Topic: 84 4Runner Buildup - Last minute summer mods

[Volcom]

3/3/07

Worked on getting front axle to the point of getting the steering arms in place to work on steering on Sunday.  Let's put it this way, I freaking should know how to take apart a damn Toyota axle after this weekend.  I took off the driver side knuckle and steering arm (trunion bearings, bearing shims, felt, rubber gasket, split metal ring, and oil retention seals) about 20 times.  I had to grind the S out of the knuckle gussets to make room for the oil retention gaskets that hold the felt and stuff to the knuckle.  I started on the passenger side and it took me much less time after doing the driver side.  I also put the brake rotors on the hubs and ended up having to run to my uncle's shop to press 3 wheel studs in the hubs.  I also moved the front spring hanger AGAIN to 5/8 of an inch front of flush.


Hub and rotors almost ready to go.  Still needs new races pounded it for wheel bearings.


Front axle at end of Saturday.


Driver side knuckle and steering arm done


Not much clearance between knuckle gusset and oil retainer seals.  We ground down the gussets before putting them on the axle and it still wasn't enough.  I had to take a hand ginder to them.


View of clearance on passenger side

[Volcom [OP]]

3/4/07
Worked on finishing up passenger side knuckle and steering arm.  My dad and I also removed the one spring with the lazy shackle angle in the rear.  We swapped springs with the spare one I have and NO CHANGE.  So, we cut the top shackle hanger and moved it 5/8 of an inch forward.  Perfect shackle angle with other rear spring at 16 degrees.

We removed the rear axle and sprayed it with some semi-flat spray paint.  I also put the steering box back together and sprayed it with some paint. 

Next came getting the steering box mounted and steering arms connected to get good angle on them.  DAMN, what a PITA.  We ended up cutting some of the front radiator support out to poke the box out of the front of the truck.  Drilling 3/4 holes in the frame is always fun as well as having bolt ^%&)&)*& bolt that doesn't go through the steering box.  It was late and my daughter was being woke up from me using the air compressor and banging my BFH.  So, I'm one bolt hole away from having the front steering box mounted and frame braced and sleeved.

What a weekend.


How we ended the night.  I need to die grind one hole on the steering box.


Steering arm angles.  Damn near parallel!  I'd call it perfect 


My dad was worried about cutting this much of the front support out.  I drew out the lines with a marker and he kept asking if I was sure.  I told him it wasn't a dang show car      


Another shot of front axle.  Looks like a nice setup to me.


Passenger side shackle hanger, almost flush with rear of frame


Driver side shackle hanger, moved forward.  I was worried about the rear axle not being straight and tracking down the road correctly.  We measured a couple of different ways and we might be 1/8 of an inch off.  Not enough to get worried about.


Rear axle with some paint on it.  I ended up knocking off of the tack welded spring perches in the process of moving it.  NOTHING EVER CAN JUST WORK OUT FOR ME.  NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!


I bobbed the rear section as well   

[Volcom [OP]]

Left to do before 3/23/07 aka week long Moab trip 

Weld steering box mount to frame
Reinstall steering rod from steering wheel to PS box

Install aussies into stock 4.10 3rd members
Fully build the front axle from spindle out
Reassemble 1 more locking hub

Paint whatever didn't get painted

Install 3rd member in rear after aussie install
Hook up brake lines front and rear
Figure out rear E-brake

Install shock hoops and shocks

Measure for front and rear driveshafts
Make square front driveshaft
Order rear driveshaft

Trailer 4Runner to gpn911's house and fully weld all suspension

Install brake master cylinder
Install clutch master cylinder
Install front brakes
Install rear brakes
Bleed brake and clutch system
Bleed powersteering system

Put gear oil in t-cases, tranny, front and rear diff's
Reinstall radiator, grill, air box

Install tach
Install CB
Figure out rear seat and how to lock it down
Paint and install stock roll bar
Beef up stock gas tank skid plate with some angle iron

Blow all the grinding dust off of it
Wash it 

Test drive
Possible off-road shake down run

[Duffil]

 

better pull some late nights!

[Jud]

looks good!

[46&2]

Looking good. you are going to have to let me know how that Aussie out back works out for you. I have been thinking about getting one for my rear end since being open sucks. Nice progress man, you are almost there! 

