Ocell

We had a great Hidden Falls trip this weekend. I was out with some pretty big rigs, and I was happy to keep up with them for most of the trip! Of course, they were also being nice to keep me in mind while choosing trails.

They did really help me learn more about my truck. I made it up this with some expert spotting and a couple small rocks to help clearance.


Here's the group:




Here's a few video clips:

Ocell

A few seconds ago I hit the order button on some 4xInnovations sliders, DOM with kick-out. Now I've just got to keep my body panels off the rocks while I wait for them to come in.

After my trip out this weekend I'm seriously considering throwing a Spartan locker in the rear diff to compliment the one I put in the front.

Buck87

I like the way you think!

Ocell

Well, I've had the truck parked the last few days. I've got a weird slip-type issue when putting the rear driveline under load.

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...r-load-269230/

I'm holding off on ordering the locker for the rear until I know if I've ruined the pinion gear or ring gears, or bearings, or whatever this is.

Ocell

I got the rear diff pulled and everything looks perfect, so... a Spartan locker will be on my door step today.

I also just got a nice surprise email. The 4xInnovations sliders should be delivered Saturday! I won't have time to put them on this weekend since I'll be focusing on the locker and further trouble shooting my "slipping" problem. But, I'll be seeing what I can do to get them installed ASAP.

I hoping for a Hidden Falls run in the next couple weekends.

Ocell

Yeah!

The design of the V6 version is dramatically different from the 22RE version.

Ocell

I got the Spartan installed today. I knocked it out much faster than when I did the front. Experience really pays off, doesn't it?

I still get completely and utterly terrified once I pop the bearing caps off.



I've got the V6 rear diff (for the stock 4.88 gearing) and the doubled-up center pin and spider gears looks so beefy. Of course, those spider gears are sitting in a zip-lock bag now.




I'm hoping to replace the pinion seal in the morning. I got started on it today, but I had trouble unsteaking the pinion nut, and I was so tired from doing the locker I just gave up for the day.

Once I find someone to help me bleed the brakes this thing should be back on the road!

My sliders came in from 4xInnovations today, too. I have no clue when I'm going to be able to get them welded on... sadly.

Ocell

Back on the road! I got the brakes bled with some help from my buddy and took it for a lap around the neighborhood.

The locker is certainly noticeable. I can hear it popping if I coast around corners with the clutch in, and I was able to get the tires squealing a bit if I got hard on the throttle. I know it's all normal, it's just interesting to feel.

I notice my front locker less and less each time I go wheelin, so I imagine the rear locker will break in a bit as well.

I'm so pumped to have it back on the road!

Ocell

NOW I know what people are talking about when they talk about these things unloading.

Driving to work this morning I was going in a straight line, and it sounded like a gun going off on my rear driver's side. I pulled over to make sure there wasn't gear oil pouring out of any new holes in the axle housing. Everything looked fine.

I did a left u-turn in the street and the passenger rear made the same explosion noise. I drove the rest of the way to work without any other loud bangs, just the normal clicking and tire chirping. The road manners of the truck have certainly changed.

snowshredder555

OOOHHHH! Ha.. I remember the first time mine let go.... Scarred the snot out of me. Fortunately I was rounding the corner to my parents house and was able to coast into the driveway. Looked for the same thing and wiped my brow in disbelief that a sound that loud wouldn't result in an exploded 3rd member. I never had it happen again though...kept riding the clutch or popping it out of gear when a turn came up...didn't want to chance it.

Congrats on the new rear locker, you'll love the traction and confidence it gives you.

? for you; how long between when you placed your order for the sliders, paid for em', and they arrived to your door?

Redeth005

NICE Dont you just love the dual lockers?!?! Hav you tested them out on the trail yet?

Ocell

Not yet. I'm thinking of hitting a creek bed after work. Unfortunately I can't find anyone else to go out with me... so I'm a little afraid of breaking and getting trapped.

I may go out to Hidden Falls tomorrow and try to find a random group to hang out with.

Ocell

I ordered May 21st, and they were delivered June 15th, so a little less than a month. I ordered DOM, so they weren't stocked and had to be built. I'm very happy with how quickly they were built and delivered.

Ocell

I hit up the creek bed with my buddy John Friday night. It was dark by the time we got out there, so I dont' have any photos to share.

Wow, having locked diffs front and rear... you guys were right. It's a huge advantage.

My hang up now is my ground clearance. (Hang up? Get it?) I keep smacking that stupid-thick cross member hard... so the BudBuilt plate cross member keeps nagging at my brain as an upgrade.


I feel like I'm reaching a bit of a crossroads now... Part of me likes the idea of staying IFS with 33" tires and trying to get a flater belly through a steel plate cross member and a fuel tank swap (F150 maybe?). I enjoy slow creek bed crawling more than trying to climb huge ledges at full throttle, and 33" IFS build with a flat belly could be a fun sleeper-style truck to have, even if I'm never able to follow anyone up a level-5 granite cliff.

But then, another part of me thinks a SAS is inevitable. A guy less than an hour away from me has a hub-to-hub 1980 Toyota front axle I think I could get for $200 or less. (It doesn't have a diff) I'm considering getting it and sitting on it until I can drop the cash on a SAS conversion... but man... that will be a lot of cash to drop if I ever decide to do it, and I'm not sure I'll ever want to.

I'm just thinking out loud here. ChefYota4x4's SAS has me all shook up.

Redeth005

Glad the diffs worked for you man. I told ya Night & day difference dude.

Btw If you wanna read through more of a Do-it yourself kind of sas look through my thread just so you get an idea of what you need amd will be spending. All I gotta say is save up at least $3k-3.5k I msde sure to take tons of pix of the whole progress of the restoration of the axle, and the installation of everything.

If you need ground clearance and are thinkibg of staying ifs or going cheaper why don't u look up Blazeland with Bj spacrers I've seen a few pix of rigs that have gone more lift then what the Blazeland gives. And the trucks look really sweet. Idk

ChefYota4x4

iTrader: (5)

HAHAHA, .....has YOU shook up??? Lol.... I hear ya.... Take it for what it is worth. ....

1. Either keep adding money to it now. .... or....

2. Just sell it all while it's still worth enough to get your cash back to some degree.

"Building" an ifs truck is fine..... unless money IS an object of hindrance.....

Add up everything you might spend on IFS upgrades, then add guesstimates as to what you might get back out of it if you were to sell it all..... That's your base starting point for her SAS fund...

1. Front diff: rebuilt with new gears and install kit..... $750 (gears, master install kit, spartan and labor) + an 8" diff to begin with... (I have 2 atm).

2. IFS Eliminator kit: $1100-$1200 depending on if u want to upgrade things like the Marlin knuckle/axle rebuild kits.

3. Rear lift w/longer leaf packs, all hardware, extended brake lines & shocks: $675 or so.

4. Front Driveshaft adjusting/upgrades: $150-$250+ labor (if u go for a DS upgrade/ + labor)....or $250-$500 depending if u do dual cases (front has to be lengthened and rear shortened if u do duals/give or take depending on upgrades)

5. SFA Donor: $150-$300

6. The rest is alllll up to you....

a. Dual cases and
b. Dual or triple sticks
c. Longfields or Dirty 30's
d. 10" spline super metal TG/Matsuba driveshaft
e. Freewheel hub chromoly gears


Start making a list, then just decide either way, .....because trust me, you will keep telling yourself, "I'll just do this one more thing, one more thing, one more thing".... And before you know it you are near where you would be , simply doing what you want to do in the first place. If you want the best of all worlds go look at SoCal85Runner's build..... The thing is SICK!!!! He can do 60 down the fire roads in whoops and has no issues at all... And then you should see the thing climb... Holy crapoly! Obviously he's a good welder and bender, which changes costs quite a bit... But its still very pricey.

I have built my IFS truck to a point that it was fairly capable... And for me it was a little different as I was going to always build an 85... but then the more research I did I realized the building an 85 up to be similar to my truck can be extremely expensive as well. I mean sure, it would be great to have one of each... But that's just way too many projects that would keep coming up, when in reality I really just want to get out there into the wilderness and enjoy those places that a very capable truck can take you. Then hit some events with my Toyota brothers and sisters, and the eventually hand it down to one of my grandchildren. I just hope by then California will even allow this truck to stay on the road. lol.

Ocell

Thanks for the in-depth feedback guys (seriously, I appreciate all the time you guys put in to your thoughts). You've reinforced what I was thinking... a SAS is a bit more cash than I want to invest right now. I've already doubled my money in to this truck since I bought it and it's in a great spot right now. It's a ton of fun and a nice challenge to follow my solid axle friends up the trail.

I passed on the solid axle for now. Having it sitting in my garage would just tempt me too much.

As far as long travel... when I looked in to that I felt like the cost gets high enough that I think I'd go ahead and SAS. Especially since I'm focused more on crawling and don't see myself ever doing high-speed stuff.


The other night I nailed my roller fairlead pretty hard while approaching a rock wall. It has been bugging me how it sticks out so far, so a few minutes ago I hit the "buy" button on a Warn steel hawse fairlead.




Amazon has a no-name model that's half the price, but it's a lot shallower so the radius that the steel rope runs over is a lot sharper. I figured if there's ever a time to not cheap-out, it's when you're buying the thing you could be hanging your whole vehicle from in a dangerous situation.


Hopefully, the next time I'm out on the trail I'll get a good photo of the rig. I think it's finally in a good spot to submit to 4WD Toyota Owner Magazine for the readers' rides page.

Ocell

I got the Warn hawse fairlead in today. I figured I'd install it in today's 102F heat before the 106F heat wave hits this weekend.



















Much better!

Buck87

oh yea

Buck87

I see that white column in the last picture. You must live on one of them there fancy southern plantations.