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Thread: Rebuilding an '85 Toyota Pickup

  1. #21
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    Default Re: Rebuilding an '85 Toyota Pickup



    Funrover previously posted:
    "Awesome build!"

    Fordboy77 previously posted:
    "Awesome build. rig looks great! Keep up the good work!"


    Thanks guys!



    Fordboy77 previously posted:
    "It always puzzles me how every one else has these awesome facility's to work on the rigs! Then there's me with multiple projects at multiple locations. Spend more time in transit than I do wrenching."

    Grass is always greener... I may have a fairly large shop (1700+ sq ft) but it comes with many downsides. Like the original purchase price, and the continual overhead costs. And I need to use the shop, tooling, and equipment to make my living. Therefore, really hard to justify precious space, and the wear and tear on tooling and equipment for personal projects. That and the only way I can afford it is that it is on the same property as my house. Which means, customers feel like they can pop by anytime unannounced. My wife LOVES that last part the most

  2. #22
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    Default Re: Rebuilding an '85 Toyota Pickup



    Decided against a one piece bedside, and decided to just panel the tube work. Fabbed up a few tabs with some modified cage nuts welded onto the back side to hold the panels.









    Then I started fabbin' the panels. Although I want to keep this rig lightweight, I opted to use a little thicker material (14 ga) than the often used thin aluminum sheet (24-22 ga). I wanted the skins to be able to handle a little abuse so I wasn't having to make a bunch of them. It gets fairly annoying ruining panels from tree branches that should normally only leave a little Colorado pinstripe if anything at all. I again used SS hardware so it will hold up to the elements and with nylon washer between the SS hardware and the panels to help save the paint. Please excuse the clutter of extra parts and equipment in the following photos. It's truly amazing how much room just a few projects can take up.









    With all the tabs welded in place and panels fabricated, I can finally coat everything. The rest of the frame and tube work will get shot with black and the panels with be blue. Then I just need to finish a new front shaft, sticker it up, and decide if I want to fab a new front bumper and sliders or not.

  3. #23
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    Default Re: Rebuilding an '85 Toyota Pickup



    Got everything coated so I can start getting everything assembled. I still need to make a front driveshaft and should probably throw a couple more stickers on but for the most part she's done.

    The frame, suspension, and the rest of the tube work got black:





    With the skins on:





    Couple of the bed/cell cover:







    With the spare secured to the pivoting rack with a strap:



    The first decal I added, and just a good photo (I am biased though):



    Showing off more of the decals that were added. Sure does flex well for being leaf sprung.


  4. #24
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    Default Re: Rebuilding an '85 Toyota Pickup



    I like the shop, but I need the forklift just to do general work around the house. Such a great "tool".

  5. #25
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    Default Re: Rebuilding an '85 Toyota Pickup



    Brad previously posted:
    "Creepy that the color is very similar to Josh (Haku) yota. "

    haha....I was gonna say... I guess we can be the smurf squad or something :P

    My "work in progress" Toyota



    Looking good though, kinda wish I had done mine in that finish instead of bedliner some days. Your truck is a bunch cleaner then mine in most places and I hope to get mine looking better after I get it back on the road again.

  6. #26
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    Default Re: Rebuilding an '85 Toyota Pickup



    Sweet toy! I really dig the flatbed!

  7. #27
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    Default Re: Rebuilding an '85 Toyota Pickup



    Patrolman previously posted:
    "I like the shop, but I need the forklift just to do general work around the house. Such a great "tool"."

    Seriously don't know what I would do without either of my forklifts. They are great pieces of equipment to have around. And the small one is perfect for cleaning the gutters

    Haku previously posted:
    "My "work in progress" Toyota"

    Looks great!

    95tacoma previously posted:
    "Sweet toy! I really dig the flatbed!"

    Thanks, but what flatbed?

  8. #28
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    Default Re: Rebuilding an '85 Toyota Pickup



    So it has been over a year since I "finished" the little blue shop truck. In that time it has served as a great trail rig as well as a great little truck to drive around town while picking up parts. During that time, a couple things became pretty evident, first, the truck is here to stay, for now at least. I have become quite fond of it. It wheels VERY well. Is very cheap to maintain. And is very easy on the pocket book when it comes to breaking parts, as in, it never breaks (knocking on wood). And since it has become obvious that I am going to be keeping it around, I thought it'd be fitting to give it a few more tweaks that I left out the first time around.

    First off was tires and wheels. After another season of wheeling on the 35's I decided it was time for some new meats. I also would like to go to a beadlock wheel. And with a slightly wider offset. After a little searching I was able to find a very gently used set of 37" bias ply Iroks that were mounted on some 15" beadlocks with a 2.5" backspacing. Here are a couple photos:

    Before:





    After:





    Yes, just like everything else on the rig, the wheels are painted to match

    Here are a couple more photos showing the difference in stance the wider offset wheels offer.

