Author Topic: Project: The '81 "Yoter"  (Read 22824 times)

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a1gemmel

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Project: The '81 "Yoter"
« on: Jul 12, 2021, 09:36:43 PM »
Hi all!

I'm pretty new here. Never done a build thread before, but thought I'd start one for my '81 Pickup build that's in progress. I've had the truck for ~8 months at this point, so the first pile of posts will be in retrospective. I wish I had a more creative name for the project, but around my social groups I'm the only one with a Toyota Pickup, so it usually just goes by "The Toyota" or "The Yoter". So, here's my "81 Yoter" buildup!

Here's the specimen. A 1981 4WD Longbed pickup. Only 118k kilometers on it, that's 73k miles for you yankee folks. Unfortunately, most of them were put on by my grandpa backing his boat in and out of the lake. She's got a little rust, but nothing we can't fix.



The plan is to go OEM++. Improve the offroad capabilities, make it a killer camping rig, but without sacrificing the on-road driving characteristics. And along the way, mix in a sprinkle of restomod and creature comforts. I already have a cherokee on fullsize axles with 35s, lockers, no sway bars, etc. I don't need another brute force wheeling rig like that. I want to daily drive this truck when it's done, and in fact I have been the whole time I've been building it.
 

« Last Edit: Jul 13, 2021, 07:41:06 PM by a1gemmel »
1981 Pickup - 37s, 5.29s, L52, dual cases 4.7 rear, e-locker front, grizzly rear, 22R stroker
1986 4Runner - 35s, 4.30s, auto, rear spool, 4" lift

a1gemmel [OP]

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Re: Project: The '81 "Yoter"
« Reply #1 on: Jul 12, 2021, 09:44:41 PM »
The first test was driving it home from BC to Colorado. The old girl did 1400 miles without a hiccup, stopping only for food and a brief sleep at a rest stop.



Even did a little speed test coming down the highway to heaven on I-80, bet this truck's never been asked to do that before.



First mod when I got home - lots of exhaust repairs. I added in a catalytic converter to pass smog in Colorado, replaced the muffler that was cracked in half, and added an 18" resonator. Now she's dead quiet, just how I like it. I have other loud cars, I want to be able to listen to my Steely Dan records in this truck  :greengrin:



All the clay stuck to the underside makes it look worse than it really is. There's some good paint under there... somewhere.
« Last Edit: Jul 13, 2021, 07:41:33 PM by a1gemmel »
1981 Pickup - 37s, 5.29s, L52, dual cases 4.7 rear, e-locker front, grizzly rear, 22R stroker
1986 4Runner - 35s, 4.30s, auto, rear spool, 4" lift

a1gemmel [OP]

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Re: Project: The '81 "Yoter"
« Reply #2 on: Jul 12, 2021, 09:57:26 PM »
Next up - addressing the woeful stereo in the truck. Only tape deck and FM/AM, and scratchy as all hell. That won't do for my Steely Dan records, not at all.

I decided to fit in a Retrosound Hermosa stereo. Pricy, but I don't like the look of the single-din units that people swap in. Just doesn't fit the aesthetic in my opinion.
With minimal trimming, I was able to glue the LED screen and radio buttons into the stock location on the dash. The head unit is semi remoted mounted, fitting behind the steel block-off plate in a photo further down.







Rounding out the dash, I have a cheapo 5 switch board for accessories to replace the ashtray (more on those later), a USB charger / volt gauge, and a standard 12v port. Fitting the 12v port required drilling out the steel dash with a step bit to fit it. Sadly didn't take photos of that at the time.



The head unit is running to replacement 4" speakers I fitted in the stock locations in the doors, and a Sound Ordnance B-10AS subwoofer that's stuffed behind the passenger seat. All in all I'm pretty impressed with the sound.

Steely Dan records: accomplished.

« Last Edit: Jul 13, 2021, 07:42:47 PM by a1gemmel »
1981 Pickup - 37s, 5.29s, L52, dual cases 4.7 rear, e-locker front, grizzly rear, 22R stroker
1986 4Runner - 35s, 4.30s, auto, rear spool, 4" lift

a1gemmel [OP]

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Re: Project: The '81 "Yoter"
« Reply #3 on: Jul 12, 2021, 09:59:03 PM »
Oh, and you might be asking what "MSB" stands for.

