BigMike's "Return of the Project" [Updated 7/11]

[builttoabuse]

sweet build man im in love

[builttoabuse]

I had your wife get it from your garage for me


jmsdad was the first to spy it on reply #7, so here it comes!



I went with the width of a FJ80 axle

did  you use fj knuckles balls or mini truck?

[John Doe]

He is still running mini truck outers.

[builttoabuse]

He is still running mini truck outers.

how about axle shafts?

[John Doe]

They are mini truck as well, just custom length.

[builttoabuse]

They are mini truck as well, just custom length.

nice it looks like a prettty clean rig

[BigMike]

nice it looks like a prettty clean rig

Hello socaltoy and thanks! John Doe is correct, I had my Diamond Axle built using stock 1979-85 outers, the inner shafts are chromoly axles made by Moser, and I am running 27-spline chromoly birfields. I didn't go with 30-spline axles because they are unnecessary for people who know how not to wheel. Oooooo BURN! ha ha!

BigMike

[BigMike]

any info on that beast?

This rig belongs to our bumper fabricator. It is a front & rear 4-linked Turbocharged 22R-E quad cab project that is running, and I am not joking, FOUR Marlin Crawler billet MC08 Crawl Boxes, one transfer case, with FOUR Marlin Crawler Competition 4.70:1 gear sets and one stock 2.28:1. With his rebuilt H.D. Marlin Crawler Turbo transmission and 5.29:1 gearing, he has a cool 25,366:1 Crawl Ratio. It's mostly together but he has some more body and engine work before its ready to wheel. His goal was to build a truck lower than Marlin's and have the new title of having the lowest geared Toyota Rock Crawler in the world, which is currently held by Marlin at 2,158:1, and he will blow this record out of the water if he can ever get it finished.

BigMike

[Phazertwo]

Your running a Taco rear axle right?  Are you running spacers on the rear to match the front width?

PZ

[BigMike]

Your running a Taco rear axle right?  Are you running spacers on the rear to match the front width?

PZ

Yes, I am running an early style Tacoma rear axle, which should be 60" wide. I do happen to have spacers, but they are only 1/4" thick, yes, one quarter inch. I did this for two reasons: 1) Align my Turtle stickers (at my axle center) with the face of each wheel mounting surface, and 2) I got them for free so whynot.

Regarding matching the front width, actually I have intentionally built the truck to have an un-matched width: My front end is about three inches wider on each side. The reasoning for this is that when you turn a corner, the rear tires follow a smaller corner radius than the front. So by having a wider front track, I am able to hug a rock through a corner with my front tire and have my rear tire also hug the rock instead of being positioned to interfere with the rock.

I had the Diamond Axle built to a FJ80 width, 63.5". I soon realized this was not enough of an offset so I am running 1.25" wheel spacers up front resulting in 66". Compared to the 60.5" rear (60.0" Taco + 0.25" spacer + 0.25" spacer), the 5.5" offset seems just about perfect for my aggressive cornering radius: The rear tires following nearly the identical line as the front at full steering lock.

To achieve this offset with my stock front axle and IFS rear end, I'd need 4.25" wheel spacers on each side which is far from ideal.

BigMike

[BigMike]

I believe I heard that you were going to be installing a new rear disc kit on your truck, any luck with that?

Sorry, I don't have any pics

FOUND A PIC!

[Phazertwo]

Do you have a pic looking straight at the front of your truck.  Trying to get an idea how wide 66" is....

Thanks
PZ

[builttoabuse]

Hello socaltoy and thanks! John Doe is correct, I had my Diamond Axle built using stock 1979-85 outers, the inner shafts are chromoly axles made by Moser, and I am running 27-spline chromoly birfields. I didn't go with 30-spline axles because they are unnecessary for people who know how not to wheel. Oooooo BURN! ha ha!

BigMike

lol being alone in the office yesterday i was talking to you about getting the trans from you but didnt have the same model trans.

[theslayer85]

way cool build.  just came across this.  I have always liked the 1st gen toyota trucks. 

[theslayer85]

This rig belongs to our bumper fabricator. It is a front & rear 4-linked Turbocharged 22R-E quad cab project that is running, and I am not joking, FOUR Marlin Crawler billet MC08 Crawl Boxes, one transfer case, with FOUR Marlin Crawler Competition 4.70:1 gear sets and one stock 2.28:1. With his rebuilt H.D. Marlin Crawler Turbo transmission and 5.29:1 gearing, he has a cool 25,366:1 Crawl Ratio. It's mostly together but he has some more body and engine work before its ready to wheel. His goal was to build a truck lower than Marlin's and have the new title of having the lowest geared Toyota Rock Crawler in the world, which is currently held by Marlin at 2,158:1, and he will blow this record out of the water if he can ever get it finished.

BigMike

That right there is straight up insanity.  how in the world would you even reach the 5th shifter?  I like it though.  does he have a build thread?

[x250f23x]

That right there is straight up insanity.  how in the world would you even reach the 5th shifter?  I like it though.  does he have a build thread?

We have ways of making you shift.. in your pants

[Toy-Cra-Ze]

Is marlin still tuning toyota pickup axle up front?

[Cheesemaker]

Marlin is still running a stock housing.