Hey guys,
Just got back from Meadow Lake (4 day camping trip), and saw tons of Jeepers and Yota's. I need a pickup bed, so a Toyota would fit me better than a Jeep would. Ive been thinking about a Yota for awhile, but after seeing the trucks this weekend, Im pretty set on one.
I just wanted to know what everyone's opinion was on what I would need, whats the best year to look for, etc etc. I am planning on doing Fourdyce and the Rubicon whenever I want to, so I need it to survive.
So, heres my questions:
* What year to look for??? Advantages from one year over another? I like the bodystyle of the early 90's the best...but dont know if they are better or worse than a a different year.
* What would be the minimum to do to the truck to wheel it(Fourdyce/Rubicon)? I can do fab work, so Im planning on sliders, bumpers, SAS, air lockers, etc. etc.
* What axles do I want to run? Do I want to go with big axles like D60's and hope they never break, or run the Yota axles and if something happens, hope theres someone around with parts???
Excuse my ignorance...just trying to get my feet wet when it comes to the 'Yota side of things. Any and all help is greatly appreciated! Hope not to sound too stupid to anyone!!!
Kyle
Thanks Kevin. I did a little searching, but couldnt find specific answers to some of my questions. I actually do my own fab work, and specialize in drag cars, however, I do want to get into the off-road side of fabrication stuff. Thanks again!
Kyle
Everything is covered in the FAQ at the top of the page, you should really take a look at it first. Also look through the build up thread at the top of the page. All the build ups are listed there, lots of good ideas to be had.
Thanks guys! My stupidity...I kept clicking on the "FAQ" link in the top banner of the page...and typed all sorts of stuff in and couldnt find anything. Didnt see the sticky'd threads at the top! Got lots to look at now.
Whats everyones opinion on going with Toy axles and hoping theres alot fo parts floating around, or trying to go with bigger axles(D60's maybe), and hope it never breaks???
Thanks again! Sorry for the ignorance!
Kyle
OK so i know you know about the faq thing. If you plan on running anything bigger than 36" tires i would start thinking about bigger axles. I would look at getting an 85 pick for what you want to do. Last year solid front axle and first year fuel injection. But if you really like the 90s body style then get the 4banger. Dont get the 3.slow, v8 fuel economy and 4 cylnder power. Or swap for the 2.7 or the 3.4 if you really want some power. 5.29s, lockers, longfields, 4.7 t-case, armor, high steer is really all you will need. If you can i would get dual cases. That should be enough to get you started. Heres some web sites to check out.
Thanks a bunch Andrew! I really appreciate it! Now...with gopoing to the bigger axles...any specific vehicle I should look for them out of? Any width better than any other width??? Thanks again for everything!
So I actually want the 4 banger huh? V6 is just a 4 banger that sucks gas basically?
EDIT: Also, is it worth it to fab my own SAS stuff? Or just buy a kit. I can defenitely fabricate...thats not the question...just wondering how good/bad the "kits" are??
Kyle
How fast do you want to get it done ? If you fab it all on your own, it will take longer but you get a better sense that someone else didn't make your truck. There is nothing you need to buy except the truck, axles, gears, lockers, etc... The steel-work is well within the scope of any fabricator. If you get a kit then you will probably have to modify it in some way, because that is the way it always works.
A well built Toyota SFA will handle big tires no problem as there are lots of folks running 40s. Add hydro assist and a few other upgrades and you are good to go. SAS kits save you time and no sense in reinventing the wheel. I prefer the 22RE to the 3.0.
Cool. Thanks guys! So do I need to find a front axle out of a Toyota? Ive heard of guys running then out of a Jeep or something as well???Assuming the 63" Chevy rear springs are pretty standard along with longer shackles and what not? Same with the front...longer hangers and shackles and then maybe like some 4" lift springs or something?? What springs do you recommend for the front?
Lets say I want to run 36-37's...how much lift do I need? I dont want to have to butcher the fenders up to bad, but a little trimming in the corners doesnt bother me.
Kyle
I think you should stick with the toy axle by the sound of what you want to do. throw in some longfield chromolys, and you shouldnt have to much problem on 37's. DONT use a jeep axle! At least not a wrangler axle. The wagoneers had d44's but theres no point in choosing a d44 over a toy 8". Besides jeep axles are drivers side diffs.
Toyota axles
Pros: Easier, esp. if the truck already has a SFA, parts readily available, thrid mebers are removable. You can get almost every part for them aftermarket, except the hub body and spindle.
Cons: will never be as strong as a beefed up d60, you'll have birfields
Fullwidth D60
Pros:
Can be built bullet proof. Give you more travel, better turning radius (no birfields to worry about)
Cons: $$$$ and you cant pop out the third members, something I love about toyotas.
Pick a year yota, and go with it. Just find the style you like. I would suggest a 22re to make life simpler, unless a motor swap is planned. I would stay away from anything w/ a Carb just so you have one less thing to mess with. At high altitudes (9,000-10,000 ft) the carb trucks dont always run so well. Do not get a 3.0 v6, unless its blown, you get it cheap, and you plan to swap the motor for something out of a tacoma. Make sure whatever you buy has a 5speed and a gear driven transfer case, a V6 will most likely not have one. Othere wise you'll be scouring for parts later, because in any crawler that retains a toyota drivetrain your going to want dual transfercases. That is where the gear driven case comes into play. Most of the V6 yota I have run across do not have a gear driven t-case. Here is how to tell http://www.marlincrawler.com/htm/transfercase/tcaseinfo.htm
and if your really picky, dont get one with a red interior, its harder to find parts in that color.
Good luck , oh and one more thing read the FAQ about 8 more times :flipoff2:
Thanks a bunch guys! Now just need to find one I can work with. May be easier to find on at a used car lot so I could have them take my Dakota off my hands, but we'll see.
Steveh, thanks for the compliments! Where did you see my work???
Kyle
Oh I see. Thanks again for the compliments! Now if I could only get some 4x4 work in the shop...! HAHA. Not sure how to get my name out there in the 4WD world...guess the Toyota would be a good place to start...but it wont be done for a couple months. Ideas???
Kyle
So blue booked that Red Toy, and it came to like $4800...talked to the used car lot, and they said with Toyota's you cant really look at the blue book, because they have to pay so much more for them at the auctions...this true and will I find this at all lots, or these guys BS'ing me?
Kyle
I'd shop around a little before I decided on the value. Not that it's not a fair price, but you might get an extended cab for the same or less. I built a reg. cab, now I wish I had done an extended cab for the extra space. Just a thought.
ive got a 88 with some mods that has ifs under it that runs and drives (my daily driver) and got a whole nother parts truck to go with it thats has a solid axle for 3500 lmk if interested located in indiana
If you want an ultra cheap start, check this link out. The cab and frame are good, the tube work is top notch, the bed is very usable, and if you bought it, you'd really be helping me out.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Pirate 4x4
18.7M posts
366.4K members
Since 2000
A forum community dedicated to custom off-road vehicle owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about trail reports, builds, performance, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, fabrication, drivetrain, and more!