slow, budget built '89 toyota pickup expedition rig

Skwerly

Observer
Super cool thread and build! thanks for all the nice pictures.

The honey and I haven't gotten to get out camping in quite some time, but this thread sure made me wanna go. :D
 

toyotech

Expedition Leader
I understand that the MT is a better tire for mud and rock crawling. it has thicker side walls and Bill Burke likes them doesn't make since if you don't have a need for them for your application. I figure it's better to run a tire that matches the roads you see. Maybe you do see rocks and mud more than I see in your build page. I noticed you see a lot of snow so i figure AT would be a better option- better MPG. Lighter tire= better power at skinny pedal. I see too many people run MT and never need a MT other than they look cooler.

One thing i do notice is thicker side walls isn't always a good thing. I wheel with a lot of guys that run MT and my AT at 20 psi looks lower in air compared to theirs at 10 psi. MT has poor side wall flex unless you air down to 5psi and without bead locks. Most won't go down to that Pressure. Lol.

I almost went with shock warehouse for my shocks. They have the lowers prices. Was it easier to deal with them.




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austintaco

Explorer
I haven't clicked on your build in some time. I like it. You have incorporated some of the same concepts that I have on mine. Your wildernest looks great, and they are so functional. keep the updates coming.
 

xlcaferacer

Adventurer
Toyotech - I will answer all your recent questions on my build. First, you said that it is more of a decent budget build. I don't know what you mean by that but I feel like you are saying that I have a decent amount of $$ into it. Maybe I am taking that wrong. I have had the truck for 3 years now. I purchased the truck for $3,500 with 101,000 miles on it and it needed a few things. I have $500 into my camper setup which I feel is pretty cheap considering a used shell would cost me a few hundred $$ plus a roof top tent would cost another $1,000 plus. I re-geared the axles and have a Detroit locker in the rear-end for less than $600. This would be close to $2,000 if I bought everything new and that is without paying someone to install the parts. Sure, there are a mix of new and used parts on the truck and new parts can add to the cost. But, I added up receipts of all maintenance and upgrade parts and by doing all the work myself other than the alignment I have less than $8,000 into my truck including purchase price. I have a very reliable and fairly capable back country camping rig with 126,000 original miles on a 22re motor for about the same as what we paid for our stock '97 4runner when we bought it 4 years ago. If you used all new parts and counted costs for someone else doing the welding and labor I would probably be in for twice that much. And keep in mind that this build has been on going over the 3 years that I have owned the truck by putting away a little $$ here and there for parts and materials.
I have posted my build-up to show what can be done over time with a limited budget and try and encourage people to get out and work on their own rigs and build it into what they want on a budget that works for them. By working on your own rig it also makes you more self sufficient if something breaks while out in the back country.
If I had a high paying job I would have a high dollar long travel front suspension, ARB's front and rear, Marlin low range transfer case, upgraded axle shafts, a turbo, and a new Four Wheel pop up camper. But these are all dreams that may come to me somewhere down the road. In the meantime, I have built a decent and reliable 4x4 camper on a very limited budget. It may not be the nicest rig out there, but it takes me where I want to go, and I still have gas $$ left over.
You also asked me why I went with the MT tires over the AT's. While I do live in snow country, the roads are only bad when it is snowing. Generally it snows in cycles and then the sun comes out. Thus, the roads are only bad for a few days at a time. During these cycles I slow down and drive careful. 3/4 of the year or more the roads are dry and mud tires are fine. As I stated before, I have run both AT and MT tires in the past. I'm sorry that the pictures I have don't show it, but the mountains that I live in and wheel in are subject to mud (spring snow melt and summer rain) and rocks. A mud terrain simply works better in these conditions. I still average 20-21 m.p.g's on the highway with the MT's and as I only put about 8,000 miles a year on my truck I am not worried about replacing tires every 4-5 years. I have seen some spy shots of the new BFG AT on a Baja rig and these look like they could be my next tire. They look like they have beefier sidewalls and a more open tread pattern to clear mud. I think the new "Hybrid" AT's are a very exciting addition to our chosen do it all style of offroading.
Finally, you asked about the cost of my 2 person Big Agnes sleeping bag. I don't know what they are priced on the retail market as I got a "professional" deal on mine from working in the outdoor industry. But I can say that we really love the bag and Big Agnes is made here in Colorado and makes some really great gear. I would recommend checking out what they have to offer.
 

austintaco

Explorer
I think when toyotech said it was a decent build, that he meant you have a very capable rig for a budget build. Your "budget build" and yes, you have stayed on a budget, is just as capable as rigs that cost twice as much. This is just my guess, and only Toyotech knows what he meant. Nevertheless, nice build.
 

toyotech

Expedition Leader
Thanks for the reply and I'm not saying anything bad about your budget build. I'm like you when I built my runner and keeping it somewhat budget now that I'm building my tundra for a different use.
I too found factory 4.88 gears for my runner and it's the cheapest best way to go 4.88.
I like that you keep it budget friendly but at the same time not so much that you still use quality parts. I seen budget builds and it's more like broke budget build lol.

