Rudy

[CMT2.0]

Well been awhile sense last update. Things got pushed off cause I'm having a baby girl in September so thing have been about that every weekend. But! I cleaned the frame and swapped the w56/ transfercase in with my bud built cross member. Things started hitting the bottom of the cab so instead of cutting the floor out I did a 1" body lift... I know boo, but now I have a quickly approaching dead line so this was the fastest option. Got the ruff stuff rear axle truss welded up. I really took my time on it to hopefully not warp the housing. The old weld 3" drink a beer trick. Only took 15 beers🍻. Might be why I barely got anything done... Got things in place before I got drug out of the shop by my wife for dinner.

 

[CMT2.0]

Put the rear axle together and tacked the mounts in for the springs. I stretch the rear 5" check out those pink shackles. Also big thanks to Grronk for the 37s. Man I owe that guy a gang of beers and flat tows from the JV lakebed.

 

[GBG8201]

The axle looks great. I'm getting ready to armor mine up as well. Can you think of a reason the RuffStuff backbrace won't fit a 1982 axle? They say 86+ for some reason. Most of the shit on the back will be cut off anyhow.

 

[Grronk]

Also big thanks to Grronk for the 37s. Man I owe that guy a gang of beers and flat tows from the JV lakebed.

 

[CMT2.0]

The axle looks great. I'm getting ready to armor mine up as well. Can you think of a reason the RuffStuff backbrace won't fit a 1982 axle? They say 86+ for some reason. Most of the shit on the back will be cut off anyhow.

Think the brace would be to wide for the 1982 narrower axle but anything can fit with a grinder. Fun fact if you don't know the 86+ 4x4 rear axles are 3" wider than the earlier year axles. 🍻

 

[GBG8201]

Think the brace would be to wide for the 1982 narrower axle but anything can fit with a grinder. Fun fact if you don't know the 86+ 4x4 rear axles are 3" wider than the earlier year axles. 🍻

Thanks, some searching did alert me to the width diff, which I could fix, but apparently tube diameter changed? I spoke to ruffstuff on the phone and was told the fill tube wouldn't line up right due to the dimensions being different. Oh well, no backbrace for me. I'm still jealous of yours tho.

 

[CMT2.0]

Thanks, some searching did alert me to the width diff, which I could fix, but apparently tube diameter changed? I spoke to ruffstuff on the phone and was told the fill tube wouldn't line up right due to the dimensions being different. Oh well, no backbrace for me. I'm still jealous of yours tho.

Don't be ahah it's super over kill for tire size. Just put diff armor and run it tell the wheels fall off

 

[CMT2.0]

Things done from last update. Ruff stuff motor mounts, Tg t-case mount, bud built cross member, and 4x4 oil pan/ pickup tube in. The crossmember is somewhat mounted. Think the crossmemeber was for a v6 cause is was off by 2 3/8s to the drivers side. Narrowed it and called it good. Think I'm going to drill out the outer holes in the frame and cut a window on the side of the frame rail so I can weld two nuts/plate inside. of course patch the hole.. Looks like the wheelbase with be around 110

 

[CMT2.0]

Update. I decided I don't have the time to 3 link the front so I sourced the job out to a local fabricator. Here's what's done so far.

 

[Stingray]

Plate on the back of the motor is the same. I’ve been in the fuck Marlin crowd since 2006. They flat out lied to me over a $3500 order and made me wait a month for my shit. Fuck that wrinkly old cock sucker and his kid. A simple V6 adapter from Trail Gear will get you a gear drive case behind an A340F auto. That’s the route I’m going.

I'm running that set up and have had no issue, running duals behind the auto with no issue

 

[CMT2.0]

I'm running that set up and have had no issue, running duals behind the auto with no issue

But does a 22re bolt up to an a340f?

 

[Stingray]

But does a 22re bolt up to an a340f?

I think it does, My buddy has a first gen 4runner. It's the factory turbo 87 and only came in an auto, I think its the same A340.

I've got it behind the V6, in a 97 4runner.

The only problem I had was I installed the trans output seal wrong the first time and it pushed it out.
Filled the cases with trans fluid.

 

[Stingray]

Just sent him a text to ask.

