Erik's Build

Current:


Front Suspension:
Toytec Bilstein/Eibach 5100 silver coilovers set at 2.5"

Rear Suspension:
All-pro 3" standard leaf pack
Bilstein 5100
Timbren bumpstops
All-pro U-bolt flip kit
Extended steel braid brake lines

Armor:
Shrockworks winch bumper
Shrockworks IFS skid plate
4xinnovations rock slider kit
Steel brackets/buckets for reverse lights (removed)

Wheels/Tires
Stock TRD wheels
GY Duratrac 285/75/16
Spidertrax 1.25" wheel spacers in front only

Lighting:
PIAA 510 SMR driving lights
PIAA 1500 Series Reverse lights (removed)
Fog lights on with running lights

Electrical mods:
Python LC3 Remote start/security system
ATRAC hack/ABS & full VSC killswitch
Carling Contura II illuminated rocker switches (on with dash lights)
In-cab 110v outlets (need new inverter)
Seat belt chime disable mod
Techstream clone (from Hong Kong) w/badass garage laptop (aka beat up old windows xp machine, but I can now say I have a garage laptop = +2 hairs on chest)

Other mods:
Stealth snorkel (because it sounds cooler than cowl intake)
Rear diff breather in gas cap
Timken bearing/hub assembly from Bamatoy
Cab mount chop
Fender flare chop (pinch weld bent over)
Extra d-rings in bed
Modified 7-pin trailer wiring harness

Recovery gear:
48" "Off-road jack" mounted to bedrails
High Flow compressor w/battery cable clamps
Fabricated receiver hitch shackle
3/4" shackles x3
20' 2" recovery strap
Folding WWII shovel




Getting better. I welded up a rock slider kit and had it powder coated flat black. I was able to set the angle and distance from the frame so they also work as tube steps.

(At bottom) Some pics of the fog lights on w/parking lights on the combination switch. After I did the modification, I cut the wires to the OEM fog light switch and twisted the pos/neg together to eliminate the switch and free up a spot on the panel for another switch.

I got some PIAA 1500 reverse lights that I mounted next to the trailer hitch in some steel brackets which I fabricated to protect them from snowbanks and scraping on rocks. First time out on the trails with them I banged one up hard off a rock in a mud hole. They kept the light intact otherwise I would have destroyed it completely. I had to hammer it out straight again and re-mount it afterward.





I used the OEM fog light switch for my PIAA reverse lights. I had to retrofit the OEM switch into an empty slot in between the ipod aux and the cig lighter. I brought over the green wires from the instrument panel lighting circuit and hooked it up to the new switch location. I tapped into the OEM reverse light circuit and used a diode to provide switch power that will trip the reverse light relay when I have the truck in reverse. Made my own modified wiring diagram based off of the 2007 FSM from TTORA.






ORIGINAL TRUCK BEFORE MODIFICATION BOUGHT NEW IN 2010:

 

This is what happens when the guy behind you falls asleep in traffic. I don't have pics of the car that I was pushed into, but it cracked my front bumper just barely enough to get insurance money to replace it.

This is also how you can get a free shrockworks bumper and free PIAA reverse lights.

 

Is yours automatic? I didn't realize the newer tacomas had a foot activated e-brake. I thought they all still had the pull style below the ignition?

 

Yeah, its automatic. I think they put a storage tray on the center console where the hand brake is on other models.

 

Word.

 

Nice truck! Nice name!

 

I'd say save the money on a cheap spacer lift and do it right the first time with how you want it in the end. That was my big screw up now I'm fixing it.

 

If I were you I would be PISSED! I don't mind body damage that much, but when the frame is damaged I care a lot. Haha.

 

I agree! I definately don't want to waste money on a spacer lift. I can imagine it would cause plenty of alignment problems too.

