Build “It’s only an axle swap and a motor swap” aka AK2AL aka Dream Build

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Merry Christmas Pig people!

Things have settled down and I’m slowly preparing for a month long trip next summer in the 55 :) :)

After 3 months of sitting, the bent front housing has been swapped out with a fresh housing that had to be machined to fit the elocker. The old bearings were completely shot and two knuckle studs were barley in too. It probably would have killed us on the way to CO at 80mph or coming down a pass. God protects dunks and fools it seems. So now have a completely rebuilt front end and true 4WD for the first time :) :)



I got mad at the pig after the last trip for…. Well… being a pig…..

One of the 3 kids with me got really sick and I was trying to hurry home 3.5 hours away in this old POS truck with a half working AC, that is so loud at interstate speeds that I can’t talk to his mom on the phone. I never even put it in 4WD that trip. That combined with moving/ new property just made it seem like it something that wasn’t important/fun/worth it/bad idea/whatever.

So I took my Tundra on a bunch of camping trips and had a blast…. But something was missing… no soul I guess?

Just because it rides great and is fast, the 55 is still an old truck. I’ve accepted that now and will keep driving until it isn’t fun and using it when appropriate. I don’t need the $ right now either. It seems silly in my mind for me to have a toy this nice, but **** it, I earned it and built it. If I ever get it a bind, I’ll let it go, but I’m not, so it’s staying.

I really try to take my kids and their buddies adventuring with me while they still will. they get old fast and it’s a top priority of mine to get some awesome memories in. Next time I’m taking 3 kids down dirt roads, I will probably just take the Tundra. Next time I want a adventure with just my kids, or am staying local, or going to a pig ride, I’ll take the Pig. I tend to overthink things if you haven’t noticed.

Rambling rambles over

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Glad things settled down for you. And yes, keep it and have a blast in it. That's what you built it for. Heck who knows one of those boys might decide they want to learn to drive in it.
 
I ran mine around local stuff only for years before even thinking about running it 60 - 80 miles down an interstate. It eventually happened and was nerve racking every time afterwards and the list of shortcomings grew longer with every outing. It’s kind of makes you focused on accomplishing small goals afterwards, once the feeling of disgust has worn off. They’re just old school tech from an era when people had lower, more simple standards. They shine on dirt roads traveling 20 - 45 mph and do even better when there’s 2” - 6” of mud on the trail. Any performance beyond that is a plus. Own it because you prefer to take vintage tin to your local camping spots instead of the same stuff everyone else drives. This cross country stuff, is next level crazy, and won’t ever be plush. Can certainly be better if you make it better, but not plush.
 
I may be next level crazy :) just maybe not take a bunch of kids with me to crazy town. The cross county trips in the ‘69 pig were awesome and I never even put it in 4WD, just driving it was the adventure. This rig is so capable that the fact that it’s shaped like a brick and was made to go 55mph tops just makes it less fun on the HY after a while. Trying to slow down and enjoy the ride in life and the pig. I’m only 39 and not 89 like JMack, but I feel and act old.

My middle son has interest in 4WD stuff but already flopped his nice 80 when driving with his aunt on Thanksgiving day. He’s not getting another one until he can buy it himself. It would in theory be kind of fun to fix it together, but not really. Drop kicking it and moving on.

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Glad the kid is alright. I am working on moving down to your neck of the woods. Made a deal on a house with 40 acres 20 minutes from Enterprise
 
I am trying to keep track. Is this the same kid the rolled the 55? Do I have the wrong family?
 
I got mad at the pig after the last trip for…. Well… being a pig…..

Land Cruiser not Land Speedster.

That said, everyone seems to do 80mph plus in Tejas these days. On Christmas Day, the wife and I dropped the kid at the OKC airport 90 min before boarding so he could fly home to Denver (and his place in Golden) while we drove home to Austin.

He beat us “home” by about 45 minutes. Granted he had 2 hours in OKC before take-off and an unexpected 45 min ground delay when he landed at DEN, but still: 400 miles in 7 hours with stops means 80mph or more whenever you can(*).

Don’t know that I’m going to be doing that in the pig(s).

(2uz! 2uz!)
 
xtiaan2000 said:
Looks like there will be another 55 on an 80 frame!
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No time for all that! It would be perfect though.
:::crying face:::

Whiskerz said:
Glad the kid is alright. I am working on moving down to your neck of the woods. Made a deal on a house with 40 acres 20 minutes from Enterprise
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I live there for 18 months in flight school. My extended family is all from there. I’m 211 miles away from the Rucker gate exactly.

