Pre-85' (Solid Axle) Yota's?

[TrikeKid]

The time for me to get a truck is rapidly approaching, and I'm seeing more and more of these I like. My friend just got a pair of Toyota's, an 84 and I think an 88. He and his dad rebuilt the engine in the 88 and it's now his dad's daily driver (freind's sister's legacy finally died, so she took dad's Saturn). The 84 Is in decent shape, could use paint and needs a little rust fixed in the bed sides, when I say a little rust, I mean a little, it's only bubbled in 2 or 3 small spots, a rarity for an all original 80's Toy here, most have holes you could put your hand though. I have serious doubts about my freind acctually keeping the 84 for his own, this is the 3rd truck they've bought "for him" in the last 4-5 months, he now has a 70 Ford 4x4, 2wd Jeep Comanche, and the Toyota to choose from, in addition to the Ford Maverick that they originaly planned to be his. The 84 has a 22R in it, its an extended cab, seems to be in good running order, has good tires on it, like I said minimal rust. Do you think it'd be worth buying from him in a little while for a daily driver?

[84honda 200X]

Id jump on that so quick. Toyota may be jap crap but in my opinion they are the equivalent to a jeep. Id love to get one to a solid axle one but everyone i see is rusted beyond repair.

[TrikeKid]

I'll talk to my friend to learn a little more about it, like if it is for sale, at what price. I'll have to talk to my dad, he kinda controls what I do with my vehicle funds, he did say if I wanted a project, I'd have to get it early. Only other way is to get a newer rig (meaning more money and less modding) after I have my license.

[Dirtcrasher]

84 to 88 had the same body style but 86 is the first year for IFS. The 85 solid axle yo's and prior are still great trucks but unfortunately the frame rots out bad. Lots of those years look OK but get under the truck where the cab meets the bed and check that spot, thats where they go first and on the round tube running across both frame rails. I bought a 1988 4X4 new and drove it for 15 years and over 200K miles. I jumped it, raced it, rolled it over and replaced numerous rear ends and trannies from running 36" Dick Cepek fun countries and 33" BFG AT's. I drove that truck like it was a four wheeler, clutching it, beating it and powershifting it. I will swear by Toyota trucks forever. Unless you need to pull something then they are great trucks....

[RideRed250R]

thats what i was about to say... sold front taco's are great but you have to becareful on what the frame look slike... i have seen the rot out at tranny monts, leaf spring mounts, shock mounts and all that... i personally say you go IFS they used a better rust proof paint coat ont hem... they have EFI (22RE models) they run like champs (246,155 on mine and it has the same compression as it left the factory with) they can be modded to make decent power (mine has air intake, header back exhaust, throttle body, cam dynoed at 140 rear wheel horses with 33's on stock gears... it moves out but when i put in the 4:56 gears she will be abck to alittle lower then stock gearing... already she will climb hills and the IFS isnt a bad set up from yota... just get a bottom axle brace (stock ones known to flex) and your good... i put bolt on off road shocks with ressies... and she rides fine... never let go of that truck .... O and she will go every where a V8 will go... but only thing is she will go FURTHER
adam

[TrikeKid]

85's had RE's. How do the IFS trucks wheel compared to a solid? I've just always thought solid was a better setup than IFS if you wan't to wheel.

[RideRed250R]

my ifs will do everything a jeep will... i just have a massive 1/4" thick diamon plate skit infront protecting the axle housing and drive shaft... they wont rock crawl as good as a soild, because of axle articulation... but in the mod as long as you have good cv's, good tight cv boots... it will mod like no there... it really doesnt have the front axle to get barried and stuck int he mud... the front wheels are pretty much ont here own... i would say dont lift the suspension... crank up the torisions... add good shocks.. through on some 33's and 4:56 gears and make a custon skid plate covering the front axle to the rear of the tranny... its the *Edited**Edited**Edited**Edited**Edited*... i love takingmine out... and runnin her in the dirt...
Adam

[Dirtcrasher]

