3.4/ext cab swap

[vwfastg60]

Originally Posted by Lysmachia

Ah yes but Ben didn't you suggest we sacrifice slow kid in the drinking thread?

DON'T DO IT!!!!!I will have to jack him back from nate if hes at risk

[mrdoug]

He suffered some minor burns and alcohol poisoning up at HC, he's recovering in my garage currently.

[Volcom]

Originally Posted by 00regcab

And shit $3500 +


It'll get a straight axle somtime in the next couple of years, but right now is not the appropriate time financially for me to be doing so. Unfortunately, it'll have to wait. Although, I am slowly collecting parts here and there.

Hence the reason I wheeled a stock 85 truck for several years. I collected parts and saved my $$$ until I could build something all at once and the way I wanted it. If I had started to mod my 85 and wheel it harder, I wouldn't have my 84 4Runner where it's at today. I also stopped dumping $$$ into my Integra and autocross & road racing. Hard sacrifices to make at the time but it's worth it now

[Lysmachia]

Originally Posted by mrdoug

He suffered some minor burns and alcohol poisoning up at HC, he's recovering in my garage currently.

NOOOOOO! He'll wander out into the streets, down to foco, and lose his body. His head will come back to you though.

[Avsfreak1234]

and his arm with the beer bottle

[mrdoug]

Beer bottle is already gone. I didn't do it, it was gone before I took possession.

[Avsfreak1234]

well it was there when i gave him up.

[Stealth 4x4]

Nate keeps saying he "borrowed" it. Given his rash of bad luck lately, I'd say its about time he returned it to the place he borrowed it from. Just a thought.

[Lysmachia]

Yeah... return it with bullet holes and melted parts!

[mrdoug]

Karma - 1000000
Nate - 0

[ike]

So doug, now that you have it at your house what are you going to break on the next run?

[Stealth 4x4]

Now that's just mean.

[mrdoug]

Originally Posted by ike

So doug, now that you have it at your house what are you going to break on the next run?

I'm not sure, but it will be something on your truck.

[Lysmachia]

Originally Posted by mrdoug

I'm not sure, but it will be something on your truck.

[poorboyota26]

I think 3 of us have already tried to break Ikes truck. how many colors is your drivers side anyways these days. I know it has a little blue on it.

[00regcab]

and after this weekend some gold and some maroon as well lol

[mrdoug]

Originally Posted by 00regcab

and after this weekend some gold and some maroon as well lol

It's tan damn it!

[ike]

You guys beat me to it, i was going to aske what part the senile old men of the club were going to be unable to see at 5ft again!

[RedRunnertc]

We drive like we use our canes and walkers - by braille dammit. Don't want to get hit? Stay out of our way!

[fast7mtoys]

and people wonder why i keep repainting mine flat black....................

[poorboyota26]

Originally Posted by RedRunnertc

We drive like we use our canes and walkers - by braille dammit. Don't want to get hit? Stay out of our way!

Hey You two have at least 10 years on me I'm not old. Just drive to fast on the snow.

[00regcab]

Swapping LCA's is fun

also gotta do tie rods tonight, then alignment monday


and veto that whole plan, fuck this nonsense!!

The whole damn steering rack has to come off to get the fucking bolt out of the control arms. This means skid plates too, ugghhhh. fuck.

[Avsfreak1234]

id offer a hand but i shouldnt be driving out there tonight. or anywhere right now. good luck. let me know tomorrow nite if u want a hand.

[00regcab]

Thanks jay, i'll let you know. A friend of mine that works at Mountain States offered up a lift/air tools/etc. tomorrow after his working hours so we'll see what happens. Worst comes to worst, i'll be doing it saturday.

[00regcab]

Originally Posted by 00regcab

Little more simplified idea, only now that i look at it. Probably bring the kick out/cab protection on the slider up a little more to tie into the same place as the verticle bar between the bed/cab.

Or even something like this (rear section only)?

Ignore the 'chrome' exo, it got rendered wrong at the time (years ago), fixed it but for some reason this is the only picture i have still.

SO we are back to this, I'm going to start setting aside funding for cab/bed protection.

