Builds OL'BETSY ZX: 1991 HZJ77

[JDM Journeys]

Spent most of yesterday reorganizing the garage when my wife got me a new toolbox from tax return money. (The one with the wood top).

But with my garage nicely straightened up, it was time to get back to some more items on my list. Beginning with mudflaps. My brackets seemed to be effective, and after bolting them on with some tiny stainless fasteners, I put all four flaps back in their rightful places.

Given that when I got this truck there wasn't really anything to hang these on, I'm super happy.

Next up: factory running boards. This would mark the first time in my 4x4 history that I'd be putting running boards back on, rather than throwing them in the bin. They are pretty low profile and sit quite high so I planned to reinstall them. At least until some proper rock sliders someday...

But alas. This is the first project that has escaped restoration. Several rivets were missing. Closer inspection showed that many attachment points were simply not there, corroded to the point of disappearance. I'm assuming the main part was aluminum, and there was some galvanic reacting going on.

I'm not super disappointed, since running board aren't usually my thing anyways. Maybe this will make sliders happen sooner? We'll see...

I put the gasket on the flare that was missing it, and man alive what a pain it was! The tiny strip of double sided tape kept sticking the edges together. Grrrr...

I looked around for a bit, and realized.that, for the moment, my outside projects were done!

Time to to finally install my beautiful cupholders from Odd Iron Offroad! Woohoo!

Lovely! Can't wait to take this on a trip with my yeti onboard!

 

[JDM Journeys]

So with everything done outside for the moment, it was time to clean up the inside. I pulled up the center console and was pleased to see almost no dirt under there. But I did find a Japanese 10Y coin.

This seemed lucky to me. I've imported many vehicles over the years and most of them have had at least one coin from the motherland. I made this one into a little key chain ornament. And then suddenly, it was time to get her out for a little drive! Maybe even a wash! Woohoo!

Android auto and a sunroof made it feel luxurious...

Time to wash off all the dust, not to mention ( i assume) years of sitting under trees...

Driving this thing is a hoot! I've had many diesels over the years, but never N/A. You really have to get the pedal down as you row through the gears, but when you do, it gets along pretty good. Okay, after first gear,that is...

On the way home I got a full acknowledgement wave from a decked out Tacoma. This thing apparently already has some street cred!

Next up, I may have to look again at the lack of front porch. Truck is currently sitting higher in the front, than the back.

 

[Gun Runner 5]

So with everything done outside for the moment, it was time to clean up the inside. I pulled up the center console and was pleased to see almost no dirt under there. But I did find a Japanese 10Y coin.
View attachment 2614496
This seemed lucky to me. I've imported many vehicles over the years and most of them have had at least one coin from the motherland. I made this one into a little key chain ornament. And then suddenly, it was time to get her out for a little drive! Maybe even a wash! Woohoo!

Android auto and a sunroof made it feel luxurious...
View attachment 2614483

Time to wash off all the dust, not to mention ( i assume) years of sitting under trees...
View attachment 2614491

View attachment 2614503
View attachment 2614504

Driving this thing is a hoot! I've had many diesels over the years, but never N/A. You really have to get the pedal down as you row through the gears, but when you do, it gets along pretty good. Okay, after first gear,that is...

On the way home I got a full acknowledgement wave from a decked out Tacoma. This thing apparently already has some street cred!

Next up, I may have to look again at the lack of front porch. Truck is currently sitting higher in the front, than the back.

Serious Street Cred.....

 

[JDM Journeys]

A few more small runs around town, and I couldn't help but notice a fair amount of slop in the steering. Now I'm well aware that it is going to be a bus compared to my IFS Prado daily, as well as my wife's 100 series, but still... I felt like it could be improved.

The truck came with a complete set of terrain tamer tre's and links, so I started by looking for play in the steering. There was a wee bit in the box, but the links themselves all seemed solid. But a quick check of the wheel bearings told the tale. A little bit of play on both sides.

