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New Side By Side

cwh

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Nov 18, 2007
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I am always amazed by the price of side by sides. No doubt, they are cool - I've driven a couple (even tipped one over!) and they are fun. But I could never get past the fact that they are basically a toyota pickup scaled down. Newer ones seem to be getting even bigger.

So, finally put my money where my mouth is.

 

tnv

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Dec 25, 2007
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I remember when those trucks seemed decent in size and now they seem small compared to the P/Us on the road. I had a '89 with the 22RE engine and you couldn't tear it up. However, it couldn't get out of the way of itself should you need to lean on the gas.

I wish I still had it as it is the perfect size for an off road hunting vehicle.
 

cwh

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So far:

-Fixed driver's side window that wouldn't roll up.
-Cleaned entire intake (was not pretty) and new air filter
-New plugs, wires, cap, rotor.
-Adjust rear brakes so they work.
-Replace stupid "theft deterrent" lug nuts on my pimp rims

To do:
-Belts
-Remove that stupid roll bar
-Replace Clutch and slave cylinder
-"Adjust" rear bumper so I can open the tailgate
-Pull front third member and see WTF
-Look at birfs and see WTF
 

cwh

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tnv said:
I remember when those trucks seemed decent in size and now they seem small compared to the P/Us on the road. I had a '89 with the 22RE engine and you couldn't tear it up. However, it couldn't get out of the way of itself should you need to lean on the gas.

I wish I still had it as it is the perfect size for an off road hunting vehicle.
I had an 89/22re that I drove the hell out of. Wish I had kept it instead of going new F150, but it was in pretty sorry shape by the time I got rid of it. It took an incredible amount of abuse. Has been re-built and traveled most of the country now.
 

Driftin'

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The faithful old '91 is still in the garage. Has flawlessly taken me to MT, WY, AK, BC and all over WA. Toy's Die Hard....
 

257 Wby Mag

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Great choice, I've had, 79'80,81,83,84,88,91,94,03,04 yotas, beat the fuck outta most of em, pretty tough to kill, great woods rigs... pass the first gen....
 

cwh

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Was a first for me running a "full size" vehicle in muskeg. A guy has to be a little careful and read what's going on. Everything has a bottom, but it could be 10 or 20 feet down, and "when in doubt, throttle out" does not really apply. Rest assured, I took on enough water before getting out of that hole to have a wet ass while sitting in the seat.

When I yanked the front diff out to see what was making metal, I was pleasantly surprised to find a locker in there that the previous owner did not know about. Pinion was grinding on the carrier, and was making some pretty big shavings, but a local shop hooked me right up on that and probably made a long-term customer. I went through 2 used birfields before finding one that wouldn't click/bind, and am probably going longfield 30 spline chromoly in the front, just to not worry about it.

She did really well on anything other than muskeg, and did good enough on muskeg as long as I picked routes carefully (the above being the obvious example of not doing so). Being the only rig with any cargo capacity, I ended up hauling in 90% of camp, so I was HEAVY, and pulling a trailer. Beverly Hillbillies jokes were made.

There were a few places that wheelers could go that I couldn't, due to either weight or width, but not many. Some of them side by sides could go, and some they couldn't. I will take 36 inches of clearance before my feet get wet while crossing water over 8" in a stock ranger, for damn sure. Also, windshield wipers and a heater are under rated.

I've got a few things I want to adjust. Not really crazy about the cobbled together winch mount, would love to have a good method to reverse winch, would like to have lower gears, but I'm not sure dual TC's is the right setup for what I want to do. I need to find a better way to mount a spare and hi-lift, and some sort of on board air would be pretty handy. On the more urgent side, there are zero cupholders, and that just has to change.

If I get really ambitious I might end up building a flat bed, but that probably won't happen before next year. Sheet of 3/4 plywood bolted to the rails with tie downs all around actually worked pretty well, and provides a decent moose spotting platform to get you above the brush. I sized it to be able to squeeze 5 totes under the plywood, and that was a good call.
 

cwh

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Couple more pics.

Running around empty mode. Aside from having to install lift blocks to clear the fender wells, that $80 craigslist toolbox was the tits. Kept all my shit dry that needed to be dry. Under the plywood stays dryish, and packs lived there mostly full time.



Fully loaded for the way out. Not so good... toolbox is inaccessible, and I can hear the axles on that trailer screaming for mercy. Fuck it, a comfortable camp is worth looking (more) like a hillbilly.... beverly or otherwise.

