Capture Colorado 01 TRD Taco - GOAE build

The topper still comes off, I've got a disconnect at the base of the hinge for the wiring for whenever I need to pull it off.

 

In case anyone wants the link to the lights I used...

Cool White LED Waterproof Flexible Strip Light, T93007-1 (1 Pack) - 25 watt, 300 "3528 SMD, 12 Volt, 16.4 feet, Pure White - 1 Pack

lights!

 

Nice work.

 

I was bored tonight.

So I did this: http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/lighting/339986-bed-lighting-20-warning-lots-pictures-detail.html

 

Since adding the rear bumper (in general), and specifically the tire carrier, my Thule T2 XTR hitch rack is... well... when it's on, I can't access the bed via. tailgate. Which kind of sucks on trips. So I wanted to be able to haul bikes, and get into the back without having to deal with a bunch of BS.

Initially I was going to build a hitch-inserted swingout, basically a hinged swingarm that attaches to the receiver. I got like 90% of the way through building this yesterday, and got tired of trying to solve stupid problems.

This morning at about 5:30, as I tried to ignore the sun, it occurred to me, that I already have a swingout. It's pretty damn burly, too. Dual sheer, nice bearings, yada yada.

So I grabbed some of the stockpiled steel I had kicking around and cut some stuff up, burned some stuff in, and then came up with this. It's very similar to the setup I had on my Jeep, with exception of the all-in-one design, and it's overall profile. I had something like this on the Jeep, but it was a roof-mounted segment, and then a hitch-mounted one. It was really stable, and worked great for a good period of time.

The insert and vertical piece are 2" square 1/8" wall, and the two horizontal pieces are 1"x2" 1/8" wall. It weighs less than my Thule rack, and is the only one of its kind. I welded on a 6" receiver tube to the swingout, then tied it in further with a piece of 1/4" plate for peace of mind.

The only downside, is that clearance beneath the wheel is 22" on level ground. I would like more, but if I'm honest with myself, I don't need more, it's purely an aesthetic thing at this point. The important thing is that the end of the bar is lower than the top of my antenna, which means I can fit in most parking structures.









Now, I'm not sure if I would want to have it like this for long with 2 bikes and the spare, but for quick access, it's not bad at all, no deflection in the system.. just a little additional strain on the bumper and frame.


Also...

 

Nice progress. The bike rack is interesting. Looks like a practical solution. I would keep it off most of the time personally what about the softopper bike racks that attach on the bedside? You could prob fab something up like it pretty easily.

 

I could see doing something like that when I build the rtt rack... we'll see how this does for me over time. I think it'll be good, but I'm always thinking about projects, so something else may happen

 

Are you gonna go over the softopper? Check out mademan925's build, he went over the bestop on 2nd gen.

 

Sweet! Yeah, it'll go over the softopper, this dudes rack is my inspiration. My goal will be to have it be a little lower profile - just sit closer to the topper. I think mine will be a 3-piece design, the two vertical sides, and then the top basket, all the segments will bolt together so I can install/remove it by myself (hopefully). The basket will either be a really slim profile like the Gobi, or just a flat platform, or some iteration of the two theories.

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/65226-Custom-over-the-canopy-bed-rack-for-a-2nd-gen-Tacoma

 

Looks good. What about usin a hitch pin setup rather than bolts? Might be easier

 

Not a bad idea.. I do have four weld-on control arm bushings that I could use for that, it could be quick and dampen vibrations...

 

Hey just wanted to say sweet build so far man! How hard was it to put together that DIY front bumper? It came out great!

 

It wasn't difficult, just kind of confusing as to the orientation of all the parts... overall fitment and precision of the kit wasn't what I'd expect given the cost, but I'm still happy with it either way. They never sent me the diagram they said they've got for what goes where and in what direction. It's a nicely designed bumper, but if I were to do it again, I'd probably just go from scratch.

 

That bike rack is AWESOME! Got anymore details on the clamp for that thru-axle?

 

Well... turns out the bike rack on the swingout isn't the *greatest* idea I've ever had... If my latch system were different it would work great, but the latch allows for too much play in the overall system, so pfftth. Dammit. I still like the design, so I'm thinking about a way I can engineer a fold-down design for the bumper receiver, and just go that route rather than swing-away. I'm thinking either fold down straight out to the back... or fold off to the side like this... We'll see how many iterations I go through with welding/cutting/rewelding this thing until I'm completely happy.

I may never be happy.

Thanks dude! The design is solid, the mounting method....less so. The thru-axle clamp is from Rocky Mounts, it's the Driveshaft HM (hard mount), they also have the SD for trucks with bed rail systems, and the standard Driveshaft, which acts as a replacement for your fork-up on roof tray racks. It's a fantastic design over traditional fork-ups as well, it doesn't rely on the user's ability to clamp the thru axle tight enough on the roof; you simply remove your wheel, reinsert thru-axle and tighten till snug and the threads bottom out (I found that bottoming out the threads prevents lateral play that could potentially damage your axle/fork.... Fox replacement axle kits are like $80), then clamp down and lock. The clamping force is pretty substantial, and the rubber grips on the inside help to prevent the axle from being spun open if someone wants your bike.

http://www.rockymounts.com/category_s/206.htm

 

Got something fancy...



285/75r16 Cooper Discoverer ST Maxx. I wanted something with 3-ply sidewalls, AT tread that doesn't look like it would suck. These things are really impressive up close and personal - from far away or pictures, they don't look all that aggressive, but when you're next to them, the tread is deep (19/32), the voids are quite substantial, the shoulder lugs are scalloped nicely, and the sidewall tread looks really nice. So far there's very little road noise with these, and I'm pretty sure what I was noticing will go away after getting an alignment.

I know this tire is pretty new, but it's truly impressive. I believe it will outperform the Duratrac, and it's a better value, deeper tread, and stronger casing. I would bet before long these things will pick up some momentum with the off-road community. They even make a 255/85r16!

 

nice truck man, never seen it before, where in CO r u?

 

Thanks. I'm in west Lakewood/Golden area, I don't really travel into Denver all that much....stresses me out haha.

 

im in Lakewood to, and work in golden!

 

Weird... What part of Golden/LW?

I'm right off the south end of Green Mountain.