Time to get dirty!

Pulled the hub covers...

Pulled the hub body... Even the cone washers weren't a big fuss. But my split ring pliers are showing their age and crappiness, so that's something to get for next time.

Pulled electronic hub ring

Then it was simply a matter of a little cleaning and regreasing, and then snugging up of the wheel bearing nut. Was able to dial the play out without going too tight, and then put it all back together. Everything in there looked really good... No signs of water ingress, and even the old grease was clean, if a not a little dried out, hence the new grease.

Haven't road tested it again yet. But it's going to be a lot better I'm certain.

The last truck I had with play in the wheel bearings used a more modern hub/bearing assembly which had to be replaced as a whole unit, and had to be pressed out of the spindle (I did it the hard way instead, with blocks of wood and lots of pounding). It was so miserable I even wrote a story about it... LOL

The War On Hubs - The Gearhead Project

If you've never attempted more than an oil change or an air filter swap, then you may have this misconception that mechanics go to school, work at a shop, and then continually extort vast sums of money from you for something that shouldn't take nearly as long as it does.

www.thegearheadproject.com

It is SO nice to be back to user serviceable hubs and wheel bearings again.

 

[ASO544]

There is a lot of WOW in this thread.!!!!!!!!

 

[OGBeno]

You’ll come to hate the electric locking hubs just when you need them the most to get you out of a jam and... well, they won’t work.

And you’ll curse them.

 

[JDM Journeys]

There is a lot of WOW in this thread.!!!!!!!!

Ah shucks. It ain't no thang... But thanks! Just a typical suburban garage build.

So today I got looking at the bumper again. I even put it on. Again. Ehhh. I just can't get my head around it. To me it ruins the classic blunt nose and beautiful departure angles...

No offense to those who love it. Just... Not my thing.
(Yes I used my celling installed overhead winch to lift it in place. Work smarter etc lol).

So it was either no bumper or... Hmm. What if I could just put the chrome bumper itself on for now? Some threaded rod, some nuts, and a bit of fiddling... and here's what we have for now so I don't get a ticket for no bumper. If that's even a thing...?

I still want to put the PTO back in place but I have dreams of adapting an arb to do the job. But that's a ways off. Even pricier to get one up here than stateside...

Anyways. At least it looks like a bumper, flimsy as it is..

 

[JDM Journeys]

You’ll come to hate the electric locking hubs just when you need them the most to get you out of a jam and... well, they won’t work.

And you’ll curse them.

Yeah I sort of assumed that would be the case. I've been swapping to Aisins on my Mitsubishi's since 1995. Figured these wouldn't be any different. I'll run them for a bit and put Aisins in the queue.

 

[JDM Journeys]

Put some liqui-moly diesel purge in a 1/4 tank of fuel. Should've poured it in the filter when I changed it, but forgot. Oh well, still should do some cleaning as it runs through...

Since I haven't done many offroady things yet, I threw my traction boards on my roof rack. Secured them with stainless all-thread, and a couple of plastic knobs. I can also use a cable lock for theft prevention.

I added the spacer so the knob wouldn't get caught on the "teeth" as I clamp it down.

They sit back from the edge, and likely won't be heard over the stealthy subtle purr that is the 1HZ with pinholes in the downpipe. LOL. Pretty hard to see up there too unless you're directly in front, which should also help with prying eyes (and hands)? I'll still keep them locked, just in case.

I was missing some of the bumpstops, so that may be the next thing I chase down? Had a few thrown in my last parts order. Also, I suspect there my be no 'stat in there at all, since I haven't reached OT in my drives so far... Cooling system needs a thorough going through, for sure. Maybe some thermocure run through it?

 

[JDM Journeys]

Well, I can't put it off anymore. It's time to drive this thing. You know how you get so far into something, that by the time it goes back together, you're almost looking for more excuses not to drive it YET? Because what about... ? And the list goes on. Or maybe its just me.

