best toyo truck ever made

[austinsclod]

okay i am looking to buy myself a truck (toyota) and i am thinking a toyota 4x4 with the r-22 motor and standared. what who you think is the best truck that toyota made that you think i could buy i have about 4 grand and i need much of that for tires and other mods

[SR5Dave]

The motor is a 22R ;)

You want a 1985 Toyota Truck or 4Runner (4Runners are SICK!).

The reason for this is they are the first year of Fuel Injection (22RE), so its got a bit more power, and runs better overall. They are also the last year of the Solid Front Axle, which is VERY good. Cause, as we all know, IFS sucks!

My only thing against 85 pickups is I hate the body style, I love the 79-83 style much more, but no EFI unless you convert it. The carb'd are still great motors (22R).

Don't touch an auto in these things, they don't make much power and when you add a cruddy auto, it REALLY slows it down.

For a kid like you, you'll probably want a 4runner to carry the chickies around ;)

[rckjeep]

Yup 85 Toyota. Just be aware that Toyota did do carbs until 87-88. So make sure it has EFI. You may find an 85 for really cheap but it maybe carburated. Just check first.

[northerntoycrawler]

I agree with SR5 dave, i'd go with an 85, because of the 22re, the fuel injected 4 banger, the tranny are stronger (I read somewhere that the tranny in 79 to 84 models had weak trannys that needed to be beefed up in order to go wheeling), and I heard the front axle is trussed. I'd also go with a solid axle 4-Runner (years 84 or 85). Head on over to pirate4x4.com, they have a forum for Toyota 4 runners and Pick ups

[Reflection]

I have an 87 X-cab that I've done a SAS on with fullwidth Chevy axles. I LOVE it. I,personally,like the 2nd genaration body style. If you've got any kind of heigth to ya,I'd recommend an X-cab if you can't find a 4Runner. The standard cabs don't have enough leg room for a guy taller than about 5'10" tall IMHO. I wish I had a 4Runner but I still am VERY happy with my X-cab. If I was gonna build another bodied rig,it would be an 85 4Runner,hands down.

[sambmx]

when you did your sas was it a pita to drill through the chassis with the internal webing? ah i should get my torches filled anyway itd be alot easyer to cut everything off than with a sawsall. and did you weld your spring hangers directly to the front cross bar or did you first weld them to a lenght of square tube and then weld that to the bar? ive seen it done both ways just wondering. and im thinking about making the spring and shackel mounts about 2-3 inches lower to give some lift good or bad idea?ok one more question, sorry its alot, is the stock driveshaft able to run at the angle id need for the sas and lift? or will it not work and id make a shaft with cv joints?


sorry again for so many questions

[roktoy]

What are your plans with the Toyota? Rock crawling, mud, prerunning or??

sambmx.....

Some SAS info from a swap I did here:

http://www.4x4wire.com/toyota/tech/mini_frontsusp1/

The IFS CV won't have enough angular movement for SAS conversion. You'll need to cannabalize a solid axle shaft or use some other shaft. If you go with long travel front springs you'll want an aftermarket shaft with at least 6 inches of spline travel.

Jay

[sambmx]

Thanks alot its a good write up on it , answered all my questions. Im going to do my own driveshaft maby with some high angle pto joints.

[CSR]

After cutting all of the spring hangers off of my '85 and moving them around for my longer springs, and mounting a IFS box for the crossover steering, it would probably been just as easy to start with a IFS truck and do a SAS.

Here's a link to my 'build-up' thread on Pirate4x4.
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=220551

I sold the truck to RXCrawler last week..... hope he has fun with it!

[1beatjeep]

hands down the 1985 toy is the best. i have one with efi but i dont wheel it i have a jeep for that.


toyta/jeeps best wheelers

[badtodabone]

tacoma

[SR5Dave]

Originally Posted by badtodabone

tacoma

NO! You are so wrong. The tacoma is a great "truck" for people who want something cushy. Which is not a truck. Its a car. If you want to spend tens of thousands on making a wheeler out of it, maybe. But still, shtty.

