Topic: FIRST TRUCK help??

[bamajojo9]

hey im new to the blog and im a teenager lookin to buy a toyota i wanna build a trail rig rock crawler/mud bogger. thats wat everyone does in my town. i just needs some sugestions on everything i would need to do to build one?? im wantin between an 84 and 89. just some input on anythang would be appreciated. thanx

[axled89]

well i can tell you is your gonna want a solid axle setup etheir allready done on the rig you buy
 or you put one on it.
that is a good thing to look for between those years.  then lift, gears and tires.   start buy taking a look see at other rigs on the forum here and then kind go from there.       and don't be affraid to ask them about there rigs.

[46&2]

start buy taking a look see at other rigs on the forum here and then kind go from there.      and don't be affraid to ask them about there rigs.

Best advice right there.   

[yotaneck13]

let me start by saying to the marlin forum and great choice in choosing toyota u wont be disipointed...id look for an 79 to 85 truck with either thr 22r or re this way your already have a trail capible rig from the start then reasearch ALOT bbefore you turm ur first wrenchon the truck come up with a plan of how you want it to turn out and what you want to do too many ppl start in to projects with no plan and they easily go down the drain fast once youve done ur reasearch and got a plan together start building but go slow take ur time ask lots of questions and do it right the first time so your not constantly fixing it.  definantly do not be afraid to ask questions weve been through it and done the same thing so dont feel like an idiot jus ask even the stupid ones with that said head to the projects buildup threads and start readin

have fun,
Cullin

[86bobbedtoy]

welcome.
they said the best already.
check out my build, its in my sig down below
what town u live in?

[bamajojo9 [OP]]

thanx for all the replys.. and i was wonderin was size lift i should get and wat gears i should run?? im wantin to run somewere around 38s.. ive been lookin at the all pro lifts because thats wat alot of folks have told me about. and ive also herd that the 22r is better than fuel injected model. wats yalls opinion on that?

[Cheesemaker]

EFI all the way.  Carbs have issues with fuel starvation, and altitude adjustment.  EFI does all that for you.

All-Pro is just as good as Marlin's parts.  They both provide high quality parts for those who want them.  

And for running 38's, just get a 5" lift and get friendly, really friendly with the sawzall!!     You could do it with a 4" and some inner fender/cab massage with a welder.  Best thing to do, is keep the center of gravity as low as possible. 

[MiniSimp]

You will need these basics:
Marlin Crossover steering
Marlin Dual Transfer Case Adapter
Marlin springs or Rears up front
Locker front and rear

[86bobbedtoy]

re is much better

[axled89]

what is your budget like?      cause you can go inexpensive route or the other way.   this can play a roll in your build to.

[yotaneck13]

re is good but with the r you can build a hybred with the 20r head run an efi fuelpump with an voltage regulator to slow the flow no fuel starvation that way

[87hillbillyoter]

for 38s your gonna want 5.29s. usually its 4.88s for 33s and up, and 5.29s for 35s and up
the 22RE is much better when you flop it on its side, it will start much faster than a carbed 22R, and like cheesemaker said, there are many down sides to a carbed 22R. i dont know why you heard carbed was better?  if its for only offroad and your budget supports it, id go with a 22R and do a propane conversion. but the best year for sure is an 85 because thats got the SFA and EFI. again, depends on your budget, how much you want to build it etc... like simp said for 38s you will need crossover steering.

[bamajojo9 [OP]]

thanx again. do any of yall think 38s are pushin it to big??  and its not a big deel but just wantin to no wat kind of gas mileage i would get runnin the 5.29 gears and big tires? and im not on to tight of a buget.

[Cheesemaker]

38's, 5.29's and gas mileage!!!!    

With that setup, you won't get decent mpg, or ever expect to see fifth gear, and forget going over the speed limit.

[yotaneck13]

cheese ur tellin me we actually have another gear after 4th i didnt know that lol always thought it was park or sumthing lol i get decent gas with 4:10's and 35's i need 529's tho

[bamajojo9 [OP]]

how much will it cost to change to gears and were could i do it at?

[87hillbillyoter]

depends. you can get built thirds with ARB lockers, detroit lockers or E-lockers. but those are really expensive.  you can get em from Trail-Gear or Marlin. or you can put the gears in yourself. not sure how, never done it. but, the saying goes-you get what you pay for

[yotaneck13]

ya buy a set of geares unbolt the 4 bolts on ur backing plate unbolt the pinion flange unbolt all the nuts around the thirdmember slide the axels out pull the third member out unbolt geared them put back together its real simple

[Snowtoy]

You shouldn't be concerned w/ 38's gears, lockers, at the moment, the need for these types of upgrades are quite a ways off for you. 

