Builds Build #2 - 45 Extended Cab, 80 Frame, iForce 5.7 3UR

[Vossie]

Man your rig is sweet. Another poster for the wall!

I'm a bit surprised with your weight. Mine comes in at 3860lbs with me (210lbs) and a tank of fuel plus my spare.

I'm assuming most of the weight difference is between the 1uz and the ur?

 

[UZJ40]

Man your rig is sweet. Another poster for the wall!

I'm a bit surprised with your weight. Mine comes in at 3860lbs with me (210lbs) and a tank of fuel plus my spare.

I'm assuming most of the weight difference is between the 1uz and the ur?

Thanks!!

I imagine it has more to do with the frame... The 80 frame is fully boxed and I would imagine it's at least a couple hundred pounds heavier than a 4Runner frame. Then there's the Metal Tech cage at probably 120lbs, front and rear bumper, winch, sliders.

It would be interesting to see the weight difference between the 2UZ and 3UR though.

 

[Vossie]

Thanks!!

I imagine it has more to do with the frame... The 80 frame is fully boxed and I would imagine it's at least a couple hundred pounds heavier than a 4Runner frame. Then there's the Metal Tech cage at probably 120lbs, front and rear bumper, winch, sliders.

It would be interesting to see the weight difference between the 2UZ and 3UR though.

Ja, your right. There's a lot more meat in an 80 frame. Plus your solid front axle vs my IFS.

Would be even more in it with the 1uz as its ally block and heads. Is the 3ur steel or ally blocked?

 

[UZJ40]

Since I decided to do this engine swap, I've been trying to figure out how I was going to show the gear selector on the Dakota Digital gauges. When I had the original 1FZ engine and a343 transmission, it would have been easy using their kit since you can just use a linkage attached to the transmission switch.

With the 3UR and AB60, there is a bump shift that is just an electronic signal. DD offers an OBDII reader that will typically pick up that information on Chevy, some Ford, and some Dodge, but they did not have the coding for Toyota.

After speaking with Scott at DD, we decided to reverse engineer it. They sent me their OBDII reader with another module that records what the OBD port is seeing. I plugged it in, did various shifting patterns, recorded them, and sent them the files back. The data just looks like a lot of gibberish, but they were able to extract what they needed out of it.

Here is the DD OBDII module, as well as the DD recording module -

A few lines of the code copied from my OBD port... there are hundreds of pages of this for letting the engine run for about 20 seconds -

They programmed a prototype unit and shipped it off to me, and just like that, I have gear info available on different displays!!

Super grateful to have Dakota Digital work on this project, all at no cost. They really go above and beyond. I won't have to try and remember what gear I'm in now when I'm manually shifting... especially off road.

 

[Gearhead]

That is my experience with them as well. Good customer service!

 

[Ol Yeller]

Amazing support, try and find that these days.

 

[UZJ40]

Trying to get the last couple small things done before my last batch of painting. I've been thinking about what to do with the cowl vent.

On my last 40, I just used a block off plate so I wouldn't have to worry about the drain tubes. On this build, I was going to use the OEM vent, but there isn't really a ram air effect like the kick vents. Also, I'm not crazy about the open slats that let pine needles and other junk in.

I decided to make my own that is a block off plate when its closed, and has a ram air effect when its open.

Starting out -

Adding flat bar stock as reinforcement -

Building the rest of the hinge mechanism -

Cross brace installed and test fitting -

Attaching the lid and lining everything up -

Back in the closed position -

Tomorrow, I'll hook up the push/pull for the FRESH PULL, which will pop the vent open. I'm really happy with how it came out!

 

[Vossie]

Damn... another oem plus mod that should be on everyone's rig

 

[G-Cat]

Love it…did you consider pressing some “long, thin dimples” into it…similar in shape to the OEM vent slats, but obviously not cut through?

Amazing work, as always.

 

[UZJ40]

Damn... another oem plus mod that should be on everyone's rig

Thanks. I find it so interesting that they left that cowl vent opening without a working vent in the later years. I hope this idea works out how I'm envisioning it will.

Love it…did you consider pressing some “long, thin dimples” into it…similar in shape to the OEM vent slats, but obviously not cut through?

Amazing work, as always.

Thank you sir. I didn't consider that, but its a great idea. I did consider bead rolling a lip around the edge, about 1/4" in, to give it a more finished look. I'm not a great metal worker though, and I was concerned I wouldn't be able to get it back perfectly flat after rolling the edge on it. It would give another place for air and water to leak in.

 

[EWheeler]

I'm not a great metal worker though

Ha! You might not be Jamey Jordan, but you can hold your own in the shop!

