Author Topic: SHOW US YOUR CRAWLER! (Read 5053 times)

Marlin Crawler · « **on:** Jan 12, 2018, 03:21:26 PM »

Hey Everyone! Today we will be catching up on the last couple of installments of SHOW US YOUR CRAWLER that we haven't been able to get posted to the forums yet! In order to submit yours, email us at PHOTOS@MARLINCRAWLER.COM! Include pictures, video, build specs, Marlin Crawler products used (and why) along with information about yourself! Don't forget to include links to build threads and where we can find you on Facebook and Instagram if you post about your ride! We look forward to this every Friday! Stay Tuned!

Marlin Crawler · « **Reply #1 on:** Jan 12, 2018, 03:27:31 PM »

SHOW US YOUR CRAWLER 12/15/17

The first crawler to be featured on our SHOW US YOUR CRAWLER campaign Jason Bishop's 1985 Toyota 4Runner! Congrats Jason!
Jason Bishop emailed us from Columbus, Ohio where he works as a mechanic and long time forestry worker. He’s been driving off road since he was 7 (get em while they’re young!) on the family farm, and took his driver’s license test in a 1985 Toyota Pickup, and has owned several Toyota’s since.

He was thrilled to find his 1985 Toyota 4runner in 2000 with a 22R-E already installed! After daily driving it for several years, it was time to start building it. The first round was a simple spring and block lift kit and a welded differential. After about 6 months of that he got serious, and installed a Marlin Crawler MC08 Dual Case adapter, Marfield Birfield joints, skid plates, and loaded the differentials with 5.29 gears and ARB 4x4 Accessories air lockers to turn 37 inch MTR’s.

After 10 years of wheeling, the 22R-E started to get tired, so what’s there to do? NITROUS IS THE ANSWER! After some time on the bottle, the 22R-E is described as getting “really tired.” It was time for something different. Jason decided it was time for 6 pots in a row, and shoehorned a 7MG-E 3.0 L6 from a Supra into his 4Runner! COOL! In Jason’s own words, “…(they don't mate easily) after I machined a bellhousing down and made a custom pilot bushing/clutch pivot I mated it to 23 spline marlin input with a 10 degree marlin dual adapter and a marlin 23 spline 4.7 to 1.” (sic) Holy cow! We LOVE the dedication to keeping a Toyota power plant in there!
Jason cut the back half his 4runner off about two years, because ROCK CRAWLER! He upgraded to a Toyota 8” HP in front with RCV Performance Products’s axles (and 5.29’s and ARB’s) and it currently rolls on 39 inch BFGs.
He recently added a Marlin Crawler short shifter, and adding, “it’s the tits!”

Over the years, Jason’s rig has appeared in Petersen's 4-Wheel & Off-Road reader’s rides, was in CRAWL Magazine magazine for two CRAWL Across America Tours and has appeared in a RuffStuff Specialties ad.
He describes himself as a Marlin Czajkowski “fan girl” and met Marlin himself in 2017, describing the encounter: “…I rolled up to meet the legend and he made me feel like I was a legend introducing me to his family and take pictures with my rig it was completely heart warming.” Sounds like a Marlin move to us!

https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/25394663_10155283094052725_3562097709152041367_o.jpg?oh=ac2b2077a3ba59071e862b6a690a0351&oe=5AE82E41

Jason included a couple of YouTube links where you can check him out in action:

Find him on Instagram as @jason.bishop75, and Facebook as CFW.

What a great way to start the Show us your Crawler! We have gotten A LOT of responses, but few gave us detail that Jason gave us. Jason, we appreciate the time you spent emailed us, and are excited to show the world what you crawl!

Stay tuned next week to see who we feature next!

Marlin Crawler · « **Reply #2 on:** Jan 12, 2018, 03:32:32 PM »

SHOW US YOUR CRAWLER 12/21/17

Craig Garcia hails from Georgetown, California, where he lives with his girlfriend, Shasta. He regularly tackles some of the most awesome off road trails in California, including the Rubicon Trail and The Fordyce Creek Trail in his to the hilt 85 4Runner.

