Project 4CRAWL'R - My Weekend Toy

Visitor # since 03.FEB.1999

"4x4" in upper case is "$X$"

Life is good no matter what, after your lowest low is your Marlin Crawler!.

About my 1985 Toyota 4Runner SR5:

Owner:

Roger Brown, P.E.
- Located in Santa Clara, CA. USA.
- I used to drive a 1974 Toyota Landcruiser Wagon (FJ-55) from 1984-91.
  - White over blue, 4 door.
  - Converted from gasoline to propane (LPG) w/ 50 gallon tanks - approx. 500 mile range. Holley 350 CFM 2-bbl carburetor, modified for propane, dual exhaust with 2 tri-y headers and glass-pack mufflers w/ front-of-rear-wheel exit.
  - 30x9.50LT all season tires on stock rims and a 2" shackle lift front, 1500 lb. add-a-leaf rear.
  - Had to sell it after the California Air Resources Board mandated smog compliance for LPG in 1990. While I could easily meet the emissions specs., the visual check got me. I could never get a straight answer from the CARB on what emissions equipment was needed, for example they initially said "all OEM equipment was required", I asked "what about the evaporative canister for the gas tank?" and was told "yes, that's required", but I replied "I don't have a gas tank and the propane tanks are sealed pressure vessels!" to which they replied, "Oh, well everything BUT that" and on it went. When I asked for a list of required equipment, they told me I could only have that information if I was a licensed smog shop... Did I mention that I dislike the CARB!
- Here's my daily driver: Project: Caddy Shack

In case you think I'm prejudiced about Toyota 4x4s, I'm not.: After all a Jeep can go everywhere a Toyota does, just take a this!
So why did I buy this particular vehicle?: I wasn't really looking for a 4WD vehicle, but I knew I wanted to do something to keep from beating up my little VW pickup in the desert and mountains on roads I probably shouldn't be on in the first place. I like to get away from it all. My typical vacation trips have lots of highway driving in between sections of rugged terrain that I want to visit. They are usually multi-day to multi-week trips and I try to be self-sufficient for most of that, meaning I carry gear, food, water, etc. to spend days away from developed areas. Since I often arrive at my destination late at night, the ability to sleep in the vehicle is desirable to avoid setting up a tent.; A co-worker was selling an '86 4Runner (IFS) and that sparked my interest. I'd ridden in it a few times and was impressed with the vehicle. I researched the early 4Runner models and liked what I found, but also got interested in the '85 model (solid axle). The '86 was snapped up by an eager buyer, so I resigned myself to dreaming of an '85. A few weeks later, the co-worker informed me of an '85 4Runner being sold by an acquaintance. I rushed down and snapped it up right away.; The '85 model is the last one to feature solid axles and leaf springs front and rear. It is also the first model to feature the fuel injected engine (22-RE) which has fair power, good mileage and no carburetor to flood on steep hills. It has the fiberglass shell on back to allow lots of enclosed cargo room. Its got a medium wheelbase and track so its both stable on long highway drives, yet able to maneuver on tight off-road tracks. There is a pretty good aftermarket parts industry following for Toyota, unlike most of the other import brands. I liked my old Land Cruiser and here I could get a smog-legal equivalent.; This vehicle is not for every one, its rough riding, access to the rear seats is difficult and its underpowered for towing. For me, its not my daily driver, so I can optimize it towards trail use, while keeping it street worthy. I rarely travel with more than 2 people and often alone, so the rear seats are usually folded down. I never tow anything and I find the power adequate for my purposes.

