I bought a 1981 toyota 4x4 short box reb cab and got a few questions.

1. I wanna put a simple little lift so i was thinking rancho shocks and 2.5" shackles. Im not crazy into off roading. Just want the look.
2 Would 33" tires be alright with the 2.5inch shackles? would the clear? would they rub?
3.My truck is all fades but isent tooo badly rusted so i was thinking of armor guarding (box liner) the whole truck. its cheap and would look cool and be easy to maintain. Would it work? Any of ever do this? Pics

Thanks
Rock

 

It shouldn't rub. and i have a full rhino lined paint job. (not cheap stuff)
and it is super awesome. am probably gonna do it to everything i buy. your gonna have a power loss with 33's and no gears. Pictures in my profile.

 

if it has stock springs on it your front springs are more than likely flat or negatively arched by now.
Sure shackles are cheap, which makes the price attractive but personally I would consider a new lift with springs.
Your truck may have 3.90 gears, they will suck with 33's...consider 4.88's for 33's

 

I was thinking of just painting it myself with rubber guard. its like line x but in a can. you buy it at napa. I have used it before and seen a ford f350 done. looks good. good enough or what i need

 

Yeah i'd go for it, they sell that roll on hurculiner as well if you lookin for something else.

The rattle can kind doesnt have as tough as a finish in my experience but it gets the job done!!

 

the key to using any of the liner in a can is the prep work...

 

give me some steps to prop work. step to step please. Ill get pics asap!. Rattle cab or roll on?

 

i would recommend using the spray stuff just because its quicker and easier.

first off, prep work IS the key to a nice looking paint job.

You'll want to sand the whole body with a low grit sandpaper (100). You don't have to sand to the metal, but scuffing up the paint is ideal.

To get rid of any surface rust, just sand the hell out of it.

For rust that is right through, you can usually just fiberglass it OR leave it. if you plan to fiberglass it make sure you thoroughly prep and clean the surface so you have a good solid adhesion.

once you have it ALL sanded to a rough surface, obviously tape off all the windows, emblems, lights, etc. anything you dont want painted.

The next step is important because all that sanding you did left a lot of debris on the body. Use a lacquer thinner or break clean and with CLEAN disposable towels, wipe down the whole truck. You should be able to wipe random parts of your truck with a paper towel and have it MOSTLY clean and no debris.

Next step is to paint! make sure your in a well ventilated area before you start painting. Spray 2-3 even light coats and it should come out good. DO NOT GOB IT.

And cant wait to see pics!

 

My 1st step is paint than its going to the shop to get some fixng them gotta find some rim and tires and than a nice bumper and winch. any good used winches for sale here? I am going to be doing all the sanding tomorrow. There are some light surface rust and i have been using bondo to fix it up and bit and its been looking good. I am only filling in 2 inch surface rust and its working good. Hope it will last. Can i get more details on the fiber glass and how to do it
thanks alot

 

fiberglass is identical to bondo.

You've got your resin, and a hardener. usually use a mat that gives it strength, but some people just use a screen or something similar.

Basically just mix the resin & hardener and fill, thoroughly covering both sides of the rusted area. the fiberglass wont be VERY strong, but it will be flexible enough to withstand any movement. i wouldnt fiberglass anything bigger then a whole the size of a pop can, but for the smaller stuff it can be done.

 

Ya i dont got to much stuff thats big. I got some leaks comming ot of the steering wheel colum out of the box. What is it and how do i fix it
thanks

 

leaking out of this thing?

 

not to sure. looks like a little box at the end of the shaft. ill have to look further. and take pictures tomorrow of the progress.

 

goof.

 

down load the service manual from the link in my signature.
It is for an '85 but for the stock steering box it will be the same

 

hood is painted. looks wicked. will get pictures tonight. what are the biggest tired i could run with a 2 inc h boddy lift and stock gearing that would lookg good and still be able to come what power them ? 31? or 33?

 

31's and thats still a iffy. if you have a stock motor and components.
But i mean it depends on how you can handle a power loss and how much power your willing to lose.

I've seen guys running 38s, stock gears and a 20R. It has a lot to do with width of tires and kind of tires ect. ect.