Behind his factory R151F 5 speed, he is running a Malin Crawler MC08 Dual Case Adapter, 4.70:1 gears finished with a 23 spl Total Spline Input Gear for, giving him a rock solid drivetrain. Combined with his 5.29 diffs, he has a robust crawl of 244:1, which he says lets him walk up obstacles that other rigs struggle to surmount.

As for the rest of the truck? It sports a rebuilt 22RE under the hood, and the axles were rebuilt with Marlin Crawler bearings and seals are packed with an ARB Air Locker in the rear and Eaton Detroit TrueTrac in the front for added traction. His suspension system consists of relocated hangers, 5 inch lift springs and custom shock hoops, in the rear the hangers have been moved to accommodate a 63 inch springs from a Chevy truck, and the springs feature a mix of Chevy main leaves and 4” ProComp lift springs and relocated shocks. Steering is accomplished with a Marlin Crawler Hi Steer Kit. The truck rides on 37 inch Interco Tire Corporation IROK’s.
Craig is also building a 97 4Runner truggy pictured below, details are scarce, but he says when it’s time he will be throwing a bunch of Marlin Crawler parts at it!

Follow Craig's adventures on Instagram @gar_cali_bear. He is looking for a local club to join, so get in touch with him!
Don't forget to submit your Crawler! Email photos@marlincrawler.com. Include details!

Marlin Crawler · « **Reply #3 on:** Jan 12, 2018, 03:38:40 PM »

HOW US YOUR CRAWLER 1/12/18

We’re back to our regular routine with a really sweet IFS build! Check out Jon Foster's AWESOME IFS Pickup!

At Marlin Crawler, we embrace the IFS, so we were really thrilled to check to see Jon’s 5th Gen Pickup rocking an out of the box IFS front end. Jon describes the suspension as a combination of a Superlift Suspension Systems 4” drop bracket kit and a Blazeland Long Travel Set up, which should work really well! The kit is designed to use any number of aftermarket performance torsion bars and can be piggybacked on any standard IFS lift kit, providing a cost effective and functional alternative to lopping the front brackets off for a straight axle conversion. Axle shafts are listed as “custom made chromoly CV shafts.” The Blazeland kit is desined around T100 length shafts. No word on the rear suspension, but we are assuming it’s a standard leaf spring set up (nothing wrong with that).

Marlin Crawler goodies include dual cases with Marlin Crawler 2.28 front and 4.70 gears with a 23 spline output. His R151 transmission features a Marlin Crawler short throw shifter. The front the factory 7.5” differential is a Marlin Crawler built unit featuring Yukon Gear & Axle 5.29 gears with a Spartan Locker, the rear, also Marlin Crawler built unit, features 5.29 gears and a Yukon Zip Locker. All of those gears together give Jon’s Pickup a delightfully low 244:1 crawl ratio, which combined with the Yukon traction aids in the diffs should make wheeling a point and shoot affair. The Pickup currently resides on 35x12.50 BFGoodrich Tires Mud Terrains.
Another cool feature listed is a custom built rear rack system built by Bay Area Metal Fabrication, featuring solar panels that keep his ARB 4x4 Accessories Fridge chugging away during Rubicon excursions during the hottest of days.

Notice the spotter on the right?

Jon gave us plenty of pictures, as well a great video of him cruising along the Rubicon Trail. Check out the video, you can see how clean Jon’s ride really is:

Want us to feature your Crawler? Email photos@marlincrawler.com with pictures, videos, details about yourself and your build! Don’t forget to send us your Facebook and Instagram handles so we can send people your way!

Marlin Crawler · « **Reply #4 on:** Jan 22, 2018, 02:34:36 PM »

Check out Mason Dotto's stellar 1983 Toyota Pickup that is built the right way all around. Mason sent us a ton of pictures and an extensive build sheet! Where do we start?

