KidV's 1985 4Runner

[KidVermicious]

How much smoke poured out?

Not an insane amount, actually. I was prepared for a filthy stinky white cloud to cover the neighborhood, but it never did that. It wasn't any worse than the cloud you get when you're starting up an old carbed motor after it's been sitting.

 

[Rockdawg84]

Kid, great find. Be sure to swap your 86 rear axle into the 85 before you let it go. Bigger rear brakes, Bigger axle tubes, and 3 inches wider. looking forward to the build.

Sam

 

[KidVermicious]

Kid, great find. Be sure to swap your 86 rear axle into the 85 before you let it go. Bigger rear brakes, Bigger axle tubes, and 3 inches wider. looking forward to the build.

Sam

Absolutely I will. I keep my diff armor that way too, and swapping axles will be a great time to get around to doing that disc brake upgrade of yours!

 

[Rockdawg84]

Absolutely I will. I keep my diff armor that way too, and swapping axles will be a great time to get around to doing that disc brake upgrade of yours!

Sweet. Some day I will get around to the ebrake part of the swap. LOL another thing to do right away especially if your gonna drive it every day. Take a sawzall and cut out the front dogbone tower and upper mount, also remove the front swaybar. It will make a massive difference in how it rides and drives. It won't feel so log truck like. What are your plans for suspension? Crossover steering?

 

[KidVermicious]

Sweet. Some day I will get around to the ebrake part of the swap. LOL another thing to do right away especially if your gonna drive it every day. Take a sawzall and cut out the front dogbone tower and upper mount, also remove the front swaybar. It will make a massive difference in how it rides and drives. It won't feel so log truck like. What are your plans for suspension? Crossover steering?

I'm new to the solid axle, what's a dogbone tower?

Short term, I'm going to swap over my rears and shackles from the '86 and and stuff another leaf or two in the front (the fronts are at negative arch, they need help bad). Once I'm ready to put the 33s back on, it'll be OME/Dakar if I can afford it and Chevy 63s/RUFs if I can't. I'm going to play the steering by ear. I'll be aiming for just enough lift to fit my 255/85 KM2s, and I don't think crossover even fits until you get at least three or four inches, right?

 

[mikebontoft]

son of a ***** has a clinometer. you guys seeing this?


nice buy... the body is better on this one or no?

 

[Rockdawg84]

I'm new to the solid axle, what's a dogbone tower?

Short term, I'm going to swap over my rears and shackles from the '86 and and stuff another leaf or two in the front (the fronts are at negative arch, they need help bad). Once I'm ready to put the 33s back on, it'll be OME/Dakar if I can afford it and Chevy 63s/RUFs if I can't. I'm going to play the steering by ear. I'll be aiming for just enough lift to fit my 255/85 KM2s, and I don't think crossover even fits until you get at least three or four inches, right?

The Dogbone is an anti-dive bar that runs from a tower on the front axle, drivers side to the frame. It makes the front so stiff you will want your IFS back. LOL RUF work great. It will move your front axle forward about 2" and that is good. Combine them with a 5-6" shackle and use F250 shock mounts or Trail-gear front shock hoops with a good 14" travel shock and you love the front. IMHO don't go 63" in the rear. Go with a ford f150 rear spring that is about 56" and combine them with an Antiwrap bar in the rear. As far as crossover you are right that HiSteer needs about 3" of lift but RUF will give you almost that. There is also the less expensive route of lowsteer crossover steering. you put in a IFS box (which I believe you have access to:cheers and then you need a couple of pieces to make it happen. Works great and keeps steering geometry in good shape. Push pull steering works fine as long as you have no flex up front but RUF flex great so you will want to get rid of it before long. you are entering a great new world of not breaking cv's and as long as you don't put a front locker in you can run 35's and not break a birfield. 84-85 runners are wonderful and your going to love it.

Sam

 

[KidVermicious]

son of a ***** has a clinometer.

Sh!t yes I do. Got an immaculate dash, too, so suck on that . The interior is a little dirty and stained, but there's no tears in the fabric, no rips in the carpet or seats, all the trim is in place and intact, it's sweet. These SR5 buckets are great, too.

The outside, not so much. The '86 had decent paint and metal, but a giant gouge in the drivers door and left rocker from my pre-slider days. The '85 is straight with no dents, but the rust is starting to eat through over the fenders and underneath the tail lights. I'm not a huge fan of the bushwacker-style fenders, but I'll probably be cutting out the rust and installing those fender flares in self defence.