It's My :pokinit:'s Broke. Because it usually is  :greengrin:
1981 Pickup - 37s, 5.29s, L52, dual cases 4.7 rear, e-locker front, grizzly rear, 22R stroker
1986 4Runner - 35s, 4.30s, auto, rear spool, 4" lift

a1gemmel [OP]

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Re: Project: The '81 "Yoter"
« Reply #4 on: Jul 12, 2021, 10:07:09 PM »
Onto easy mechanical upgrades!

Those side steps and the old-school drop hitch had to go, no doubt about it.





Then, a BudBuilt trans crossmember I snagged on Craigslist for cheap.



Finally, a set of 31x10.5R15 tires on good alloy wheels. Also a cheap craigslist score, just to see how the 31's fit at the current ride height.
Also, upgraded H4 headlights that I'm seeing in that photo. Not sure where in the timeline I actually installed those  :dunno:



Now we're getting somewhere!
« Last Edit: Jul 13, 2021, 07:43:59 PM by a1gemmel »
1981 Pickup - 37s, 5.29s, L52, dual cases 4.7 rear, e-locker front, grizzly rear, 22R stroker
1986 4Runner - 35s, 4.30s, auto, rear spool, 4" lift

a1gemmel [OP]

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Re: Project: The '81 "Yoter"
« Reply #5 on: Jul 12, 2021, 10:30:46 PM »
At this point it's maybe December? Me and the missus have been out camping in the back once or twice, and I'll tell ya it's just plain not comfy or warm laying in the bed with only a thermarest between you and the corrugated steel. Plus the old gal (the truck, not the missus) is real leaky, and cold as ice by morning. Clearly, we need some improvements.

To start out, I made some storage bins. I'm no wood elf, but I do dabble from time to time.



Also, got two rubber door mats from the Homeless Despot and cut them to fit the bed. Super cheap solution, would recommend. Unless you spill gear oil on them, in which case they swell up like crazy and won't lay flat. Still, I can get another one and cut it up when I have the inclination.



Looks cozier already, right?
Needs insulation though. I went with a combination of Reflectix and classic Polyiso insulation. Mostly Reflectix for the topper and anywhere the surface is exposed, and Polyiso to line the floor and sides of the bed.
In the places where the topper had ridges and pockets, I used aluminum tape directly on the plastic, and created an air-gap between that and the reflectix. In my limited understanding, that effectively doubles the R-value without taking up much more headroom.



This took a long time. So much time. I think I used 20 meters of double sided 3M tape, and lots of aluminum tape.



Also stopped along the way to do some fiberglass repair on some cracks in the topper. It's a very old unit from Super Topper in Kamloops.



Over the years, the weight of the rear glass cracked the plastic right at the hinges. This should hold up for a while.



Privacy shields for the windows that secure on with magnets. I thought the magnets were a good idea, but they're just not that strong. I might redo this with velcro.



All done!



And the result! Camping in the dead of winter, with reasonable comfort. One night hit -18 Celcius (-1 degrees freedom) and we were just hunky dory inside the little yoter.


« Last Edit: Jul 13, 2021, 07:46:42 PM by a1gemmel »
1981 Pickup - 37s, 5.29s, L52, dual cases 4.7 rear, e-locker front, grizzly rear, 22R stroker
1986 4Runner - 35s, 4.30s, auto, rear spool, 4" lift

a1gemmel [OP]

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Re: Project: The '81 "Yoter"
« Reply #6 on: Jul 12, 2021, 10:35:31 PM »
That's all for tonight, thanks for reading!
1981 Pickup - 37s, 5.29s, L52, dual cases 4.7 rear, e-locker front, grizzly rear, 22R stroker
1986 4Runner - 35s, 4.30s, auto, rear spool, 4" lift

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Re: Project: The '81 "Yoter"
« Reply #7 on: Jul 13, 2021, 10:13:54 AM »
I love it! looks pretty clean. It was your Grandpa's truck?

I like the camping rig not wheeler plan.