The truck is currently powered by the factory 22R, but Marlin himself is currently building a Stage 1 22RET for him to drop in which will really be a nice way to motivate this kind of build. Power is fed through a slew of Marlin Crawler goodies, starting with a Marlin Crawler L52HD 5 speed transmission and clutch. The case is stuffed with our 4.70 gears and drives 5.29 geared factory axles through long travel driveshafts for a healthy 97.66:1 low range. Traction is provided by a trusty ARB air lockers front and rear, and power is sent to the wheels through RCV Performance Products 300M front shafts and original Longfield Chromoly rears and contacts terra firms through 37 inch BFGs. The axles are trussed to keep them from smiling during heavy abuse and a line lock set up eliminates the need to worry about a parking brake. Mason made sure to include that the truck is equipped with removeable mud flaps to keep the CHP happy, California customers know the drill!

But wait! There’s more! The suspension starts with a WFO Concepts hanger set up in the front, and suspension movement is controlled by Bilstein 5100s in all 4 corners, with long travel shock hoops up front. No word on the brand of leaf springs, but they are reported to be 4,” and we’re guessing this nets around 6.5” total lift with the WFO drop. The steering is shored up with a Marlin Crawler HI Steer setup to flatten out the draglink to save the box and keep the knuckles together.

Other goodies include custom built front and rear bumpers with one of WARN's awesome Zeon winches in front for extraction duty. An ARB Heavy duty compressor powers the lockers and airs up the tires when its time to hit the pavement. Round Eyes brand headlights are installed, as well as rock lights live all the way around to play in the dark. LED taillights live under the rear lenses. Inside a custom stereo is installed with a set of Hertz Audio 6x9” speakers and amplifier is sure to overcome any and all sounds from the outside, and a custom switch panel.

From the pictures, you catch all kinds of other details on this truck that aren’t mentioned on the build sheet, from custom sliders, a clean body and fresh looking white paint to a clean underbody and nice interior. Surely all kinds of finishing touches could be found with a change to snoop around this well done pickup.

Follow @masondotto on Intagram to keep tabs on his adventures!

There it is! Another awesome Crawler! Want to share yours? Send us pictures, videos, build specs, links to builds and social media info, stories, personal details and whatever else you want us to feature to photos@marlincrawler.com. Stop by every Friday for a new Show Us Your Crawler Feature!

Marlin Crawler · « **Reply #5 on:** Feb 02, 2018, 04:08:56 PM »

SHOW US YOUR CRAWLER 1/26/18

If last weeks Crawler was about cleanliness, this week’s crawler is about going big or going home!

Chris Flores hails from Harrah, Oklahoma, and has transformed his 1982 Hilux from a mostly stock truck to an off road monster in the last three years. Chris bought the truck in near stock form with a cheap 3” spring and block lift. His first modification was to get the engine ready to roll, then it was time to put some real lift springs on there.

After cleaning the truck up, it was time to get serious! First, of course was some gearing. Chris started off with a Marlin Crawler dual case set up using factory internals. He also rebuilt the stock front axle with a Marlin Crawler knuckle kit and cross over steering. He added chromoly axle shafts, a late model IFS steering box and stepped up to 38.5” Interco Boggers. No mention of gears or lockers, but we can assume there was something in there. Chris also converted the 22R over to propane, allowing for stall free off camber excursions and a clean, stink free exhaust.

After he played around with the first iteration of his build, it was time to go bigger. The factory 22R has been further modified with the addition of a 20R head for increased compression, and added a mild cam and long tube headers to squeeze every bit out of the motor (propane generally yields about 10% less power than gasoline, but acts like mechanical fuel injection, FYI).

The original L45 transmission was swapped out to a W56 unit from a later model pickup, and the case was updated with an MC08-R10 Dual Case setup with our 4.70 gears. Combined with the 4.56 gears in his axles Chris has a nice and low 193:1 crawl ratio. A Front Range Skid plate and Crossmember setup hold the driveline up to keep things as high and tights as possible. Oh, and speaking of axles, his factory Toyota axles have been replaced by a full width GM Kingpin Dana 60 and a Corporate 14 bolt in the rear. A SKY Offroad Design Toyota Full Width Axle Kit holds the axles in place, and the axles are hung from beefed up Tacoma rear leaf springs in the front and 63” Chevy springs in the rear, for a long travel suspension that keeps it simple. Suspenion movement is controlled by 14” travel front and 12” travel rear shocks. The front differential is welded and stuffed with 4.56 gears, and the rear is locked up with a Detroit unit.