How tough is IFS?? When I say "raced" my truck I truly mean it. 3 of my friends all had the same stock Toyotas and we would push them to extreme limits. We built a race course and held these motors wide open around it. As RED said, I could outclimb hills that a 454 with 38" tires would try and climb breaking his driveshaft in the process. These guys would laugh at my Toy until I finally earned the respect I deserved. The only limitation was the air intake located in front of the right headlight, without the height of huge tires and a suspension lift I couldn't cross water as well as they could. Ground clearance was also an issue but not much of one! I merely tossed on a 3" body lift for 100$ some 33" BFG AT's and had a stock unbelievable offroad vehicle. Later I cranked up my torsion bars and made 2" blocks for the rear end for more ground clearance. I literally jumped this truck 6 feet high and 30 feet long, did this a hundred times until I launched in 4th gear and when I landed all 4 cab body lift mounts broke through the floor and I snapped off the left upper A arm mount. I babied it home and welded plates on the floor, jacked up the front end and welded the mount back on. I then drove the truck another 12 years. When I mounted the 36" tires it was a massive mud machine in 4WD low but 3rd gear was your final gear with a 4 cylinder. Also as RED said the best mod you can make is the proper gearing to spin those oversized balloons. Personally with the stock 4:10's I would not run anything bigger than a 32" tire. And for heavy offroading I don't think I'd run the suspension lift as it adds more pieces to break or bend on hard impacts. Lots of guys swear by the solid axles, some go so far as to buy a later IFS model and actually chop off the IFS and weld and mount a solid axle on there. But with the pre 85 you lose your fuel injection and again most of them are rotted pretty bad.

I can find 1988 IFS EFI trucks around here for under 1000$ all day long and parts galore. I paid 9600$ new for mine and in the end parted it on EBAY for 2500$ in pieces. This truck was absolute junk when I cut it up, I'll never abuse something that bad again....

As far as the IFS goes, I never replaced a ball joint a tie rod end or wheel bearing in all those years. It's important to run a good steering stabalizer and keep it greased. I lost parts due to severe abuse and it was also hard to keep *Edited* joints in the truck. Another weak area is the fuel tank sending bracket and fuel lines which can run 500$ to fix yourself and seem to last about 10 to 15 years. So check that out real well, it's an instant expensive failure point.

I now on a 1994 Extra Cab V6, not a ton more power. The 3.0 V6 isn't that great but I do like the little extra bit of power and the extra cab I will never live without again. I paid 4K for this truck and I should have it a few years until I buy another brand new Toy.

[TrikeKid]

I'd rather lift the thing that just crank the bars. It's in the budget and I believe a better setup than stiffening the suspension up.

[corndawg]

my buddy has an '84 yote, i love that little truck, the bed literally fell off of it, so he bolted a palet to the fram rails. everyone in town knows that truck. that thing will go anywhere, its just a great big fourwheeler, he put 31" pro comp mudders on it. the place where we go wheelin at the kid that owns the property has a '80 blazer frame with 44"s on it and a rock crawler style cage and body that he calls the "rocon"..nates old yote will go places where the "rocon" wont, even in the mud....after 2 years and 2 clutches worth of just beating the piss out of that old yote, he finaly spun a rod bearing on a 250,000 mile motor , as much as i hate to admit it, toyota did somthing right with those old trucks

[Banage]

try to get that maverick from him haha i got 2. Anyways i got a 81 toy and i love it 22r runs great. My buddys 87 toy was in mint after he built a flat bed untill he fell asleep and hit a tree.

[jason85atc250r]

get the toyota from him. i have a 85 sr5 4runner with solid axle 5" lift 33's and a 82 5lift and 35's, 5.29's and lockers front and rear. just check the framelike everyone said by the gas tank and leaf spring mounts.

i go off roading with a club out east there site is ec4x4e.com. check it out. toyotas hold up alot better then the wranglers. ive seen about every member that does hard trials aleast brake 1 rear axle. ive never broke any.

toyotas have 30 sline axle shafts thats the same size shaft as a 70's 4x4 chevy blazer.

heres some sites to check out for aftermarket stuff

all pro off road

front range off road fab

sky- manufactiring

marlin crawler

formulatoyota.com--------- i'm biulding on of these my 82 frame and body is getting really rusted. i'm going to steel all the good stuff of it for this.

[jason85atc250r]

85's had RE's. How do the IFS trucks wheel compared to a solid? I've just always thought solid was a better setup than IFS if you wan't to wheel.

only the sr5 fancy models from 85 had 22re's. it was that way from 85-87. in 1988 22re's were standard in 4x4's. solid axle is alot stronger then the ifs if your doing the rock crawling.


i have 70 toyota trucks for parts from 1979-94's if you get it and need some parts. my user name on ebay is toyota_parts_dude

[renotrikeguy]

I agree, Get the Toyota.

Even though I have a 90 model, this thing is a tank off road. The IFS hasn't been a problem yet either. You can't go wrong with Toy's.


Chris

[TrikeKid]

I don't plan on a hard core rock rig or even that serious a wheeler, want to keep it mild for the street. I've seen yota axles with 39's on them in rock buggies, even though they're modded thats a stout axle.