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1993 Toyota Pickup - Weekend Warrior: Part 6 (Body Drop 2), Firewall & Frame HornsBody-Drop It Part II From the September, 2007 issue of Mini Truckin' By Mike Alexander Photography by Bobby Martins, Mike Alexander
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Last month, we showed you an overview of the body-drop technique "channeling" that we used on the Weekend Warrior Toyota Cab, and we also showed the body-drop of the bed. For Part II, we're going into some detail and outlining the tubbing of the firewall and body-dropping the front frame horns. These are important steps in the process, which have not really been addressed in their own tech stories. So, follow along and see how to tub your firewall for a bigger wheel on that body-drop. For more information, contact the companies listed in the sources box.  1. We're going with 19-inch...  1. We're going with 19-inch wheels, because we body-dropped the truck past the pinch and still want a decent size tire to drive on. First, we measured how much more room we'll need for our wheel/tire combo and then we started by drilling out the spot welds for the factory tub.  2. Next, we measured again...  2. Next, we measured again and marked our cut lines. Before cutting, we recommend you make sure to clear out the fuse box and whatever else might be in the way on the other side, then cut away.  3. With the firewall cut and...  3. With the firewall cut and out of the way now, we can make our tubs. We measured the area needed to be filled, made a template, and went to town. No fancy tricks here, just a metal break for the top flat bend. Then the rest was hand-formed out of 18-guauge and tested to match the curve of the wheel.  4. Our tub was test fitted...  4. Our tub was test fitted a few times and bent little by little until it was just right.  5. Once all was lined up,...  5. Once all was lined up, the tub was tacked into place.  6. After the tub was tacked,...  6. After the tub was tacked, we checked all of the corners and final fitment to make sure it was perfect, and then it's fully welded in, slowly but surely.  7. To fill the inside gap,...  7. To fill the inside gap, a scrap piece was traced and cut.  8. Once the curve was right,...  8. Once the curve was right, it was tacked in place.  9. With the metal securely...  9. With the metal securely tacked, the outside excess was cut off with the plasma.  10. Now the outside could...  10. Now the outside could be fully welded.  11. With everything welded...  11. With everything welded up, all of the edges were ground smooth.  12. The outside needed to...  12. The outside needed to be capped, so we traced another template and built an end-cap piece.  13. The cap was then welded...  13. The cap was then welded into place.  14. And there you have it:...  14. And there you have it: plenty of room for the body-drop and some decent size wheels!  15. Apply a little seam seal...  15. Apply a little seam seal in all of the corners, then you can spray the tubs with texture or smooth paint to match the rest of the firewall.  16. Moving onto the front...  16. Moving onto the front frame horns, they will need to be body-dropped 2 and 5/8s to match the rest of the body-drop.  17. First, we needed to take...  17. First, we needed to take care of the factory strut rods, so we measured the length of the inside frame to build another crossmember.  18. A piece of 2x1/2-inch...  18. A piece of 2x1/2-inch stock was cut to length and test fitted.  19. The new crossmember was...  19. The new crossmember was squared up, tacked, leveled again, and then fully welded.  20. Next, the excess strut...  20. Next, the excess strut rod mount was cut away.  21. Here, the height of the...  21. Here, the height of the front crossmember was measured.  22. All of the measurements...  22. All of the measurements were marked, then the cutting began.  23. With the front cut away,...  23. With the front cut away, two drop pieces were made and tacked into place. Then, the front frame was lowered and measured 2 and 5/8s and tacked.  24. It's important to measure,...  24. It's important to measure, level, and square everything up so that it will all line up in the end.  25. Side pieces were built...  25. Side pieces were built and clamped into place.  26. Here's a look at the side...  26. Here's a look at the side pieces welded into place. They will clean everything up and add a ton of strength.  27. Caps were built and welded...  27. Caps were built and welded into place to clean and smooth everything out.  28. Grind everything smooth...  28. Grind everything smooth and add a little black paint, and now you're stylin'!
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Maximized - May 2013
Excuse me while I wipe the dust off of my keyboard *cough, cough*. There is an old saying that goes...
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