Time to Build a Crawler! (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

DiscoveredLC said:
Exactly! I would love to find a rig with some extras, but a huge part of this is my dad and I putting our own work into it. Its also a risk picking up someone elses build cause you may find the work is done half assed. Ive seen many post on Reno4x4 where guys had to re-do all the bad work.
Click to expand...

Btw... You're payin for it, youre building it...get what you want regardless of cost.
I think all the comments have been in attempt to save you some cash on the mods, but... I get that it's worth you forkin out the extra to do it yourself!!
You've got GREAT local resources here for the mechanicals you wanna do, to learn safely!!
When I dropped the motor, I had the whole gang over to help set it and make sure it was gonna clear and be positioned properly.
You'll find that the fab is the easy part!! Getting into the cases and working w gear sets and stuff requires patience, cleanliness and proper torque specs and such.
 
DiscoveredLC said:
I still dont have a definitive idea on what I want to build, but the older (1st gen.) 4 runners are looking better each time I see one built up. :hmm:
Click to expand...

Did you say built 1st gen 4runners...





That was mine on Clawhammer in Johnson Valley.

They make great wheelers, but you do have to watch the rear overhang for both tight turns on the trail ledge drop offs.

Jack
 
chicago said:
Btw... You're payin for it, youre building it...get what you want regardless of cost.
I think all the comments have been in attempt to save you some cash on the mods, but... I get that it's worth you forkin out the extra to do it yourself!!
You've got GREAT local resources here for the mechanicals you wanna do, to learn safely!!
When I dropped the motor, I had the whole gang over to help set it and make sure it was gonna clear and be positioned properly.
You'll find that the fab is the easy part!! Getting into the cases and working w gear sets and stuff requires patience, cleanliness and proper torque specs and such.
Click to expand...

Yup. Its hard to really see what someone has done to a rig when youre looking at it for the first time. Id rather start with a good stocker (unless I know the previous owner and his work) and go from there. This is something I want my dad and I to be able o work on and use for a long time. There are SO many trails around Reno its ridiculous. I have a few friends from high school that run trails almost every week around town.

locrwln1 said:
Did you say built 1st gen 4runners...

[URL="http://locrwln.smugmug.com/Exlporing/4runner/4runner/1059915372_b3Qkw-L.jpg"] [/URL]

[URL="http://locrwln.smugmug.com/Exlporing/4runner/107-0717IMG/1059915354_Zg3US-L.jpg"] [/URL]

That was mine on Clawhammer in Johnson Valley.

They make great wheelers, but you do have to watch the rear overhang for both tight turns on the trail ledge drop offs.

Jack
Click to expand...

I forgot you had an older runner! Nice. What year was it? Now I can REALLY bug you about mods! :grinpimp:

I want to build a nice full length cage and a canvas top for summer wheeling. Should be fun!

Oh, and just like the 80, I'm hoping for white:grinpimp:
 
locrwln1 said:
They make great wheelers, but you do have to watch the rear overhang for both tight turns on the trail ledge drop offs.

Jack
Click to expand...


Guess i'll just have to bob the back end and build my own suspension. :grinpimp:

I think an 85 with the solid front axle, 5spd with the 22re would make a great starting platform.

EDIT: Check this one out... looks nice, but lots of $$$ http://reno.craigslist.org/cto/2823767963.html
 
Last edited:
DiscoveredLC said:
Guess i'll just have to bob the back end and build my own suspension. :grinpimp:

I think an 85 with the solid front axle, 5spd with the 22re would make a great starting platform.

EDIT: Check this one out... looks nice, but lots of $$$ http://reno.craigslist.org/cto/2823767963.html
Click to expand...

Think about this though... The ARB is about 1200, and the re gear is around a grand!!
Those are two BIG EXPENSE items that you can scratch off the list.
 
chicago said:
Think about this though... The ARB is about 1200, and the re gear is around a grand!!
Those are two BIG EXPENSE items that you can scratch off the list.
Click to expand...

