New to me 87 and introduction

[coveboy]

Hey y'all! I'm Richard, a native of the Florida panhandle and have always had a wish to own a square body at some point. My last project truck was an 88 4runner with the 22re 4cyl. Never modded it, just fixed it up to daily driver quality and sold it after a couple years. Earlier today I picked up a longbed 4x4 '87 on a trade. Truck runs decent, but the body is pretty rough. Doesn't bother me too much as I plan to use it as trail rig anyways. From the factory it had a 5L v8, but I was told it is now running a 350 with a turbo 350 trans with a 208 transfer case. 4x4 engages, gauges function, lights work, and it even has functional windshield wipers! My plans are as follows....

The radiator has a crack and leak, so it needs replacement. I read somewhere I can bolt in a larger radiator from a k20, can anyone confirm that?

Rear drum brakes are currently non-fuctional and disconnected, so that needs to be addressed.

Shocks and leaf springs are shot out. Thinking of a rough country 4.5" lift since it includes all of these components and I would like to lift it anyways. If anyone knows of a better kit in that price range, I'm all ears and appreciate any and all advice!

New tires--thinking 35's. Really just depends on what I can find on craigslist after the lift and what will fit. Open to trimming fenders also.

Truck was rear ended, so the large bumper metal bumper on the back is tweaked down. I want to take it off and replace it with something with better angles on it, probably just weld in a straight tube across the frame rails end.

Add recovery points front/rear.

Add additional lighting. I would love an old school roll bar with some KC's across the top, but I'll tackle this one when I get there. Probably start with some spots on the bumper

Weld the rear diff. I dream of 8lug axle swaps and lockers, but I'm going to wheel it with as few mods as possible for as long as possible to see where my limitations and weakpoints lie.

Once I get the truck road worthy I'll tag it and start to wheel it. If there is anything I left out that I should prioritize, give me a shout! I haven't had too much time to research the truck or dig into it yet, but will post updates as I do. I'm working on a pretty tight budget, so progress will be somewhat slow but hopefully I can lend some knowledge and contributions to you fellow forum goers along the way. Thanks for reading!

[mongocanfly]

welcome aboard.....

[Bandit130]

[TKCR]

Welcome!!! The interior looks like it is Mahogany, those are pretty rare.Check the SPID sheet in the glove box and see what it says.

[Palf70Step]

Welcome to the board! Not a bad looking start for a truck.

[Joe Z]

Welcome to the forum. I have to say if you're planning to run that on the road welding the diff might not be the best move. I've seen some hold up for a while but more often than not on pavement they get blown apart quick. Just my two cents. Best of luck with the project.

[rainamy]

Welded different plus big tires plus dry pavement sounds like a short term plan.

Also, if you are driving on the street and wind up involved in any type of accident where someone gets hurt, and that welded on tube stock rear bumper is involved you could be staring down a lawsuit and liability... making your own bumper is fine for trails, but on the street it better be DOT approved or someone is gonna lawyer up quick.

Even if the accident is their fault, contributory negligence just isn't really much of a defense these days, they're gonna hammer you for "worse injuries" and "excessive property damage" from it.

If you're driving on the street just use an approved bumper.

[Edahall]

Interesting.....

I see a lot of trucks in my area with replacement bumpers that look like battering rams and cost a fortune. In a major collision, everything gets bent but the bumper and it causes much more damage to the other party.

And how about lifted vehicles?

Originally Posted by rainamy

Welded different plus big tires plus dry pavement sounds like a short term plan.

Also, if you are driving on the street and wind up involved in any type of accident where someone gets hurt, and that welded on tube stock rear bumper is involved you could be staring down a lawsuit and liability... making your own bumper is fine for trails, but on the street it better be DOT approved or someone is gonna lawyer up quick.

Even if the accident is their fault, contributory negligence just isn't really much of a defense these days, they're gonna hammer you for "worse injuries" and "excessive property damage" from it.

If you're driving on the street just use an approved bumper.

[mongocanfly]

I've never heard that about the bumpers....can't be any different than running into a dump truck or a Mansfield bar I wouldn't think....

[coveboy]

Appreciate all the replies and welcomes! I drove the truck around my property for a couple hours, gave it a little hell to see how she'd hold up and truck did great. 4x4 functions properly and the ride isn't quite as rough as I was expecting it to be considering how bad the suspension looks. However, the transmission did spit some fluid back up the dipstick. I'm unsure what caused this; thinking either the breather is clogged or filter shot. I'm going to dig into this this weekend, but the truck was shifting fine through all the gears with no other adverse affects. Anything else I should check?

As far as the welded rear diff goes, I have a Land Cruiser to daily drive so this truck will see mostly dirt and very few paved roads. This will be my last modification on my list, so the truck will get some good use before I take it to that level and possibly destroy the differential. If I find out that after a few times off the road the truck handles well without the welded rear, I'll probably leave it open until I can afford a better alternative. Once it's shot out the truck will go back under the knife for whatever I can scavenge from pick n pull or craigslist, hopefully a 14 bolt and dana 60 for the front and a 205 transfer case.

With regards to the rear bumper, I haven't found any affordable or appealing aftermarket rear bumpers, and the stock options hang too low/far out without offering much protection and zero recovery points. With such a big truck I'm sure I'll be draggin ass on the trails, so I'd like something that won't get completely mangled or ruin departure angles.

I don't mean to sound like a jerk, I genuinely do appreciate the concern and do not wish to cause harm to anyone, but the truck won't see much pavement time and I have never heard of nor can find any laws that I would be breaking with a home-brew rear bumper. I was just thinking a basic ~6" or so tube that spans from corner to corner with a couple points for D-rings to attach to. The tailgate it shot out, so I don't mind bolting the license plate straight to it. From what I have read, DOT laws on bumpers only apply to passenger cars-not pick ups, SUVs, and vans, and the truck won't be tall enough for regulations on distance between driving surface and impact area to apply. Therefore, there would be no grounds for a lawsuit against me and any claims would not hold merit. I see tons of trucks and Heeps around here with tube work bumpers and the police never seem to bat an eye

[rainamy]

Originally Posted by Edahall

Interesting.....

I see a lot of trucks in my area with replacement bumpers that look like battering rams and cost a fortune. In a major collision, everything gets bent but the bumper and it causes much more damage to the other party.

And how about lifted vehicles?

It's a fine line actually. The biggest recovery we've seen at work the plaintiff that rear ended the truck got $42,000 (before the firm took legal fees and expenses). It's kind of like speeding... alls fine and well, and some cops even look the other way, until you get caught.

On a somewhat related note, the reason roll pans are approved for road use is that the trucks were available for sale new without ANY rear bumper on it. That's how they get around not getting ticketed for faulty or missing safety equiptment.

Many of the big tow style bumpers are either listed in the catelogs as off road use (much like many led bars and spot lights you can mount, but not turn on, on the roads) or had a dot approval number giving them cover. But homemade stuff... it's literally an at your own risk deal.

[Joe Z]

I agree with you on the bumper if there's no law explicitly banning it then there's no reason to worry. In my area as long as it's not wooden or missing entirely it's legal but just a county over (10 miles) you don't even need a bumper at all.

As to the diff you can always try a lunchbox locker. They're fairly cheap and although I've never personally used them I've hear good things about them from friends as long as you're not worried about the loud engagement noises and poor on road handling. They seem to last longer in mild wheeling than a welded diff. I don't know about how well they hold up in real harsh wheeling but some other members might be able to help you with better info.

[Joe Z]

Another thought is the cucv military models have a stronger bumper with tow points and would be legal. Also I think the mini spool lockers are under $100.

[coveboy]

Originally Posted by Joe Z

Another thought is the cucv military models have a stronger bumper with tow points and would be legal. Also I think the mini spool lockers are under $100.

Great thoughts! The tow points is the biggest reason I want something other than a standard k10 bumper. I'm debating if I'll put a hitch on this truck or not, as I don't have much of a reason to tow with the chevy when my daily does it just fine. I have always been the recovery guy for most of my friends, so something to hook a strap up to is pertinent.

[rainamy]

The one that makes me slap my head in disgust is the stories of burglars that get shot while breaking into a home (or otherwise hurt) then sue the homeowner.... and win???

Speaking of towing though... if you are tempted to put the factory tow hooks on the front, and maybe even if you arent, look at the front frame rail by the steering box. It isn't uncommon for them to crack there, especially the thinner gauge 1/2 ton frames. They make bracing plates you can reinforce them with relatively inexpensive.

[coveboy]

Good idea, I haven't checked in too much depth how the frame ends look. I'll hit it with some sandpaper tomorrow and really get a good look! Some general bracing is a good idea anyways, this was a farm truck its whole life so was not treated lightly. There are a few different model chevy 4x4's at our local pick n pull right now, so I'm putting together a list now of things to go there and search for and factory tow hooks are at the top of my list.

[Joe Z]

Here's a link on lockers and spools I read a while back. Should give you some good idea where to go.

https://www.chevydiy.com/lockers-and...ltimate-guide/

[Smniekamp]

Nice truck man! I'm digging the heavy rear bumper, are you planning on keeping it?

[coveboy]

Originally Posted by Smniekamp

Nice truck man! I'm digging the heavy rear bumper, are you planning on keeping it?

Appreciate it! I just ordered a slew of parts and started searching our local pick n pull style yards for other things I need to get her up to par. I don't plan on keeping that bumper, it hangs too low for my liking but sure is stout. If you're nearby and want it I'd be more than welling to pull it for you in exchange for a few brews, just shoot me a message!

[coveboy]

Started tearing down the rear. The previous owner told me the drum brakes were shot out, so he just cut the lines to them. I haven't fooled with drum brakes in literally 10 years since I had a 97 z71, so I'm not super familiar with all the parts but am learning. Does this drum look alright to re-use? I was going to order new parts for everything except the backing plate and drum assuming the cylinder is what is shot out, but was unsure if I should spend the money on drums too. They appear fine to me and trying to save as much money as I can.
And ignore how dirty everything is, haven't started really cleaning it up yet since I was unsure what all I will reuse.