ok so I bought a 1983 Toyota 4X4 about a month ago and it was pretty much built already (terribly). So what I am going to do is a build down as in taking it back to practical DD with minor mods such as 2-3" lift 33s ect... (any tips pointer or ideas are welcome) This is going to be a "budget" build so it will be only things to keep it drivable. major fabricating will be last on the list (high steer, bumpers, sliders ect...)

things to do:
cut off cage
cut off sliders
cut off stinger
new tires
new front springs
new rear springs
new shocks
remove bed
find new bed
body work
repaint truck
new windshield
twin stick
high steer
bumpers
sliders


"parts are for sale" (PM for prices) ship on your dime!
front leaf springs
rear leaf springs
front shackle
rear shackle
shocks
cage tubing
tires w/wheels
5.29 thirds (rear has locker) "TRADE ONLY" for 4.56 or 4.88


pics to follow

 

cut the cage off of the cab today (took 2 blades) but its off and now to remove the rest of it and the crappy stinger

BEFORE:

AFTER:

 

excited to see more. could you describe and take pictures of the poorly built stuff too?

 

-first of all the cage was made out of crappy steel that would not have held in a roll over and was kinked in the beds and welded to the roof of the truck (stupid)
so that was first to go...
-the stinger is the same its just welded on...
-the bed is another story, the roll bar is welded to the bed then the bed is welded to the mounts. as for the 12" bed bob it has a piece of steel plate to hold it together on the floor and then some .5" straps to hold the sides on... (to lazy to weld it back together
-the complete truck is practically rewired so the lights are on a toggle switch along with some other things I cant stand it I want to rewire it back to normal

Ill get pics of the bed tomorrow when its light out and not snowing!

 

Im interested to see how this one goes ill subscribe keep up the pics please. also just wondering how much you paid for it .. good luck!

 

Power to ya! I like to see some of these ridiculous builds turned back into something practical. I am not saying that all builds are ridiculous, of course.

 

glad you're getting that booty fab under control.

Al

 

sounds like you've got some work ahead of you, but it sounds good. glad to see you getting it back in top shape.

 

I dont mind the built trucks but there are to many that are almost unrecognizable ... so Im gonna try to take it as close to stock as possible but still useable since its already geared 5.29... unless I can sell the gears and gen 4.56 or 4.88

 

ok so I got more pics but I cant find my cable to link my camera to upload them so hopefully they will be up by tomorrow...but now I am getting ready to do some body work on the cab so I can at least get some kind of paint so it wont rust this winter but I debating between flat white or gloss white.

 

ok so here is my dilema now!
I want to run highsteer but cant afford it yet but I can get an IFS steering box cheap and I have an extra set of stock steering arms for my 83 I was wondering if it would be possible to just cut off one of the arms and just weld it to my current arms and run a drag link from that to my steering box as kind of a temp high steer till I get the actual arms! I have seen it done but just wondering if its reliable for just winter til I can save for the "real" arms

heres a pic from the marlin crawler site for the marlink tie rod:

(see the steering setup



...

 

man, its sketch to weld arms for steering. i'm not sure i would want to take my safety and the safety of my passengers into my hands like that. i would wait until spring when you can do it right. i went from the marlink to crossover. the marlink was great for what it was. unfortunately you can't use it as the tie rod for the crossover because it is a couple inches short...unless you wanted to cut and weld it in the middle. i would feel better about doing that than welding arms. hope this helps. play it safe my man.

 

ok so I guess I will just run the stock push pull till I can afford highsteer!
but I still dont know what front springs I want to run up front...
Im torn between trail-gear 3" springs, procomp 3", downey 3", OME ?", or Jeep YJ springs.

( I dont want to go any higher than 3" maybe 4" max) just enough to clear the highsteer.

any suggestions or tips on best choice I dont really want to spend mors than $200 for a pair.

but I think I am set on 63" chevy rears

 

why not move your rears up front? 3-4 inches lift, super flexy, and, best of all, cheap!

 

cuz the truck has 5" skyjacker leafs front and rear

 

please don't booty fab the steering arms. when all else fails, you want your steering and brakes to ALWAYS work the way you want.

i'd second the rears up front with your 63's in back. it should be easy enough to find someone to buy your springs and you can trade out for stock ones.

Al

 

if your wanting to get rid of a of a 5.29 Im in need of one send me a pm if you decide you want to sell it. Im still tryin to trace down and fix my truck like you are doing. great work btw

 

as far as a stock set of rears go, you should be able to pick up a pair very cheap if not free. post a "wanted" ad here on the forum, check craigslist.org, check the penny saver...they're around and they're cheap. all else fails, go to the junk yard. probably charge you $50 or something ridiculously cheap like that. keep us posted.

 

colorado has some yota only yards:
Denver: http://www.yotayard.com/home.htm
Denver: http://jimsgotparts.com/

PM Lysmachia aka Molly, she is one of the mods here on YT, between her and TC (they are in Colorado too) they might be to able to you find some springs...

edit: I still have my old 3" lift springs, free if you want to pay shipping but it would probably be expensive...no clue what brand they were.

 

sounds like it could be a sweet deal...