TheeMikeB Build Thread

[TheeMikeB]

Decided to finally do the 'steering column fix' that is discussed in detail on TTORA

Diagnose and Fix Steering Play/Rattle - TTORA Forum

I've been meaning to do this for a while and after my last wheeling trip I just couldn't stand the slop in the column anymore. I could just feel the two sections banging against each other.

Took a few pics but didn't go in depth as it's been covered to death already. Total time took me about 90min including my horrible welding.

Pulling the dash apart:

Pulled the column out:

On the bench:

Put a few welds on this section here where the two pieces join.

Reinstalled and I could tell right away the feel was much tighter, drove around the block and just on that short drive it was totally different. Just like everyone says... should have done this long ago.


Also ordered some new LED domes, I returned the Oznium ones I had as they sucked and were expensive. These cost me about $2 each from amazon, it was a little tight getting it in the domes as the LEDs are slightly longer than the stock bulb but I was able to make it work.

difference in length:

Much happier with these and so cheap, I orders 4 so I have a few spares, I've learned with cheap leds to just get a few extras incase.

I also noticed I need to get on my blue sea install and get some of that underdash wiring cleaned up. I've got a few taps there I'm not liking anymore.

 

[TheeMikeB]

I decided to start planing my Blue Sea Install and some wiring clean up. Since I had the dash apart I decided to wire up a Passive Starter Kill on my rig. I emailed 12voltguy a while back and he is kind enough to send over some schematics of how to do so easily. Basically a couple of relays tied into the ign system. The best part is there is a multitude of ways to trigger the relay if you don't want to use a contact switch.

Not going to tell you how, what, or where I put my stuff but here is a pic of the relays I wired up. All connections soldered, and shrink tubed for extra protection. That center piece is soldered, wire nutted, and sealed with my new favorite tool "Rubber splicing tape" if you haven't used this stuff yet you don't' know what your missing. Throw your electrical tape away and NEVER look back.

Gives me a lot more piece of mind since my rig sits outside and I just feel it's a target because of all the mods on it.

 

[TheeMikeB]

I've been researching my Blue Sea install and trying to locate the best spot for it. As I started searching and planning I decided to go a slightly different route.

I realized for me that a majority of the cables I was trying to get off the batt term were too big to go on the blue sea anyway. Winch, Amp, and ARB Comp. The winch and amp are 4awg and the ARB is a 40amp anyway which is too big for a single terminal on the blue sea. Not to mention I would be adding another 4AWG to power the BSFB... not really solving anything.

So started looking around more and decided to run a 4 Point Terminal Bus bar like this:

This way I can move all the large cables off the battery, and leave only the factory fuse-able link, starter,and Bus bar line on the battery terminal.

I'll run the busbar off my 100A Thermal CB, then run my Amp, Winch, ARB Comp, and BSFB off the busbar. Planning on putting the CB and Busbar on the inside fender near the battery. It will be out of the way and well protected there.

Here is a diagram of what I'm thinking:

 

[hamiltonshmamilton]

Great thread, I really love your rig. Keep up the good work!

 

[Mgyver1]

Looks like you're doing it right. On my dual battery install in my Tacoma I used a lot of stuff from these guys:

https://www.vtewarehouse.com/

Good source for stuff like high amp fuses (ANL holders) and insulated boots to go over terminals.

 

[TheeMikeB]

Looks like you're doing it right. On my dual battery install in my Tacoma I used a lot of stuff from these guys:

https://www.vtewarehouse.com/

Good source for stuff like high amp fuses (ANL holders) and insulated boots to go over terminals.

Thanks... That's actually the site I ordered my stuff from, totally book marked that site for future electrical stuff.

 

[Mgyver1]

Thanks... That's actually the site I ordered my stuff from, totally book marked that site for future electrical stuff.

Yeah I was looking through their products again for grins after I found the website to source. As soon as I looked through the bus bars I was like, "Hey, that looks just like the one he posted!"

 

[TheeMikeB]

^ That's actually the photo from their website! Good eye!!

Got my Kill switch system in place now and cleaned up all my internal underdash wiring and got the dash all put back together. It wasn't bad before but now it's just better. I pulled some of the T-taps I had and ran them to the engine bay in prep to connect to my BSFB.

