Wisconsin Tacomas and bad financial advice

Notice I haven’t done the front doors yet. Saved those for last while I’ve been trying to decide about upgrading speakers.

Problem is, If I upgrade speakers I need to upgrade the head unit. That costs $$ that could be spent elsewhere in the truck. I need new tires soon. Steering rack should be replaced/upgraded soon. I’d like to beef up the rear suspension by adding Archive Garage hammer hangers, especially since I added the rear HC bumper, leaving my very flimsy stock shackle hangers very exposed.

That’s the problem! There’s always money to be spend on the truck.

 

That install is a giant PITA...

 

Why have I not been there?!

 

I have the HH on hand, waiting on some shackles to come in. Hopefully not a big PITA as I keep hearing. Any what not to do or must do's from experience?

 

1st time a beer garden is in our neighborhood! Although it’s the end of September! Lol

on 6 mile headed east. make a left after you go under the railroad tracks. Follow it about a 1/2 mile. Camping is at that front entrance. Also access to the ball fields from Middle rd by the BP gas station. Go north on middle rd park on the left.


Cliffside Park Campgrounds
7320 Michna Rd, Racine, WI 53402
(262) 886-8440
https://goo.gl/maps/REvF8zxo3r8KEFu87

 

Looking forward to that one!

 

Cut the hanger first before removing any of the rivets from the frame.

Grind the heads off and then using a punch and a BFH/sledge, hit the rivets through and they should come out. Once they're out it's easy. They're just temperamental.

Depending on the location, date and time, I could be down for a mod day. I am just south of the border.

 

They're louder than a 4runner. Going from my '03 4runner to a 2015 Tacoma, I constantly would think I had a window cracked, or a door wasn't shut properly. It's good to know that my 4runner is quieter than a BMW!

Not necessarily. I replaced the speakers in my Tacoma and now the 4runner and have definitely gained sound quality. A more powerful head unit and/or amp will help more, but the difference is noticeable and well worth it, IMO.

I looked at speakers with the highest efficiency rating available, then chose the brand I preferred from there. This gives you the most output per watt. Even a few decibels makes a difference.

I have JL C1-690's in the 4runner and, while it's not really louder than factory, the bass is more powerful and clear, and the sound is improved altogether. I also used an adhesive backed insulation on the back of the door panels to keep the rattling to a minimum.

Your truck is looking great!

 

What he said ^^ I am the same with my truck, guy that owned it before had after market sterio in truck and removed it leaving the speakers when he traded it in with stock head unit.

 

My brains mush I ordered some wiring harnesses and another few parts for the cb wiring hehe
Then tightened a lot of screws and bolts.. that's about it

 

I also have some ride-rite's I have to modify to fit them on my truck

Just waiting on the shackles...

 

You should just move north of the border it will change your whole attitude.

 

6-8 hours north... somewhere in there haha

 

More Wilderness = less people

 

Doesn't even have to be that far, once your here life changes just ask @Thatbassguy he finds all the cool places.

 

6-8 hours puts you in the U.P. 4 hours from the border gets you to the Lakewood/Loana district of the national forest. That's where the best trails I've found so far are(in Wisconsin). There's also good camping and fishing.

I find more every time I explore. As much as I want to travel out west, there's no shortage of cool places here!

 

Yeah, @Thatbassguy is definitely a good guide. He took me off the beaten path the other weekend. Never been off-roading really. I've mostly stuck to forest roads on my own since moving to Wisconsin and exploring for camping.

 

That's what I am about. Wilderness over people..

4 hours wouldn't be bad. Just away from here, honestly.

Ass man is the man, man...

 

For sho!

 

Sound Deadening update


After driving up nort’ this weekend with my roof, suicide doors, floor and back wall excessively sound deadened, I learned some things...

1) the truck is just less than 3dB quieter (which is literally the definition of noticeably quieter in real world situations). So yes it’s quieter, but not as much as I’d hoped. I suspect once I do the two doors it will help more.

2) The dominant source of noise in my truck is Wind noise. I have an access cab and camper shell roof rack. Both are Front Runner. Which are super useful, sturdy AF, but not particularly aerodynamic. Now that the road noise is tamed a little the wind noise coming in the back window is dominant. I suspect the turbulence from the roof racks are shoving air down.

3) Also my cowl induction mod is quite noisy as well. It puts the intake right up in the cowl against the windshield. Every time she accelerates, it’s a bit more throaty than the stock intake. Since I have 295s on stock gears, she hunts a bit more to keep me at highways speeds, especially on hills. When I’m accelerating, the dBs are the same as if I hadn’t sound deadened at all.

So there it is. I will still sound deaden the two front doors, but because I have roof racks and the cowl induction mod, I will never be as quiet as even a stock truck, or as quiet as I had hoped.