DARWIN AWARD-1st gen RE-build-3/17/06

[6.72:1]

I live in the northern bay area and 1st gen toyotas are cheap and everywhere. Most are beatup but running great and rust free.  So thats usally why the "misguided" buy them.

I live in the south and I have been called a few things before with my truck...don't know if it was just because of me or my driving style...haha.

Oh, and I am certainly "misguided."

[Chad_Romine]

Well i finally finished up all the rear spring hanger bracing. I think iv added 80lbs of steel.  . Put the bed back on hopefully for the last time.

Things i still need to do before sunday.

- drop dual trannys and RTV them and shave adapter edges a bit.
- Finish welding and grinding the bed.  I absolutly hate body work after this project.
- Finish cutting some junk off the front axle
- Hook my triple battery setup in the bed.
- Hook all the gas lines back up. ( All plumbed to the bed but still have air in the lines )
- Blead brakes and clutch.

Not too bad at all. i usally put in a few hours after work everyday so i should have this done by no later than thursday.

I plan on going to my buddies Bobs place this weekend. You can find pictures at www.Mixchallenge.info
Its only 10 miles from my house so if something breaks its not to far from home.

Ill post pics of my rear spring hangers, pandhard bar and some others when i get to work in the morning.

[DTB]

- Hook my triple battery setup in the bed.

why this? why triple?

[Chad_Romine]

I know its wayy overkill but its a "cause i can" type thing. The plastic box that im putting my batteries in can fit 3-4 batteries. I dont want to have all that extra room but i cant put anything else in it so i figured id throw another battery in and just have a bit of extra juice.

Iv yet to run all the electrical for my Headlights, rocklights, front and rear winches but im sure down the road having that extra umpff will come in handy.

Iv never heard any problems about running 3 batteries in a series but has anybody else?

[DTB]

Iv never heard any problems about running 3 batteries in a series but has anybody else?

dont think thats a problem or have a switch between them. i would just be concerned with extra weight...it adds up ya know.

[Chad_Romine]

Yeah i was also thinking about running the dual batteries than having the other on a switch as a backup. Iv never seen wiring for that but it shouldnt be to hard to figure out.

As far as weight goes im not concerned at this moment in time. I would like my rear to sit another 1" or 2" lower so if i could add another 100 lbs in tools, gear, spare parts it wont be a bad thing.

I put my gas tank on the passenger side of my bed because with me sitting in the drivers seat my truck has a pretty noticeable lean. Hopefully the full gas tank will offset this a bit.

[6.72:1]

I put my gas tank on the passenger side of my bed because with me sitting in the drivers seat my truck has a pretty noticeable lean. Hopefully the full gas tank will offset this a bit.

Haha...very logical!

I think three batteries would be cool. I certainly have not seen anyone do it!

Keep us updated and thanks for the comments again on my build-up....

[Chad_Romine]

Heres a shot of me maxing out my highlift in the garage. I wanted to see how the panhard bar reacts to "flex".


Rear spring hangers done.


Rear shackle hanger done.


Crap i forgot the picture of my panhard bar. But heres a shot of my sideyard where the rock pile is going. 

[Chad_Romine]

Heres is a shot of the front when i was using the high lift.


Iv never welded exhaust before but im really confortable with my mig so i went for it. How does it look?


Just so everybody knows im not rich. Im 20 years old married with a 7 month old son. I work on my rig by my self all the time. I rarley have help so when i have to pull the bed off its not a fun event haha. Im 6'1 eat healthy and in great shape but gosh darn.. nothin takes the fun out of a day like menuvering a bed when its 40 degrees out.

[Chad_Romine]

My  batteries where going dead so thats why the shots are blurry. I dont even know what happend to my sreight on shot of my panhard bar 

Any comments or advice is greatly appreciated. 

[Gittinit]

Inboard springs    Those spring hangers look strong, but did you plate the frame where you mounted them? If not at least try to brace hem at another plane. (triangulation) That exhaust welding looks 10x better than mine. I can't weld exhaust for nothing!

