Project Beast

[Captain J]

not a lot has been done since I last posted. but here is the run down.
pulled all the carpet, and duplicolor bedlined the whole interior, also rocker panels and fender flares.
then re installed seats. I also took the topper off, I also installed my tube doors.

then I took it out to play a little......

man I love having a trail toy that is not my daily driver.

[topar]

  Nice runner.

[speedemon]

man I love having a trail toy that is not my daily driver.

i.i. cap'n

[79coyotefrg]

    you might as well put outriggers on that thing 

[79coyotefrg]

[Captain J]

just wanted to resurect this build up thread, it has been 9 months of building, rebuilding, breaking, buying, selling, cussing, more building, waiting, trading, more buying, more cussing, more buying, more buying and also more buying, But it is finally getting close to being ready for trail duty again.

I will get pics up next time I am off the boat, but so far here is what has taken place over the last 9 months to acomplish a rebirth so to speak.

started on the engine, I knew it needed valve seals so I started there, then I dropped a valve and broke another so off to the machine shop.
Cleaned, multi angle valve job and new seals.
next was remove the smitty built bumpers ( free to a good home just pay shipping)
I sold the boggers but bought them back.
I took off the hard top and bought a soft top kit. Installed the MC tube doors, bought the spool and new 5.29's for the rear 3rd. (Thank you to GLen for assembleing these with a case also)bought a new lockright for the front ( spool and lockright to be installed soon)
bought a turn signal/headlight control, bought two new corner lights, bought an IFS steering pump and Hi steer set up.
tomorrow I will be getting a new Brake master cylinder.
I got a set of skyjacker 5" lift springs ( used so they are setttled to 4") to replace unknown lift springs. As stated before, I got the Ford f250 shock towers and used 14" bilstien5150s for the front, need something for the rear shocks still.
I also installed a new stock size radiator, but thinking of changing it for a v6 one or a Koyo Lightwieght racing style with electric fans, maybe mount it on the rear roll bar behind the passengers.

also I gave it an impromtu rattle can paint job, though that should be changing soon to fullout dessert camo, I think.
As of now, it is running again with no smoke and the front/rear bumpers and sliders along with fenders and exo are being designed and fabbed.

I hope to have it ready before the end of the year, cause man I am jonesing for a wheeling trip.

[Captain J]

bought some more stuff today.
I got a IFS steering box mount, a front axle knuckle ball kit and an upgraded brake master cylinder.
man I will be busy once I get off the boat this time.

[79coyotefrg]

[Captain J]

well, all the parts have arrived, I just need to get off this boat and get to installing this stuff.

[Captain J]

a little update, unfortunatly, I forgot to charge the batteries in the camera so no pics this time, but anyways....
yesterday I got a few things done in the Beast..

swapped the rear 3rd with new one. The old one had been welded and both the ring gear and the pinioon had several stress cracks. The new one however has brand new gears and a spool.

After that, I started to remove the old springs, got all but one bolt out, the front spring perch bolt on the drivers side, that thing must be glued in there cause I have beat on it with a bfh and not budged it, I guess next might be the cut the head off and drive the other direction.

while getting the new springs ready to go in, I found out the new bushings are thicker that the space in my shakles, so I guess I will be taken the shakes off to heat them and bend them if I can, or get another set. I need about 1/4 in more space.

after the u-bolts being so tight, I was pretty much worn out for the day and decided to try to just leave the suspension for another day and tackle the rear brakes......damn, I wish I had a camera to show u how much mud and gunk was inside the drum.   And on top of that, I don't know thw first think about drum brakes, so I am learning as I go.

well, all for now, I will got some pics up tomorrow I hope

[79coyotefrg]

[95toyrunner]

whats up? where are the pics!?

[Captain J]

sorry, my camera was sitting on the charger base but had no batteries in it, doh!!!
so now that it is fixed, I am back offshore, so I will just finish the story with what else I did.

I got that bolt out, the bolt was rust welded to the sleeve inside the spring bushing.  So we had to beat and twist the spring until the bolt popped out of the spring perch. then got new bolts in the fronts and managed to force the shackles on the rear with a little patience and a lot of force. So for now it is sitting back on the tires, though I still have the brakes to figure out.
I am debating on loading the 4runr on a trailer and taking it to a brake place to get it done right. Also installed the new MC master brake cylinder, one problem though, it has a different plug for the fluid sensor that the old one so i guess I will be finding a plug and wiring something to work.


on a side note, Glenn, if you still want to lmd slip, I plan to get it swapped out next trip home in whatever time I can manage around Thanksgiving festivities.
I think I can get a stock one here from a friend so I plan to send this lmd slip to you if you can send back a stock carrier to replace the one I am getting from my friend's stock pile of parts.

