Wedge Life

Yep, the Lighter has to go. Gonna be running sticks together lol
I appreciate your insight as you gone down this very road that I am on.

Coilovers - your experience thus far, my truck came with Fox, they road nicely at one time. I am debating over another set with a 700# spring for the winch and alum Demello up front.
Have never had a set of Kong’s so I can’t speak for those. I have built more Landcruisers than anthing. In which I used Ironman and the alike.

 

haha yeah. I slowly am trying to figure out what I don't use and won't really need and pair down (easiest to do this in my kitchen bins - maybe reduce some of the tools I bring - less likely to reduce spare parts / fluids / recovery gear). Having gone camping a few times in the last month really helped show me what I don't really need.

What springs are you currently running? I had 600# with a brute force fab steel hybrid style bumper + warn vr-10s winch. Eventually upgraded to 700 because the 600s just weren't cutting it any more. Truck seems so much happier with 700#. You might be ok with some 650# springs but then again, more time and money to find out you should've went with 700#.

 

It adds up quick. I thought I was around that and weighed in at closer to 17-1800 over on the back 7k total.

 

Yah aluminum and winch may be ok with 650 but overall 700’s prob will be it since overall will have extra weight

 

Yep, I agree. I have an Demello Alum Baja bumper, CBI full skids, Demello hybrid sliders, dual battery, dual Batam and most definitely 50#s of wiring

 

Swing by a cat scale and get a weigh of the truck. I was shocked at how heavy the truck was but I guess it makes sense

 

I am currently running the stock Fox shocks that come on the TRD Pro and I have an Icon Progressive Add A Leaf, I also left the overload spring in there.

and yes it rides like a turd now, so
Show it has stayed off the bump stops.
At this point I really want to go all out in it, Hammer Hangers and all!

it’s not my daily so I actually get the opportunity to build this without rushing through it.

 

You are under dampened. I would suggest looking into a more aggressive shock that’s valved for the weight you are carrying.

 

Oh I am under damped like a mofo at this point. The whole suspension is about to be redone.
I decided to put all the weight in first, figure out if I was gonna go full tilt with a camper on it.
I won’t be driving it until it gets upgraded.

 

yeah. That’s what made me pull the trigger on the drifter. I thought i was around 5500, on the way home from a Death Valley trip, gas station we went to had a cat scale so we weighed our trucks. I was shocked to see i was already at 5950# while low on water food and beer.

Nice. I went with the BAMF hanger and shackle replacement (highly recommended) and boxed the frame at the same time. I was already overweight so may as well beef up the truck while i was adding more weight back there.

 

I second the BAMF rear hangers w/ HD shackle. I am running those w/ custom Deaver springs, DMZ Fab rear frame box kit, Kings 2.5 rear IBP remote resis and no bed... I also have the LRA fuel tank and my build will be slightly heavier than it was before

 

yah i just have a leer shell now with a DYI platform/slide and I am sitting at 7k lbs. Its all of Jerry's skids ha

 

How much was your truck weighing in at? I am looking into a Deaver pack as well. I am having a hard time accepting the truck weighs this much. I have the Hangars and Shackles but was waiting for a new leaf pack before I put them on. Also the DMZ box kit would be nice to add. considered that too. I need to get a shock brace for my relocate setup too. It never ends..

 

I weighed in at 7180 at the CAT scales in Martinez on the last trip to the Mojave. Full fuel tank, full water tank(11gal) and all BAMF Beef.

 

Also, a PSA to all those new And prospective Drifter/Nomad owners, don’t neglect your brake system. Those of us running a little on the porky side have BBK’s(or most that I know of). It’s important to be able to slow down these big berthas once they get going.

 

Ahh good to know I am not alone then. I hit 7k flat when I checked mine with mostly all full stuff with extras, etc. Curious how much you got your custom deavers set for? I was told 17-1800 over, seems crazy but makes sense.

I will 2nd the brake setup. I am running Wilwood Aero6-DS 6 piston with a 4runner 338mm rotor conversion for easy replacement. Truck stops way better. Still leaves some to be desired but way better then trying to stop a 7k lb truck on brakes made for a truck weighing under 5000 lbs. I have been going back and forth on doing the rear disc swap too and possibly doing the BBK swap (I have the kit already).

 

+1

As I added weight to the truck, I made it a point to eventually upgrade my brakes. Got a good price for a stoptech bbk for the front two black fridays ago and it feels great. I mean, its still a ~3.5 ton truck so its not going to stop on a dime at highway speeds but I have much more confidence in the brakes actually stopping this brick.

With that being said, definitely suggest weighing your truck before adding any sort of wedge camper to the mix just so you know exactly how much weight you're moving around. you may be surprised at the weight.

 

ha those highway stops still scare the life out of me at times. low speed stuff the truck feels great.

 

Agreed. It adds up real damn quick. All my calculations have pointed me to Stage 3 from the beginning even w/out a HC rear bumper.

 

Since we’re all talking weight thought I would throw this in here. I scaled before and after my Alu-Cab install so I would know what it weighed. I have no extra armor underneath just the aluminum TRD skid and no rear bumper. I am sitting at 6000 pounds even with me in the truck and full tank of gas. Normal recovery gear I carry under back seat but not loaded for camping and no extra passengers. Have added a few things that are now full time in the truck so weight has changed some since I last scaled. Fully loaded to go with passengers and gear I would guess 6500+ but one of these days I will scale loaded so I know.