ROTM: MS Crusty wheels

[ms018kmf]

I've had this thing for about 1.5 years, not too much room and not clean at all . Absolutely the most fun I've had with a rig in my life, got it for 1k with issues from coolant mixing and crummy wheel bearings. Very generous deal, even got to use the host garage to straighten things out. I don't have a garage so all the elaborate work is done at my buddy's machine shop. This wouldn't have been possible without M0627's help, thank you sir.

I like to play in rocks, however 9.5 out of 10 miles are just really bad roads. Gathering parts for a long arm setup took a couple of months but it's been worth it. I got the first generation Total Chaos kit to use ball joints. My first experiences with spherical bearings (heim's) made me believe ball joints were more streetable for wear characteristics. However since then I've waffled , torsion bars are just irritating from a maintenance standpoint now. In the last year we've gotten better at swapping heim joints and the cost is marginally higher than a BJ. Saving up for a gen 2 Chaos kit after I get tires. Yes, that is rust on that hardware .
I cleaned and painted things before winter hit, however even with religious washing habits rust creeps in wherever it can. The frame is fine, it got two cans of paint a month in the summer.

 

[ms018kmf]

I wanted to keep the bed at first but a rear end collision bent things up pretty good. Happened three days after I had a practical hinged gate mount for my sandladders. I started making another variation of the hinged mount that ended up failing. The straps hold the gate well enough for now until I make something right. I can still cram bikes in the bed, just gotta ditch a spare. I'd rather keep them both, if I need one I swap them both for the dang offset. Getting spare wheels for my 10.50's when tires happen.

The rear shocks are smaller Bilstein 7100's. I thought I could get away with lighter shocks in the back but I've bottomed out back there lately. Rear springs came with the truck, appear to be Rancho's .

 

[ms018kmf]

Here's some of the first wheeling days, no problems getting around stock .

Here's something I miss, the bed utility for river trips and camping. I can make a solution with more work in the back, hopefully in time for next river season. The roads to the Colorado are rotten and the shuttle drive takes you through miles (30+) of sandy washes.

 

[ms018kmf]

Nothing special under the hood (literally ), stock 3.0 with Mr. T gaskets, DOA head stud's and a Flex-A-Lite fan. I dig the fan in the summer but it sucks in the winter and at water crossings (they're sharp for maintenance too). Gets consistent 20 fwy/18 cty and runs, that's all it needs to do for now. Gathering small 3.4 parts but a swap won't be practical until I have a garage again.

The cow catcher's lower rectangle is .250 DOM with mounts to an ORS Frame Crossmember. Upper tubes are .125, the rest was left until I figured out how wide the truck would get. Welding is at a standstill for now, welding buddy slashed an index finger tendon. It's fixed now but recovering, I'm getting better but need practice.

You can't see it in this picture but I've got some gouges from sliding over rocks and a dent in the passenger LC arm. The gouges were gentle but I remember the rock dent, that was a big hit.

 

[ms018kmf]

While getting around stock wasn't a problem the suspension takes me further. We measured 11.75 inches of travel in the front after installing the TC Caddy Kit. Rear gets about 18 inches, more up-travel than I had planned. I've nose-planted this thing about hood high but that's it for now (BJ's gotta go). Urethane stops shatter after a few good hits. My buddies swear by bump cans, much softer landings at any angle.

Stock:

Now:

These were taken when I had a torsion socket issue keeping me from installing Sway Away Torsion bars (required for TC kit). Fixing the issue and running the Sway Away bars actually yields the same travel.




These are all poser shots, sorry I can't drive and take a picture at the same time. Going out today with another camera, I'll see if I can get something entertaining .

Stock front end wheeling:

 

[ms018kmf]

More stock wheeling:

 

[ms018kmf]

Current front end wheeling, wasn't able to make it this high up the hills before:

This one sucks, got really up there on a slope. I could see the Grand Canyon from this slope, however this is where I realize the camera focus is damaged.

