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1993 TFS

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1993 TFS

Postby dani4jb1t » Sun Oct 05, 2014 4:03 pm

Description:
Well, I''m an abroad member and I've been following and learning from this club since at least 10 years ago. I own a 1993 TFS, badged in my country as Chevrolet LUV, I've been driving this pickup truck since 1999 and have absolutely no plannings in stop doing it at all. Why to sell a car that takes me home everyday? unless new local rules apply to old cars I definitely won't stop driving this old guy. Firslty was a petrol 4zd1 until a serious powerplant was done in 2004 at 150.000 kms when finally the diesel era came to its life. In that moment I switched up to the famous 4JB1T engine, MUA gearbox, 12 bolts rear diff and absolutely ALL the electrics. Best upgrade ever! It was an extended job that took me about 9 months to get it running, unfortunately all the pictures from those times doesn't work anymore (bloody computer electronics, there's nothing better than a real photo paper). Time to time I kept doing little upgrades as fitting Teralow gears, installing a York 210 air compressor for running pneumatics, manual hubs, did a second engine swap and putted a zero hour chinese 4JB1T, sound system and now a brand new front axle...more details of this last one below.
With the 4zd1 engine offroading was always a pain in the ass, after I got the 4JB1T the ute started perfoming as equals as Cherokees, TJ's, Suzukis and several other machines I used to go on trail with. As an extra data....I always have been keeping stock tyre size.

Modifications and Accessories:

Suspension: 4"-5" not really sure. I used to run ball joints flip and extended shackles, but now I did a Solid axle swap and SPOA at the rear one.
Body Lift: Never like them
Tyres/Wheels: Stock 215/80R16
Traction Aids: Currently rear LSD, air lockers looking at the horizon
Bullbar: Nope
Spot lights and Lighting: No
Communications/GPS: Tesla free energy telecomunnicator...Jokin', just a Garmin eTrex aboard
Dual Batteries: one fitted, one waiting to be fitted...looking forward to get one day an Isolator
Engine: The glorious 4JB1T
Exhaust: 2.5"
Sound system: Forgot the specs, but I have one super power amp for my 6x4 speakers + another amp for a 10" woofer. Normally listening to unpopular music as RIO-Zeuhl, 70's 80's prog rock, ethnic stuff and so on....
External: Dual fuel tank, Steel tube rear bumper, jerrycan holder
Internal: electric power windows...now missing the mechanical ones
Others: Painted and re-painted to keep rust out of it....


I firstly started writing this post as the following lines below, then I just realize there was a template to follow....so I wrote everything you already read above. (Me always Frankensteining everything, even posts here in the forum....well ...)




I just sas'ed my TF

All started one day I was looking a rear brake caliper for my pickup truck (MU axle) at a wrecker's backyard, when suddenly the silhouette of a well looking Toyota YN65 showed between the scrap....got closer, found a G252 code, front axle didn't look so rusted, nor bent...so I picked it up with me. Didn't have much time so I borrowed a forklift plus a circular grinder to get the whole thing back home (I was 500 kms away, yeah that far to get a single brake caliper)
Image
Well, I always dreamed to have a solid front axle in my truck, so time was the right one since my front end was all loose, wheel bearing adjuster nut was not flat anymore, CV joints were roaring, camber was never well aligned since the ball joint flip mod (there's no good quality workshop in town where to make this job properly done) and so on...
So, firstly I rebuilt the whole axle....
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4.56:1 gear ratio
https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/528x3 ... 8l9fBB.jpg
Backlash adjustment
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Reinforced steering bump stops
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Machined a tool to adjust the pre-load of knuckle bearings
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Final results
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I never had the idea of make a monster truck out of my truck, in fact I didn't want to be lifted a lot, current reading is 630mm from hub center to fender border, I don't remember what was the measurement before starting the work ...perhaps 520mm? ....Anyways, I guess my truck now is 4" lifted. Yep, so the main idea has been to make a low profile anti-thief attraction rig, improve its capabilities by making it stronger and more reliable for long trips where nor even flies could reach.