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Vehicle :

1985 Toyota 4Runner SR-5
218,000 miles and counting
- I'm the third owner, purchased w/ 185,000 on the clock
- Turned 200k driving west across South Dakota on my way home from a trip to Minnesota
White w/ bronze factory striping
- The striping is a bit worn, but has some advantages in that the hood stripes have a directional reflection characteristic. Looking from the front, they appear in shades of light to dark bronze, but from the driver's seat, they are flat black. I don't know if this was intentional, but they serve as an effective anti-glare surface on the hood.
  - Unfortunately, the California sun got the better of the hood stripes. While washing it recently, the outer layer of a few stripes began to peel off. So, I conducted a stripe-removal experiment.
- Also, the side stripes are positioned to take the brunt of scraping from trail brush, so I think I'll keep them for now.
Most factory options:
- Cruise control.
- Full gauge set:
  - Tachometer, water temperature, oil pressure, voltmeter.
- Power steering, brakes and windows.
  - I don't have the electric door locks.
- Flip-up sun roof.
- Tilt steering wheel.
- Driver's side adjustable sport seat.
- Air conditioning.
  - Still R12, but it works (a bit).
- Rear heater.
- Intermittent wipers.
- Map lights.
- The infamous clinometer.
  - Altimeter, slope and tilt gauges.
  - At 30 degree side slopes, things get fun. Wish the dial went a bit farther, though.
- Removable rear shell and factory roll bar.
I had my truck weighed recently
- Shell on, rear seat cushions removed
- Running my 33x15.50 Swampers
- ~ 1/2 tank of gas
- Box of tools/parts and some camping gear
- Me in the driver's seat:
- Front: 2180 lbs
- Rear: 2480 lbs.
- Total: 4660 lbs.

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Engine :

22R-EC
- 2.4 liter, 4-cylinder, Electronic Fuel Injection
  - Re-built ATK engine @185K after cracked head damaged cylinder walls
    - First rebuilt engine was bad, replaced at no charge after 1000 miles
  - Lubrication: Castrol 5W50 synthetic and a Purolator PureOne filter w/ anti-drainback valve
- Currently getting about 18-20MPG (corrected) with larger tires and lower gears
K&N Filtercharger in stock airbox
- Breathing through a custom snorkle
Heavy-duty, 3-row Go/Dan #2041 radiator handles the cooling duties along with a...
Flex-A-Lite Black Magic electric radiator fan
- 2800 CFM air flow
- 15" diameter blades
- 13.9 A. current draw
- Dash mounted indicator light w/ manual on and off switch
Custom 2" stainless steel exhaust and tailpipe exiting between the frame and body
- Cost was about $10 for the clamps and hanger
- I used a 36" s/s glasspack-style muffler I picked up years ago from JC Whitney and 2" s/s flex pipe
- It sounds wonderful, just audible above the road noise and a noticeable increase in power.
Heavy duty poly-urethane motor mounts.
MotoRad Fail Safe thermostat (p/n 7240-180)
- Designed to fail in the open position to prevent engine damage due to overheating.

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Electrical:

Stock 60 amp alternator
- A new 160A Premier Power Welder is awaiting installation
Optima Red Top battery
- 800 CCA, 56 AH capacity
- Since the Optima is shorter than the stock battery, I slid some 2x4s underneath it and used the stock battery hold-down to mount the battery
- Soon to be replaced with a pair of 800 CCA Black Panther batteries
3-outlet 12V power point in rear cargo area.
- 12V florescent light for rear deck illumination
- Hard mounted 120VAC/300W power inverter
Parking lights re-wired to work with as turn signals
Hella Vision Plus H4 headlights, w/ protective wire grills
Hella 550 Fog Lights

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Transmission :

Rebuilt Toyota 5 speed
- Aisin Seiki W56-5 manual transmission from Transmission Enchange
- Recently changed the lube over to Redline MTL synthetic
A Marlin Ultimate Crawler (dual transfer case), #263.
- The 4.70 gear is installed in the rear transfer case which features a custom short-throw shift lever.
  - The front crawl box has the stock 2.28 low ratio.
- With the dual case, the front drive shaft is lengthened 6.5", which allows for longer wheel travel. In the rear, the shaft is shortened by the same amount.
- I also gain a 2-Lo range (2.28 : 1) without needing to unlock the front hubs, by putting the front box into low and shifting the rear case between 4H and 2H.
- With my 22RE (4-cylinder) engine, I find it is possible to stall the engine with a <100:1 ratio, but not at >200:1
- Recently changed the lube over to Redline 75W90 synthetic gear oil

