4 banger Toyota pickup as a wood hauler? (Show me your Toyota hauling!)

[GeeVee]

The 2 4 Runners I have have their original timing belts. As someone else psoted, not an interference valve train, so its okay if it breaks comapred to an interference train.

More likley the rad will need changed or the water pump, do all three at once and call it a lifetime.



This is what kills Toyotas of this era....

 

[audible fart]

I posted these pictures in the "Wood Hauler" thread:

I've got a modified 22RTE turbo engine under the hood and 3.90 gears (stock were 4.10) for a little better mileage. The rear springs consist of a stock replacement main leaf and leaves pulled from the spring pack of a 91 2WD 1/2 ton Chevy then shortened to fit the Toyota main leaf. I put plastic spring slides between the leaves and the truck rides far better than it ever did stock. I was worried about the axle but after looking up every part in an 89 1 ton single wheel rear axle and comparing them to the parts in my 4wd axle, no worries there. Toyota builds the 4wd axle the same as the 1 ton. But if there are problems I'll find a Ford 9" with 3.90 gears to install. The truck will consistently haul more wood than the brakes should be trying to stop so I may have to do something there. You can read more about the truck here: 1991 Toyota Pickup

Overall your truck doesn't look like a typical rusty Toyota from this area. Check the frame where the front hangers for the rear springs are attached. That's a common place to find rust, esp. on the passenger side. The section of the frame around the round brace over the rear axle is typical, but be sure and check the round brace for rust. The countershaft bearings in the trans will fail with high mileage and it's exaggerated with heavy loads. You can hear it as whining in every gear except 4th. I've got 200k+ on my truck and the trans is on the way out. It makes more noise on the highway than the tires and I have to hold it in 1st gear when taking off. I have a replacement trans waiting to go in after wood gathering is over. You want to haul a trailer but I'm not sure the trailer should carry much weight. The truck is light enough in the rear that a heavy trailer could push it around pretty good. But maybe a small trailer for tools would work. I still don't feel my truck is ready to haul my tandem axle car trailer but maybe I'm just being too cautious.

I'm a GM guy from way back but I've owned 3 Yotas and none of them have let me down. I'm sure yours will work hard if you ask it to haul wood.

Nice project write up

 

[MGoBlue]

Here's my Toy

I stepped up to the tundra after owning a T100 for a year. It had too much rust and I wanted a v8 so I could pull a 4x8 trailer load as well. I've put bags in the back as you can tell from the pics. I also have the E rated Duratrac's w/ 75lbs in them. I'll have to dig up some T pics.

 

[Blakesmaster]

Not a pickup

But here's my 88 4runner w/ 4 cyl.

It's no longer gay ass purple. Great little trucks. As you can see the rear springs need to be beefed up and as 1project2many said watch for rust in those two spots. My rocker is starting to go just behind pass side door. Mine had headers and a flowmaster installed by the previous owner and it seems stronger than my brothers stock 93 pickup. I doubt it was worth the effort and cash though. I'm at 209,000 and going strong. Put a used trans in it last year when I lost fifth gear, if you really want to make yours bullet proof you can buy one from Marlin Crawler. Heard great things about them. There are a ton of forums out there on these trucks with info on how to beef them up. IMO, you won't find a better base to start with than a yota pickup for getting into and out of the woods.

 

[jhoff310]

ok its time to show off my YO. Its far from pretty, it was in showroom condition when we bought it 15 years ago off my ex brother in law. I have beat the tar out of it. enjoy

Jeff

 

[MGoBlue]

Here's my old T:

Jeff, that's nuts!! I can't believe you haven't broken any springs and/or bump stops. :eek2:

 

[jhoff310]

Nuts is a good word for it. No I havent broken any springs. For only being a half ton truck it will take a beating. A few years ago I had over a ton of field boulders on it and drove it home <only 8 miles> and it drove better loaded than unloaded. That load of wood came from a block away. I normally dont overload it THAT bad, but I do load her up.

Jeff

 

[IHDiesel73L]

Nice trucks! Little did I know that Toyotas were doing so much wood hauling! Springs and brakes are definitely on my list of improvements along with some better wheels and at least 31s. I don't really want to lift it, but it would be nice to fit 33s. We'll see...

 

[andrethegiant70]

Check out my avatar...

86 SR5 with the 22RE, bone stock except for pretty aggressive tires. This is the third I've had since '88 and they've been terrific for me. I greatly prefer the 22R engine for it's reliability and pluck, but it is dog-slow, I'll say. Who cares. I would stay away from oversize tires, you've got to let this engine spin a little bit if you're carrying loads. Having said that, the low range range transmission has gotten me through some unbelievable stuff in the woods with the help pf moderately aggressive tires.

I've built fences in the bed so I can pile wood up and I can hold about two-thirds of a chord. If I were going very far though (I don't), I'd cut it some slack and go a bit lighter.

Wonderful, reliable trucks. This one is probably too far gone to do a whole lot more repairs to... but I'll sure by another when the time comes.

