From a Jeep to a Coma

Hello all -

I picked myself up a 2020 TRD Off-Road purchased from the dealer last year after a few years driving a 91 Jeep Cherokee Laredo 4.0L that I modded for overland and off-road travel - and prior to that a 87 Wrangler Laredo 4.2L. After some months of lurking and reading and fighting with the Android Auto, I am beginning the process of modding the truck - particular after a weekend spent in the Shenandoah. It has been a very interesting transition from such old vehicle to what is basically a spaceship by comparison.

We always miss something of our old love, and I have some issues with my Coma -- Tacos are cheap, Comas are expensive -- but nothing that I can't get over with time. I have only driven the truck just over 3k miles in 6 months and can say that I am absolutely blown away by the performance and, yes, even the gas mileage! (see above for my frame of reference) I was shocked at how well this truck maneuvers at higher speed (55mph+/88kph+), though I'm still frustrated -- I mean, getting adjusted to the electronic controls, I am growing to love this truck.

I have taken it off road a few times now in the Appalachians - nothing crazy - but I plan to eventually take it across country off road on the Trans-America Trail, and back on road following a southerly route through the desert in the southwest, along the Gulf coast, and then home to Virginia. I'm hoping to undertake this in the next 4 to 5 years (circa 2025-26). My dream is to one day cross the Darién Gap from Panama to Colombia, retracing the route taken by the Expedition of the Americas in 1978 - but in reverse (looking for volunteers to participate!). Expeditions like that one and the Camel Trophy events of the pre-1997 era inspired me to "invest" (divest? financially divest?) in overlanding and off-roading.

I hope to learn from the collective and combined experience and expertise on TW, and hope I can contribute something novel to the community.



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Past Relationships
95 Buick Riviera 3.8L V6 "Nicopolis" - died
96 Dodge Neon 2.0L I4 "Puddle Jumper" - passed down, sister crashed
05 Suzuki Verona 2.5L I6 "Swordfish III" - passed down, sister crashed
07 Ford Mustang 4.0L V6 "Red Comet" - sold
09 Volkswagen Jetta 2.5L whatever - divorced
87 Jeep Wrangler Laredo 4.2L I6 "Eugene" - sold
91 Jeep Cherokee Laredo 4.0L I6 "Bonnie Blue" - drowned, resurrected, died, resurrected, had stroke, recovered, sold

Current Relationships
14 Canis familiaris sato bites "Sushi-inu"
20 Toyota Tacoma 3.6L V6 "Challenger" - first new car




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These are my planned mods, in more or less the order I plan to carry them out. When I did the mods on the Cherokee, I created a thread to document the process and its uses off road on NOVA Jeepers, so I thought I would do the same here. I am not an expert and not a mechanic - I rely on others for these things, and so I welcome any and all suggestions, recommendations, feedback, etc.

This is going to take time, but this is the rig I plan to take across the continental United States (TAT) and across the Darién Gap.

Cheers

-Saúl

 

Welcome to TW!

 

Welcome to TacoTime! I mean TacomaWorld!

 

Good luck.

 

Welcome to TW! Nice truck and great plans.

... don’t let your sister drive it.

 

Welcome to TacomaWorld

 

Welcome to the TW forum Saúl

I very much enjoyed your intro and thanks for taking the time and sharing your
adventures and future plans

Great looking TRD Off-Road & Color choice

 

Be sure to check your regional forum on here.

 

Welcome! My Favorite Color!

 

Welcome to TW!

 

I installed General Grabber A/TX 265/75R16 tires on the stock aluminum rims, but it was a real hassle with my local JiffyLube - it took three days to complete the installation of the four tires, and even now I still have to get the sensors replaced at the dealership. Word to the wise,

General Grabber AT/X All-Terrain Radial Tire - 265/75R16 123S

if you buy tires on Amazon, pay no attention to their suggested service partners - I am not sure that they actually know who they're adding.

JiffyLube may be great for oil changes and other routine work, but never again for a mounting and balancing tires - never. Go to your local mechanic. On balance (no pun intended), Amazon made sure JiffyLube refunded me for the "service" and will be covering the cost of new sensors on the tires, as well as the time and labor involved at the dealer - so good on Bezos, I guess.


I also installed a full-size spare that is going to be mounted on a hitch-mounted spare tire mount that my father and I engineered for my Cherokee. I went with a full-steel rim (from Amazon lol) and another A/TX 265/75R16 installed by a mechanic next to where I live - no problems, of course. I also painted the black rim with a

$23 Custom Spray Paint Toyota (SPRAY PAINT, 040 - SUPER WHITE)

rattle can in super white to match my truck. That will make it two spares: one true full size on the back and one OEM full-size under the bed. I am in the process of lengthening the tire carrier to accommodate the larger tire (the Cherokee had 31x10.5in A/TX's). Here are some before shots - I'm going to extend it upward away from the hinge with

$27 Towever 84433 Towever Trailer Hitch Extension, Hitch Extender for 2 Hitch receivers, 12"es Length, 3500 lbs. GTW

a 12'' hitch extender:


Next up are the RCI Engine, Transmission, and Transfer Case skids in steel, which I plan to install week-after-next. Then there's the ARB Summit front bumper that I plan to install the week after that - both of which are sitting in a buddy's garage waiting to be installed.

Still in the offing are the installation of the Leer 100RCC, which just arrived today at the cap dealership, and the installation of the OME 2.5'' Heavy-Duty Lift kit, which is set to arrive in about two weeks.

