01 Reg Cab Island Time Build

Your truck is lookin' bad-ass, Chad. I was also a little apprehensive about the weight of steel wheels and E rated tires on a regular cab 4 cylinder, but on my last trip I got 22.5 MPG on the freeway with the A/C on, and 18.5 MPG on 300 miles of dirt roads with my tires deflated to 22 PSI, frequent 4-Lo and A/C cranked the whole time. That was with the bed loaded up similar to yours. As much as I lust for an 80 or 100 series Land Cruiser, I'm afraid 10-12 MPG would ruin the fun for me.


I like this setup. There's no external expo-bling to advertise to thieves, then when you get to your camp site you have zero setup time. Have you ever been caught in a rain storm sleeping in your soft topper?

 

I dont think i get quite that good mpg... i havent actually done the maths yet but i doubt it... 10-12 mpg would be suicide

i had a little wobble between 65-75 with the new tires... so went to the local WallyMart to get the balance checked on the front two and found out they were way off... so i had them check the rears... same thing, one as much as 7oz..!!. I also had them drop the PSI to 31... Curious to what PSI you run...?? Its much better now but theres still a slight wiggle ... Im hoping its not fucked already... might just be a bad tire... so if it doesnt go away ill swap it out with the spare... More good news, they also found some fluid coming from the rear DS brake drum.. brake fluid? diff fluid??

The zero set up time was the driving force of this camping set up... i got tired of pitching and breaking down the tent every night n day... and leaving it all unattended when i drove off to the trail head or fishing hole... now all i have to do is park and get out the sleeping bag.. good for stealth camping

Ive slept under the ST in heavy rains and a blizzard or two... the weak points are the 4 bottom corners.. heavy winds and rain will get in... but not bad, it just drips in and runs down the bed channels... thats why all my shit is in plastic bins and im off the ground in the cot... ive learned stuffing some socks or rags in the corners helps a lot... i plan on hanging a mosquito net inside so i can sleep with the sides up.. its hot as Hades in Texas..

 

We must be long-lost twins, I have also had a 65-75 MPH wobble since I got my tires mounted on steel wheels. I usually have the tires at 36 PSI but noticed on my off-roading trip a few weeks ago that the wobble went away when I aired down, even when I was doing 65-70 on mildly corrugated gravel roads. When we were on our way home and had to air back up, I only aired up to 30 PSI because my Master Flow compressor gets hotter than phuck. It still wobbled, but less than when the tires were at 36 PSI.

Then I installed new SPC upper control arms, and today I took it to my usual tire shop to get a new alignment and the tires re-balanced. The wobble was further reduced, but still present. I noticed a few weeks ago that the tire shop switched the front tires left to right. Tonight I switched them back and that reduced the wobble a little bit more. I checked the PSI after the tires were hot and 36 PSI cold turned into 42 PSI hot. I let them down to 32 PSI hot, got back on the freeway and the wobble is pretty much gone, but it was windy as hell so I'm not positive.

So long story short, Chad, you're onto something with dropping the PSI and rotating your tires. Our little 1st gen regular cabs must be extra sensitive to the unsprung weight of steel wheels with E rated tires. And that oil coming from your brake drum is most likely a leaky axle seal. It's a simple fix any shop can handle.

Moving onto tents...they suck. My craigslist camper shell leaks a little in heavy rain and lets in a little dust, but it's so much more weathertight, comfortable and useful than any tent. I sleep well knowing I'm slightly more inaccessible to ticks, snakes and other critters. Before I leave on a camping trip, I like to set up a fat foam pad, sleeping bag and full-size pillow in the back of my truck and fold it up into a big taco. Then when I get to my camping spot it takes mere seconds to unfold my obscenely comfortable bed, so I can get down to the important business of sitting in front of a fire and pouring alcohol down my alcohol-hole.

 

My tires were all set at 35 psi cold and ive already felt an improvement in the ride... a little softer... i may go lower for research purposes...

Ive done some research and it definitely looks like the axle seal.... luckily i have some good mechanic friends here who can help me with this... Was wondering what else i might need while in there besides the 2 seals and new shoes... some guys suggest "while youre in there might as well replace" the wheel bearing and cylinders... which obviously requires more time and more importantly money.. What are your thoughts maestro?

 

The rear axle bearing requires a special bearing puller tool, so if you know someone who has the tool, might as well do the bearing while you're in there. If nobody's got the tool and you're in the middle of a road trip, I'd just do the seal and not worry about the bearing. Best of luck out there, let's see some more photos of your trip!

 

Any rubbing with the skinnies and your stock suspension?

 

The only time they rubbed with the stock suspension was coming out of my driveway.. in reverse over the curb with the wheels turned... otherwise nothing, but to be honest i didnt run the 235s for very long before getting the lift ... hope this helps

 

Hey Chad, do you recall how much lift you got after you put on your OME leaf springs? I'm probably going to "spring" for a set of those soon, but I'm not sure if I want to remove the 3rd leaf like you did or just leave them as is.

 

Sorry for the delay but I was driving up to Colorado... I gained 2” in the rear after the springs were put in... you can also remove the 2nd bottom overload instead of the 3rd leaf to lower but without sacrificing load capacity... I wanted a softer ride so that’s what my decision was based on.. hope this helps

 

Thanks again, Chad. I really want OME leaf springs but I can't decide if I should get their greasable shackles or just keep my toytec adjustable shackles.

 

Gone Fishin'... Colorado Rockies!!

 

I’m working on a single cab build at the moment, glad this popped up. Nice truck!!
Are your 5100s at stock (zero) setting with the 880s? How much lift is achieved?

I currently have 5100s all around with the fronts at 1.25”, stock coils. It clears the 31x10.5s perfectly. Thinking of replacing coils with ome 880. Slight bro stance currently, but will also be replacing tired leaf pack with new oem pack from kcspring.

 

I can answer that, @Bigtrees. I got 2 1/4” of lift with OME 880s and 5100s on the lowest setting. Should clear 31” tires fine. Like Chad, I have 235/85r16 tires which are 32” and I have no clearance issues.

 

Real world info is much appreciated, thanks! Through reading, that’s about what I figured. How’s the ride quality? Just installing the 5100s made a significant difference in my ride quality.

 

Actually i only gained 1 1/2" up front... but these numbers are going to vary depending on how much sag each particular truck has from stock... regarding miles and use etc.... The ride is much more stable now, especially at hghwy speeds... as DBJ1 says, you should have no problem clearing 31s with the 880s and 5100s set at 0...

 

Thanks! 175k on the truck, coils and rear leaf packs are original as far as I can tell. Excited to get the suspension upgraded.

 

Weird how every truck is an individual. Even though Chad and I both have regular cabs with 880 coils and 5100 shocks, we got different results. I did use all new bushings, washers and top plates when I assembled mine, maybe that’s why I got more lift.

Mine rides a little stiff on pavement, even with the sway bar removed. I’ve only put like 3500 miles on the new suspension, even though I installed it a year and a half ago.

However, off-road with the tires aired down to 20 PSI, it is a good balance of comfort and control.

 

We also have different tires which also affects ride quality and height to a degree.... and Dave has an aftermarket bumper which i assume is lighter but could be wrong

 

Medicine Bow, Wyoming

 

Elk River, CO