I'm also going to do away with a tailgate all together, and build a tube tire carrier tailgate. Rear exo portions will be tied into each other over the tops of the bed rails @ the front (right behind the cab) and the rear (just in front of the tire carrier) which will eventually have a roof rack fit to them.

So SERIOUS ideas here, if you've got an idea. MS paint it up and post it. No farfetched crazy 'roll bender' ideas (as cool as they look, it's not something that i'll be capable of doing lol).

I've drawn up about 30 different designs now and hate every one of them. So it's time to get others ideas.

[Stealth 4x4]

I think you're on the right track there asking for outside opinions. I just went through the same thing last week. Drawings everywhere, a few photoshop mock-ups sent to the shop, and none of my ideas were as clean and functional as the first idea the fabricator came up with when I got the truck to his shop.







Talk to someone who bends tube for a living. I can't draw a straight line in photochop to save my freakin' life, but you get the idea... "Tube" done in gray just so you could see it against the black-hole paint job that eats all light. Never seen such a deep finish, man. But I'd go with black rattlecan for the tube work.



Or just go crazy...

[RedRunnertc]

I would say something like my rear section, with a diagonal that comes up from the slider just behind the door to the top of the bed.

If you could find someone to roll bend the pieces for the wheel arches, that would be awesome.

[AxleIke]

Well, since you asked...

My opinion, and solely that, is that you should in no way do a full exo. They are hideous, and, with as cool as your truck looks, the exo will just ruin the lines.

A PARTIAL exo looks great, especially when the tubes come through the body, and protect areas like the A pillars, door jambs, bed top, etc...

As for what I imagine you'll be looking for, minimal is better.

Before you go too far with the designs, you need to decide what thickness of tube you want to use.

For the bedside protection some HREW is probably fine. DOM is always better, but lots more pricey.

I have HREW for my tube fenders.

What thickness do you want? I know a couple folks with both hand pump benders, and JD2 benders. With enough notice, I could probably get some time on them. The thicker you go, the harder it is to find equipment that will bend it. .120 wall HREW would be ideal. Strong enough, but not so overkill that it requires serious fab equipment.

IMO, you want enough tube to protect the bed, but not so much that it will A) look like a jungle gym, B) weigh 9 billion lbs, and C) hang up on everything you try to go around. A good design is tricky.

If it were me, I'd build cab protection into the silders.

Then, I'd tube/dovetail the back end, and then fit the bedsides into the tubework, so the bed is essentially outlined with tube, but still retains a factory look. The dovetail wouldn't be too extreme. Just enough to bring the tail lights in a bit, so the tires can take most of the rock hits, and keep the metal off of the body. Any hits to the bed would be taken by the tube.

I'd draw all this out, but I absolutely suck at paint and photochop. If you are even remotely interested in any of these ideas, I can talk to you about it in person.

[00regcab]

John, i like the looks of that rear protection you got. I also like the design around the bed you drew up, where it always gets goofy for me is finding a way to tie cab protection in with the bed exo without making it look goofy as hell.

Isaac, i've played with the ideas of a half tube/half body pre-runner type bed however i do not want to lose anymore of my already dwindling bedspace. Which is partially with my 'roof rack' idea is for.

As far as tubing, Kyle (ksp40 something or other on here) said he has a connection for (if i remeber right) 1 3/4" .188 wall DOM for $55 a stick, 11ft sticks. So i plan on working with him on ordering the tube, and might also have him help with the bending/building process. I've still gotta touch base with him on it and get a game plan going.

Also, in the process of all this it is very likely that the rear bumper will get chopped off in favor for a different style wrap around that sits out a little further and offers more protection. Also, maybe a full rear-exo isn't exactly necessary. I've had thoughts of doing seperate cab/rear bedside protection then just connecting the two with a 'safari bar' over the wheel well. I'm open to ideas, and I'd like to see you show me in person what you're describing Isaac. So we'll have to setup a time and a place.

[RedRunnertc]

Originally Posted by 00regcab

As far as tubing, Kyle (ksp40 something or other on here) said he has a connection for (if i remeber right) 1 3/4" .188 wall DOM for $55 a stick, 11ft sticks.

That's A LOT more weight than you really need.

After my experience, I HIGHLY recommend making weight a serious priority.