Steve's '94 Toyota x-cab mild build

OrvisKrawler said:
So whats the purpose of the half leaf on top? just curious
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James is correct. It's an anti-wrap leaf. It helps prevents axle wrap without affecting flex or spring rate. Alcan, Trail Gear, Marlin, Deaver AllPro, all do it on their springs too. I won't say it completely eliminates axle wrap, but I'll bet it helps. I'll probably end up throwing an anti-wrap leaf on the chevies as well.

But I do need better leaf clamps to keep 'em from helicoptering.
 
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sixstringsteve said:
James is correct. It's an anti-wrap leaf. It helps prevents axle wrap without affecting flex or spring rate. Alcan, Trail Gear, Marlin, Deaver AllPro, all do it on their springs too. I won't say it completely eliminates axle wrap, but I'll bet it helps. I'll probably end up throwing an anti-wrap leaf on the chevies as well.

But I do need better leaf clamps to keep 'em from helicoptering.
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Send me some info on that.. please
 
Your build is looking really good Steve! I sure wish i knew how to do stuff like this. I have never really been in to 1:1 stuff except just the last few months and i have a lot to learn!
 
sixstringsteve said:
I had a tough time getting the bushings out, so I tried burning them out. Not a good idea. Not good for the environment, and it didn't work.

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Since they're leaves from an '88, they had the metal bushing both inside the rubber, and outside. So I took a chisel to the area between the mil wrap and the bushing sleeve. After a few hours, I got all the bushings out. What a pain.
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Neat photo effect. Next time you have to do this (if ever) try blocking the spring up and then using a deep socked and a single jack. Lube it up with some lithium spray before you get started. I have a piece of solid bar I used on mine. (Way back when I had leaf spring packs!)

Gil
 
meach4x4 said:
Neat photo effect. Next time you have to do this (if ever) try blocking the spring up and then using a deep socked and a single jack. Lube it up with some lithium spray before you get started. I have a piece of solid bar I used on mine. (Way back when I had leaf spring packs!)

Gil
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I found drilling holes in the bushings on 3 sides and hammer work the best
 
meach4x4 said:
Neat photo effect. Next time you have to do this (if ever) try blocking the spring up and then using a deep socked and a single jack. Lube it up with some lithium spray before you get started. I have a piece of solid bar I used on mine. (Way back when I had leaf spring packs!)

Gil
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That's actually the real photo, no effect. I'm too stupid with photoshop to know how to make effects.

I still can't quite picture what you recommend.
 
01XJ said:
Your build is looking really good Steve! I sure wish i knew how to do stuff like this. I have never really been in to 1:1 stuff except just the last few months and i have a lot to learn!
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I don't understand what you mean by 1:1 stuff?

We've all gotta start somewhere. Fortunately, Pirate has a TON of info for toyotas. The toyota bible 2.0 has more info than you could read in 6 months. And as I watch other builds, I get a lot of good ideas from others. Plus, having built a few rigs, I am getting better at this sort of thing. My '81 pickup was really where I gained all my confidence to start tearing into toyotas.

Here's my past 4x4 vehicle history and how I got where I am now.

1) 87 sami. I learned that I loved going off road.
2) '91 geo tracker 2-door. I installed a 3" suspension and 3" body lift. I had never done any serious wrenching before, but the instructions were very clear, and I followed them step-by step. I built it in a weekend. I went to moab for the first time in this rig, but since I hadn't re-geared it, I learned about the importance of gears
3) '94 sami: I learned what a spool was, and what 4:1s do. I did my first axle swap when I threw yota axles under it.
4) '85 4runner. I bought this one built, and all I did on it was t-case gears. I learned to tear apart a yota case
5) '96 geo tracker 4-door. On this I learned to weld better, and do one-off modifications (widened and rotated mod).
6) '01 4-door tacoma. I learned how to tub fenders, and I learned about coil-overs and upper control arms, and all that stuff. This was a great rig. I learned that a properly equipped IFS can go a LOT of places. I also learned to weld from sheet metal to 1/4" steel. My buddy Tyson taught me how to use my 110v flux-core welder to it's potential.
7) '81 toyota pickup. On this build, I totally rebuild the entire truck, minus the engine. I swapped and rebuilt axles, t-cases, transmissions, interior, seats, extended the frame, bobbed the bed, and did things that were my own ideas, not just following instructions. This build took forever because I read almost every thread in the Toyota bible 2.0 on Pirate, and I triple-checked my work before I did it. I'd say I learned 90% of what I know now from this build.
8) '97 sidekick. SAS, installed yota axles and a 4-link rear, 3-link front. It was my first toyota elocker install. I learned a lot about links, but I still have a lot more to learn. I learned that while I like links, I still prefer a yota on leaves. There's just something amazing with that combination for a DD/wheeler
9) '94 x-cab. And here I am on this rig. It's my first sas on a yota, and my first time using a plasma torch. I feel like I'm finally getting the hang of toyotas.

So, you can see that it was a long journey, over 10 years, to get where I'm at. But I'm slow, I have adhd, and I don't have a background working with tools, so most people learn a lot faster than me. Just start somewhere, and learn as you go. That's the great part about this sport. You're always learning new things every time you go out.
 
sixstringsteve said:
I don't understand what you mean by 1:1 stuff?
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Meaning i have never really wanted to build my own rig or learn how to do things like your doing never really been in to serious offroading . I have always owned a 4x4 but never built one up my self. I either drove it stock and did mild trails and some camping and called it good and the only rig I ever had that was built to the gills i bought it that way and even then i didnt do a whole lot of stuff and ended up selling it. I have never built anything my self never added any mods,lift sliders etc to my rigs. In just the last few months have i have really gotten to where i want to learn the whole kit and caboodle about the 1:1 world so i can get a serious crawler someday and know what im doing if it breaks and i need to fix something. I mean i do know the basics about the importance of gears and lockers and the difference between a locker and spools and how all that works and how it makes a huge difference You know just the small things. But im FAR from knowing how to do something like you do or others on here for that matter. I have a ton of skills to learn and welding is one important one if im going to get serious about this stuff.
 
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I recommend a welding class at a community college. It's scary how many people try to weld important stuff without knowing what they're doing.
 
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