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

that taco is badass!!

 

Glad you understand it, because I sure don’t! At least not to the extent that you probably do. So, as a mechanical engineer, at what point would you be concerned about creating a stress point in a tacoma frame? I could sit and weld all sorts of metal to my frame to stiffen it, but there has to be some sort of repercussions at some point beyond weight, right?

 

With out doing finite analysis it would be tough to say definitively. However, the reason we are stiffening the frame, is because after shifting the weight to the furthest back location of the frame the flex that is there increase fatigue by inducing a bounce on the frame (cycling up and down) typically causing cracking above the wheel well(the weak point in the geometry). Because the boxed front frame I don’t see any real issue of a stress point being shifted toward the front.

think about a diving board. If you extend the base all the way out toward the end and then tried to jump off you would get no flex. Not if you used very thin material it would break eventually. luckily most reinforcements for our trucks are 3/16” steel which should be plenty strong.

 

That makes sense. I guess that the frame as it is from the factory actually creates more of a stress point going from boxed to c channel, especially when a large load, such as a rear bumper with spare, Jerry’s, hi lift, chainsaw, traction boards and whatever else is hanging out back there has it’s “moment,” or is standing on the end of the diving board. Boxing or reinforcing the frame on the outside likely brings the elastic potential of both sections closer together.

 

Metal fatigue is, in fact metal fatigue.

But aviation compared to a Toyota Tacoma is apples to tomatoes.

Aviation tolerances are much more narrow and finely engineered. Material thicknesses etc are much more influenced by weight savings. Superstructure is a different material. Mild steel (Tacoma) is much more forgiving than aluminum (aviation) especially considering the aluminum is as thin as possible in some places (for weight savings, when loads don't dictate a thicker material is neccesary) and trussed in others etc.

 

Thank you sir.

 

Did you make your own inner frame section to box the frame? Or do they sell them somewhere

 

Trail gear. They fit pretty good... You have to fill in the gaps, as they don't fit exact. I'm pretty sure it would be hard to make them fit exact on every truck though.

 

Just what I need to order, I already have the outside frame supports,

Did you use the shock DOM tubing that is included?

“two pieces of DOM tubing. One tube is used for reinforcement and the other tube is used as an upper shock mount. The upper shock mount tube comes with metal sleeves“

 

Yes, I used one of the DOM tubes for my upper shock mounts. The spare tire mount is eliminated when you box the inside of the frame.

 

I bought the lights from Trail Gear. You can get them with clamp on brackets or weld on.

 

Nice work, you should make a thread on this,
You have a photo of the shocks mounted?
I’m going to go down this path

 

@Speedytech7 has a write up on relocating the rear shocks which is close to boxing the frame in

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/how-to-1st-gen-tacoma-rear-shock-relocate.540417/

Edit: nvm it's just the shock relocate, thought he did a bit more

 

Thanks, it’s time to have the OEM shock mounts cut out of the frame because they are designed with pockets that trap water and eventually will rust the frame, may as well box the frame if the beds coming off

 

That is my mentality but I need to learn how to weld first. So a project for another time haha

 

It’s not that hard with some practice,

But I might just have a shop do mine because it’s the frame and need some rust cut out and done before winter,
I’m a stickler for a clean correct welding bead.

 

Your frame should have zero rust issues in GA.

 

I meant boxing the frame since the bed is off not the rust part. It has some surface rust as the truck was in Louisiana for a time, nothing terrible

 

@Uphillshunter. Not sure if i asked you this already, what lights did you use for your grill

 

Here's where I talk about it in my build thread.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...ing-for-approval.523955/page-23#post-23786930