HackD's ongoing 5-lug armored-slug build.

Just broken in.

 

I'm American and we speak only one language down here. What's a kilometer? Let us know when you get 100,000 miles.

 

Given the dubious shape of our roads that keep Dentists repairing molars, and the corrosive nature of the road environment where winter is a salt-brine slurry driving experience .. 62,137 miles in 6 years of 98% commuting-hell usage, is absolutely nothing to sneeze at.


I've never had a vehicle that has lasted 100k km's... I've been driving for 30 years. They keep rusting out from under me, first.

 

Geez. In the southern USA, you'll get 482,803 kilometers on your truck easy.

 

Americans speak lots of different languages you hick.

 

One of my medium-term projects - I started working on the Hilux ARB interior overhead console conversion. I gutted out the cheap Radio Shack toggle button switches, and preparing to put in proper illuminated Carling switches and surrounds.. going to be some delicate Dremel work, just as the first step in this little venture.

Why all the work on the console for just switches? Radio Shack going under is no great loss to me - i've just always hated those cheap button switches!

Initially looks way over-size, especially considering that i'm cutting into screw-hole posts - but i've got a way around that, and it will look perfect, once all buttoned up.

As said, initial step .. a few more things and ideas to plan out fully, for full utilization of the console.

 

At the moment, my focus is split between about 4 different truck-related projects, and again about as many in non-related projects, so progress is slow.

New Carling type switch integration into the upper console lighting. Original Radio Shack type button switch at bottom, for scale. These may look out of scale initially, but once mounted in the console - the single switch light insert is WAAAY back there behind the front seats, so big is good when reaching back and hunting for a switch by feel. The dual side-by-side switches as mounted, are recessed into the console itself - so again - for sake of tactile sense, the up-sized switches make perfect sense.

There is no rush on this project - i've got a few other electronic things that are intended to be retrofitted into this console, before i actually get to modifying this Hilux console to fit into the Tacoma interior. I'll keep that reveal intentionally vague, for now.




This is something that i took delivery of quite a few months back now - i had sourced what i hoped was a cheaper alternative to the Bushwacker fender flares.. PSI fender flares off of ebay. I actually pulled them out of the big box they came in, and did a slap-on fit and finish look-see.

Rear mud-guards will need to be removed, and the front fender well black boxes will need to be exorcised, to fit on properly when the time comes to do so. Again no rush to do so. I bought these, in the eventuality of going either 235/85R16 or 245/75R16, next tire-change cycle. The rims will need to be pushed out with the 1.5" wheel spacers (already bought, and similarly sitting on a shelf awaiting inspiration) or new rims with more neutral off-set obtained. There is also the outstanding gearing issue going taller in gearing, than i am at now. Until that happens, this is just a look-see.

Actually looks not bad in side profile. That narrow-track tuck-under, though...

 

IMHO, your truck as it is, screaming for bigger rims n tires.....bringing it to totally over the top!
You need more tape on dem flares!
JK

 

Yes, I do agree.

Towards that end, a replacement 3rd member with 4.10 gearing from a wrecked 2014 SR5 model has been ordered - with that installed, i can look at tires in the 32" diameter range, ex. 235/85R16's

I have only a few months remaining on tire life with my current set, so now is the time to get moving on this.

 

4.10 differential showed today, yay.

 

Your previous post is like watching a horror movie where you don't want to be scared, so you place your hands over your eyes, but peak anyway. Yeah, that's me right now. I probably need a 4.10, but don't want you to show it to me.

 

For me, it was more like did this parts guy halfway across the country, understand exactly what i was saying, and what i was specifically looking for? That was the moment of the big reveal, and ending of suspense.

Found it on car-part.com. Had a phone conversation with him (small wrecker operation), and a few emails mid-last week.. basically it came down to me reassuring him i knew wtf i was talking about, in putting it into a 5-lug. It came down to me saying it's all good as long as you don't send me a frigging TRD salvage.

