Builds Rig of the Fortnight MaddBaggins (part III) (2 Viewers)

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MaddBaggins

Remember the KnightRider!
Joined
Feb 22, 2005
Threads
140
Messages
3,539
Location
The Old Pueblo
Here’s my girl Tortuga.
ROTW part I
ROTW part II
220k miles
sunroof
cloth interior
no factory roof rack

MODS:
OME J spring/L shock lift
Aluminum CSC front spring spacers
Landtanks Castor correction plates
Slee lower rear control arms (the old style tube ones with stock bushings)
Home made upper adjustable rear arms here
Home made adjustable panhards here
BFG AT KO2 315/75 r16 on black steel 16x8 rims
CDL switch and pin 7 mod
Aussie locker in rear
ARB locker in front (air compressor mounted in stock jack location, plumbed with air chuck for emergency air)
4.88 Yukon gears
Slee transfer case skid plate
Slee sliders
4x4Labs DIY rear bumper with dual swingouts (tire/2 gas cans) See here
custom front bumper by me and friend part I and part II
T-Max Outback Series 9000 winch with 3/8x90 Viking trail line(synth rope) on custom receiver mount. See here
sway bar extensions by me (1/2 tube-3-1/2 extended links)
2 Lightforce 170 aux lights with OEM aux switch (LED light bar, not installed yet)
Slee lighting harness and aux harness
National Luna dual battery kit
Urban Landcruisers battery cables
ARB 3/4 length roof rack
OEM hand throttle
40 series Flowmaster muffler with custom 2-1/2” exhaust
Eclipse CD deck with iPod control box, 700watt Planet Audio amp, pair of 8” woofers and door speakers
Cobra CB with Firestix 4’ antenna
re-tubed rear driveshaft thicker than stock (.2 tube IIRC)
Slee SS extended brake lines
flares gone and Durabak coated (sun damaged a bit, needs a couple new coats or not) See here
front sway bar quick disconnects (custom-me) See here
front diff armor (custom-me)
Blue hub fan clutch fluid mod 15k cst fluid

MAINTENANCE:
birfs repacked and new bearings at 170k
rear axle hubs repacked and new bearings at 150k
new OEM radiator, hoses, t-stat a year ago.
reman Toyota starter 3 years ago
head gasket done at 144k as maintenance, head cleaned, tested and 10 thousandths milled off
water pump replaced with HG
new tie-rod ends 1 year ago
new OEM bushings in front control arms (all 6)
tranny filter cleaned 3 years ago
new belts 3 years ago
PCV valve and hoses replaced 4 years ago
Dist cap and wires replaced 2 years ago
PHH replaced with Gates greenstripe nearly 4 years ago
new OEM u-joints front shaft 2 years ago, rear shaft less than 1 year ago
new rear brake rotors
front and rear brake calipers rebuilt 3 years ago
fuel filter replaced 3 years ago
new OEM power steering pump
reman’ed OEM alternator
new PS pressure lines
new EGR modulator

For fluids I use:

motor oil Chevron Delo 400 15w40 Blackstone reports
front diff Valvoline Durablend 75-90
rear diff Valvoline Durablend 85-140
transfer case Mobil 1 Synthetic 75-90
transmission Mobil 1 synthetic ATF
power steering Mobil 1 synthetic ATF
Toyota red coolant

for grease I use:

in u-joints Mobil 1 synthetic
in wheel bearings Mobil 1 synthetic
in driveshafts Valvoline Durablend Moly
in birfs Valvoline Durablend Moly

Well, thats all I can remember right now. I'm sure I've forgotten something.

She’s a great runner and wheeler. She’s been my first project car and I’m pretty proud of the results. She’s not as clean and polished as some, but I think she’s the best 80 out there.



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more pics

Middle pic: I'm the ugly dude on the left. Elk hunt 08
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O-ring trick on the TPS?


Sorry, ISC not TPS. It's been so many years since I did it, I forgot what it's called.
Brings down the startup RPM's.
you add a small o-ring to it and your startup RPMs will drop about 400 or more. In turn that also helps reduce startup rattle.