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Suspension(*):

Mixed spring pack consisting of stock and NWOR 3-1/2" leaf springs, front/rear.
- I've customized the springs by mixing the lift and stock leaves as follows:
  - In the rear: NWOR load and 2nd leaf and the remainder are stock w/ 3/8" block.
  - In the front: NWOR load and 2nd leaf, lower stock leaves.
- Splined poly-urethane spring bushings.
- All-Pro's flipped u-bolts on front axle.
  - Front spring perch re-drilled 1.5" back to move axle forward, which seems to have cured the tire rubbing with my 33x15.50 Swampers!
Downey Rubicon spring shackles:
- Rear - 1.5" longer than stock w/ 6° shims to correct the pinion angle.
  - This leaves my pinion angle 2° below the transfer case flange.
- Front - custom 1.5" longer than stock w/ 3° shim to correct the steering/pinion angles.
Brake proportioning valve is tied up with an adjustable turn-buckle setup.
- I found that with the weight of the 4Runner shell, rear bumper/tire carrier, I have no problems with rear-wheel lockup. Now I can dial in the amount of braking I need.
Stock front sway bar is currently removed due to the cross-over steering installation.
Rancho 5000 shocks on all 4 corners:
- 5115's up front, 5143's out back
  - Off-Road.com has a good chart on Rancho shock selection
Heckethorn Rough Country steering stabilizer.
- Currently using the stock mount on the axle and a custom bracket on the Marlink tie rod with a single shock.
ProThane polyurethane body mounts and bushings (shackles and spring hangers).
- Note: Body mounts eliminate that annoying shudder over bumps and make washboard gravel roads tolerable.
A custom 1" body lift to improve front tire clearance and allow front/rear bumper mounting as high as possible for increased approach and departure angle.
- I lowered the radiator and nibbled a bit of sheet metal in front of the t-case shift lever after the lift.
Currently ramps 758 on a 20 degree ramp with street pressure in the 33x9.50 tires and around 900 with my 33x15.50 Swampers.
Between the body lift, springs, shackles and tires, total lift from stock is about 5.5":
- Larger tires 2.00"
- Body lift 1.00"
- Springs 1.75"
- Shackles 0.75"
Future plans include front and rear Alcan springs:
- Front stock length springs
  - 4-5" lift) w/ center pin moved 1.5-2" forward.
  - Or possibly using the stock rear springs in front.
  - Custom long travel, CV-jointed drive shaft
- Rear:
  - 9" (5" in front, 4" in back) longer
  - 9-leaf spring pack (7mm main leaf, 6mm load leaves, and an anti-wrap top leaf).
  - 4" lift with 4" pinned missing shackle in back.
  - Custom long travel, CV-jointed drive shaft

(*) Note: Suspension installation page and photos available here.

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Drivetrain :

