What did you do to your truck today?

The new hub works fine, including the turn signal cancelling. I just can't use the 3-hole steering wheel I had planned on. It's not a big deal, there are literally thousands of six-hole steering wheels for me to choose from now.

 

Write up for the hitch install here: https://minitrucktalk.com/threads/adding-a-hitch-to-suzuki-every.24420/

 

I used first gear today in my sambar! Lmao

 

Today I detailed both of my trucks and recaptured a photo from 2 years ago. They look a bit different now than they did back then.

 

I hooked up the new snowplow to make sure it works (before I really need it).

 

Since the snowplow checked out fine, it’s now stored in the shed. Moved on to installing a winch. Just waiting for the longer 1/0 power cables now.

 

The During and After View of Leather Wrapping the Steering Wheel. The after is way better but I have to admit, not something I would want to do more than once...lol Got this off of Amazon, Grey with Grey Thread and the size needed for my 1998 Sambar was M2.

Sambar Steer Wheel Grey Leather Wrap Beginning by Honeyman posted Aug 16, 2023 at 2:01 PM

Sambar Steer Wheel Grey Leather Wrap Completed by Honeyman posted Aug 16, 2023 at 2:01 PM

 

Installed new 12in Toyo Open Country Tires & Black Rims imported from Japan through Ebay. Also installed the tool box and racing gas cans from risk racing that give me two 5 gallon cans that are the easiest to fill up this sambar and zero turn mower. They have lockable metal bases that are screwed into the bed.

Sambar Rims, Open Country Tires, Bolt On Tool Box & Race Gas Cans by Honeyman posted Aug 16, 2023 at 2:01 PM

Sambar Rims With 12 Inch Toyo Open Country Tires Profile View by Honeyman posted Aug 16, 2023 at 2:01 PM

Sambar Rims With 12 Inch Toyo Open Country Tires by Honeyman posted Aug 16, 2023 at 2:01 PM

 

Installed the grey cover on the Sambar, this works great! Easy to access the sides with a large dual zipper opening on each side to access gas cans or toolbox.

Sambar Tonneau Cover Tent EBAY by Honeyman posted Aug 16, 2023 at 2:01 PM

Rear Sambar Tonneau Cover Tent EBAY by Honeyman posted Aug 16, 2023 at 2:01 PM

 

Did you buy the cover from Japan, and if so, did you get it with a frame? How much did it cost?

 

A simple search turns up a bunch of candidates:

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/144959810659

This is the link to the one that I purchased, it did come with a metal frame and was simple to put together. It looks WAY better when I installed it then it does in the pictures from the seller. I did have to remove two plastic caps, where the sides come together with the tailgate. The only other thing I did different, is securing the side sections that open. I tied down every other section and at first left the two opening sides (so I could access them without untying anything) but driving these flared out like hooker pockets which limited the side mirrors. I discovered that if I use two small bungies, it was easy to remove and link together so I don't drop them and it kept the sides from flaring out so it was easy to see down the side of the truck in the sideview mirror.

It only took about 10 days to get here from Japan through this seller and I never received any custom duty, as I did when I imported new 12inch Tires and Rims from Japan through another ebay seller.

 

On Yahoo Auctions they are more like $350 or less with the exchange rate the way it is, so I'm curious if it cost Honeyman $500 to ship if they went that way. The hidden pitfall of Yahuoku is that actual sizes and weights aren't listed and shippers are sometimes whimsical and pack a single V-belt in a box that could hold thirty of them...

 

After searching, this one seemed to fit my needs. I'm sure there are others out there and maybe even some that are cheaper.

 

You did pretty well - that Alumis brand cover is listed from ¥63,000 -¥90,000. It's probably a nice one!

 

@Honeyman Are you sure you don't really need a van? Hahaha!

 

haha! I wanted to be able to pressure wash the chicken crap out but also prevent my stuff from being rained on. It was also cheaper to go this route, from what I saw at the time, even with the additional cost of the cover.

 

Just got mine ordered! Well, a couple of days ago. Payment was formally confirmed a few hours ago, so now the seller is preparing it for shipment. 1995 Subaru Sambar KS4, JA Edition w/ A/C. Also got some wheels and tires ordered that I expect will beat it here, and have a whole load of maintenance parts on order as well (Amayama) to ensure timing belt, tensioner, water pump, ignition system (plugs, wires, distributor cap & rotor), and just lots of seals and filters are inbound.

I expect everything will be in need of service when it arrives, so I didn't want to wait around another 2-3 weeks after getting the truck before I can actually drive it!

I'm pretty excited for it to be here!

 

I empirically determined the maximum cargo weight limit for my 4WD Hijet today!

I volunteered to clear away the wood from a large maple tree that my sister had in her back yard. I showed up to do the job and she asked if I could haul the wood from her neighbor's trees first. I hadn't signed up for that. I hauled two loads of ash from the neighbor's back yard and two loads of maple from my sister's yard. I'm old so I paced myself, chainsawing and hauling a truck load per day, approximately 1/3 cord per trip. The first three loads were full pickup loads, to the top of the bed rails. Today was the final load, and it was the largest load of all, approximately 1/2 cord, piled well over the bed rails with very wet freshly cut water maple and secured with nylon straps to prevent a chunk of firewood from hopping out and through someone's windshield.



