Yopar's 1997 T100 Build-Up Thread

[Yopar]

Doing this build for my folks... It's a babied, 227k highway miles, 1997 T100... SR5 model and CLEAN interior... had recent brakes/rotors, timing belt, water pump, idler arm, drag link recall, fresh fluids in everything... Totally clean underneath... I would have liked to have gotten him down in price a little more, but the truck is a SOLID building platform and has a lot of life in it... even if we end up doing a fresh motor later on down the road... Plans are needs an exhaust: Magnaflow and a high flow cat, not sure about headers... 33" Maxxis BigHorns, or Interco Truxus MT, or Firestone Destination MT 1.5" BJ spacers w/new upper/lower Ball joints for safety.. or maybe the 1" spacers... 4.88 gears, with either Detroit or Aussie locker in the rear.. I have the front 7.5" diff already, just need to get some 4.88's for the rear diff install OME shocks, probably the N98's front, and the N85 rear maybe some rear shackles if needed possibly a 1" body lift if needed... and throw a winch plate on the front, under the stock bumper for the cheap used Warn xd9000i I just picked up

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[Yopar]

Tire size will be 255/85/16

[Daveoneshot]

....Yopar, nice beginning....sounds like a bit of work, but that's what we're here for, to
make Toyotas better !!.......Keep those pics coming, Dave.

[Yopar]

Just ordered the tires, Maxxis Bighorn MT like the ones on my truck. Plus a spare to match

[Yopar]

A few pics before the new tires go on.

[Yopar]

Tires installed, stock suspension. Not rubbing yet...., I removed the front mud flaps for clearance, and might have to hammer the pinch weld, or remove some of that plastic. The other option is a 1" body lift.

[Yopar]

The tires $price went up since 2008. Recently there was a tariff passed on all imported tires "from China", Maxxis are made in Thailand, but I think the tariff was something like 35%. So now tires from overseas cost more... in response, the US tire makers increased their prices too, because they figured if the overseas ones cost more, then they should as well....

[Yopar]

Work being done on the front suspension. Parts are Sankei 555, the nice stuff from Japan. I have a Downey brace coming for the newly replaced idler.



Front diff is 4.88 out of a '95 4runner with 135k on it, looks nice inside, open carrier. I'm leaving the ADD on, but I am also adding the Aisin locking hubs. Kind of a best of both worlds type of thing. Today I have to trim a brass fitting (90 degree turn to fit under the oil pan) to put in the diff breather extension today, and then install the diff.

[Yopar]

Front BJ spacers installed, w/ trimming of upper A arm done to clear the spacers.


Downey idler arm brace installed on new idler arm. Maybe later we will get the bronze bushing from SDORI (Frank).


Rear diff, 4.88 w/ Yukon gears and Detroit soft locker. Set up by local shop Advance Driveline.

[Yopar]

New O rings and seals on rear, factory Toyota replacements. Note the stock U bolts and underneath shock plate, to be replaced w/ flip kit.

[Yopar]

Front manual hubs installed. These bolt on to the T100 w/ no mods whatsoever. ADD is still intact on the front diff for ease of use during bad weather, ie, keep the hubs locked and drive around (same as stock T100 hubs), use 4wd whenever you need it. Unlock the hubs when you know for sure 2wd is only needed, highway, etc.

OME shocks installed, BJ spacers installed, inner/outer tie rods installed...

I leave the rubber boots on the shocks but I don't zip tie the bottom tight, I leave it loose so water/dirt can easily fall out. Many people remove them completely.

[Yopar]

This is the small stuff that takes up time to find. Spacers for lower shock mounts came from the pile of stuff on my bench, I don't know what they were from but they worked great. They needed 1 layer of heat shrink wrap to fit the bushing nicely. The upper bushing, which there is no picture, uses 2 bronze alloy bushings to downsize to the stock T100 upper mounts, about 1/16" thick.




