Topic: David's 81 pickup build - roll cage and beadlocks are done

[toyotaraskmt]

This is basically what my truck looks like right now (except the doors are on it).


Just recently bought the 4" Trail-Flex Kit for my 1981 Pickup. I'm not very mechanic savvy so I have two good friends helping me out. This is probably gonne be a fairly slow build due to the fact that we just don't have the time to work on it but only on the weekends. Today was pretty much gonna be focusing on getting the front axle removed, unbolting the steering box, and cutting off anything from the frame that no longer needed to be there.

We had a hell of a time trying to take apart the steering linkages so I said lets just cut the damn draglink in half. Lol, works for me!


Here's me using a plasma cutter for the first time. I kinda wish I wore something with long sleeves.


My buddy grinding the frame smooth. My friends did a great job. I couldn't have asked for better.


We were done for the day and decided to have a little fun. Might as well shoot BB guns in the backyard.


We would have worked longer but we didn't have a welder handy since that was our next thing to do. So far we haven't had any problems (*knock on wood*). Everything came out just fine. Steering arms came off easy (didn't even damage the cone washers). Frame looks in good shape (I was a little worried due to the fact that the previous owner did some weird mods to the truck). I'm kinda curious about what I'll be needing to do for the rear of the front springs. I have the SAS instructions and its talking about putting a jig on the frame, cutting holes and welding a tube inside. Well I don't have those parts so I'm assuming that I won't be needing to do that. I noticed that I have some hangers that the shackles bolt to that look like they get welded to the frame somewhere. But where? Any help would be great.

[jimbo74]

you dont need to use the jigs or the frame tubes... that is for doing an SAS on a truck that was IFS, your truck already has frame tubes

[unclejpl4x4]

This looks like it's gonna be fun to watch    nothing like a good shoot out after a hard days of wrenching  got do something with the left over soda cans

[toyotaraskmt [OP]]

you dont need to use the jigs or the frame tubes... that is for doing an SAS on a truck that was IFS, your truck already has frame tubes

yeah i'm an idiot and that was kind of a stupid question.   so do i need to modify the frame tube at all or will the bolts slide in as is?

[jimbo74]

you have to run bushings in there, but that mount will mount exactly how your stock springs did

unless you are using some horribly longer springs, and don't move the front hanger forward.... but should be ok if you placed the front hanger where it's supposed to be

[toyotaraskmt [OP]]

sweet, thats what i wanted to hear. thanks for the help.

[79coyotefrg]

oh boy

[toyotaraskmt [OP]]

Wow, two months later. Like I said before, this is gonna be a slow build. Busy life but that happens. So since my last post, I've been working on a few things here and there. Mostly spending some of my spare time rebuilding the front axle. Got it all back together now and painted up. Looks real nice. Thought I had a picture but maybe I can post one later. Found some more art work with a welder from what the previous owner did on the frame. Burned through three cut-off wheels getting that crap off. Worked on figuring out where the steering box was gonna mount today. Never had to cut into the core support like I've seen a lot of other people do. Kinda curious if thats really necessary. The steering shaft lines up good and the rods don't touch so I figured my mounting position will work fine.

Here's what the steering looks like all mocked up. Nothing is welded or bolted in place.


Here's a mock up of the steering box mounted to the frame. Again, nothing is welded. Just one bolt holding it in place.


So does everything look ok? I know the rods aren't perfectly parallel but that should work right? Does the steering box need to move further forward cause everything seems to line up fine where its at?
Hopefully I can get a decent welder to the house soon. That's the main thing that's keeping me from getting things done. But once its here, a lot more stuff will be finished. I wanna wheel this thing!

[hilux-1983]

Looks good to me 

[79toy20r]

Looks good. The only reason people have to cut into the core support is if they want to move their axle farther forward then you did. I had to cut my core support a little bit

[toyotaraskmt [OP]]

Three and a half months later I'm back. And I have progress. The truck is pretty much to the point where its driveable. Unfortunately, I seem to be having a power steering problem. The truck is steering itself and I'm not sure what's causing it. I double checked my connections, made sure there were no kinks in the lines, reservoir is filled to where its supposed to be but when I turn the truck on and try to turn the wheel it automatically starts turning to one direction. Once it has turned as far as it can go it automatically turns the other direction. When I grab the wheel to stop it, it takes a lot of strength to hold it still. Its too hard to steer it on my own. I'm kinda guessing that there may be something wrong with the steering box. Am I right? Or is there maybe something wrong with the pump and I'm getting an inconsistent flow? What am I needing to do?