Tearing into the carton, the grease-pencil part number corresponds to the correct 3rd member needed.

Whew!

 

Addendum:

An Eaton-Detroit True-Trac ordered, delivered, and will be ready to be installed into the 4.10 3rd member, that i will drop off at the shop tomorrow.

Not sure if i am having the 3rd member installed into the truck just yet - there is the cost of the 3rd member, the true-trac, and installation costs all to be covered in a short period of a month.. i might give it a month or so more, before i pile on with installation of the third member into the truck itself, and frigging $14-1600.00 cdn in new tires, on top of it all.

I won't be involved with any of this in the actual installation process - at present, my health simply won't allow for it - i'll have to stick with the smaller fiddly and time-intensive projects, of which there are still plenty to finish off on the truck. Such is life.

The finish line - it is in sight, however.

 

What tires are you going with?

 

235/85R16. Tall, but skinny. That's what is needed to cut through our snow here, when we get snow.

215/70R15 is OEM - 26.9", on stock 3.31 MT final drive gearing.
225/75R16 is current - 29.3", on stock 3.31 MT final drive gearing - would be correct gearing, if replaced with a 3.58 Auto transmission 3rd member.
235/85R16 future - 31.7". Corrected gearing would be 3.91. Going to be slightly over-geared now with 4.10

Over-gearing isn't such a bad thing in terms of keeping the lead-foot ticket-catching at bay, As well as having a big-boy's toy in the back of the truck going up steep gradient hills .. there are a few around here - i just haven't gone that way since i changed up tire sizes, and changed my final drive gearing for the worse.

 

Sorry .. i probably over-explained things a bit/didn't answer which type .. not sure on brand name yet. I have to do some research on the various tire designs out there, before i look at actually ordering 'em. I'm obviously not looking at aggressive off-road capability, as primary purpose. Hopping a curb or two as needed, that's another matter.

 

NP. I like the way you break it down. I am over geared with 4.10 and my 29s on my auto. I may go 31s. Will you have to do some cutting to get the 32s to not rub?

 

I don't anticipate needing to do any serious trimming - they appear to fit well enough away from the front end linkages and miscellaneous other bits for clearance in lock to lock. I can sort of visually extrapolate how the space is filled within the wheel-wells, by eyeballing the present rim and tire combo. If i can get them on the front end using say a 5mm hub spacer, without clearance or rubbing issues, i'll run with it. I don't see any clearance issue with the rear of the wheel-well/cab corner. Obviously - the black box has gotta go. Yup .. still got it, with 29.3".

I do have a 2nd-choice back-up plan, if there are issues. I've got a set of 1.5" hubcentric spacers that have been sitting on a shelf, and i'll order up a set of wheel-bearings sets to do all way around at the same time, as a precautionary measure. I could also just bite the bullet, and get another set of steel rims with better offset/backspacing figures, but i kind of like my cheesy looking wheels, that i have now.

One step at a time.

 

Going tall and skinny, it's about cheating the corners. There is a .8" difference in cross-section between OEM 215 15's, and the 235/85R16. Halved. that is an additional .4" of tire carcass and tread on the inside of the wheel-well. If i can pocket the tires in the fenders, going lock to lock, i'm good. I'm already halfway there (.2") in terms of tire carcass growth over OEM, with the current set of tires, and still plenty of clearance space present - the big question in my mind, is that corner to corner fender well pocket, with the current wheels with higher profile tires factoring in for full lock to lock on the tread/sidewall inside corner of the tire carcass.

The fender skirting was pretty much all cleared out already, flush with the ARB bumper, so it's wide open to see what's going on underneath there in terms of lock to lock suspension and steering movement. What skirting is present, is out of play for clearance issues.

I'd prefer not to be chopping anything.

Good visual reference on what i'm yammering on about.

 

Once you remove the black box, you shouldn't have a tire rubbing problem with 31.7" on a lifted truck.