85 XtraCab Build w/Flatbed, Cab Swap & Raptor Liner
 

Howzit Yotatechers! Been mooching off this site for too long and decided it was about time I share what I've been doing with the bountiful info I glean from this forum and all its gurus. I'll get right to it with the original craigslist ad I came across when I first picked the rig up...
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Friggin sweet eh? So that was in Alaska in 2016 and it has come a long long way since then. Here it is currently at home in Hawaii in 2020 with just about everything replaced except the frame, axles, and tranny.
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For starters, this is still my DAILY DRIVER which I am building to be a "Mild Trail Rig" and Farm Truck, not a Rock Crawler. It is the first truck I have owned in my adult life and the amount of mechanical knowledge it has forced me to learn in the short few years I have owned it (along with the amazing yotatech contributors to whom I am extremely grateful) is absolutely astounding. I've gone from "whats a carburetor?" to completing two engine swaps, re-gearing, a cab swap, paint job, and fabricating a badass flatbed in three short years. It's a full-blown addiction and I have you guys to thank. A$$holes ( Jk, i love this online community). So bare with me as I backlog the journey (it's a great backstory) from complete noob to not-so-noob, and navigate this thread creation process at the same time. If you want skip the icing and go straight for the cake then you'll probably want to scroll down a few pages unitl you start seeing the 2wd donor truck and a bunch of technical anxiety-inducing pictures. :wrench:

So the goal was to buy a hunting rig for back home, and I wanted specifically an 85 XtraCab Straight Front (thats what hawaiians call the solid front axle), using the money would make from my fishing season in Alaska. Problem was I found that diamond in the rough while I was still working in Alaska. So there was only one obvious option.. buy it, road trip down the west coast, and ship it home to the island. Simple enough.

First thing I did was change all fluids, add a diff breather tube, rip a couple donuts, and trade a fellow yoter my muds for his All-terrains... terrible deal in most cases, but the ATs would be more appropriate for the road trip I was prepping for and I could always put muds on again after I got it home. Plus he worked at the local Napa so you know... future discounts:great:
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Next thing I did was have a friend fab me up a solid yet low-profile front bumper (lots of roadkill in them parts, not that the bumper would stop a moose but at least its something). Then I installed a huge curved LightBar on the roof rack because the stock headlights in the vast black of Alaska night were like a matchstick trying to light up the desert.
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Here it is getting new springs, shocks, and bushings (2" HD Suspension Lift kit by Old Man Emu) a few weeks after picking it up. The seller had the kit and never put it on so I bought it off him under the condition he help me put it on in his shop. Good deal Paul. Wish I had more pics of this process but I do remember it was a long day, and a grinder, sawzall, and torch were used to get some of the rear shackle bolts off :con:. While this setup has served me well, I will say that it is suuuuper stiff unless you have your bed really weighed down (which makes sense since OME is an australian brand so they're catering to mostly overland rigs). It also did not come with new shackles so being forced to reuse the stock ones is a bit limiting in my opinion. I am still running these springs and shocks (minus having converted to the triangulated rear shock setup), however I am planning to do the Chevy 63 rear and RUF mod this year.
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Scored a free camper shell and it happen to fit on the flatbed nicely so we rigged up some plywood siding and tailgate to enclose the bed. Looks pretty ridiculous but kinda cool at the same time but hey, it was just a temporary 4runner fetish to keep our gear safe during the roadtrip.
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Also, if anyone happens to be in the Anchorage area be sure to go check out the yard at Green Tree Fabrication... Bada$$ rigs! Anyways, we hit the road and took three weeks to get from Homer, Alaska to San Francisco, California. Tons of adventures along the way, I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an unforgettable roadtrip. We had two minor breakdowns along the way which we were fortunately able to resolve and get back on the road within the same day each time. First time it was a bolt find its way loose off one of the rear shocks allowing it to fall and get dragged for a couple hundred feet. We tied it up until the next town where we scavenged a canadian parts store for the right size and pitch bolt. Needed like 5 washers to make up the space but it held. The second mishap was a bit of a prick... Clogged fuel filter from bad jerrycan gas that took a while to diagnose. Then because of the PITA location toyota chose for the fuel filter on the 22re, bradda jmd ended up snagging and cracking the copper oil pressure guage line as he tried to replace the fuel filter. A few hours later, new fuel filter, oil port plugged, no oil pressure reading for the time being, but we're back on the road baby.
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I have since relocated the fuel filter to the inside of the passenger side engine bay for easier access. I highly recommend this as anyone who has had to replace one on the 22re in its stock location would agree it is a mudafuda. I found a writeup to do this on here somewhere but it's pretty simple. Lines stay the same, just stretch it over to the cab wall and bolt it to an existing hole or drill a hole exactly where it fits best for you. I cut one side of the mounting bracket off for spacing and just have one bolt holding it to the engine bay. Been though hundreds of off-road miles and never had a problem with it there. I'm pointing to it here under the intake manifold, and from under the fender you can see the bolt holding it in place above my front shock. Just be sure it's not touching or going to be rubbing on the intake manifold as the engine revs.
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Two Hawaiians in San Francisco on a rig from Alaska. Wild times :bllama:
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I took the rig and continued on down the coast to chase an unworhty female, as we do. I returned the spare water pump and alternator I had bought for the roadtrip "just in case", and of course within the month they both went out and here I am contemplating my life choices as I replace them both never having done any real engine work before haha! ahh what a noob.
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I promise we're almost to the good stuff... Continuing on with the backstory though, my mating display was unsuccessful and funds were insufficient to get me AND the rig home, so I retreated to the mountains to raise some cash off the Tahoe snow season. It was a banger of a winter and there was one point I had the 4wd locked for 3 weeks straight! just to commute between work and my igloo of an apartment.
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When the weather finally started to warm and the bank account wasn't so malnourished I said peace out to the mainland and shipped my baby home to the promised land.