I certainly need new tyres, current ones are worn inwards due to a terrible camber past alignment... but I'm not a big fan of huge tyres though, so I guess I will go for a set of AT 235/85R16, maximum 255/85R16 . I will see soon what fits the better...rims will be kept the same, they are still good and firm.

Riding: Suspension is not that hard as I always heard front leaf sprung toyos are....(or maybe I'm still young enough to say it??) ....man, it rides almost equally as when I cranked the torsion bars up.....anyways, the truck nowadays it really feels strong enough to discover Mars and beyond.
Last edited by dani4jb1t on Sat Oct 11, 2014 5:11 pm, edited 2 times in total.
dani4jb1t
Isuzu Junior
 
Posts: 77
Joined: Mon Sep 05, 2011 3:30 am
Age: 34
Country: Chile
City: Antofagasta
Vehicle: '93 TFS55, Solid front axle, Dual fuel tank, On board air system, Teralow 3:1, 235/85/R16

Re: 1993 TFS

Postby slightlydodgy » Mon Oct 06, 2014 5:46 am

Nice job!
Tremble With Fear I've Just Had an Idea
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slightlydodgy
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Re: 1993 TFS

Postby dani4jb1t » Sat Oct 11, 2014 9:41 am

Thank you ...I just realized there is a template to post here, so I Just fill it up ...stay fine!
dani4jb1t
Isuzu Junior
 
Posts: 77
Joined: Mon Sep 05, 2011 3:30 am
Age: 34
Country: Chile
City: Antofagasta
Vehicle: '93 TFS55, Solid front axle, Dual fuel tank, On board air system, Teralow 3:1, 235/85/R16

Re: 1993 TFS

Postby dani4jb1t » Tue Dec 02, 2014 11:43 am

Well, many weeks ago I noticed I had a coolant leakage from the bottom plastic tank radiator. Always said to myself: "tomorrow i'm gonna get rid off this cheap radiator and get a decent one, three ways, copper made".....never did it, instead I always monitored to have a proper coolant level, but finally I stuffed the water pump. Fortunately nothing wrong happened to the cylinder head (guessing so)...

Since it was a weekend emergency, I got a brand new water pump, thermostat + again one of those cheap generic radiators from the only shop available. Looking forward to have a bullet proof radiator asap. Job took me 2 fresh wheat beers to get it done.
dani4jb1t
Isuzu Junior
 
Posts: 77
Joined: Mon Sep 05, 2011 3:30 am
Age: 34
Country: Chile
City: Antofagasta
Vehicle: '93 TFS55, Solid front axle, Dual fuel tank, On board air system, Teralow 3:1, 235/85/R16

Re: 1993 TFS

Postby geeves » Tue Dec 02, 2014 2:26 pm

Have a closer look at your old radiator. Its well known the top tanks crack from heat stress but the bottom tanks are less stressed Ive never heard of a bottom tank failure. More likely the o ring between the tank and core has failed or gunge has got between the 2. I had this happen with a 2 year old radiator but it was the top tank. 2 days before jumping on the ferry for a 3 week south island holiday as well (22 december is always a good time for these things) Radiator shop took off the tank found rust fileings under the o ring and inside the tubes so rodded that out for a reasonable fee (considering the xmas rush) and all was good. Filings probably came out ofthe head that had been changed 6 months earlier. Its a chinese head and the steel/machineing is fine but obviously not cleaned as well as it should of been
Sanding your knuckles before starting work can help. That way you cant skin them
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Re: 1993 TFS

Postby dani4jb1t » Tue Mar 31, 2015 10:37 pm

Little update: I added a leaf to the front suspension for better ride on rough terrain. Went to test it on the field and got pretty happy with the results.
Below here my ute posing next to a junked M4 Sherman tank
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dani4jb1t
Isuzu Junior
 
Posts: 77
Joined: Mon Sep 05, 2011 3:30 am
Age: 34
Country: Chile
City: Antofagasta
Vehicle: '93 TFS55, Solid front axle, Dual fuel tank, On board air system, Teralow 3:1, 235/85/R16


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