My hilux's next 20 years

[aikane]

There aren't enough older trucks on this forum, so I will make a contribution of "old school".:wings: This is my 1991 Toyota V6 Hilux that I have owned since new.
http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/7750/picture002pq.jpg

List of mods to date:
Procomp 4" suspension lift
NW offroad HD lift leaf spring in back
Sway-a-way torsion bar
Bilstein shocks
NW offroad headers and 2.25" exhaust
Centerforce dual friction clutch and heavier flywheel
BFG KM2 32's on cheapo alum wheels
Bushwacker flares
5.29 gears and Spartan locker in rear
Corbeau neoprene reclining seats
Swaybar removed

Things to do/change:
Stock or Old Man Emu Torsion bars
Sliders
Go through entire front end. (maintenance)

[aikane]

The UPS van made a visit today....
http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/9360/10474809.jpg
http://img846.imageshack.us/img846/6710/53517218.jpg
Replaced my blown front shocks.
http://img810.imageshack.us/img810/9715/56675516.jpg
It's hard to beat the ride of new shocks.:)
Next, brakes and cv's.

[jim65wagon]

Nice looking truck! How many miles is on it?
.
.
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My truck is getting older by the minute.....

[tanglefoot]

Looks great! Which island are you on?

[aikane]

Thanks guys.:) Truck has 116xxx miles on her. I'm on the Big Isle.

[DaveInDenver]

Very nice, '91 on this end, too. Ours are I think looked at as just old junk, not all sexy and cool like a first gen, not comfy and powerful like a Tacoma. Just cheap, old, cheap, rusty, cheap junk. Yours looks great!

4.88 Richmond gears and Tru-trac lsd in the rear

Things to do/change:
Locker and 5.29's

Hey, I may be your Huckleberry. I run 5.29 Yukons with Air Lockers in both front and rear, set up by Slee, and would like to go back to more mild 4.56 or 4.88 gears. I do a lot less that needs the gearing and lockers and have been doing a whole lot more Interstate shuttling because of family. Ping me off list if you'd like to talk about a trade with maybe a few bucks.

[aikane]

Very nice, '91 on this end, too. Ours are I think looked at as just old junk, not all sexy and cool like a first gen, not comfy and powerful like a Tacoma. Just cheap, old, cheap, rusty, cheap junk. Yours looks great!

Haha, yeah it's like being the middle child and your siblings were "starting quarterbacks and prom queens", while you were on the yearbook committee.:)
As for your offer, I actually am waiting on a rear diff to be built by Marlin Crawler. A friend has expressed interest in my old diff, thanks though.

[grouch]

Cool truck man. It won't be long and my 03 Taco will be on the yearbook committee as well.

[redthies]

I had an 89 with a mostly procomp 4" and 5.29s but with 22RE with a cam and headers and 35s. It was a great set up! You live in Hawaii though, so your junk is automatically waaay cooler!

[aikane]

Cool truck man. It won't be long and my 03 Taco will be on the yearbook committee as well.

Nah, in my opinion the 1st gen Tacomas will always be the "prom queens". Good power, right size for tight trails, and still kept simple enough. The 2nd gen's have great engines and are very capable stock, but are too big and have too many electronic gizmos that will fail in time.

[aikane]

I had an 89 with a mostly procomp 4" and 5.29s but with 22RE with a cam and headers and 35s. It was a great set up! You live in Hawaii though, so your junk is automatically waaay cooler!

Nice truck, I browse CT4wd on occasion, definitely are some nice rigs north of the border. I'll get some wheelin' pics from Hawaii up soon.

[aikane]

I took some time off to work on my truck, need to get it "trail-worthy" for the Labor Day weekend.

Started with new leaf spring bushings.
http://img830.imageshack.us/img830/9334/picture055w.jpg
The old ones were really chewed up.
http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/5926/picture002ac.jpg
Replaced brake rotors and calipers.
http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/9084/picture056ji.jpg
Since I was this deep, I took on the CV axles as well.
http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/6088/picture001rx.jpg
Then a package arrived, just in time.
http://img641.imageshack.us/img641/1619/picture003uhe.jpg
5.29's and a Spartan locker.:wings:
http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/1383/picture004dbf.jpg
Just need to bleed the brakes now, phew.....:beer:

[aikane]

I tried to bleed the brakes early today, in hopes of taking a 4wd test drive later. But I wasn't getting any fluid at the rear brakes. I had fluid at the proportioning valve, but not at the brakes. I removed the valve and tried blowing compressed air through the ports. Air could pass between supply and bleed ports, and between return and rear brake ports.
I did some research online and found the valve to be a common problem on older trucks. Most replace it with an aftermarket unit. I tried local auto part shops looking for a replacement valve, no luck. I ended up getting 2 couplings to bypass the valve. Hooked up the supply directly to the rear brakes and used the other coupling to plug the return with the bleeder. Still sucked air into the system. So I ended up putting the valve back in and switching the supply and return lines. Finally have working brakes front and back. Only had to bleed the system about 4 times.:Wow1:

[aikane]