The promised land. The love of my life. HOME. Kaua'i
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A few things one might observe from those pictures. One, mud and sand are what we have to play in, rock crawling really aint a thing here. Two, by now I had done away with the camper shell setup (sold it for 50 bucks :prop: ). And three, I scored a passenger fender that was in much better shape than the old one. Oh and four, when I got it home I put on a set of BFG All-terrains 33" x 12" x r15. They have served me very well, I'm still running them almost 3 years later and they still have nice meat on um. They definitely live up to the reputation and are perfect for me as a daily driven rig.

I kept up on the small things like fluids and greasing, changed some u-joints, rebuilt the drums and fixed the e-brake.
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After my coins recovered from the new set of tires I got it in my nooby brain that I needed more power and the easy bolt-on engine mods were how I'd get there. I got a "22re power package" from LCE including headers, Intake, Big Bore Throttle Body, and Camshaft. I even added an 18" Magnaflow muffler, and the Black Magic e-Fan. I cant say it was a complete waste, but there definitely wasn't much difference in performance. Maybe a little punchier acceleration from dead stop but not exactly a noticeable increase in power like I was hoping. Or maybe its just because I've never figured out that Knock Sensor CEL code 12? :think:(help!). In hindsight I should have just spent it all on a performance Cylinder Head, or gone for a whole engine swap, or better yet saved it for the trouble that lay ahead.
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Great story! As for your knock sensor, make sure the threads are nice and shiney, I had been getting a code 12 for months until I used a spark plug brush to shine up the threads in the block and on the sensor. The code hasn't been back since.

Then it happened, the knocking got noticeable and I got the "I would start looking for a new motor if I was you". So I did. But not before I tried replacing the Connecting Rod Bearings. It helped a little, for a little while, but then it got worse. My duma$$ found a guy on craigslist selling a 22re and trusted the $400 deal I worked out. Got it all ready, psyched myself up, pulled off the swap with a few solid days work, started her up and won't you know, worse knock than the one I took out. Like real bad. See evidence below
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So yeah, total bummer. I definitely got screwed, and of course I couldn't just go find the guy. Fortunately for me, my cousin had a newly rebuilt 22re in his garage whose intended truck got sold so he offered it to me for a nice price. So my next few days off I dove back in and pulled of ANOTHER swap all within the same month. And of course I had to go in and swap that new camshaft I had installed too (I believe it's the Pro Torquer from LCE). Much headaches. But hey, no knocking, piece of mind sigh of relief, and she runs like a champ (minus my code 12 which is still there, please help:att:) But also on the brightish side, I have two motors living in the parents backyard (sorry mom) which I pull parts from now and then.
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jakey_poo Thanks for the tip. I know I tried cleaning up both before but I'll give it another rigorous clean and cross my fingers.

Nice! Subscribed.