A mile down the road, I stopped to check the load. The rear tires (old Dunlop street tires) were showing a little bulge at the bottom. Even worse, the suspension was collapsed and the rubber bumper was hitting the end stop on each side.



I made an engineering analysis. DAB. Dubious at best. I knew the 25 miles of roads to my friend's farm were all good including brand new asphalt on the interstate. I definitely wanted to avoid any bumps that might try to further compress the already compressed suspension. I had driven 110 KPH on the interstate for the previous trips but drove 90 KPH today. If there was a catastrophic failure (flat tire, broken axle, etc.) I wanted less kinetic energy. When I reached Mike's farm, I was very careful driving through his yard. I used the low range on the transfer case to roll as slowly as possible over the little bumps.

Mission accomplished. Max load for mini truck.



I love my little mini truck. These Hijets are tough little wee beasties.

I wish I could have hit a weigh station on the way there and back so I'd know how much weight the Hijet was carrying.

I ordered three gallons of Medium Quartz Gray Monstaliner polyurethane truck bed liner last Friday evening. I'm going to paint the Hijet, inside and out, including a couple of large ammo cans I'm mounting on the headache rack as toolboxes. I'm also going to powder coat the rims, install new Yokohama Super Digger II tires, and new brakes.

 

I updated my tires to Yokohama Y828 Geolander KTs.

I purchased from the below vendor on eBay. They arrived a day early, which allowed me to have them mounted on my rims today and enjoy the new ride. They far exceeded my expectations regarding the ride on pavement. They provide a very smooth ride, are quiet and appear to absorb pavement imperfections very nicely.

 

I purchased my tires from this seller as well. They came pretty fast, maybe 10 days at the most? It was also free shipping which made it a screaming hot deal compared to sellers in US and Canada

 

During routine maintenance, replacing the distribution cap and distributor rotor, I pulled the distributor and at first didn't even see the heat crack but during the reinstallation, it wouldn't seat without a gap caused by the expansion of the heat crack - which caused me to break a bolt (a few minutes of panic, thinking that I'm now in a real pickle) turning a 30 minute job into 3 weeks (since Japan had just started their two week holiday period where businesses just shut down).

I got a reman distributor from Japan and used an easy out for the first time to get the lower part of the bolt out. Surprising myself at how and how straight forward that was to do.

Orginal Distributor Heat Crack by Honeyman posted Sep 26, 2023 at 11:42 AM

Tap Out Screw On Distributor Bolt That Snapped by Honeyman posted Sep 26, 2023 at 11:42 AM

 

Over the last couple of weeks, I have had the Sambar up on jack stands to do a series of projects. The pictures are the disc brake caliper rebuild while I got them powder coated red, along with the rear drum brake covers. I very pleased with how it turned out! The only bad part of this project was the couple of weeks it was not on the road.

Sambar On Jack Stands Upgrading Suspension by Honeyman posted Sep 26, 2023 at 11:35 AM

Original OEM Disc Brake Caliper Cleaning by Honeyman posted Sep 26, 2023 at 11:27 AM

Original OEM Drum Brake Cover Cleaning by Honeyman posted Sep 26, 2023 at 11:27 AM

Tire Removed Red Powder Coated Disc Brake Caliper by Honeyman posted Sep 26, 2023 at 11:27 AM

Tire Removed Red Powder Coated Drum Brake Cover by Honeyman posted Sep 26, 2023 at 11:27 AM

Red Powder Coated Disc Brakes Sambar 12in Tires by Honeyman posted Sep 26, 2023 at 11:27 AM

Red Powder Coated Drum Brake Cover Sambar 12in Tires by Honeyman posted Sep 26, 2023 at 11:27 AM

 

Installed LED Lights. I installed the 31 inch Nilight - 40005C 150W Flood Combo Single Row LED Light Bar that fit perfectly on the Headache Rack between the to arms that fold up to put some sort of extension in to taller load or a taller cargo canopy. Also installed dual flush mount LED light pods from Bunker Indust that were 6 inch spot and flood combo bean with 6000 LM exactly where the lines are for the factory flood lights, they covered the lines almost completely. I wired all of these up a single lighted circle switch on the dashboard in the place where the Sambar Van dashes have an additional A/C vent. This location sits close to the switch for the headlights. Additional light is necessary for the farming activities that we do, which happens to be early in the morning or late at night especially during the winter.

Bumper Removal For LED Light Installation Project by Honeyman posted Sep 26, 2023 at 11:35 AM

LED Bumper Lights Installed by Honeyman posted Sep 26, 2023 at 11:35 AM

LED Button Drilled Into The Dash For 3 LED Lights With 1 Switch by Honeyman posted Sep 26, 2023 at 11:27 AM

LED Lights With New LED Bumper Lights & LED Light Bar At Night by Honeyman posted Sep 26, 2023 at 11:35 AM

 

Honeyman, I have the exact same lightbar, which was installed by the previous owner of my truck. When I bought my truck, I needed to replace the battery within a day. Since the battery replacement, I haven't had any 'battery' issues, but I am very hesitant to use the light bar for fear that it may have been related to the premature death of the original battery. I'm about as handy as a snake with a lawnmower, so I haven't checked to see if the lightbar is pulling more wattage than the alternator is providing, but are you aware of any drain on your battery during the use of the lightbar? I must admit, when it is on it is awesome! thanks.