Driver side shock mount needed to be extended 1" to correctly reach the shock, so 3/16" plate was used to extend the mount. You can also see the flip kit installed. The flip kit is the standard Trail Gear one for all older 4runners/trucks. The U bolts fit the axle housing just fine. The T100 rear axle housing is 3.25". The shock mounts are also Trail Gear. The stock rubber snubber bumpers are re-used, just turn them 90 degrees and weld them to the flip kit plate.

[Yopar]

The passenger side shock mount is just welded to the housing. Full axle drop was enacted before welding to make sure the shock wouldn't limit the drop.



Nice and clean under the axle now.

[Yopar]

Stock T100 shackles are 4.5" length. Trail Gear kit for the "wide" shackle works, but you need to ask for the 150mm length shackle bolts, and you need some extra washers. Use the Trail Gear spacers that come w/ the "wide" shackle kit, for the bottom, and add your washers to keep the plates parallel.

I chose the 5.5" shackle plates to get about 1/2" lift out of the rear.

[yotamonsta-]

Originally Posted by Yopar

The tires $price went up since 2008. Recently there was a tariff passed on all imported tires "from China", Maxxis are made in Thailand, but I think the tariff was something like 35%. So now tires from overseas cost more... in response, the US tire makers increased their prices too, because they figured if the overseas ones cost more, then they should as well....

Good looking truck man i like those tires!!!! And FYI the only tire still made in the USA is Cooper, general was the second but the gave up a couple years ago!!!

[yotamonsta-]

Hey yopar how do you like the locker???

[Yopar]

Final pics of the rear Trail Gear greasable shackles 5.5", which are 1" longer than the stock 4.5" T100 shackle.

[Yopar]

Originally Posted by yotamonsta-

Hey yopar how do you like the locker???

So far I have only been driving around town to get the truck done, it's fine on the street, a little clunk when going from D into R, and on some corners I hear the inside wheel chirping a little, but it's fine. I haven't taken it in the woods yet, but I am sure it won't get stuck.

[Yopar]

Originally Posted by yotamonsta

Good looking truck man i like those tires!!!! And FYI the only tire still made in the USA is Cooper, general was the second but the gave up a couple years ago!!!

Yeah I like these tires, I have them on my 4runner.

It's crazy to think only Cooper makes tires in the US. Boy, the politicians sold our country throughout years didn't they.

[yotamonsta-]

Yea they did haha!!!

[caliyota]

What a clean T100, wish mine was that nice. Great job posting your build-up. I plan to go with a Toytec BJ lift. You went with shackles instead of an AAL, would like your thoughts on one verses the other. Any clearance issues on the trail? Again super post, answered a lot of questions, Can't wait for your follow on posts.

98 T100 3.4 auto

[ChefYota4x4]

REALLY nice work, man! Very nice truck, ...VERY! lol.

[Yopar]

Thanks for the comments guys, the folks really like it...mom can even drive it comfortably and easily!

I went w/ the shackle lift because I didn't like those puny stock ones, an AAL would have worked just fine, but I also wanted a very slight lift, nothing more than 1", even less and that's what the shackles did just fine. We might have to AAL if we end up putting heavy loads in the bed, we'll see.

Here's pics of extending the spare tire holder arms, as the 33" wouldn't fit without it. I just did the rear part, and it sits up there nice now.



Also, I've since added Low Profile lower control arm stops in front, for added UP travel. Down travel is limited by the stock bump, don't want to go too far down w/ the BJ spacers in there. CV angle is just about stock, truck height is about 1/2" higher than stock after letting the torsions down a hair w/ the BJ spacers.

New sway bar end links and bushings were also installed, the old ones were rusty and needed to be cut off. Now it's real easy to unbolt one side for trail flex. I need to post a pic of the OME stabilizer install; it needed a universal bracket on the draglink.

[alex_mcnair]

dang this is a nice lookin truck

[rayrb1216]

I have almost the same truck as you man. I have the toytec lift just waiting for when I have the time to put it on.. looks great!