 

ptarmigan

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Apr 13, 2008
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Jesus!!! I'm gonna save that photo and show it to my pard. He was bitchin about the extra bulk from the Arctic Oven I hauled in this year. Of course he wasn't bitchin much when it was 5 deg yesterday morning and I cranked up the stove.
 

Lawdwaz

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Nov 25, 2008
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cwh.......lots of valuable space over that cab not being utilized! One of those pipe/ladder racks over the box & cab could be almost as cool as cup holders in the cab. :)
 

cwh

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I need to keep space over the cab free, as it is spoken for. There will be a shooting platform there so a guy can stand on the toolbox and shoot on the go. Discussion topics in camp included a button in the platform that triggered a light in the cab, so the driver knows when to stop. 5-point harness a given (safety first).

A jet dingy would be fun, but I couldn't go hunting with this group, or it'd be sunk before I got it off the trailer!

Also on the list: skid plate to keep brush out of my belts/hoses and some sort of protection for the brake lines while alder/willow bashing.

I feel like the cupholder thing is not being taken seriously. I understand that when you are on a wheeler, out in the weather, freezing your hands and getting soaked, you can't really think about a cupholder. You are too busy trying to keep your face from icing up and swearing at every stick that slaps you in the eyes. But I'm inside, with the heater going, watching the branches bounce off the grill guard, nice and dry. A little too dry in fact, and the best way to combat that is with a frosty currs light. It is a well known fact that spilling a currs is bad luck, and a cupholder keeps that to a minimum. They say a guy makes his own luck, but the lesser known corollary is that he keeps it with cupholders.
 

Driftin'

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Got your cup holders installed yet? *grin*

Usually don't deploy mine when in 4WD as beverages don't stay inside the bottle with the pitching and yawing. Don't ask how I know.

Thought I'd mention that the Toyota differential breathers are a tiny little capped snorkel threaded into the top of the axel(s). When one submarines the running gear like you did, you may want to R&R the diff. oil to make sure you aren't running salad dressing. Years ago, NW Off Road Specialties sold a kit that used a threaded brass replacement nipple to match the OEM tapered threads with a hose routed to higher ground and drooped down for an air pocket to keep from sucking water. The line was capped with an inline filter. Slick idea if one isn't pushing alders.... *grin*

Looking forward to more of your Toyota SxS adventures!
 

cwh

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Still no cupholders. I'm dangerously dehydrated.

Usually don't deploy mine when in 4WD as beverages don't stay inside the bottle with the pitching and yawing. Don't ask how I know.
Wait, wait, wait... are you telling me that beer also comes in BOTTLES?!

On the diff breathers, I went with the patented "rubber dick" approach.



They are a closed system, where the bellows just expand and contract with the temp of the air in the axle. It seemed easier - unscrew old breather, screw in new breather (with thread sealer).

That worked fine in the rear (although it does look like you have a rubber dick sticking out of your diff). In the front, the rubber dick wanted to get between the bump stop and the leaf springs, and I was worried that it would get pinched and I'd end up with water in the diff. So I ended up running some fuel line routed out of the path of destruction up into the engine compartment and then capping it with the bellows. I have no idea if it worked - haven't pulled a plug, but I should do that.

I'm thinking about mounting a plow on this thing for winter, just because.
 

Paul H

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cwh said:
Wait, wait, wait... are you telling me that beer also comes in BOTTLES?!
Yeah, I remember what happened when I got you a case of Alaskan Amber and you didn't pay attention to the warning that the card board had gotten wet.
 

cwh

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That box made survived for over 100 miles before it gave up the ghost and I dropped a few in the driveway on my way into the house. Funny shit.
 

Driftin'

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cwh said:
Wait, wait, wait... are you telling me that beer also comes in BOTTLES?!
Laffin'. Life's too short to drink canned beverages! *grin*

Good move on the accordion diff breather. I may have to upgrade my old snorkels as they are circa 1992 or so. Probably after elk season.
 

Pappy

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I have had a yota or two in my time and they are awesome but they are no comparison when wanting to cover ground in our country at any rate of speed. Toy will get you there but slowly, battered and bruised. I will take the side by side every time and I have both.

By the way nice ride and I am not hacking on the Toyota's, just my opinion on ride preference and ability to get somewhere in a reasonable amount of time and still have kidneys. I have had the same conversation with many over the side by side, small truck choice and it is crazy what these side by sides cost but if one can afford to have one around it is worth it for me. I know my pickups have appreciated the break in action and so have I. I know what happens when I see a yote and my brain goes out the window with most of my shit and when all is said and done I am lucky to make it home let alone close all the doors or keep the wind from blowing through what used to be windows.
 

