BigMike's Big Project

[83yota]

nice

[builttoabuse]

I decided not to do it, and instead I removed a leaf from the front pack and installed shorter shackles. My truck is a good 2-inches shorter than it was when I originally built it.

Here are pictures from 3 days ago at the Mountain Transit Authority's Mud'N'Yer Eye Frolic in Hollister, CA:









My truck is REALLY working great. It goes anywhere I point it, I really like how I've got it set up. Only a few small tweaks remaining and it'll pretty much be done. Wow, did I just say that?

so clean love it!

[BigMike]

Thanks man!!

[DaveS]

Im a toyota noob..But I just got an 84 with a marlin doubler, twin sticks, and the rear crawler gear..Im in love. After hours on youtube I watched basically all of yours, marlins, and a few others from Marlin Crawlers videos....You guys obviously build quality stuff.

I havent had the opportunity to wheel it yet..but have a trip planned next weekend..

All my jeep buds have been talking smack, and ive heard that all my truck is is an old junker..im sure they will change their opinions soon. Ill post up my build thread later, maybe you can make some suggestions as to where I should go from my current point.

BTW...your truck is bad ass..enough said.

[Royota]

All my jeep buds have been talking smack, and ive heard that all my truck is is an old junker..im sure they will change their opinions soon.

Just tell them their jeep is ADORABLE its just like Barbies! Then tow them out of the ditch and show them how to fix their bolt-on Chrysler poser ride haha

soooooo many things wrong with Jeeps. Bigmike has one of two of the nicest 1st gens I've ever seen (guess who has the other) and you can't bolt together a Toyota from junk you buy off Quadratec. So it shows you have the heart to.have a real mans Crawler. Jeeps are for people with small "output shafts" hahaha

[suprawheeler]

I am not critisizing one bit, but I think Toyota has more bolt together parts with out a catalog than jeep. I think it is a good thing, like Fj60 rotors+ifs calipers=better that stock.

[BigMike]

Happy 10-year Anniversary to my uber reliable and hardworking Hilux!

[Goldrush]

Congrats bro! Now if only it had 2 more doors!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Nation]

Nice Pic!

[BigMike]

Congrats bro! Now if only it had 2 more doors!

It has 2 more doors, they were both in the back of the Tundra waiting for me

Nice Pic!

Thanks Nation!


In 10 years of a lot of highway and wheel'n miles, I have broke my frame at my power steering box (before there was such a thing as "HD box mount kits"), broke a prototype pivot-block, broke a side tube of a custom crossmember, and lost 1 head gasket because I could never get the TRD Supercharger tuned. That is the full list of let downs out of 10 years. Have yet to break a Birfield and I have now over 10 years on the Triple Ultimate Marlin Crawler t/case system and I've yet to inspect them since the day I built em.

Build it right the first time, Enjoy a lifetime of trouble free wheeling everyone!

Regards,
BigMike


Edit: Just looked up my mileage and I've put on 54,150 miles. It was my daily driver from 2004 through 2010. It has never been on a trailer since I've owned it

[twistedtoy92]

Outstanding! You sir have a very cherry 1st gen

[boomtacoma01]

Congrats Mike.

[BigMike]

Thanks guys! I'll be taking her back to Dusy/Ershim on the 18th!

Regards,
BigMike

[R.DesJardin]

Mike you really do have a nice looking 1st Gen. Probably the second coolest one I've seen and no I don't mean your dad's. 

[BigMike]

The cleanest 1st Gen I've ever seen used to be Greg Olsen's with a 3RZ-FE swap, but now it is Bob Davidson's with a 22R-E swap:

[81 shortbed]

that is sweet !

[BigMike]

that is sweet !

It could be sooo much more if it only had headlights

[81 shortbed]

I think we can agree that 1981 produced the coolest Toyotas of all time, however If I had the chance to own that truck I could look past the square headlights.

[BigMike]

1981 produced the coolest Toyotas of all time

More honest words have never been submitted to the world wide web.

[Kobier]

That is an awesome truck.  I'm new to this but have an '85, and was wondering what kind of lifetime I would get using a crawler, and from this thread I can see the answer isn't about the truck but the build quality.

[slacker]

I think we can agree that 1981 produced the coolest Toyotas of all time, however If I had the chance to own that truck I could look past the square headlights.

don't you know , square is the new cool these days !!

[81 shortbed]

Don't be a square, man!

[BigMike]

That is an awesome truck.  I'm new to this but have an '85, and was wondering what kind of lifetime I would get using a crawler, and from this thread I can see the answer isn't about the truck but the build quality.

The intelligence level of this thread is increasing by the post. What '85 do you have? XtraCab? 4Runner? EFI? Last of the live axle frame, it's a great year for sure.

Recipe to a long lasting Rock Crawler:
1. Build it right the first time.

2. Perform this standard torque-checklist about once a month (only takes a few mins):
a. All eight knuckle stud nuts: 70 lb-ft.
b. U-bolt nuts: 90 lb-ft in a criss-cross pattern.
c. Hub stud nuts: Ensure they are snugged down by hand with a box wrench (difficult to get a torque wrench in there, but it's 18 lb-ft per nut)
d. Hub dial cap bolts: 90 inch pounds (or 7.5 lb-ft)
e. Wheel lug nuts: 70 lb-ft (steel rims) or 80 lb-ft (aluminum wheels). If you have wheel spacers, then check their nuts every time you rotate your tires (few times per year).
f. Drive line flange nuts: 54 lb-ft

3. No doing burn-outs and no jumping. It goes without saying to not abuse the skinny pedal.

don't you know , square is the new cool these days !!

I've never seen square breasts, that's all I'm say'n.

Regards,
BigMike

[twistedtoy92]

I've never seen square breasts, that's all I'm say'n. -BigMike

Oh that is great BigMike, I just about spit my cold beer out! 

[toyodaaddict]

If I met a square boobed lady with a toyota that nice, It would be wierd but I think I could get used to it 

[toyodaaddict]

BigMike, have you got any good interior pics of that hotrod of yours? Ive never seen any.

[dropzone]

Mike-
where did you find those vents on your hood?

[CrazyYota]

Mike-
where did you find those vents on your hood?

chrysler lebaron I think 85-86

[Nation]

I do burn outs all of the time 

[BigMike]

BigMike, have you got any good interior pics of that hotrod of yours? Ive never seen any.

Hmmmm not really many good interior pics. Did some dash work here, removed carpet here, hmmmm......

Mike-
where did you find those vents on your hood?

Originally discussed here and here, installed here.

Regards,
BigMike