Toyota 8" front and rear.
- 5.29 : 1 gear ratio.
  - Note: Ratio is approx. 13% lower than stock with 33" rubber.
    - Still need to get my speedometer calibrated.
  - Engine turns about 3000 RPM at 65 MPH (corrected).
  - Driveablity is vastly improved, much less shifting.
  - I'm getting better gas mileage (corrected) than before. Really need to finish the engine and diff break-in to get the final numbers.
- Detroit TrueTrac up front.
  - You can hardly feel the TrueTrac in 4WD, it lets you turn lock to lock without interference.
  - There is a bit of torque steer, feels like my FWD VW Pickup when its pulling a grade.
  - On 5 Fingers at Hollister Hills, I had dirt flying off both front wheels, so it does get torque to both wheels.
- Detroit SoftLocker in back.
  - I'm very impressed with the on-road behavior of this unit; its very quiet and smooth.
  - You can light up the inside tire on sharp corners if you give it too much juice.
    - With my 33x9.50s yes, with the Swamper 33x15.50 - NO WAY!
- After a break-in period on standard gear oil, I'm now running Sta-Lube 75W140 Synthetic Gear Lube front and rear, with a shot of limited-slip additive.
  - With nice new gears and over a gallon of synthetic oil, I don't want water getting into the pumpkins, so I installed differential breathers with A/N fittings and S/S braided hose vented the front one to a K&N filter mounted high on the passenger-side firewall and the rear to a filter on the rear tire carrier.
    - After about 8 months, I found a problem with my original vent line installation. The were several low points in the tubing runs where gear oil seemed to collect. Enough gear oil built up until air flow was impaired. I rerouted the lines so both tubing runs will be such that excess oil can drain back down into the diff. as needed.
A Centerforce Dual Friction clutch turned by a 10 lb. heavier than stock Centerforce flywheel.
- Really smooth operation at slow speeds but it grabs like the dickens around 3000 RPM.
All-Pro cross-over steering, Marlink tie rod
Marfield joints (#115, 116) and Martacked axles in the front axle.
Recently had the rear driveshaft straightened and balanced at Drive Line Service in San Jose.
- They'll be getting my future drive line business, great service!
Between the 5.29 gears and larger tires, my speedometer read about 13% too high.
- A recalibration gear is now installed on the transfer case to restore the stock readings.
I've finally had a chance to test the drivetrain in the snow and ice a few times.
- In 2WD (Detroit only), I found the rear end twitchy on compact snow and ice..
- In 4WD (picking up the TrueTrac in front) settled everything back down.
- Steering was positive (no understeer) and traction was very good.
- During a stretch of 10 miles of stop and go downhill driving on a very icy road, I use 4WD-Lo and crawled along with traffic, avoiding the brakes and didn't have any trouble.

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Wheels, Tires and Brakes:

For normal driving I use BF Goodrich 33 x 9.50 Mud Terrains.
- Mounted on stock Toyota 15Jx6 chrome steel rims.
- Measured rolling diameter at 32" at street pressures and approx. 7" tread width.
- I like the narrow width, very stable at highway speeds, no vibration problems w/ single steering stabilizer.
- I run 15 PSI off-road and 32-35 on-road, the Quadra-Flate ensures equal pressures.
- On ice, these tires suck at street pressures.
- Aired down to 20 PSI on compact snow and ice, they perform quite nicely.
- Great in slush and standing water, no tendency to hydro-plane.
For serious off-road action, a set of 33 x 15.50 Super Swamper TSL/SX tires w/ custom-cut center tread blocks, mounted on custom 15JJx10 Stockton Wheels (2.5" backspacing) do the trick.
- Bushwhacker cutout fender flares help keep the tires under cover.
Earl's stainless steel extended brake hose; front/rear.
Semi-metallic brake pads and shoes; front/rear.

To keep air in the tires, the following setup is used:

Thomas on-board air compressor & front bumper air tank.
- Installation information may be found here.
  - It'll air up all four 33x9.50 BFGs (simultaneously) in 6 minutes with my...
Quadra-Flate 4-tire inflator/deflator.
- This setup ensures equal tire pressures; a very important concern with locking diffs.
- The air down/up time is very fast due to large hose/valves.
- I've had trouble with the in-line gauge, its gone out twice. I'm planning to replace it with a simple valve stem to pressure checks. The gauge gets banged around a lot and also can see very high pressure when airing up. The valve stem will allow me to use a 0-30 PSI gauge for airing down and a 0-60 for airing up.