 

So the first thing I did when I got my Sambar was upgrade the battery to the size that would fit in the box but was easy to get locally. In order to do this, I needed to cut the original terminal connectors and replace them for the larger post battery. That was super easy, just cut the old ones right behind the terminal loops and the new one screw clamped the original wires and I have had no problem. I didn't even worry about this because I converted all of my lights over to LED bulbs to create some power savings and I don't have any problem. It would be challenging with the OEM lawn mower battery that it showed up with I'm sure. My LED power is wired in directly at the battery with its own inline fuse that connects the LED light bar and those two LED bumper lights.

 

After my Summer Of Slack, I've been working 2+ hours a day on my Hijet, getting it ready to paint with Monstaliner polyurethane bed liner, inside and out. The prep work has been a lot more than I expected, but I'm old enough that every job is more work than I expected. I kept finding something else that needed to be done and I didn't want to invest the time to paint the mini truck without investing the time needed to do it right.

I didn't get it painted before the fall rain started so now I'll be waiting a couple of days to finish. I'm finally down to masking, solvent wipe and two coats of bed liner two hours apart. In addition to more time it was also more money than expected. With all the automotive masking tape, $32 rattle can of two part epoxy primer, solvent, etc., I'm up to $676.45.

I bought an ATOTO A6PF double DIN stereo with back up camera and front facing DVR last week (Amazon: B08RD53RLP). With four 6.5" marine speakers (Amazon: B0072L5PIC), the stereo cost $343.46. I need to install the stereo when the dash is apart for painting the interior. I bought an auxiliary fuse block and the same ATC or ATO blade fuses used in the Hijet (Amazon: B09NVJT1R9) to power the upgrades (stereo, front LED light bar, rear LED lights, LED cargo bed lights, heated seats, air horn, etc.).

This afternoon, I bought four Yokohama Geolander tires on eBay from jdm_japan ($349.60 plus tax). I wanted five tires so I had a new spare. The same seller had an eBay auction for five tires for $552 delivered. Basically, buy four tires for $87 each (which is what I did), or buy the set of five and the spare tire costs $202. I asked the seller and was told that five tires ship differently from Japan and that's what causes the big jump in price. I couldn't justify spending the extra $115 on shipping when purchasing the spare tire. It's actually a little cheaper to buy one Geolander on eBay rather than buy the fifth tire from Japan. I'll just keep the old Dunlap street tire as a spare and save a little bit of money on the mini truck for a change. I'll put that $215 from not buying the fifth tire toward new brakes and maybe a loud auxiliary horn (Amazon: B01N7HRONK).

I really should install the LED headlights, remote locking toolboxes, all the LED auxiliary lighting, heated seats and stereo while the dash is apart and wiring is much easier than trying to squiggle my old body upside down beneath the dash in the cramped mini truck, but I hate having the mini truck off the road for all of that work. I drove the 4Runner yesterday after removing the Hijet battery to clean and prep the battery box for bed liner and I missed my mini truck while she's torn apart to be painted. Here's the bed with the light surface rust sanded out with an angle grinder and ScothBrite pads, the bare metal and tiny embedded rust converted to iron phosphate using Ospho (Amazon: B000C02CDG), and painted with two part epoxy primer (Amazon: B07CVPGQGF).





The headache rack, bed sides and tailgate - prepped and ready for a solvent wipe and Monstaliner bed liner paint job:



I've been recording video of all of the upgrades so hopefully I'll be uploading videos to my Hijet Hijinks YouTube channel this winter when the weather is too nasty to work on the mini truck... or the hundred other things I should be doing instead of messing with the mini truck.

 

I put my new tonneau cover on my truck and re-enforced the corners with Flex-seal.

Here is the tonneau cover that I purchased on eBay.



Those of you who haven't purchased one these bed covers, the tie downs are literally strips of bicycle tire tubes that you then tie into a loop.

Here is what it looks like on my truck.





I wanted to reinforced the folded corners, so I placed the Flex Seal under the tarp.



I've actually had this on the truck for the last couple of weeks and had some heavy rain and the tarp collected gallons of water before I could remove it. The tarp and the corners held up well.

 

Thanks for telling us about your experience! I've had my eye on that tarp for a while. Have you been able to roll and store it hanging from the rack (the torii? What do people call that in English?)

 

Maboyce, I believe it is referred to as a "head ache rack" or "head ache bar." At least that is what I get from reading other posts.

Short answer, no, I haven't tried to roll up the tarp and store it from the rack. To be honest, I hadn't even thought of that (duh!) and I will give it a try and get back to you on my success/failure. Thanks for the idea.