Cheap/free mods

[piercedtiger]

Added link to download Toyota FSM's on first post. (Toyota Tacoma FSM Page)

[piercedtiger]

I've had a lot of people ask how I mounted my Hi-Lift jack, and I can't believe I forgot about it doing this thread!

Parts/tools needed:

• 2 pieces of angle iron around 4-5" long
• 2 1/4"x1.5" bolts or machine screws (I used 1/4-20 machine screws and nuts)
• 2 1/4"x3" bolts/machine scews (I think I used 1/4-20's here too)
• 6 lock nuts (same size and thread as the bolts/screws above)
• 2 wing nuts (same deal as the lock nuts)
• 2 1" diameter (IIRC) washers - just check that they fit into the bar on the Hi-Lift
• 2 - 1"x2" aluminum blocks or something that will fit inside the tie down rails to hold the bolts/machine screws. You might be able to use heavy washers and cut so you have 2 flat sides to prevent them from rotating inside the rail.
• 1/4" titanium drill bit (don't bother trying steel bits with angle iron unless you have extras or can sharpen them)
• drill
• cut off grinder or a metal saw (sawzalls suck, I went through blades like crazy with little progress)
• 1/4" wrench

Here it is mounted in the bed, but this would work on any of the side rails. My original cover blocked both side rails, so that's why it's there!


These are the brackets, left then right.


You can see the aluminum blocks behind each bracket. They each have 1 1/4-20 machine screw through the hole in the center with 1 lock nut prevent the screw from turning while mounting the bracket. The bracket then goes on with another lock nut.

The left bracket was notched to bring the jack in closer while the right one could not be cut due the jack base. Again, both screws/bolts have a lock nut to keep them in place. The jack is place over the screws through the bar, washer placed over the screw, and wing nuts tightened. Easy to remove without tools, but holds solid even while offroading. I used to hear a rattle and tighten them, but the jack sitting on the washers has actually cut small notches in the screws which helps lock it on.

An optional variation would be to use perforated angle steel (galvanized pieces around 3ft long sell at hardware stores for $10 or less). It would already have holes in it to cut down the labor, but you'd need more washers or larger bolts/nuts. It would probably be easier to work with too. The angle iron I got from scrap bed frames was a real PITA to work with. I tried a sawzall, torch, hack saw, and small cutoff grinder until I bought a cheap chop saw from a tool show. That does all my big cutting, and the cutoff grinder does the smaller work now. A grinder with sanding disk would be good to clean up the edges if you want. I didn't bother.

[gsm]

A flashback to the 70's

The rear drums come factory black and the rotors up front silver. Both noticable through the rims. Removing the rear tires also shows signs of rust on the outside of the drums due to the factory not coating the complete drum black - leaving rust stains on my garage floor.

I pulled both rear drums off and cleaned/sanded them and painted them with a top quality heat resistant paint. I masked/papered off the front rotors and cleaned/lightly scuffed them and painted them as well.

My truck is impulse pearl red so I chose a red that closely matches my paint and now with the wheels on looks sportier. Total cost $8 and 1 hr. (30 minutes if you leave the beer breaks till completion )

I'm on a trip away from home and will post some pics when I return.







My opinion, but think it looks better than silver calipers and black rear brake hub. Now I cann't wait to get my new rims and tires!

[piercedtiger]

Let us know how that holds up! I did it to my Corolla and the paint seemed to bond the wheels to the rotors and drums so they were a PITA to get back off. I could see imprints in the paint where the wheels hit. May have been the rust, may have been the paint. I'm not sure, but it took a sledge hammer to break them loose. Luckily they were steelies. Maybe I didn't let the paint dry enough.

[piercedtiger]

No one has any proof yet if this does anything, but I noticed a few things after taking mine off: faster acceleration (had a slight lag before), and better idling. And it's free so why not!

Just pop open the air filter box like you're checking/replacing the air filter. On the engine side there's a second filter. Looks like this: (not my pic, mine's been out almost 2 years now)


It's held in with plastic melt rivets (or whatever they're called). Just cut them off, drill them out or pry the filter off. Just make sure you don't get any debris in the intake.

More info here: DIY: Secondary Air Filter Removal - Page 3 - Tacoma World Forums

[CornDog]

Hey tiger im glad to see s/w else has a hilift jack too. i thought i was the only one. looks good man.

[piercedtiger]

Originally Posted by CornDog

Hey tiger im glad to see s/w else has a hilift jack too. i thought i was the only one. looks good man.

Thanks! Good place for it isn't it! I've used it a couple times to get unstuck, but it's always there IF I need it. I've used it more around my house and my grandparents' house. I'd like to get a winch kit to make it more useful.

[CornDog]

yeah i like it the way u mounted. ALOT cheaper than mine. i broke down an bought the mounts. 25 bucks......... ive used mine COUNTLESS times as a winch when i had nothin else to use. this was way back before i got a 07. i had a 98. lotta uses!!!

[dbbd1]

Here is a bar I made to prevent the rear slider from being opened by "persons unknown." It is aluminum strap, 2" wide (1/8" thick) and I cut mine to 10 1/2" long. Allows the rear window to open just about 3/4" not enough for someone to get their hand into but enough for some air flow. I painted it black to blend to the seat back through the tinted rear window.

[piercedtiger]

^Nice! Looks sharp and cheap! Assuming you can buy aluminum fairly cheap at most hardware stores (lowes, home depot, etc) in that size. (added to T.O.C.)

