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So my 4runner was in the shop. This 85 22re longbed came up on craigslist. I needed a beater and i love projects so... I now own this 1985 Toyota sr5 pickup. 22re, SFA, longbed. Not bad!
I like the solid axle and 22re combo and i don't even mind the long bed. I have some ideas for this thing and how i can use it. More of a trail rig with some crawling ability rather than crawl first kind of thing. No bed chopping or any of that...yet! Trying for a rig that's capable, solid, low/medium height suspension, 32s or 33s are fine around my neck of the woods, and some other fun ideas down the dusty road.
Mandatory pic when i first met 'er. Not bad for a girl this age. I'm sure it hadn't seen much pavement time and spent most days hauling on the ranch. Frame looks pretty decent, suspension is shot, engine is so so. Kind of the standard run down on a used vehicle. Gremlins.... Might call is Gizmo.
Looks like a solid truck and no bed rot, sounds like a great score. Welcome to Yotatech.
Thanks for the welcome! I've been surfing here for awhile since i got the 96 4runner. Figured it was time to post since i've officially caught the Yota bug.
The bed area has one coin sized rust spot on the drivers side and a little rust rash here and there. Nothing a little light body work (which i will now learn. any tips?) can't patch up. Hopefully a full paint job down the road a ways once the thing is safe and sound inside and out.
It has a few issues that i've been finding replacement parts for and doing some general clean up to the best of my ability. More pics on the way.
Last edited by DustyRoads; 10-10-2015 at 07:52 PM.
having a look at the white steelies. I think they are from IFS though because the backspacing measures something like 4.5+" if i measure correct. Full set. Maybe trade for something... Corgi for scale.
The beautiful deck railing red and white bumper. Welded up solid though with a hitch mount. I'll do it black and leave it for now. Deer hoof marks because... Badge of honor? Might explain the front end body damage and bent tie rod... Climb in step for a super short farmer's wife i assume. It'll go.
nasty shift boot cover, hack wired cd player, burned out dash bulbs, aftermarket steering wheel (horn wired wrong), standard cracked dash already installed!, and about 30 years of dirt road farm dust to be cleaned out of the nooks and crannies. Not a horrible starting point.
sr5 seats! But the driver's side has zero cushion left. I'm sitting on the rail. Maybe junkyard yota seats in the future. Center console hinge is busted and the top is pretty nasty. Read window works about as well as you'd expect for this age.
Blacked out wheels and bumper. Much better.
hit the window trim with a little touch up black. the truck is starting to clean up a little. I see potential.
Last edited by DustyRoads; 10-10-2015 at 08:23 PM.
Cheap black fiberglass canopy in decent enough shape. Hard to find the right size so I felt like this was a score. Need a tailgate now...
Ideally i'll get a full length ladder rack over the topper for spares, gas, jack, shovel, axe, offroad lights etc... I feel like the rack might be a good project to start learning to weld again. I'm eager.
hit the junkyard and scored a somewhat color matched (rattle can maybe) tail gate from a 2wd with a jap bed. It fits decent and i kind of like the jap roll to the outside for the tailgate. semi useful and helps with water run off from the topper. Also scored all the light covers i need to get legal. OEM baby!
Found snowboard rack at a hardware recycling place in town for 8 bucks. bent the brackets a bit and strapped it down. windows still open easily. This thing isn't going anywhere but i'll obviously check the hardware when it's in use.
Grabbed a front valance off the same 2wd i got the tailgate from. Wire wheeled and painted flat black. Also did the grill, bumper and end caps to match at some point. Found a fender from another toyota dude for 20 bucks! no more nail hammer body work marks. lol, pretty happy about that one. Really helps the look as the driver's side fender line was pretty mangles. Looks nice now.
to-YODA?
Had some time to start the sleeping platform system with integrated storage. Pretty classic internet design. Center platform can go bed height or raised to 10 inches level with storage for full width sleeping for two. Turn buckles, cabinet latches, etc
1.5" spacers just in case.
Killz brand latex primer, few coats of black. One long compartment on the left. Split compartment on the right. on the cab end of the bed is a metal box 10" high which supports the platform when at full length perfectly.
view of storage under the platfrom when raised up. Put a floor layer down for saving knees when crawling around. Grabbed a little jump seat for a boat or something... Fits well and will make a good place to chill when the platform is down.
Used the 3m stripe remover and the drill to take off the faded sr5 stripes. It wouldn't take the hoof prints off so i used 500 grit wet sand paper which sort of worked. I went a little heavy in one spot and rubbed through the paint... but it's better than a hoof. The second hoof is off now as well.
Last edited by DustyRoads; 10-11-2015 at 09:27 AM.
Little view of the storage coming together. Test fitting some gas, tools, shovel on the right, avalanche shovels back left, axe fits in right hand compartment under shovel, some other fluids, straps, etc stashed about. Best storage solution for now. New locks and fresh gas lifters on canopy.
Bike rack allows the tail gate to swing all the way down and makes no contact. Fairly happy about the setup. Clearance was a gamble. When it's collapsed inwards for storage the bed just touches when down. Pretty solid.
How she sits as of now on 32s. Working on putting together some spring packs for the front, maybe rear, and researching some fresh shocks all around most likely. Would love the OME 2.5" kit. Hopefully within the year if everything else cooperates.
Last edited by DustyRoads; 10-11-2015 at 10:31 PM.
Front leaf spring shackles are flexed all the way to the frame. I'm sure the doetsch tech shocks are toast as well. The top of the shock bolts are actually starting to punch holes in the engine bay I assume because of the severely sagging leaf springs. Can't wait to get the steering and suspension worked out. All-Pro Off Road is near me so hopefully i can go that route with a hy-steer setup if i can get it to fit with the smallest lift possible. I do not want a tippy vehicle whatsoever.
This truck had a "new" 22re engine put in from an 86 4runner in about 2004. From what i can tell it was a total fly by night job. This is one thing among many that i've found that i suspect was causing issues. These two sensor plugs were hooked up wrong. I think the green was for AC idle up which was plugged in to knock sensor port. The truck had a knock sensor code 12 and a TPS code 11. Once the knock sensor was able to check in with the ECU via the correct plug the codes cleared out after a couple shots of electrical cleaner on the plugs. So i assume the engine was running in safety open loop mode for about 10 year!! Great. I'm sure this thing is gummed up from running rich for a decade... Might gut the Cat if possible and the muffler is rusted through as well. Looking forward to checking a few of the more critical "run and drive well" items off the list. I realize the order of fixes and parts added is a little out of sync i.e. maintenance first. But i keep an eye out for cheap stuff i can use for this budget build. I have another truck so i can kind of pick away at either rig without worrying too much.
Found some 45" leaf packs with more life than the ones i'm running so hopefully i can work something out with a selection of leaves from both packs put together. Also grabbed a grill and headlight moldings in decent shape. Most grill clips are good and i need the headlight molding to complete my front end. Pretty happy about finding this item. Nice to have spare plastic on an older vehicle like this.
Last edited by DustyRoads; 10-14-2015 at 10:36 AM.
Reason: spelling edit
10-09-2015, 08:56 PM
