geekhouse23's "LIFE'S WAITING TO BEGIN" Overland & Home build and all the Adventures in between!

Here comes a brief, but tedious rant. Skip ahead if you don't care..

Curse Adam's polishes!! I had to place another order for their Glass sealant. Let me explain.

So, they have two kits on their website:

Kit A $29.99 -
https://adamspolishes.com/adam-s-perfect-vision-glass-cleaner-sealant-combo.html

Kit B (The kit I bought) $49.99 -
https://adamspolishes.com/adam-s-perfect-vision-glass-cleaner-sealant-combo-1692.html

I was looking at the directions/how-to video and I noticed that the guy was using a sealant. Well, my kit does not include a sealant. My kit comes with the Boost (seemingly to maintain and boost the sealant). So I reached out to them and submitted my complaint that Kit B is confusing because it says it will seal the windshield also like Kit A, but it doesn't come with the sealant to seal the windshield. Luckily I had money in the PayPal account, but it still pisses me off. Kit B for $49.99 should come with the sealant too since it has the boost but nothing to start the sealing process. Kit A comes with the sealant and not the Boost (maintain); Kit B should be the all inclusive kit.

Anyways, I don't expect them to do shit about it, but it means I have to wait another 10+ days to receive the second order and then go through the "install". Nice to know the $50 I spent is useless until my second, $20 order arrives.

[/RANT]

Now, at the expense of @EatSleepTacos, I perused JBerry's thread (as I usually do once a week) looking for frame boxing information (not really found picture wise) and came up short. Instead, just drooled (again) but that turned into tears when I realized that I need to upgrade the rear suspension AGAIN. On the list is, BAMF hammer hangars and @Blackout14 leaf springs and Kings if my brother ever gets his badass 14" shocks installed (the hangers and new leaf packs should be mid-late 2019). The front is taking so much time/money and priority that I NEED to focus on that first before I touch the rear again.

I also freed up some of the DOM tubing cost going with something a little more cost friendly:

http://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/catalog/15X120DOM.html

I think I will be going the 'X' route for the frame bracing; I just need more/better measurements to get an idea of how much tubing I will need. Ideally, I would like to go with something like this pending funds, but, for now I can use this as a guide for the measurements:



Also, still no update from the local fab guy about the frame plates so it looks like I am on my own; for now. I need to get to my brother's house to trace a stencil of his plates and find a shop that will cut it locally.

PayPal still sucks ass btw.. still waiting..

My Bubba Rope Grabber came in. The box is a bit big for something that would fit in a bubble mailer:



In lieu of being fucked by Adam's, I might try getting my winch up and running again. Hopefully, it's a painless swap. I HATE wiring.

 

The BAMF HD shackle hangers and the Archive Garage hammer hangers are two different products but I assume you mean hammer hangers. I would recommend pairing them with deavers of some sort. That's what Eric from AG has designed them around and that'll get you hella droop when going HH and 14" shock. Plus one of his longer shackles (can't remember which he recommends). Of course this is a ways out but wanted to give my unsolicited input.

 

What wiring? Haha. Oh, the stuff I do? lmao

 

Don't you just love when you get that big ass box for a small item?

 

Oh, I didn't know where was a difference. I meant the BAMF hangars though. I'm gonna go back to inverting the shackle and jberry confirms they work with the ATO shackles I already have. I might keep the Dakars even at first if they're not totally flat by then.

I appreciate your input brother! Luckily I can maintain some self control when someone throws their hat into he ring haha unlike today when I gave @boogie3478 input and he spent money thanks to me! Haha

And I appreciate it dude. You're better at it than me.

Wait...

 

They're very similar products so I can see how it'd be easy to confuse them. The hammer hangers move the shackle a hair back and lower which allows a bit more droop, plus it improves ride quality. Jerrys hanger is just a very beefy replacement. Both great products and I was on the fence between the two for awhile, but I ultimately decided on the HH.

So did you buy the snorkel? I can't keep track of all my friends who bought it and are rubbing it in my face

 

They are easy to confuse, brother.

Hm, I wonder if I would bottom out with the 12" shock if I got the HH over the BAMF thus gaining really nothing.

Nope! I've had the Hilux model for 3 years!!

 

Much want..little monies. 100% will buy. Eventually.

 

Shouldn't be long based on the feedback from others who oppose shackle flips. I guess I can see how long the leaf packs truly last on a shackle flip before they wear down completely.

For science!!!