[79coyotefrg]

[rebelKrawler83]

sick runner man get more pics i wanna see :hello:

[Captain J]

I will have the camera ready this time, next trip home is slated to do the front axle, at least dissassemble johnny 5.

we shall see what gets done, unfortunatly, the guy who owns the shop where it is located works for Nasa and has to travel evrytime the shuttle lauches, and when he is home, he works nights so getting time is difficult.  But I have been promised to work on the front axle next time home.

[Captain J]

got the beast back home from my friend's place, where it has been for the last 6 months waisting time.

Now it is in my driveway and if it wasn't  storming it's a$$ off, I would get some pics. sooooooo, before we take off tomorrow for the family get together and   take pics

[79coyotefrg]

gotta love them boggers

[Captain J]

well, I think that if I had the boggers on there when we were at Gilmer that time I would have made it up that trail. well a better chance of it anyways.

I got the rear brakes finished except for bleeding, too darn cold out there for me. Once my fingers go numb, it is time for me to quit.

I still need to put the hard line for the front brakes onto the master cylinder and then fluid and bleed the system.

after that, a new head light and some temp mirrors an dI will try to get it inspected...

[Captain J]

well, Project Beast is on hold again.  I went to install the new master cylinder kit and found the threads on the front port are no good. I am going to send it back hopefully for an exchange so I am  in hopes that I can get another new one to work with. if not, then I will be trying something different. 
Maybe try a 1ton kit I heard about through Tacozilla

[79coyotefrg]

hey Jeff,  when you talk to Shannon again   ask him  if he can  make me a moderator  of my Arkansas  chapter    i got threads  i need to weed out

[Captain J]

Its Alive......

I started it for the first real time with no leaks or gas spraying everywhere and she ran good at idle for 10 minutes

first time since Feb 07

[Captain J]

ok, so I got to tear into the front axle the other day, and took some much overdue pictures.
so here is what I have is where I started



and here is where I ended




I mentiond in another thread ( titled Frame reinforcement on txttora) regarding some cracks that will need to be repaired before I can move on.




now to the main part of this thread, the axle stuff
I took it apart because I thought I had ( based on the opinion of both Marlin and Glen ((aka 79coyotefrg)) that when at jambo last year when my POS would not climb out of the trial, that I had a worn out limited slip or possibly a busted Birfield joint.

well, after taking the thing apart, I discoverd some truth in thier diagnosis as well as some more.

the 3rd houses a Detroit locker so thats kinda cool if it will work.
the problem there is that the gear lube had gotten wet and basically turned to Axle grease gunk or whatever you want to call it, which possibly was causing the detroit to not engage or somehow not work properly.

my second thing is that I did have a broken ( or disslocated) Birf on the passenger side. so that will need to be repaired/replaced, and on the drivers side, I found the manual hub was broken.

So to sum it up, the detroit might be working ok, but it had grease and not gear oil to work in and the messed up birf and messed up hub.... so there is plenty of reasons why the front was not working when offroad.....
here are a few pics of this stuff still greasy so I will get them cleaned next time home.

[Captain J]

we got a little more done yesterday, Got the knuckle ball kit welded up and ready.

I will be sand blasting and painting Monday so
I will take several pics then.

then it is just a matter of reassembly

[Captain J]

storm came out of nowhere, so I had to postpone the sand blasting till tuesday. Got just the axle tube done and painted and sitting under the 4runr on jackstands. Now back on the boat for 2 weeks, then next time home I will get the knuckles cleaned up and start reassembly.
I ordered a u-bolt flip kit for the front, and also new bump stops,and rear shock mounts. Now that I have a working welding maching and know how to use it I can get some more done.

we got the gas connected to the mig so now I can get the more important welding done like fixing the frame and getting the sliders and shock towers mounted.

I promise pics next time.

[Captain J]

just a few more days till I get home, got two boxes of parts sitting in the garage...
u-bolt flip, bump stops, rear shock mounts, and also a spare birf and lockout hub.

tick tock, counting down till 5 days to go

[79coyotefrg]

[toyotanner]

sweet runner man. i was scared for awhile you were gonna keep those smitty built bumpers but all is well now lol.

[DTB]

I love cleaning up 20 year old axles fun stuff!

[79coyotefrg]

what   filled  those things with grease