stronghammer's driveway king, now on 35s and 4.88s now sold..

Listed for sale on facebook. 20.5k STRONGHAMMER
Name Origin: Inheritance Book Series, Character: Roran Garrowson, nickname: stronghammer

Welcome, this is my build thread for my 2011 MGM DCSB Tacoma Sport 4WD.

Thankful for Tacoma World and all the people in it for motivation, inspiration, assistance, and just like-minded friends.

Pictures are organized by modification type (interior/exterior/suspension/armor/miscellaneous) below. Any and all criticisms and compliments welcome, enjoy!

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Current mods:

Interior:

• Interior LED Lights - Thanks to @MedlinAround Kit Here
• Gauge Bezels, Tweeter Bezels, Vent Trim, and Bottom of Shift Knob Painted Blue
• Door Panel Pieces for Window Controls Painted Black
• Center Console Organizer Bin from Target
• Wet Okole Full Piping Seat Covers, Black with Cobalt Blue Piping
• Treat-A-Dog Pup Protector for the backseat to carry my dog
• Weather Tech Floor Liners in Black

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Communications:

• Cobra 19 DX IV Compact 40 Channel 4 Watt CB Radio with RF Gain
• FireStik II FS4-BB 4' CB Antenna Easy Tune Blue
• 18' RG-58A/U Coaxial Cable With Pl-259 Connectors
• Firestik SS-3H Heavy Duty Stainless Steel Antenna Spring
• Rectangular External Communications Speaker for Ham Radio, CB & Scanners
• Firestik K-4A Stud with Screw-On Coaxial Termination for Antenna Mirror Mounts
• FireStik K-1A Push-n-Twist quick disconnect
• @Shmellmopwho's Driver Side CB Antenna Mount

​

Exterior:

• Black Badges and Black Grill Emblem
• Removed Fender Flares
• Removed Mud Flaps
• Diff Breather Relocate
• Redline Tuning Hood Struts
• Cali Raised Side Projecting Ditch Lights and Brackets
• SOS Concepts Bed Rack
• Tacoma Bed Mat
• Black CVT Trasharoo
• Stock Exhaust Cut Above Axle and Rerouted
• @Bentrodder Bed Supports
• Fenders trimmed 1.5" all around
• Extreme CMC

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Suspension:

• Front:
  • Total Chaos Uniball UCAs
  • Sway Bar Removed
  • King 2.5" RR Extended Travel Coil-over Shocks w/ 700# Springs from DSM 25001-119-E (removed)
    • 
      
    • Extended Length: 21.687 Inch
    • Collapsed Length: 16.750 Inch
    • (installed at approximately 115k)
  • Dobinsons MRR front with 730# springs
    
  • 4" SS Extended Brake Lines
• Rear:
  • OME 2.75" Lift Dakar Leaf Pack w/ AAL
  • U-Bolt Flip (Modified Low-Range Flip Kit)
  • Wheeler's Super Bumps Bumpstops
  • King 2.5" RR Extended Travel Rear Shocks from DSM 25001-121-Dakar (removed)
    • Extended Length: 25.54 Inch
    • Collapsed Length: 17.08 Inch
    • (installed at approximately 115k)
  • BAMF Shock Relocation and Bilstein 5125 14" Shocks
  • 4" SS Extended Brake Lines
• Performance:
  • ARB RD129 Air Locker in rear
  • ECGS 4.88 Gears installed at 153,910 miles.

• Wheels & Tires:
  • SCS Ray10 17x8.5 Matte Black Wheels
  • 35/12.5/17 Treadwright Guard Dogs (Installed 153,430)

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Armor:

• Custom Rock Sliders by Taylor Welding, LLC (Instagram: taylor_weldingllc)
• Custom Hybrid Front and Rear High Clearance Bumpers by Hammock Welding and Fabrication
  • (4) Blue 3/4" Reteck D Ring Shackle, 9,500 Lb Capacity w/ Daystar Isolators
• SOS Concepts Skid Plates

​

Maintenance:

• Oil Change, Tire Rotation/Balance, and Alignment ~every 5k miles
• ECGS Bearing Replacement
• BFGs put on at 108k miles
• Front Diff Fluid Replaced 116k miles
• Replaced Alternator October 2017 after Black Mountain
• At ~150k miles:
  • Replaced Driver Side CV Axle
  • Replaced Passenger Side CV Axle
  • Replaced Inner and Outer Tie Rods (Pass and Driver)
  • Front Diff Fluid Replaced
  • Spark Plugs Replaced
• Replaced Driver and Passenger Wheel Bearings/Hub Assemblies at about 151k miles. Thanks @BamaToy1997!!
• Guard Dogs put on at 153,430 miles
• Diff Fluids changed 153,910, and again 500 miles later with gear break in.
• Drum brake shoes changed at 153,910
• Energy Suspension Radiator Bushings