Horse1

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Pappy said:
I know what happens when I see a yote and my brain goes out the window with most of my shit and when all is said and done I am lucky to make it home let alone close all the doors or keep the wind from blowing through what used to be windows.
I've had my current 6.7L F-250 crossed up like a winged sprint car in 4WD in attempt to cut off coyotes.
 

Pappy

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I have wrecked my fair share of outfits running dogs. You know when none of the doors shut on a new four door F350 you done something right, must have been a soft frame. Good thing it was a dealer loaner, betting they won't do that again.
 

cwh

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The kid that had this one did some suspension work (fox shocks and rear leafs up front, and extended bilstein shocks in the back with Chevy springs.) It rides pretty good, but it is a solid axle toyota - never going to keep pace with a full IFS rig in a race, for sure.

I've been using it as a ladder brace/extension most recently.
 

Driftin'

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Pappy said:
I have wrecked my fair share of outfits running dogs. You know when none of the doors shut on a new four door F350 you done something right, must have been a soft frame. Good thing it was a dealer loaner, betting they won't do that again.
Maybe they went aluminum on the F350's too. *grin*

Laughed. Your local Ford dealer must love you....
 

cwh

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Another moose season without cupholders has come and gone. Coffee was nearly spilt, and yet no progress has been made. The situation is completely unacceptable. People are getting pissed, but that is the way of prioritization.

On other fronts, there has been progress - well, really only in the building of the flatbed. The plywood over bed rails, while nearly free, was a crappy way to roll. The bed had huge holes in it from a redneck fab shock mount hoop that extended a foot into the bed. That ate up too much space and was stupid tall for the shock mounting it provided. After I removed the bed, I zipped off the old shock mount and rebuilt it a little lower without compromising travel.



Yes, that is a real welding blanket... something about fuel lines and welding and... well, call me a pussy if you want.

Then it was on with the build for the bed frame, with goals being strong (enough to haul what I want) and lightweight (enough to not make me wish for the factory box) and not cock-blocking myself for future additions.

Frame is nearly complete here. All .120 wall 2" square tube except for mounts and toolbox supports. It is pretty light, but an awkward sob to move on and off, which needed to happen several times, of course.


Decked it with 3/4" (or whatever approximation of 3/4 Lowes sells these days) ply. I flip-flopped like Hillary on including the toolbox... glad I did, even though I had to block it up to make it fit. Genuine floor paint on the decking, and it seemed to hold up pretty well.



I was going to do stake pockets and rub rail for tie-downs, and probably would have if I'd had time to get materials, but limiting myself to 4 days proved to be a bad move. Had to work a few of those days and making a trip to AK steel during their business hours was just not in the cards. Ended up at AIH for something else, and saw the L-Track. It was more money than I wanted to spend, but there is nothing worse than not having tie-downs (ok, there are some things that are worse, but I'm not going to get into that). Anyway, grabbed a couple of those and pretty much called it done. Fuckers are handy... each clip is rated at 1300lbs or so - in case I want to hang the truck off them.



Little things like the fuel filler take a lot of time, and are really not fun. I'll probably build in some protection for that area if/when I add storage on the sides.

Another shot before the maiden voyage.


It just wouldn't be right if a guy didn't do a proper capacity test.


It seemed to work as intended...
 

cwh

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Answers to your questions (yes I do have ESP):

1. Yes, that welding cart is OSHA certified and perfectly safe, but I appreciate your concern.

2. Yes, that is Kirkland light beer. I know, Driftin' is going to give me shit for downgrading from his favorite currs.

3. Good eye - those shackles do need attention. Its on the list... get off my back.

4. No, that isn't a whole caribou on/in a Barney's pack. It is missing the hide off the rear quarters, the guts, and the rear feet.

5. No, it was considerably more awkward than it looks.

6. No, those are not Bugle boy jeans I'm wearing. They are the previously discussed 5.11's. Pretty nice pants. You can fit about 24lbs of shit into the pockets. 30lbs if you wear a belt.
 

Driftin'

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Your ES Perceptions must be waning a tad. Ya left the Ladder/4' LED fixture off your list. And who left the upscale Alaskan Amber bottle on your work bench?

Seriously, no seriously, nicely done all around. Congrats!
 

cwh

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Thanks guys...

