PC3coyote's 2017 Tacoma Build

Wow. My favorite build. . Subbed for future reference

 

Thanks! That means a lot given some of the amazing trucks on TW. Mine is relatively simple and modest but I’m really happy with it! Let me know if you have any questions

 

Subbed as well! Super tasteful BBP, man.. and I love your write ups! What’s the scoop on the rock lights? I’ve been looking into that as my next mod but haven’t found any I really like yet

 

Thanks! I appreciate it! I didn't make a nice write-up for the rock lights so I did an impromptu one below for you. If there's interest, I can try to clean it up, take some photos after the fact, and move it to another thread. Note: this is how I did it and I'm not the best electrically. It seemed like the most logical way but there could definitely be better approaches.

I'll get pictures of the lights turned on and the new switches this weekend maybe.

Parts

• 4 Pods LED Rock Lights, Ampper Waterproof LED Neon Underglow Light for Car Truck ATV UTV SUV Offroad Boat Underbody Glow Trail Rig Lamp (White)
  8 Ampper white rock lights (you could get nicer Rigid, Baja, KC, etc lights but these are simply for under the truck for offroading, camping, loading the truck, etc so these are fine with me. Super cheap and super bright!)
• 4 Lead LED Rock Lights Wiring Harness, Ampper LED Wiring Harness for LED Pods and Work Lights with Fuse 12V 40A Relay Waterproof On Off Rocker Switch
  4-lead Ampper wiring harness
• Custom 4x4 blue LED push switch
• @forty2 3-switch black narrow switch plate (if this is your only light, you can skip this and use the blank location depending on your model of truck)

Consumable supplies

• Good quality electrical tape
• $10 TYUMEN 40FT 18 Gauge 2pin 2 Color Red Black Cable Hookup Electrical LED Strips Extension Wire 12V/24V DC Cable, 18AWG Flexible Wire Extension Cord for Ribbon Lamp Tape Lighting
  18AWG 2-pin wire
• Black spray paint (whichever)

Tools

• 10mm, 12mm socket
• 5mm allen key (I think)
• Flat head and phillips screw drivers
• Trim removal tool
• Wire crimper
• Wire stripper/cutter
• Lighter
• Drill with various size bits

Instructions

1. Engine bay wiring
   1. Drill three holes into relay holder tabs to mount relays with zipties. If you buy relays from an auto parts store, they'll have a slot where the relay holder tabs will slide in. Since I used premade harnesses, they didn't have this
   2. Spray paint over the new holes to avoid rust
   3. Mount relay holder in engine bay
   4. Install relay on relay holder with zipties through hole in the relay and new holes in the relay holder
   5. Run two power wires and two ground wires (for relay and switch) to battery and ground in side of engine bay using 12mm and 10mm socket respectively. Trim to right lengths utilizing 18AWG wire and butt connectors (heat shrunk with lighter, wrapped in electrical tape) as needed. Use wire loom (electrical tape on ends) over wires
   6. Cut off switch. Use a sharp object (coat hanger, shish kabob stick, etc) to poke a hole in the rubber boot, with the switch wire electrical taped to it, to run the switch wire into the cab. Use wire loom to cover wire
2. Switch placement and wiring
   1. Use trim removal tool, 10mm socket, and phillips screwdriver to remove three trim pieces on driver side
   2. Use phillips screwdriver to remove cubby and mount switch plate
   3. Push in switches
   4. Use butt connectors (and electrical tape) to connect switch wires to switch
   5. Use quick splice connector (and electrical tape) to connect switch wire to another switch wire for illumination
   6. Reassemble
3. Lights placement
   1. Middle four lights were placed under each door, rear two lights were under the bumper, all were ziptied to the frame
   2. Front two lights were under the front bumper. I made a paper template of the light by tracing it and used that to drill three holes (two mounting bolts and wire) into the flimsy plastic in the front of the truck under the bumper in front of the wheel well. I then mounted the lights using the two supplied bolts. I accessed the inside of the wheel well to secure the 10mm nut from the wheel well using the 10mm socket to hold the nut and the 5mm alley key to tighted the bolt. You access the wheel well by removing one 10mm bolt with the 10mm socket and one push screw with a flathead screwdriver from inside the wheel well and them pull the plastic aside.
4. Lights wiring
   1. There are two wires from the relay for each side, each with two leads
   2. Run one wire across back of engine bay facing cab ziptieing to existing harness as you go
   3. Cut off wiring harness leads. Connect additional wire to one of the harness wire leads with butt connectors (and electrical tape, wrapped in wire loom) and run straight down to under truck
   4. Run wire to first light (in wire loom) at the passenger front door ziptieing to existing harness as you go
   5. Three way splice with two butt connectors (one for red positive wire and one for black negative wire). One side has the incoming wire. Other side has rock light wire twisted together with additional wire. I'd strip the wire for both the rock light and outgoing wire and then twist the strands together (do that for both red and black wires respectively). Wrap in electrical tape and then put in wire loom
   6. Repeat above for passenger rear door, passenger rear bumper, driver rear bumper, driver rear door, driver front door (daisy chaining as you go with three way splice at each light, covering wire in wire loom as you go, ziptieing to existing harness as you go)
   7. For the passenger front bumper, connect additional wire (with butt connectors) to the other lead from where you ran across the engine and where you ran the one lead down to under the truck, wrap in wire loom, and fish the wire down to the small opening in the bumper from behind the headlights. Connect the light to the wire and then push all of the extra wire back into the bumper
   8. For the driver front bumper, you can now use the other primary wire coming from the relay. We'll only need the long lead so you can either cut off the extra one in the middle or just cover it electrical tape. Repeat process above for fishing the wire and connecting the light

