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

For home shop stuff, nothing beats a portaband. Way more versatile, and cleaner.

 

I've been hearing this, I like the idea of a portband, portaband pro jig, and swag table. 3 hella useful tools.

 

This would be my long term solution

https://www.grainger.com/product/44...ONXe_WdT1zIp5MFnYYQaAkJvEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds


But right now, I'm out of space, and I'd rather spend the money on parts lol

 

Saved*

 

thats the ideal setup for sure.

 

@Pella (he's very rarely on here, and mostly sticks to the CA forums and some 3rd Gen stuff) has that band saw. I've used it a few times when the two of us are working on shit at his place. That thing is a definite game changer. Slow as hell, but I'm just hell of impatient.

Band saws are accurate, but they sure aren't going to win any chain saw races lol.

 

Yup.

Honestly for home use I would just go with a portaband and a table mount. Horizontal band saws are nice, but the cheaper ones are a pain to get square, and hardly ever stay true. .

 

Today/yesterday I did upper/lower ball joints, tie rod ends, sway bar bushings, and CV axle rebuilds. Lots of fun with stuck fasteners including an adventure drilling out/re-threading the passenger side ABS bracket bolt hole and a bonus round chiseling off the differential drain plug.
Tomorrow when my new drain plug arrives I'll fill up the diff and hope to see no leaks

 

Finally, sliders on

 

Has anyone had luck wrapping parts of their truck DIY? I’m thinking about wrapping my rear bumper black. I’m curious as to how hard it is.

 

portaband pro jig should do the same thing as the swag table, no?

 

I did vinyl wrap on the portion of my hood that gives me glare when I'm running the light bar. The wrap it's self wasn't that difficult.

The vinyl is coming back off the hood and I'm going to paint that matte black.

Vinyl wrap on a hood that isn't insulated on the under side doesn't work, in case anyone is curious. The heat rises and heats up the hood and shrinks the wrap. It will eventually get all wavy around the edges and look like crap.

This is what it looked like right after I did it.

 

Anyone deal with popping noise in front suspension? I feel like it just started when I switched to these quick disconnect sway bar links

 

probably that then. The sway bar is known to make a chunking sound. Disconnect it and drive it for a day or two to see if it goes away.

 

That saw - or really, saws very much like it - is sold by several vendors. Grizzly sells one that I have. HF sells a saw that looks identical for a fraction of the price ( ). Works great both as horizontal and vertical. I cut all my material for bed racks with it.

Floor space isn't too bad since it's easy to roll around, and at $300, the price is certainly right.

 

I'm not familiar with the Grizzly. But the HF saw is not anywhere even close to the Jet. As I said earlier, I've used the Jet quite a few times when working on collaborations with @Pella, I've also used the Harbor Freight version. My neighbor across the street has one. My neighbor is a machinist and he has done some extensive modifications to his. Replacing the junk blade that comes with the HF version, first of all... but also reinforcing the legs, reinforcing the armature because it had a lot of lateral slop, etc.

Even with all the modifications Chuck (my neighbor) has done, his band saw isn't even in the same neighborhood as Josh's (Pella). The tolerances on the adjustment cranks are tighter, the motor runs smoother, the base is more stable.

Harbor Freight has really improved on some of their tools, but on this one, it's apparent that HF still makes a lot of their stuff by copying others. Just because it looks the same, looks can be deceiving. The gauge metal they use for the stand could be thinner (I believe it is) the threads on the adjusters aren't machined as well, the motor is probably less efficient... things that at first glace seem to look the same, aren't.

 

Goddamn that truck is so clean.

Derp, didn't even realize that. Even better.

All packed up for 4 days wheeling/camping in MA and VT.

Untitled by Michael Halat, on Flickr
Untitled by Michael Halat, on Flickr

I feel like reorganizing my bed to remove the tool box and make space for my dual sport really streamlined the way I am now able to pack shit up.

 

That HF saw is the unsung super versatile hero of my shop. It's been making accurate cuts for at least 15 years, straight and curves with next to no mess. The capacity is actually 5x7 @ 90 deg with the stock clamp and significantly more with "creative clamping". Also cuts non ferrous metals, wood and plastic. Did a compound miter on 2x6 rectangular tube for a rear bumper.
There was quite a "cult" following for these things at one time with near endless modifications. There is no doubt, out of the box they are pretty "rough" but bang for the buck is way up there. Google 4x6 bandsaw.

This fellow was out the door for <$190 back then and treated to a few of the popular mods that made a huge difference.


Oversize tires, thicker rear axle, trussed axle housing. This made the leg assembly super rigid, way more than expectations



Intercooler and gear box breather.
Motor fan replaced by separately switched 120v unit. Motor doesn't even get warm, 100% duty cycle when cutting that 3/4" thick flat bar or railroad track for that matter.






Creative clamping.





Not seen is removal of the residual sand/slag chunks in the gear box from the sand casting and a deburring/polishing of the gears along with 140wt gear oil.

 

That's great info, I have a newer Grizzly that I will plan to do the same modifications to as well

 

Threw together a little bolt on mount for either a moto gas tank for trips that require more than 5 gallons of gas (have a Death Valley trip coming up that I need it) and also works with my newer 10 lb propane tank that I have been bringing camping to fuel my propane fire pit(super nice to have to use during fire bans). Both just get strapped in with a racket strap.