Paul, don't get envious of the shop just yet. Its a shell of a really nice shop:) Swing by this weekend - Old lady is out of town and I am wrangling a kid. They'll make you take a test to prove you can drive a car, but they'll let anybody have a kid until they prove they can't.

Funny how you go sheep hunting and look at an animal and think: "Yeah, that's doable." And then you go there, possibly over the course of a couple days, and it may or may not be doable, but you learn something.

Then, you go back to work for 2 days and then go moose/caribou hunting. And even though you can run a manual transmission with a reasonable degree of competency, you can't shift your mind out of its sheep hunting mindset. So, despite the fact that your friends are killing caribou and driving their wheelers up to them at that very moment, you see a small group of caribou with literally nothing special in it way up on a ridge and think: Yeah, that's doable. And sure, it was doable. But it wasn't very smart. Little one and the old lady were waiting in the truck, and we had a river to cross yet. Oh well, smart folks have boring stories (Remember that time that we saw those caribou and decided they were too high/far away to go after? Do you remember what we did after that? Me neither. What's your name again? Good to meet you. How about these airline seats huh? Cramped enough for you?).
 

cwh

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Driftin' said:
Your ES Perceptions must be waning a tad. Ya left the Ladder/4' LED fixture off your list. And who left the upscale Alaskan Amber bottle on your work bench?

Seriously, no seriously, nicely done all around. Congrats!
My skillset, while shallow, is not very wide. So sometimes I have to con people into doing work. And very few people will work for shit beer. Er... light beer. Anyway, long story short, I buy good beer for bribery purposes when forced. Don't tell anybody, but I like to drink it too.

As for the LED... yes, that is a 4' LED tied to a ladder with stripped wire insulation - your eyesight is nearly as impressive as your insight. Costco had them, and I bought a shit ton, so I'm using one as a work light. That shit is custom. I did that shit myself. I still need to mount the fucker on a tripod.
 

Paul H

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cwh said:
Driftin' said:
Your ES Perceptions must be waning a tad. Ya left the Ladder/4' LED fixture off your list. And who left the upscale Alaskan Amber bottle on your work bench?

Seriously, no seriously, nicely done all around. Congrats!
My skillset, while shallow, is not very wide. So sometimes I have to con people into doing work. And very few people will work for shit beer. Er... light beer. Anyway, long story short, I buy good beer for bribery purposes when forced. Don't tell anybody, but I like to drink it too.

As for the LED... yes, that is a 4' LED tied to a ladder with stripped wire insulation - your eyesight is nearly as impressive as your insight. Costco had them, and I bought a shit ton, so I'm using one as a work light. That shit is custom. I did that shit myself. I still need to mount the fucker on a tripod.
Drink it or drop it ;)

I ended up getting a Costco LED work light after tipping over my Halogen light (again) and breaking the bulbs (again) Now that they're on sale I should get another.
 

Driftin'

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cwh said:
Don't tell anybody, but I like to drink it too.
Your secret is safe with me. Cain't vouch for these other assholes though....

To backstop my insight inventory, also saw those same LED fixtures in a Costco flyer some months back. Had momma pick up a half-dozen or so to upgrade the buzzing, flashing fluorescent sticks in the garage & shop. Silly me, I pulled the first ceiling mount fixture down, tear open the box like a kid on Christmas morn' and the bitch had a short wire with three-prong plug hangin' off it . Have never been one to read instructions. Must similarly suffer a not very wide skill set.... *grin*

As an aside, picked up a handful of Costco's circular ceiling mount LED fixtures for walk in closets, bathrooms, etc. I may just put some of those in the shop as they throw a goodly amount of lumens and are less likely to suffer damage from a long board deftly wielded just like my role models....
 

smokinggun

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Mar 18, 2015
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Cool truck pics,especially the one with the future hunter and the Caribou.

I sure don't miss the old halogen work lights none. My old work van got away from me one time and rolled down a hill into a tree, and the only damage to my tools was $100 in halogen bulbs.
 

cwh

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My halogen worklight would be the "tripod" I mentioned, that should get cannibalized as its the only good part. They do throw some light, but fuck those bulbs. Only nice thing is if you can point a halogen bulb straight up, it does a great job of heating up a coffee cup. I have the scars to prove it.

