Topic: 83 Yoter Old Beater Build

[83 yoter]

Finally it's time to start on my build. It's taken some time, saving cash and accumulating parts here and there but I've almost got what I need to get road worthy again. What am I building you ask? '83 4wd Pickup with the long box, fully intact with the tailgate I might add! Im going to put on some 4" lift leafs front and back, crossover steering and long travel shocks with new hoops. Additionally the axles are going to get some armor and also get rebuilt. I'm starting with the front axle, it needs a full rebuild. Both inner axle seals are blown, top knuckle bearing on the LH side is in pieces and some pretty nasty birfield soup all over the place. She is a little crusty at the moment, the poor old thing has seen some hard miles. As soon as I save the money I'm going to put on some new coats of paint.

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[83 yoter [OP]]

Starting on the front axle. Steering arms and knuckles off, what an absolute mess.

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[83 yoter [OP]]

Got the front axle gutted, birfields out, seals out and some of that nastynes cleaned out of there. Now I need to do some grinding and prep the axle to fab on some armor. After the armor is welded on I'm hitting the entire housing with some black paint.

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[83 yoter [OP]]

Just ordered some new shackles and u bolt flip kits from marlin. I still need to pick up some new shocks and shock hoops. I have a very big to do list!

To Do:
Rebuild entire front axle
Rebuild rear axle
Rebuild both differentials
Weld on diff. face armor, knuckle gussets and upper truss.
Weld on ifs box mount
Weld on long travel shock hoops
Install MC High steer kit
Install v6 rotors and calipers
Order a dual diaphragm brake booster
Order new shocks and long travel hoops.
Regear differentials to 4.88:1
Order and install zip air lockers to front and rear diffs.
Order new tires and wheel spacers
Rebuild transmission
Rebuild transfer case and add a 2nd crawl box
Replace driver and passenger floorboards
Replace battery floorboard and mount hook
Swap out oem intake manifold with offenhauser manifold
Replace old headers with LCE headers
Rework exhaust piping and replace muffler
Put a coat of primer on the frame
Repaint cab and bed
Apply roll on bedliner to bed

As you can see this is quite the list and won't happen quickly. I'm just now welding on the axle armor and once the new shackles come in I'll put on the leafs and put the rest of the axle back together. Putting on new paint to the cab and bed won't be a quick process either. There's some cancer here and there that needs to be dealt with. Plus the old shoddy bedliner is going to have to be sandblasted out of there. Eventually though this thing will be looking good again!

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[83 yoter [OP]]

So it looks like the floorboards are rusted out worse than I thought. I was thinking about picking up some diamond plate steel and welding that in there after I cut out the old crap. Anyone have some better ideas, thoughts or helpful tidbits? It looks like it will be a pain in the  :moon:to cut that old crap out! Pics soon to follow.

[83 yoter [OP]]

Driver side floor board, passenger side isn't quite as bad but still not good. Battery base is pretty much one solid piece of rust!

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[aaron63]

Wow. I’m so glad I’m not in Idaho!
Good luck with all that. Sorry I have zero help on how to fix that.

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[79coyotefrg]

Brian that looks BAD   but i think the diamond plate would work well but get the thinner stuff like 14 gauge maybe,  1/8th inch would be a little hard to bend.  but cut out the bad and over lap putting the new under the old.  this way it supports the old and if you hit hard it doesnt simply rip the body mount up into your leg.  trace it out onto some old cereal box then transfer that to the steel. 
Can you pull the cab??  or unbolt all six mounts and run some 2x4 or 4x4 under the cab over the frame maybe. 

[83 yoter [OP]]

Brian that looks BAD   but i think the diamond plate would work well but get the thinner stuff like 14 gauge maybe,  1/8th inch would be a little hard to bend.  but cut out the bad and over lap putting the new under the old.  this way it supports the old and if you hit hard it doesnt simply rip the body mount up into your leg.  trace it out onto some old cereal box then transfer that to the steel. 
Can you pull the cab??  or unbolt all six mounts and run some 2x4 or 4x4 under the cab over the frame maybe.

Yeah my heart dropped a little when I saw how bad it was. I think I'll prop the cab up with a 2x4 and put in the new plate underneath. Passenger side is the same story, not quite as bad but bad enough.

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[83 yoter [OP]]

On a positive note all fab work on the front axle is done. Got a few coats of magic primer on it and will paint it in a couple days. After that I'll Weld on the ifs box mount and while I'm at it I'm going to reinforce the frame with side braces and a front brace. Once that is done I'll just be waiting on the new shackles and u bolt kits to arrive and I can put the axle back on

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[83 yoter [OP]]

Got some more goodies to put on after I get done with the axle and suspension.

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[79coyotefrg]

sure looks different.   Hey hows the frame look??   its always the worst by the gas tank.

[H8PVMNT]

Thanks for driving a 1st gen!  Somebody needs to make us pre-fabbed floor board repair panels.  It's time.

[83 yoter [OP]]

The frame is not bad but definitely a little crusty. A little surface rust, I'm going to hit it with some magic primer. I'm all for pre fabbed floor boards....and complete tailgates

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[aaron63]

Nice work on the front axle


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[mudmaster]

Wow! My 83 has no where near that kind of rust.

[83 yoter [OP]]

Wow! My 83 has no where near that kind of rust.

I envy you then. North Idaho winters, specifically the palouse region have not been kind to this pickup!

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[83 yoter [OP]]

So here is a slight problem. The fella I bought the ifs box from forgot to make a mark on both the input shaft and sector shaft when he took the pitman arm off. I have an idea of what I should do but I would like some suggestions on how I'm supposed to correctly install the new high steer pitman arm.

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[83 yoter [OP]]

Meanwhile in the upper pasture......herd of elk, maybe 20 head scattered about....and in the lower pasture our mammoth horse all pissed off because she thinks the elk will come eat her hay. About 10 F out right now, not too much snow though.

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[redneckcustoms13]

Steer box is simple. Turn full left, full right, Mark the middle.

[83 yoter [OP]]

Steer box is simple. Turn full left, full right, Mark the middle.

That's what I was thinking but I thought it had to be more than that. Good to know I'm not completely tarded.

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[83 yoter [OP]]

Axle clean and painted. Now to paint the hubs and hub dials and knuckles.

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[slacker]

we wanted to have the floors stamped , but our market research suggested only 1 of 10 people would pay the cost . honestly , I don't think it's gonna happen !

we do build replacement battery treys though
http://www.toyotafiberglass.com