 

[pappy]

Those shots at the river look like Diamond Creek. Yes? Love that place for camping, except for all the rafters.

[Opus rocks!]

 

[ms018kmf]

Diamond down for sure, gotta love the road from Peach Springs . Awesome views at night, can't see that many stars near a city. Last fall one guest on the trip commented that it "looks like Mad Max out here".

 

[ms018kmf]

Last evening we spent at Diamond Down, fun trip but don't catch the fangs sideways at mile 232 .

 

[2ndGenToyotaFan]

Very cool...... sooo have you jumped it? And where are the pics? Hehehe

 

[M0627]

Very cool...... sooo have you jumped it? And where are the pics? Hehehe

There would be video of the trucks first "jump" more like a hood high hop. However I didnt get the camera out in time
If the woods are accessible enough maybe George can be swayed to jump it more.
I am willing to record the carnage I mean the action.


All those pictures make me want to go on the river.

and a few pics during the build and wheelin to keep the tread on track

 

[ms018kmf]

A problem with jumping that my arm truck buddies also have is you usually charge your shocks on the lighter side for better DD manners. Jumping is best from a "tabletop" otherwise you've gotta hit your jump fast for the truck to launch right. Bad launches bring the nose down hard as sin. That being said I'll see what I can do . I wish we had that last one on tape, I don't bottom out the rear end every day .

 

[ms018kmf]

Nothing new yet but here's a link to the fun I had last winter. I'm sure a lot of you are farmilliar but just in case you missed my epic water crossing failure here ya go .

Work safe, cut out the colorful language .
YouTube - Water crossing gone terribly wrong

 

[ms018kmf]

I got a one piece front used, need to get lights still. I put 55w's in the Hella's with a low aim. Not offensive from an oncoming vehicle's perspective. The cab needs metal work in the wheel wells to clean things up. Fresh tires in a week, I've struggled a lot in the snow lately.

 

[fortysixandtwo]

Sick truck. I really want to do a TC front end on my gf's 93 extra cab. I love what you've done with your rig man.

 

[ms018kmf]

Thanks, it's been a lot of fun to build and drive. I've verified that I can fit 2.5 coilovers, I can order them in a week. The Bilstein 9100's take about a month to get here after placing the order (parts are readily available stateside). I need to fabricate an improved upper crossmember and bolster the shock hoops, that's about it.

In the meantime it's time for some new shoes . The older style BFG Mud Terrain has been superceded by the KM2. I liked the old ones just because I knew what to expect, the new compound is very soft. The truck rides great, even goes in a straight line down the road . Expecting some snow tonight, we'll see how they do.

 

[ms018kmf]

The tires do well, more positive control in deep snow. Tire tread cleans out faster in snow, they dig their way down fast. Corrections at speed are extremely consistent. I can follow through with a turn correcting crab walk without fish tail in the rear. They took me about as far as the old version MT's. Here I'm moving back and forth but it's too deep to turn around. The truck's weight distribution makes backing up slick surfaces difficult, it took almost 10 minutes to make it backwards up the hill. I was stuck in this same spot last year with the old MT's fresh but deeper snow.

 

[Mr2crazybyong]

ey man, nice rig, any updates?

 

[ms018kmf]

Thanks, I've been busy trying to move out of the ghetto lately. A garage would be awesome .

Rebuilt the TC Idler Arm for $35, that thing is solid. IMHO If you're keeping IFS stock this part is worth the investment.

About 5 times in one week random people in public made comments such as "check out that awesome ranger dude". Shortly later I put the emblem on the fiberglass. The louvers are ghey but they hold tools well + the price was right.

Dust beats up my air filters so I made an opening in the airbox for some Uni prefilter foam. It's working well at keeping bulk debris away from the airfilter.

Here are the front shocks, a few other things need to get straightened out before they go in. Those are the springs that came with them, different coils will be installed.