The funds took a while to recover from that blow, but when they did I finally got to throw in some real fun stuff. I wanted to re-gear the diffs and went back and forth between 5.29 and 4.88 but eventually opted for 4.88 because I couldn't ever see myself running any tires bigger than 35's (daily driver remember?). I also wasn't sure about the ability to change a ring and pinion out once a diff has been welded locked, anybody know? Plus, despite the weld-locked rear functioning exactly how it was meant, the chirping was kind of annoying in parking lots and driveways, and a normal mechanical locker was starting to seem more appealing. So, the decision was made, the pretty penny spent, and a complete rear diff with a Yukon Grizzly locker and Yukon 4.88 gears built by Marlin Crawler was going in the rear (that was an easy swap). And for the front I would drop my front diff and rebuild with Yukon 4.88 ring and pinion, no front locker (not so easy swap). Some regret not throwing a locker in the front too, but its fine. Big difference, and I've been through some pretty deep mud and haven't gotten stuck yet. Very satisfied with this upgrade, highly recommended.
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And also, I still have the locked rear and other stock ring and pinion if anyone is interested in purchasing them for cheap for whatever reason. DM me.

I went for a while before doing any other major mods or upgrades, just kept myself busy fixing small stuff... brake pads, knuckle rebuilds, belts and pulleys, went through two starters, wired in cheap aftermarket reverse LEDs, changed out other faulty wiring, welded reinforcements here and there. My 22re still leaves me wanting and it's a stiff ride when there's nothing in the bed, but all in all she runs like a champ and can take a serious beating.
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OOH Side note, found this pic of my brada jmd's rig on Maui. He's the guy who did the trip from Alaska to cali with me. I believe his is an 84 longbed 22re
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Anyway, next I built a custom heavy-duty low-profile transfer case guard. It was a fun and fairly simple mod i found on youtube that I'm really glad I did. Gained me about 1" of clearance at the crossmember and definitely beefier protection.
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Jack up the transmission and be sure it's not going anywhere, then remove the crossmember and tranny mount bolts (some were near seized on mine).
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Cut the bottom of the crossmember flat to fit a straight plate on there. Find some scrap plate (or really nice scrap plate like I was lucky to find). Measure and figure out the size and shape you want to protect your transfercase. Cut out the shape and weld that badboy up (make sure its oriented correctly to protect the transfercase side).
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I did go back later and weld some simple gussets on the sides to kind of box it in a little and give it a better look than a straight plate. You'll be able to see end product in future pics. If you're gonna do this it's also a good time to consider a new (upgraded) tranny mount. I didn't but wish I had. The design isn't as pretty or low-profile as the aftermarket ones you can buy but the thing is solid and looks pretty good after it got painted, also it was free and not 300+ dollars. I'm stoked on it.

Nice truck, and very cool back story! I love reading about stuff like that. Will be following along for sure.

Thanks man, I love hearing the stories too. With all the mods that are possible, these trucks sure come a long way.

Here's the finished Transfercase skidplate with gussets and second plate all boxed in. I welded them on after I had bolted it back up to the truck so it was one of those fun welding upside down under the truck maneuvers where you get to yell "ow fudge mudafuda!" every two minutes.
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Oh yeah dont forget to measure and cut a hole to access the transfercase drain plug. I think I used a 1 or 1half inch hole saw bit. I promise it actually looks pretty good when its not covered in dirt. Fun mod.

By now the metal cancer was approaching terminal. The cab was starting to look like swiss cheese and I had a hole in the corner near the clutch pedal that would splash my feet with water and mud any chance it got (roofing tape fixed that for a bit:laugh:). The flatbed frame wasn't doing much better but the frame of the truck was what I was really worried about. Outside seemed okay but inside I wasn't too sure. The cab already had rust spots all over when I bought it but I think after having it on salted roads in the Tahoe winter, and then getting it home where everything rusts here, it just went bonkers. I had put off doing anything about the rust for a while because I was afraid of what else I would find, and also it was a daunting task to think about fixing since I had no body work experience.
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Of course all the trouble areas were either a seem or corner and would be really difficult body work. The rocker panels were basically non-existent anymore and I was afraid I'd have the body mounts punch through the cab floor one day while I'm out on a trail.