Took the truck to a local fishing spot to test out the locker and gears. Sorry for the dark pictures, was under the tree canopy at the time.
http://img832.imageshack.us/img832/6856/picture001jr.jpg
http://img607.imageshack.us/img607/5577/picture002sm.jpg
http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/3248/picture003gak.jpg
http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/963/picture007jn.jpg
http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/8647/picture009vv.jpg
http://img546.imageshack.us/img546/4775/picture008g.jpg
The locker works great and the 5.29's really slow the truck down to almost a "crawl". Overall I'm very pleased with the results. If only I had caught something worth keeping.:ylsmoke:

[aikane]

I took my nephew camping with his Boy Scouts troop over the long weekend. The location is Kahuku beach, next to South Point on the Big Island of Hawaii. I didn't get any "wheeling" pics because there were about ten vehicles in a row and I was in the middle. Didn't want to stop and hold anyone up.
Here's some shots of the view along the way down to the ocean.
http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/5895/picture001uw.jpg
http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/5818/picture012rl.jpg
http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/4420/picture004kd.jpg
http://img828.imageshack.us/img828/4574/picture011cb.jpg
Hawaiian petroglyphs
http://img713.imageshack.us/img713/6553/picture002sv.jpg
http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/8362/picture003nj.jpg
A collapsed lava tube, now a swimming hole.
http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/7223/picture006ye.jpg
http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/5531/picture007mr.jpg
Parked at a white sand beach often used as a nesting grounds for turtles.
http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/1821/picture014zy.jpg
http://img545.imageshack.us/img545/8210/picture064fv.jpg
http://img853.imageshack.us/img853/1229/picture063l.jpg
http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/7493/picture015es.jpg
http://img695.imageshack.us/img695/3518/picture058l.jpg
http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/8103/picture008mw.jpg
Opihi, a local delicacy that attaches itself to rocks just above the water line. Also two aama crabs, another delicacy.
http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/5456/picture013esd.jpg
All the hard work and money I put into the truck recently really paid of, making wheeling almost effortless.:safari-rig:
Note:some pictures were taken previously on a camping trip to the same location.

[oddball]

Nice pictures, and nice truck too

[aikane]

Nice pictures, and nice truck too
Thanks.:)

[aikane]

Wow, it's been awhile. The gears and locker have been great, I don't even have to use the 4wd at times.
My tailpipe, which was rusted out, practically broke in two on a recent outing. I lucky it didn't fall off at high speed.
http://i1076.photobucket.com/albums/w445/ahatamail/b56b11a1.jpg
I bent a replacement using 2" electrical metallic tubing and a hyd. bender at work. Came out pretty decent and saved me some serious coin.

[dorton]

Cool truck, and cool pics, thanks for sharing.

[aikane]

Cool truck, and cool pics, thanks for sharing.
Thanks man.

Here's a shot of it installed.
http://i1076.photobucket.com/albums/w445/ahatamail/a02947f4.jpg
http://i1076.photobucket.com/albums/w445/ahatamail/b9737153.jpg

[upcountry]

Glad to see another truck from Hawaii-Ne and nice work un the upgrades.

Big Island has some sick trails - I have spent a lot of time on ranchland trails up in Kamuela and down outside of Hilo in Paradise Park drivng the crzy netowrk of trails and fishing along the coast. Myself, born and raised in upcountry Maui (Makawao), have some good family friends over on Big Island, my God Father is a Helicpoter Mechanic in Hilo. We live in Seattle now (moved here to go to grad school and never left), but my heart is back in the aina.

Nothing says it better than Ua Mau Ke Eia O Ka Aina I Ka Pono.

Last trip over to Big Island from Maui we borrowed a family friends ranch truck (T-100) from Parker Ranch, only he didnt tell me the 4WD hub engagement was malfunctioning (vaccum leak). We drove all the way to the bottom of Waipio valley and surfed the beach break and spent the day hiking and swimming. After dark we started heading up the steep hill (if any of you have been, cant make it up in 2WD becuase it is steep and covered in moss). After several tries, we finally loaded the back of the truck with river rocks and had a couple mokes and titas climb in the back (they were walking up to the parking area at the top and happy to help ballast the truck), we barely made it up.

The whole reason I have a Toyota, and have had several Toyotas is I suffer from Hawaii disease. More Toyota trucks in Hawaii than anywhere in the USA.

Mahalos for the post.

Kauluwela

[aikane]

Howzit Hawaiian,
Haha, thats a good Waipio story. I'm embarassed to admit to never having been down there, even though I'm born and raised Big Isle boy. Its definitely on my to do list. Wanna check out the fishing action, heard some mean stories about the place.
I'll post more local pics as I go, gotta make the Hawaii-transplants feel a little homesick. Lol.

[upcountry]

Howzit Hawaiian,
Haha, thats a good Waipio story. I'm embarassed to admit to never having been down there, even though I'm born and raised Big Isle boy. Its definitely on my to do list. Wanna check out the fishing action, heard some mean stories about the place.
I'll post more local pics as I go, gotta make the Hawaii-transplants feel a little homesick. Lol.

And you know were homesick. Mainland has some good, but brahda I miss da wahines and aloha Friday cruzin. We are planning an imu in my backyard this summer in Seattle. Got a source for banana trunk and ti-leaf. Just need some rainforest fed boar to complete the event.
E