I like the stereo and that you didn't butcher the dash. I've never had the luxury of a radio in my 1980, just cant find room for one .

Looking forward to seeing what's to come.
80 shortbed-22re,w56,Marlin 23 spline dual cases,HighAngle drivelines,RUF/63"chevy's,35''mtr's,30 spline Longfields, Allpro highsteer.87 rear axle,5.29 gears,rear spool,BudBuilt cm, marlin HD clutch,ramsey 8000 winch. 
     https://board.marlincrawler.com/index.php?topic=101882.0

a1gemmel [OP]

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Re: Project: The '81 "Yoter"
« Reply #8 on: Jul 13, 2021, 11:22:39 AM »
Thanks, I appreciate the kind words!

Yep, he owned it for 15 years. He gave it to me before he sadly passed last year.
So that will explain why I'm building this truck, and not starting from someone else's build or with a fresher chassis.
1981 Pickup - 37s, 5.29s, L52, dual cases 4.7 rear, e-locker front, grizzly rear, 22R stroker
1986 4Runner - 35s, 4.30s, auto, rear spool, 4" lift

a1gemmel [OP]

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Re: Project: The '81 "Yoter"
« Reply #9 on: Jul 13, 2021, 11:29:51 AM »
Rust repair - I haven't done much body work before. I feel like I've learned a lot already, and dare I say I'm starting to enjoy it?

First up was a missing section of the bed corner:





A little bit of time and thousand year old technology, and we have a patch panel.



This Japanese steel is thin compared to the 60's GM I'm used to.



Filled and primed



Painted! I used a colour match can I bought online. The truck has been touched up over the years with various hardware store paints, so "matching" isn't really a viable goal. I went for a tapered blend and faded it into the existing colour.


« Last Edit: Jul 13, 2021, 07:48:53 PM by a1gemmel »
1981 Pickup - 37s, 5.29s, L52, dual cases 4.7 rear, e-locker front, grizzly rear, 22R stroker
1986 4Runner - 35s, 4.30s, auto, rear spool, 4" lift

a1gemmel [OP]

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Re: Project: The '81 "Yoter"
« Reply #10 on: Jul 13, 2021, 11:40:41 AM »
Next - the left fender. Yeah I know I can buy a repro panel, but I'm also having fun learning new skills.
I brushed against the 4wd badge one day, and it fell right off. Whoops.









I masked off this way in order to preserve as much of the vinyl as I could. That made it easier replacing the graphics in the next step.



Not a great color match. Still some primer showing through I think. Need to blend it out.





I painted the graphics back in with some model paint. You can't tell it's not vinyl until you get right up next to it.

« Last Edit: Jul 13, 2021, 07:50:30 PM by a1gemmel »
1981 Pickup - 37s, 5.29s, L52, dual cases 4.7 rear, e-locker front, grizzly rear, 22R stroker
1986 4Runner - 35s, 4.30s, auto, rear spool, 4" lift

a1gemmel [OP]

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Re: Project: The '81 "Yoter"
« Reply #11 on: Jul 13, 2021, 11:53:56 AM »
Death by a thousand cuts is real. I try to get something done every day, even if it's small. Progress feels good.

The topper lock was seized, so I drilled it out and replaced it.





My favourite easy mod - LED reverse lights. I also lined the housing with reflective tape. Does it matter? Maybe.



The horns never worked, so I replaced them and ran all new wiring.

« Last Edit: Jul 13, 2021, 07:51:48 PM by a1gemmel »
1981 Pickup - 37s, 5.29s, L52, dual cases 4.7 rear, e-locker front, grizzly rear, 22R stroker
1986 4Runner - 35s, 4.30s, auto, rear spool, 4" lift

a1gemmel [OP]

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Re: Project: The '81 "Yoter"
« Reply #12 on: Jul 13, 2021, 02:09:24 PM »
Ok, on to a bit more substantial work. The front axle was in rough shape. Springs quite sagged out, knuckles leaking oil.


I ordered new repro springs from General Spring, as well as some 1.5" longer shackles. New u-bolts and bushings too, of course.

Since I'm changing from the wacky toyota bolt things to 18mm greasable bolts, I welded in some reinforcements to the hangers.





