BlazeN8

My neigbors don't get why I have two identical white toyota pick-up trucks. But I know you guys here at Yotatech know whats up. They think I am suffering from a Toyota addiction! But we know there is a big difference between a 1985 Live Axle and a 1986 Long Travel. So, here goes my "show and Tell" Enjoy!


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BlazeN8

The Basics:

1985 Delux extra cab, 22RE, 3" suspension lift, 2" body lift, 33x12.50 BFG A/Ts. Stock two speed transfer case, 4.10 factory gears in open differentials.

1986 Delux extra cab, 5.0 EFI Ford V8, 3" Blazeland LT suspension lift, 2" body lift, 33x12.50 BFG A/Ts. Stock two speed transfer case, 4.10 gears, Detroit Truetrack in front, Tacoma E-locker in the rear.

BlazeN8

Here are some videos:
1986 Ocotillo Wells- Blow Sand
1986 Pismo Jump
1985 hill climb

B-yodaful

Sweet I'm in sub'd

Toyota~Boy

iTrader: (2)

Nice....... What kinda exhaust is on the 85 an u got engine pics of 86

22R4EVR

I know what you mean when your neighbors look at you funny like you have some killer virus flu!! shoot when I visit my parents my runner makes it look like a yota gathering since my dad has 3 yota pickups from an 83 to a 93 parked out front ahaha. N8 is was nice meeting you and the fordota!! and your brother the man truck!!, seeing your kit in action was great and im looking forward to buying one here soon !! hoped you enjoyed my famous charcoal tacos !!! my buddy fernando had a killer time that day (the toyota jamboree). Man I did things that night in the runner that I would have never done during the day ahaha !!

BigBluePile

iTrader: (3)

Sweeeeeet!

Tech Tim

The '86 is looking sharp with the desert glass!

vang_22re

Wow! I didnt know u have an v8 in the 86. Nice! N the 85 need some lockers too hahaha

BlazeN8

When I found the 85 it was pretty much a "barn find" there was no exhaust except some rusty old headers that dumped out right next to the transmission. I think they were Doug Thorley?

To get the truck registered in my name, I borrowed the exhaust from my 4 Runner; Cat forward including the factory exhaust manifold. Cat back I scabbed on an old muffler and made a turn down. The Cat from my 4 Runner ended up being bad so I ordered a Magnaflow CA legal cat. That set me back $300. But it passed smog so I was able to get it registered.

I returning everything back to my 4 Runner and began building the new exhaust system. I based it closely on the factory geometry using the factory hanger locations. I made a jig from the worn out Cat, then cut off the flanges and made a straight test pipe. I then recycled the old cat. I located the test pipe to be in the exact position as the factory cat. Then I put the old headers back on. Frank at Laguna Muffler found me a 3 bolt flange for the header and a couple of 2 bolt flanges for the Cat and built me a connector pipe from the header to the Cat. From there I used the scavenged mufffler and turn down from before. This got me back on the road till I could aquire another Cat and build the Cat back system.

For Cat back I had Frank cut out the old muffler and build the new exhaust around a Flowmaster 40 series muffler (part # FLO-942043) I ditched the turn down and had him bend up a the pipe to snake around the spare tire and out right behind the shackle, just like the factory exhaust did. He did a nice job and he did it fast and cheap. He even gave me a used crome tip.

In the video there is no Cat converter, just the test pipe, that is why it sounds so throaty, hey I was off road right! I did get a second Magnaflow CA legal Cat and its sitting on a shelf still in the box. I've been meaning to install it..... but when I do it will probably just end up getting stolen! Anyway its on the to-do list.

I'll take a few photos of the Fordota Engine compartment and post them in the next couple of days!

BlazeN8

Yeah, the 85 needs lockers.......and gears too. I was tooling around the past few days with some 35s I borrowed for test fitment and I could barely get it out of 3rd gear. The 35s rub in the usual spots. Its a work in progress! Yep, tires, gears, lockers, high steer, double transfer case, etc. are on the wish list!

Toyota~Boy

iTrader: (2)

As I stated it sounds good. My truck is a 87 22r.... I have a TriY Headed that connects to a high flow magnaflow cat that then leads into a single N dual out 40 series flow master. One tailpipe goes out on the driver side behind shackle the other is exact same only on passenger side. It sounds really good. Kinda like a small V8

BlazeN8

Well Happy New Year everybody! I'm chilling at home this morning watching Rose Parade and Bowl games. I am also parked at the computer researching some options to get the 85 to perform like my 86. I'm not talking in the dunes or pre-running in the desert, I am just talking about on a trail. Something like in the hill climb video. Its becomming a daunting task. Expensive too! I would have thought having a live axle and leaf springs up front from the factory would have been a short cut to a SAS on a later model? Not so, turns out to get 4" of lift or more with impressive articulation means a spring re-hanger kit with longer springs and all new steering.

