The Getaway...Crom's build and adventures

Wait where do you get the time?

 

Have you ever considered wrapping parts of your sliders in some clear bra to prevent the paint from chipping in the areas that constantly get rock blasted? (Mainly the crossbars)

I'm not sure how well it would work, but I'm considering doing it to the set of sliders I have coming for my truck.

 

When can we stop attempting to clean them up! I buff mine out time to time in an attempt to hide the pin stripes but it is a futile attempt at best! My Peruvian neighbor is impressed with my finish. He calls it 'A man's truck.'

 

I'm doing exactly that ^^^ with the sliders and leading edge of my rear Fiberglass fenders.

 

I hope you make it out. It's vast and has so many opportunities. It's unreal!

Thank you very much. That Pizza factory is good! We ate there last in July and it was great!

@DoorDing

Mud flaps are good. I have trimmed OEM ones in the front. But that's not the issue. I'm traveling at speed, and I'm guessing that there isn't a mudflap in this world that can stop rocks at speed. I need something else.

I'm currently investigating the concept of "Boat Sides" for trucks.

Some UHMW above and below the sliders, like a sandwich, but also extending out under the sliders.

I'm in concept stages now, but something like this:

Don't touch the dust on the paint! Right? It causes harm to the paint.

My front lawn has endured due to an expo project gone wild. lol I'll explain in a future post, don't want to spoil it.

I have automated many things in my life to help free my time up. And I am a little bit one dimensional with my hobbies right now. So mainly focused on truck building, repairing, and most importantly going on trips and using the truck to make family memories, explore, etc. My wife knows this, we know it wont be this way forever. And we agree in advance when I can do these things.

 

Yes I have. I have considered doing an full axle wrap with 1/8" black PCV mat. I ran out of time before this trip, but I think it will work and it wont look bad either.

 

My paint, as I am sure yours is too, has permanent pin striping. Washing and waxing will conceal it to some degree, but over time it just comes through again. I have never been too concerned about it though.

My coworkers at work like the pin stripes They tell me in our conversations, that I use the truck for a truck, lol

It's worth a shot.

I'll take your word for it, but I don't see how a pliable mud flap would work at speed, with rocks hitting it. I am willing to try a different flap.

 

Every time I read Crom's posts I end up with more stuff to do. But getting out there is the most important thing, and the first week of April I'll be doing the Mojave Road (maybe with Crom et al) and bailing off the trail at Baker and head north for 3/4 days in DV. Can't wait.

 

Very true!

 

I get shit for being OCD about the cleanliness of my truck after wheeling, but @RearViewMirror takes it to a whole new level. Haha!

 

Oh thank god. Now that I finally have a brand new baby foreskin in my possession, I won't have to fear ridicule from you!

BTW, I've already stretched it out to 2x2 feet.

 

A few of my racer buddies have completely given up on the painting of the diff and other parts that get sandblasted. They just spray it with WD40 from time-to-time. I'm not there yet but I am very close; I like when I go on a long trip in the summer to paint my bumpers and my other rattle can parts - It makes the first few pictures look better!

 

Link to this epic OCD?

Thanks. You just reminded me that there is a mud mess in the engine bay I completely forgot about. lol. I remember your positive comments from the last time I posted clean engine pics. Gotta do it, keep it clean!

 

I think he finds it therapeutic. Plus, let's face it, if you hang out in firehouses 24/7, making things shiny and "free time" is built in.

I just want to see his sliders scraping the side of a fourteener in Colorado.

 

Alright. Now time to discuss how to solve my Toyo's rubbing on everything.

As far as I can tell I have two choices, given my commitment to the 33" Tall and Skinny Toyo's

At present time, my Toyo's rub the following:

• Frame
• UCA
• LCA

My two choices are to

1. Get different wheels with lesser backspacing
2. Use a wheel spacer

The TRD OR wheels I like because they are paid for. The backspacking is 5.25" ( TRD Off-Road Wheels: 16x7, +32 mm offset, 5.25" backspacing, 6x5.5" bolt pattern)

I only need a little bit more space. I think I can run a .75" BORA spacer on the front to get what I need.

From what I can tell, the factory wheel studs will protrude through the spacer by a little bit. However, this should not be a problem due to the OR wheel design, it has cavities where the studs can go into. The TRD OR wheel will mount to the spacer studs in an offset manner from the factory studs, so it should work well.

The other option is new wheels with lesser backspacing. That's expensive. Also, I'm happy with the 7" wheel width, and I wouldn't want a wider wheel.


Thoughts?

 

Only because you asked. ...
It can take patience and a good eye, but I found my wheels on craigslist and paid $140 for the set. That's probably less than spacers would cost and the stock wheels can likely be sold for more making the total cost less than nothing.
Much of my build has been "financed" this way.

 

Spacers are definitely your least expensive option, but keep in mind that spacing the wheel further out from the hub increases the travel of the arc of the wheel and tire while turning. This usually isn't an issue, but since you are already rubbing on your frame, the rubbing may increase there while decreasing at the UCA/LCA. Maybe a spacer with CMC is in order to keep your 33s?

 

I've seen so many stock wheels sell on this site that I decided to try selling mine. The fish aren't biting though and mine are practically brand new! It has to do with timing. Everyone is broke after the holidays.
@Crom , if you weren't eyeing a particular set of wheels, steel wheels are relatively cheap as well and could be more than paid for if you managed to sell your stockers. I believe wheelers has a set in 16" that have less backspacing and could fit your needs.

 

My thoughts on spacers is that they are a temporary fix. Most people who get spacers end up with wheels sooner or later to eliminate the spacers and the potential risks that come with them. Yes, they are cheap but wheels come with other perks.

From what it sounds like you may not gain much from wheels or spacers. As you my have read in my build, when I went to 3.5BS wheels I had all kinds of rubbing that previously was non existent with the TRD OR wheels and the Base Steel Wheels with both the KM2 and the ST Maxx in the same size as you. Your Toyos must be larger than both.

My solution and one that you haven't mentioned ended up being alignment and UCA. I know you had JBA UCAs at one point in time but aren't you back on stock ones now? If you are then getting either some total chaos, camburg, allpro, or even light racing with give you a UCA with better clearance as well as more caster. The caster will get you off the frame and back of the wheel well, and the shape of the UCA itself will provide more clearance in that area. Not to mention you will have a UCA that is compatible with performance coilovers when you upgrade to those in the future.

 

I didn't (and wouldn't) try to sell them on this site.
I sold them through local craigslist. An older gentleman with a first gen needed new tires. He gave me $600 for my stockers with the Rugged Trails (~10k miles). After I installed them for him, he gave me his old ones which I painted and promptly put on craigslist and got an additional $200.