My Rough n Ready Taco excruciatingly slow build

Well I picked this one up back in 2010 a few yrs ago, during a mountain biking trip in Moab. My previous Outside rig, a 94 dodge caravan came down with a badly leaking head gasket with about a week left of Moab time. So a Craigslist search led me to Grand Junction and this: a rough around the edges(and later to discover-middle as well), 98 DLX V6 5sp 4x4. 129k on the clock.
Took it back up to store at my folks’ place in Mt till the next spring, found out that the front seal was leaking pretty badly,- 3 qts of Lucas oil treatment and 3 more of 30wt to get it back to Mt!

The slow build begins...

The first item was a topper since it would be stored up in snow country while I was working down on the Ice- picked up an ARE topper for $275 on Craigslist.
second to fix the leaking seal on the crankshaft/damper seal, the next spring.

During the winter I ordered a Daystar AAL- nice long leaf, OME 883 coils with 5100s. Also ordered an ARB bull bumper which came with lights on special( alas no mounting hardware- so that dog & pony show is still in the works.)

Spring time 2012-since time was more critical took it to the dealer to get the seal replaced and front coils/shocks replaced- as well as R - LCA and an alignment. Also was able to get the frame inspected- passed!

On the way to the dealer to get the work done had a blow out- so after the dealers it was time to replace the recaps with some new 235/R75-15 Goodyear M&S for now. I installed the AAL and the yakima rack and loaded the bike and took off.

It was time to get on the road and do some camping and mountain biking, but of course there was the center support bearing and a had to replace a spring in the LH hub.
Then John Law pointed out that I had a cracked tail light lense (already ordered as well as new headlights -ebay) and onto Moab.
Late spring a new Alpine and speakers

Fall 2013-So now the mounting hardware is rumored to be on it's way, so we'll see. this year it should be the bumper finally installed, driving lights hooked up, deck plate mod and a chuck box to get away from a couple action packers...

Coming along slowly....



Schafer canyon road the second day after I bought it



Checking out the $275 ARE craigslist topper



Springtime in Trout Creek, Mt. after getting the 883s w/5100s, timing belt and front seal, RH lower control arm, new tires and the Daystar AAL installed, all loaded up for Moab




Outside Moab



New taillights



New headlights



The ARB patiently awaiting mounting hardware

 

lookin pretty sweet man. you should get some big MTs

 

Thanks man. That's a pretty sweet rig you have there.
Yeah, probably will once these shoes get worn down. Thinking about some black 16" steelies, and maybe some 245's or so, but hopefully there will be a gear change out before then, I'm afraid of losing too much power.
It is a bit of an adjustment, my other 2 rigs are an 85 SR5 4x4 LWB, and an 01 Dodge with a cummins, so the gearing on this rig feels a bit tall. I think it has 3.91 s stock. so I would like to go with 4.11s or maybe even 4.56. I'm kinda watching out for a wrecked TRD so I can just do a straight across swap and get the locker and 4.11s in one shot

 

thanks man!
thatll look pretty sweet. I know summit racing makes black steelies that look pretty good IMO. but you can find out what gear ratio yours has by looking at the drivers side door sticker! theres a forum on here that explains it in detail! mine came with a 4.10

 

Nice rig, I'll be running a Tacoma and a cummins here soon also! The 2 best rigs on the road!

 

Looks nice op!

 

Thanks Chase,
Yeah once I found that I looked it up and I have 3.91. So if I could find a some from a TRD, that would hit 2 birds with the same rock, I think they usually run with 4.10?

 

Deck mod - done



Diff drop - done



Next- de-badging begins

 

Well after much wrestling with 4Wd parts phone tree, I finally got ahold of the right someone and the mounting hardware showed up the next week. They got it sorted once I contacted the right person.
So I ended up having to get some welding done- previous owner hit a rock or something, on the pass side tow hook. That explained the missing skid cover and the dented in mount. So had to get that cut out and replaced, as well as get another set of captured nuts welded in on the driver side as well since they were broken loose. While in there I went ahead and had them do the frame end cap mod as well. Once back at the house it only took about 1-2 hrs to mount up the bumper. So it looks like the RH frame horn is still a bit tweaked but not enough to affect anything except maybe I need to trim the mount bracket and get away from the radiator mount bolt.
Coming along slowly.......



ARB installed



Welded repair on the RH frame horn



LH mount



You can see the minor tweak on the pass side- works fine



Driver's side done!

 

Installed a 140 amp alternator and have upgraded part of the wiring. The headlight harness upgrade is next and start fabricating the aux fuse panel. Then more fun with wire and loom.

 

Well it has been awhile but a few improvements have happened. I noticed that one of my AAL was broken, so I broke out the other set I had taken off of the old 79 2wd leaf pack (it had been to a shop sometime in it’s history, had 2 long AALs and a shorter one on each side). While I was swapping them out, I discovered that each one of the Daystar AAL I had installed previously was broken in 2 places.

So I raised the hill county shackles up a notch and hit the road, got down to my fiancé’s house in Cali and dropped off the trailer and the springs still had a frown so I decided to pull the trigger on some Dakars with an AAL, greaseable shackles new U-bolts the whole deal.
Went out to the garage and did the swap in a couple hrs- everything was easy to get off after the AAL swap, and plenty of AeroKroil and anti-seize.
It would have been easier/faster with a floor jack but, I hate hauling a floor jack and living with it for a few weeks on the road...

Next up brakes and the longer rear brake line. and shocks..


OEM springs with the second AAL notice the hammered looking Ranchos....



OME Dakars with their AAL



Finished the Dakars- next up new Bilsteins.....

 

The rusty old Ranchos had to go- it swayed like a full rigged schooner in a 15 knot beam reaching wind.
New Bilsteins 5125s on the rear, brakes are done and this is how she sets with about 500-600 lbs on board



pretty close to level



Shaping up nicely



New Billies- already giving the OMEs a workout

 

Next up Prodigy 2
if time allows this spring....

 

Awesome build thread. I hope to be doing this within the next couple years.

 

Nice Build !!

 

Thanks guys,
Well time did not permit last spring so now looking more like a fall project. After installing an exhaust brake on my Ram 2500 it turns out that I have an extra air compressor, what to do with that I wonder.... on-board air?
Someday I want to empty it out and see how it looks empty.
Another winter project hopefully, is sorting out the rear bumper so I can mount a swing out for the spare tire. Too many trucks not enough time or $$.

 

Next up
Relentless sliders:

 

Had to wait till it warmed up some- no garage yet...




Finally got the sliders on about 2 weeks before the trip north. Let the loading begin.

 

A few trip photos:hanging with the big brother truck...

Stone Mountain in BC


Hero shot at Watson Lake

Gave the suspension a work out in the Yukon.

 

A few shots from the rest of the trip up and a drive out to work.
1st- 2 flats on the first day driving out to work, towing the box trailer of course- oh the joy..I ruined my spare tire on the Taco, so I guess the 16" wheel upgrade just got rescheduled...

2nd- around 0430 rolling to work with the 85:


3rd- rolling Polychrome pass last Tuesday night, after I got the new tires and ‘new’ 02 Tundra 16” x 8” steel wheels:

4th- saw these boys heading toward grassy pass on the way in:

5th- 1st cup of the day, about 0530 , it will do....