For the frame I decided I would try to blast out any dirt or rust with a big steam pressure washer and compressed air lance (I happened to work at an industrial facility and had access to bigger equipment at the time). This kind of worked but I could tell there were bigger chunks that the factory holes in the frame were just too small for. So I cut out a decent hole in the bottom of each frame rail where I figured all the crap was getting stuck, got it all out and had to weld it back up afterwards. There was a lot of crap in there.
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After seeing all that I knew there would probably be some major frame patching in the future but for now, I just needed a temporary fix. I stuck the pressure washer nozzle through the open rear of the frame as far as I could and went to town. The steam really helped. This probably wouldn't be possible with the factory bed on the truck but just another perk of the flatbed I guess, accessibility. I went back and forth blasting from the rear and then from the hole I had cut, and from all the factory access holes until I saw only clean water coming out of each side. Then I got an air lance, which is simply a long skinny tube fitted with an on/off valve to blast air from an air compressor (the bigger the better), and blasted the inside from every access point possible until I felt the inside was drying out (I literally blew air for like 20 minutes per side). Then I patched her back up and let it sit for a day before trying to treat the rust on the inside with an inhibitor.

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This was the weapon of choice. Cavity applicator wand kit, basically a nozzle extension for spray cans. Great tool for spraying the inside of a tube or hard to reach cavity. The CorrosionX HD I had good results with on other things in the past, seems like a quality product that really stays on there. Its like $20+ a can so the stuff better be good. I went around to all the ports and loaded the frame up with it and hopefully if I do that like once a year she'll be good, we'll see. I would have loved to use Eastwoods inner frame corrosion inhibitor liner paint thing except we don't have it in Hawaii and cant get it shipped here without sacrificing your first born child due to hazardous goods fees.

As for the cab, I had a few options: Run it till it dies, then part it out, terrible option. Sell it as is, terrible option. Do all the body work and fix the rust, terrible option. OR, find an affordable donor truck to cab swap it, unlikey but not so terrible option. Low and behold a few months after I started putting the feelers out an old teammate of mine post this beauty up for sale on his IG feed.
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Same year, an 85. Same body, XtraCab. Just the 2wd version. The thing was clean too! Very nice body, little to no rust or dents, interior was pretty much complete factory, and the AC system still worked! The only downside was that it had a timing chain rattle and ran a bit rough. I figured the top end of the motor was probably due for a rebuild. But the price was right and I knew I wouldn't catch an opportunity like this again so I pulled the trigger and gears started turning on how to tackle this project. Awwrriiiigh! on to the fun stuff!

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So the plan was this: 1. Strip down the small truck. 2. Make cab cherry. 3. Strip down big truck. 4. Restore chassis. 5. Install cherry cab on big truck 6. Reassemble big truck 7. Install crappy cab on small truck 8. Reassemble and sell small truck

But first, if the small truck or at least the motor would be worth anything in the end, it should probably receive some TLC.
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Plus, I could use the gas saver to and from work for a few months while I gathered up parts and materials for the big project. So I did the timing chain job, with water pump, head gasket etc. Gave me an opportunity to see what the factory carbuerated version 22r involved, and I was able remove and box up some AC components that would be going into my 4wd during the swap :banger:

Couple months of prepping and I was ready to start stripping the mini down. I started with the interior which was in really nice condition considering (well at least compared to my 4wd). I wasn't about the bench seat, but I loved the brown interior. Minor rust in the typical brake/clutch master leak spot. Definitely watch that corner behind the pedals for rust, pull back the carpet from time to time and make sure you dont have a sneaky brake fluid leak going on.
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Took pictures after just about every piece I removed and made sure to clearly label every electrical connector or confusing part. I have a lot of pictures and info detailing the cab swap process. If people seem to be interested I'll probably make a separate thread dedicated to just an 85 cab swap guide, otherwise if you're not very interested in it just skip down a bit.
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Removing the steering was a bit tricky until I figured out I would just remove the whole column as one piece, wheel and all, by disconnecting it at the steering box under the hood and from the mount at the firewall.
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Then the ebrake.
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Then the climate control module (pay attention and label both sides of where the cables go).
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Then the climate control main assembly, air ducts, and blower motor.
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Then the wiring harness. Oooh scary. Make sure you label everything thoroughly first obviously. Then, imagine it as a big U with the open end running along either side under the hood and the closed end behind the firewall inside the cabin. I disconnected everything at the drivers side near the power steer reservoir first and carefully threaded out through the wall until in was in the cab. Then basically the same at the passenger side, disconnected everything at the fusebox/battery area then threaded it out the fender wall and into the cab. Rolled it up into a big circle and hung it up somewhere safe and dry.
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Firewall insulation. Note the wiring harness octopus in the background.
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The fenders had to be removed to get the harness out, after that I started on the bumper, grille, and easy exterior stuff . Found a bit of rust around the windshield under that stupid chrome trim, so that's gonna have to come out too :mad2:
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After the harness was out and the body parts were off I started removing everything from the firewall and anything connected to the cab. Since I would be leaving the motor on the frame and only lifting the cab off of the frame, if I could just unbolt something and leave it connected to the motor, I did. Zip tied or string tied things all to the motor. Note the fuse box, powersteer reservoir, water and vac hoses all piled on the motor. The other stuff was removed completely and organized with intention to ease putting it back.
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AC compressor, condenser, dryer, and lines.
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https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...5d277cff6b.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...3f55a092e0.jpg

