel tank solution. I looked at a number of ready made fuel cells and the spaces I have to work with.

In the rear section I have space for a 15 gallon fuel cell but I'd have to modify it to clear the rear axle at full stuff. I would have to cut it to put a bevel and weld it back. That's one strike against this choice. 15 GALLON ALUMINUM UNIVERSAL PUMP READY FUEL CELL 2150US 18x20x10 - https://rcionline.myshopify.com/products/15-gallon-aluminum-universal-pump-ready-fuel-cell-2150us-18x20x10

The second strike is that it is 10" deep and this could be a problem when I drop off ledges.

A third strike is nowhere to run my exhaust so I'd have to terminate it in front of the rear tire.

Another big problem would be filling it because the spare tire will be directly above it.

Here's some pics of the space.

 

[aztoyman]

Another more difficult option was fabricating a weird shaped trapezoid wedge shaped tank between the forward bed mounts and above the links.

I took measurements and drew one up and calculated the tank volume. It was only 11 gallons.

For this space here. There's not much room for depth.