Rickashay's 04' Tundra - The Legend of Doug

Thanks guys! Yah it's strange you don't see that many built 1st Gen Tundras unless they are Baja trucks or have 6" Bro lifts... There is a handful of well built "expo/crawler" rigs but mine should be a pretty cool addition. Thanks for checking in.

Haha me and my local buddies always joke about our stupid truck names and it's pretty funny. Not many people comment on them on the internet though, so I applaud your sense of humor. Yah my Dad's Tacoma is wicked... I'm slowly making him mod it more. 33's, some SCS Wheels, possibly a bed cage/RTT, and a few aesthetic items and it should be a REALLY nice Tacoma. I'm just stoked that my old man decided to get into the sport. Love wheeling with him!

 

Like always, your builds look fantastic.
You still in Lethbridge ? What forums are you on now that CT4 shut down ?

 

Hey thanks! Check out www.untitledoffroad.com, there might be a new local forum in town. haha Sign up over there fo sho.


Update

Installed the Wheelers Progressive AAL over the weekend along with the little brake proportioning bracket. Fairly straight forward install, soaked everything with PB a few hours in advance to let soak and all came off pretty easy. Biggest issue was getting my jack high enough to life the fully drooped leafs off the axle.

Didnt take before measurements on height, simply forgot. I would guess that I'm 1.5-1.75" taller in the rear now than before. I have about 1" of rake now if you look straight from the side. Thinking when my Fox's land I will set them @ 1.5-1.75" of lift (1/2"-3/4" over current) and that will leave me with a tiny amount of rake. Also decided to keep the factory overload lead in place. I honeslty can't tell the difference in ride quality either so it's very close to factory. Pretty happy with this setup right now.

Also had a 4 hour drive on Sunday on the highway. I was at 70mph and about 2100 rpms. Truck cruised along nicely. A little gear hunting when the hills came but it honestly makes me question the need for a re-gear. I'm on pace to hit about 300 mile on the current tank of fuel (adjusted the 10% for the tires throwing off the speedo). Not bad.

A shot with the new leafs in, although the angle doesn't show the height well, and there is 150 lbs of gear in the back.

20131129-IMG_4033.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr

 

Edited some footage from this summer/fall. My first attempt at video....

http://vimeo.com/114310324

 

Dec. 25, 2014
Quick snapshot from today:


20131224-IMG_4135.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr

Merry Christmas!

Update - Dec. 27, 2014

As mentioned, I've been away for the holidays. It just so happens that my Dad has a fairly large and heated garage so I was able to do some tinkering in my spare time while I was back home in BC.

I had some 3M carbon fibre wrap that I acquired in a trade a while ago and wanted to wrap the faux-wood to try and update the interior a little. First of all, the wrapping was quite painful as the center dash surround and cup holder area simply had too many curves to get the finished product to look half decent. I ended up doing the whole thing and then just thought it looked too "ricey" for my taste. So I pulled the vinyl wrap and just decided to paint the wood grain in the center section. I did it in a high gloss black and then followed with 3 coats of clear. I ended up leaving the carbon wrap on the window switches just for a bit of contrast and I think it came out pretty good, IMO.


20131226-IMG_4153.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr

While I was at it I replaced my dash lights with white LED's from SuperbrightLEDs.com but unfortunately lost one of the small bulb retainers in the back of my cluster (doh!). The white looks nice but being OCD, I think the colors are too inconsistent having to run multiple bulbs/sizes. I'm going to order new LED's and do everything in red and be done with it. Fairly straight forward procedure though and I can now have the whole dash apart and cluster out in about 5 minutes. I'm actually quite happy how easy it is to pull the Tundra console/dash apart compared with my LX which was more of a PITA.

Painted console and LED's... and notice the new Weathertech floor mats I got for Christmas?! Awesome.

20131226-IMG_4160.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr

Also got around to mounting my Scan Guage on the steering column. Used 3M foam tape to hold it down:

20131226-IMG_4158.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr

Before I headed back to BC, I finally got the Borla catback exhaust installed that has been sitting in my garage for months. It's quite quiet and sounds stock until your driving and the truck is under load. I left the factory resonator in place but will probably pull it to extract a little more sound.

20131218-IMG_4085.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr

Some of the goodies waiting to be installed:

20131218-IMG_4075.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr

Going to order my RD-90 front air locker next week!