After I had all the engine bay stuff cleared off, I wanted to do some prep work on the cab before we pulled it off. I needed to cut the shifter hole to fit the twin-sticks in the 4wd. This is kind of critical if you want the shifter boot and covers to fit nicely when you put it all back together. First pic is the 4wd cab, second is the 2wd before, third is after. Not too shabby for a cut-off wheel if I do say so myself.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...d3c1a51ec5.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...32de0101cb.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...89a2eda0c6.jpg

Since I had the cut-off wheel on I cut out the factory jack mount bracket behind the passenger seat because aint nobody got time for that. (It didn't have the jack anyway). It left me with a few holes but nothing some paint and sealant couldn't handle.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...c637e602eb.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...397d1a1527.jpg
Next, the windshield trim needed some wire wheel attention. I found a carbide bur bit worked nicely for the tiny nooks and crannies. I cleaned this up to bare metal as best I could and treated anywhere that wasn't perfect, not taking any chances with the notorious and ever persistent windshield rust.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...2586fff1da.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...7f965d3617.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...7331d69e41.jpg

After treating the rust it got the POR-15 treatment as did any other trouble area of the cab that I could reach :guitar: If you know, you know. If you don't know, POR-15 is long regarded as one of the best rust treatment and preventative coatings short of a two-part epoxy paint. It requires a lot of prep work which sucks but the stuff works. I bought about a gallon and a half for this project (probably like $150 or so). Anywhere you see shiny black paint in this build, it's probably POR-15.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...b8a8e30be1.jpg

The brake fluid leak spot behind the pedals got some.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...20c6b54bfb.jpg

Then I said "what the hell" and gave some to the entire cab floor. I was nervous about putting that carpet back in and not being able to see my floor on a regular basis.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...8d9ece21fa.jpg

I just went through this thread, nice buid! I always wondered if a 2WD could be converted.

Thanks Damion, I appreciate it. It's not a true conversion of a 2wd, although I know for a fact that is possible and I thought about going that route for a sec, but would have been more work up front. Really i just stole the cab body off a 2wd and slapped it on my 4wd (slapped meaning months of work and a couple grand though haha).

So where were we? Oh yes, the cab was pretty well prepped inside so I was ready to pull her off and set it on some saw horses for paint prepping. I didn't get pics of this process but we removed all body mount bolts (6 hold the cab on) and bed mount bolts (6 also I believe). I recommend spraying all of those with some penetrant or WD40ish stuff days in advance and keep the hardware organized even if you don't plan on reusing. Unbolt anything else connected to the underside of the cab: brake lines, e-brake cable, wiring, fuel lines, tail light harness. Double triple check for hangups then pull her off. There are many ways to do this and from my research you can get pretty creative. Since it was a low-rider we simply had four dudes lift the bed straight off, set aside on saw horses, then the same for the cab. This wasn't possible for the 4wd since it was lifted and getting over the engine is the big obstacle. Here they are all separated.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.yot...29544154f0.jpg

i always love a 2nd gen xtra cab build. Ballsy driving an old truck down from alaska.

curious about the warn hubs. How come you went with those instead of the stock AISIN's?

Keep up the good work!

Yeah I definitely got nervous about it a few times but we were loaded with camping supplies and had another car partnering most of the trip with us. Plus we didn't really stray from the Alcan much til we reached the Vancouver area. As for the Warn hubs, they were on there when I bought the truck and I haven't had a problem with them (yet *knock on wood*). From what I read everyone seems to be all about the factory Aisins but these Warns seem pretty beefy to me. Smooth and distinct Lock/Unlock feel when you turn um. I like um. Plus they match the gunmetal color of my wheels :nerd:

By the way, I've noticed your posts on countless threads since day one and it's always good info. So I just want to say thank you. I honestly would not have gotten half of the things done to my truck that I have if it weren't for this forum. If you ever make it out to Kaua'i, I'll show you where the mud is :great: