Project Southern X-Posure

[rswords]

That tube will need a bend in it. No doubt. I'll be about $2,000-$2,200 into it all said and done.

Ruffstuff 4-Link Kit - $750
2-18" 2.5 kings (Bought new in box 2nd hand) - $450
Tube for cage - $300
Link Material - $150
Fuel Cell (used) - $100

Thats ~$1,750 right now. Still have brakes to plumb, Fuel lines, Lights....

 

[ORV design and fab]

Gotcha. Yea. Ill have to save up and find a good deal on air shocks and link material. Thanks for the info.

 

[rswords]

i collected parts for about a year. Its a matter of being lucky enough to find those crazy deals first and having the spare cash to pull the trigger. Also got the 97 4.3 for $50. Found a running truck for $400. Pulled the motor, sold the tailgate for $50 and scrapped the truck for $300

 

[rswords]

Spent some money today... Ordered a planetary reduction box from www.BehemothDrivetrain.com

When the internal cage was installed we removed the rear body mounts. Listining to the cab bounce off the cage gets real old real quick so I whipped this up. Still need to add a gusset.

Also did all the finish welding and finished the rear tube. I like the side profile but swap back and forth on the rear...

 

[rswords]

Well, I want to start off by saying....

THANK YOU DAN AND RUFFSTUFF!!!!

I won the give away and now have $850 to spend with them to get this thing finished up. Thinking about doing a FJ front axle.....


So onto what got done today. I'm learning what they mean my "the last 10% of the build takes 90% of the time. Got my Fuel cell mocked up. Need to add gussets but I think it will work.

 

[rswords]

Got the fuel cell mounted. Used Ruffstuffs 1.75" Oval Mounting Plate and some trick tabs Small Trick Tabs to make it removable, pain in the ass to get in and out but still removable....

 

[rswords]

Didn't do too much today. Did some more finish welding, the GF came out to help, she stripped the interior out of the truck again and then helped cut the factory seat mounts out.

Then we started laying in the frame work for the seat mounts. She got a quick lesson in welding tacking the bars in before I full welded them.

A quick video of her heavy ass tack.
VID_20140216_133444775.mp4 Video by RESWORDS | Photobucket

Anyhow, Got both bars in before time to go home. Heading out of town for the week to attend CDI school in Alabama so had to get home to pack.

 

[rswords]

Started on my driveshafts today. Cut the original down to make my front section. Need to find another for the back piece. Going to run a carrier bearing on the crossmember.

Also got some painting done.

 

[rswords]

Didn't get much done today. Help the old man clear some trees around the shop all morning then worked on the truck a bit.

Got my Ruff Stuff rear truss on. Great fit and easy to install! No I can take it off some sweet jumps!!!

Also the carrier bearing for the driveshaft showed up.

 

[rswords]

So one night this week I decided to start on the driveshafts. Come to find out the TC was shifted 2" over. So I unbolted it to re drill and center it, wouldn't move. Stupid fucker that did the swap built the most solid motor mounts you can imagine and fucking put them in crooked as shit.

So, since I have to pull it all out and fabricate some mounts I figure might as well do the 4.3 swap I've been putting off. So out it came....

Good thing to, when I was pulling the engine I realized the drivers motor mount had torn and it was no longer connected to the frame.

Then I drained the oil so I could toss the engine in the scrap pile, found coolant in the oil.

So I guess it was a good time to pull it and swap.

 

[rswords]

Got the 4.3 mocked up. The "new" one should show up tonight. Gotta get the manifolds figured out....

 

[rswords]

Man its been a while since I updated this....

Got the fuel pump mounted, braced the lower link crossmember, and got the suckdown mounted.

Provience came by one day to lend a hand and use the bender for his bed cage. Got the 205 rotated and the drivetrain fully mounted.

Pretty flat for not having to cut up the floor

Also got the front half of the rear shaft built and the pillow block bearing installed.

Provience laying down on the job.

Also found this drawn on the underside of my cab. He said he used his pecker to measure.... No wonder my T-case mount holes where to close together and his wife is always pissed off....

 

[rswords]

Knocked out some small stuff, it is the busiest time of the year for our shop, gotta make the money while its available. Got the rear pretty much finished up and assembled the last time. Mounted the fuel cell permanently, ran the fuel line to the pump, charged the shocks, finished installing the driveshafts, and mounted a 10 micron fuel filter.

I still need to run a sleeve over the fuel lines and attach them better.