I pulled my CB out and removed the fuse from the back of the radio since i'm running going to run the power to the BSFB I'll put the fuse there. No sense in having two and if the fuse behind the radio blew it would be a PITA to get to anyway.

While doing that I found the old ashtray light and decided to swap it out with one of the extra LEDs I had from my LED swap and drilled a hole in the pocket below the radio and mounted it in there. Now my pocket is lit up... a bit 'ricey' but I can always pull it if I decide to.

 

[TheeMikeB]

Actually looking at this again I realize I can't run the winch off the 100A CB, the winch can draw up to 450amps according to the website. I'll have to run the winch directly off the battery.

 

[TheeMikeB]

Finally got around to completing my BSFB installation. Once I started actually doing and fitting this stuff in there I made a few changes and decided to omit the 100A CB. I don't feel it was really necessary and it started getting a little tight to fit everything where I wanted to put it.

Here is the ckt layout I decided to run:

I didn't feel that the CB was necessary for a few reasons... All the power lines running from the dist block have inline fuses with the exception of the winch. Which doesn't matter since it didn't have a fuse in the first place and it can draw over 400A at full load which is over the CB load anyway. Therefore the only real reason to put a CB inline would be to protect the 12" run from the battery to the Dist Block. I don't feel it's necessary since the chance of this wire getting grounded out is no more than the chance of the winch doing the same thing. It just fit together much better without it.

Here is my process... I ordered two different dist blocks from VTE both the "large" and regular 4 point busbar. The large has a nice built on cover to protect the dist points but its rather large in person as you can see here between the two:

So since the location I chose is pretty well protected by the battery I decided to run the smaller one without the cover and mount it here:

I made all my own custom cables using 4AWG wire I had left over from my AMP kit and just got heavy duty ring terminals:

Also ordered new Marine Battery Terminals and a new terminal cover from VTE:

Here is all the wiring run to the dist block:

 

[TheeMikeB]

I mounted my BSFB right on top of the factory under hood fuse block:

I used a some M4 bolts with lock washers etc... I mounted bolts to the cover first so that the BSFB could be removed and mounted independently of the cover. This way no metal bolts can accidentally work their way into the factory fuse block and short anything out.

Ran into an issue with the nuts being so small and my nut driver too thick I couldn't tighten the nuts as they fit into this little recessed area on the BSFB. So I ended up getting some fender washers and grinding them down a bit to fit over the recessed area and enough out of the way to the BSFB cover would close properly.

Here it is mounted in the rig and the 4 AWG ground connector going directly to the body inside the fender:

Connected the power feed and put the cover on:

The factory Fuseable link and starter terminals were too small to fit on the new Marine Battery Terminal so I had to ream them out a bit to fit. Started with my reamer then used a 1/4" drill bit to clean them out.

Then I cut the factory ground terminal and flattened it out so I can connect it to the new marine terminal too:

I ditched the tiny 6 or 8 AWG wire that went from the battery to the fender and added in a new 4 awg put the battery in and wired it all together.

Then pulled the new pos term cover over and she is all done.

Now I just need to make the connections to the BSFB for my individual accessories. I need to go get a pack of ATO blade fuses so finish up.

 

[TheeMikeB]

On another note, I had some whining coming from my rear diff, I was hoping it was just my pinion bearing so I ordered a master install kit in hopes of replacing all the bearings and tightening everything up would help. I owe a huge thanks to my buddy Phil from TTORA for helping me and teaching me all this along the way. He basically did all of this and I was his helper/learner along the way.

Once I had it off the truck I could feel right away that I had almost zero PPL. I checked my pattern and it was pretty far off... forgot to take that pic but here are a few of the process:

Up on the bench:

I tore it all down and replaced all the bearings and races... when I pulled the old pinion bearing and race... the pinion race was pretty worn out. I could see this was the cause of my whining. I'm guessing that my crush sleeve started to give out after getting bashed around on rocks. Which I why I'm glad I got a solid spacer this time.

Got it all put back together and just couldn't get a good pattern....

Drive side is too deep and coast is too shallow, played with different shims to try and correct it but just couldn't do it. Either the pinon would go way too deep and contact the ARB case and could never get coast right. BL was between .006 and .009 and PPL at 10... never would get a good pattern.

Emailed the gear god ZUK just to confirm and he said that because the pinion was out so much that it wore a bad pattern into the RP. Time to replace... I didn't want to hear that because that's another few hundred bucks to fix. But it is what it is... new Nitro RP and upgraded 29 spline kit on the way.

Pulled the Ring off the ARB case and checked the run out... was at .002

 

[TheeMikeB]

Got my new Nitro 488 RP yesterday and got it installed. MUCH MUCH MUCH better gear pattern here. This will be a nice solid setup and my whining should now be gone.

Now I need to get them installed and broken in. We had a Rubicon trip planned for the 2nd week of Oct but the trail has been evacuated because of the fire in that area.

 

[TheeMikeB]

Got my new gears installed on Monday and what a difference! No more whine and while I was there I put my extended diff breather on there. I lost my stupid ARB bulkhead O-ring so had to order one. I couldn't source one locally and the HF o-ring kit I have didn't have the right one.

So I ordered 10 because they were like $.12 each so now I have a few in my bag.

ARB PN# 160234

Regular BS O-ring # BS104N70

They are really only a standard 1/8" Oring the guy from ARB said but they are made of Nitrile but even the hydraulic shop I called didn't have one that small. Regular plumbing one prob wouldn't hold up to the diff gasses.

 

[TheeMikeB]

Well... the day has come, I'm putting my baby up for sale. Looking to get a 1st gen built SA 4runner, open to trade for one that is built the same.

My ad is in the classifieds.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/sale-vehicles/193686-2001-4runner-nor-cal-lifted-locked-built-%249900.html

 

[SCRunner12]

LAME! I saw your ad in craigslist, but I don't blame you. I really want a 1st gen as well. Good luck with the sale/trade.

 

[TheeMikeB]

LAME! I saw your ad in craigslist, but I don't blame you. I really want a 1st gen as well. Good luck with the sale/trade.

Well a trade came through...

Stats:

Street legal, registered, 1985 SR5 extra cab

-Has brand-new engine. Dave'z off-road performance 22re. Less than 100 miles.

-W56 transmision with built dual transfercases with 4.7 gears in rear case. Marlin Crawler Heavy Duty input and output shafts. Triple stick from Dave'z Offorad.

-Transfer case ebrake, high clearance crossmember

- rear suspension is 62 inch Deavers and bilsteins shocks valved for the truck

- front suspension is a Get bent fab works 3 link with 14in coilovers with 4 inch air bumps. Rides well on the road and performs on the rocks/dirt

- steering. Hy-steer, 6 shooter 6 stud knuckles with ARP studs, hydro assist steering with trail gear hy-speed pump. Larger cooler mounted behind bumper.

- front axle has 5.29 gears, Air Locker, Bobby Long 30spl axles, Bobby Long Hub gears, ARP hub studs, recently rebuilt, 1.5 wheel spacers

- rear axle has 5.29 gears, Detroit locker, disk brakes, Alloy USA axle shafts, 3/4inch wheel spacers

- armor. Get Bent Fab front and rear bumpers, trail gear sliders.

- wheels and tires. 37 in MTRs. 85% on Micky thompson classics.

- brand-new full exhaust 2 inch. California legal cat a nice muffler.

 

[SCRunner12]

Damn that was quick, but that looks like a sweet little truck. Congrats and hopefully I can see you on the trail at some point.

 

[TheeMikeB]

Damn that was quick, but that looks like a sweet little truck. Congrats and hopefully I can see you on the trail at some point.

Ha yeah it was... I was actually talking to this guy for a few days back and forth on pirate... it was this discussion that prompted me to put it up for sale just to see what the appetite was and the market incase the trade didn't come through. Sometimes I see rigs sit there for so long and I thought the market was cold... but I had 5 people hit me up wanting to come look at it.

It's not a 4runner but I couldn't pass this up. Now I can officially say I have my 1985 Back to the future dream rig.

 

[SCRunner12]

Very cool, I love those old 80's yotas. I've been entertaining trying to trade my 4unner for a DC 1st gen Tundra. I love them and it would be nice to have a truck bed. You had one right? Thoughts?