 

[Unimogguy]

@UZJ40 I’m always curious what a build at this level takes. What is your estimate on how many hours you have in your build to this point?

 

[Mike Shull]

@UZJ40 I’m always curious what a build at this level takes. What is your estimate on how many hours you have in your build to this point?

My guess is 3k hours, but I’m basing that from the time that I have spent on my build. I’m curious to see UZ40’s reply as next time I may opt for an 80 series swap under an early 60’s 40, stretched of course. I hope that my wife doesn’t read this and see the words “next time”. I need to build my 50’s COE on a Duramax chassis next to pull the Cruiser and camper.

 

[UZJ40]

@UZJ40 I’m always curious what a build at this level takes. What is your estimate on how many hours you have in your build to this point?

That's a really tough question as you can imagine, and its really hard to keep track. There are almost as many hours just sitting there trying to figure out how I'm going to do something as there are actually doing it. With something this custom, there is a lot of re-work also.

Doing my front axle twice is a good example. Or even the air vent posted above... that took a couple hours to figure out the hinge angles and design. I made one that didn't work correctly, so started all over again and had success from the second one. The vent alone took about 6 hours beginning to end, and that doesn't included sourcing any parts or running to the hardware store.

I could probably build another one of these trucks in about 50-60% of the time as this one. Mike would be close with his 3k estimate if this were more of a show truck and more went into the paint and body, but this was a pretty quick paint job relative to other high end builds.

I'm probably between 1,500 - 2,000 hours if you include staring blankly at the 45 trying to figure something out or wandering around the shop for 20 minutes looking for the 10MM wrench that ended up being in my pocket.

 

[FloridaPhillip]

I'm probably between 1,500 - 2,000 hours if you include staring blankly at the 45 trying to figure something out or wandering around the shop for 20 minutes looking for the 10MM wrench that ended up being in my pocket.

Ah, this is all so relatable. Staring at the 40, “missing” tools. I’ve even gone so far as purchased another tool and then found the original in my pocket!

 

[MOTOV8R]

I have caught myself many times mouth breathing, trying to formulate some plan, staring off into space, then realizing I have wasted 15 minutes not actually getting anything done or my wife walks in and asks what are you looking at (with a tone that is a little wtf).

 

[Vossie]

Guilty too. I find in particular lying under the rig staring at the underside for 20 min really gets to me think about my life choices... then usually after questioning all of them I figure out the plan and get on with it. The doing isn't the big thing, its the thinking before the doing on these builds

 

[RevISK]

I have caught myself many times mouth breathing, trying to formulate some plan, staring off into space, then realizing I have wasted 15 minutes not actually getting anything done or my wife walks in and asks what are you looking at (with a tone that is a little wtf).

Literally happened to me last night, seized by my own gaze in the garage just locked into whatever LC thought was gripping me at the moment…

Wife stared at me for a beat and asked, with a mixed tone of worry and annoyance, just what the hell I was doing. I replied that I was thinking about something about the Land Cruiser. With a knowing nod and an eye roll I could actually hear, she walked back into the house.

 

[Mike Shull]

That's a really tough question as you can imagine, and its really hard to keep track. There are almost as many hours just sitting there trying to figure out how I'm going to do something as there are actually doing it. With something this custom, there is a lot of re-work also.

Doing my front axle twice is a good example. Or even the air vent posted above... that took a couple hours to figure out the hinge angles and design. I made one that didn't work correctly, so started all over again and had success from the second one. The vent alone took about 6 hours beginning to end, and that doesn't included sourcing any parts or running to the hardware store.

I could probably build another one of these trucks in about 50-60% of the time as this one. Mike would be close with his 3k estimate if this were more of a show truck and more went into the paint and body, but this was a pretty quick paint job relative to other high end builds.

I'm probably between 1,500 - 2,000 hours if you include staring blankly at the 45 trying to figure something out or wandering around the shop for 20 minutes looking for the 10MM wrench that ended up being in my pocket.

I didn’t think to include the envisioning time, or the time spent sleeping under it after trying to figure out how to configure the next component.

 

[UZJ40]

I took two months off to finish landscaping the back yard before summer. I was able to get another small batch of painting done in that time though. I got the kick vents, fender vent, cowl vent, and windshield hinges done.

Also got some new hinge pins from @SMG for the hood. What a huge difference they make!

Taking Callie out on her 2nd birthday -

Hard top side/back is on, and bodywork on the fiberglass top is finished. One more batch of paint and it will be a complete vehicle. I'll try to knock it out this weekend.