In any event, I'm a teacher by day (and often by night too) and I've been sharing progress pics with my students. So... they are anxious to see the rig in person. And there really isn't any reason NOT to drive it, so...

My commute is 160kms (80kms each way) on some pretty picturesque (when the weather is good) back roads, secondary highways, and gravel. Should be a nice test of the beast. Bear in mind that I took this thing on a test drive in October, then drove it home. Then took it about 5kms from the house a couple of times since. So this is a pretty big milestone for the truck. I haven't even put fuel in it yet (which I will do in the morning).

I did pour a whole bottle of Liqui Moly diesel purge into the 1/4 tank, so it'll be good and concentrated for the the first 15kms until I stop to fill up.

Wish me luck!

 

[JDM Journeys]

Oh, I did publish another story about this project. And one of our own got special mention!

Take a bow, @GunRunner ! You got name dropped for your 3D masterpiece.

Project Adventure Part Four: Old School Meets New! - The Gearhead Project

There are things from the current tech revolution that can bring our rigs into the new millennium.

www.thegearheadproject.com

 

[Gun Runner 5]

In the interest of full disclosure, BH3D Printing (@bhicks ) is the brains behind the cup holders design and manufacturing. Odd Iron Off Road however was chosen to be the exclusive distributor for the 70 Series version. Glad to hear you are satisfied with Odd Iron’s LED products.

 

[JDM Journeys]

I survived! A good 160kms today allowed me to make a mental list as i trundled along... Bear in mind this was my first real extended drive of any 70 series...

-needs a wheel alignment. Wheel is off a bit. Steering is slightly wandery, despite linkage being tight, box adjusted and wheel bearings done.

-wheels are out of balance. Slight vibe in the wheel at 80kmh. Either that or the beginnings of this "death wobble" I hear about. But nobody died. So it feels like a wheel out of balance to me.

-id like an EGT guage but the LHS mirror does a pretty good job in the meantime and helps to adjust the throttle.

-I've had many turbo diesels in the last 15 years. There were a few hills today when I missed that whistle... I admit. I was late in downshifting. Yep. My bad.

-I'm gonna need to get a new downpipe before any long trips. The drone of the pinholed pipe is not soothing...

I think some weight in the back may help. A pair of railroad tracks separated by a car length today was not the most fun I ever had on four wheels.

Anyways. Some work to do but I'd call it fine tuning. Bones are good. Truck is fun. And I've only just started...

Here's a prairie backdrop to prove that it actually left the garage under its own power...

Oh.. btw... my students loved it! Had to go out recess time and start it up, give them a look under the hood, ect.

 

[janyyc]

Amazing progress. If I ever make it back to Calgary (travel restrictions be damned) we should definitely meet up...

 

[Gun Runner 5]

I survived! A good 160kms today allowed me to make a mental list as i trundled along... Bear in mind this was my first real extended drive of any 70 series...

-needs a wheel alignment. Wheel is off a bit. Steering is slightly wandery, despite linkage being tight, box adjusted and wheel bearings done.

-wheels are out of balance. Slight vibe in the wheel at 80kmh. Either that or the beginnings of this "death wobble" I hear about. But nobody died. So it feels like a wheel out of balance to me.

-id like an EGT guage but the LHS mirror does a pretty good job in the meantime and helps to adjust the throttle.

-I've had many turbo diesels in the last 15 years. There were a few hills today when I missed that whistle... I admit. I was late in downshifting. Yep. My bad.

-I'm gonna need to get a new downpipe before any long trips. The drone of the pinholed pipe is not soothing...

I think some weight in the back may help. A pair of railroad tracks separated by a car length today was not the most fun I ever had on four wheels.

Anyways. Some work to do but I'd call it fine tuning. Bones are good. Truck is fun. And I've only just started...

Here's a prairie backdrop to prove that it actually left the garage under its own power...