 

I haven't been out exploring in a while, with a few days remaining on my Christmas holidays, I needed a mountain retreat. Myself (and fiance) and 4 other friends decided to make for the mountains and pull a solid day trip. We headed for Canal Flats BC to hit up the Lussier natural hotsprings. None of us had been there before and we knew the terrain there would provide us with ample opportunities to explore some other BC logging roads while we were at it. We met at 6:30 on the West side of Calgary near Canada Olympic Park ready to head for the hills.

Westward bound on Highway 1 towards Banff AB, amidst a frenzy of skier traffic headed for the lifts. The highway was like a marching line of vehicles headed for the mountains in the horizon - almost an extension of the line up at the lifts. Too early to battle traffic to make 5 minutes in the end, we basically just set the cruise control at 95km/hr and road the traffic wave. One of our party lives in Canmore, AB. He strategically planted himself in a pullout and jumped into our convoy as we rolled through town without the slightest reduction in speed. Now our group was whole and continued to the more desolate Highway 93, headed for Radium, BC. Immediately the traffic dropped off and the road conditions turned awful. Blowing snow and black ice taunted us as we headed for our destination. Keeping the Toyo MT's within the lines took more mental power than desired that early in the day, but we all held it together and wound our way through the passes without incident. Chatter on the radios was constant, providing some good humour for the morning. Cody (from Canmore) knows this area better than most, and suggested we hit some gravel early in the day and take Settlers Road to wind through and towards the back end of Lussier Hot Springs and Whiteswan Provincial Park. We obliged, only eager to get off the pavement.

Shortly after, we pulled over for a break to let the dogs run around and catch some video.

20140101-IMG_4193.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr

We continued on the unknown road (to us) while Cody took the lead. It was desolate, we saw only a handful of vehicles on this backroad the entire day. Which was a good thing considering the 'hooning' that was going on. Drift after drift we egged each other on to get the truck to hang out sideways. The short wheelbase 4Runners had no problem, while the two 80 series had trouble with their constant AWD system. A great safety feature for regular driving, but unfortunate in a game of drifts, which I know only too well! The Tundra with a slightly longer wheelbase than the 4Runners could still play the game, especially with the V8. With the 35's and almost no lift, I polished the frame at opposite lock several times attempting to real in the sideways motion. Soon after, we came around a bend just as the turquoise Kootenay River merged with Settlers Rd. A sight to be seen as the sun battled to fight through the low slung clouds. A truly picturesque scene, we stopped for some photos and a couple video shots.


20140101-IMG_4199.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr

The Tundra striking a pose:

20140101-IMG_4208.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr

The roads seem to become slicker and slicker as the packed snow turned to polished ice. Several of the regular roads proved difficult to ascend, given the waterslide like texture to their surfaces. We rounded a corner to a gorgeous bridge crossing over the Kootenay River.

20140101-IMG_4209.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr

The view continued to inspire and often had us commenting on the radios about how no matter what happened next, this day was one of the best we've had in a while and furthering our interest in the area for future Untitled Offroad Official runs into this region. Several interesting off-shoots taunted us throughout the drive but we continued to remind ourselves of the end goal - Lussier Hot Springs. This spring is natural and actually signed and monitored by the BC Provincial government. The direct road is well maintained (for a backroad) and cars and minivans can drive there. However it still remains a gorgeous site and one that is still more off the beaten path than the resorty tourist traps such as Banff and Radium. Winding along a cliff face with a 500 foot drop to our right, we emerged onto the grounds of Lussier. The parking lots showed us how un-original our location was due to the 7-8 vehicles already situated. We decided to press on to Whiteswan and check out the lake and come back in the late afternoon. Whiteswan is a gorgeous site unto itself, especially with the tall pines covered in fresh snow. (Somehow I neglected to grab any photos of the area... duh) We found an interesting logging road that looked to gain elevation over the valley. We proceeded but were eventually denied by copious amount of snow and our highway-inflated tires. Despite the multiple redline attempts to overcome the snow, we just couldn't stay on top.