Megadoomer said:
I am trying to keep track. Is this the same kid the rolled the 55? Do I have the wrong family?
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Seth with the red ‘69 in my friend’s son.

This is my 15 year old that wrecked the 80.

gonzopancho said:
I got mad at the pig after the last trip for…. Well… being a pig…..

Land Cruiser not Land Speedster.

That said, everyone seems to do 80mph plus in Tejas these days. On Christmas Day, the wife and I dropped the kid at the OKC airport 90 min before boarding so he could fly home to Denver (and his place in Golden) while we drove home to Austin.

He beat us “home” by about 45 minutes. Granted he had 2 hours in OKC before take-off and an unexpected 45 min ground delay when he landed at DEN, but still: 400 miles in 7 hours with stops means 80mph or more whenever you can(*).

Don’t know that I’m going to be doing that in the pig(s).

(2uz! 2uz!)
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2UZ! 2UZ!

You’re right. It is a -cruise-r. Need the right attitude to drive it. It’s really really fun to drive. Just not when I’m a hurry for hundreds of miles.

I rode in my buddies stock 40 the other day and instantly remembered why I built this. Style, soul, comfort, ability, and reliability.

#hooligantruck
 
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TachedOutOffRoad said:
Merry Christmas Pig people!

Things have settled down and I’m slowly preparing for a month long trip next summer in the 55 :) :)

After 3 months of sitting, the bent front housing has been swapped out with a fresh housing that had to be machined to fit the elocker. The old bearings were completely shot and two knuckle studs were barley in too. It probably would have killed us on the way to CO at 80mph or coming down a pass. God protects dunks and fools it seems. So now have a completely rebuilt front end and true 4WD for the first time :) :)



I got mad at the pig after the last trip for…. Well… being a pig…..

One of the 3 kids with me got really sick and I was trying to hurry home 3.5 hours away in this old POS truck with a half working AC, that is so loud at interstate speeds that I can’t talk to his mom on the phone. I never even put it in 4WD that trip. That combined with moving/ new property just made it seem like it something that wasn’t important/fun/worth it/bad idea/whatever.

So I took my Tundra on a bunch of camping trips and had a blast…. But something was missing… no soul I guess?

Just because it rides great and is fast, the 55 is still an old truck. I’ve accepted that now and will keep driving until it isn’t fun and using it when appropriate. I don’t need the $ right now either. It seems silly in my mind for me to have a toy this nice, but f*** it, I earned it and built it. If I ever get it a bind, I’ll let it go, but I’m not, so it’s staying.

I really try to take my kids and their buddies adventuring with me while they still will. they get old fast and it’s a top priority of mine to get some awesome memories in. Next time I’m taking 3 kids down dirt roads, I will probably just take the Tundra. Next time I want a adventure with just my kids, or am staying local, or going to a pig ride, I’ll take the Pig. I tend to overthink things if you haven’t noticed.

Rambling rambles over

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I didn't realize the front housing was bent?
 
TachedOutOffRoad said:
I may be next level crazy :) just maybe not take a bunch of kids with me to crazy town. The cross county trips in the ‘69 pig were awesome and I never even put it in 4WD, just driving it was the adventure. This rig is so capable that the fact that it’s shaped like a brick and was made to go 55mph tops just makes it less fun on the HY after a while. Trying to slow down and enjoy the ride in life and the pig. I’m only 39 and not 89 like JMack, but I feel and act old.

My middle son has interest in 4WD stuff but already flopped his nice 80 when driving with his aunt on Thanksgiving day. He’s not getting another one until he can buy it himself. It would in theory be kind of fun to fix it together, but not really. Drop kicking it and moving on.

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Jinkees, I hope everyone was okay!
 
@PabloCruise

Yessir. Old housing was bent and the hub gear had to be beat on to engage or disengage. Huge pain. Elocker works too now! Dual cases and elockers for my mall crawler!


The white 80 and a parts LX I had both just sold :( I wasn’t prepared to spend another $5k on a teenagers truck. Looking for a 4WD 1st gen tundra/sequoia or a 3.4l 4Runner maybe. Anything worth having is $$$ right now.

To quote myself, “It’s only money.”
 
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