[hilux-1983]

You gotta bad box.(flow control valve bypassing fluid where ever it wants to go) You can fixer bud. We know you can.

[toyotaraskmt [OP]]

yes i'm sure i can. i'll let you know how it goes when i make another post in two months, haha. in the meantime, i'll post some pics.

[toyotaraskmt [OP]]

Front end is done.


Ready to roll.


Showin some flex.


Springs almost hit steering at full flex.


Still lots of more work to do. I saw the post about the end of the year sale. I'm thinkin on doing dual cases now, lol. We'll see though. I'm still always busy and if I keep spendin the little time I have workin on it the dang truck is never gonna see a trail. Haha.

[SoUtHTeXaSyOtAs]

Hey badass build i will be doing the same thing with my 81 too hopefully soon now with this end if year sale. By the way the front hanger you just cut off the stock mounts and welded new hanger and if so did you just welded there on the same spot or move it forward.

[toyotaraskmt [OP]]

yeah cut off old hangers, grind it down smooth and level, and weld new hanger in place. we lined up the cross section of the new hanger flush with the crossmember of the frame. you can see it pretty good in the first pic of my last post(and disregard the weld job, its splotchy but its strong, lol). it ended up moving forward a little.

[Farace1979]

Looking good man I know what you mean about a slow bed I've had my 79 for 3mths and only sanded the bed?  lol

[SoUtHTeXaSyOtAs]

Cool thanks for the info. By the way what kind of welder are you using i have a Hobart Gasless mig welder and was wondering what other people use and if mine will work or hold when i weld stuff to my truck. Thanks

[toyotaraskmt [OP]]

i've never used a gasless welder before but i heard they suck. no diss on you though, lol. we started with a small 110 welder but it wasn't hot enough so we got something with a little more power (insert tim allen's "arr, arr, arr"). it made the job easier but i'm sure any basic mig welder will do just fine.

[CrazyYota]

Showin some flex.


Springs almost hit steering at full flex.

I have seen others angle the steering box back more for more clearance. looks good with the TSLs.

[toyotaraskmt [OP]]

Got the power steering fixed. Woohoo! Turns like its supposed to now.
Next up is regearing the rear axle. I have other plans for the front axle but I have no parts for it yet so I'm working on one thing at a time. I guess it'll be more of a  prerunner until I get started on the front axle, lol. I also ordered a new set of 35" BFG KM2's from 4Wheel Parts. They're dirt cheap right now. $700 for the set and free mount and balance. It was a deal I couldn't pass up. But the day after I ordered them, they called me up and said they're on national backorder till late January. Did anybody else hear about this? I called them back and said that I would wait anyway. I'll be working on my truck for most of that wait considering that it takes me forever as it is, lol. Anyway, I ordered 5.29 yukon gears and they're on there way. This'll be my first time regearing a diff. Wish me luck. 

[hilux-1983]

What did it take to fix it?

[toyotaraskmt [OP]]

i had bought a box from a local toyota parts shop awhile back. told him my problem. got a new box. hooked everything back up the way it was. steers under MY control now.

[hilux-1983]

i had bought a box from a local toyota parts shop awhile back. told him my problem. got a new box. hooked everything back up the way it was. steers under MY control now.

You gotta bad box.(flow control valve bypassing fluid where ever it wants to go) You can fixer bud. We know you can.

I knew you could do it!!! Good job, happy steering!!!!!!

[oldyeller]

Love this truck build-up!

[toyotaraskmt [OP]]

Well I have some awesome news. I have a shop to work in! My dads shop just became available and I can use it till about March. Woohoo, no more working in the backyard. And it has all the tools I need. My weekly schedule is still fairly busy but this will allow a ton more time to finish up the projects I wanna do. Speaking of which, I started this thread talking about doing just a lift, regear thirds, and get tires. Now, I'm in the process of overhauling most of the drivetrain and some of the engine. It'll eat up most of that time till March.

