Setting Big Dreams In Motion.
I'm just having fun with a dream of getting back on the trail from a 18 year leave of absence. This is my jurney, so come along & join me on this great adventure...
I found a leak below the Lx last week & knew immediately it was one of the floor heater hoses finally giving way. It also proves the heater valve is leaking bye. I've suspected to be since the passenger side floor has been unusually warm this summer. I've seen this bypass done by many on ih8mud.com so it was a easy fix. Steve @baldilocks just did it on his "White Rino" & was well documented... thanks Steve.
I even did a silly vid so all can see just how easy it is to complete the job. Granted leaning over the engine bay is never easy & even a pain, I mean its a one banana job. Just one more thing, since I have body lift I did not loose but a little antifreeze.
I would like to pay Tribute to one of the original pioneer's of the 80 series, this awesome 80 was built by Mark of Metal Tech 4x4 (www.metaltech4x4.com), it's a 1993 fzj80 & I believe was one of the 1st 80s on 37" tires. Mark also pioneered front cut fenders. I contacted Mark to get the specs of this rig & here is some of his reply: That’s cool! Thank you for
this. It is a great truck for sure. It also drove amazing
on the road, yet ran the Rubicon with no issues. Perfect balance right at the
limits of what a full bodied 80 can do in both areas of street and trail.
Mark Specs are as follows:
5.5" of lift.
Old Man Emu 850J/863J plus MT 2" front coil spacer which lowers bump stops
down 2".
Bump stops 2" in front & 3" in rear.
Prototype Metal-tech 4x4 Castor correction plates set at 4*
2.5" Radflo remote res. shocks all 4 corners (Protos for the 80 w/ this
lift)
37" Iroks on MRC 17x9 3"BS Beadlocks. (w/4 golf balls inside each
tire for balance)
ARB front bumper / Warn 9.5XP winch
Prototype Metal-tech 4x4 Sliders
Prototype Metal-tech 4x4 bolt on rear corner guards
Front and rear ARB Air Lockers w/5.29 gears (Removed E-lockers and swapped
front axle to non-Elockers If anyone has more pictures, info or has any great stories or tall tales to tell about wheeling with Mark & his orange machine please feel free to reply. I hope you all have enjoyed this post & I look forward to your replies.
I have been on a long jurney trying to get a suspension that actually works well on the road & the trail. It has been a big learning curve on what just works & work a lot better. I have used several products & brands of shocks & coils to get me here where I am at today.
I have had two sets of Old Man Emu coils springs and have found them to be good with drivability and handling on/off road, but not great. Again good but not great. I want a suspension that performs great on & off road. I have learnd about dual rate coils & have found several manufacturers that offer them for my 80 series rig. OME, Icon & Redline Slinky. All three have great attributes but one stands out to me for the longest suspension travel is the Slinky long travel coils. These longer coils allow my rig to have longer shocks which means my tire goes further down, has more traction & control.
Let me explain dual rate, these coils have a soft plush & firm stable feel. While just going down the road it has a soft feel but just under that is a strong firm stable heavier coil. Two coils in one, a cake & eat it situation... just simply awesome. Here is a pic of both my single rate OME & my new Slinky dual rate coils, note how much taller the silver coils are.
I have found on my rig that 1" of travel at my shock equals 2" at the tire. I am now running 2.25" longer shocks which means 4.5" more downtravel at the tire.
The top 160lb rate section of the coil almost stacks at ride height while the rig is just about to sit on the stronger 260lb rate. This provides the soft plush feel going down the road. Once a bit more weight goes on the coil they finish compressing then it goes into the stronger part of the coil. Does that make since?
Here is a pic while installing to show how long they are.
Here is some poser shots.
Below is the new Slinky coil verses my old coils that were much shorter. The theroy behind the longer coil is they are still pushing down giving better traction at full exstension of the longer shocks rather than the tire just dangling there without downward preasure.
I'm now driving up curbs on purpose & blowing though 6" tall parking lot stops like they were 1" reflector bumps. These coils are the bomb& can't wait for the Icon shocks.
Basic human nature... bigger is better. I have found some 80 series rigs with 40" tires. I just had to post.....
Wrench
Nukegoat
Apounder
Action Jackson
80V8
39.5" Swamper 16.5
@joez
80on40s
ExpoMax
NorthWestaco
I have seen a lot of 80 series rigs & this this super low geared red 80 on 40"s just screams out to me "Hardcore 80".
@wrench here on mud has been a member since 2003 but never did a build thread that I know of. I guess it wasn't cool back in the day. So his build is spread out over hundreds & hundreds of pages on ih8mud. I have learned here & there while doing searches that his "Red Macine" is worthy of a build thread.
I'm posting this up so others can see & enjoy this Red Machine.
This is what I know so far. If it's wrong let me know:
6" Slee lift
Stock bump stops
12" Doetsch Tech 8000 series shocks
5:29s & some Black Box like 250 to 1 thing???
39.5" IROKs black steel 17x9 4.5" BS wheels
Chrome moly axles
Front ARB & 4X4Labs bumpers
I invite you @wrench to tell you story or others to do the same if you know Chris or have wheeled with him please tell your story.
In a PM @cruiser land wrote:
"Sure, I know wrench. He rolled that truck ten years ago and I spliced on a roof doors etc from a donor, thing was squashed flat!"
