stioc

Hey guys, I've been wanting an older pickup for a while and even though I was looking for an EFI model I found a '85 in good condition so I pulled the trigger on it.

I don't like the low-rider looks so I have a 1.5" BJ spacer on order as well as a basic AAL. I might upgrade the tires to 215/75/14 (currently 195/75/14) depending on the fender gap after the aforementioned lift but dont' want to overdo it. I really have no intentions of converting it to a 4x4 (I have a built SUV for that). In fact, the looks of this beige 2WD really appeals to me.

BTW, why are we (84-85) trucks are in a separate room than the rest? are there major differences between 84/85 and 86+?



First upgrade- got rid of the old-man camper shell!

Terrys87

iTrader: (1)

In 4x4s the 84 and 85 have a solid axle where as the 86-95 have an IFS front end is the reason they are in there own group. Nice looking truck and welcome to Yotatech.

stioc

Thanks the welcome Terry. Good to know about the 86+ 4x4s - sounds like mine has more in common with those- other than perhaps being carb vs. efi.

Are there any decent sources for parts for these trucks? I'll dig into it when I have some time during the upcoming holidays but the inside door handles, door panels and sun visors are in dire need of replacement.

I removed the chrome trim above the windows, removed the rear chrome bumper, I'll try your idea of rattle can clear coat on the rear lenses.

Next up is tires, the current ones have sidewall cracks but trying to decide if I should upgrade to some 15" wheels and go slightly taller or stick with the small 14" wheels/tires and not kill the off-the-line power- whatever there is May be some 15" wheels from a 4x4 of the similar era, hopefully they'll fit without sticking out too much.

Terrys87

iTrader: (1)

2 wheel drives are 5 lug and 4 wheel drives are 6 lug wheels, so you cant interchange. I had a 2 wheel pickup similar to yours and I put some wheels from a 98 Ford Ranger. If I recall right, they were 15 inch rim.

Ebay has several parts for these trucks. Doing interior paint the correct way will freshen up an interior. It depends on where you live in the country that you will have access to parts. If you live in the rust belt, your parts sources are going to be limited.

I wouldnt mind getting back into a two wheel drive just as I got better mileage with my old one and it would get up and run compared to my 4 wheeled trucks.

The clear coat will work for a while on the lens but I eventually am going to get me another new set off of ebay for a fresher look on one of my trucks when I get to it.

AnimalGuy

stioc, Where are you located?

stioc

Terry, thanks for the info again. AnimalGuy I'm in SoCal.

The truck failed the CA smog due to high NOx at 15mph so I'm chasing that down right now. The EGR and the tube were gunked up really bad so I'm sure it had to do with it. Other than that lots of other new parts have gone on it already (and elbow grease). It's now got:

- NGK plugs
- NGK wires
- dist cap
- rotor
- radiator cap
- two oil changes with Rotella (first got dirty within a 50 miles!)
- new Duralast Gold battery
- four new Hankook 205/75/14s
- 4Crawler BJ spacers up front (only gave me half an inch or so of lift, weird)
- ProComp AAL in the back
- torsion cranked to max allowed by the bolt (still about 2 inches off the bump stops)
- Alignment
- Cleaned out the interior and it looks good now.

Also, ordered some inside door handles, dome light cover, etc. Once the smog is done, this will be it for a while until I get some paint on it, probably in the summer. It's a third car and was meant to be a home-depot truck but I'm having a lot of fun driving it. I'll snap a few pics but not much to look at right now.

stioc

Oh the front suspension is making crunching sounds when going over speed bumps etc, I would think these are either shocks (which I'm planning to replace with the KYB gas shocks) or some sort of rubber bushings (more likely).

AnimalGuy

The torsion bars make a lot of funky sounds, especially since you cranked them up and now traveling in a different way than before.

Im crossing my fingers on my truck passing smog this time around too, I dont want to put a bunch of cash into this set up as Im planning a powerplant change in the next year.

stioc

Well the crunching noises have been there since before I cranked the T-bars up. Probably sway bar bushings as they're most audible when the left and right tires don't go up and down at the same time.

Yeah the smog laws are a pain, I hope the bill AB550 passes so there's some reprieve for us. Or better yet if they bring back the rolling 30 year old smog exempt law - not likely though.

Oh I also disabled the awful key-reminder buzzer, I bent the metal tabs per someone else's suggestion on here so the dome light still works...well it has a mind of its own too. The rivetted connections in the metal lines/tabs are not making good contact. I do love the simplicity of everything on this truck though.