I was thinking of getting the bilstein 5100 coilover kit from toytec. The kit replaces the whole coilover and it said it was adjustable. I was hoping I wouldn't have to set it for 3" right away. This doesn't use spacers right? I don't like how it requires a differential drop kit when liting 3". That would mean losing ground clearance for the differential wouldn't it?

Yeah I was not exactly happy about bending the frame, but it turns out it was bent behind the rear axle so it didn't ride any different. At least my suspension was untouched.

 

Check it out, the tailgate grill. This keg washed up on shore after a storm someone had been using it as a mooring buoy. I cut it open with the plasma cutter and found out it was a stainless steel PBR keg!

I made the entire thing from scrap metal that I found on the floor of the garage.

The tray is expanded metal with 1" band. I reinforced it with twisted square bars from a steel handrail.

The grill tool hanger to the right side is made from a J-bolt for a concrete foundation and four plow bolts for the knobs.

The mount is a piece of 2" square tubing drilled for a 5/8" hitch pin, reinforced with twisted square bars.

I welded some angle iron on the inside to support the grill grate that I bought for $15 at walmart.

The hinges are from old doors.

The hitch mount is made from 2", and 2 1/2" square tubing that I bought for $15. I drilled it for the 5/8" pin and made 3 height adjustments.

I loaded it with wood and burnt off all the nasty stuff on the inside (it had a little sea water and maybe some old beer left in it). I've been grilling on it since and it throws some heat! Looks badass and works awesome!

 

Very good idea! The heat from the grill won't hurt the tailgate?

 

It would have when I burnt it with the wood, but when I shut it, it was fine. For normal grilling its ok to leave the tailgate down, but the plastic does warm up after a while.

 

Sweet grill. Any pics of the bumper?

 

Here's a few pics of my shrockworks bumper. I ordered some skid plates and driving lights for under the hoop. Skid plates are on, I will post pics of the lights when I get them on. I waited for about 6 months to get this. I saw some posts about waiting a year for shrockworks to ship their bumpers and I thought they were joking. Awesome quality though. Very nice powder coat.

 

I did a little write up for my install of a set of PIAA 520 SMR Super white driving lights (w/high beam tap):
Take off lower kick panel (pull off trim piece on running boards, pull off plastic foot rest thing, remove plastic screw and pull off kick panel)


Take off lower switch panel (pull out tray and fuse box cover, remove 2 bolts)

For ease of access to all switches I took off the instrument cluster trim panel (pop out 2 plastic bolts by pushing the center in with a punch)

I got under the hood at the fuse box and installed a fuse tap in the head light high beam circuit. This fuse will only be powered when the high beams are turned on by the combination switch on the steering wheel.

I ran an 18 ga wire through the rubber grommet in the firewall. I straightened out a plastic coated wire coat hanger and bent a hook in one end to use as a fish tape. I made a hook in the 18 ga wire and put it in the fish tape hook. I wrapped it in electrical tape to prevent tearing the rubber grommet when I pull the wire through. Another reason for doing this is to be able to pull the 18 ga wire back out the other way if you lose the other end of the fish tape or if it gets stuck or starts to tear the grommet.

I ran the wire to the switch.

I have a carling contura II DTSP Illuminated switch so It was a little more complicated to wire this switch up.

Previously, I ran 12v power from an existing fuse tap on the interior fuse panel (tapped into ignition 2). This will supply the power through the switch to the relay whenever the ignition is on. This way I can have my lights on or off anytime the key is on. When the key is out, it won’t drain the battery.
I connected this 12v power to the bottom left pin. I have 12v power from the fuse tap on the high beam circuit connected to the upper left pin (red wire to the pin 3rd from the bottom) and the relay power wire is on the common pin (lower left pin). I have the relay ground wire connected to the illuminated switch ground pin. This will provide a ground for the illumination circuit on the switch and does not affect my driving lights.