 

[audible fart]

It's Battery Time

Warm today, but on a high 30's day a few days ago my battery in my 04 Tacoma seemed alarmingly tired. Bought the truck pristine @ carmax in 2008 w/ 60k on it. The battery looked brand new when i bought it from them. But that was 4 freaking years ago already which blows my mind because it seems like about a year to me. I'm definately not going with optima. All i want is slightly higher cold cranking amps and a warranty would be nice. 40 minutes till Autozone opens. At which time i very well may "get in the zone." Also will check with evil walmart. 4 years out of a battery is ok for me. Might grab wipers and a jug of MMO while i'm at it. I also have on the agenda to grease the driveshafts and put a final coat of Mother's wax on it before winter. Because these goofballs throw salt everywhere when it drizzles and is 42 degrees, so you have to stay on top of things with a Toyota here to keep it rust free. Which i do. I like my somewhat aggressive tires, but they sure are good at throwing rocks up at the paint. That, and all the torn up roads because they destroyed them via unneeded salt treatments. Went through a fair amount of touch up paint the other day.

 

[audible fart]

I used my 4x4 single cab 4 cylinder to pull a trailer to clean out 15 acres of walnut trees.The clutch was cooked in 3 months. I still have the truck hall lots of wood just not a trailer.

15 acres of trees is a huge job. What size trailer were you pulling? I really wouldn't want to pull anything more than the open 6x12 i already pull. When you were doing this job were you utilizing 4 low at all? The 2 or 3 times i realized when backing my loaded trailer up muddy hills in 4wd that i was burning clutch, i just put it in 4 low& didn't have to use the clutch at all. Anything low speed& high stress like that i friggin LOVE 4 low. I can leave it in gear backing up hills& let it get all the way down to idle without it threatening stalling simply because of the ultra low gearing.

 

[Somesawguy]

Warm today, but on a high 30's day a few days ago my battery in my 04 Tacoma seemed alarmingly tired. Bought the truck pristine @ carmax in 2008 w/ 60k on it. The battery looked brand new when i bought it from them. But that was 4 freaking years ago already which blows my mind because it seems like about a year to me. I'm definately not going with optima. All i want is slightly higher cold cranking amps and a warranty would be nice. 40 minutes till Autozone opens. At which time i very well may "get in the zone." Also will check with evil walmart. 4 years out of a battery is ok for me. Might grab wipers and a jug of MMO while i'm at it. I also have on the agenda to grease the driveshafts and put a final coat of Mother's wax on it before winter. Because these goofballs throw salt everywhere when it drizzles and is 42 degrees, so you have to stay on top of things with a Toyota here to keep it rust free. Which i do. I like my somewhat aggressive tires, but they sure are good at throwing rocks up at the paint. That, and all the torn up roads because they destroyed them via unneeded salt treatments. Went through a fair amount of touch up paint the other day.

The Walmart batteries hold up exceptionally well. Interstate is a good battery as well, but a little harder to find.

 

[Somesawguy]

15 acres of trees is a huge job. What size trailer were you pulling? I really wouldn't want to pull anything more than the open 6x12 i already pull. When you were doing this job were you utilizing 4 low at all? The 2 or 3 times i realized when backing my loaded trailer up muddy hills in 4wd that i was burning clutch, i just put it in 4 low& didn't have to use the clutch at all. Anything low speed& high stress like that i friggin LOVE 4 low. I can leave it in gear backing up hills& let it get all the way down to idle without it threatening stalling simply because of the ultra low gearing.

I'll have to agree. 4Low is very handy. Sometimes I wish it was lower, but it's not bad. The nice thing about manual hubs is you can put it in 4Low without locking the hubs, and it's like having low range for 2wd.

I still haven't quite figured out how to bypass the high idle circuit when the engine is cold.

 

[headleyj]

I's not a Taco, but sill a Yoter.

bed full of oak in this pic plus an oak log on trailer
View attachment 205505

before lift and tires - looks kinds puny, but still love the pic with the backhoe in background
View attachment 205506

 

[PEKS]

My son and I hauled all that maple away in the back of my 06 Tundra.
I have being driving Toyota Pick ups for almost forty years now, all have been black and 4x4..

 

[audible fart]

New battery is now installed. called around, settled on an everlast from walmart. About $90 after the core return. The old batt was a delco with 550 cranking amps, this one has 640. Can definately feel & hear it being far more alive on start up. 3 year warranty. Parts stores wanted about the same or $10 more for 500 cranking amp batteries.

 

[banshee67]

I's not a Taco, but sill a Yoter.

bed full of oak in this pic plus an oak log on trailer
View attachment 205505

before lift and tires - looks kinds puny, but still love the pic with the backhoe in background
View attachment 205506

you got helper springs or air bags or somethin under there? sure is sittin level for all that oak and heavy trailer !

 

[Boydt8]

My toy

I have not taken any pictures of my toyota, I should to show off the stuff I do in my 1988 toyota extended cab of course 4x4.
I haul juniper (12 loads last year) for fire wood.
Guide on a Trophy elk hunt/ and spring gobbler hunt.

The only problem I have with it was the drain plug in the rear end fell out, burnt the rear end out. Replaced it, now doing all the listed stuff above again.
The only modification I done was raised the front end up by tweaking up the torsion bars.
Oh, did I mention that I run super swampers on all 4's.

 

[IHDiesel73L]

The only modification I done was raised the front end up by tweaking up the torsion bars.

How do you do that and how much lift does it give you? Would you be able to run 33s just by doing that? I was thinking of just doing an add-a-leaf in the rear.

 

[headleyj]

you got helper springs or air bags or somethin under there? sure is sittin level for all that oak and heavy trailer !

Oh absolutely! Firestone airbags baby!!