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Body protection and Vehicle Recovery(*):

KMA Wincher front bumper carries...
- a Warn XD-9000i winch
  - Modified front of bumper into a Hawse fairlead for easy pulls
  - Roller fairlead for difficult pulls
  - A Pull-Pal winch anchor for those tree-less extractions
Custom KMA Multi-Carrier rear bumper w/ tire & jack carrier, including:
- Bumper ends wrapped around in place of the stock side skirts
- Recessed the 2" square hitch receiver within the bumper
- Tire-carrier pivot from the driver's side
- Jack carrier beneath the tire rack carries a 60" cast steel Hi-Lift jack
  - I've had mine for over 10 years now, still going strong, that 60" length has come in handy
  - Here's a good article on Hi-Lift jack use
Rock Sliderz nerf bars are finally installed!
- Count on a long wait with these guys, but the product is worth it
Bushwhacker cut-out fender flares - front and rear
- 1" cut from rear of front fender

(*) Note: Bumper/winch installation page and photos available here.

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Custom Features/Accessories:

GT Styling shield/deflector up front keeps gravel and bugs off the windshield.
- The upturned lip generates a fair amount of down force. Really helps stabilize the rig in crosswinds. After the suspension lift, the rig is affected much more by the wind, but its much better with the deflector than without.
- Attached with two screws under the hood, I used two threaded inserts to allow for easier installation and removal.
Rear Deflecta-Shield wind deflector keeps the rear window dust-free.
- 48" extruded aluminum unit from JC Whitney; cost: ~ $40.
- Included mounting hardware (for both fiberglass and steel bodies) and fully adjustable brackets for both height and angle. Trimmed the ends to match the width of the shell.
AM/FM/Cassette/CB radio, Sound Barrier model 1040SD.
- 70 watt audio w/ removable face plate.
- I plan to move this to my pickup and put the original Clarion radio/cassette back in.
A JVC 12-CD changer supplies the tunes when the reception fades.
A Uniden GrantXL SSB/CB radio provides mobile communications feeding into a...
- A 48" FireStik-II antenna mounted on the left rear corner of the vehicle.
  - I learned the value of proper SWR calibration (the hard way). When installed on my rear tire rack, I had the antenna tuned (to 1.2 SWR) and it worked fine. After a few months my transmit quality was down and I assumed the radio was going out on me). My antenna had a decent ground (at DC) but at RF, I think it was more like an open. My SWR was over 3. Ended up moving the antenna to the sheet metal of the body and now I have 1.1 SWR.
  - Anyway, I now own an SWR meter and if any local 4x4 driver would like their antenna SWR checked, let me know.
- The radio is too large for the center console, so I mounted it on the driver's side door where the map pocket used to be (the map pocket was moved to the passenger door).
- I love the radio, it has more knobs than I know what to do with, and they all work as advertised. I'm really impressed with the difference a good receiver makes.
- I used Uniden's online ordering system. When I first looked, the refurbed-XLs were out of stock, so I registered to be informed (by email when they were available). A few weeks later, I got an email informing me they were in, than I logged back on and ordered on-line. I did Fed-Ex 2nd day delivery, ordered on a Friday and got it on Wednesday. Pretty cool system.
Fire extinguisher mounted on roll bar.
Hot water shower from R & M Specialty Products is installed inside the left front fender and plumbed into the rear heater hose.
- Handy for washing off the trail grime after a hard day of wheeling.

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Future Mods (once the above items are paid for :):

Coming soon: LC Engineering 4 cylinder header...
Longer travel shocks front and rear...
A set of Alcan springs front and rear...
One of those kool Kayline soft-tops for the summer months...

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4Runner and 4x4 Links:

Here are some excellent net resources for the Toyota 4Runner:

The top of my 4x4 information tree.
Off-Road.com's Toyota 4x4 Home Page.
The Toyota 4x4 mail list is an excellent resource.
- Just click on this listserv link for information on how to subscribe to the list.
- Digest back issues are also available.
- Barney archives many technical threads on his web page.
4x4 4U's Toyota 4Runner Owner's Forum
The Unofficial Toyota 4Runner Club
Ryan Comber's 4Runner Links Page
The Minnesota Toyx4's Toyota-Only Links Page
James Stevenson has some awesome suspension design information on-line here.
If you have 100k miles or more on your Toyota, check out Toyota's 100K Club.