I installed a diode (found at radioshack) with the direction of the current pointing toward the switch. This will prevent 12v power from back-feeding into the OEM circuit. The diode had a white stripe on one end and this indicated that the direction of the current would flow toward the end with the white stripe. If you blow a fuse, you most likely have the diode pointing in the wrong direction (always have extra fuses on hand). I forgot to take a pic before I wrapped it up.

Back under the hood, I tightened up the wires so its looks clean. Keeping a little slack, I crimped the fuse tap. I found an opening in the fuse box where I could fit the wire through, but its right next to the battery hot wire so be careful not to ground it out otherwise you will burn your ass. That’s how I found out it was hot. I taped my wire off to the side well away from it.

Hooking up the illuminated switch:
After the fog light modification, I had the four wires leftover from where the switch used to be. The blue wires are for the fog lights, which I have connected together so the fogs are always on when the parking lights are on. The green wires are for the dash illumination circuit. Green/white is ground and solid green is power. I ran the solid green wire to the illumination positive pin on my switch (top left pin). This will illuminate the driving light switch when the dash lights are on.

Put everything back together and that’s it.
While I had everything apart, I re-arranged my switches and installed a DPST carling contura switch for my ATRAC hack (next to the driving light switch). That acts as my quasi-front locker. It also acts as a beefed up version of the VSC-off switch (when I turn it off, all stability systems completely turn off). I removed the OEM VSC-off switch and left the wire harness hanging behind the dash. I snipped the green wires off of that harness and wired it up to my ATRAC hack switch so the illumination on that switch is also hooked up to the OEM dash illumination circuit.
To fit the carling switches, I had to trim the plastic flanges on the inside with a die grinder. No modification to the outside trim necessary.

 

I installed Toytec 2.5" coilovers with Eibach coils and Bilstein 5100's in the front. In the rear I have 3" All-pro leaf springs, Bilstein 5100's and Timbren bumpstops on an All-pro U-bolt flip kit. I extended the brake lines as well.

I noticed there is a wire loom attatched to a bracket on the e-locker that looked like it was stretching at full droop. I took it off, flipped the bracket upside down and put everything back together. It gives it a little more leeway, but its still on the tight side. I will probably revisit it later and make a better bracket for it.

 

Looksk great man! How are you liking that lift???

 

Thanks. I am lovin it. Its a nice cushy ride. My only complaint is the front sags a little too much with the weight of my bumper. I'm going to get one for the rear eventually and/or get a 1/4" or 1/2" spacer in the front to level it out. I am just being picky though its not raked that bad.

 

I slammed my center console shut a little too hard, the latch popped out and the spring flew out the open door. I stuffed a receipt into it so it would stay shut and I could still get it open. After searching around a little, I found a few threads on how to fix it and figured I would post up about my fix. It was easy to find the parts and simple to do. It took about 15 min and cost $2.

Tools/Materials needed:
-Two 4mm set screws found at Lowe's
-One spring found at the hardware store
-1/8" drill bit & drill
-4mm allen wrench
-Phillips screwdriver
-Razor knife
-The latch removed (removal is reverse of install pics below)


1. Remove the latch with a screw driver by first taking off the plastic under panel of the center console lid.
2. Pull the two pieces of the latch apart. They are held in by plastic tabs that get worn down. Hence why it shot off in the first place.
3. Mark the center location of the tabs. Extend the marks in case they get erased by the next step.
4. Shave off the tabs with the razor knife and re-mark the center.
5. Use the razor knife to make a small indent so the drill bit doesn't walk off. Then drill the holes with a 1/8" drill bit.
6. Use a 4mm allen wrench to screw in the set screw. Go slow and apply pressure until it catches. Screw in the 4mm set screws so they sit flush.

7. Insert into the other piece of the latch and mark out the part of the channel that needs to be trimmed. Remove the inner piece and trim with razor knife.

8. Insert the spring, press the two halves together and back out the set screws until they catch.

9. Re-install the latch and done!

 

Exhaust chopped after axel