Cleaned up of the crap would be nice. Still some good stuff in here if you can I can wade through it all.

 

thread cleaned up to remove a bunch of extraneous BS.
Folks: the point of this thread it to get people out on the trail to see if they like 4 wheeling with the most bang for their initial investment and than see if they want to start dumping a ton of money into it.

You don't need dual cases and SAS on every rig to get out and have fun on the trail, that is the whole point of this thread, add some sliders, a locker and some decent tires and get started with that. than let you truck evolve.

 

x2, I have a blast with mine. Not many mods whatsoever. I need some more though.

Thanks dropzone.

 

I just checked twice this is a newbie tech section for guys (opps or gals) that need help on there yotas. Yes I agree rear locker then bumpers and go wheel. If it gets beat, go too the junk yard and buy a new fender and grab some upgrades while your there. Be nice too the newbies, thats what we are, newbies. Not all have a wrenching skills, or a garage full of tools. If you have out grown the forum go hang out on the fab or build forums????
Thanks

 

this thread is full of some good information, got some iffy things too...I enjoyed the read, every lil bit helps, and the bit about ifs w/ lift starting to puke parts plays out perfectly with the truck i just got, here comes new axles!

 

Hey Whitie you got the truck I'v always wanted. 85 ext cab 22RE, automatic!! Envy ya.
Thanks for the info. I just bought my 86 pickup and put it through my first four wheel challenge....the Chile Challenge in New Mexico. One thing I realized....the jeeps I couldn't hang with all had lockers. My open diff couldn't get me through a few obstacles. Clearance wasn't an issue (no lift). 31x10.5 BFG AT did alright. Body armor wan't an issue cause damage gives it character IMO. Tow strap did just fine, never used a winch. Never would have used a tow strap if I had lockers. I know now where my first priority lyes....Lockers! (priority was SAS)

 

WOOOhOOO sounds cool! Get a rear lunchbox locker aka lockrite or any other your delight and your wont need that tow strap, nice wheelin. Try it with a front locker and you will laugh at the jeeps haha. Cool beans
B

 

Sell ya my truck haha but my 7 year old just learned too drive on it so its his till he is tired of it. Dont swap in a solid axle till you have tons of cash and want too crawl the giant rocks. You dont need it, my wheelin buddy has followed me everywhere with a 32 incher ifs 4runner with no lift but lockers in the rear. The only time I put out the strap is snow time for him. Drive it like ya stole it!!

 

Right on....so far what I have learned about the lockers is a spool is the lower end locker.
You will always feel it during turns? Lockrite AKA "lunch box" allows one tire to spin faster which means you won't get the same crappy turning problems that spools give ya? Then there is Detroit lockers which don't completely understand yet, then ARB and E-Lockers as being the primo of them all and most expensive

I don't want the crappy turning affect because I would like to still use my truck around town for moving funiture, yard waste, etc. Don't wanna spend too much, but don't wanna go too cheap. So far looks like either a lunch box or Detroit. More help and info please

 

You dont want a spool they are cheap but a spool spins both rear tires all the time. You will chirp tires around every corner. You dont need too spend a lot get a lunch box check out all the yota off road sites. You can install it yourself! a detroit is basically the same thing but stronger its an automatic locker the others are (aka arb and the like) selectable for cornering and gas milage but the cost is crazy for a weekend wheeler and a weekend dump truck. And they ( lunch box)can hold up too 35 inchers if your carefull. So you can up grade your tire size from 31s too a 33 if you have the cash ?!!!
But then you need gears haha
Wheel the hell outta that truck with 31s you will have a good time. When you upgrade, your trails will be like a sunday drive through the park. Aka No fun I down graded too the yota from the bronco cause my trails where too easy. Just sold the bronco whoo ho more cash for the yota, and the boat and the camper and the house and shhh dont tell the wife she will want some too hhahahahaa

 

Haha nice! Alright, you guys helped a lot. I am going with either a lockrite or an Aussie. Detroit sounds nice but the price difference is not worth the added benefit for my weekend rig.
Thank you all for your insights

 

I just purchased an SAS 3rd Gen pickup it's got a SAS from an 85 with TG kit and Hi-Steer. My question is if I can do a steering stabilizer that doesn't require welding. All the kits I have found and searched for show a bracket you must weld to the frame and then attach the other side to the draglink.

Thanks

 

If your front axle still has the factory sway bar bracket attached, you could try and use that and clamp to the tie rod. Or I used to run mine with a small tab welded to the driver's side spring plate:


Yes, it requires welding, but it if you can find someone local to do the welding, a lot easier to bring them the spring plate to tack the tab onto that dragging the welder out to weld onto the frame. I prefer the stabilizer on the tie rod in any event.

 

Yes it does still have the factory bracket, I will try to use that. Thanks.

 

Right now I have 31 x 10.5 with a stock 4.30 gear automatic transmission. I would like to upgrade to 33's or at the most 35's. I hear that I can get away with not regearing if I move up to 31's. I do not know much about gears and why and when they benefit. Can someone give me a gear101 lesson right quick?

 

*move up to 33's

 

The previous owner installed analog gauges and pulled the stock clusters. So I steel need to pull everything apart and see what kind of wire hack job is going on, so far there's a temp gauge, oil pressure and fuel. Looks like he bought an after market fuel sender to put in the tank and run directly to the gauge. My question is if I can tap into the wires from the sender that's in the vehicle now given it actually is operational or am I better off removing the gas tank and dropping in the new sender, seems like not too bad of a job removing the tank skid, straps, fuel line etc.

 

Probably want to check the sender resistance and see if it matches what the Toyota gauges need or not:
- http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/4R_TechI...tml#Electrical
- http://egauges.com/vdo_sgrp.asp?Subgroup=Fuel_Senders

If the same, then you could likely swap the sender over to the Toyota cluster, if not, install OEM senders. You generally can't hook 2 gauges to one sender, if that is what you mean "tapping into the wires". A gauge works by placing a calibrated voltage across the sender resistance then the needle of the gauge displays the current that flows (V/R = I). If you put two gauges on one sender, bad things may happen if the gauges use different internal voltages and the current will split between the two gauges and give inaccurate readings.

 

I want to put spools on my 83 pickup but i cant find them online, everyone says their cheap but how cheap is cheap? also can you put a spool in the front and rear or just the rear and locker up front ( the build im working on isnt going to be put on road just trail riding. ) i would like to keep the build as cheap as possible and really dont want to have to pay for locker(s). thanks. If someone would post a link for the spools that would be very helpful

 

4Crawler

Actually what the prevous owner did was pulled the cluster and put a black panel up and started drilling holes for gauges. Bad idea all together so no speedo and he has a fuel gauge but it's not hooked up, I found the old cluster behind the seat but I need to see if he hacked any of the harness. I'm gonna try to get the old one to work.