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

Replaced my long-in-tooth 100Ah AGM "house" battery with this bad boy. 1/2 the weight (it's 32 lbs), twice the energy available, 4+ times the cost. 10 year warranty though (8 years no questions asked replacement, last two years pro-rated). Also upgraded to an MPPT solar controller to manage my 150 watt Overland Solar suitcase.

 

Making good progress on my CBI DIY bumper and winch. Winch plate and center section of support is done, with winch bolted in. Center section of bumper is welded. Up next are the outside "wings". May get this thing done before the cold weather comes back.

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Is that a superwinch? Looks great from my house!

 

No, that's an inexpensive X-Bull. I've never had a winch, and never really needed one through the years, so didn't want to invest too heavily. I had just enough from a lady smashing my rear bumper to buy the DIY bumper for the front, a NWTI DIY for the rear, and that winch. Nothing out of pocket, except welding supplies and paint, etc., and of course my time.

 

Pulled a stock gentex mirror from a 07 4runner, same 4runner I took the audio controls from.

 

What front suspension you have?

 

All of the U-joints (except Cardin joint) have been replaced. New Carrier Bearing set, torqued and staked.

Need to pick up the nuts, bolts, and washers (to attach Cardin to flange) from the dealer tomorrow. The order came in today. Then to have balance checked.

 

For this trip, Toytec BOSS coilovers. Installed here: The BOSS lift - prepping for armor

...for this trip

Also - my full build details are here, happy to answer any questions: The Toyota Tacoma [as of 2019]

 

Drove about 4 hours/200 miles along the eastern Sierras today up highway 395 looking like this the whole time





Surprisingly there was next to no-one on the road so it wasn't bad at all, was a really scenic drive all the way up to Lake Tahoe. Normally we fly up this highway at 70mph though so taking it at ~35mph in 4hi in the snow definitley added some time to the drive

 

... Did you come from Susanville to Truckee? I never found a way on the 395 to Tahoe?

 

Coming from LA. Take the 395 north from Bishop all the way up to Carson City, NV then cut over to South Lake Tahoe. Highway 207 goes up from the Carson City area into South Lake.

 

Wow dude thats amazing how much snow got dumped there, I was through there last year 2 or maybe it was the year before. Then 2 times and this summer. I have never seen it that thick, thanks for showing your journey!

Edit: the snow was just starting to fall on top my first year through.

 

Sound clip??

 

Love that stretch of the 395, did you stop at any of the hot springs?

Edit: seeing all unplowed snow would make that pretty rough, especially since you were likely on a timeline to get there haha.

 

That whole stretch of 395 is boring to me. Especially all the slowing down to under 45mph in the little towns. I can't imagine doing it that slow the whole way because of snow. It's definitely more beautiful than the hwy 99 route but 99 is faster with cheaper gas stations and more food stops. I take both sides of the Sierras for vacations to Socal multiple times a year. The drive seems to get more boring every year.

 

What did you stake? I've never heard of staking a ujoint. I think I'd rather go for red loctite if anything (and I never use anything)

Also, if you kept everything in the same phase relationship, there should be no need for balancing.

 

Carrier bearing

 

Yeah everything on either side of the highway was buried in 6ft of snow lol. I do know of the hot springs though, we visited those last May

 

You stake the carrier bearing nut to the flange.

 

oh stop it haha

he has ADS coil overs now too.