 

[Stingray]

But does a 22re bolt up to an a340f?

Buddies truck is a 22RTE with a factory A340H the difference is the tail shaft housing from the H to the F .
But the bellhousing is the same.

 

[rattlewagon]

Do these touch when you turn all the way driver? (mine do)

 

[CMT2.0]

Do these touch when you turn all the way driver? (mine do)

No, that's why the misalignment spacers are different. The guy did say he had issues with it though.

 

[CMT2.0]

Got Rudy home yesterday and tore it down so i can finish welding everything on the front end. Has a lot of travel but the front driveshaft starts to bind. This is where dual cases would have been nice to get that longer driveshaft. Ill have to limit the shocks to 10-12" witch bugs me cause I was originally going to run a 12x2.5'' coil over witch i sold for the air shocks ... For half a truck its pretty light at 2982lbs. I think before i do the cage work it will be around 3500lbs driving down the road.

To do list:
-Weld the links, shock hoops, mounts, frame plates
-Brace the steering box build a longer steering column shaft
-Build some double shear thingy for the pitman arm
-Bump stops & limit straps front and rear
-Build exhaust
-Finish cross member frame mounts
-Mount rear shocks
-Install body parts and clearance
-Add fluids
-Clean up some wiring
-Mount seats

-Drive over some rocks!

 

[CMT2.0]

Side note. Anyone know how much a Toyota bed weighs?

 

[AK_F250]

An 87 bed is just a hair under 300lbs according to the scale on my forklift.

 

[CMT2.0]

Welded some stuff together yesterday. Was a 100 in the shop witch ended up putting my welder into thermal shutoff. At least thats what I hope happened. Still alot to be welded on the front.

 

[Boomtacoma01]

But does a 22re bolt up to an a340f?

yep. I have an A340F in my 85 with the 22re. need to source an R bell housing from an 340h and flexplate.. Used a TC from a 3.4 and AA 50-5710 adapter to run a an Atlas II.

 

[CMT2.0]

Had member Grronk come over and help me with the truck (big art guy) and got alot done. Front end welded, steering box braced, and power steering parts put on. Still need to do limit straps, bump stops, finish trans cross member, mount rear shocks plus plumb the brakes. The rear is pretty stiff so going to play with some different leafs to soften it up. This is my first linked rig and the front axle moves front to back quite a bit. In the flex picture the passenger side of the axle moves back about 2" from ride height to the one wheel flexed/drooped. This normal? I'll have to get the link measurements and put them in to a link calculator.

 

[YotaAtieToo]

Imo, your lower links are way too long. That's a big reason why your drives haft binds, when the front end drops down, the much shorter upper link pulls the pinion down. There is absolutely no benefit to having the lower links that long.

I would also add some more bracing to the pamhard/track bar mounts. If you can, tie the frame side to the opposite frame rail with a small tube.

Hard to tell, but you might also be able to get some more up travel out of it with a few tweeks. How much shock shaft do you have showing at ride height?

 

[Grronk]

Biiiiiig time art guy, glad shes on her own wheels again

 

[CMT2.0]

Imo, your lower links are way too long. That's a big reason why your drives haft binds, when the front end drops down, the much shorter upper link pulls the pinion down. There is absolutely no benefit to having the lower links that long.

I would also add some more bracing to the pamhard/track bar mounts. If you can, tie the frame side to the opposite frame rail with a small tube.

Hard to tell, but you might also be able to get some more up travel out of it with a few tweeks. How much shock shaft do you have showing at ride height?

The lower link is that long cause the t-case mount is in the way. Was told they would be too short with the mount in front of the t-case mount. Also I thought you wanted the pinion to drop to keep the caster correct through the suspicion cycle? The track bar mount got a brace that ties it into the bottom of the shock tower witch has a bar that goes across to the passenger shock tower. ( This was grronk's big art piece, will get pictture later) Cant get anymore bump out of it cause the track bar hits the oil pan but as i look at the pictures i could drop the track bar down a hole. Have to see how that swings with the drag link. At ride height the shock has about 6" of shaft showing.

 

[YotaAtieToo]

The lower link is that long cause the t-case mount is in the way. Was told they would be too short with the mount in front of the t-case mount.