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Other:

• Hi-Lift Jack w/ Base Plate, Handle Keeper, and Slider Adapter
• Tow Strap
• Ratchet Straps
• SuperWinch Tiger Shark 9500 SR
• ARB CKMP12 Portable Air Compressor
• EZ Tire Deflator (gift from TWSS)

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1. How it looked when I got it. June, 2015.


2. How the truck currently sits:



3. Some photos:
























My Toyota History:

When I was 16 years old my dad bought me a 1989 Toyota Pickup with 189k on it. It was already lifted 3" and I quickly put 35" Hankook Dynapro MTs on it and removed the fender flares. Here is the earliest photo I could find of it:


I then decided it was time to cut it. We cut 4" out of the fenders and 16.5" out of the bed. I also painted the wheels, side bars, and bumpers black.




I used to wheel the heck out of that thing and actually almost lost it once when the ground gave way beneath me:



I longed for a solid axle Toyota since I was 16 and I ended up finding a guy who had a 1985 4Runner for sale, and we ended up straight trading my truck for his 4Runner.


This thing was a ton of fun, but I never had the funds to do anything with it. It came with the tube doors and front and rear bumpers and sliders on it so I just left it alone and played with it as it was.



I drove this around for a couple of years before I ended up buying my current 2011 Tacoma. So I know it's a short history (3 vehicles by 25 years old), but it's always been a 4WD and it's always been a Toyota for me.

 

INTERIOR

LED interior and tag lights installed thanks to @MedlinAround go buy the super easy to use kit from here!


Painted my gauge bezels blue


Painted vent trim, door speaker bezels, and the chrome piece on the bottom of the shift knob blue. Also, removed the chrome piece that surrounded the shift knob because it sucked to paint! Window control panel pieces on the doors painted black.


My Patch Collection on my Headliner




Wet Okole Seat Covers, Full Piping Black with Cobalt Blue. These take about 1.5-2 hours to install by yourself, but they are so nice.






Treat-A-Dog Pup Protector:


Weather Tech floor mats installed. I love these things.





Reserved for future interior updates.

 

EXTERIOR

Removed Fender Flares:


Redline Hood Struts:


Got me an ARE camper shell! Awesome Craigslist find!

And I got it colormatched:


Mounted my Hi-Lift Jack with @Shmellmopwho's mounts and slider adapter. Great products.


Snorkel


This is the install thread that I followed, but I did not cut the bracket, I simply "bent" it back to allow for enough room by being STRONGHAMMER (I used a flat piece of metal and a hammer to beat the hell out of it):
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/how-to-airflow-snorkel-install.443155/

and snorkel install process pics:

Cali Raised Ditch Lights and Brackets:



Ditch Lights + Headlights:


Ditch Lights Only:


My new Leer XL100 Camper Shell with sliding front window I got to replace the ARE I had.





20$ Tacoma Bed Mat


Prinsu Cabrac and Toprac





Reserved for future exterior updates.

 

SUSPENSION & WHEELS/TIRES

Installed 285/70/17 BFGoodrich KO2's, 3" Rough Country Lift, and 1.25" Spydertraxx wheel spacers, and painted wheels.


Total Chaos UCAs Installed!


OME Dakar Leaf Springs:



Installed SCS Ray10 17x8.5 Matte Black Wheels and removed spacers:


Low Range U-Bolt Flip Kit Installed:


King's 2.5" RR Rear Shocks Installed, Low Range U-Bolt Flip Kit did not work with the shock on the passenger side so had to modify the plate so that it would work. Here are the modified plates:




Here is the wonderful King's that I put on!
Before (Rough Country Shock):

After:




King 2.5" OEM Replacement Coilover Shocks with RR Installed



4" SS Extended Brake Lines Installed


Upgraded to 35/12.5/17 Treadwright Guard Dogs and trimmed fenders


Reserved for future suspension updates.

 

ARMOR

Sliders by Taylor Welding (256-738-7886). Local Alabama guy.