You're done! I'd plan for half a day or at least that's how long it took me since I'm super slow and was figuring it out as I went. I was lazy and didn't solder anything but feel good about the heat shrink crimped connectors, electrical tape, and wire loom all secured with zipties. It seems pretty secure and protected from the elements.

I still need to finish installing my Rigid rear reverse/camp lights. Pretty much the same process as above with the addition of drilling holes in the bumper to mount the lights. I didn't get a chance to finish that this weekend since the rock lights took much longer than I thought.

Good luck! Above seems like a lot of work but is relatively simple once you get started just time consuming. That was all super shorthand and literally off the top of my head of what I did trying to remember so let me know if it doesn't make sense or if you have any questions.

 

Whoa, nice man!! I think I can tell where you mounted them and ran wire from that, but if you are able to grab some output shots that’d be awesome! I’m thinking about grabbing 4-6 for rock lights then use the remaining 2 or 4 (depending on how many I order) for courtesy/puddle lights and run them off my dome circuit? So they turn on when doors unlock or you approach with keyfob

 

I’ll try to get some photos of the install and output in the next few days.

I was going to tap into the dome lights for the rock lights and also tap into the reverse lights for the rear lights (to trigger each relay in addition to the respective switches) but I wasn’t sure where exactly to tap into and how to wire it. I also get nervous about touching the factory wiring but that’s mainly due to my inexperience with electrical stuff. For now, rock and rear lights will only run off switches.

 

Always appreciate the detailed write-ups! I can't tell you how many times I've gone back to reference things that you kindly take the time to get great pictures and document. Thanks for being an outstanding TW community member

 

Thanks for the kind words! Just happy to help like the forum has helped me so many times!

I’ll turn the rock lights and rear lights write-ups into more legit posts with pictures in the next week or so when I get some time.

 

Friends! I took a bunch of photo!

I updated my OP with some output shots.

I also wrote a write-up with the instructions I wrote before but with a bunch of new photos to aid other users' install. See here for the write-up (also linked in OP and copied below).

Let me know what you guys think!

I may try to wire and install the rear Rigid lights tomorrow/Friday but I likely won't get the chance to do it until after Christmas.. we'll see!

 

You’ve outdone yourself man! I could do it with my eyes closed now!! Hahaha. Those output shots are killer! They pack a nice punch for that price.. I was looking into the CaliRaised kit at first but I definitely think I’m just gonna buy these and get after it! Thanks a ton man, great stuff!

 

Thanks! They are a lot brighter than I thought they would be for less than $7 each. Rear and front were easy to mount. I couldn't find a good place for the ones under the doors so I put them on the frame which isn't ideal. If I bash one (and likely will), it's super cheap and easy to replace.

Happy to help! Good luck! Let me know if you have any questions.

 

I cannot believe that I have not been following your build. I thought I subd' a long time ago. Definitely following now tho! Sweet truck

 

Thanks, Andy! I appreciate it!

Upcoming mods...

• This week (hopefully, if I can squeeze it in before holiday travel plans):
  • @mesojdm custom LED smoked map lights
  • @mesojdm custom V3 LED smoked mirror turn signals
• In two weeks (or whenever I have time to install them):
  • Rigid Ignite diffused rear lights
• In three to five weeks (or whenever it arrives):
  • @SouthernStyleOffRoad slimline hybrid bumper, powdercoated black, with hoop, 20" Heise flush-mounted light bar, Smittybilt X-20 synthetic 10k winch, black Smittybilt d-ring 9.5k 3/4" (qty 2) with black Daystar d-ring isolators, and a blue Factor 55 flatline

I've also been considering adding @CBI Offroad Fab or @ragofabrication ditch light brackets with Rigid Ignite lights either in the flood or spot pattern...

It never stops!

 

Updated OP to include link to Fuelly profile for gas mileage!

 

That’s the truth!! There’s always something more I “need”

 

Updated OP!

• @AJT DESIGN key fob with @rrentrop BBP decals
• @mesojdm custom LED smoked map lights (see here for my review with more photos)
• @mesojdm custom V3 ultimate LED smoked mirror turn signals (see here for my review with more photos) AKA NO MORE CHROME!!

I still haven't had a chance to install the Rigid Ignite rear lights. @SouthernStyleOffRoad bumper is three ways into production! Hopefully it'll be here by the end of January. I can't wait.

 

Camping last weekend!

 

365 days later! More mods coming...

Merry Christmas, everyone!

December 22, 2016



December 22, 2017

 

“Some of those boxes are for me, right?!”

 

Well, dang! Thanks, bud! I really appreciate it!



Merry Christmas, everyone!