Topic: Cheap tricks: 22r, 1981 4x4

[H8PVMNT]

I picked up what's left of an '81 Trailblazer for $100.  It runs a little rough but the drivetrain is in good working order.  The kid who had it before me even rebuilt the carb and it runs pretty good at all angles!  Unfortunately he had it for a tough truck so the front end is cambered out pretty bad from airing the poor thing out.  I tuned it up and got it to quit overheating at low speed this week.  I put some 34" TSLs I already had on homemade beadlocks on it, which was a considerable improvement over the worn out 35s it came with.  I already have a nice SASed, Marlin equiped '94 waiting for enough garage space to finish the 3RZ swap, so I don't want to put to much into this beater.

The goal of this truck is to prove to all my buddies that I can setup a decently competitive truck for a 4x4 trials we are putting on in October for less than $500.  I don't expect it to win or decimate all other entries, just be really capable on the cheap.  I plan to make a shackle lift, some goofy leaves, weld the diffs and maybe add a handthrottle.  Aside from that add some longer shocks if I can find some used cheap or free.  I also plan to make some good sliders to pivot off of boulders with.  I think I have enough scrap laying around for a high clearance skid plate.

Do you guys have any other really cheap or free tricks to make this thing work better?

[img width= height= alt=$100 beater Toyota 4x4]http://www.celicatech.com/gallery/files/7/2/0/1/100_2660.JPG[/img]

[img width= height= alt=$100 beater Toyota 4x4]http://www.celicatech.com/gallery/files/7/2/0/1/100_2661.JPG[/img]

[img width= height= alt=$100 beater Toyota 4x4]http://www.celicatech.com/gallery/files/7/2/0/1/100_2662.JPG[/img]

[KDXSR5]

If you are just going to beat the crap out of it once and it will never see street use, I would suggest welding front and rear axles, flatbelly it, full underbody skid plate, build some sliders for it, and build a cage for it (safety is #1). I would also suggest pulling the front axle apart and seeing if the birfs are toast. If the axle is bent that bad, you might want to just source a different front axle. Chain down the motor mounts in case they break. Fix any frame rot around the gas tank area to keep the frame from buckling, if there is any. Keep it as low as possible so it is more stable. Aside from that, I dunno what else to suggest besides have fun!

[Toymin8r]

 

[tech201]

Move the gas tank cheap and easy and its nice to have a tank with no holes in the bottom

[jimbo74]

for $100, jsut drive it till it blows up......

[BLACKDOG]

for $100, jsut drive it till it blows up......

did you read what he wanted to do




You've covered a lot of it. 

Are you counting what you have (steel, spare parts laying around) in the cost, or just stuff you have to buy?  I don't know how much you have laying around, but trading is always good  

[H8PVMNT [OP]]

did you read what he wanted to do




You've covered a lot of it. 

Are you counting what you have (steel, spare parts laying around) in the cost, or just stuff you have to buy?  I don't know how much you have laying around, but trading is always good  

I know using the swampers is probably already cheating, since they cost more than 500, but I am trying to be resourceful with whatever I have laying around. It did come with 35's anyway, which would have worked.  I am mainly paying attention to the stuff I have to buy with money.  I figure the $500 is still a realistic amount for most guys since everybody has a few old parts laying around or at least a few good buddies with old free stuff.  I'm trying to get as much used stuff as I can to keep it cheap.  I will have to buy some steel for sliders, bumpers etc.  No big deal.  I do have a welder, plasma cutter and even a tube bender which will help.

I was also thinking of bobbing the bed since that is esentially free and it would really help on the rear breakover angle.

Does anybody have some old 1 1/2-2" lift shocks to go with the shackle lift?

[KDXSR5]

or just pull the bed off all together. If you do put a new axle under it, I would strongly suggest knuckle ball gussets.

[toyotanner]

if your looking for some good flex throw some f-150 springs in the rear i personally do not run them but i know people who do and they flex for days...

[H8PVMNT [OP]]

or just pull the bed off all together. If you do put a new axle under it, I would strongly suggest knuckle ball gussets.

Yes indeed, I have a set for my '94 so I thought I'd just cut a set out of some scrap steel...

I've had pretty good success at straitening front housings using a piece of rairoad iron, a big ass jack and a log chain.  Sounds crazy but they are pretty easy to tweak back using this method.  No guarantee for accuracy but on a pile like this that will never see the highway it doesn't matter!  At leat you can get your axles out.

[H8PVMNT [OP]]

if your looking for some good flex throw some f-150 springs in the rear i personally do not run them but i know people who do and they flex for days...

Are they shorter than the 63" chevy springs?  I have them on my '94 and had to make new hangers.  I was hoping not to fab hangers on this truck, but if the F150 springs are shorter that would be the ticket!

[jimbo74]

i think with the f150s you still need to relocate the mounts... DOABLE just did his, and he relocated his mounts... check out his thread on it

[toyotanner]

they are  the same as s10 springs i think or pretty close. like.... 54?'s

[ohioyota]

1)Drill a hole 1 1/8th back in your front spring perches and 1/1/8 forward on your rear axle perches and move the front axle foward and the back axle back. This will give you a better approach angle and a better wheelbase.

2)Build a square drive shaft.

3)Flip the the ball on the drivers side steering arm over to the top of the arm to prevent bindind or interfering with you u bolts if you do a ubolt flip which is cheap and i would recomend.

If i think of anything else ill post it

[04 rocko taco]

this should be interesting, definitely keep us updated....

[H8PVMNT [OP]]

this should be interesting, definitely keep us updated....

Kind of fun, huh?  I've built nice trucks with $$ before, but this is more to prove a point to Joe Blow that anybody with a little gumption can buy in.  I actually think it's going to wheel pretty good...  despite being a cheap POS!

[04 rocko taco]

Hey, cheap POS's are the way to go, cause then like you said, you are not expecting to win, or decimate everyone, but it can hang in there, and you can go home at the end of the day satisfied that you were able to compete, AND still afford dinner.

[H8PVMNT [OP]]

So I ended up finding some long ass springs from a '90s Chevy 1/2 ton to use in the rear for $30.  Stock rears will go to the front.  For shocks I looked at some application guides and found some 12.375 " stroke Monroes with the right ends avalable for $38 each from Napa.  I am going to use either the F-250 shock mounts for $16 or some old hoops I had fabed a few years ago that got cut off another project.   
I'm also trying to trade the 35s that came with the truck for a set of axles off an '85 4runner that should have 4.30s.  That will fix my bent front end, lower gearing a little and give me some spare birfs all at the same time...