My LEDs are the ones with the 3-prong cord (5'). I just wired outlets in the ceiling, so will end up plugging them in. Should be a pretty flexible setup I think. Kind of fucks you as they only allow 10 outlets per circuit. Makes good sense when you can plug anything you want into the outlet. Not so much when all you are going to be plugging in is a 38 watt light, but I guess there is nothing stopping me from plugging an air compressor into my lighting circuit. Current plan is 25 of those lights, which I think are 3700 lumens. I've been getting by with 2 lights for almost a year, so it will seem like looking into the sun.

Got the green tag for shop electrical this morning, so that project is rolling on.
 

Paul H

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Chris,

Congrats on getting the inspector approval.

I went with LED's in the garage but they are square fixtures. I don't recall how many lumens they are, but the six of them seem to do ok in the ~750 sq ft garage. You can't go wrong by going with extra lighting especially with your high ceiling and with LED's the power draw isn't that bad. When I was laying stuff out with the electrician he was planning on putting in only four fixtures, I'm glad I bumped it to six and wouldn't mind if the lights had 50% more lumens.
 

cwh

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I appreciate all of the interest, but please stop asking for updates... grin.

New shit for the yota this year includes:

New tow hook for the front, new water pump, alternator, battery.(boring)

Re-done rear shackles and mounts.



The old ones were scary:

 

cwh

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Built a new cab guard/half ass roll bar.




Things started to get a little heavy so had to improvise a hoist.


While I was at it, bent up a couple wagon hoops for tarping.



Then I remembered the previous years, and added some extensions.


That worked out pretty well.
 

cwh

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Mounted the high lift a little more securely.


Added an LED cargo light and a couple floods in the front.
 

cwh

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I meant to get that covered before you saw this...

I finally caved and bought a cup holder that you can put on any horizontal surface. It won't hold a Yeti cup full of coffee upright when you run up (or off of) a 4 foot cut bank. 50/50 on holding a can of beer. But other than that, it is a workable solution 80% of the time. The cab is kinda short on horizontal surfaces. I've been thinking about bolting the damn thing through the floor mats so it is stable, but removable if needed. Sort of the temporarily permanent approach.
 

Driftin'

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Laffin'!

Always appreciate those that are out there getting after it, be damned if they spill some beer or coffee while hanging on for the ride and bloodying the decks!
 

Driftin'

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Curious....

You running the OEM sealed Sylvania headlights or an upgraded option? If it ain't broke don't fix it applies to many things and the OEMs are still going since '91 but have been contemplating the Hella replaceable bulb option for both maintenance/performance gains.
 

cwh

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I run a cheap set of LED floods for 90% of trail use. Cheap as in ~$25 for 4 lights. They use no power and are bright, but have no "reach", which is to be expected. Really nice work lights when you are cutting up a moose in the middle of the night though.

No idea what is in the headlights - they work but could use more bright. Was wishing for more when trying to find a route across a very braided out river bottom at night.

In the landcruiser I was going down the hella switch over path at one point, but then found some LED replacement bulbs that looked promising and went that route. They are bright, but also very "scattery". That's the scientifical term for it. I guess I like them well enough that I haven't replaced them yet, but not sure I'd recommend them.
 

Driftin'

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Thanks.

I'm just trying to avoid a potential Mother Murphy Moment with the very old OEMs when one or both puke when I'm out in the middle of nowhere and driftin' corners. Don't feel inclined to clutter up the front end with spots and have a canopy so no rack mounts. Here's what I'm thinking about and they run about $90 for the pair--

[video:youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZDgrUx0zMU[/video]

And don't believe the idiots that hold to the fallacy that one has to remove the front grill. 15 minutes max for the swap by just popping the top headlight retaining ring screws and tipping the works forward to get to the plugs....
 

cwh

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I watched that when you posted it, and keep forgetting to respond. I would go that route for sure. What all is involved in the conversion?
 

Driftin'

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Same dude did a vid on the conversion.

[video:youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dG_UxUNcXk[/video]

There are aftermarket H4 halogen bulbs/LED's that would fit the Hella option. Have also mused the uber $$ option of going 5x7 JW Speaker Evolution 2.

Been tinkering with the old Toyota for a spell. Started out as an oil change, gooping U-joints and creeper lookabout before elk season. To my surprise, the old boy was slobbering oil onto its lower regions. Looked to be cam/valve cover gasket leaks. No prob. Ordered parts and decided to do the timing belt, water pump and idlers too. Geez, I'm there so might as well check valve lash. Shit! 4 were way out of spec. after having the heads rebuilt some years ago. I'm on a roll so I pulled the alternator and checked brushes and commutator bar. Brushes were approaching the minimal spec. Cleaned up the contacts and guts. The oil pump runs off the crank and the seal looked crispy. More parts ordered. Brake fluid was due for a flush and power steering too. Ordered Speed Bleeders (highly recommended!) and bought fluids. Should be all back together this week. I'll be ready for next season.... *grin*
 

cwh

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Finally taking someone's advice and added a "roof rack" over the cab.