The truck currently rides on 42” Interco Super Swamper SX2s on 17” steelies with DIY beadlocks and 2” wheel spacers. To steer those huge cleats (not to mention a welded front diff), Chris went to full hydraulic steering with a 1650Psi PSC power steering pump and reservoir that goes to what has been described as a Tom Hawk self-centering single ended ram.

Chris has more upgrades on the way, including a weld in interior roll cage and custom sliders, as well as chromoly front drive flange shafts, and a 4 link rear suspension is in the works!

Chris didn’t mention anywhere you can find him on social media, but if he gets back to us with that info we will update it here.

Got a Crawler you want to share? Email us your story to photos@marlincrawler.com. Send us build details, Marlin Crawler products used, pictures, videos, links to build threads, and where we can keep tabs on you and your crawler on Facebook and Instagram or the Forums where you lurk! Stay tuned for next week’s installment!

Marlin Crawler · « **Reply #6 on:** Feb 02, 2018, 04:15:25 PM »

SHOW US YOUR CRAWLER 2/2/18

Sometimes simple is best! Jacob Young sent us some pictures of his 81 Pickup, vintage stripes and all, cruising around the Rubicon Trail.

The truck retains the original 22R and transmission with Marlin Crawler 4.70 gears swapped into the factory transfer case. Factory axles are currently geared to 4.88s for a competent 90:1 crawl ratio turning 35x12.50R15 BFGs. A Detroit locker resides in the rear.

Jason lists a slew of upgrades on the way, including a Ruff Stuff front axle and T100 V6 axle with 5.29 gears for increased strength and wider track. He will then be upgrading the steering to a ram assist to help push around 37 inch Treadwright Guard Dog tires. Plans for the suspension includes new 4” leafs for the front and an All Pro 63” spring conversion in the rear.

Keep track of Jason on Instagram at Jyoung78.

Want to show us your crawler? Send us your story, build sheet, pictures, videos, how you use Marlin Crawler products, and where we can find you on Facebook, Instagram and the forums! Have a great weekend!

Marlin Crawler · « **Reply #7 on:** Feb 16, 2018, 08:14:05 PM »

SHOW US YOUR CRAWLER 2/16/18

“The Beast”

Now that the dust has settled and we have blown out the last of our dirt boogers after King of the Hammers, its time for another customer feature!

This time we are featuring a build that belongs to the owner of Rock Solid Toys (RST) out of Anaheim, Ca, Wyatt Scott. Wyatt is a good friend of ours, and we are lucky to have him as a long time customer and support of Marlin Crawler.

Wyatt purchased his Tacoma brand new in 2005, and after being wheeled once, was immediately put under the torch and transformed into “The Beast.”

The factory 1GR-FE V6 and A750F auto were about the only things left alone. A Marlin Crawler Ultimate Dual Taco Box was installed with our 4.70 gears. The push button Tacoma transfer case was replaced with it’s manually operated FJ Cruiser contemporary with RST twin sticks.

The next thing to go was the factory IFS. Wyatt wanted the first SAS 2nd gen, and got to work designing what would become his RST 3 link conversion kit. Steering consists of a Toyota IFS steering box that gets some help from a PSC ram assist set up. In the rear, the leaf sprung suspension was also replaced in favor of an RST 3 link setup. The front currently sports 14 inch ADS 2.0 coilovers, and the rear sports a pair of whopping 18 inch ADS coilovers!

In order to house such a huge shock, the factory bed was removed, and custom coil over mounts were frenched into the frame. Between the frame rails, Wyatt fab’d a custom roll bar/coil over support setup, along with space for a full size spare, dual Optima batteries and space for trail tools.

Axles are Currie Rock Jock High Pinion Dana 60 units with 35 spline shafts. The front sports F350 knuckles with a Dynatrac freespin hub setup, eliminating the troublesome Ford unit bearings. 5.38 gears riding on ARB lockers put power to the ground, and a combination of TRW front Wilwood rear disk brakes bring things to a halt. Tires? Oh, yeah. 41 inch Interco IROKs! Yessir. Wyatt means business.

