I have not posted here in a while so I thought I would share the good news about getting the problems with my front suspension fixed and a few other updates. I found a great fabricator a great guy who helped me get everything fixed along with the help of Steve from Cando another a great guy, I was very thankful, the tubular arms that were put on wrong caused a whole mess of problems but its all fixed, truck drives and steers like a dream. Here is all the updates with a few pictures:

Old setup

New set up

New steering shaft setup modeled after Steve's from Cando, upper polishjed caps coming soon
Upper bag mounts redone
New belltech 2" dropped spindles
Arm tabs rewelded correctly
New shocks all 4 corners
New oil pan crossmember, cannot see it sorry
draglink fixed
New rear sliding window
new brake lines
painted lower valance
87 painted front bumper, not happy with it though going to do something different later just not sure what yet
Carb and timing tuned correctly, runs great
new passenger fender, tried 4x4 but did not like the look.

I have a few things for sale, cash and pickup only, will do a package deal. Never posted for sale but look in the for sale section later today.

 

Man its great to see your truck with updated pics. Did your front bumper bolt right up? Been debating to stick with OEM or do your mod for the front bumper. I want to see more of this truck...

 

How the hell do I live in the tri cities and never see any of the sweet trucks? My 78 should be back on the road this weekend, we'll have to meet up so I can check the truck out. I've been contemplating going bags.

 

Thanks a-lot, hopefully I am going to be able to get all my metal work done this year, got a few surprises up my sleeve but cannot reveal until completed, got my ideas wriiten down in my notebook.

No it did not bolt right up, we fought it out I tried to use 87 brackets with the 87 bumper but the mounting holes were different, don't know how to weld yet (want to learn) so I was stuck with just drilling and bolting using my stock brackets, it went on there after some massaging with a rubber mallet but I am not happy with it

1.Please do me and yourself a favor and: Stick with oem or have custom work done RIGHT!

I saw this quote in M/T'n a while back and its so true:

"Good work ain't cheap and cheap work ain't good"

Check out my post in the for sale section, I need to have it picked up though, shipping it so expensive, I will make out a package deal for everything.

 

Cool a member from the Tri Cities Sounds good, I have a few things for sale 79/83 including new 4x4 fenders and valance, check out my post in the for sale section need cash and pick up only will do a package deal, sounds like you might be able to use it for your 80, it it yellow by the way with a shortened bed, it so, looks clean I saw you yesterday in Pasco by Walmart?

 

Hey Trashy
Before /When you decide to go Bags... come make a trip or I will come there... it's not that easy with the age of our trucks. but it is doable... you'll see

 

Nope my junk is almost kawasaki green and has been down for about a month. Everyone is more than welcome at our house anytime. We're on williams in Richland, hard place to miss.


IF I go bags I'll be using a 3rd gen frame clip with a 2" or so Z job. I'm aiming for superior geometry so the handling is awesome while being silly low.

 

no whitey... its yellow green lol

 

Gawdammit!!!

 

what happened with the arm install? i remember the steering shaft issue and see the fix. also i see the upper plate was flattened out, since it's on drop spindles now.

i just thought the sleeve slipped into the stock x-member and got welded in?

anyways, we built a set of uppers for the 79 toy clip in my friends bulletside datsun. turns out the stock 79 upper balljoint hole on the spindle is smaller then on the 84+ trucks. luckily i have the correct reamer so we opened up the hole to fit. lol

the truck is looking really good! did you find a universal joint that fits the stock toyota steering box splines?

 

Steve made me the arms 3/4" shorter to make them fit the 79/83 than 84+ which is the earliest he offers, they fit perfect when installed, except a completely different shape and weight than stock arms and it caused the steering shaft to be forced down and was resting against the top washer of the top arm and I could not steer as picture shows. the lower arm tab was tacked on, I don't know why that guy did that bad job, he did great on cleaning up my wiring and installing the new compressor, I just could not beleive he did that, I guess maybe he thiught that little stuff was not worth his time, but he lost out on the body work and paint job that was supoposed to happen this year before all this mess came up, hopefully next year. It laid out fine before I got the new arms and everything is fixed now and it lays out hard once again, better than ever, drives and steers like a dream.

The upper plate was at a 30 degree angle causing it not to lay out with the new arms and putting a-lot of pressure to lift the truck up but like I said it laid out fine before with the stock arms and everything else is fine, over 2 years now since I got the work done and no probelms. It had dropped spindles (used) before, there was some miscommuncation, but all cleared up and no hard feelings at all. It has dropped spindles currently and they are new. The sleeve does slip into the stock x member with the universal pivoting joint attached to the shaft as shown. My new fabricator said that a steering shaft should never be welded on, I don't know if this is a fact or just his opinion but my new setup turned out great.

Your new arm project sounds great, glad it turned out well. Thanks for the compliment, hopefully I am going to get all my metal work done this year, I've (I am not happy with the new front bumper at all, had to use my stock brackets and drill holes in the bumper to fit got a few surprises up my sleeve and all written down in my notebook I'm not sure on that answer about the universal joint and the stock splines.

How have you been Berney, have not talked to you for a while?
Pete

 

Think outside the 2wd world box for u joints that fit the stock box and steering shaft. I have a bunch of them from toyota 4x projects I've built in the past.

As for not welding on the steering that is all preference. I've built and welded countless steering shafts and columns with zero issues.