View attachment 2633063
View attachment 2633064

Oh.. btw... my students loved it! Had to go out recess time and start it up, give them a look under the hood, ect.

Not that I don’t like dogs but the top photo would make a great avatar.

 

[JDM Journeys]

Some more little things yesterday...

Discovered why my truck has (not) good vibrations at around 80kmh - the PO had media-blasted the front wheels. Which meant that there were weights on the inner perimeter, but none on the outside. And I'm fairly certain that a 1250 on a 7" wheel is gonna need some serious weight to keep it straight.

Which brings me to a conundrum. PO had fitted those too wide tires on the OEM wheels, as pictured. Not ideal obviously.

I do have a set of 17x9's that are an inch and a quarter further in from the wheel mounting surface than these OEM wheels, sitting in my shed. They came with another truck, and were equipped with brand new BFG AT's in a metric 33x11 or so. A small spacer would make them usable for not much money. Given the availability of proper backspaced wheels, and their prohibitive price once you get them across the 49th parallel, this heretofore unthinkable option is giving more than just a passing thought at the moment. Some use them, some don't, some curse them, some quietly use them, some have never used them but claim they are satan's spawn. LOL. Anyways, maybe more thinking on that one.

Meanwhile, a pic of one in situ, just for pondering... (its an AR wheel, which is period correct in my opinion?)

So, onto actual progress. My M101CDN2 trailer had been retrofitted with 12v bulbs, so of course I had to switch them back. Thankfully some of the spares that came with my truck had the right combo of bulbs. Job done. But that is only half the battle. I am in the process of wiring a trailer harness. Got a 24v unit, and have the rhs indicator left to run a longer wire to, and I'll be ready to tow. Well, electrically, anyways. Still need to get some safety chain eyelets.

One more win: Replaced the front "no-profile" bumpstops with new OEM snubbers. All four bolts came out with no drama. Yay!

Oh, wheel spacer flamers - I've got my Nomex suit on - ready for the assault!

 

[JDM Journeys]

Amazing progress. If I ever make it back to Calgary (travel restrictions be damned) we should definitely meet up...

For sure! Someday we shall be on the other side of this, and a coffee or better yet a beer around a campfire will be a definite yes!

Not that I don’t like dogs but the top photo would make a great avatar.

Like all avatars, that one has a story. My old feller is no longer with me, but it reminds me of our good times in Moab, back in the day. Hard to let go of that one... But I appreciate the sentiment. My long drive to work is rolling prairie, just east of the foothills, and I often forget how picturesque it is until I stop to take a pic.

 

[janyyc]

@JDM Journeys never mind @Gun Runner 5, he always wants us to change avatars (not without reason, to be fair!!).

I'm personally in the "against spacers" camp, but I'm also in the "never used them myself" camp. The rims look fine, and I'm not a huge fan of those OEM rims you have in any case. I personally prefer steelies, so...

 

[JDM Journeys]

@JDM Journeys never mind @Gun Runner 5, he always wants us to change avatars (not without reason, to be fair!!).

I'm personally in the "against spacers" camp, but I'm also in the "never used them myself" camp. The rims look fine, and I'm not a huge fan of those OEM rims you have in any case. I personally prefer steelies, so...

LOL!

I'm not a fan of them either. Honestly, the AR's aren't my first choice either. Too wide. Tires are heavy too. But my budget is pretty limited for a while now, after purchase and this winter's work on the truck. So I'm attempting to optimize my current assets. My ideal would be 33x1050s in a 16 equivaltent (255s I think?). But that's gonna have to wait.

 

[Gun Runner 5]

@JDM Journeys never mind @Gun Runner 5, he always wants us to change avatars (not without reason, to be fair!!).

I'm personally in the "against spacers" camp, but I'm also in the "never used them myself" camp. The rims look fine, and I'm not a huge fan of those OEM rims you have in any case. I personally prefer steelies, so...

Sorry, I have a weak spot for beautiful photographs.