NW WA Meet / BS Thread

Hello!

It really all depends on how much you want to spend and what your goals are. Suspension can run you $4k+, but if you aren't doing desert racing or hardcore rock crawling it can be overkill.
Shocks:
King, ADS, Fox, etc are all great and all cost a lot but are considered the best. Bilstein makes some good mid range kits that will run you about $1-1.5k (6112, 5160). Bilstein also makes a good entry level kit (5100s).
Leaf springs:
Deavers are considered the best outside of custom ordered and are around $1k. Icon makes a nice adjustable unit for around $700. Or you can do an AAL for about $200 (headstrong)

Talk with Marie @HeadStrong Off-Road (best prices and best advice)

Sliders and skid plates are a good starting point for armor. Get some recovery gear (shackle hitch receiver, snatch strap, etc), carry a tool kit in your truck, and get some traction boards (i prefer maxtrax).


You mention you are in the Issaquah/Sammamish area so go check out Mule and chat with them (be prepared for your wallet to get lighter)

 

Good call, I did go over and chat with the people at Mule and they had some good recommendations although they have a 2 month waiting list to get into the shop, which kind of made me sad. I'm not going to be doing anything hard-core, however the guy at Mule did say that bumpers, a winch, and misc overlanding gear would add enough weight that I would want to upgrade so there would be no sagging, he was talking about $2k-ish.

I want to be able to not shy away if there are a few rocks/ruts on the trail but I do not want to get youtube famous. I want enough to feel confident that a little bit of flexing is not going to mean there's a good chance I'm getting towed home. I did a bunch of camping the last couple of years in my Subaru WRX and I got rid of it for the Tacoma in order to expand my reachable area.

 

Yah that’s what I saw on mountain loop too. Hoping for a fresh hammering of some snow. I want to get out in the snow but don’t necessarily want to waste the time with shit conditions.

 

You don't need bumpers until you do. If you're not doing anything hardcore you won't.

 

Hit up Monroe at Michaels Toyota of Bellevue.

 

The truck off the factory showroom floor is super capable. You would be surprised what you and it can do in it's pristine state. Get an air compressor, even a ciggarette lighter style will do for the time being and air down. Once you take pressure out of your tires the improvement in capabilities and drivability off-road will improve even more. Keep a shovel, some traction boards and maybe some kitty litter for the snow and that should get you going for the time being.

 

Thanks, good info! A compressor makes a lot of sense, I specifically didn't air down because I didn't have one. Do you think a winch is a necessity, especially since I'm probably going to be out there by myself?

 

I had planned on waiting but I was thinking it might be smart to get a winch, given I may be solo for a bit. Could I do that without replacing bumpers?

 

welcome man! if you want lighting tips look on this forum. i was showed rigid and diode dynamic brands. both fantastic. be prepared for a rabbit hole. these trucks are addictive to buy cool mods for.

 

unless you are very experienced and fully equiped i would be cautious going solo. all it takes is one big oofff and walking out is the way.

 

The ultimate walk of shame. Don't ask me how I know...

 

welcome to tw. lots of great people and info here.

 

you can get a cradle for a winch if you have a trailer hitch. its nice to have a winch when you're solo. its saved my ass on gated areas where no one would be able to get to where I was

 

Anyone running OME heavy duty springs think they’re squeakier than the OEM lol? I know the Tacoma spring packs are notoriously noisy but just curious. Considering adding some padding if I can find it for stupid cheap.

 

Mine make noise, I clean them and usually after my first outing off road they’re squeaking again. I stopped caring.

 

I turn the big knob on the left side of my head unit clockwise until I can’t hear anything.

 

If my HD Dakars were to stop squeaking I would probably be on the side of the road 'cause those damn things either snapped or fell out. The pitch and volume might change with the weather but the squeak is always there.

 

I spray mine down with fluid film every 2 months, but it always comes back

 

I like to pretend people in parking lots are staring at my truck because it looks super rad, and not because my dakars sound like a burlap sack full of ferrets having an orgy

 

Welcome to TW!

I would recommend checking out the Build thread of @PcBuilder14 (dude name Brent), he's got a cool, capable truck that he built up a bit at a time.
Some basic recovery gear, sliders/skid plates and he went all over the place. Its helpful to check what the truck can do on its own (plus maybe some better rubber than stock) and slowly build it up. https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/pcbuilders-2018-tacoma-build.570415/