Builds CreeperSleeper's '85 Xtra-cab (1 Viewer)

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CreeperSleeper

Cascade Cruisers
SILVER Star
Joined
May 16, 2005
Threads
178
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7,408
Location
Canby, OR
Isn’t it funny how life changes and flows…?


In the last two years, my wife and I got married, bought a “forever home”, built her 5th Gen 4Runner for adventuring, acquired a really cool rock buggy, bought my “dream” Tundra, picked up some quads, and got a couple trailers to haul everything around. We were having a blast playing with our toys and finally being in a spot that we had dreamed about. However, God had other plans and answered a long-forgotten prayer. Amy, who was told that she could never have kids, got pregnant and we are expecting our little boy to be born in March!


With a new baby on the way, our lifestyle and finances needed an overhaul. (Child care is expensive!) We sold the buggy, then the car hauler, then the Tundra, then one of the quads… We were able to get out of some payments and pay down some debt to get ready for the next chapter in our lives. However, that left me without a truck and that wasn’t going to work. I made a list of what I needed a truck to do for me in this stage of my life and figured out how much we could spend. This truck is the result of that and I hope that it will be a member of our family for quite a while.


I was looking for a pre-1992 Toyota pickup or 4Runner. I wanted a truck that was mostly turn-key as I wouldn’t have time (or extra money) to build anything. I needed a truck that I could wheel pretty hard but still drive 4 hours on the highway to take me elk hunting. Long term dream would be something I could load up, drive from Portland, OR to Rubicon Trail, wheel the trail, then drive home… Oh, without spending a bunch of money on it. That is not a small order! After shopping for a while, I ended up with this:


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She is a 1985 Xtra-Cab with an ’87 SR5 body swapped on at some point. The bed is bobbed and the fenders are cut at least 4”. She has a 22RE that has been supposedly rebuilt with an intake, cam, header, and exhaust. It feels strong and doesn’t make any noises it shouldn’t. The 5-speed shifts great and it is currently running a stock transfer-case. The front axle has high-steer, 3” Trail-Gear springs with a leaf removed, 14” Fox remote resi shocks, 5.29 gears, Detroit locker, 1.5” spacers, and 30-spline RCVs. The rear is an IFS housing, f150 springs, 14” Bilstein 5100s, 5.29 gears, and a spool. She is currently running 36” radial Iroks on 15” fake beadlock wheels. Other stuff it has is rock lights, heated Mini Cooper seats, a homemade DOM tube front bumper, projector headlights with LED bulbs, and almost everything works! The PO drove the truck daily, so it drives very nicely.


I will be making small changes as I go along, so this thread is just to document the changes and the adventures. Hope you enjoy it!
 
Looks like you finally got your minitruck! Looks sweet man.

What are the immediate plans for it? Are you gonna keep the tires or go smaller and fix the fenders/bed?
 
I did! Your's looks a bit better than mine, though. LOL

I am planning on selling the current tires and wheels, but to actually go bigger. I want to run a more mild 37x12.50r17 mud tire on stock 4Runner Trail wheels. That should give the truck a little longer legs and be a lot nicer to drive on. I will also be saving up for 4.7 low range gears (keeping it single cased), will build a rear bumper, add sliders, and fix a bunch of little things to make it a nicer driver.

To be honest, this is one of the best driving modified Toyotas I have ever driven... Well, it will be when I have balanced tires on her. LOL!
 
Haha I like the look you got going on there! It looks really capable and well done!

I really like it! Is the front axle already running longfields? I can't imagine that the PO ran 35's on stock birfs...
 
Yeah, the front axle is all 30-spline RCV's. They are who manufactured Longfields before Bobby passed away. Now the Longfield name is owned by Trail-Gear, but they are not the same axle they used to be. RCV's are a lot stronger than the new Longs. I shouldn't have to mess with anything in the axles until I win the lottery and I can afford ARB lockers. LOL!
 
Nice ride CS! It’s like the oversized but slightly less polished version of YD520s KLF truck!

But enough about red trucks... where did you take your antelope?? I’ve always wanted to go on an antelope hunt, but the areas I know in Wyoming and Colorado are all lottery hunts, and hard to do as a non-resident. I’ve seen some big herds in eastern Oregon though.
 
The late wheels have serious bs. Even with spacers on my ifs rear, its still pretty narrow. Good looking truck, hopefully you will actually use it. :flipoff2:
Ive been looking for these for mine.
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Nice ride CS! It’s like the oversized but slightly less polished version of YD520s KLF truck!