Quality budget builds are what I like and yours fits it. Also the fact that you get out and use it is even better. Too many high dollar builds with drive way photos lol.

I need new tires on my tundra soon and I think I like to run a hybrid at. Be a good combo for a decent all around tire

I'm trying to get into backpacking and I hear Big Agnes brand come up from guys that been doing it for a long time.


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xlcaferacer

Adventurer
Toyotech, Thanks. Sorry about the misunderstanding. It's cool that people actually get the budget thing. But your right, I have seen some "junk" budget builds as well. Thanks for appreciating the time and effort I have into my rig. The guys I work with give me crap all the time about spending money and time on an old truck with such a tiny engine. They also don't see the fun in working on your own stuff. I enjoy the frustrations and satisfaction that goes into. I think that a lot of people on here feel the same way.
If you are getting into backpacking Big Agnes is a quality brand. My bag is to big for anything more than car camping but the cool thing about Big Agnes bags is that they don't insulate the bottom. Instead they have a sleeve built in for your sleeping pad to go into. This serves several purposes. First, your pad serves as your ground insulation and without the bottom insulation your bag packs up to a smaller size. The best part though is that with the pad in your bag, you don't slide off it during the night. While I have a comfy mattress in the Wildernest, I have had the chance to try out my brother-in-law's Big Agnes Q-core sleeping pad and it is "NICE". A friend of mine has one as well and he loves it. Search Big Agnes reviews and I bet you find a lot of positives.
By the way, I really dig your Runner. Are you Long Traveled? If so who's kit did you use? I'm thinking about a Blazeland kit down the road. Only 7 months left until the Buell is paid off and then I can actually save for a big ticket item like the Blazeland kit.
 
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toyotech

Expedition Leader
Yea I have LT and it's made by blazeland. I acually got to meet him twice at pismo during some of the yota events there. So far I love the LT. I just need to figure out what to do with the rear since the front is way smoother and the rear can't keep up.
 

JasonRedwood

Explorer
I had a Blazeland LT on my 1st gen 4runner, it was nice. It'll definitely fit into the "budget build" category compared to other lifts and has a quality ride. The owner of Blazeland is super helpful with questions, great customer service.
 

blakeape

Adventurer
Great job on the truck! As others have said you have built yourself quite a capable, well equipped truck for a very reasonable amount of money. I am building a 97 4runner that involved a frame and body swap, but have very little $ into it by using parts I have traded for and by parting out a couple rigs.
I'm also running the KM2's in the snow 33x10.50R15 but I did sipe mine. I also work at a ski area "Whitefish Mountain Resort" and am very impressed with these tires running up and down our mountain this winter. The pros of a mud terrain definitely outweigh the cons to me. Yes they are a little heavier and noisier, but every once in a while when you need them the extra traction is worth it to me. And the siping makes a huge difference, I also siped the Toyo MT's on my diesel, am very happy, and would highly recommend it.
 

xlcaferacer

Adventurer
JasonRedwood - It is good to hear that another person out there is satisfied with Blazeland. I hope that in the next year or so I can go that route.

blakeape - I hope that you are documenting your build along the way. Stripping a rig down to the frame and building it back on a budget is quite a task. A budget build of that caliber would be well worth reading.
 

xlcaferacer

Adventurer
Last time I did anything to the truck I was still waiting on my Blazeland idler arm brace to show up and a bit frustrated with working in a small garage. Well, the brace finally came and I got over the constraints of a small garage, and went back to work. I got the brace installed on the new idler arm along with the SDORI bronze bushings. Here is a comparison of the stock idler arm and the Autozone unit with the Blazeland brace. That's a lot of beef for the price.

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Here's a pic of the brace installed.
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And another.
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The reasoning behind this mod was that I have never really wheeled an IFS Toyota very hard and I have heard that this was a weakness on these trucks. Now that I have the truck to where I feel that it is capable enough to take it up a level offroad I felt like this was some cheap insurance.
I also got bored today and decided to "play" on some of the snowbanks outside my house. Here's a few pics.
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And some weak IFS flex:
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