While an SA rig would do you best in the long run, an IFS rig will do just as good for you right now, and depending on your area you can often get them $1000-1500 less.  Regardless of which type of front suspension rig you get to start with, you should start with a stock rig, add some 31" tires, body protection, and go wheel it for a few hundred hours.  What you learn with a stock rig will pay large dividends once you move up to a built rig, and help you to build a rig that suits your needs, not copy what others have done.  A lot of newbies start off with rigs that are far beyond their driving abilities, and while this may make them king of the easy and moderate trails, they often end up broken or wheels up on the harder trails.

[jeff22r]

yeah i agree start w/ 31s and build your rig from there!!! if you learn to read trails right a 31 will do just fine. then move up when u want harder lines!!! look into lockers second, everybody hates to be stuck b/c only 2 wheels are pullin b/c there both off the ground or just spinning!!!! and just remember the bigger tires and lower the gear u run a better chance of breaking axles. well thats my opinion but you know what they say about opinions!!!  #1 rule have fun with it

[bamajojo9 [OP]]

yeah i prolly wont do 38s prolly somethin a lil smaller. but idk why i wouldent just go ahead and get a solid axle. and i was plannin on detroit locker is there anything better?

[jeff22r]

def find a straight axle!!!!saves you from doing the swap later.detroits are fine i know alot of people that run them. but its always cheaper to weld um!!!!just depends on budget and what your plans for the truck are

[yotaneck13]

if ur planin on pavement drivin at all or turning at all go with detroit rear aand either aussie or lockright front dong weld you wont turn with the hubs locked in...of course if you got the money theres always arb

[Talon84x4]

You will need these basics:
Marlin Crossover steering
Marlin Dual Transfer Case Adapter
Marlin springs or Rears up front
Locker front and rear

^ this ^

you'd be better off with the above and some 33/35s than someone starting out with a new 5" lift and 38s 

[Snowtoy]

idk why i wouldent just go ahead and get a solid axle.

Buying an SA or IFS all depends on what your entry level amount of money is.  Only the the 2nd gen '84-'85 model trucks and 1st gen 4-Runners came with a SFA, while the '86-88 trucks and '86-'89 4-Runners came w/IFS.  There were more IFS rigs built and sold which tends to make them cheaper than the SA rigs, and depending on where you live, you might have a limited selection of SA in good enough shape to chose from that haven't been already heavily modified.  Also since you should be starting out w/a stock rig, the money you could save on the original purchase price can easily pay for solid front and rear bumpers, rocker sliders, recovery gear, and maybe even a winch.  Of course if you are able to find a stock SA rig or one slightly modified, i.e., 31's and body protection for a decent price, that should be your first choice.

and i was plannin on detroit locker is there anything better?

Yes, they are selectable lockers, either an ARB or Toyota e-locker.  They cost about double, but are well worth it for any rig, because you only use them when you need them.  You rarely ever wheel a trail where you need a locker on all the time, even in loose terrain like snow and mud, being able to turn them on and off makes life a lot easier for you and your rig both on and off the trail.

While a locker is nice to have, I would suggest wheeling a while w/o any locker at all.  You really need to learn how your rig handles on the trail, how to line yourself up with the right line through a difficult section.  A locker wants to push you in a straight line, often this prevents you from lining up with the right line, or pushes you off of the line you need to be following.  Trying to learn how to wheel while being pushed around on the trail will make for a very irritating experience, for both you and your spotter.  Also, starting out with a locker will rob you of the learning experience of how to stack rocks to get traction, how to follow a spotter, how to get unstuck from all types of condition, etc., something that everyone eventually has to be able to do regardless of how well their vehicle is equipped.

[bamajojo9 [OP]]

yeah i think im leanin more towards the 35s

[79coyotefrg]

a young friend of mine recently bought a 85 shortbed with 35's locked front and rear, thankfully he listened to me and did away with the welded diffs,  now he has a spool in the rear and open up front, he now has dual cases, 5.29's and 35's and has yet to hit a trail

but dont worry he will

[toyodaaddict]

as far as tires are concerned id start with 33's or if you can afford to re-gear your diffs right away maby 35's.  you can go along ways on 33's. if you cant afford to re-gear right away i wouldnt even think about 35's just my 

[yotaneck13]

ya start out small learn how to handel her then move up ull be happier but i think before you get carried away with what tires ur gonna get and geares you need to find a rig lol run it stock jus like you buy it for a while then start your build that way you kno what areas you need to improve its a leRning process

[bamajojo9 [OP]]

yeah i wasent plannin on just runnin out and gettin everything done rite away, i am trying to work out a plan. and i waS wondering wat the duel cases does and how it helps??