The Green Truck... 5lug to 6lug conversion

AS OF October 2023


AS OF February 2023



AS OF July 2022



EXTERIOR
Snug Top fiberglass tonneau cover

INTERIOR
Pioneer touch screen head unit
Dual map lights
Buckets and 2001 center console
Back wall carpet and headliner
Gauge cluster with tack

ARMOR
Trail Gear Low Profile front bumper with Warn XD9000 wench.
Engine transmission steel skid plate
All-pro wrap around rear tube bumper
Trail Gear sliders
Fully Plated Frame

WHEELS & SUSPENSION
Front:
King 2.5 coilovers
Total Chaos upper control arms
Total Chaos Spindle gussets
Rear:
King 2.5 x 10 Reservoir shocks with shock relocation.
Deaver J59s
Fabtech 1.5 shackles
American Racing ATX Mojave II AX199 16x8
Cooper stx max 255 85 R16s


ENGINE AND DRIVE TRAIN
K&N air filter
4.56 Gears
Flowmeter exhaust

IN THE NEAR FUTURE
Trd-Locker (have on hand needs to be re-geared)
Light Bars

The back story:
I bought this truck brand new on November 23rd 1996 after wrecking my 94 Ranger. It was a 97 2wd 5lug with 3 miles on it.
My truck started as a 97 2wd 5lug. (not my truck in photo but looked exactly like it.)


In 1998 I lifted it 3 inches with a Fabtech lift (uppers and coils) and 31inch tires. She drove like a brick.

In 2005 I added 3 more inches with Fabtech spindles. Didn’t help the ride.


In 2010 I got a Downey coilovers and new lowers. This mid travel kit helped but still drove like ass.


In 2015 I moved to Tahoe and quickly decided I needed to make it 4x4


2016 Collection of parts and knowledge


2017 Frame swap and Bilstein 5100 lift



2019 Swapped in Kings and Total Chaos uppers Trail gear Low Pro front bumper. Shock relocation and King 2.5 x 10 Reservoir shocks.

 

Hmm.. now i see why you always have toyota parts around. you seem to be just as crazy as me. Nice

 

Thanks, Yeah I have had 7 parts truck to donate to the cause and to fund my Build.

 

I wish I had the room to do that. But alas. Living in the suburbs sucks

 

Getting layed off next week. Time to install the fiberglass and spindle gussets.

 

Sucks to get laid off, but hope all goes well and you get done shit done

 

I get 4 month off every summer working for a ski resort anyway so I plan for it plus I use the time for the part outs. Im ready to be off.

 

If this virus stuff doesn’t completely kill my vacation time you best have some frames ready for me!

did you ever pickup that double cab?

 

I dig it, brother. Nice.

 

I didn't all the ones i really wanted got sold before I had a chance to look at them. This one is still available but he is asking way way to much $1000

 

Just remember. You come across a v6 reg cab? I need that in my life. Lol

 

Me to. When my 2rz goes I'm do a 5vz swap

 

King 2.5 x 10 Reservoir shocks and shock relocation finished! loving this setup.

 

Had a beat down 97 v6 single cab here on the Missouri River a year or so ago
Was definitely a fixer upper!
Why did you not grab it before it was gone???

 

Lookin good tour991
My 97 had 20 miles on it in early May 97 so you got me beat there!
But then I found an old check ledger somewhere and saw again how much I was paying per month lol
Damn that was a ton of money then, I still remember the insane OT the next few summers to cover that note plus insurance and registration of course
Now I pay 99.50 per year wheel n road taxes lol!
I know right where I was in Nov of 96

 

Thanks man, I love that there are still some original owners here with truck that are so old "classic". My wife jokes all the time about selling it but she knows I never will. When I got the truck I was working at target making $4.25 an hour. Lucky I had a good down payment and rent was only $300 a month. Now it only cost me $97 a year for registration and about $300 for insurance.

 

Finlay got around to doing my lower ball joints and Total Chaos Spindle gussets. Took about 8 hours total did it over 2 days. The thing that took the longest was removing the old ball joints even with the proper tools they did not want to come out. I think they were the originals from 2001.
Also the FJ trail team rims are super close to the gussets. Time for new rims with better back spacing.

 

I’d totally be up to buy those trail team wheels if you’d ship them.... my fathers truck could use an upgrade...

 

this could use some black woolWax coating
my truck is looking quite the sharp piggy putting some of that on recently

 

Ill ship them, just the rims shouldn't be to bad. They are mismatched 2 are silver and 2 were grey. I painted them with rustoleum satin black spray paint.