What Have You Done To Your 2nd Gen Tacoma Today?

Hey it's the wrong color tractor from what I grew up with on a dairy farm in Iowa, but theirs something to be said about a girl who grows up on a farm.

 

Power-washed, clayed, polished, and waxed. All cleaned up just to sit in the garage now

 

Gave her a bath....taking her in for her first oil change and service Monday

 

Installed this today!

 

.....and sound!

 

I put some windshield washer fluid in it. And got my cruiser ready for some cruisin.

 

I had a shorty for a while. Got tired of shitty reception. So I trimmed the stock one down to top of cab height. You can pull the little ball on top off and glue it back on. Same reception as stock height.

 

@scottalot Sound familiar?

 

Made some bed rail brackets following Benson X's guide. Mounted my little shovel on driver's side and hi-lift on passenger's side.

 

Finally Got my Powder coated Fj Wheels mounted with 265 70 17 C KO2's!!! These look awesome and the ride feels more like i'm driving a truck. The stocks felt more squishy.

 

Is that a 2240 Deere? I've got a 2440, early model, same style hood/cowl.

 

It is a 2040. I have a 1020 that also has the same hood and cowl haha.

 

A lot of the 20 and 30 series "Dubuque" utilities shared that same sheet metal. We had a 2030 for a while. I traded it on a 2440 a few years ago. I think it was '79 or '80, Deere started building those tractors in Mannhiem Germany. When they did, the sheet metal changed. Reliability, especially hydraulics, dropped off considerably once they moved production to Germany.

 

After running a 2.5" spacer lift for two years, I finally broke down and got me a set of Bilstein 5100's for the front. I did not get the pre-assembled set, opting instead for reusing my factory springs and setting at 1.75". I learned a few things:

1) Have the right tool for the job. I did not know there are two styles of spring compressors. There is one that is two pieces and attach to the outside of the coil spring. I did not have this one. Instead the local auto parts store gave me the other type, the one that goes down the middle of the coil. Talk about an adventure! I solved the issue by running it down the center (after the spring was removed from the OEM shock) and using 2 ratchet straps on the outside rated at 1500 pounds each. This held the spring tension while I reassembled the new 5100's. It worked surprisingly well once I got it all sorted out. Still, having the right tool to begin with would have been much better.

2) As I said, I have been running the spacer lift for a little over two years, and I had forgotten what a PITA it is swap out the shocks. My biggest issue was the sway bar getting in the way (passenger side) and stopping progress cold. I was starting to think it was a fight to death on the second shock. By that point I had swapped both springs, and doing that with hand tools was no picnic, so I was already tired. In the end though, and after more than a few colorful words, it just slipped in. I was so mad, but glad it was there.

3) There would have been no way I could have compressed the spring enough for the 2.5" setting. Set at 1.75" I had just enough thread showing at the top of the shock to get the nut started. It was all brute force after that.

4) My next suspension project (not sure what that will be just yet) will be done at a shop. I am getting to old for this LOL!

5) Every once in a while (while running the spacers) I would get a squeak out of the front end on the drivers side. It was so intermittent that I could not locate the source. After removing the driver side shock I noticed marks indicating the sway bar had been lightly rubbing the spring. With the new setup, there is plenty of clearance. However, I will still keep an ear for it now that I know the cause.

It's well past dark now, I will get some pics tomorrow after I get it re-aligned. All in all the front now sits just under a 1/2" lower. I am sure that will change after settling.

 

How much did the powder coat cost you?

 

Hey be nice! Somebody has to live there.

 

Nice day for a quick beach cruise.

 

A really good friend of mine has a shop. He showed me what to do and let me powder coat the wheels. I think the going rate is $50-75 per wheel.

 

Did you do the wheels yourself they look nice.

 

Yes! The were called "smoked" when I got them. The LED's are super bright and they are well built. Thick plastic.