"Helloooooooooooooooo Mr. Rock..... would you please come over here and knock my driver in the kidneys? THANK YOU, very kindly, sir bolder!".........



lol. Meh... it's ok.... And WOW did that Hitch Carrier I have come in handy! I've been thinking, and my tire carrier needs are SOLVED with that thing(500# Capacity)... and "Hey bub, drop that over there by the tree, would ya?"-factor rocks too! hahaha. I just CAN'T bring myself to spend 800+$ on one of those bumpers with the carrier... THEY'RE SICK, don't get me wrong.. But this thing, if I just buy an extender that comes out from the bumper and then up and then out again for 3" or so... It'd be legal, right? I've seen those........

This is my carrier with LOTS of weight on it.. That's a 120Qt. cooler, FULL, 5- 10# blocks to boot, plus everything else on there.... I think it could handle a tire and some 4wd trip goodies, yeah? (PLEASE SAY YEAH!) hahaha.>>>

 

good work on the hitch, thats why my buddy took it off his 87 is because it hung down too low, then he ended up ripping off his stock rear bumper haha

 

Hey Mark, I wasn't trying to put down anyone that has a receiver hitch ( hope you didn't take it that way, lol) i dont have a rear bumper at all, so the receiver kinda looked like it was even lower, you know what I'm trying to say. Yours looks good because your bumper hides it, plus its clearly functional as you described and your pics show! That's an awesome setup! Looks like you've gotten some use out of it offroadin! I don't see why you couldn't carry a spare back there, looks like youd have plenty of room!

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Hey Curtis, thanks, yeah I was going to mount it like it was, but I think it will have a cleaner look now, at least till I get a rear bumper fabbed up, plus like you said more clearance!

 

Oh heck no... You could have said, "OH MY GAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWSH THAT IS HIDEOUS..... yuck!" HAHAHA. S'all good, each to his own, ya know? (except for giant Brahma Bulls on the door.... some reason that one really drives me nuts... but nonetheless my same philosophy applies! hehehe).........

Anyway, I SEE NOW, ... with no bumper, SURE, it would definitely be like a proverbial big sore pimple in the corner of the INSIDE of the nose! ......you'd just wanna tear it outta there! hahaha. Ok, that's gross...but you get the point.

Mine was off for a minute.... Looks like this?????? >>>

 

Just getting caught up on your thread. Your truck looks GREAT!! and not much left of the 85, and just having the nuts and bolts is handy in itself.

I found one of those recievers in the boneyard and like it so much better. Waiting to find another one.u

I finally got the other part of getting the dashpad off. It is on my recent post of the 88 truck build and I got a copy on the 88 Runner build. Hoping tomorrow to show the cables.

The first motor I ever rebuilt was a 289 and a small block for kit covers several of the Ford engines. Great little motors and easy to work on. Gas mileage isnt bad IF you can keep your foot out of it.lol.

 

Hi Mark, yep mine looks pretty close to yours, my plan is to eventually build a bumper (probably out of some 2x3 rectangular tubing) I think I will use the frame mounting brackets to attach my new bumper, and lose the original receiver crossbar, and just incorporate it into the bumper. (hopefully that makes sense, lol). but for now this will work, and should look a little better tucked up closer to the tail gate. Ill get some pics of it finished today.

 

Thanks Terry, Ill have to check out your build and check out the rest of your dash pad removal!

 

I got the receiver hitch done.


^raised the receiver up as high as I could, had to clearance the brackets a little to allow the tailgate to open.

Here's a few flex pics. I definitely need longer rear shocks, with the amount of lift I have in the rear, the Rancho shocks are about maxed out, not allowing any droop. I had to disconnect the driverside shock completely to test it out in the pics.



I really need to get some bump stops! I could have easily driven to the top step in the pic, but didn't want my driverside front spring to go past flat!

 

Man love your truck. It's a beast. Woo man can't wait till I'm able to flex with a SFA.

 

Thanks Richard. Still got some tinkering to do, I think once I get the front bumpstops and longer rear shocks I should be good, I just reused the ranchos off the rear of my 85' parts truck, they're definately too short! Yeah your going to love having the SA. I don't really see any downside to doing the swap, except the $$$, lol.

 

DAYUMMMMM! That's just so sick! What a great looking ride.... And it's unique not having the HUGE stinger and TG rear, etc.... NOTHING wrong with those... just, ....they're no longer unique, and these formerly played out tube bumpers are, isn't that funny? hahaha.

Can't WAIT for video with sound of you climbing and such!!!

 

Ha, ha thanks Mark. Yeah I think the front bumper is growing on me. I mean I liked them back in the day, then like you said all the new style tube bumpers came out, and I liked the newer looking ones with the stingers and that better,but now those are getting played out, lol. I really like that CBI front bumper that Richard has been wanting to get! It look pretty unique! But anyway, I will keep my old Smitty for now, II'll probably need to trim the bottom tube closest to my front tire, when the wheel stuff up in the fender when flexing it might rub. Someday I would like to build my own plate bumper, maybe off of TG's winch mount, I like building stuff, and am too cheap to justify dropping high $$$ on a bumper when there's alot of other things higher up on the old priority list ya know!

 

Ya I agree Ed. I'm from the mindset that if want something for my 4-Runner, then there's alot of ideas out there that I can use. And it's soooo much more fulfilling to end up with a cool add-on on my ride that I built myself!

I love the hitch raise mod. I wish I could do that but I'm pretty sure that Canadian winters have takin their toll on my hitch, it's pretty rusty. I'd like to build a rear bumper as well, something that I can mount my spare tire too eventually, seeing that the stock location is hard to get to and can really only fit up to a 32" tire. It would have to swing out to accommodate the tailgate. I've seen some ideas but wonder how well they hold up?

 

Nice flex i hope to end up with that much flex once done with mine if i can ever get back started

 

lookin good ed, i like the flex shots! how close were you to bottoming out your front shocks?

 

Hi Travis, yeah I agree, I would prefer to build something than buy it, for the most part. I wish i had more tools, tubing Benders, notchers etc, then I would go hog wild building sliders and bumpers and stuff, lol.

Thanks man! Don't give up, you'll get there! Missed seeing you on the forum, its good to see ya posting again!!!

Thanks liveoffroad. I had about an inch before bottoming out the shock, but my leaf spring on the driverside front was close to flat. So I think I would probably set my bumpstops to limit anymore up travel than that, and that would also prevent the shocks from bottoming out.

Well tomorrow is going to be the main test of the yotas reliability. Our house is pretty much sold, so my wife and kids and I are heading back up to my parents house ( about a 5 hour drive) We are looking to relocate in that area, so I'm loading up the runner, (my wifes following me in her car) then I will probably leave the runner at my parents while we look for a house, job etc. That way when I get a uhaul it will already be up there. I've only put about 70 miles on it since the build, so wish me luck! Lol.!

 

Those are some nice flex shots. I like the stingers and I like the Smitty bumpers. Some say they are getting old but these are 80s trucks. You sometimes hear the same thing about Outlaw wheels, but as much as I like the 5 spokes on third gens, I dont care for them on a first gen. I like the tri spokes on a first gen though, unless you have the ability to create something that kind of fits and works for you, that is all that really matters. Your truck is coming along fast.

A 5 hour trip should boost your confidence if all goes well. Hope the trip, move and job all works out for you.

 

Good luck!!!

 

sweet on the house being sold, good thing i got the bed when i did!

 

Good luck on the move!! U never tealize how much stuff u have till u move