Having a hoist in the shop makes a lot of shit easier.


Load test.
 

Driftin'

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O'head shop lighting now appears to be much improved from the "ladder mounts" of old. Progress!

Nice job on the new rack. Your load tester is getting bigger! Any plans for light mounts above the cab? When is the annual 'bou trip? Looking forward to pixels and prose....

My partial rebuild went well last winter. Found one the CV shaft boots had split and was spitting grease a few weeks ago. Better discovered in the driveway than 2-states away at 10k AMSL.

If you haven't already done so, the OEM shifter seats are shit and fall apart in a few years, dropping pieces of plastic into your tranny. Marlin Crawler has slick replacement seats that are machined Delrin. My OEM seat looked like black plastic sand when I pulled it apart. Shifter is nice and snug now.

Linky
 

cwh

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Yeah.. the shop is close enough to done to start playing in it instead of working on it. Don't think I'm going to to lights up there for now. Would rather not fight glare on the windshield. Bou/moose trip will be here before I'm ready :)

Thanks for the link. Can't remember if I got one of those or not, so ordered it...
 

cwh

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Or rather... added it to the cart, balked at the $32 shipping quote for a 2oz item, and didn't order it.
 

Driftin'

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Offshore
Yikes!

You'll likely need the seat and socket. Shipping to WA was not anywhere near that dear. Let me know which ones you want and if you talk nice to me, I'll check shipping for you. Could drop them in a flat rate mailer or otherwise if there's a better deal to be had with the indirect flight and you sending me some form of payment and Karma points....

Sockets
 

cwh

Administrator
Nov 18, 2007
4,574
99
Anchorage
I put the socket (MCTM-532) and a red seat in my cart... that's where I came up with $32.

I sent them a very polite email. We'll see where that goes.
 

cwh

Administrator
Nov 18, 2007
4,574
99
Anchorage
Sorry for the lack of comms, but do appreciate the offers.

On the list (since I had bought the shit to do it) was a dual battery setup and a rear winch. The idea for the rear winch was to be able to run a gin pole setup. Didn't have time to get that finished, but may do so yet...

Wanted to mount the winch here, and was looking to beef up the factory crossmember.


Ended up cutting it out (a plasma cutter is a wonderful thing) and installing a 2"X4" 1/4 wall tube there.



Had to build a little shelf to reach the factory mounting bolts for the winch.




Got her installed, and while it isn't anything to brag about I believe it will work.


Its only a 4500lb winch (which you can get on amazon for $110), but having two winches is pretty damn handy. I nosed into a mudhole until I could tell it wasn't going to work out, and sure enough it didn't... stopped without digging myself in and had myself out in under 5 minutes. The stupid thing came with a wireless remote, and now I'm gonna need one of those for the front winch.

I did the dual battery setup along these lines: https://expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/how-to-make-a-cheap-isolated-dual-battery-setup-for-50.77503/

Really easy to do, charges the second battery only when the ignition is on. At this point, the aux battery only runs the rear winch, but I'll probably move all the lights onto that circuit eventually.
 

cwh

Administrator
Nov 18, 2007
4,574
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Anchorage
Everyone has to be tired of my droning on about something that everyone else has known about for years... but fuck those people. :)

Glamour shots from a little exploratory trip. No idea why ImageShack wants to make these smaller than the others...





Loaded up to move moose camp (the first time). We had a bit of trouble when I rolled a tire off the bead in a mud hole on the way into this spot, but managed to re-seat it and carry on.
Wish I had a picture of the first loading, which was hilarious. Probably shouldn't do important work on no sleep, but then when would it get done?
That big green tent on the roof rack is 122lbs according to the US Army, and it rode perfectly there.


3 year old crashed out for nap time with baby doll in place.


Another glamour shot of where said nap time took place.


I got to take a moose apart by myself, so I hauled the hinds up before dealing with the rest. Set them on the roof rack, which is 2" steel mesh for nice airflow. Then I built a tarp tent with my tripod for shade and airflow. Worked out just fine. Once everything was cut and bagged, it was just a matter of making trips and making sure things were sitting in a good spot to get air.