Terrys87

iTrader: (1)

Smog has changed since I was in California. From what I understand that can hurt on passing the test is using an aftermarket converter. Even the big name brands are cheap. Other then the converter, from what I understand, really it is just getting everything up to par to pass the smog test, like cleaning the intake, new O2 sensor, timing, egr, tune up and a few other things. Seems like running some Sea Foam tends to help a little to. That is just from what I see on the threads.

stioc

Passed the smog, the NOx went down considerably but HC went up considerably too. Next time I'll just run regular gas rather than 91 octane, it was definitely overkill. I believe the real fix was cleaning the EGR valve.

Also put in some elbow grease with the orbital buffer which brought back some shine. Not sure for how long because the paint literally lifted off and into the orbital pads (ruined 2 pads in the process). This however should buy me some time before I get it repainted. I was thinking of throwing some clearcoat on it- the rattle can variety to protect the paint but I'm afraid the clearcoat itself might not adhere to the paint and start flaking off soon.

I snapped a couple of pics today while touching up the wheels. It sits about 2.25" higher in the front and about 3" higher in the back compared to when I got it. I'd like it to be level but I'm sure the AAL will settle over time. Also removed the toolbox from the bed- which will limit storage but I like the cleaner look. Same with the chrome trim rings around the wheels.

Before:


After:

Terrys87

iTrader: (1)

It cleaned up nicely.

FrankTorres

very nice...

stioc

Thanks! a couple of more shots for good measure

stioc

Cleaned out the interior and installed new KYB gas shocks at all 4 corners. The old Sensatracs were surprisingly the same length (I was hoping the KYBs were a little longer). The old ones are also much more substantial but the ride quality has improved by quite a bit. The truck still has choppiness going down the road which I think is the shocks maxing out due to the lift.



In other news I ordered a Ford Ranger cup holder console, hoping it fits.

I also ordered Centric brake rotors and pads and a Bosch tachometer, I'm just so used to having them in all my cars, it's nice to know how hard the engine's working especially with a manual trans.

Unfortunately due to the recent rains in SoCal I found out that the water is dripping from somewhere as the floor was soaked. I only checked the driver's side by lifting up the vinyl cover. I'm suspecting it's the windshield.

Terrys87

iTrader: (1)

The windshield is the biggest culprit. The metal trim causes rust. Best to pull the windshield and clean and seal the windshield channel.

Probably not a problem for you being in southern California, but the cowl just in front of the windshield can collect dirt and cause a rust hole in the cowl area and let a leak in on the firewall area. Probably not your problem but to make you aware of it.

stioc

No I think you're right there. I've seen a bit of rust around the windshield trim where it meets the roof. That and a small bubble near the back bumper are the only two places where I've seen evidence of rust on this truck.

Here's a pic of the interior with the Ford Ranger cup holder console and the tachometer. The bright blue LED is a USB plug in the cig lighter that shows the voltage, amps and interior temp - $15 on Amazon. Not a clear pic as it was dark already.

stioc

A couple of updates since the last post.

Put the rear bumper on, not 100% sure if I like it with or without. For now I'm leaving it on.

Got the windows tinted (35% all around).

The front brakes always pulsed, likely the rotors were warped and having no previous records I decided to change out the front rotors, pads, inner and outer wheel bearings and the seal. Took about 3-4 hrs for the whole job but now I won't be so worried on twisty roads about the wheel bearings going out and the brakes are now smooth. Although they don't have the bite that I was hoping for- may have to bed them in for a bit before I decide if they're good enough or not.

I still have to change out all the ball joints and tie rods etc just cuz I have no prior history and the steering wheels is a bit vague with more free-play than I like.

In other news I picked up a set of 2005 15" Tacoma steelies for a good price (hoping to go with slightly bigger tires) but dangit the center bore on them is too small May be it's a sign that I should stick with the new tires I just got even if they look like training wheels - they sure are lightweight and really suit the power of the truck and may be they don't look too bad.





New brakes and bearings:


Earning its keep, helping a friend move:

Terrys87

iTrader: (1)

If you are looking for another option for rims, I have used 98 Ford Ranger rims on my two wheel drive in the past. I don't remember if they were 14 or 15 inch wheels. Just a few more options for you.

http://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yota...d897becd07.jpg

stioc

Nice flat bed Terry. I was looking at the Ranger wheels too but I thought I'd stick with the Toyota wheels - primarily thinking they'd be hub centric, boy was I wrong!