Topic: The Diablo Rojo: An ordinary Toyota becomes a field truck

[300k]

I would definitely aim for duals. having the choice between 2.28, 4.70, or both is really nice. being stuck in 4.7 seems like no fun for fire roading or two track wheeling

[redneckcustoms13]

Single 4.7 is fine just run it in 4th and 5th gear. If I had the option yes duals would be my choice.

[300k]

Single 4.7 is fine just run it in 4th and 5th gear. If I had the option yes duals would be my choice.

I usually am up in 4th and 5th with my 2.28 case though. if my truck wasn't so fussy about 4hi it probably wouldn't be an issue. I have a truck that is similar to Lewis's truck...AKA stocker club, so that's why I'm even bothering to share my point of view.

[Lewis Hein [OP]]

I personally never get above 3rd in 4low, and almost never above 2nd. 3rd in 2.28 land should be around 5th with the 4.7 case, and give me a nice range of low gears.

As a bonus, I believe 4th is the strongest in any Toyota tranny, but probably not by enough to matter for me.

[rybike]

So something I will say about the 4.7 set is the top speed is very limited, I love the added capability of 1st low but when I'm on less technical trail rides I find I'm constantly in 5th and struggling to keep up. Only real reason I'm going to duals is to get my stock low range back

[redneckcustoms13]

I say run what you got. You'll like it. Can always make a dual out of later.

[Lewis Hein [OP]]

So something I will say about the 4.7 set is the top speed is very limited, I love the added capability of 1st low but when I'm on less technical trail rides I find I'm constantly in 5th and struggling to keep up. Only real reason I'm going to duals is to get my stock low range back

I never have trouble keeping up with myself, and so far that has been equivalent to keeping up with the group.

I say run what you got. You'll like it. Can always make a dual out of later.

I agree. That is now officially the plan.

[Lewis Hein [OP]]

So... the other day I was driving down the street minding my own business when I had to stop for a vehicle in front of me and got rear ended by a PT cruiser going at a pretty good clip, I estimate 20-40 MPH. The last 6 inches of the frame were bent 45 degrees where the bumper and tow hitch attach. The bumper and tow hitch were destroyed. The frame flexed and sprang back, but the bed put a couple of holes in the cab. The PT cruiser was totalled.

The bed has suffered a little damage, and was already a little rusty in the wheel wells. I guess there's some creative welding and flatbed building in my future, huh?

[Jakey poo]

Bummer to hear about the accident. I hope the cruiser was insured!

[Lewis Hein [OP]]

The truck was officially totalled (by insurance company standards) and they've now coughed up some cash so we can get busy on fixing this thing. As a bonus, since it's over 8 years old it doesn't get a salvage title, and I can just concentrate on fixing it without a bunch of legal worries.

I pulled the bed off recently and found the rust protection on the frame is flaking off, with light surface rust underneath. Obviously this must be stopped, so I'm going to apply POR-15 before the bed goes on.

Also, I got a nice little package in the mail the other day:


Fat checks from insurance companies lets ya build things all blingy.

[Lewis Hein [OP]]

I thought I needed more pizazz, so I started by putting glossy black paint on a part of the truck that no-one ever sees.



Either that, or it's rust protection. Take your pick

[emsvitil]

Why not purple?


 

[Lewis Hein [OP]]

Black is more pizazzy.

Besides, I only found POR-15 rust preventative in black.

[H8PVMNT]

I like your shop.  You have vines for walls.  I'd like to get that.  I am using the same flooring.

[Lewis Hein [OP]]

You can have all the vines you want, they're kind of a nuisance even though they are native. The neighbor's cows used to keep them eaten down, but they ate everything else too, so we fenced them out and now we fight vines ourselves..

[Lewis Hein [OP]]

Got the flatbed frame on yesterday and started installing lights. But it's too windy to weld so I can't go too far until it calms down a bit. Sorry, no pictures, I was too busy to take any.

[Lewis Hein [OP]]

I didn't want to drill into my new flatbed any more than necessary to mount the side marker lights, so I made this:


It is then welded to the side of the bed:


I also made a license plate holder out of some 3/4" by 1/8" thick angle iron. I would definitely go with wider angle iron next time, as the holes are closer than I like to the edge.

[Lewis Hein [OP]]

Got some christmas decorations in the shop today:

[Lewis Hein [OP]]

So, only two years after getting the transmission and t-case from H8PVMNT, I finally did a transmission swap. After a lot of thinking I decided to get a rebuilt W56 from Marlin and run the transfer case as-is. Since it's a W56 having the W56 t-case was a big help.

First step was to take an old floor jack with the swivel-y thing missing and build a transmission jack attachment. Welders are great

Second step was to drop the G52, which happened without issue. Next I bolted H8PVMNT's transfer case and bell housing to the W56 and put them in. Again without issue.

The W56/4.70 transfer case is so nice after that grungy old G52. The shift boots were torn and useless and water had got in, making a bit of rust. Plus the G52 shifted soo sloppy by comparison and got burning hot at highway speeds.

Then I took it for a test drive... The new transmission is so much quieter, and shifts so much nicer, it feels kind of like driving a sports car . Except thanks to the transfer case the sports car turns into a tractor on command.