What Have You Done To Your 3rd Gen Today?

Haven't installed it yet, but finally ordered my lift kit after thinking about it for over a year now from @HeadStrong Off-Road. Thank to Marie for being a trooper with me and helping me understand my encyclopedia-full of questions. Thinking that a set of 285/75/16 Wildpeak ATW3s would be a good fit. Might actually be able to justify a build page now!

 

Not much this weekend, but I did finish debadging it. I also ordered kicker tweeters, front and rear door speakers, and sound deadening mat for my upcoming audio system upgrade. I took advantage of the Ebay coupon for the tweeters and Crutchfield was (and probably still is) doing half off your second set of speakers so I got 6 speakers and the noico sound deadening mat for $250.

 

You can use nail polish remover, I just used my wife's. Wife had some questions when she found it out in the garage, so just make sure you put it back
After you remove the logo just make sure you buff out that small area

 

I really like the functionality of those.

Could have used them yesterday evening for sure.....my truck had been baking in the superhot parking lot at work all day. Just before I get off a freaking monsoon gullywashing frog strangler blows through and drenches everything....the fresh dark asphalt was bitterly steaming as I was walking to my Taco....which I park out in BFE....safely away from door-dingers.

Those visors would have had my windows safely cracked and the truck vented. Even with the window up....I could have cracked them the first couple miles while the a/c kicked in....and no rain would've come in.

The only reason I don't add these is that at 6'4" I'm afraid my vision would be obscured too much and that would aggravate me. This sucks because these things seem to be a great solution.

That is a very functional upgrade.

I'd have loved to have had that light when I was on my way home from work last night. Some idiot in the oncoming lane is driving in the dark.....in a gray car.....and swerving. I'd have loved to have lit his arse up. Dipshit.

I really need to get my lights installed. Due to some upcoming road construction my commute to work is going to be rerouted. I have a path that will be really more relaxing and only add maybe 10 minutes to on a 30-35 minute commute.

First ten miles of my trip will be on a road through the woods that is barely paved and seldom travelled except by hunters and fishermen. That's how I learned about the route....hunting and such.

Anyway.....the ditch lights will be mighty welcome to see the critters before I roll up on them.

Maybe one of those ghetto Whoooo-whoooooo exhaust tip whistles will be in order, too. Just kidding....no crackhead whistles on my Taco.

 

The whistles go whooooooooooooooooo

It is definitely functional in my opinion-makes great use of a space that previously had no function other than the (arguable) aesthetic qualities. Apart from the off road (or on road) use, I think it’ll be great for things like setting up/breaking down campsites in the dark. Plus, I think it looks cool, and that’s gotta count for something

 

I’m 6’3” and shrinking in my old age...
I had a set of the shade visors front and back on my 2616 TRD OR, I don’t like them on the front because of the vision restriction thing. Harvey ate my 2016 so next time around when I got my 2017 I put the shades just on the back doors since I definetly wanted the venting combined with a windshield shade I use. It’s too hot in Houston not to vent.
The look is fine with me. After a while you don’t even notice it.

 

Not trying to discount anyone’s work, just wanted to share what I discovered. No disrespect was intended.

 

Nail polish remover will work.

 

@Canyonero has advised that he used isopropyl alcohol to remove his. That's what I'm going to try before I put mine on. All it is ink that's been silk screen on, so anything that can dissolve paint will remove it, but you have to be careful with it so as to not damage the window vent. If you plan on painting your vents to match your truck, then you don't have to worry about that.

 

Yeah I'm pretty sure that would work too. The nail polish remover worked like a charm, can't even tell it was there and didn't harm the visor at all. Just used a little buffer and was good.

 

The day I got her.
First "mod" is the bike rack (1up) from the WRX I traded in.
Subsequent additions:
OCD Organizers
Bed Mat
TRD Pro skid
Predator Steps
Mud Guard
Tonneau (Rugged Hard Liner)
Blackout kit for emblems (Nox Lux)
TRD Pro Faux grill
Pop and Lock
Vinyl stickers on the stock wheels to black them out

She's mostly done for now. However, I'm also thinking about Matt Gecko's LED bed and hood lights, TRD Pro wheels (or 4Runner TRD Pro wheels), etc... It just never ends

 

Isopropyl alcohol 70% gets my vote.
Used it to clean the surface of my bedsides before applying my graphics. No paint or clear coat damage.

 

So far it's been two days, and have put close to 100 miles, and it does appear to improve a throttle response a bit.. I am happy for the results..
Exhaust system was around $760 plus tax at my local dealership, you may get better deals if you look online for it..

 

Looks good..
Do you have more information on the Gorilla Lugs you got off Ebay? part number, etc?
thanks,

 

Did some glamping with my siblings.

 

Haha yea. I've cut a few things in my life but not a fender. I can tell you I'm way more accurate with a jigsaw than a cutting wheel.

I'll have this video up next week. We had fun.

 

Mark,
I used the word Safer because we are talking about the nuts that hold the wheels on. I wanted to emphasize that function.

The OEM wheels and others like them have a hole with a flat area around the stud. You can use a conical type of lug nut but when you tighten them the flat part of the wheel, the hole, that the stud comes through would dig into the chamfered part of the lug nut. Steel or not. So what would happen is, under times of stress the lugs could potentially come loose. You would be tightening them all the time. The flat, washer type of lug nut (OEM) is just like putting a washer and a nut on a bolt. The hub of the axle and the bore of the wheel is what makes sure the wheel is centered perfectly on the studs so that the space around each of them is the same. Then the lug nuts bolt the wheel to the axle.

Aftermarket wheels, especially like the SCS wheels require a chamfered lug nut because the entire area around the holes that the studs come through are conical. The flat washer type of OEM lug nut would work but not only would it damage the wheel surface, the nut would not be able to bite enough of the threads of the stud. This is very dangerous and not safe at all. Lets just say there are "safer" lug nuts. The tapered, extended thread lug nuts everyone uses, be they Gorilla, chimpanzee or whatever brand, are the preferred type of lug nut.

The term Spline Drive refers to the outside, exposed part of the nut that the tool engages. Spine typically refers to the lines that run longitudinal along the shaft of the nut. You will need a special key type drive socket that has the mating splines in it to install/remove the lug nuts. These grooves are typically symmetrical, and just about any key from one set will fit another. Locking Spine Drive nuts are the same thing except the groves in the nuts and on the tool are not symmetrical, and one can only hope your set is a little different than the next guys.

Never feel like there is a question not worth asking 10 of us might know all of this but the 11th guy might not and we could be helping them out.
Rob

 

Here is what I did except I painted the components black to blend better

 

Well i paid for the entire kit from @JT@Bajakits

So let me do some math.... ......... For just the Kings: $2,500.

Now for the entire kit plus install i ended up spending a tad bit over $6K

 

Thanks for the lengthy explanation, Rob!

I was confused because it sounded like you were saying the spline drive type nut was safer, and I couldn't think of any reason why that would be. Certainly, the shape of the nut where it contacts the wheel (what I was calling "the seat") would have to be the proper type for the wheel being used.

I didn't know there were different "asymmetrical" splined nuts to act as locking lug nuts. I was only familiar with the "keyed" type (where the "socket" (tool for removal/installation) is a weird shape).

It has been a good day already. I have learned something new.


Anyone care to clue me in as to how to remove those center caps easily and without damaging them?