Plenty of clearance

Made a shield for the suckdown winch and Got the tranny cooler mounted. I feel its way to tall, have some aluminum stock coming to make some spacers to drop it down.

Also plumbed the engine.

Moved the battery into the cab, and wired in a battery switch. Waiting on some wire loom to cover it all up.

Took it for a quick spin... Need to fix an vacuum leak and get the exhaust run.



Did a couple donuts which is pretty ˟˟˟˟˟˟ scary seeing as how the brakes are not hooked up yet. But she moves along pretty damn good. The old small block must have really been on its way out.

Also scored some new feet. After much though and penny pinching I'm gonna drop back to 36's. I could destroy ring gears at will on 35's and didn't feel like up grading to tons for 40's

 

[rswords]

Provience came by and we ran the rear brake lines, bleed, then beat around a bit with it.

Toyotas done.... Never mind the fact that the seats just sit in the floor, it has no front driveshaft, no cooling fan, one flat tire, and no exhaust.... She does burnouts.... That's done in my book....





The drivers rear tire had no valve stem so it just flops around, made for an interesting shaped black mark.

 

[rswords]

Dropped the truck off at S&B Muffler and Brakes here in Gloucester, VA and Steve knocked the exhaust out for me.

Drivers side clearance

Passenger side

Sits up nice and out of the way tight to the floor. Ran a Dynomax Super Turbo Muffler backwards. Has a nice tone, actually pretty deep for a 4.3.

Drops out at the rear of the cab.

 

[muddober3]

Man , very cool build. Rear half looks awesome. Cant wait to have mine done.

 

[rswords]

Thanks, this is the overall "finished" design. Hope its not to light in the ass.

 

[rswords]

My buddy Provence came by and we knocked some stuff out.

Front shock mounts in

And suckdown winch fully installed and wired. Kinda loosly based it on SMEWHTGUY's setup

 

[ORV design and fab]

I wouldn't worry about being too light in he rear. You have a cab and heavier drivetrain. so that adds a lot of weight that is being held up by the rear suspension mostly. I am taken away at how much my 16" airshocks articulate I couldn't imagine 18s. What your specs on charge and oil on your airshocks? I have been wanting to link my rear and finally did a couple months ago. Glad I did. I have been very happy with it.

 

[rswords]

I wouldn't worry about being too light in he rear. You have a cab and heavier drivetrain. so that adds a lot of weight that is being held up by the rear suspension mostly. I am taken away at how much my 16" airshocks articulate I couldn't imagine 18s. What your specs on charge and oil on your airshocks? I have been wanting to link my rear and finally did a couple months ago. Glad I did. I have been very happy with it.

I'm starting to get some weight in back. I'm curious to see what the weights at the corners are. It definatly has some articulation, its overkill but I got a steal on the shocks.

Right now i'm at max oil and ~120psi fully extended. It sits nicely and just messing around in the yard behind the shop it works well and does not "push" much at all when side hilling/unloading. I'm sure it will need tuning.

 

[RockinXJ]

What size were the X terrain tires in the early pictures and do you want to sell one or both of them?

 

[rswords]

They were 35's. Ling gone, The had some rot in them. I liked them though. Hooked good.

 

[rswords]

Been moving along a bit. Got some boomerang shackles on... The old shackles sat on the frame at ride height.

The new Sky shackles make it more better. I may shorten them up a bit though.

Also started in my hydro assist. Got the axle side mount mostly done, I want to brace it some more and got the tie rod side mocked up. I need to figure out a fancy bracket to make it work.

 

[rswords]

chock another win up for the "I hope this works" style of building. Got the ram mounts mocked up. Everything is free through the entire travel. All .250 wall.

 

[rswords]

I needed to knock about 1.125" off the stroke of my budget surplus center hydro ram so I jerked it apart tonight.

All that holds the together is a snap ring.

Then simply pull out the shaft

Remove the nut on the shaft the pull the puck off. Make sure to unscrew the o-ring past the threads so you don't tear it. same putting it back on.

I cut my spacers out of some StarBoard (HDPE) we had laying around the shop. This is easy to find, its the same stuff they make cutting boards out of. Hit it with a hole saw to get the correct OD then drilled the center hole out to just over 3/4. When drilling go slow, you want to cut not melt, especially with the hole saw. I take little bites of about 1/16th of an inch at a time.

I need two pieces to get to my thickness. A 3/4 and 1/2.