 

[BucknutBob]

Too bad you couldn't find one with that awesome bright red interior that you love so much. You're going to love that solid front axle when you hit the trails--tire goes up, so do all the hard parts that normally drag. Yeah, baby!

 

[KidVermicious]

The Dogbone is an anti-dive bar that runs from a tower on the front axle, drivers side to the frame. It makes the front so stiff you will want your IFS back. LOL RUF work great. It will move your front axle forward about 2" and that is good. Combine them with a 5-6" shackle and use F250 shock mounts or Trail-gear front shock hoops with a good 14" travel shock and you love the front. IMHO don't go 63" in the rear. Go with a ford f150 rear spring that is about 56" and combine them with an Antiwrap bar in the rear. As far as crossover you are right that HiSteer needs about 3" of lift but RUF will give you almost that. There is also the less expensive route of lowsteer crossover steering. you put in a IFS box (which I believe you have access to:cheers and then you need a couple of pieces to make it happen. Works great and keeps steering geometry in good shape. Push pull steering works fine as long as you have no flex up front but RUF flex great so you will want to get rid of it before long. you are entering a great new world of not breaking cv's and as long as you don't put a front locker in you can run 35's and not break a birfield. 84-85 runners are wonderful and your going to love it.

Sam

That's good stuff to think on, thanks Sam!

 

[KidVermicious]

I'm parting most of the '86, by the way - I've got a thread on Yotatech here: 1986 4Runner part-out - YotaTech Forums

You guys let me know if you need anything. Special rates for T4R members.

 

[Footofgod]

You people better be nice to Stumpy, may he rest in peace. That truck went everywhere I asked it to and then some.

Except Moab with the gang.

 

[KidVermicious]

Except Moab with the gang.

You're off my Christmas list.

 

[Gerdo]

Have you run an engine oil cleaning flush?
I like to run a half a quart of ATF, in the engine, for a few days/100 miles (I think the time is as important as the mileage).Then change the oil. The high detergent of the ATF cleans gunk out great. I'll also quiet lifters and other small knocks.

This definitely a way to repair/replace a blown engine.

 

[KidVermicious]

Have you run an engine oil cleaning flush?
I like to run a half a quart of ATF, in the engine, for a few days/100 miles (I think the time is as important as the mileage).Then change the oil. The high detergent of the ATF cleans gunk out great. I'll also quiet lifters and other small knocks.

No, I'd never heard that. I poured some of that Seafoam in the crank case, I expect it'll have the same effect. I was going to do it again in a couple hundred but maybe I'll do the ATF instead, that's a lot cheaper.

This definitely a way to repair/replace a blown engine.

They call me Mr. Efficient.

 

[BucknutBob]

Hey Kid, just be prepared to do the oil change right away if you do the ATF treatment--you don't want to keep driving on that very long like you can with the Seafoam. It's intended as a prep step for an imminent oil change, not as an oil additive.

 

[KidVermicious]

Progress! A little bit, anyway.

Puppetz came over this morning, and a coworker made it by this afternoon. Between the three of us, we managed to get nearly everything worth anything off the '86, and generated some excellent driveway carnage in the process.

All thats left with the '86 is to salvage the sliders and get the '85 axle underneath and get it hauled away. Or I think that's all that's left - my list drove away in the back of Puppetz's truck, along with the roll bar. Didn't quite get the axle out from under the '85 - one 30 year old leaf spring bolt didn't want to put out, so I soaked it in PB Blast and will try again in the morning. If it still doesn't wanna give it up for daddy I'm getting out the grinder.

Next is to finish swapping the axles so I can get the '86 off to the wrecker, stuff a few more leaves in front to correct the sag, and then I can focus on the rear main and getting the motor nice and smooth.

Have I mentioned I like driving trucks better than working on them? WANT TO WHEEL.

 

[4runnin83]

You still gonna swap the QTR panels?

 

[SV_Dude]

If the fenders and doors on the 86 are in good shape, you may want to save those for the 85. Just in case you smash something in while wheeling or you want to make some half doors.

 

[KidVermicious]

I've already got a spare set of doors for half doors. I haven't made up my mind yet if I'm going to carve the rear fenders off and slap them on the '85, or just live with the rust until I can afford some of slackers goodies.