What have you done to your Tacoma today? 1st Gen Edition

The whole reason I bought and restored that Miller 180 MIG was to weld the bumper together myself. And I'll get to it one day, I just want to take some welding classes first.

 

Tyler, just have someone do it for you or sell it. Its gonna sit there for years and be that thing you never got to. I realize my reasonable reasoning is futile though. All that work restoring the old Miller done for nothing.

 

Just you watch me.

 

So here is the short story.

I purchased this truck with the intent on leaving it stock! But in the end, I wasted so much money not looking ahead to the possibilities.

First I rebuilt the entire front end, of course I used all stock components. Then I added new tires, 31X10.50X15 BFG's on stock wheels.

A year down the road I decided I wanted more lift, so I installed a set of Bilstein front shocks with OME coils and some ICON progressive add-a-leaf's in the rear with Bilstein shocks.

Then less than a year later I wanted even more, so out came the front shocks and coils, in went the Kings and JBA UCA. Then out with the factory leaf's and in with a set of OME Dakars and Toytec shackles.

But wait, there's more. I ended up pulling the Toytec shackles and adding the ICON progressive add-a-leaf's under the Dakars to give me the lift I wanted and the nice ride.

So now I needed new rims and tires to pull it all together, so I went with SCS F5's and BFG 285/75R16's which my truck pushed down the road ok. But I decided to re-gear to 4:88 to get my power curve closer to stock.

So far I am very happy with how it turned out, but I wasted a lot of money and time along the way. The only thing I may look to in the future is another S/C, I miss that power.

 

at least skip the damn class. Not that hard to MIG weld. Find some scrap. Turn it on. Watch some youtube. Start practicing.

Won't take long to get good at it.

 

Jody @ Welding Tips & Tricks is a good YT channel.

 

cool.

Really its mostly about steady hands, good metal prep, and learning what good penetration looks/sounds like. Pretty much it.

 

Wrong person but I dont think Tyler is going to learn to weld anytime soon.

 

yeah I knew it wasn't you. Meant him just didn't want to scroll back up to quote him ha

Probably not though..just like it'll be next year when he hits dirt again to test the 4wd again

 

285/75r16 is not almost the same as 265/75r16. That's like saying 265/75r16 is almost the same as 265/70r16. Remember the second set of numbers is an aspect ratio of the tire width.

Just go 285s already!

 

Yup, and don't get big headed watching videos. Lol. My lil brother took a welding course & now he acts like he's a professional welder. Always criticizing yet he doesn't even own a welder. Lol.

 

He said he isn’t a good visual learner so YouTube wouldnt work.

 

haha yeah. Idk. Everyone is like that half the time for everything.

But if he doesn't own one or weld regularly..that's annoying.

I miss welding

all the more reason to just try. Then read/watch, then try again.

 

TLDR.

 

No shit! Gets scrap metal with similar thicknesses an burn some damn wire!

 

The welding course I took was more trail and error anyway, do a weld, if it pass go to the next, if it doesn’t retry.

 

I suppose it's like that with most skilled trades. Very common amongst welders, machinists, mechanics, construction workers, etc. I'm a moderator on a machinists forum. So annoying to see guys saying "well I have 40 yrs experience so I'm right blah blah" lol.

My lil brother is just the know it all type. Thinks he knows everything just by researching. I love the guy, he's my brother but damn is it annoying. Lol

I have a cheap brand new Lincoln flux core welder that my buddy gave me but I'm no welder. All my brother does is talk crap about it. Yeah I get it no gas sucks but again he's a "professional" welder with no welder & only college course experience. Haha

 

Self taught with no YouTube when I was learning. Just weld,make adjustments to the welder and your technique and it will happen.

Same thing happened to me. I fell into welder deal. Either sell it or learn to use it. I decided to learn to use it. The skill is still making me all sorts of play money.

Ten minutes ago I got hit up to make a grill. It will take me 2 hours and I'll put $300 in my pocket.

 

You guys are ruthless on Tyler. ..damn...lol

 

But he brings it on himself.

Doesn’t he?