    Before:



    After:


  9. #29
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    Default Re: Rebuilding an '85 Toyota Pickup



    I'm impressed! Nice work!

  10. #30
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    Default Re: Rebuilding an '85 Toyota Pickup



    Beefy previously posted:
    "I'm impressed! Nice work!"

    Thank you for the kind words.

  11. #31
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    Default Re: Rebuilding an '85 Toyota Pickup



    95tacoma previously posted:
    "Sweet toy! I really dig the flatbed!"

    Aaron, A.J., technically all trucks have a flat bed right? But here is what flatbed is...
          

  12. #32
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    Default Re: Rebuilding an '85 Toyota Pickup



    Liking the way this rig performs I don't want to change anything too drastically. With the new meats on, and knowing that I will stay with 37" tires, I can take a few baseline specs. Just some things like height, width, wheelbase, weight, etc. Please keep in mind the truck is empty (no trail tools or even a hi-lift) but has a full tank of fuel and the spare tire, and the tires are at "street" pressure of 18lbs.

    I started with heights:









    So the highest point of the rig is the roll bar, which stands 77" or 6'5" tall.

    The shoulder bar is at 56".

    The lowest point of the frame is the rear spring hanger which offers 23" of clearance.

    The widest point is the front axle, which is 82" outside of tire to outside of tire. The rear axle is 81" wide.

    The wheelbase is 106".

    Then I went on to weight. I put the rig on our vehicle scales (corner scales) to get accurate weight and center of gravity measurements.



    With everything in place, we are ready to get the readings. F = front, r = right, etc

    Total weight= 3580 lbs

    Fl weight= 1020 lbs
    Fl%= 28.5%

    Fr weight= 1007 lbs
    Fr %= 28.1%

    Rl weight= 739 lbs
    Rl %= 20.6%

    Rr weight= 814 lbs
    Rr %= 22.8%

    As you can see, it is fairly lightweight and pretty well balanced. With the addition of winch, trail tools, spares, and driver, it should be just under or at the 4000 lbs mark and be even better balanced.

    Not too shabby. Now you all know why I call it the "little" shop truck.

  13. #33
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    Default Re: Rebuilding an '85 Toyota Pickup



    I want to use your scales lol but not too bad that's a good frame height mines a bunch lower than that

  14. #34
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    Default Re: Rebuilding an '85 Toyota Pickup



    Robert B previously posted:
    "I want to use your scales lol but not too bad that's a good frame height mines a bunch lower than that"

    Considering it is a 1/3 the total height of the rig, I thought it was fairly decent

    If you're serious, we charge $40 to give you your corner weights and center of gravity. I know we are slammed right now, but feel free to give us a holler to see when our next opening would be!

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    Default Re: Rebuilding an '85 Toyota Pickup



    Cool Aaron thanks for posting! I love the 'no step'!

  16. #36
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    Default Re: Rebuilding an '85 Toyota Pickup



    Nice work and build. Dig the lower COG!

  17. #37
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    Default Re: Rebuilding an '85 Toyota Pickup



    Thanks everyone. It has been a fun build and a fun toy in the rocks.


    glacierpaul previously posted:
    "Cool Aaron thanks for posting! I love the 'no step'!"

    I really liked that one as well. Your only one of few who have commented on that sticker.

  18. #38
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    Default Re: Rebuilding an '85 Toyota Pickup



    Next item up needing some attention is the front bumper. It is a stinger style tube bumper that a previous owner put on. I have never been a huge fan of that particular style, plus it only offers a receiver hitch mount and not a permanent winch try. So the plan will be to remove the bumper (previous owner welded and bolted it on) and then to modify the existing bumper to better suit my desires.

    Few before shots:





    With the bumper freshly removed:





    The above photos are a great example as to why every surface should be coated well, and not just the visible ones. No worries though, a little clean up and the front is looking better already.


  19. #39
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    Default Re: Rebuilding an '85 Toyota Pickup



    Having the bumper removed and the front cross member cleaned up I could focus on fabbing up a front support plate. Keeping in mind the weight issue, I cut two plates out of 1/8" steel that will become one, instead of opting for one plate out of 3/16" or 1/4".



    I then clamped the two pieces together and against the fab table. This allowed me to tack weld the two pieces together with minimal heat distortion.



    I then fully welded the two together. I laid out the necessary through holes needed and drilled them as well as some extra hole in the middle of the piece for some plug welds. Here is the piece all cleaned up:



    Tacked and plug welded into place:


  20. #40
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    Default Re: Rebuilding an '85 Toyota Pickup



    Looks good! Seems like your guy's shop is very well set up.

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