 

You definitely want an X in the fabbed crossmember. Do a straight bar back near the bumper and one just behind the axle and an X in between as in the picture in your other post. Just 2 straight bars are going to flex like a MFer.

If you're looking for a source for frame box plates, DMZ has a setup that retains the factory rear crossmember, so you don't need to fab up anything. http://dmzfab.com/product/2005-tacoma-frame-boxing-kit/ You might also want to check if @dirt designs or @DTFtacoma offer anything and maybe pick their brains about what DOM size you should use for the crossmember.

Strongest shape in an arc.

Boxing is done. About the only thing done right by the shop that I had do the work.

 

Thanks!! DMZ is nice, but expensive. I figured that removing the stock crossmember and adding the tubing would be better and stronger in the long run.

The DMZ kit should come with an option to pass on the gussets. Unfortunately I asked them if they would sell me the kit without them, but they won't. Hence why I'm going around trying to piece together a kit.

I reached out to dirt designs via email and DTF doesn't have anything on their site that I see. Unless the website is out of date.

 

I'd go broke paying for welding work alone!! Haha parts that need gluing together are the Bane of my existence.

Need to get that welder budget going..

 

Sub'd for the DIY CO2 set up! Been looking more and more into CO2 as a back up/tire fill.

 

Hopefully I can keep @Snowy around and busy, but not too busy. He's a solid dude, great person all around and I'm lucky to have him!

Hell, anything I can learn from him welding wise would be an added bonus.

I feel like you used to be here waaaay back but I could be wrong haha

It's a good setup with not much into it cost wise. Doesn't get used much since no one wheels around here anymore and the OBA is always ready to go and available. CO2 is nice on weekend long trips. Trips like TWAT and the UP would probably be better where the possibility of air tools for repairs/maintenance etc would be nice. Relying on having to have it filled is the one con, but if you're in an area where it's common the pros drastically outweigh the one real con.

 

And on the fourth day, PayPal decided to give me my f*cking money!!

2-3 business days, my ass!! They seem to take away the money in my PayPal balance right away, but adding money to the balance is a charlie foxtrot! Funny how that works...

Okay, so now that I finally possess my money again, time to blow it!!

First up



Nothing cool, I promise. Just an overly expensive piece of steel and rubber that is a PITA to install:

Clamshell bushing and axle seal - https://eastcoastgearsupply.com/i-8536125-toyota-8-clamshell-bushing-eliminates-needle-bearing.html

$89.99 shipped to my desk..

When we do the LCA's and skid refurb, cam tab gussets, ADS shock install, swaybar delete extravaganza, hopefully this can be thrown in too since everything will basically be torn down; kinda.

Next up?!

MOAR overly priced rubber and steel:

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=6397662&jsn=1

The eBay seller selling this kit for a minimum of $20+ cheaper than anywhere else FAWKED me because they don't accept PayPal!! So, I purchased the same kit from Rock Auto for $85. FAWK-you-very-much eBay seller! Including shipping and sales tax, that's $15 on my credit card TOTAL the past week-ish; not bad considering all the shit I bought. I blame Adam's Polishes, though.

Okay, I think that is it for now until more people buy my shit!! Speaking of...BUY MY SHIT!!!

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/ski-snowboard-outerwear-like-new-hardly-worn.575584/

Supposedly, my AJT knobs arrived today, but haven't been cleared by the bomb squad yet. @Plastics Guy bumps are supposed to arrive tomorrow and I hope I can get them before the weekend so I can throw them on the truck and put the Wheeler's bumps up for sale.

 

Dude that diff seal is such a bitch. I went through 3 before I got it set to the proper depth. A 2” pvc coupler is the perfect size to drive it in.

 

Thanks for the insight. Makes me look forward to the SOOOOOOOOOO much moar...

#FridayMorningSarcasm

 

What I found works best for me is to tap the seal 95% of the way in, and when I put the CV in that seats it the rest of the way

 

Received my AJT knobs today at work. Got the screws installed during the day and came home to swap the metal sleeves from the OEM knobs over. Had a bit of trouble removing them, but I justed watched @boogie3478 video for help:





They are VASTLY superior to the Chinese knobs. Boogie was right, they click to engage better than the Chinese ones and even better than the OEM ones. LOVE this mod!!

No bumpstops came in today. Tomorrow I get to grab a stencil of my brothers frame plates and I might have found a vendor to send me a set. He's at the BAJA 1000 until Tuesday but will email me next week sometime.