Would you look at that? Spare swaybar endlinks from my '68 El Camino are a perfect replacement for the rusted links I had to cut off the Yoter.



Sitting a bit more level now. Hard to find definitive specs, but these "stock" springs with the longer shackle seem to be about a 2" lift.



The crusty tie rod also got upgraded to a Trail Gear tie rod with the FJ ends that Marlin sells.


« Last Edit: Jul 13, 2021, 07:53:04 PM by a1gemmel »
1981 Pickup - 37s, 5.29s, L52, dual cases 4.7 rear, e-locker front, grizzly rear, 22R stroker
1986 4Runner - 35s, 4.30s, auto, rear spool, 4" lift

a1gemmel [OP]

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Re: Project: The '81 "Yoter"
« Reply #13 on: Jul 13, 2021, 02:32:18 PM »
I'm jumping around in the timeline a little bit, but that's also how I tend to work. Too many things on the go, but all getting done... slowly. I'm going to jump back to my winch install. I decided to style this after one I saw on instagram by Dirtstar2002. I really liked how he tucked his winch under the stock bumper, so I set out to do the same.

The front frame on the '81 is much narrower than later trucks. I think it's something like 21" between the bumper mounts. For this reason, as well as weight and aesthetics, I decided to go with a small 5000lb winch.

The mount is from Trail Gear, again bought for a song and dance on craigslist (can you see a pattern here?).
It's for a fullsize winch, so I plasma cut it into three sections and welded it back together to narrow it for this application.





The lower valence had to get CHOPPED. I cut it flush with the bumper for ground clearance and that cool tire-forward look. Big fan of seeing most of the tire from the front.



This transmission jack is great for building bumpers and other extra hand fabrication needs.



Hold the bumper in place, mark it where it needs to get cut.



Plate fully welded to the frame. Also boxed the underside of the frame, didn't get a photo of that.



Winch controller plug mounted to the bumper. There's also a second controller hard-wired into the dash panel for operation from the driver seat.



Not quite flush, but pretty darn good. I have a strong dislike of winch bumpers that hurt approach angle, increase vehicle length, or otherwise sag down. No saggy diaper winch bumper here.



Looking hot.



Pulled the bumper off again to coat it with POR-15.



And now with Hella LED 500 lights and some amber-wrapped flood lights. I'll get to the wiring of those later. All the lights are wired with DT connectors so the bumper can still come off easily.

The license plate is mounted on a bit of 2" square tube into the hitch receiver. Easy to take out when offroad.

I also like to run a loop on winch cable instead of a hook. There's a few reasons why I believe it's better, but it's ultimately subjective. Nobody will be stealing that shackle unless they can overpower the winch preload.





« Last Edit: Jul 13, 2021, 07:54:33 PM by a1gemmel »
1981 Pickup - 37s, 5.29s, L52, dual cases 4.7 rear, e-locker front, grizzly rear, 22R stroker
1986 4Runner - 35s, 4.30s, auto, rear spool, 4" lift

a1gemmel [OP]

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Re: Project: The '81 "Yoter"
« Reply #14 on: Jul 13, 2021, 03:56:50 PM »
I decided to add a transfer case brake, on account of the factory e-brake being inoperable due to entropy, and parts for that being generally unavailable.

I went with the Sky's Offroad kit. Generally unimpressed with the fit and finish of the kit, but it did save me time over fabricating something from scratch.

I had to tap the rotor for the 1981 bolt pattern. Why the kit doesn't come like this, I'll never know.



The transfer case seal needed replacement anyways. Check out all that oil slung into the tunnel.



I don't like how the arm hangs down lower than the frame rails, and the angle the cable has to make to reach it. I also had to ream the hole in the bracket for the bolt to slide through.



All done. Adjusting the throw is kind of a pain, but once it's set it's all good.

« Last Edit: Jul 13, 2021, 07:55:27 PM by a1gemmel »
1981 Pickup - 37s, 5.29s, L52, dual cases 4.7 rear, e-locker front, grizzly rear, 22R stroker
1986 4Runner - 35s, 4.30s, auto, rear spool, 4" lift

a1gemmel [OP]

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Re: Project: The '81 "Yoter"
« Reply #15 on: Jul 13, 2021, 04:47:26 PM »
Whatever you do, don't call it an overlander. Sure, I want to use this truck for camping, but the last thing I want to do is get stuck out in the boonies all by myself. So the truck is getting gears and lockers.