Here are some general 4x4 links:

Toyota Land Cruiser Association:
- Member #6648.
- Many shops offer discounts to TLCA members, check it out.
CA4WDC lists lots of good 4-wheeling information for California:
- Member #14789.
- I'm a member of the Gettin' Off 4WD Club that meets in Milpitas, CA. the 2nd Tuesday of each month.
  - If you would like to attend a meeting, I can send you directions.
WJ Markerink has an excellent description of traction-aiding differentials.
Off-Road.Com
The Offroad mailing list.
4x4 4U maintains a good 4x4 web site.
Kernl maintains a excellent 4x4 resource at The Mining Company site.
A really nifty gear ratio calculator.
Roy Schmaus maintains some useful information on automotive batteries.
The engine oil FAQs Part1 and Part2 are helpful in understanding engine lubrication.
- The Engine Oil Bible is another valuable resource on this subject.
The Ultimate Poseur's Sport Utility Page is fun reading and has some useful information.
- For grins I looked into getting a "MALLRUNR" personalized license plate, but its already been taken!
There are a few USENET newsgroups that have Toyota/4x4 information:
- rec.autos.4x4
- alt.autos.toyota

Here are some vendor links for Toyota & 4Runner parts:

Marlin Crawler makes killer low range gears.
All-Pro Offroad makes an awesome cross-over steering conversion kit.
Downey Off Road Manufacturing
- NOTE: The area code for Santa Fe Springs has changed from (310) to (562).
4 Wheel Parts Wholesalers
Performance Products
Northwest Off-Road Specialties
Accessories Plus Truck Center
Kennesaw Mountain Accessories has front and rear bumpers with tire carriers.
American Metal has a nice looking nerf bar.
Metro Toyota offers discounted factory parts over the Internet.
T.A.P. Recycling has used parts for Toyotas.
T & M Transmission Exchange has excellent deals on rebuilt Toyota transmissions, check out their web page.
- I recently had them replace my ailing 5-speed (bad bearings as it turned out). I ran into some shifting problems a few weeks later and Mike pulled the tranny, and Tim replaced the main shaft and some poorly fitting gears and put it all back together. They stand behind their work.
Wrangler Power Products Northwest has an excellent line of heavy duty electrical goodies
- Call (800) 962-2616 and ask for a free catalog
For custom and auxiliary fuel tanks try:
- Aero Enterprise
- Northwest Metal Products

Here are some answers to Frequently Asked Questions:

The rec.autos.4x4 FAQ =;^}

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Web Rings:

This Toyota 4x4 Webring site belongs to
Roger Brown

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(this site, not my truck :-(

Last updated: 09.JUL.1999

Owner	General	Engine	Electrical
Transmission	Drivetrain	Suspension	Wheels/Tires
Body Protection	Vehicle Recovery	Custom Features	Future Mods
Technical Information	Suspension upgrade	Bumper & winch upgrade	Cheap tricks
4x4 Links	4x4 Places	Reader's Rides	Guest Book

Project 4CRAWL'R - My Weekend Toy

Contents:

About my 1985 Toyota 4Runner SR5:

Owner:

Vehicle :

Engine :

Electrical:

Transmission :

Suspension(*):

Drivetrain :

Wheels, Tires and Brakes:

Body protection and Vehicle Recovery(*):

Custom Features/Accessories:

Future Mods (once the above items are paid for :):

4Runner and 4x4 Links:

Here are some excellent net resources for the Toyota 4Runner:

Here are some general 4x4 links:

Here are some vendor links for Toyota & 4Runner parts:

Here are some answers to Frequently Asked Questions:

Web Rings: