Rusty Red

[SByota]

January 2022

Moved the shackle mounts back, much better. Does 18” of travel pretty easy. Set up the carrier bearing and rear driveshaft. Set the pinion angle and checked it at bump and droop. All good no binding at either end.

Used my new M18 metal cutting circular saw a lot the last two days. Love it, it rips through 1/8 and
3/16” plate pretty easily. Makes nice straight cuts and leave a nice edge. I need more batteries now, with the amount of tool I have, 3 batteries isn’t enough to now.

On Monday I start a throwing tube at this thing. Should go pretty quick since I have it all planned out already.

 

[SByota]

January 2022

Did a pretty shitty job of taking pictures during the process. I’m thrashing to get it driving by my KOH trip. Make the external C pillar on the floor of my garage and it fit great, was super nervous making it off the truck. Welding came out pretty ok, this was one of my better ones. I’m getting better at tying in starts and stops. Big progress coming on Monday/Tuesday.

 

[SByota]

January 2022

Got to put in a few hours today. Got the C pillar tacked in place, it fit good. It was kinda nerve racking since I built it on the bench and not on the truck, fit fucking prefect!!

I mocked up the axles/tires so I can mount up the bump stops and shocks. Plenty of room for both outside the frame.

The rear glass I have doesn’t even come close to covering the tires. Going to have to set it real wide in the back!

The minion also got his first welding hood and threw down his first welds today. Super proud dad moment.

 

[SByota]

January 2022

Figured out the shock mounts, going to go though the tube with a 1”x.250” wall bung like [mention]Turboyota [/mention]

Even with the sequoia rear end, it was still tricky getting the shocks to clear everything outside the frame rail. It all clears and cycles 18” with a 16” shock.

I leave for Johnson Valley a week from Thursday, let’s see if I can get this piece of Rusty shit driving by then.

 

[SByota]

January 2022

Bump stop mounts done! Bumps still for and clear tire,shock etc.

Punched the holes for the upper shock mounts. Is this measurement better [mention]partybarge_pilot [/mention]

Still contemplating where to add tube. The shock mounts will obviously need reinforcement. The shock will get double sheared with some 1/8” or 3/16” plate, can’t decided on that either. I’m leaning toward 1/8” with a weld washer

Should I put the diagonal from top of the C pillar to shock mount or the bump stop cross bar junction?

 

[SByota]

January 2022

Shocks/bumps located and cycled. Everything clears and it cycles 19” maxed out. Usable travel will be around 18”. Started the down tubes, multiple tube junctions suck to make. I’ll make a simple plate to capture the outside of the shock and tie it into the down tube.

 

[SByota]

January 2022

Thrashing and slamming parts together!

Does it need more tubes and gussets, absolutely. Is it getting them before this trip, absolutely not. This is good enough for a few hundred dirt miles.

 

[SByota]

February 2022

This represents what I’m doing to get this thing running. Just need add fluids, bleed brakes and hot lap around the neighborhood tomorrow. Fingers crossed it all works.

 

[SByota]

February 2022


It runs and drives and nothing exploded! In typical desert trip fashion, I still have to wire up some lights, but it’s going to KOH tomorrow.

I did a quick eyeball alignment, checked for leaks after 10 trips around the block. Verified 4wd hi and low range work. The only surprise is the speedo doesn’t work. It seem to shift through the gears fine, so I’m not looking into it until I get back.

I’ll wire up the lights in the morning, pack up and head out. Pretty pumped I made it happen

 

[SByota]

February 2022

Smashed the shit out of this shit box for three straight days. Only issues were a alignment cam bolt that came loose and moved, even with tack welds,and a CV boot that’s seeping a tiny bit a grease.

Super impressed with how well it preformed. Didn’t touch the tubes, never felt a need too. Maybe some more compression in the front, but I think it’s just the rear out performing the front.

The truck worked great, used every bit of the travel in the front, but never felt it bottom. Only used about 2” of the 4” bumps in the rear, 150 psi, unknown oil level. It felt great.

Now it back home and I need to actually finish it. I slammed it together to make the trip and it needs lots more work to be finished. Lots of hose clamps, zip ties and general hack work to make it drive for this trip. I’ll put together a better trip report in a few days.

 

[SByota]

February 2022

Started tearing out the spaghetti mess of wiring on the drivers side. Truck had some aftermarket stupid anti theft module. Some neck beard definitely installed it, T taps and wire nuts. Yanked all that shit out and cleaned up the factory harness some.

Speedo still doesn’t work. Verified the speed sensor it working, wiring is good, odometer works, just no speedo. Everything points to a bad speedo. The brain for all the gauges is in odometer, pulled it out of the cluster, nothing obviously wrong. I ebayed a new cluster for $100, hopefully that works.

Started on the valve cover gaskets since they are leaking really bad, so bad it smokes when the oil drips on the exhaust. Came apart fast, nothing exciting under the valve covers.

[mention]Blood Eagle [/mention] [mention]Turboyota [/mention] [mention]dose [/mention] or any other Toyota bros, what’s a good timing belt kit for the 3.4. I’m going to do the timing belt/water pump while I have the motor apart. Took a peak at the timing belt and it looks pretty old/weathered

 

[SByota]

March 2022

Literally every seal was leaking. Someone put a Aisin kit in it last, but it looks likes a very long time ago. This is not as exciting as fabrication, but it definitely needed to be done.

 

[SByota]

April 2022

Finally made some progress on this turd. New valve cover gaskets, cam/crank seals, timing belt, water pump etc.

The bigger GM alternator is going to be real close to the upper arm plates, hopefully it doesn’t hit.

 

[SByota]

June 2022

Timing belt/valve cover job finally done. All put back together. Started right up and nothing is leaking. Rebuild the bottom part of the bumper that I cut off to fit the front diff in. Made some skid plates and painted everything.

The minion even helped me install some of the lights today. He even wanted to clean it, big fan of PPE.

I’m going real fancy and using China weather packs on the wiring this time. The kit and crimper I got are actually pretty nice, definitely a step up from the shitty spade connectors I was using. The porch protection detail was keeping me safe.

 

[SByota]

June 2022

This does not spark joy, but necessary. It does feel good to spend a little to do it “right”.

 

[SByota]

July 2022

Lights installed and wired. Skids plates installed and old air dam repurposed to work. Next step is too do some detail work on the front end: brake line clamps, rub guards on the bypass hose, fresh limit straps, and a alignment.

 

[theycallmeWALLY]

Thanks for updating dude. Truck looked like it did great on the last run and I didn't realize it was 4x4 as well!

 

[Turboyota]

Rusty Red was straight getting it on the trip! @SByota was keeping up with the linked trucks. Fucking impressive!!

 

[the bodj]

Not only linked, but trucks with 5"+ more travel in the front as well!

 

[Canks]

absolutely love a 1st gen taco!