1983 Toyota Pickup

A little update:

Grinded down the welds on the patch piece flush with the frame, finished painting the inside of the frame with 3m Rust Fighter, and I started the first coat of POR15 on the top and sides of the frame. I still haven't decided on a rear lift. I almost pulled the trigger on the TG 3in but dang $750.00 seems like a lot for what you get.

Here are some pictures.

 

Looking good...

 

Can I suggest rear OME springs from an 89-95 Pickup. That's what I'll be running before too long. It's a longer spring but because it's a lift spring the eye-to-eye measurement works out for a perect shackle angle.

 

Dwill817, do you mean for the front or the rear? I thought about using OME rear springs up front if they are the same measurements as stock from eye to locating pin. If i'm thinking correctly, that would still move my axle forward, as well as give me the lift I'm looking for. I'd also have a good quality new spring instead of 30yr old wore out springs. I will probably just go with what I have right now and use the stock rears since it won't cost much. I'm leaning towards Mazda springs for the rears right now.

 

I meant for the rear. Using 89-95 Toyota Pickup Old Man Emu rear springs for the rear of our truck.


I'm using 79-83 front Old Man Emu for the front.

I just like the idea of new springs. Lol I want a relatively small and maintenance free lift that rides great and flexes more than now. Plus it's all bolt on. I also didn't wanna move my axle.

 

89-94 springs are 51", correct? So you won't be welding in new hangers? How do you like the fronts so far?

I know what you mean about having a bolt on kit and new parts. I feel that way, too. It just depends on what you want to do with the truck. I want to be able to comfortably run 35's. my truck doesn't have power steering, and I hear the benefits you gain with hysteer are worth it. I'd be interested in how you like your rear OME springs when you put them on.

 

Originally I'll be running a rear AAL until I make up my mind because I really may go to 35s when my new tires wear out.

 

Ill keep an eye on your build to see how they work out for you. And you know with hysteer you need power steering, right?

 

Looks great man good luck keep us updated on your build.

 

Yes I know lol.. I'm manual steering also but when the time comes for the power steering conversion I'll buy the pump, lines, reservoir, pulley, etc to do the full conversion.,

 

I have a few questions for you guys.





With the curve in my frame, what have most people done when mounting their IFS steering box mount? Since the mount is flat and will be in the curve. Also, would it be a wise choice to go ahead and do high steer without the cab on the truck? Or with the cab on? I've been leaning towards doing it with the cab on, since ill know what's there, what's in the way, and what isn't in the way. If there aren't any real issues then I'd like to do it with the cab off since there will be plenty of space.

Also, I ordered a few parts for RUFS and the Mazda rear spring swap. Sky boomerang shackles, OEM bushings, and new rear spring hangers. I read somewhere a guy used OEM hangers off a 89-94 pickup for the rear spring swap because they were cheap, like $20.00. Well that wasn't the case for me. I paid like twice that. I noticed after I ordered that TG hangers are somewhere around $30.00, but there is a problem. When I was redoing my frame, I drilled drain holes in the bottom and welded washers there. TG hangers are mostly solid metal on the bottom, and where the new spring hanger is supposed to go, there is a big ass washer in the way. This is why I'm glad I got OEM hangers. The OEM hangers are partially open on the bottom. With the new hanger 5" forward of the old one, the OEM hanger just might work with a little bit of grinding.

 

Hey Corey here's a steering box a guy was going to use http://charlotte.craigslist.org/pts/4299927355.html not sure if it's what type your looking into, I just had regular stock gear box on mine years ago with 3 inch suspension lift with 12.50-33 inch tires. The rear spring mounts should work fine like you said with a little grinding. Later man.

 

Thanks for the link. I have a guy who is selling me a box for cheap though. Hopefully it's in good working order.

So I changed my Mazda spring plan and decided to do OME rears off of 89-94 pickups to use in the rear of my truck, which are 3 inches longer. Also will be using OME rufs for the front.



I'm not going to mess with any of the hangers yet until I have the truck most of the way back together. I couldn't reuse my old front hanger bolts because I mushroomed the threads too much when I took them out. So I beat the studs out of the rear shackle plates and made my own front hanger bolts.











I also made greasable bolts for the rear shackles.



And I've since torn the truck most of the way down.









Sandblasted and painted some things.





It's slow progress, but I'm getting closer to having a truck!

 

keep up the good work. looks like a lot of work, but its coming along nicely

 

Hmm.. I didn't realize you were doing a RUF configuration with the OME's. I'll be interested in how this turns out for you, even though I already have the front OMEs. I just wanna see how much lift and flex you get.

 

It's a lot of work. I'm trying I stay away from the floor pans for awhile. They look bad, and I'm a little nervous about doing it because the whole floor needs to be done, and I've never done floor pans haha. I'll make it happen, though.

An as for the springs, for the rear I ordered the heavy duty springs because I plan on putting weight in the back. Well after I ordered, the vendor called and told me they were on back order, but they had a heavier duty version (CS021R) that they could ship that day. So I said screw it and got them. I think the only difference is the overloads, but I'm not positive.

Anyway, I made a custom engine stand today.



This was so we could move it around with the tractor easily. It turns out it wasn't very easy to move it with the tractor. The first time we dropped it and it broke the engine mounts.



And I accidentally left water in the pressure washer and it froze over and cracked the pump, so I need to get that fixed. But now I have a covered shed to work on the engine, and a sweet pneumatic hoist to pick it up and down.

 

Hey man, good job on the spring bolts.... I like the grease fittings and sand blasting and paint looks good.... those springs should do the job, they look HD....keep us updated, later.

 

Thanks! The original front spring hanger bolts, the one with the big spacer and two holes that line up on the spring hanger, well it turns out that piece is pressed on, just like the shackle plate is pressed onto the shackle studs. So I could have just beat it off the bad stud and pressed it on the good shackle stud. Oh well.

So I'm looking for some insight. I've been practicing welding a little bit, and here is what they look like as of now.





On the left side, I didn't go all the way to the end. I am a little worried I may not be penetrating enough. I've always heard you could have a pretty weld that's really weak, and a bad looking weld that's really strong. If I'm doing something incorrectly I definitely want to fix it before I weld my steering box mount on.

 

Subbed, great build thread so far. I'm currently working on my 1980 toyota pick up also and still trying to Figure out what suspension I want.

 

Thanks! What are your plans for it? My springs will likely be stiff from the start with how thick and long the leafs are. Hopefully they soften up well. I've heard nothing but good things about OME, though. I'll keep you posted on how the springs hold up when it's all said and done.


So the other day I went by Valley Fasteners's and picked up two m14x120mm bolts, two nuts, and four 9/16 washers for $4.00. I made these the same way I made my front spring hanger bolts, and then painted them up.





Also ordered Marlin HD knuckle gussets, and I received my U-bolt flip, spindle studs, and steering hardware from the dealer (knuckle studs, cone washers, flat washers, and wavy lock washers). It was cheaper to order those parts from the dealer than anywhere else. I think it came out to around $125.00 +/- and when I priced it from Marlin it was $150-160 not including shipping.