Show off your DIY armor!

Ah, I see. Seems like a smart choice, I don't think you lose much strength compared to square tube but it definitely saves weight

 

That’s what I thought. Haha. Worked out well. Plenty strong.

 

Rear bumper and bolt on sliders.

 

@Arcticelf

 

Looks great. Are those powder coated?

 

So far this is what I’ve got. Thanks to @allenfab for the idea since he did this on 3 other Tacoma’s. 1st and 2nd gens. Later this week I’ll be adding tube and finishing the front end.

 

I bought a Mig Pak 140 and a bottle of blue shield. Replaced my breaker with a 20amp for the garage. I seem to get much better penetration with flux than Mig on a 1/4 plate. Mig is cleaner but the puddle gets so much hotter with the flux. I only get porous welds when it's not dialed in correctly. I might one day just run the 220 service to garage and bite the bullet but for the little projects the 140 is doing ok.
I'm extremely knowledgeable about welding as I've had a whole maybe 6 hours total time welding ... Ever.

 

No. Rustoleum bed liner for sliders and Rustoleum farm implement paint for the bumper.

 

Has anyone done the 63 swap and a rear bumper? I'm looking into the 63’s and noticed the mounts plates on most high clearance rear bumpers seem to want to compete for surface area with the shackle mount.

 

When I used my cheapo 120v mig welder that I got started on, I preferred flux core over solid wire. Its hotter, penetrates more and easier to weld with outdoors. I built many things with that machine and Hobart Fabshield flux core wire. Guess how many welds broke. 0. I've since moved to Tig welding but some projects are perfect for that process so I still use it, just not that often.

I dont think they guy you quoted realizes that pretty much every building ever put up was built with flux shielded welds. Whether it was with sticks, or wire fed its a flux burning process. To graduate the welding program at my community college, you are expected to pass a destructive weld test with Flux Core wire. That is an extremely hard test to pass, I passed Tig in 2 positions a year ago, but I doubt I could do it today without a couple weeks of remediation.

Also, what he said about outlets. Your fine with a 20 amp breaker. That's what I used for a long time. My 160 amp tig machine uses only a 30 amp breaker on 240 service as recommended by Hobart. Someday when I get a Hobart Handler 190, it too will operate just fine off a 30 amp breaker. If you need a 60 amp breaker, its either overkill or your welding some seriously thick stuff. But then I wonder why you wouldnt go 3 phase?

Your 140 amp mig pack will do fine. Just bevel your joints with a grinder for anything thicker than 1/8". Don't venture much over 1/4" though, it can be done with a good bevel and multiple passes but I would only do it in an extreme case. Hell, when I built my sliders, the step part is 1/8" tubing. Tig welded with like 90 amps.

 

I made these sliders as my first tube bending project. Then made a bed cage. I’d like to try a rear bumber for the 3 rd Gen, not sure I got the skills or the time to figure it out. Making this myself really makes me appreciate the skills the pros have and how fast they are.

 

Here is reference with a stock bumper

 

Anyone make there own 3rd Gen rear bumper with tire carrier?

I’d like to ditch the factory tailgate like the picture below.

Then something like a pelfreybuilt or cbi rear bumper.

 

Thanks but I have.that reference point already. My question is if anyone has actually installed a Chevy 63" spring and a aftermarket/diy bumper and their experience with how the rear shackle mount fit. I also have allpro expos with a flip.

 

.

It gets close. @Rattletrap66 had a allpro rear bumper. Was tight fitting but made it work

 

Square tube is the way to be for sliders.

 

Have some more things to do but here it is

 

That looks awesome. Are you running toytecs? That thing looks like its lifted to the moon

 

Thanks. Have the toytec ultimates that I need to lower since I sold the pelfreybilt and don’t have so much weight. I’m sitting at about 6.5 to 7”s in the front right now.

Spindles also. I’ll be doing a solid axle swap end of next year or sooner if side work keeps up

 

Finished up the front bumper on my runner today, at least for the time being. In the rain lol