Here's a decent thread about it. I think I read about it on the 80's cool list at one time.
https://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/211494-o-ring-fix-solved-high-idle.html

I think this is where I first read about it. Some of the pics are gone. http://web.archive.org/web/20010627164802/www.safari4x4.com.au/80scool/tech/fast_idle/fast_idle.html
 
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Tortuga - hard to let go of a legend :cheers:

Yeah, I have a new project in the works that will allow me to not use her as my daily driver anymore. That way I can stop racking up the miles on her for just around town stuff.
 
Over 400 views. Anybody got any questions or comments? :meh:
 
What would you differently if you had to do it over again?



THAT is a good question. I have often pondered that. I love my rig the way it is now and how it rides and handles. Having said that, if I did it over, I would keep the suspension and gearing closer to stock. More like hltoppr's old 80. More expedition and less rock.

If I built another it would have OME heavies with Landtanks plates. I would go with more narrow tires in an AT version and maybe a re-gear to 4.56. I would put selectables in both diffs. I wouldn't do much else different.

I don't regret what I have done to Tortuga, she's awesome, but if I did another it would be less mod'ed.
 
Really nice truck. I Like the way that bumper looks from the front, I always appreciate the custom work so much more.
 
Sweet Rig, I am jealous. It looks like the hoops on the front bumper were added later according to that pic of you coming down the rocks? It does not look it needs anything. :cheers:
 
THAT is a good question. I have often pondered that. I love my rig the way it is now and how it rides and handles. Having said that, if I did it over, I would keep the suspension and gearing closer to stock. More like hltoppr's old 80. More expedition and less rock.

If I built another it would have OME heavies with Landtanks plates. I would go with more narrow tires in an AT version and maybe a re-gear to 4.56. I would put selectables in both diffs. I wouldn't do much else different.

I don't regret what I have done to Tortuga, she's awesome, but if I did another it would be less mod'ed.

Thats nice to know. It gives another perspective to the newbies - mod it how you plan to use it. But I dont see Tortuga having problems doing the expedition/overland thing :D.

Thanks for the update on the rig.
 
Awesome looking rig. :cheers:
 
Over 400 views. Anybody got any questions or comments? :meh:

You answered them all in Parts I and II :flipoff2:

BTW I'm not surprised that you would have stayed closer to stock had you started from scratch. This is one of those things everyone keeps harping on me about because I concentrate on making my life easier mods versus "how high can I lift it" mods.
 
Nice rig, eventually I will move on to adding an Aussie, then maybe ARB air front locker like your set up. How often do you find yourself engaging the front locker?
 
Nice rig, eventually I will move on to adding an Aussie, then maybe ARB air front locker like your set up. How often do you find yourself engaging the front locker?

Only occasionally. Most of the time the rear locker and the CDL get me through.
 
THAT is a good question. I have often pondered that. I love my rig the way it is now and how it rides and handles. Having said that, if I did it over, I would keep the suspension and gearing closer to stock. More like hltoppr's old 80. More expedition and less rock.

If I built another it would have OME heavies with Landtanks plates. I would go with more narrow tires in an AT version and maybe a re-gear to 4.56. I would put selectables in both diffs. I wouldn't do much else different.

I don't regret what I have done to Tortuga, she's awesome, but if I did another it would be less mod'ed.

That's really interesting--when we first got ours, I used to think about going bigger but then I just put it off to see how I was primarily using the truck. Now I know I'm at a good height for what the truck will see. I have Heavies and Landtank's plates, too. I wonder if everyone goes down the "bigger is better" road when they frist think about modding these things.

Very nice truck. Thanks for sharing! :beer:
 
Does the winch being so high up block any air flow to the rad??

Also what does this do exactly (air compressor mounted in stock jack location, plumbed with air chuck for emergency air)
 
Does the winch being so high up block any air flow to the rad??

Also what does this do exactly (air compressor mounted in stock jack location, plumbed with air chuck for emergency air)

I've never seen any issue's with cooling. There's still lots of exposed grill for airflow. I live in Tucson, so if airflow was an issue, I would have found out by now.

The air compressor is for the front ARB locker. Rather than stuff it into an already crowded engine bay, where it's hot, I put it at the rear of the vehicle in an un-used space. Then plumbed it with an air chuck for "just in case" air. I also have a 10lb power tank and MV1050 compressor. The ARB would be last resort for filling tires.
 
-Baggins, you got any pics of your Elk hunt? Would love to see them! Where did you hunt?
 

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