[DTB]

  Let's put it this way, I freaking should know how to take apart a damn Toyota axle after this weekend. g shims, felt, rubber gasket, split metal ring, and oil retention seals) about 20 times.  I had to grind the S out of the knuckle gussets to make room for the oil retention gaskets that hold the felt and stuff to the knuckle. 

i just had to do the same thing PITA! i was lucky and stripped a knuckle stud pulling it apart, so i got to clean up a whole nother knuckle! YAY! looks good man! nice clean work

[Volcom [OP]]

3/5/07
My dad came over while I was at work and finished up the steering box and frame mount.  He also put the freshly painted rear axle back under the truck and install new rear brake shoes and wheel cylinders.  He also put on the 33" TSL's and 2.5" backspaced wheels I am going to run until I can afford new tires.  This rear axle is 58" wide WMS to WMS.  I'll have to measure the outside of the tire to the outside of the other tire. 

[Volcom [OP]]

Saturday 3/11/07

Super BIG thanks to Allan for coming over and helping me out with some welding and getting my motor mounts chained down to the frame!  Allan's welding skills are incredible and he saved my dad and I a ton of time!

We got the truck fully welded up.  The front spring hanger, IFS steering box mount, shock hoops and braces, motor mount chains, rear spring hangers, rear shackle hangers, and rear shock hoop.






The tall shock hoops were a PITA to get installed.  I hope they are worth it.


Allan's welds


Rear shock mount with multiple holes for adjustment

[Volcom [OP]]

3/11/07

Once again, BIG Thanks to Terry and Jim for making the trek down south.  After 9 hours of work, Terry and company produced two Toyota 3rd members geared at 5.29's.  Big thanks to Joe and Blake for helping out also.

We got the rear axle back under it, front diff was installed, and I installed Longfields.  I basically had the front end almost done minus the driver front hub and wheel bearings.  I almost met my goal of having a roller by the end of the weekend.

[Volcom [OP]]

3/12/07

My dad worked on it all day.  He got the rear 3rd installed, rear axle shafts installed, rear brake line installed, and most of the E-brake setup.

He also got the front driver hub together and on the truck.  He had it in roller status when I got home from work.  We started to work on the driver side front brake caliper and just my luck, knuckle is striped where brake caliper mounts to knuckle.  So we hunt around for parts to tap the knuckle to the next larger size bolt and we still didn't get that right.  We bought too small of a drill and tap.  Just my luck 

The wheelbase right now is 109 inches, 6 inches longer than stock.  I was shooting for 107 but I'll take the 109 anyday 

We called it a night.  But during the day, I had been reading this thread (http://board.marlincrawler.com/index.php?topic=31839.0) and saw that Loki and Lagen Wagon was having trouble with his dual case adapter popping out of gear.  It dawned on me, and later in the night, I went out and tried to shift the cases around and the rear case is popping out of gear.  DAMN IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Like Terry said, the little things are going to make or break me going to Moab.

I am glad that I caught the problem now rather than next week when it would have been too late to do anything about it.

Here's what it looked like today!

[Loki]

looking really good bro. i bet you can't wait to take it for it's test drive. I did mine yesterday

[Volcom [OP]]

looking really good bro. i bet you can't wait to take it for it's test drive. I did mine yesterday

Thanks!  I was going to say the same thing about yours in your thread

I can't wait to drive the thing.  It's been sitting in the garage for over 2 months.

[Loki]

Well mine has been in the garage since November, so believe me i know. I can only say one thing about doing it right the first time...

My roommate has an 86 K5 Blazer, he bought it for 500 bucks and it had major engine issues. He tinkered around for a few weeks on it and then decided to just get an all new engine slapped in. So he ordered a crate motor while he was waiting for that to come in, his tranny went out so he ordered a new 700r4 after he got all that together it was running okay. had some EGR issues, fixed them then he sold his DD so his blazer was his prime mover. well, his Transfer case went out. Waited 2 weeks for a new one. (all of this work he had shops do for him). Now he gets the transfer case in and it's good, but he's got a 6" lift and some rims/tires he bought off of lagen. Well he was in such a rush to get it done so he could take it to tahoe for a week. there were tons of problems with the lift, and after he sorted some of that out, he slapped on the rims/tires, and on his way home, his front right tire started to wobble really bad. he had the wrong lug nuts from kragen which he knew and he didn't get the nuts all the way down and it sheered off a couple of studs. he was stuck. and had to get it towed back a 4th time. i could add in all the rest, but you get the picture.

It's better to have it in the garage an extra week or month than to find out you overlooked something later on and have to spend even more time/money repairing it and doing it righ.

that's my 2 copper pieces

[Volcom [OP]]

I agree with you about getting it done right the first time.  I think everything has been done correctly minus the dual cases    If I would have read the instructions better, I would have been done right the first time.