For maximum street comfort, I snagged an Eaton Trutrac new in box on Craigslist for a significant discount. I've driven lunchboxes and clutch-types and spools on the street, and while a lunchbox is "streetable", I don't want to hear it over my Steely Dan records. Maybe a Detroit is a bit more tame? I've never personally driven one. I also didn't want a selectable locker for the rear, as I want it to "just work" for situations like snow, ice, rain, etc. I know a trutrac isn't as good as a true locker for offroad, but I'm willing to compromise here. After all, we're just going camping :)

For the front, I wanted a selectable locker. My cherokee has a lunchbox in the front, and the turn radius is a mile and a half. Again, I let Craigslist guide my hand. Eventually a factory e-locker third-member with no ring and pinion popped up for about $100 and I jumped on it.

As for gearing - after poring over excel spreadsheets and graphs for a very long time, I ultimately ordered a set of 5.29 gears. It's a lot of gear for the 31s on the truck, but I have my reasons.
  • The truck currently has the 4 speed L45. I've acquired an L52 (OVERDRIVE) to replace it.
  • I'm really building the truck around 33 to 35 inch tires. With a 33, 5th gear is 95% of the ratio of the stock 4th gear.
  • I live at 6000 feet, and regularly venture up to 10k+. This poor 22R could use the extra gearing at this altitude.
  • Eventually (many moons from now), I expect I'll get up to a 37" tire with more power to turn it. I don't want to have to regear again at that point

These are the second and third diffs I've ever built. Lots of sweaty palms.

That's a huge bearing on the e-locker. Now I understand why the setup kit is so expensive.



I had a solid spacer for the rear diff, and a classic crush sleeve for the front. I had a mishap with the front spacer, more on that later.



Not the final pattern here, but all coming together.



I'll have photos later of the installs, but to skip forward ahead a bit - the first time I took the truck out with the new diffs, I had a pretty serious problem with the front. After about 5 miles of tough trail, it started knocking around and making tons of noise. The pinion flange had come completely loose and lost its preload, about 1/4" in free-play pushing it side to side. Unlocked the hubs and drove home in 2WD.

The pinion nut had not moved - it was loktited and staked. The only thing I can think of is that the race for the outer bearing had not pressed in all the way, and when I thought I was crushing the crush sleeve I was actually pushing against this race. A few miles of hard driving and it popped in the rest of the way, taking the pinion preload with it.

I whacked the pinion nut on further with my trusty impact, checking it every 16th of a rotation for the preload drag measurement. I believe I got the crush sleeve set "correctly" this time. The backlash is also looking good. Two more drives and fluid changes and the diff isn't showing any more metal on the magnetic drain plug. I have a couple hundred miles on it and it's not making any noise, so we'll see...


« Last Edit: Jul 13, 2021, 07:56:23 PM by a1gemmel »
1981 Pickup - 37s, 5.29s, L52, dual cases 4.7 rear, e-locker front, grizzly rear, 22R stroker
1986 4Runner - 35s, 4.30s, auto, rear spool, 4" lift

emsvitil

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Re: Project: The '81 "Yoter"
« Reply #16 on: Jul 13, 2021, 04:52:34 PM »
Don't upload/link to full size images.

They take forever to load..................
Ed
SoCal
86 SR5 XtraCab
22RE  W56B
31x10.50R15

a1gemmel [OP]

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Re: Project: The '81 "Yoter"
« Reply #17 on: Jul 13, 2021, 05:00:41 PM »
Don't upload/link to full size images.

They take forever to load..................

