Not a "military vehicle" - but still Fun!

[Slick]

Here's a couple photos of my 83 Toyota “rock-crawler”. It’s a long bed that I cut to the length of a short bet to improve the departure angle. Also the long bed give me extra room for the dual transfer cases I’m running. This gives me 15 forward and 3 reverse speeds. It’s got Detroit Lockers at both ends and 5.29’s which gives me a crawl ratio of 106.5 – 1 It geared steeply enough that if I’m climbing so far off angle (and the carb quits working) I can simply use the starter to crawl over. Yes, I carry a spare starter (along with axles & drivelines) when wheeling.

http://www.drinkfromthefirehose.com/images/SR2.jpg

I have a pintle socket and have plans to build a roll-bar mount for my 1919a4.

http://www.drinkfromthefirehose.com/images/SR1.jpg

That ought to give it a “military” appeal – even though the only thing military about my truck is the paint job!

MIG welders are GREAT to have!!!!

[poverty ridge]

Why don't you have a header tank for when you crawl over things at funny angles?

You could plumb it inline so it would always be full and have a flop tube in it so when you where at a awkward angle the flop tube will still pick up fuel. We do that in aviation for smoke oil systems for aerobatic aircraft.

[Slick]

A lot of the guys run fuel injection to get around that problem - but mine's still carburated. Surprisinly I've rarely ever killed it even on sort 60 degree inclines. Once when I did - I just drove over using the starter motor. Having 106 to 1 crawl ratio makes it possible.

[fantacmet]

I've got an 82 Datsun sitting up on 33's, but still have the ifs. Hasn't gotten stuck yet and I've had it down the toughest rated trails my first time out 4 wheelin. Good rig, it's towed rugmans big ass van when it died. I've been at some extreme angles in it and it's never died. It perhaps has something to do with the weber, not sure. I'll post pics one of these days but the wife won't let me camo the thing. :(

[op4rebel]

That looks like fun , around here we have mud pits at the moment, lol still fun.....!


nice lookin truck


op4rebel

[Kali Komrade]

Slick what are you talkin' about man thats considered a military vehicle in Iraq just throw a gun mount on it with a few camel jockeys in the back and wah lah armed military transport.... :coffee:

[ironcreations]

Slick you may miss the rock crawling when you move back this way, but fortunately My buddy and me have a nice rock crawling track set up at his place. kind of has a little of everything. We run jeeps, well they look like a jeep sort of. nothing on them are original. big dana's, doubler's, big blocks. besides the guns here, the Jeep, and truck parts we have available unreal. It is like walking into a off road warehouse. your going to love it..

[patriotpa]

With a gun mount, it would be referred to as a "technical".

[Slick]

Slick you may miss the rock crawling when you move back this way,

True on that! To be honest, I'll probably make some changes to the truck since what works best on rocks doesn't do as well in snow or mud...

I'd probably replace both Detroit Lockers with ARB air-lockers. The Detroits make driving on ice freaky as all hell!

[franks71vw]

Well I jsut bought a bread truck witha 4 bt 3.9 cummins in it and trying to find a donor vhicle to swap motor with and make it a 4x4. then i will paint it camo or cover it in 3M camo sticker :D and the guys on calguns call us rednecks well yehaw

[ironcreations]

The Detroits make driving on ice freaky as all hell!
yep sure as hell does... but our stuff is just for off road use only anyway. we now run spools. never tried ARBs, mostly spools or lockers. Not much for rocks, but this year i think we will be adding some big rocks to our trail, rocks about the size of a jeep. I think we will try and pile them all up at the entrance to the trails. If anyone can get down the driveway, they will be welcome to try the trails... you got to get out here some day slick, we can keep you busy for a while.

[Slick]

Lot's of the really young guys (who don't have a lot of cash to spend) run "lincoln-lockers" (welded up spider gears), but that still leaves the front axle to deal with.. The ARBs are nice - since they're "open" until you hit the button. Trouble is they're costly, not as strong as a Detroit, and if the air-hose get snapped off (or damaged) you stuck "open". Then there's always the added cost and weight of the compressor. I drive on the street a lot (to get to trails or visit my property, so a spool would have killed my tired too fast.

I'd originally worried that the Detroit (up front) would make steering really difficult, but I'm usually crawling (with the JP Eater), so all I need to do is tap the clutch and if the front is turning stiff it automatically "seeks"in the groove.

Anyways, I'm hoping to get my disability case resolved (this year hopefully) and possible get a chance to travel back east to look for a place to move to. CA is just too expensive for me, and I now prefer the cooler weather (where I grew up in KY). It was in the 90's here the other day and I actually had to run the air-con a little... It's back down to 65 today tho. I'll definitely be heading up to OH to stop & visit with folks as there are lots of really decent people there!

[Dan Wilson]

Slick, if you are going to weld the spider gears and you have a part time 4X4 then you Want to weld the front gears and not the rear.

That will give you the best of all possible solutions, if you lock the front then you know you will get good drive out of the front wheels, and thats where all your weight is at as well so you get better traction. Then when you need to bust it out to the hard surface all you have to do is unlock your hubs and you haven't hurt the streetability of your redneckmobile.

Least thats the way we did it in Phoenix when I was growing up in the 70's.

Dan

[Slick]

Slick, if you are going to weld the spider gears and you have a part time 4X4 then you Want to weld the front gears and not the rear.

You're kidding with me right Dan? :mrgreen: A solid front is effectively a spool and would not permit the vehicle to turn as both wheels would ALWAYS turn the same speed...

Not to worry - "Lincoln Lockers" are what the teenagers do. I've been running 'troits (front & rear) for the past 9 years with no breakage and my rig's steering works too! :beer: Any possible change would be an upgrade to ARB's..

[fantacmet]

They call us rednecks because their so jealous because they take their pavement princesses to the shop and HAVE them built, and never take them offroad because they would break.

[Kali Komrade]

Ha yeah thats funny thats like all these kids down in So. Cal. spend all there money on these prerunner kits etc... Never take them offroad... My beat up blue ranger has seen more off road than that...