Where there is a will there is a way. I'd really try to get them closer to the length of the upper.

Also I thought you wanted the pinion to drop to keep the caster correct through the suspicion cycle?

Well yes, but I think you might be going a little to far. Everything is a give and take right? And you can't use your travel as is. You going to be doing a lot of high speed woops and whatnot where the front will be at full droop at speed?

The track bar mount got a brace that ties it into the bottom of the shock tower witch has a bar that goes across to the passenger shock tower. ( This was grronk's big art piece, will get pictture later)

Gotcha, I feel like broken track bar mounts are getting common, so I always say add more.

Cant get anymore bump out of it cause the track bar hits the oil pan but as i look at the pictures i could drop the track bar down a hole. Have to see how that swings with the drag link. At ride height the shock has about 6" of shaft showing.

If you really have 6" in that last Pic, that's not bad. You can play with the track bar, but obviously you want it parallel to the draglink, which I'm sure you know. Have you thought about running the hiems under the steering arms? That would allow you to drop the axle mount side track bar down.

 

[CMT2.0]

Well yes, but I think you might be going a little to far. Everything is a give and take right? And you can't use your travel as is. You going to be doing a lot of high speed woops and whatnot where the front will be at full droop at speed?

yes defiantly will be going through woops at speed. Where I wheel its about a 15minute drive through a wooped out wash to the trail head. I know air shocks arent the best for this but oh well. Also feel like it will help with highway driving. I need to put an angle finder on the pinion and cycle it and adjust the upper link. Probably should find out how much caster if any TG put into there housing first..

If you really have 6" in that last Pic, that's not bad. You can play with the track bar, but obviously you want it parallel to the draglink, which I'm sure you know. Have you thought about running the hiems under the steering arms? That would allow you to drop the axle mount side track bar down.

Cant run the steering under the arms cause the tierod hits the axle housing center section. Im going to order some different misalignment spacers to fine tune things.

Where there is a will there is a way. I'd really try to get them closer to the length of the upper..

thought you want the upper link to be with in 75% of the length of the lower link? Think Im going to have bump steer cause my track bar is so short compared to my draglink. I need to measure everything and crunch the numbers.
So far the quick easy fix is to just limit the shocks to 11-12" of travel, will get rid of my drive shaft bind. When the time comes ill go dual cases.

 

[YotaAtieToo]

yes defiantly will be going through woops at speed. Where I wheel its about a 15minute drive through a wooped out wash to the trail head. I know air shocks arent the best for this but oh well. Also feel like it will help with highway driving. I need to put an angle finder on the pinion and cycle it and adjust the upper link. Probably should find out how much caster if any TG put into there housing first..

I mean whoops wher you are at full droop, I can't see that happening with 63s out back.

Check you castor at full droop, I'd think anything that 0* or better would be fine for the split second it might actually see full droop.

Cant run the steering under the arms cause the tierod hits the axle housing center section. Im going to order some different misalignment spacers to fine tune things.

I've also just pulled the lower spacer off the tie rod before, it doesn't need any misalignment. You could check out the FROR flat arms also.

thought you want the upper link to be with in 75% of the length of the lower link? Think Im going to have bump steer cause my track bar is so short compared to my draglink. I need to measure everything and crunch the numbers.
So far the quick easy fix is to just limit the shocks to 11-12" of travel, will get rid of my drive shaft bind. When the time comes ill go dual cases.

The 75% rule is old as hell. I even know people who have ran slightly longer uppers. I like even as possible, In theory that will keep your castor the same throughout travel. There are obviously other factors though. There is no perfect ratio between upper and lower length though, all about how it works.

Ya, putting a strap at the diff will get you on the trail.

 

[CMT2.0]

 

[CMT2.0]

Where there is a will there is a way. I'd really try to get them closer to the length of the upper.



Gotcha, I feel like broken track bar mounts are getting common, so I always say add more.



If you really have 6" in that last Pic, that's not bad.

Heres a picture of the track bar brace and i lied i only have 5 3/4 shock shaft showing.. My upper link is 31" while my lowers are 43" also you can see my track bar is 10" 3/4 shorter than my drag link witch is shit. Still didnt get all the measurement I needed for the link calculator.