Custom Front Hybrid Bumper by Hammock Welding & Fabrication



Custom High Clearance Rear Bumper by Hammock Welding & Fabrication




Reserved for bumpers/armor updates.

 

MISCELLANEOUS

Did a flex test just to see what I was capable of at this point. (Rough Country lift is all that's installed at this point)



Flex test at same spot with current suspension setup:



Artsy Fartsy photo


Riding in Birmingham:

Riding at Lakeshore in Birmingham:

Riding at County Line in Arab:

Riding at The Slab in Montevallo:

Riding at Choccolocco in Jacksonville AL:

Alabama Tacoma World at Top of the World:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZlFMr8cwL8&t=9401s

At Stoney Lonesome in Alabama:

Wheeling at AOP in South Pittsburg, Tennessee:

Reserved for who knows what.

 

bhlm, fog light mod too!

 

I don't feel comfortable doing the BHLM by myself, I just know I'm going to screw something up, and you mean the fog light anytime mod?

 

It's WAY easier than you think, just follow a How-too thread on here and take your time. And yes fog light anytime.

 

I just don't trust myself putting a headlight in the oven! haha!

 

Looks nice. What r your plans for the fender flares? If u put bushwhackers in do you have to cut the fender?

 

I don't plan to do fender flares at all. I personally really dislike bushwackers. One day when it becomes a full time toy I will probably cut the fenders out and use the holes as a template.

 

I hear you. Wish there was something between the two. The stock plastic fender flares just don't do it for me. Should just take mine off too. Did you have to do anything to the screw holes to keep them from rusting?

 

I'm sorry I completely forgot to ever reply to this. No I didn't do anything. No paint was missing or anything from the holes, they were factory painted and still in great shape so shouldn't see any rust issue. Dirt/mud/water do come through them and leave stupid looking streaks down the side of the truck, but all can be washed off.

 

Decided my accent color will be blue on this truck, so painted the gauge bezels blue. Speaker and vent bezels to come in the future.
Before:

After:

 

Painting Door Speaker Bezels

To remove your door panel remove the two screws in the door handles as shown:



then simply pop this piece off:



push the center of this pin to pop it out:


then use a small flat head screw driver to remove the window controls and disconnect the connector on the back like so:



simply pull the door panel off by starting at the front seam where you popped the little black pin out and go around the bottom of the door and back up. The door panel will just pop out and then you can lift it off of the window seal. You will then reveal the backside of your speaker cover and mine looked like this:


You can pop out the "screen" by just pushing on it, but removing the bezel is a bit more difficult. If yours is like mine the green stuff is some kind of glue or epoxy holding it on, and you also have the two clips holding it on. GENTLY squeeze the two clips together and then you basically have to "break" the bezel away from the green stuff to remove it. Yay now you can paint it!

For reinstall just follow the steps backwards! I used a small amount of super glue to reattach the speaker bezel where the "green glue" was holding it. THE PASSENGER SIDE IS EXACTLY THE SAME PROCESS.

Here is the finished product of mine:

 

Painting the gauge bezels:

I recommend removing the bezels from the backside so that requires taking apart your dash. Some people use a flat head screw driver and pry the bezels out (I did it my first time) but that's the easy way to risk breaking them because they are cheap plastic. I broke mine my first time and had to order new ones from Toyota. I guess the good news is you CAN get new bezels from Toyota for like 45$ if you majorly screw yours up or break them, but I'm going to show you how to do it without breaking them.

First pull up the trim along your door seam (it just pulls up) and the piece by your e-brake, it has two metal clips right beside the door seam that hold it in and you can pop it out of those and just pull it out of your way. There is then a 10mm bolt behind it in the lower corner of your dash you need to remove:


then remove the 10mm bolt over to the right above your gas pedal behind the fold down flap:


that is the only 2 bolts holding the lower dash part on. You then need to simply pull out the "tray" that is above the second bolt you pulled, it should just pop out. It is held in by yellow clips like this one on it's backside:


then that lower dash piece should just pull out, you don't need to unplug any of the wires. For the upper dash piece it is only held in by two black push pins above the gauges that are similar to the one in the door panels, simply push the small piece in the middle and they will pop out.


the gauge portion of the dash will now pull out. The backside looks like this:


You then just need to remove the bezels my releasing the clips on the backside, mine are shown in blue:


IMPORTANT: The two side bezels are not interchangeable!!! Keep up with which one goes on which side just to avoid confusing yourself and causing a headache later.

 

Thanks man. Thill keep me from breaking stuff