Factory-ish body lines are maintained with a Glass Works widebody kit. When hitting the trails, Wyatt designed the rear fenders to be easily removable, and the custom rear bed has built in fenders to keep big rocks off of the body when things go sideways. DeMello front bumper and sliders help keep the body work straight, and a DeMello transmission cross member skid plate protects the soft, fancy underbelly. A trusty Budbuilt skid plate system protects the factory fuel tank.

Perhaps the coolest thing about “The Beast” is it’s unbeastly driveability. The interior is still factory fresh and driving on the road with the windows up is alarmingly quiet. The ride is quite comfortable, and if you weren’t paying attention you would be forgiven for thinking you’re just riding in another Tacoma, albeit with a pretty Dakota Digital battery readout and a slew of sticks poking out of the center console.

We got the chance to go wheeling with Wyatt and a couple of his customers during King of the Hammers 2018, and this truck is everything you imagine it to be! While remarkable off road, the fit, finish and attention to detail is what sets it apart. We look forward to seeing what Wyatt builds next. Check out this link of The Beast in action, it is a thing of beauty: https://www.facebook.com/marlincrawler/videos/10155438829737725/

Got a crawler you want to share with the world? Send pictures, videos and links to photos@marlincrawler.com.

Marlin Crawler · « **Reply #8 on:** Mar 12, 2018, 08:43:51 PM »

SHOW US YOUR CRAWLER 2/23/17

Ryan Eklund sent us a great email about his 1984 Toyota Pickup. After writing the article as I usually do, I sat back and looked at his original email and decided his description was better, so with minimal edits for space, here is Ryan’s Pickup in his own words:

“1984 Toyota Truck, purchased new by my uncle in 1984 in Farmington, NM. The truck has always been in NM and now in NV. Completely rust free, and very clean. It was the least-optioned truck Toyota offered back then, with a vinyl floor, bench seat, no radio, no tach, no clock, etc. My uncle purchased a Brahama camper shell and sliding rear window for the truck and that was about all he did for it’s first 12 years of existence. In 1995 or so, he bought a set of white wagon wheels from american racing, and installed a set of BG All Terrains that he removed from the 1981 Jeep he traded in on the truck (Both the truck and those tires were always garaged). Yes, he installed tires that were older than the truck… Those tires were on the truck when I purchased it in 1998.

I took what was likely a museum quality Toyota truck and in my Uncles words “ruined it”! Over the last 20 years, I’ve done the following:
Rear IFS width axle, with an Eaton Detroit locker, Yukon Gear & Axle 5.29 gears, and chromoly shafts

Front high pinion third member from an 80 series Landcruiser, with ARB locker and Yukon 5.29s,
Vented rotors and V6 calipers in the front, factory drums in the rear
Longfield inner and outer shafts in the front axle
All-Pro Off-Road crossover steering conversion
All Pro extreme lift for factory Solid Axle Truck. (I’ve recently damaged a leaf spring and am in the process of installing a new front spring hanger and longer springs)
Marlin Crawler dual ultimate transfer case conversion
Converted to EFI with all factory Toyota parts
TRD 22RE Header
TRD 22RE Camshaft
2” Roger Brown body lift with energy suspension body bushings
Allied Wheels rock-a-thon 17x9 beadlock wheels and 37” Nitto Tire tires
PSC Motorsports Hydro assist steering/reservoir
Marlin Crawler transfer case crossmember
All Pro transfer case mounted parking brake
Marlin Crawler short shifter
Marlin Crawler clutch
Added Air Conditioning with all factory Toyota parts last summer
Pro Comp ProRunner shocks
Custom radiator shroud with Spal 16” Electric fan
OPTIMA Batteries Battery
Premier Power Welder setup with high output alternator
Custom rear flatbed and front bumper, fabbed by me
Marlin Crawler rock sliders
WARN 9.5XP winch with MasterCraft synthetic line and Factor 55 Thimble, solenoids remote mounted under hood
KC HiLiTES, Inc. Daylighters with KC LED Conversion
KC Flex spot pods
KC Cyclone interior dome light
KC Cyclone Amber rock lights (4)
RuffStuff Specialties light housing with rear LED Brake lights, turn signals, amber, and blue lights for course work at races
Rugged Radios intercom, bluetooth interface, and Yaesu USA Yaesu dual band HAM radio
Apple iPad Mini running LeadNav Systems for backcountry navigation and course work at races
10lb PowerTANK - High Performance Air Systems CO2 system
YETI 35 Cooler
Custom half-doors that I made
Custom harness bar and Mastercraft 5 point harnesses
Bucket seats from a 1988 SR5 truck
Man I’m sure there is more, but thats the bulk of it.