But enough about red trucks... where did you take your antelope?? I’ve always wanted to go on an antelope hunt, but the areas I know in Wyoming and Colorado are all lottery hunts, and hard to do as a non-resident. I’ve seen some big herds in eastern Oregon though.

I got mine in Unit 10 in Arizona a couple years ago. Definitely a fun hunt!
 
The late wheels have serious bs. Even with spacers on my ifs rear, its still pretty narrow. Good looking truck, hopefully you will actually use it. :flipoff2:
Ive been looking for these for mine.
View attachment 1863451

There have been quite a few sets of those on Vancouver BC Craigslist. I’m looking at 3rd Gen wheels like KLF put on yogadudes (I’m leaving the auto correct as it’s funny as s***!) truck, or the 17” split 5 spoke style (pics below). I’m hearing they should be ok without spacers?


I got mine in Unit 10 in Arizona a couple years ago. Definitely a fun hunt!

What sort of range was your shot? I’m thinking my 7-08 should get me comfortably out to 300yds, which should be enough for a ‘lope?

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Nice ride CS! It’s like the oversized but slightly less polished version of YD520s KLF truck!

But enough about red trucks... where did you take your antelope?? I’ve always wanted to go on an antelope hunt, but the areas I know in Wyoming and Colorado are all lottery hunts, and hard to do as a non-resident. I’ve seen some big herds in eastern Oregon though.

I got mine in Unit 10 in Arizona a couple years ago. Definitely a fun hunt!

What sort of range was your shot? I’m thinking my 7-08 should get me comfortably out to 300yds, which should be enough for a ‘lope?

Trust me, YD520's is a LOT nicer than mine. She just photographs well. It's like a Tinder date that you don't recognize the first time you walk through the bar. LOL!

As for antelope, I have always hunted the Owyhee Unit in eastern Oregon. However, the tags take a while to get. There are lots of antelope in Oregon so you may have better luck in a different unit. I, personally, have taken two antelope and they were both just under 350 yards out. One was with a .243 and the other with a .270 WSM.
 
The late wheels have serious bs. Even with spacers on my ifs rear, its still pretty narrow. Good looking truck, hopefully you will actually use it. :flipoff2:
Ive been looking for these for mine.
View attachment 1863451

Those are the wheels that I have. I realize that they are going to be tucked in quite a bit, but I'm not afraid to run spacers if needed. the Trail wheels pictured are 7.5" wide with a 4.85" backspace, so it shouldn't be too bad even without spacers.
 
What sort of range was your shot? I’m thinking my 7-08 should get me comfortably out to 300yds, which should be enough for a ‘lope?
]

Mine couldn't have been farther than 250 yards. I honestly can't quite remember though, it was a little bit longer than I thought. I was probably 13 or 14 when I shot it. 10 years ago :eek: f**k I'm getting old....
 
Mine couldn't have been farther than 250 yards. I honestly can't quite remember though, it was a little bit longer than I thought. I was probably 13 or 14 when I shot it. 10 years ago :eek: f**k I'm getting old....

The hard part is not having a rest. The sage brush is too tall to shoot kneeling / sitting and it's too flimsy to use as a steady hold. I suggest practicing your unsupported standing shots at 300 yrds. This is what you are hunting in:

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The hard part is not having a rest. The sage brush is too tall to shoot kneeling / sitting and it's too flimsy to use as a steady hold. I suggest practicing your unsupported standing shots at 300 yrds.

Yeah that was difficult. I think I was able to clear out the brush and go prone. It was a fun hunt though for sure.

You guys like to turkey hunt?
 
Yeah that was difficult. I think I was able to clear out the brush and go prone. It was a fun hunt though for sure.

You guys like to turkey hunt?

I have never hunted turkey, but I think it would be fun.
 
I have never hunted turkey, but I think it would be fun.

Definitely do it. I've hunted turkey more than any other game and I absolutely love it. The past 4 years my dad and I go on a turkey hunt on the indian reservation in AZ. It is so much fun!

Just picture yourself in a spring forest with your back up against the tree, shotgun in your hand at sunrise waiting for the turkeys to get out of their roosts. It's a blast - but make sure you bring some "aiming oil" with you too!
 
The hard part is not having a rest. The sage brush is too tall to shoot kneeling / sitting and it's too flimsy to use as a steady hold. I suggest practicing your unsupported standing shots at 300 yrds. This is what you are hunting in:

20160812-194759-zps4j3iva0d.jpg

Nah. I’ve got a LC! :flipoff2:

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