Here's what I have so far (other than the lift I've done):
  -5.29 Yukon gears with Aussie for the rear (currently in the proces of setting this up)
  -An extra top shift transfercase for duals
  -A fully rebuilt W56 top shift transmission
  -Offenhauser 20R intake manifold (first part I've got so far for an upcoming 20R/22R hybrid)
  -4 new 35" BFG KM2's. These are ordered but I'm thinking on cancelling and going to 36's or 37's of something different. What's a good size for the Marlin 4" lift?

What I'm planning to get for upcoming projects:
  -Shifter and shifter base for new tranny (know where I can get these?)
  -New Marlin clutch 
  -Square front driveline (I may call an aftermarket driveline shop for a new driveline)
  -The rest of the parts to do the 20R/22R hybrid. Mainly the head.
  -Propane kit from GotPropane.com
  -New exhaust system with headers. Any suggestions?
  -Longfields
  -Front high pinion 3rd member with auto locker (I may change this idea but probably not, lol)
  -Marlin MC07 adapter
  -Marlin 4.7:1 gear set for transfercase (I may wait to do this but I might as well do it now while the case is still out)

There's lots of other little things that I need to do here and there but this is basically what I'm gonna be working on for the next 2-3 months. Wish I could finish it sooner but life is busy. I'll post some pics as I go and let you guys know how I'm doing and if I have any questions. I'm sure there will be questions, lol. 

Here's a pic of the rebuilt W56 tranny. For $550 it was rebuilt by a certified professional that backs it up with a 2 year unlimited mileage warranty. I think I got a pretty good deal.

[toyotaraskmt [OP]]

Quick update. Haven't done a ton of work for the truck since my last post. As normal, haven't had a lot of time. I think I may be overwhelming myself also with trying to tackle too many small projects at once. But I need to take advantage of having a shop while I still have it. So last week, I bought a used gotpropane kit from a guy on craigslist. I guess it was used on a few runs and then the guy wanted to go a different route. So I bought that off of him for a steal of a deal. I may decide to install the kit sooner rather than later. Since I'm still collecting the parts for the 20R hybrid, it wouldn't be a bad idea to hook the propane up with the 22R head and then later I could see the difference in performance when I change the head.
I got the Aussie locker for the rear 3rd and worked on putting that in the carrier today. Would have liked to finish the whole 3rd tonight but didn't have much time. I figure if I can at least get a little done here and there during the week, it'll be just that much less I'll have to do on the weekend. So hopefully the truck will be driveable this coming weekend. Unfortunately, it won't last long as I will be jumping into my next small project: duals. I'm gonna be ordering a lot of stuff this week from Marlin. Sweet!

Here's a pic of the Aussie in the 4 cylinder carrier.

[toyotaraskmt [OP]]

One month later and I've accomplished....actually a lot more than expected, haha. Although, I hit a wall regearing the rear third. The only press I have access to is a 75-ton press. So with all that force I ended up destroying an inner pinion bearing when changing shims around. Oops! Got a new bearing and eventually was able to get a good pinion depth. I also wasn't getting a very good preload with the supplied shims so I had a buddy make me some extras from some shim stock he had at his work. So after countless hours of putting the third together, I got it finished and took the truck out for a test drive. All I can say is...wow! Quite a difference now and I'm definitely liking it. I'm still runnin 33's so the 5.29's are pretty low but I have new tires that I'll put on the truck eventually. So considering that this was my first time regearing a third, it ended up taking a long time but I saved money from having someone else do it and I learned a ton. Mad props to www.gearinstalls.com.

Here's a pic of the installed third with a new Marlin triple drilled flange.


Drilled new holes for the rear shock mounts. Looks good to me.


