AZ BS Thread 4²0

https://wildlandfire.az.gov/wildfire-situation

For anyone else needing info.

 

One more piece of the puzzle showed up today. A month earlier than expected too! Just waiting to the bumper to get here and I can finally start slapping all this stuff on. Finishing up cutting my fenders this weekend.. brakes soon after.

 

Okay how much of a difference does an OV Tune or similar tune make? I’m up in Alaska with a 2021 Tacoma for a rental and the difference in driving quality is insane. No more hunting gears, smooth acceleration uphill, everything is awesome. I’m going to swing by the dealership once I’m home, see if they can do the TSB, and see how that plays out.

 

If youve got questions just shoot me a PM sir.

 

Looking at skids for the runner, I notice some cover the alignment cam tabs and some do not. What's the deal with cam tab coverage and/or reinforcement?

Is the reason they get knocked out of alignment because of impact on or around the cam tab itself, or is it forces being applied through the wheel/LCA with extra leverage?

Right now I'm thinking RCI front skid because it's got the door for the oil filter, but they obviously want you to buy their LCA skids too.

 

Simple answer: Yes.

It's a combination of all that pretty much. One option to protect the cam tab mounts is the Marlin cam tab reinforcement kit. Requires welding but is very nice and works. I have it on my 4th gen.

LCA skids are pretty pointless.

 

Knocking out of alignment will mostly happen from tire impact so cam tab coverage doesn't really help that. Not to say it can't happen though.. but the real protection for cam tabs are gussets as well. That way when the tire does blow out the alignment.. it doesn't pull the cam into the tabs and bend them. Then you're forced to rebuild the front end, make shit straight, and burn in gussets after the fact. Ask me how I know.

I was running RCI LCA skids with my Pelfreybilt skids.. and they covered the cam tabs.. so did it protect them? Idk.. sure.. but again the true protection is the gussets. I've since then swapped to the DK LCAs.. so no need for the LCA skids. My cam tabs are now "exposed".. but the Pelfreybilt skid extends out to "protect" the cam tabs some too. I don't really worry about the cam tabs anymore with the new Lowers, the gussets, and the front skid. I think it's enough. But the tire can and will still knock them out. I have a set of Bison Off-road cam tabs.. buy haven't installed them because even though they may be more solid.. I don't like how your limited with adjustment. I'd rather have a better alignment that may get knocked out vs driving with a half assed alignment. I just know it's a potential.. especially now with 35s. Pick and choose your battles. And no.. these RCI skids won't fit a 4runner. Already tried on my Uncle's 5th gen.

Just my 2 cents. Excuse the rant.. taking a break from finishing the rear.

 

Rant away my dude, I was looking for real world experience from people who have actually wheeled and broken shit as opposed to theoretical fauxverlanding and do-it-for-the-grammery.

LCA skids look cool but it's kind of like a diff diaper, you have other more pressing problems if you are making use of it.

So it sounds like my suspicion that having the cam tabs "exposed" isn't really that big of an issue save for maybe aerodynamics which would be why the stamped factory splash pan covers them.

I'm honestly kind of shocked eccentric locks haven't caught on in the Tacoma/T4R community. It's something Miata people have been running for a while because they push their eccentrics out of alignment all the time during track days. Turns out steady state high-G maneuvers with sticky tires tends to yank LCA bolts out of alignment just like wheeling can, even on a much lighter car.


Guarantee you someone with a laser cutter could burn out a whole pile of these with one good sheet of steel. Hell, I could probably do the CAD for it myself and I've never even gotten any formal training in it.

Outer locking piece with flat sides, inner locking piece with multiple teeth to engage with... this Miata version gives you 16 total positions which means stops about every 20 degrees of rotation whereas the Bisons give you 45 degrees before the next stop. I think 20 degrees of rotation should be more than enough granularity for a "good" alignment.

Shit, maybe I need to start drawing something.

 

Pretty sure i've been my passenger lca mounts. Hence, the JD LCA kit replacing all that. One good bump and hitting a "rock" will do it. Guess thats why they call it, WindROCK. Hah

 

The JD kit will be my next go-to if this setup doesn't hold up well.. which I doubt it will going to 35s now. But.. I'm gonna give it a go and up grade again if needed. Between rebuilding the front end and gusseting everything.. and running the DK lowers.. I think I'll be ok.. for a while.. my biggest concern now is the rack.. again.. so JD slide rack is in the future as well. That'll all hopefully be stage 3 of the truck or whatever stage it will be by then.. lol

 

Well that was fast. Do you already have all the archive stuff?

 

I know ha! Yes Ive had it for months. I went with the BAMF hangers/shock relocation though not Archive. I want to change springs as well, most likely going to try Icon RXT's. I guess I don't need those for the hangers/shock relo but since itll be torn apart might as well throw in the new springs. Just need to find some of those in stock. Im going to Colorado July 1-5 but the truck will be available after that. When do you have time to do the work?

 

Oh I probably won’t have time until sometime in august. I think my itinerary right now is something like this.

build @Sixthelement a rear bumper. Starting that tomorrow and should finish that up by the weekend of July 9th.

then doing a coastal fab bumper for @XPOTRPR maybe the weekend of the 24th because I’m traveling the 17th

by then hopefully @Sixthelement shocks are in and I’ll finish up his relocation maybe the 30th?

brothers wedding is the 9th of august and then I might be free after that. Assuming I get all that other stuff finished up on schedule

so if you can get leafs by then you’ll be good to go

 

I mean, August is only 5 weeks away so thats actually not bad. Depending on how frisky Im feeling I might do some of the work myself. The springs are easy, the hangers/shackles are bolt on, only bitch is removing the stock riveted hangers. Did you plasma them off @Sixthelement truck or air chisel or? Still have to figure out how to get the bed/GFC off my truck for the shock relo. Genuinely considering renting a forklift with extra long fork add-ons, opening the side panels of the GFC and sticking the forks sideways through it so we can just unbolt the bed/GFC as one assembly and lift it off.

 

Is it possible a few of us could lift it off?

 

I'm going to be pulling my bed rack/RTT here soon to seal my bed and just get ready for our SP camper. Using the forklift at the shop. If you want, I can see if we've got room and we can take it off and store it there while you're doing the work.

 

Grind the head off with a flap disc, drill a 1/4” hole in the center and then punch it out with a hammer and punch is the best way I’ve tried. Not sure how you’d do it with a plasma although I have heard of people doing it.

And hold off on worrying about the gfc and bed. I’m thinking about trying @Sixthelement with the bed on.

 

I'm going to be back and forth to Phoenix a bunch this summer/fall. Would like to check out your SP once it arrives and is installed if thats alright.

 

Absolutely. Hoping to get it sometime in August if the build continues smoothly. They've been having material shortage issues just like everyone else.