I agree, but I dont think the pops will want to go half way on that expensive of a truck! :eek:
 
DiscoveredLC said:
I forgot you had an older runner! Nice. What year was it? Now I can REALLY bug you about mods! :grinpimp:

I want to build a nice full length cage and a canvas top for summer wheeling. Should be fun!
Click to expand...

Mine was an '88 model. A quick rundown of the specs:

V6, with 3mm overbored throttlebody and with headers and exhaust
5spd
Marlin v6/4cyl t-case adapter
23 spline front crawler box with 2.28 gears
23 spline rear t-case with 4.0 gears
All-Pro t-case e-brake
High angle drivelines front and rear
5.29 gears with ARB's front and rear
'85 front axle with FJ80 hi-pinion front third
Old style Longfield front birfields
All-Pro SAS kit
All-Pro Dual case skid plate
All-Pro springs front and rear, 4" fronts and 5" rears
ARB front bumper with Warn 9k winch
All-Pro rear bumper
Can-Back soft top
All-Pro nerf bars
Eaton 18 speed shifter to operate the ARB's
Viar 400 compressor for OBA
35" GY MTR's

That's the nuts and bolts of it. Worked awesome, just got out of rockcrawling, so I sold it (gave it away really).

Jack
 
locrwln1 said:
Mine was an '88 model. A quick rundown of the specs:

V6, with 3mm overbored throttlebody and with headers and exhaust
5spd
Marlin v6/4cyl t-case adapter
23 spline front crawler box with 2.28 gears
23 spline rear t-case with 4.0 gears
All-Pro t-case e-brake
High angle drivelines front and rear
5.29 gears with ARB's front and rear
'85 front axle with FJ80 hi-pinion front third
Old style Longfield front birfields
All-Pro SAS kit
All-Pro Dual case skid plate
All-Pro springs front and rear, 4" fronts and 5" rears
ARB front bumper with Warn 9k winch
All-Pro rear bumper
Can-Back soft top
All-Pro nerf bars
Eaton 18 speed shifter to operate the ARB's
Viar 400 compressor for OBA
35" GY MTR's

That's the nuts and bolts of it. Worked awesome, just got out of rockcrawling, so I sold it (gave it away really).

Jack
Click to expand...

All I see is dollar signs! haha. Thanks for the run down. A high pinion front from an 80 will bolt up to a 85 runner housing? hmmmm...

I think I'm going to keep an eye out for the 85 or older with the solid front axle, and keep it simple. Avoid the 3.0 like we talked about...

emailed the link to my dad on that $6900 white one and he said no way, too much money even if we are splitting it! haha:D

search continues.
 
If you look for used 3rds already set up with ARB's the price goes way down. I see them on pirate for sale all the time. V6 thirds with 5.29's and ARB's even. Who says you have to do everything brand new? Same goes for transfer cases and other major components- if you're not going to pick up the truck built, pick up the parts used- you can still build it your own way and probably save some serious cash in the mean time.
 
SMOKIN SOMETHING!!!!
wtf??
 
Like i said Matt be patient it will come thats way to much its a clean rig but not worth that Thats insane keep lookin bud it will come but be patient

Dan :cheers::beer::bounce::bounce2:
 
DiscoveredLC said:
All I see is dollar signs! haha. Thanks for the run down. A high pinion front from an 80 will bolt up to a 85 runner housing? hmmmm...
Click to expand...

Welcome to building a rockcrawler. It is not cheap to build one right. Yep, the high pinion is a 8" ring gear, so it will bolt into any 8" housing (just don't try and run one in the rear axle, they will not hold up).

The problem with finding an '85 is everyone is convinced they are something special and charge accordingly. If a 4runner is what you want, any '86-89, will probably be a better buy.

You have to find one that was owned by someone that doesn't know or care about what it could be (everyone wants to build a rockcrawler). Occasionally they do pop up for a decent price, keep looking.

Jack
 
So you had the 3.0 in yours. Would you say look for the 22RE instead since the 3.0's arent the best? How hard was it to source the 85 front axle?


