Featured 100 - spressomon

[Skidoo]

Looks like a good multipurpose solution, will look into these. Bill Burke was using Maxtrax in a class I took from him, good, compact and light, but not up to bridging. I have four 3/4" ply strips that make a 4x5' platform. Something I can stand on for photography and so so for sand ladders.

 

[spressomon]

Looks like a good multipurpose solution, will look into these. Bill Burke was using Maxtrax in a class I took from him, good, compact and light, but not up to bridging. I have four 3/4" ply strips that make a 4x5' platform. Something I can stand on for photography and so so for sand ladders.

I considered the MaxTrax however at $300+ and their not really a bridging ladder and they can't be used for a table or for standing on for showering I decided to try these for now; and the decision was a little easier since we used them successfully this past spring.

I think we'll see knew products introduced in the not too distant future as there really isn't an affordable and functional multi-purpose product out there right now.

 

[1loudLX]

if IH8MUD had a facebook like button, i'd click it.

 

[wildsmith]

Those waffle boards are popular in the UK, they work well in all sorts of situations but are mighty heavy if you get them full of mud The pins from my ground anchor make good table legs for them but I hadn't thought of shower base usage

 

[spressomon]

Those waffle boards are popular in the UK, they work well in all sorts of situations but are mighty heavy if you get them full of mud The pins from my ground anchor make good table legs for them but I hadn't thought of shower base usage

Smooth side up for showering but still need Krocs for my tender dogs .

 

[wildsmith]

Smooth side up for showering but still need Krocs for my tender dogs .

You wouldn't want a splinter from one of those once they've been roughed up a bit

 

[Advrider]

spressomon,


That is one really nice 100, my wife and I are considering doing one for a 1-2 year traveling around the US, CA & Mexico with our kids (not just in the LC but in an Airstream being pulled by my SMB) but using the LC as our adventure rig for where ever we are. I really think your build is super clean, any advice on what to look for in a 100, year, options etc. If at all possible I'd really like to pick up one from another member (IH8MUD or Expo) and make a few changes from there, then at least were not having to build it from scratch. My plan is to possibly pull out the gasser and put in a diesel for better milage etc. so i've been checking out all the project here and else where that have made the swap. Also you have a great looking puppy, we are also dog folks, we are the proud care giver's of a new (7 months ago, he was just 8 weeks old) Stafford Shire Bull Terrier "terror, just kidding super mellow and kind", he's the perfect travel size and partner with kids, super fun, fast/strong & durable for a small dog!

Keep up the killer job & please post more pictures..

Cheers,

Advrider

 

[2000UZJ]

So I hear somebody got the new Slee

 

[1loudLX]

yeah but the rest of the truck is apart.

 

[spressomon]

yeah but the rest of the truck is apart.

Yes but "parts are on the way". I can't fit the bumper until I get the arse end put back together which won't happen until I get the parts . Then I'll be able to back the truck up to gain clearance for the bumper fitting session

It's only been down for 8-weeks . Sheesh...maybe I should switch to a Heep. Parts seem to be available everywhere for them . Probably a good thing given how many parts they need to be fed on a regular basis

 

[FullyLitLED]

Yes but "parts are on the way". I can't fit the bumper until I get the arse end put back together which won't happen until I get the parts . Then I'll be able to back the truck up to gain clearance for the bumper fitting session

It's only been down for 8-weeks . Sheesh...maybe I should switch to a Heep. Parts seem to be available everywhere for them . Probably a good thing given how many parts they need to be fed on a regular basis

yea too many parts for jeeps. I went to a local off road parts store recently and nothing but jeep parts. I think the guy who sold me the d-shackles dint know what TJM was

 

[spressomon]

Hopefully the D/bow shackles you purchased are USA made? Lots of el cheapo crapanese shackles out there that I wouldn't trust...

 

[spressomon]

OK...the 'SpressoWagon is back on the road/trail! Its a long, long story but suffice to say I rebuilt the entire front end complete with a brand new Toyota OEM rack, lower control arms with ball joints and front bushing (go ahead and ask about the front lower rear control arm bushing...I dare ya ), tie rods, rebuilt the front UCA's and new miscellaneous related parts.

So now to the fun part. Although the rack was worn and had about 1" left/right play it was the rear wheel steering effect that really brought all this to my attention. So after we replaced everything in the front end, thinking the rack was inducing the bad steering behavior, we discovered after the first test drive the problem had actually gotten worse.

Originally I checked my rear upper control arms for tightness; didn't find anything loose. But now I removed the rear upper control arms and found the OEM rubber bushings completely separated from the crush sleeve/center bushing and about 1/3 separated from the outer sleeve.

You can't buy just the rubber OEM rear upper control arm bushings from Toyota for the 100-series. They sell them for the 80-series...go figure.

So Christo searched around and found some of his polyester replacement bushings for the 100-series. A few weeks later and a little international shipping and they arrived. However we ("we" being my buddy Jack aka Locrwln and Sam who does this stuff for a living) couldn't get the old bushings pressed out of the arms. And the actual arm portion that surrounds the rubber/poly bushings was ovalized on each arm!!!

So...back to the drawing board. I found Ballistic Fabrication. They make a forged cromoly joint complete with a tension adjustable machined plastic bearing cup and threaded ends! And they just started offering them in the 2-3/8" width I needed (Dodge apparently uses the 2-3/8" width...they didn't go about making them for us...but good there's a cross over ). And they are grease-able! But they were backed up on production so that was another 3-week wait. http://www.ballisticfabrication.com/Forged-Chromoly-263quot-Ballistic-Joint_p_1636.html

But they came in last week along with the necessary tube end adapters. I fabbed the middle portion from 2" OD, 1/4" wall DOM tubing.

So I got the rig buttoned up this morning and off the jack stands for the first time in 10-weeks . It drives like it never has before! I can't begin to tell you how solid and accurate feeling the rear end is now. I can't wait to hook the KK up to feel the difference. Night and day! Of course looking at the photos of the blown out rear upper control arm bushings gives you reason to believe what I am feeling with the new set-up.

So there you go. Those of you that have the bizarre rear wheel steering/wandering/front corner to opposite back corner lift/leverage thing going on need to pull the rear upper control arms then put them in a vise and rotate them through their intended range of motion while inspecting for rubber bushing separation.

 

[spressomon]

More worn bushing pics

 

[spressomon]

I also fabbed up a little guard for the rear e-locker solenoid switch. I bent the POS tin foil OEM guard on one of my grocery getting runs. That one gets checked off the list . I'll probably fab and make available a few of these for you '98/'99 e-locker folks.

 

[hoser]

You need to open a Spresso shop:

1) Spresso E-locker Guards
2) Spresso FRB's
3) Spresso Body lift kits
4) Spresso Ballistic Control arms

 

[spressomon]

I'm too expensive

 

[i4c4lo]

Dan,

I would take one of those guards please.

Amando

 

[SWUtah]

Funny I don't have these types of problems with my Lexus Mall cruiser. I guess takin speed bumps at the mall at less then 3 mph is the right move.

 

[1loudLX]

So there you go. Those of you that have the bizarre rear wheel steering/wandering/front corner to opposite back corner lift/leverage thing going on need to pull the rear upper control arms then put them in a vise and rotate them through their intended range of motion while inspecting for rubber bushing separation.

mine's handling like sheit, make me a pair of those control arms will ya