[Chad_Romine]

Inboard springs   Those spring hangers look strong, but did you plate the frame where you mounted them? If not at least try to brace hem at another plane. (triangulation) That exhaust welding looks 10x better than mine. I can't weld exhaust for nothing!

I thought about bracing the frame with plate but thought it would be plenty strong enough if i add braces on both sides. If you look close in the pic i have the front of the spring hanger braced with an L shape piece. I was going to go with the / angle piece but i had scraps laying around so i decided to use what i had and also didnt want to wake my one neighbor by pulling out the chop saw. haha

[alwayzbroken]

What is your front suspension and steering set up that allowed to mount the front axle so far forward? Looks like it flexes great.

[Chad_Romine]

Its 3 mixed up packs of toy rears. I think 6 leafs each.

As for stearing just the basic ifs box with dom links with fj80 ends.

I moved the box to just about the end of the frame. I plated the crap out of it and added a crossmember between the frame up front just in case. Ill snap some pics tonight.

[Chad_Romine]

Can somebody do me a favor and check one of their service manuels and tell me what fuel line goes to what. I marked it with elect. tape but it fell off so now im kinda at a loss of which one goes to what part of the gas tank.

If you have a schemadic in front of you just look if its the passenger  or drivers side line that goes to what part of the gas tank. Thanks everybody.

[Gittinit]

 It looks like its gonna flex pretty good.

[Chad_Romine]

It looks like its gonna flex pretty good.

If you look in the pic my highlift is maxed out and my rear chevys havent even started to flatten out. Im hopeing it is all "usable" flex but we will see.

[Chad_Romine]

Anybody else here rock Marlin at work?

[Chad_Romine]

Heres a pic of my Panhard bar / bumpstop. Still need to cut off that dang axle mount.



Here is a shot of the tabs on the pumpkin. They look a little spread out on top but they seem parrellel.



Here is another shot of my Panhard bar mount / bumpstop.



And heres one of how far forward i moved me box. Notice that my bumper wraps the box.

[alwayzbroken]

Anybody else here rock Marlin at work?

Are you a civil CAD jockey or what? Not too many people pimp the Survey mags.

[Cheesemaker]

Make sure you wire your batteries in parrallel, not series!  Hopefully, this is what you meant!! 

[Chad_Romine]

Are you a civil CAD jockey or what? Not too many people pimp the Survey mags.

Im a land surveyor. Im in the field 7.5 hours out of 8. exept when its raining i draft and do calculations.

[Chad_Romine]

Make sure you wire your batteries in parrallel, not series!  Hopefully, this is what you meant!! 

Im really a newb when it comes to wiring. Do you have any links that would have detail to this or could you please explain.

[Cheesemaker]

http://www.otherpower.com/otherpower_battery_wiring.html

The first two examples are what I'm talking about! 

[Chad_Romine]

http://www.otherpower.com/otherpower_battery_wiring.html

The first two examples are what I'm talking about! 

Ok i ment parrellel. haha

Thank you for the link.

[Chad_Romine]

Somebody should buy my 2nd gen 1990 sr5 4 runner. Very clean. My 1st gen wants some 60s. 

[alwayzbroken]

Im a land surveyor. Im in the field 7.5 hours out of 8. exept when its raining i draft and do calculations.

A land surveyor? Not at the age of twenty. Don't you have to have a geography or similar 4 year degree then have X ammount of years in the field surveying and as an LSIT? And your only twenty? Please explain.

[Chad_Romine]

I work for a small Civil enginerring and land survey company. Theres about 10 of us and only 3 (including me) are surveyors. haha

Besides the 2 boss iv been at the company the second longest. Even though im the "assistant crew chief" (because the cant leagally call me one because i havent been doing it for 5 years) I upload all the data, get to the jobsite transfer everything. I have all the responsibilitys as a crewchief but i just dont get paid that much. 

Oh yeah and i should be hiring somebody to train this winter time so if anybody is close to vacaville and is intrested let me know.

[Chad_Romine]

Well i think i blew up my trannys today. 

So i sold it and got a full comp buggy. 

[boggerunner]

huh?  got any pics?