After that ...

I am looking at making some modifications to the exhaust so I can ford in deeper water, which would coincide with the addition of a air-intact snorkel on the front. For the exhaust, I am considering adding an extension to the end of the exhaust pipe that has a 90° bend and pipe about 53.5'' to carry the exhaust output up above the Leer bed cap. The parts are surprisingly easy to find, though I am still researching options to cover the pipe as a way of helping avoid potential burns from contact with unwary passers-by, like this one (on a Hummer):


I have drawn up this incredibly realistic and fancy diagram to assist in illustrating what I would like to do - on someone else's Tacoma, not mine:

I haven't found too many people who have done this on a Tacoma, but I do know it is regularly done with Series 70 Land Cruisers and Hiluxes.

More to come very soon.

 

I owned four Cherokees, starting with an '87 and ending with a 2000. Lots of great miles in them, highway and offroad. Very comparable, IMO, in comfort and utility to my Tacos. In fact I bought the Tacos because they seemed so similar to the Cherokee in many respects. If I could buy a brand new 2000 Cherokee today I'd own it along with my Taco.

So welcome to the club. We like our trucks...

 

A lot more mods in the past few week:

1. Leer 100RCC courtesy of CapWorld in Laurel. Their online sales manager Jaime was excellent and very patient with all my questions. I have found the cap a little underwhelming, though for no reason that has to do with the CapWorld but instead with the model. The only gripes worth posting are, first, that Leer has not bothered to develop an equivalent of their "windoor slider" for the 5-foot bed - I have never felt more inadequate in the very specific selection of my vehicle in my life as at that moment. The other one is a little more fundamental to the design, namely the "scoop effect" created at the front of the bed cap. I can remember in the past how old trucks had their bed caps come nearly flush with the cabin because they were both flat, and so I understand that there are certain limitations, but ... well, have a look:


This is admittedly not the best picture in the world, but you can see that the Leer cap (rear) has a section cut out for the bed spotlight - which is incidentally now useless, so I don't see the point. The size of the gap is relatively large and basically acts like a "wind scoop" - which was something I noticed day one. Maybe that's just the limitation of the design, but I'm dissatisfied by the outcome from Leer. I am in the process now of trying to fab up some kind of foam or rubber to stop the inflow of air coming from the front of the vehicle. I considered using some of that rubber seal used for slide-out RVs, namely

$5 RecPro RV Slide Out Replacement Seal | RV Slide Out Replacement Wiper Seal | 3" Wiper w/Adhesive | Sold by The Foot

this. I found the rubber too floppy - it would do next to nothing against the wind and just create an annoying flappity-flap-flap at speed. I don't know where to find rubber that thick, but I just need to go to Home Depot and look around.

Another more imagination (and lazy?) option is to use some thermal insulation foam used in covering pipes (like this) cut to fit the angle between the Leer cap and my truck's cabin. It would need to be at least 8 feet, more likely 10, to span the length of the gap and to provide sufficient quantity to cover the gap. Next, rather than use 3M tape to seal the gap, I will instead adhere magnetic strip tape (

$5 Super Sticky Magnetic Tape (10 feet x 1/2") - Stong Magnet Strip with Adhesive Backing for DIY & Crafts - Easy to Cut and Mount on Fridges, Whiteboards & More

for example) to the edge(s) of the foam and let that to provide a kind of seal against cabin - not a true seal, but one sufficient to my needs. I will do a write-up once I find success.

2. RCI Full Skid Package (Engine, Transmission, Transfer Case) in black powdercoat steel installed by me and my father. We followed their YouTube video - and it was literally the single easiest armor mod I have ever installed.


3. OME Heavy Load Lift Kit (OMETAC16HKSB) with the EL112R Dakar Leaf Package ordered courtesy of Bull Run Overland. Installation was done by Aylestock Automotive - an awesome job and I could not be happier with the truck's performance on and off road! The lift worked out the "wandering" effect was having with the new tires (General Grabber A/TX 265/75R16). The lifts the truck 3 inches front, and as much as 3.5 inches in the rear (no cargo). I was told that the ride would be rough on this particular kit since I would not have 600 lbs. of constant weight in the back. Maybe it's the Leer cap (225 lbs., I think...), but yeah, its a little loose in the caboose. Honestly, it just feels like a heavy-duty truck - it's not out of control. Hitting a bump at speed, I don't know, but everything else, it's awesome! With the added weight of gear, the booty dance mostly resolves itself. I have taken this suspension now on as fast as 70-75mph and it drives firm and steady, though it obviously prefers 4H/4L. Really, really pleased with this mod.

4. ARB Summit Front Bumper which my father and I (and a lot of arguing) installed. I have to say, had I known just how much trouble cutting the fiberglass bit under the lights to fit, I might have considered a different brand entirely. Still got to work out some flaws on the cut piece of the driver's side, but with the bumper itself I am very pleased. Aylestock Automotive takes credit for the wiring of the in-bumper fog lights and the turn-signal indicators.

5.

$371 Freedom OffRoad Front Upper Control Arms for 2-4" Lift (05-23 Tacoma)

Freedom Off-Road Front UCAs off Amazon replaced the OE upper control arms, which were angled to the max with the new suspension. Installation once more courtesy of Aylestock Automotive.

None of these have been paid advertisements.

And here we are ... so far:

 

Welcome to TW