In a previous post, I mentioned that I ordered some BFG KM2's but due to the fact that they were on national back order I decided that I'd keep my eyes open for any other great deals. I've been reading great reviews on Iroks but they are just so expensive. However, I ended up getting lucky and found a set of 36x13.5x15 Bias on Interco's blemished tire page (http://intercotire.com/news-article.php?article=1). Paid $169 a tire and $140 for shipping. Hell of a deal I'd say. Not sure what the blemish is though. I don't see anything cosmetically wrong with them. But I'm not gonna complain. I do have a question though. Right now I'm running 33x13.5x15 TSL's on 15x10 rims with 4in backspacing. The tires don't rub anything when I turn all the way either direction. But I'm thinkin with the new tires that they're gonna rub for sure. So that means I'm gonna have to find a new wheel with a smaller backspacing right? I'm thinkin somewhere between 3in - 3.5in. Any ideas?

Ordered some more parts from Marlin sometime in December. One of which was the MC07 adapter. Very excited about tackling this project. And to be honest it wasn't much of a tackle at all. I've never messed with transfercases before so I printed out Marlin's instructions and had the crawler box built in less than 4 hours. A lot easier than I expected. And again, I learned a lot more.

Here's a pic of the finished crawl box.


Next small project to work on was pulling the L45 tranny and installing a new Marlin clutch. Yet once again, I've never done any of this kind of work before so I didn't know all the tricks to getting the tranny unbolted. Found out that 3ft of extension on the ratchet works really well. Figured while I had the tranny out that I should check the rear main seal. I've had a small oil leak ever since I owned the truck and thought maybe that was the problem. Rear main was in great shape (looked like it had been replaced before) but I found out that the oil pan gasket was the culprit. I guess it had been replaced at one time also but it didn't seal very well. It's nice to have easy fixes for small problems.

Here's the new clutch installed.


Disassembled the transfer case from the old tranny and lined it up with the new tranny and crawl box. It's obviously not bolted together but it gives you an idea of what I have.


I really wanted to start installing the new tranny but I figured that I should wait. I need to make some measurements for the new shifter locations in the cab. I didn't take a pic but the seats and carpet are out. I'm gonna order twin sticks from Marlin sometime this week and I'll use the boots base as a template for my hole to cut in the floorboard. I'd kinda rather have a clean install than just start cuttin stuff now.

So that's as far as I've got on the truck build. Gonna order a bunch of parts from Marlin this week and once I get them I'll start putting things back in the truck. Oh, a question while I'm thinkin about it. The old crossmember is obviously no longer gonna work. I'm too cheap to buy one and I'd like to custom build one instead. Anybody have any ideas/suggestions on how to do this?

[toyotaraskmt [OP]]

Here's a few more pics on my progress. Hoping to have a crossmember and shortened rear driveline during the week to get this truck driveable by the weekend. Yay!

W56 tranny installed. This sure was a pain gettin that in there by myself.


Dual cases ready to be installed.


Cut some holes in the floorboard. Ended up being kind of a hackjob but all the shifters fit perfectly.


I'm currently getting ready to regear my high pinion diff for the front. I already bought a used 3rd and cleaned it up. Sometime soon I will be getting 5.29 gears and a locker to set it up. I'm hoping this 3rd will go faster as I have had practice recently regearing the rear 3rd. I'm also gonna be getting 30 spline Longfields and building a square driveline for the front. But these three things won't happen until I can for sure have the truck driveable. I won't be able to use the shop for very long so I'm focusing on the bigger projects first.

[toyotaraskmt [OP]]

I still have my factory bench seat and maybe someday down the road I'll throw them out and get bucket seats. But for now, they'll have to do. Only problem is, with the new tranny and dual cases, there are new shifters in the cab that are located where my console is within the bench seat. I figured there would be a little modifying that would need to be done to get the seat back in but I ended up finding out that it was gonna be a lot more work than anticipated. I'm not a very good fabricator but I'm learning as I go. Mostly through trial and error, haha. When it was all said and done, it turned out nicer than I planned so thought I'd share what I did.

The twin stick was right where the frame of the bench seat runs across the tunnel of the cab. So that means it needed to be hacked.


At that point it lost its structural integrity (not that it had much to start with, lol) so I decided to weld in a portion of square tubing.


The console also needed a little trimming.


New clearance with modified seat frame.


Finished installed look. Eventually I'll put some kind of boot in the gap also.


Update: Got my rear driveline shortened and am now waiting for a FROR crossmember to be shipped. Once that's installed the truck will be driving...until the next project anyway...