I actually need to take this trip for sanity reasons.  I haven't been on a vacation in a year and a half.  I'm going crazy and need to get away for a week.  I just found out that my wife filled out her W-4 form wrong when our daughter was born (she's almost 2) and I've got a ton of taxes I owe to the Feds. 

[Loki]

sorry to hear that. i'm actually on time off right now. i took a week for the same reasons

[Volcom [OP]]

Well Loki, I hate to say this but with you and Lagen having trouble with his case and you posting it up on here, you might have just saved my Moab trip.  My dad just got the cases out and sure enough, the front case shift rod pops the rear case out of gear.

Thanks Loki for posting that thread     

[Fearofrunner]

I dont think tire clearance is an issue for you Volcom



 nice rig dude that thing has come along way from when you started and in a short amount of time, you need to change your sig to the slowest 4runner build up to FEAROFRUNNERS inspiration.  Rock on with the 1984's!!!

[Volcom [OP]]

I dont think tire clearance is an issue for you Volcom

 nice rig dude that thing has come along way from when you started and in a short amount of time, you need to change your sig to the slowest 4runner build up to FEAROFRUNNERS inspiration.  Rock on with the 1984's!!!

I bet once I get some 36" Iroks, they will kiss the front fenders.  Out comes the sawzall and BFH, my two favorite tools

Thanks for the inspiration!  I will have to change my title now that I've finally got some stuff done to it.

[Loki]

Well Loki, I hate to say this but with you and Lagen having trouble with his case and you posting it up on here, you might have just saved my Moab trip.  My dad just got the cases out and sure enough, the front case shift rod pops the rear case out of gear.

Thanks Loki for posting that thread    

Well Big Mike said it was in the Transfer Case Bible on the website, but they should really put something like that in the sale portion, When i read "Complete Ready-To-Run Reduction unit" No dissasebly assembly of TCase required I think take down the tcase bolt the reduction unit up, and it's "Ready to Run" i know now. Marlin taught Lagen and I a lot in the short 2 hours he was here. I'm glad you learned something from our experience before you took that to the trails with the rails making contact. I'm about to do mine now. i have to do the same thing...this is all you have to do.
Click to enlarge

Cover the counter shavt and coupler bearings with a shop rag (Marlin tucked it behind the snap-rings) to prevent metal shavings from going into the bearings/case and with a high powered cutoff whell, get to crackin. Make sure you shift it into hi. it should be about 1/2" to cut off.

Good luck. I'll post some pics later today, because i'll be doing this.

[Volcom [OP]]

I just talked to my dad.  T-cases are back under the truck.  He said they shift nice and no more popping out of gear.  Thanks a bunch dad!

He's also putting some 12mm helicoils in the stripped knuckles to mount the brake calipers.

[blackdiamond]

If you're cutting the shift rails on the rear t-case, then the reduction unit IS ready to run.  I would agree that an installation note would be helpful.

[Matty]

If you're cutting the shift rails on the rear t-case, then the reduction unit IS ready to run.  I would agree that an installation note would be helpful.

i thought there was a note somewhere??  i read it somewhere before i installed mine to make sure i did.

[chim]

i thought there was a note somewhere??  i read it somewhere before i installed mine to make sure i did.

It was there on mine.. I just failed to turn to the last page, so had to pull it back out and do the same thing Doh!

[blackdiamond]

It was there on mine.. I just failed to turn to the last page, so had to pull it back out and do the same thing Doh!

Greetings Chim!  Long time no converse.   

[Loki]

there were no instructions with the adapter Lagen got, and when i went to the sale site to look them up, for some reason it sent me to the "Bad Link" page, so I know now, and glad your case is shifting good. i'm about to cut my rail right now and install my crawl box, and then make some more drive shafts.

[Volcom [OP]]

I just dropped off an IFS front driveshaft that is CV'ed along with my stock rear driveshaft to get retubed to .120 wall with the CV installed.  I should get it Friday and hopefully make my first test drive Saturday 

I will build a square front this Saturday as well and hopefully take the new 5.29's on their initial break in drives.

[superyota]

awsome work.  you should have lots of fun taking it to moab.  i like the way you moved the front axle way up there.

[Volcom [OP]]

awsome work.  you should have lots of fun taking it to moab.  i like the way you moved the front axle way up there.

I'll probably have to move the axle further up once I decide to run some 39.5 Iroks later on down the line

[Matty]

how far forward from stock is the axle right now?