I price out All-Pro's 1979-1985 Front Extreme Lift kit at $1,699 plus $399 IFS Stering Box and $400-$800 in drive shaft work. That's in the $2,500 range. Trail Gear equivelent is a bit cheaper but rather than me get into it I recommend you all go to their websites and check it out for yourselves.

Next, I looked around for some complete 3rd members as my experience of building my own on my 4Runner was a pain in the ash! I couldn't find 3rds on All-Pro but did find them on Trail Gear. I used Just Differentials for my 4 Runner and I know they offer complete 3rds. I know of a bunch of other outfits to get them from as well. Anyway, the TG in a 5.29 in the rear with a Detroit was $1,199 and the front with an ARB wa $1,449.

Anyhow, the 85 isn't a project I am wanting to throw $4k at right now. I did dump $300 for some simple bolt in 3" front springs with shackles. That also included 4" springs for the rear which I may or may not use. That was a craigslist find. Even 3-4" of lift created some complications with steering functions. I'll go over that later. I'm going to go out and enjoy my new years day now! Later.

BlazeN8

It was early 2010 when I first found the 85' It was being stored on my friends land in Ocotillo Wells. The truck had been in an accident and the owner was caught up with court proceedings and didn't know what he could do with the truck. It sounded like the truck was a fugitive in hiding. I mentioned if the truck ever came up for sale I might be interested. Well 8 months later it the truck was freed. My friend Albert and I bought the truck put some tires on it that would hold air and towed it back to the OC. These are pictures of the truck after we prepped it to go home. It came as is with a bunch of spare parts in the bed, including the original 22RE.

BlazeN8

The truck was set up back in the day as a desert racer. It had an interior roll cage, possibly Downey. The cage was mostly cosmetic and was built from 1.5" thin wall tube. It was bolted to the sheet metal floor pan with 3/8" grade 5 hardware and nothing tied into the frame. For my build at 6'-3" 215 lbs the cage really got in the way of my site lines and I kept banging my head on it, so it was out! The rims that came on the truck were vintage Superior Industries "Magnus Rims" These rims were popular on race trucks in the 80's. The rims didn't fit the truck correctly, the size was 15x8 w/ 4" backspace. They needed 1/4" wheel spacers or the rim would rub on the outer tie rod ends.

BlazeN8

The suspension was really rusty and worn out. The front springs might have been stock with an added leaf. It had sway bars and a goofy front axle truss. There was an aftermarket adjustable Torque Arm (possibly Rancho) The shocks were some old school yellow Bilsteins in a double shock configuration. The shock towers may have been home built? The rear springs appeared to be stock with added leafs. The shocks were early, early remote resevoir yellow Bilsteins. Instead of going up thru the bed the guy modified the spring plates and extended the shock mounts downward.

BlazeN8

BlazeN8

The front springs were really stiff and the double shocks had too much dampening and rebound. The front shocks were 7" travel. The lack of shock stroke required limiting straps. The droop was set at 2-3" The up travel was limited by the shocks and not the bump stops.

The rear springs were really stiff as well. It had an add-a-leaf and an overload spring. The springs were covered in rust and the friction pads were worn out. The rear shock actually worked pretty well (but it wasn't till later with new springs did I realize that) Having the spring plates with extended shock mounts allowed the shocks to stroke about all they could handle, which was 10" The bump stops and limit straps were set correctly. I was surprised that the lower shock mounts showed little evidence of contacting rocks and such.

A I mentioned before one of the first things I did when I got the truck was get some usable tires. I mounted some 32/11.50/R15 BFG M/T's on some old Centerline rims. These rims were 15x8 w/ 3.25" backspace so they cleared the tie rod ends but would rub the front leaf spring in a turn and would grab the front mud flaps when stuffed. The rear tires would rub the frame and wheel well tub under severe articulation. So I installed a 2" body lift for a quick and cheap remedy.

BlazeN8

I still use have the Centerlines and am looking to sell them. I switched out to some American Racing Baja rims a customer gave me. I had some well worn BFG A/T's from my Fordota in the 33x12.50R15 which made for nicer street driving. These are the rims and tires you are seeing in the pictures.

BlazeN8

I had put a Chevy 63" spring on the 86' Fordota a while back so I had a pair of Downey 3" lift springs w/ Deaver Mini-Pack at my disposal. I bolted the Downey springs up last year and what a difference! The reservoir shock on the rear worked really well with these springs all considering. I took the 85' to the 2012 Baja 250 and did some mellow pre-running and pitted / chased for Team Psycho. During a pre-run I broke a rear shock. The front also worked fairly well considering only 7" of travel. The 86' LT smokes the 85' for pre-running. But that Ford motor burns up twice as much fuel and that 22RE is so reliable. I always feel sketchy being far from home in a foreign country in the Fordota.

Other than a few trips here and there I mostly have been using the 85' for business stuff as the Fordota is getting so specialized for dune and desert. The bed doesn't have much utility for picking up pallets of parts. Kind of ironic that I am using a live axle rig to build IFS long travel kits.