I did get a little blood on the back window, but... small price to pay.


Here is a whole moose minus backbone, guts and feet - ready to ride.


Here she is loaded up for the trip out.
 

Driftin'

Well-known member
Nov 16, 2009
2,225
13
Offshore
Nice Bullwinkle! Family hunting trips are the best.

Beadlocks in your future?

First elk trip to WY years ago, aft OEM Toyota leaf springs were bouncing off the rubber frame stops when I was loaded up with gear and meat. Had them off and in the garbage within a week of returning home.
 

Rolltide

rimfiretactical.com
Dec 15, 2007
1,206
18
Congrats on a great trip and hunt! I'm sure the pics don't do it justice, but I'm jealous for sure!
 

Dan In Alaska

Well-known member
Nov 30, 2007
3,366
64
Anchorage
Congrats on the moose! Sounds like a great trip.

I always look forward to hearing your hunting tales, and you don't suck too bad as a photographer or mechanic, either. :grin:
 

cwh

Administrator
Nov 18, 2007
4,574
99
Anchorage
Don't have pics of this, but there are some on the wife's phone.

Came down the trail a bit late, headed back to camp. There is one river crossing that is not a big deal in the Yota, but is sketchy on a wheeler, and if water comes up is sketchy in a SXS.

As we approach said crossing, I see a guy on a wheeler crosswise to the trail. His first words are "Thank God!", and he begins to clue me in that he has a buddy in the river in a side by side (6 wheel ranger). I take a look and see a guy standing on the seat of his ranger which is about all that's out of the water, and another guy tits deep in the river fucking with winch lines.

So we reposition the yota, get a line out to him, get all his other shit disconnected, and yard him out. Turns out they had sunk both rigs, but managed to get the wheeler out. There wasn't enough winch on both rigs to yank the ranger upstream and for some reason downstream wasn't that appealing.

Anyway, they couldn't get the ranger to run (which I advised them not to even try without draining oil and etc...). They asked if I could tow them back, and after looking at the condition they were in, I agreed. They were lucky to have that guy in the water, as he was the only one getting anything done, but he was cold and getting colder. So we hook a strap to them and start going upstream to the real crossing (they had followed an old trail that currently has about a 4.5 foot deep channel in it). About the time we get to the crossing, the wheeler won't stay running.

So we stop again and begin scratching our heads. Another group had joined us with a wheeler and side by side. They told me they usually tow the wheeler across the river just in case things get sideways (because it has happened to them too). So now I'm thinking about hooking that wheeler behind the ranger and towing doubles... but not liking that plan. One of the guys says... "You think it would fit on the bed?" and after some half-assed measurements I move all my day gear up to the roof rack, drive up to a cut bank and we load a Kodiak 700 on the bed and tie it down. And then as if filming a toyota commercial, we cross the river with the rider of the wheeler standing on my toolbox, holding on to the headache rack, his wheeler on the deck, and the ranger in tow. Make it with no problems, continue on to our camp, where I drop off Momma and the 3-year old, and get the cold guy into the warm cab. Then we proceed another 3 miles or so to the parking lot.

The whole time I'm wishing I had gotten my stickers applied:


Seemed like a good group of guys and I'm glad we could help them out. Thinking there may be more competition for yotas and yota parts though...
 

cwh

Administrator
Nov 18, 2007
4,574
99
Anchorage
Missed your previous questions. Probably won't do beadlocks. Just need to pay more attention to tire pressure when loaded heavy. I should weigh all that shit some time and see what I've got. I am kind of overdue for wider tires too, and should be getting on that here shortly. I've put it off because it is so damn expensive.

I think my stupid long rear shackles are probably binding, which is keeping the springs from going completely flat when loaded. I may fix that, which would probably mean that I'd have to add some sort of a removable/adjustable bump stop. Loaded limits are just so much different from unloaded, and I'd hate to sacrifice capability to gain... capability. Anyway, I think that could be done pretty simply.

I need to tear down the rear axle and do brakes and seals, so that might be a good winter project. Also have an idea for a load platform to make managing the stupid shit I always try to put on the thing a little easier.
 

Paul H

Well-known member
Nov 19, 2007
1,578
0
Alaska
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Nice bull Chris! Great story about the adventure, those guys owe you a year supply of beer and whiskey.