[SR5Dave]

Originally Posted by CSR

After cutting all of the spring hangers off of my '85 and moving them around for my longer springs, and mounting a IFS box for the crossover steering, it would probably been just as easy to start with a IFS truck and do a SAS.

Here's a link to my 'build-up' thread on Pirate4x4.
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=220551

I sold the truck to RXCrawler last week..... hope he has fun with it!

Crazy. I never linked the two CSR's together, even with the whole bolding all your posts. Cool to have ya on!

[CSR]

Originally Posted by SR5Dave

Crazy. I never linked the two CSR's together, even with the whole bolding all your posts. Cool to have ya on!

I don't even remember why but I started typing in bold back in the 90's on the off-road.com message boards..... sorta became habit and I never stopped. :?

[SR5Dave]

Whatever works dude!


As for Steve's comments on cab size... Yes, single cabs are small, but you can manage in them just fine, I'm not exactly what you'd call a small person and I fit alright.

Could be better but I'm not complaining. Defintely room for improvement though.

With a 4Runner though you don't have to worry ;) And most if not all 85 Runners are EFI

[nktrnl]

Originally Posted by SR5Dave

NO! You are so wrong. The tacoma is a great "truck" for people who want something cushy. Which is not a truck. Its a car. If you want to spend tens of thousands on making a wheeler out of it, maybe. But still, shtty.

I wouldent say that. The Tacoma is just as wheelable as any other Toy. I personally think its more capable then the older models. The only down side is that its newer, so not to many people are willing to hack the truck apart. If I had the cash id put a sa in mine, but 1. I dont have that kinda cash and 2. I dont go wheeling as much now days.
Give it a few more years and youll see alot more tacomas out on the trail. Check out the TTORA forum/site, some guys already have verry capable tacomas.

[SR5Dave]

Originally Posted by nktrnl

I wouldent say that. The Tacoma is just as wheelable as any other Toy. I personally think its more capable then the older models. The only down side is that its newer, so not to many people are willing to hack the truck apart.

As wheelable as other Toys? Hello? Its IFS!

If I had the cash id put a sa in mine, but 1. I dont have that kinda cash and 2. I dont go wheeling as much now days.

Or you could spend 4k and get an 85 Yota w/ EFI and a Solid Axle. Then take the 20k more you spent and get an engine swap, then you can have 16k left over still

Tacoma's have their place... IMO its not a good wheeler, and the only way to get it to be is to change out a ton of stuff. Probably a nice DD though.

[roktoy]

Back to my question.......what do you want to use it for??
Jay

[SR5Dave]

Originally Posted by roktoy

Back to my question.......what do you want to use it for??
Jay

Yeah.. Lets try to not get this too far off track... Like the Clods vs Shafties thread

[nktrnl]

Originally Posted by roktoy

Back to my question.......what do you want to use it for??
Jay

funny I would swear austinsclod started this thread? I use mine as a dd and once in a while I get to enjoy the mountains and the beach. So...mountian trails are muddy, dusty, some rocks not to major, the beach is all sand and rocks.

Originally Posted by SR5Dave

As wheelable as other Toys? Hello? Its IFS!

SA?

Originally Posted by SR5Dave

Or you could spend 4k and get an 85 Yota w/ EFI and a Solid Axle

Didnt know we were talking about money? Just on why it is or isnt a good wheeler? Just about any serious wheeler is going to have money spent on it. How much is another story.

Originally Posted by SR5Dave

Then take the 20k more you spent and get an engine swap, then you can have 16k left over still

I only know of one guy that has done an engine swap on his taco. But he was a speed freak. He was supercharged and running nos. Last I talked to him he, sold the motor and had a crate ls-1 sitting in the shop. Not too many Tacoma owners complain about the power. Plus the 05's are getting more.