20140101-IMG_4211.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr

We decided it was either air down or turn around and head to the hot springs. Luckily deflating the tires was the outcome and we were instantly rewarded with forward progress once the tires were dropped to their snow-show-esque 10psi. We climbed with relative ease, only relying on the double locked, geared, and 37's of Ron Burgundy (HDJ81) to decimate the odd snow drift in our path. Soon, we came upon a relatively large clearing on the side of the mountain, which granted us an amazing view of the valley below. Photo dump:


20140101-IMG_4227.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr


20140101-IMG_4214.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr


20140101-IMG_4221.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr


20140101-IMG_4224.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr


20140101-IMG_4229.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr

Dave attempting some 4-wheel doughnuts in the 80-Series and keeping the hoonage alive:

20140101-IMG_4215.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr

Our parting site as we descend back towards the hotsprings:

20140101-IMG_4231.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr

We arrived at Lussier and headed down the trail to the springs. A gorgeous pool has been formed with boulders to capture the natural hot water flow in multiple levels and pools. I neglected to bring my camera down with me, so you'll have to let Google be your eye or wait for my video in a few weeks. There was a handful of people in the pool all with good spirits. We made quick and easy conversation with everyone while enjoying the health benefitting qualities of the pools. Despite our lack of "hotspring-beer" (just ONE would have been nice!) to quench our thirst, we had an excellent and relaxing time. We will definitely be returning with a larger group for a more "quiet" early morning or late-night dip with a larger crew. Relaxed and soothed, we switched on the compressors and brought the tires back up to operating pressure. We took the shortest route back to the highway as it was getting late. We rolled into Radium around 7pm with a 3 hour drive remaining back to Calgary. With empty stomachs we stopped for a pint and dinner at a local Pub and Eatery, discussing the success of the day. We walked outside to start heading home and were hit with a flurry of snow and cold temperatures.

20140101-IMG_4237.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr

The drive home was slow and edgy as the light and cold snow meant dust like trails of snow coming up off the rear of each vehicle. At some points the visibility was so poor that we had all lost track of the road. A good reminder how even the best drivers and well-kept highways can be dangerous in the winter. We all kept our cool and drove smart while chatting on the radio to keep one another attentive. A long but slow drive home and I puilled into my condo around 11:30pm. Tired but with a smile still on my face, our mission was successful.

We will return and keep an eye for some video edits coming soon!

 

Sounds like an awesome trip. Thanks for sharing. I have been to those hot springs before. It was in the summer though.

 

Awesome trip addison! Miss ya over on t4r btw

 

Thanks! Yah they are pretty rad. Too many people though, I was surprised how busy it was. Going to try the Ram Creek springs on the next trip out there.

Thanks man! haha Yah I miss the old T4R guys too. I should just post a build thread over there.


UPDATE - Finally something other than tech talk and indecisiveness.

Had some time Friday evening to work on the truck. I recently ordered a Anti-Dark underhood lighting kit from TW hoping it would "just work" on the Tundra. The kit is well put together, but the only complain I do have is that the adhesiveness of the LED light strip is aweful and it wouldn't even hold the weight of the strip once stuck where I wanted it. It's still a work in progress until I can get some double sided 3M ultra sticky tape, which should remedy the minor complaint. I had built somethign similar to this on my 4Runner and always appreciated having the light for checking oil or anythign under the hood late at night. It's even nice to have the compressor lit up for when those long wheeling trips have you airing up in the dark - like last night for example.

Output Photos:

20140122-IMG_4249.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr


20140122-IMG_4254.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr

Had to move the ARB compressor slightly to clear the hood strut. Something that originally I considered but when I bolted it all down I was about 5mm away from clearing the strut. Move the bracket ever so slightly and now it clears as it should and I have my auto-lift hood back.

20140122-IMG_4258.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr

I wish the light color was warmer, but it will do. I did enjoy the opportunity to play around with the night photos though, with the underhood lit up. One last cool shot of the engine bay:

20140122-IMG_4261.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr

Crowsnest Pass - Jan 24, 2015

As mentioned, I was able to head down to the Crowsnest Pass for the day yesterday with a group of members from Untitled Offroad.

No write-up this time but I will let the photos do the talking. It was a great day, lots of sun, WARM weather, lots of stuck as snow conditions were somewhat strange. All-in-all it was my first "REAL" wheeling experience in the Tundra. After the photos I'll make some notes on my first hand experiences on the Tundra platform and some areas that are of immediate concern offroad.

On the drive down:

20140123-IMG_4267.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr

Stopped for a quick break and a couple photos with the Rocky Mountains in the background:

20140123-IMG_4275.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr

Matt's Supercharged RCSB 2nd Gen Tundra w/full Icon suspension and 35's. I absolutely love this truck and it is SO fast:

20140123-IMG_4287.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr

Small to big. And an awesome Tacoma:

20140123-IMG_4288.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr

At the first lookout, the group enjoying the views:

20140123-IMG_4310.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr

"Freeze" destroying some snow:

20140123-IMG_4313.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr

Crowsnest Mountain:

20140123-IMG_4316.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr

Poser shots:

20140123-IMG_4321.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr


20140123-IMG_4318.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr


20140123-IMG_4323.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr


20140123-IMG_4324.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr

On the way back down as the sun was setting, the lighting doesn't get much better than this:

20140123-IMG_4327.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr

Chinook's cause the sky to look pretty awesome, this is no exception:

20140123-IMG_4329.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr

Dave climbing the ice-shelf, after hours:

20140123-IMG_4340.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr

It seems I was taking more video than action shots of the other rigs. Once again I'm trying to compile footage so I can build a 'winter' video this spring.