I'm thinking about doing a landcruiser100 or lx470 build. Not likely that capable, but something for hauling crap out in the woods or around the state.
 

cwh

Administrator
Nov 18, 2007
4,574
99
Anchorage
I don't think I'd be interested in an IFS platform as a starting point, but a 100 series power train would make a lot of sense.
I guess it would depend on what you want to do with it. My 80 series was rather amazing in stock form, but gutless and horrible mileage.

A cruiser build would be a lot of fun, but there is nothing cheap there.
 

Driftin'

Well-known member
Nov 16, 2009
2,225
13
Offshore
cwh said:
I need to tear down the rear axle and do brakes and seals, so that might be a good winter project.
Have wasted the pleasant weather on pressing matters and will hopefully get brake/seal parts ordered in time to work outside in the snow....

Such long term suffering has paid off in that my bride has finally come to the same conclusion of inverting the big house with little garage/shop equation.

Is your 80-gallon compressor dolly-mounted????
 

cwh

Administrator
Nov 18, 2007
4,574
99
Anchorage
Congrats! It is a game changer.

Driftin' said:
Have wasted the pleasant weather on pressing matters
Story of my life... :)

The tank (I think its a 100 gallon) is mounted on a couple furniture dollys so I could move it around the shop while I was hanging drywall/painting/etc. Another winter project...
 

cwh

Administrator
Nov 18, 2007
4,574
99
Anchorage
So... a story about the roof rack.

I tied the moose head to the rack for the ride home. I had neglected to skin the head at camp, and it was getting fairly stinky (flies were brutal) so I figured that would give it a good chance to air out. I was planning to do a euro mount, so wasn't concerned about the condition of it, just keeping from making a mess.

Once home, I got distracted for what turned out to be about a day too long with cleanup, meat, etc. When I got around to working on the head, the smell was... epic. And the eggs that the flies had laid were full grown maggots. A lot of maggots. There were so many that a ball of them fell off the skull, through the wire mesh, and onto the top of the truck. It was parked slightly nose-down, and they rolled down the windshield and... into the cabin air intake vents. Some got under the weatherstripping on the doors too.

Being a non-fan of maggots, I spent most of a day cleaning the truck. I pressure washed it first, but the next day I opened the door and there were maggots inside the truck. I pulled the hood and the wipers in order to pull the cowling to get access to the cabin air intake. It was pretty disgusting in there, even before the maggots got in. Just 30 years of accumulated leaves and dirt and crap. I also pulled the seat out, pulled the freeze plugs out of the floor, and washed the whole thing with a hose. Then I got distracted and cleaned out the rocker panels, and found almost a buck in change in the driver's side rocker!

Anyway, the take away is: If you're going to leave a rotting moose head on a roof rack, make sure you park with the front of the truck uphill.
 

Driftin'

Well-known member
Nov 16, 2009
2,225
13
Offshore
... and left a nearly perfect Euro mount behind....

Have done a goodly number of Euro mounts and a couple of them were just tied up in a tree so the 'yotes wouldn't drag them off. The maggots left them pretty damn clean and only required a little extra work before the peroxide boil.
 

Lineman

Well-known member
Dec 31, 2010
1,148
33
VA
I've always loved those old Yotas rigged up like this one.

Father in law had one a few years back, similar built, slightly less badass...but anyway, said I could have it. Tried and tried to drive the damn thing but I'm just too big. Broke my heart saying no to that one, he sold it the same day the For Sale sign went in the window.
 

Driftin'

Well-known member
Nov 16, 2009
2,225
13
Offshore
cwh said:
I need to tear down the rear axle and do brakes and seals, so that might be a good winter project.
Need to do aft brakes myself. Have new seals in hand too but made the discovery that Toyota redesigned the axle seals so that they protrude 2mm inboard vs older OEM. The upshot is that the new seals won't ride at the centerline of the bearing retainer ring but sit on the mitered interior corner of same. Leaks are a given unless you swap out bearings and flip bearing retainer ring too so the miter is outboard to give more room for the seal to seat. After pulling the axle, slather grease on the retainer ring and reinstall the axle/hub BEFORE removing the seal to see where the seal rides on the retainer. Compare old to new seal and you'll know if you're going to be into a full rebuild before you pull out the old seals. Savvy?

Mine isn't slobbering so I'll likely just do the brakes and wheel cylinder swap (new cylinders are only about $15 ea.). When she starts slobbering, I'll do the full bearings/seals rebuild.

Hint. Speed Bleeders are the shizl. Even have one on the clutch slave cylinder.