Sorry, I'll fix that shortly.
1981 Pickup - 37s, 5.29s, L52, dual cases 4.7 rear, e-locker front, grizzly rear, 22R stroker
1986 4Runner - 35s, 4.30s, auto, rear spool, 4" lift

emsvitil

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Re: Project: The '81 "Yoter"
« Reply #18 on: Jul 13, 2021, 05:16:20 PM »
Thanks,   I only have a slow DSL line..
Ed
SoCal
86 SR5 XtraCab
22RE  W56B
31x10.50R15

a1gemmel [OP]

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Re: Project: The '81 "Yoter"
« Reply #19 on: Jul 13, 2021, 07:57:00 PM »
Ok, I got the page down to 10% of the original size. That should load better for you :)
1981 Pickup - 37s, 5.29s, L52, dual cases 4.7 rear, e-locker front, grizzly rear, 22R stroker
1986 4Runner - 35s, 4.30s, auto, rear spool, 4" lift

emsvitil

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Re: Project: The '81 "Yoter"
« Reply #20 on: Jul 13, 2021, 08:37:56 PM »
mucho faster
Ed
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86 SR5 XtraCab
22RE  W56B
31x10.50R15

a1gemmel [OP]

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Re: Project: The '81 "Yoter"
« Reply #21 on: Jul 13, 2021, 10:48:16 PM »
Installing the new third member in the rear turned out to be a real pain in the butt. Everything was so crusty that I broke the brake lines, a handful of the diff studs, and stripped a few of the backing plate studs. So "while I'm in there..." syndrome had to take over, and I ended up servicing the drum brakes with new wheel cylinders, hardware, and shoes. Plumbed new brake lines all the way from the wheel cylinders back to the master cylinder. The auto-proportioning brake valve was replaced with a manual Wilwood proportioning valve. New diff studs, and all new backing plate studs and nuts ordered from Toyota. I failed to take photos of most of this.





Also got new Rancho RS5000X shocks front and rear installed:



I found that one of the u-joints in the rear driveshaft was completely wasted. In my attempts to press it out, I irreparably damaged the companion flange and bent the end of the yoke. I had to weld the new u-joint cap in, this is fine as this driveshaft will be replaced soon enough.
I upgraded the companion flange to a later model pattern with larger bolts, since the new third member has a Yukon triple drilled flange.


1981 Pickup - 37s, 5.29s, L52, dual cases 4.7 rear, e-locker front, grizzly rear, 22R stroker
1986 4Runner - 35s, 4.30s, auto, rear spool, 4" lift

a1gemmel [OP]

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Re: Project: The '81 "Yoter"
« Reply #22 on: Jul 13, 2021, 11:01:36 PM »
Those rear leafs look pretty bad. Of course, I'm replacing them. I measured the spring rate somewhere around 800lbs/inch and the lift at ~2". I suspect that at some point the truck had a camper shell on it, based on the double overload leaves and the outriggers that were on the frame until I cut them off.
The truck rode incredibly stiff with these springs, bucking me over obstacles and giving almost no flex. I measured about 2" of travel in either direction at full flex.

Let's start with some Pro Comp 4" lift springs, they're pretty cheap. Even come with bushings!



I was hoping that the 4" would become 3" with the longbed, topper, and all the gear I keep in the back. No such luck. I chucked them in and measured more like 5" of lift.

Plan B - make a b*std pack. I took the 4 degree wedges and overload leaf off the Pro Comp pack and substituted the much smaller original overloads after cleaning them up and painting them.



Absolutely perfect. Sitting at about 3" of lift after that tweak, which sets the rear just above level.



Now lets fit some 33x10.5R15 BFG KO2 tires and 1.5" spacers, and break out the flex ramp!





Nice. Pretty happy with this arrangement. Reasonably good suspension articulation without much lift. In these photo's it's actually bottoming out the front shock, so I could go to a slightly shorter shock and get more out of it. More likely, in the future I'll go to shock hoops so I can run a much longer travel shock. Also, the swaybar is disconnected here.
1981 Pickup - 37s, 5.29s, L52, dual cases 4.7 rear, e-locker front, grizzly rear, 22R stroker
1986 4Runner - 35s, 4.30s, auto, rear spool, 4" lift

a1gemmel [OP]

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Re: Project: The '81 "Yoter"
« Reply #23 on: Jul 14, 2021, 07:55:46 AM »
Kind of amazed this junk never overheated.



New 2 core aluminum radiator (OSC 1935), new rad hoses, new thermostat. Repainted fan shroud and air prefilter.