I would like to link it right from the start, but that wont be cheap, so it looks like leafs at first. I think I can fabricate all my links and mounts, but the cost of materials, joints, and coil overs would add up quick! Trail gear has the 3 link kit that starts at 1200 and goes up from there for the runner. I'll have to research what joints will add up to and the material to see if its better to build it yourself. Need to look into coil overs and see what that would cost.
 
DiscoveredLC said:
So you had the 3.0 in yours. Would you say look for the 22RE instead since the 3.0's arent the best? How hard was it to source the 85 front axle?


I would like to link it right from the start, but that wont be cheap, so it looks like leafs at first. I think I can fabricate all my links and mounts, but the cost of materials, joints, and coil overs would add up quick! Trail gear has the 3 link kit that starts at 1200 and goes up from there for the runner. I'll have to research what joints will add up to and the material to see if its better to build it yourself. Need to look into coil overs and see what that would cost.
Click to expand...

That's tough to say as far as 3.0 vs. 22re. The reason being they both have their issues. Late 89-92ish 3.0's have HG issues, but other than being somewhat difficult to work on, they aren't that bad. The 22re isn't the 20r or 22r of legend. There were changes in the timing guides among other things that if they aren't serviced, things go bad.

Few people realize that Toyota recommends changing the timing chain and HG on the 22re just like you would the timing belt on the 3.0. Because of that, most 22re's have been replaced/rebuilt or required work. Rarely will you see a 22re that hasn't had to be rebuilt or other work in less than 200k, whereas with 3.0's if the timing belt is changed (excluding HG failure), they will run 250k with little else.

The other issue is that the 22re's are SLOOOOWWWW, unless you put a crap load of money into them. 22re's are rated at 116hp and 125lb/ft (could be wrong on that number) of torque, whereas the 3.0 is rated at 150hp and 180lb/ft of torque. My 4runner would outrun 4.0l jeeps going up Donner Summit to run Fordyce (I could keep it spinning on the long straights), they would kill me on hwy 50 going to Rubicon. You have to keep either toyota motor spinning, as opposed to the 4.0 which will grunt it's way out of the corners and up the hills. Torque rules and neither toyota motor has it, but at least the 3.0 has more than the 22re. That is why doubler kits are so popular with toyotas, they need it for rockcrawling.

My 4runner was geared at 185:1 and most shoot for the 225:1 crawl ratios. Bigger inline sixes will get through with less gearing because of the torque they generate. My wrangler was only geared at 69:1 and it did better than my 4runner with the same 1st gear in the transmission (AX15 and R150 are 3.83 to one), 4:1 in the t-case and my Jeep was only 4.56 in the diffs vs. 5.29 in my runner. The jeep was 69:1 and runner was 81:1 (without the crawler box). Of course once I engaged the crawler box in the runner, it was over.

DiscoveredLC said:
87 Toyota 4runner
Click to expand...

Not bad and it does come with some extras, but I still think he asking too much. Maybe that's just me. I think its been for sale for a while, so he might be willing to deal.

Jack
 
Last edited:
Why the draw to go links??
Yeah, they do flex a lot more, but leafs flex well and you don't have the links hanglin up, geometry issues etc. Leafs are just reliable PERIOD.
My buddy chris that just got his is all hopped up on the linked suspension too!!

You DAMN kids!!!
 
chicago said:
Why the draw to go links??
Yeah, they do flex a lot more, but leafs flex well and you don't have the links hanglin up, geometry issues etc. Leafs are just reliable PERIOD.
My buddy chris that just got his is all hopped up on the linked suspension too!!

You DAMN kids!!!
Click to expand...

Hahaha! 7:59.... Isn't that almost past your bed time old man!? :grinpimp:

I want to have some fun building this thing and I'd like to build my own suspension. I doubt we will have or want to spend the money right away anyways, but it's something I really want to do.

I don't have a truck yet anyways so thats the problem I need to tackle first....:crybaby: search continues!
 
Well... Almost past my bed time!!! :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom