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By: Jay Kopycinski. Last updated: 2/7/2003

After wheeling my 1985 Xtra Cab for nearly 17 years, it was time for a change. I had rolled down trails on everything from 235s to 36" Swampers, and had slowly added body armor and modified the body for more clearance. From stock bed to bobbed bed to tubular bed, it had transformed from showroom stock to a fairly competent rock crawler.

Close to stock, circa 1987!	Moab on 32s, around 1993	Bobbed bed, around 1999	Tubular bed, early 2002	Tubed Rig, Nov 2002

But, the old truck was aging a bit and dents in the body were becoming numerous, so I decided to revive it with a new project. I planned to build a tubular chassis.

The rig was not designed for competition nor was it designed to keep up with the gnarliest trails requiring the biggest tires. Instead, I wanted a good all-around rig capable of traversing plenty of hard core trails, but also something that could play in milder washes and such.

I started with a stock Toyota truck frame to make suspension design easier. I already had a leaf spring suspension I was pretty pleased with so I decided to stick with that for simplicity, reliability, and low cost.

I bought a manual tube bender, converted it to hydraulic operation, and started bending some tube. Here is what I came up with...

• Frame Modifications - February 2002: Frame design and preparation for tubework

• Drivetrain Mounting - March 2002: Hybrid drivetrain layout

• Tube Chassis Part I - April 2002: Main tube structure

• Tube Chassis Part II - July 2002: Detail tubework and final welding

• Tube Chassis Part III - September 2002: Suspension mounting and paint

• Steering Setup - September 2002: Steering box and column assembly

• Axles & Hydro Assist - September 2002: Axle components and ram setup

• Firewall & Pedals - November 2002: Firewall, brake & gas pedals and mounts

• Engine & Cooling - December 2002: Installing the engine and radiator

• Wiring & Gauges - February 2003: Engine & chassis harnesses and components

• Finishing Touches - April 2003: Interior panels, storage, & steering

• Thoughts and Impressions - June 2003: How it works and what would be done differently

• 4-Link Rear Suspension - November 2006: Gone are the leaf springs.....