1981 Pickup - 37s, 5.29s, L52, dual cases 4.7 rear, e-locker front, grizzly rear, 22R stroker
1986 4Runner - 35s, 4.30s, auto, rear spool, 4" lift

83Camo

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Re: Project: The '81 "Yoter"
« Reply #24 on: Jul 14, 2021, 02:22:31 PM »
Very Sweeet, Nice work !
Unrepentant Fenian/Tattooed & Employed

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Re: Project: The '81 "Yoter"
« Reply #25 on: Jul 14, 2021, 02:33:08 PM »
Are we all caught up now?
80 shortbed-22re,w56,Marlin 23 spline dual cases,HighAngle drivelines,RUF/63"chevy's,35''mtr's,30 spline Longfields, Allpro highsteer.87 rear axle,5.29 gears,rear spool,BudBuilt cm, marlin HD clutch,ramsey 8000 winch. 
     https://board.marlincrawler.com/index.php?topic=101882.0

a1gemmel [OP]

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Re: Project: The '81 "Yoter"
« Reply #26 on: Jul 14, 2021, 03:52:48 PM »
1981 Pickup - 37s, 5.29s, L52, dual cases 4.7 rear, e-locker front, grizzly rear, 22R stroker
1986 4Runner - 35s, 4.30s, auto, rear spool, 4" lift

a1gemmel [OP]

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Re: Project: The '81 "Yoter"
« Reply #27 on: Jul 14, 2021, 04:05:47 PM »
Wiring. Not very exciting, very much needed.

22 Pin delphi connector through the firewall. 22 pins sounds like a lot, but they start getting used up real quick.
Little bracket for holding an auxillary fuse/relay box. That bracket fixes to the body with rivnuts.



Box all wired from the bottom. First time I've used this product, probably won't again. It's very flexible, but obviously very time consuming to wire up.



Getting rats-nesty in here...



Took pages and pages of wiring notes. This is invaluable when running this many circuits.



Auxillary backup lights set up. These turn on when in reverse and the amber fog lights are turned on.
The hella highbeams are wired on an "arm" switch and turn on and off with the factory high beams.



I got a 3D printer recently to support my RC hobby, so I designed a little tach mount to print.





Lots of DT connectors everywhere to ensure that the harness can come apart without cutting wires. It is ever present in my mind that at some point I'll want to be able to take the cab off the frame. I've done some heinous sins in the past like running bare wires through random holes in the firewall. Never again.

1981 Pickup - 37s, 5.29s, L52, dual cases 4.7 rear, e-locker front, grizzly rear, 22R stroker
1986 4Runner - 35s, 4.30s, auto, rear spool, 4" lift

a1gemmel [OP]

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Re: Project: The '81 "Yoter"
« Reply #28 on: Jul 14, 2021, 04:16:28 PM »
Time to assume the service position again. This time, front axle rebuild and locker install.



I bought a parts washer just to de-crud the million front axle components.



The Aisin hubs get some fresh paint.



Everything does, actually.



The front housing had to be clearanced and tapped/drilled to accommodate the e-locker.



I soon learned why every tutorial shows this done with the axle pulled out on a bench. Couldn't get this tap to start on an angle with no room for a tap wrench.



Improvise, adapt, overcome. Bet you've never seen these big boy moves before. Totally worked  :shades:



Once again, had to break out my favourite brake line tool. New lines from the calipers back to the master cylinder.



Front axle done, other than setting up the E-locker controls.

1981 Pickup - 37s, 5.29s, L52, dual cases 4.7 rear, e-locker front, grizzly rear, 22R stroker
1986 4Runner - 35s, 4.30s, auto, rear spool, 4" lift

a1gemmel [OP]

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Re: Project: The '81 "Yoter"
« Reply #29 on: Jul 14, 2021, 04:18:23 PM »
One more post when I have time tonight, then I think we're caught up from October to present day.
1981 Pickup - 37s, 5.29s, L52, dual cases 4.7 rear, e-locker front, grizzly rear, 22R stroker
1986 4Runner - 35s, 4.30s, auto, rear spool, 4" lift

 
 
 
 
 

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