[dbbd1]

Originally Posted by piercedtiger

^Nice! Looks sharp and cheap! Assuming you can buy aluminum fairly cheap at most hardware stores (lowes, home depot, etc) in that size. (added to T.O.C.)

It is a borderline "cheap" mod these days. Aluminum is more expensive than steel now. A 2' or 3' piece will probably cost about 10.00. (but cheap insurance)

Thanks Tiger, and keep up the good work!

[phantom]

I pulled both rear drums off and cleaned/sanded them and painted them with a top quality heat resistant paint. I masked/papered off the front rotors and cleaned/lightly scuffed them and painted them as well.

might just think twice about this one?

ok those drums get pretty hot when driving them hard and they need to dissipate the heat ( like what the rotor does on disk)
the more surface area the better and when you clean and make shiny and paint you are in reality trapping the heat inside !

it would be like painting your radiator grill, might look cool, but isn't helping the heat dissipation munch !

if you are into computers, look at the heat sink on your processor chip, bet you don't find it chromed or anything and probably aluminum for heat dissipation
in the day when they had custom car shows we would laugh at the "show cars with chrome brake drums, just meant they were pushed on and off a truck and not driven
and in the later developments of the drum brakes they had like a big spring all around the drumb to dissapate heat

but your call

[piercedtiger]

Here's another cheap one I ran across that PB/PB2themax came up with. Just requires some wire, splices, and 2 relays.

It makes the side marker lights blink opposite to the turn signals (signals on, markers off. signals off, markers on)

This video demonstrates it: Tacoma MarkerBlinker Mod - Putfile.com

Here's how to wire it up. Seems fairly self explanatory.


From PB's post on TN ( Side Markers Acting as Turn Signal (video) - Toyota Forums :: Toyota Nation )

The only wire you have to cut is the green wire going to the marker light. The other wires just get tapped into with a T-tap or you can solder and heat shrink. There will be 4 connections to the relay. #87 doesn't get used. You use 30, 87a, 85, and 86. I tapped into the wires and made the extensions about a foot long, so that I could stash the relay under the headlight housing. Zip tie and wire loom it. I wrapped the relays in Ensolite foam to dampen the clicking sound of the relay. With the hood closed I can barely hear the relays. You'll need two relays, one for left and one for the right.

[TuRDTACO]

why isn't spraypainting the wheels on the cheap mod list?!?! i INVENTED it!

[gsm]

Originally Posted by phantom

might just think twice about this one?

ok those drums get pretty hot when driving them hard and they need to dissipate the heat ( like what the rotor does on disk)
the more surface area the better and when you clean and make shiny and paint you are in reality trapping the heat inside !

it would be like painting your radiator grill, might look cool, but isn't helping the heat dissipation munch !

if you are into computers, look at the heat sink on your processor chip, bet you don't find it chromed or anything and probably aluminum for heat dissipation
in the day when they had custom car shows we would laugh at the "show cars with chrome brake drums, just meant they were pushed on and off a truck and not driven
and in the later developments of the drum brakes they had like a big spring all around the drumb to dissapate heat

but your call

Thanks as I appreciate your input and opinion.

I hear what you are saying and agree that if I was a heavy hauler, hot shot off the line and heavy on the breaking it might make a noticeable difference. But with normal driving won't hurt or function differently. On the drums it's a thin even layer not enough to make a noticable difference in heat compared to the factory coating. For the rotors nothing to add as the disks aren't painted and dissimpate the heat as the front is the majority of the braking power. NOW CHROME is a different matter and will flake off when the drums heat up! And I never had a problem with my '73 Chevy Nova when I was growing up. Plus it looks good .

As for my computer, I don't have a heat sink - I have a copper water block as it's water cooled and over clocked

Thanks again.

[lsocoee]

We should also add the tailgate theft prevention methods. A pop-n-lock is about $50. The other option is installing a pipe clamp around the tailgate pivot (the one that lifts off and doesn't slide out.) You get extra theft prevention if you access the bolt on the clamp from the bottom side of the truck.

[piercedtiger]

Originally Posted by lsocoee

We should also add the tailgate theft prevention methods. A pop-n-lock is about $50. The other option is installing a pipe clamp around the tailgate pivot (the one that lifts off and doesn't slide out.) You get extra theft prevention if you access the bolt on the clamp from the bottom side of the truck.

Thanks. The hose clamp can be added. I'll see if I can find some good pics since I never did it, but I can't recommend the pop n lock. Mine lasted less than 1 year and ended up in the trash when I couldn't get the key in the hole. One winter's worth of road salt, sand, and snow jammed the lock so bad I couldn't get the key in or anything else to clean it out. I got a paper clip part way in, but it was like carving a hole in a sand sculpture. No way I was going to open it up enough to get the key in and free up the mechanism.

I just don't feel right about recommending that as a mod, and then have someone go through what I did. Had I locked it some point during the winter I would have been forced to break into my own tailgate, literally.

[piercedtiger]

Originally Posted by TuRDTACO

why isn't spraypainting the wheels on the cheap mod list?!?! i INVENTED it!

Do you have a write up somewhere? With parts and supplies needed? Like prep work, paint type used, etc? If you do feel free to post it all up, and I'll add it to the table of contents in the first post. I've heard of people doing it, and they used something to strip the factory paint off. And some other steps I'm not familiar with.