I’m on Instagram as @reklund5 an on Facebook (Ryan Eklund) I work for Toyota USA Toyota Motors North America, as a Field Technical Specialist out of the Denver Region. I live in Nevada with my Fiancee and our 3 kids. I also have a mkIII Supra, a new Tundra, and a ’92 Ford F-250…

I’ve also known Big Mike for a looooong time now, and I used to be a moderator on the Marlin Crawler forum, way back in the day.”
These are the kind of write ups we love! Thanks to Ryan for taking the time to get us such a detailed breakdown of his awesome pickup.
Want to show the world your crawler? Email a detailed description, photos, and videos to photos@marlincrawler.com.

Marlin Crawler · « **Reply #9 on:** Mar 12, 2018, 08:47:55 PM »

SHOW US YOUR CRAWLER 3/8/17

Today we have a short one. Julian Chen asked us to post his 1988 4Runner as a memorial. It caught fire a couple of years ago

, clearly it was a well loved and used truck!
It featured a 3.0 V6 with a Doug Thorley Headers feeding power to a R150F with a Marlin Crawler short sifter, clutch and flywheel. Gear reduction was accomplished through dual cases (adapter type not mentioned) stuffed with Marlin Crawler 2.28 and 4.70 gears.

From there power was transferred to Tacoma width axles front and rear, loaded with 5.29 gears and ARB 4x4 Accessories Lockers. It sat on 40 inch Goodyear MTR's.
Other features included a 9 inch bob, custom sliders and eco cage.
We are sorry to hear this truck is no longer around, but hopefully Julian will get a chance to build another! In the meantime, check out the great wheeling pictures Julian sent, along with a YouTube link to the truck in action!

Got a Crawler you want to feature? Email us at photos@marlincrawler.com with pictures, details, and stories about your Marlin Crawler equipped rig!

V-Man · « **Reply #10 on:** Mar 13, 2018, 08:38:32 PM »

just starting life..

20180124_162258 by MICHAEL DONCASTER, on Flickr

20171022_110912 by MICHAEL DONCASTER, on Flickr

DSCF1301 by MICHAEL DONCASTER, on Flickr

20171014_131039 by MICHAEL DONCASTER, on Flickr

You know she got snort when she's pulling a 4runner and breaking trail though four foot snow drifts..

20171230_171021 by MICHAEL DONCASTER, on Flickr

20171230_171017 by MICHAEL DONCASTER, on Flickr

Author Topic: SHOW US YOUR CRAWLER! (Read 5053 times)

Marlin Crawler

SHOW US YOUR CRAWLER!

Marlin Crawler [OP]

SHOW US YOUR CRAWLER 12/15/17

Marlin Crawler [OP]

SHOW US YOUR CRAWLER 12/21/17

Marlin Crawler [OP]

SHOW US YOUR CRAWLER! 1/12/18

Marlin Crawler [OP]

Re: SHOW US YOUR CRAWLER!

Marlin Crawler [OP]

Re: SHOW US YOUR CRAWLER!

Marlin Crawler [OP]

Re: SHOW US YOUR CRAWLER!

Marlin Crawler [OP]

SHOW US YOUR CRAWLER! 2/16/18

Marlin Crawler [OP]

Re: SHOW US YOUR CRAWLER!

Marlin Crawler [OP]

Re: SHOW US YOUR CRAWLER!

V-Man

Re: SHOW US YOUR CRAWLER!

Related Topics