 

So i just started using the search bar to look up anything with ANTI DARK in it and, wow there is a lot i've missed. Gotta say I really like the way the kit looks on this Tundra, glad to see it worked to.
Damn sorry to hear about the adhesive. Recently discovered that my led strip supplier had supplied me with a defective batch.
Usually with a bad install the adhesive wont stick to the hood, in this case the led strip wasn't sticking to the adhesive. So, this product has recently had a new modification to the entire manufacturing process. Stock led strip adhesive removed and replaced with 3M double sided VHB foam tape. Aka, BAMF tape, stage 5 clinger tape, separation anxiety-less tape. It's probably unnecessary since we will be using a new supplier soon, but this will be the new standard for this kit so this won't be a problem in the future, ever.
If you want a strip of that adhesive, I'll send you one, Just shoot me a PM. Sorry if I thread jacked, really like these photos you've put up!

 

BTW has anyone ever told you your tundra looks like it's smiling?

 

Haha thanks Brad. It does look like it's smiling. Haha

Yah bummer on the sticky tape but oh well, as long as you have my replacement on its way I'm all good! Bummer that it tore, as we discussed but that's not really something you could have prevented given the crease it had.

Looking forward to getting the lights working under there again, it's a great mod.

Cheers

 

Looks great, nice job and nice pictures

 

Awesome pics and nice truck.

 

Awesome Tundy!

 

Thanks guys! Glad people are starting to tune in over here. I really love the TW forum and I have got so many ideas from here. It's great to contribute even though my truck has a couple more cylinders than all the Taco folk

A couple updates:

I haven't been using the truck much at all. I've been in Houston a lot for work and just havent been home that much. It seems like the weekends I'm home, I'm just playing catch up or working on my side projects - planning my wedding in August, working on headlights (I do retrofits), or just trying to relax. Nevertheless, I've got some major items crossed off my mod-list somehow.

- Pulled the factory manifolds, pulled the motor mounts, and installed my BRAND NEW unicorn-craigslist TRD long tube headers. Did all new OEM studs, nuts, and gaskets while I was in there. What a struggle... couldnt have done it without the help of my Toyota-tech buddy!
- Also had The Gear Shop regear my diffs. The 4.56's are installed along with the ARB Air Lockers. Struggled a little getting that front clamshell back in but it's all back together now
- I am going to run the Borla catback I have and also ordered a new 2.5" stainless "mid-section" exhaust from DirtyDeed Industries. Kieth was awesome to work with and the guy truly knows his stuff. He shipped me all the components and The Gear Shop will be welding it all together this week. Includes new Magnaflow hi-flow cats, flanges, Y-pipe, and connector to the Borla catback. He has dyno charts to prove that I should see 25-35 WHP. Yes, WHP, not HP. The factory manifolds and mid-section are insanely restrictive. With the new gears and full exhaust, this truck is going to feel like a whole new animal. My goal is to make it feel like it did stock on the 31" tires.
- Next up: rear leaf swap. Either doing Chevy 63's or 2nd Gen Tundra OME Dakars with a shackle flip.

Old vs. New:

IMG_4488.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr


Last week I got these new Morimoto LED turn signal bulbs. They are CRAZY bright and look awesome! I'lll get some pics when the truck is out of the garage. They are amber when illuminated.

IMG_4486.jpg by RickaShay24, on Flickr

I was originally going to just throw the headers in, but at the last minute I decided I wanted to heat wrap them first. This job is not something I EVER plan on doing again so I might as well not take any shortcuts. The heat wrap can't do any harm and with heat being a common enemy of any lifted/big tired/heavy offroad rig I thought it was worth the effort.

Also threw this together last week. I only had limited footage to work with but still a good start to working with video. Can't wait for the summer when I will have more footage than I can use to pick from.

https://vimeo.com/122817519

 

Subbed. Great taste in wheels as well

 

Subbed Badass truck bro!

 

bigger tires without a lift reminds me of a badass farm truck

 

Subd. Love the Tundra!

For your first goes at video those are great man.