JMyerz

Hello,

I've been lurking around for a little and decided to post up.

I am selling my Rover and buying an early 90s Toyota 4cyl pickup that I would like to turn into a nice little expedition Vehicle.

I am planning on getting the following:

Bucket Seats
Can Bak Top
All Pro Bumpers
Sliders
33x10.50 MTs
OME Lift
Yakima Rack
5.29 Gears
ARBS (In The Far Future)
And a CD/Mp3 player

I haven't been able to find much on these ealier trucks, what do I need to run 33x10.50s? Do I even need a lift? Also I've heard about some IFS travel kits but can only find limited information on companies that don't exist anymore.

Thanks
Justin

loosehead

Welcome to the forum, Justin.

I'm no expert on this year of truck, but I you would need some amount of lift to clear 33s. Try searching on here for ball joint spacers, there should be a few good threads abou tthem and how they work to improve things up front. That should be a good starting point. Good luck!

BajaTaco

If you are planning an expedition style truck, I would be careful about using an early 90's model unless you are very mechanically proficient and can go through it really well or have the means to do repairs on the trail. The reason I say this is because reliability and failure of components are of the utmost importance when you are out in the middle of nowhere. Toyota stuff seems to last forever, but just make sure that what you get isn't going to be a can of worms in the reliability department. Age and abuse can yield some nagging nickel/dime ailments that can be a pain in the butt when you are trying to do a long trip.

You may want to head on over to www.4wdtrips.net/forum and look around for discussions on expedition style rigs and trips.

and good luck!

914runner

If he's getting the 4cyl (22R-E) those engines are pretty well bullet proof from what I have read.

88yotaboy

To fit 33's a lift would be nice but not neccasarily required. I have seen stock yotas with 33's, but they rub bad. A couple inches of lift should be sufficient though. There are a couple of guys on here that are running around with long travel kits so you should be able to find some information from them. Hope i helped.

BajaTaco

I agree they are bullet proof. But like I said, it's the little nickel & dime stuff that can be a pain the butt. A strong running engine is only a part of the picture. Stuff like plastic and rubber and vinyl that deteriorates, rusty fasteners and brackets, leaking gaskets, worn out mechanical/electrical/moving parts... even the little stuff can add up to inconveniences.

FirstToy

cool, new forum to look through.

Robinhood150

He had a Rover, he has to be mechanically proficient!

wvuviv30

If you get an IFS, for more travel get the Ball Joint Spacers (SDORI). Those will gain about 1.5-2" of wheel travel.

if it is and 89-95 Truck you can clear 33x10.50 with 2" of lift on the Stock Toyota rims (Alloy ones). I might add a 1" body lift from Roger Brown, so that there is NO possible rubbing, or you can trim/beat the inner fender lip.

dragr1

iTrader: (3)

Try this site:

http://www.brian894x4.com/

It should provide a lot of info on what you're looking for.

914runner

That guy has one of the coolest sites! I really like his foreign toyota page.

dragr1

iTrader: (3)

Yeah, it's a great site, lots of cool rigs and ideas on that page.

Here are some more:

http://www.tankota.net/

http://bajataco.com/4x4stuff/4x4stuff.html

and the motherload, you can never look at all the info on this site (mainly cruiser info and ideas):

http://www.a1.nl/phomepag/markerink/main_4x4.htm

Fahrenheit 451

IMO, if you are really going to put together some sort of expedition rig, you don't want IFS. There are just too many parts to break and that can be damaged too easily.
I would suggest hunting around for an '84-85 pickup with the solid axle, preferably an extra cab (though they can sometimes be hard to come by). The next decision would be whether to go with carb or EFI. EFI has the overwhelming benefit of being able to go anywhere at any angle with no stuttering or flooding. It also has the overwhelming detriment of being full of electronic gizmos to keep it running that means a little water or a good hit in the wrong place (kick panel on passenger side most notably) could result in the quick end to an expedition.
I think possibly the perfect combo engine wise, is the Landcruiser straight 6 with the throttle body injection modification. There is still an ECU to blow, but the setup seems to a bit less likely to get ruined out in the wild. You get the benefit of injection with somewhat less electronics.
The obvious problem there is I don't think there is any way to get the 6 in a pickup and I don't know of any TBI mods on carbed 22rs.
Another consideration is horsepower. The 22r/22re is a great little motor that will run darn near forever, but unless you start stuffing some $$ under the hood you aren't going to find yourself pulling a load of camping gear and water up many inclines without having to gear down.
Ultimately, I guess you have to decide what "expedition rig" really means. If you mean going out and about for a week or so at a time with resources of some sort nearby, an old EFI pickup would do fine. If you seriously plan on going into the jungle for an extended period, maybe something like a FJ60 Landcruiser would be more in order.
Oh, and if you happen to cruise on down to Brazil, bring back a Bandierante for me would ya

JMyerz

Thanks for all the replies

I don't need a multi week, in the middle of nowhere jungle excursion vehicle. I'll be taking 2 week long trips down to baja to surf, some snowboarding trips and photography trips lasting a week at most.

I've built lots of wheeling rigs and I think the IFS will suit me just fine.

Is 1995 the first year for a Tacoma? How much should I excpect to pay for one?

Thanks

Justin

dragr1

iTrader: (3)

1995 1/2 were the first Tacoma's. Usually the 4x4 extended cabs with V6 go for around $7-$12k with approx 80-120k miles depending on year. I have seen them as cheap as $5k on rare occasions. But I'm in Alabama, so I'm sure that Cali is different. Regular cabs are usually about $1500 less.

BajaTaco

You can check out the blue book value for your area for any vehicle you want (well, almost) at www.kbb.com

I think a Tacoma with a camper shell would suit your needs very well. (Yea, I am biased obviously ).

Robinhood150

Keep in mind the tacomas with the TRD option also come with a rear electric locker.

VolcomTacoma

If you are looking for an IFS long travel kit you can check out these links:

www.chaosfab.com
www.esbfabrications.com

914runner

If getting a Tacoma or 3rd gen. 4Runner definatly get the TRD package.

JMyerz

Well,

As soon as I sell the Rover I will be getting a 95ish Tacoma 4cl 4x4 hopefully with an extended cab.

Thanks for all the help

Justin