What Have You Done To Your 2nd Gen Tacoma Today?

Did my 85,000 mile service. Oil change and zerk greasing. 2014 Taco.

 

Getting ready to order some archive hammer hangers, should be able to install them in a couple months!

 

Yeah, my wife won’t move either, unless it’s Hawaii, haha

 

Our interim pastor and his wife returned from a visit to San Diego. On Sunday he said that the most concerning news that had people worried was that they were approaching ten consecutive days of temperatures near 60. He told friends, "In north Idaho, they call that June." Since I just got home from my volunteer school crossing guard gig downtown, it's time to finish the last two cups from the coffee pot, set the slow cooker on low to warm up the baked beans (most recent batch from "the secret family recipe" otherwise known as the old Farm Journal cookbook), and see if there's enough room in the garage to lower the tailgate and install the VLEDS 850 lumens (each!) reverse bulbs. The TW tailgate antitheft device from Chris has an ETA next weekend to be a next week project. Central WA, north ID and adjacent parts of Oregon will be getting into the 40s this weekend, feeling a bit strange after the big snowstorm all night and day last Thursday, followed by a cold freeze over the weekend. Still waiting for the Weathertech front mats and seat protector to arrive (yesterday, today, pending?) since I'm pleased with how well the digital fit rear floor liner looks. That storm closed passes across the Cascade and Bitterroot mountain ranges for several days, so ground freight was hung up, too. Time for that last cup and head to the (heated) garage.
Replaced the reverse lights with VLEDS 921-6 LEDs ($80 a pair) with aluminum shrouds, and wouldn't you know it, I installed both, replaced the taillights into the body and discovered that with a 50-50 chance of getting the polarity correct, I'd placed both incorrect. So I had practice pulling those fixtures straight back off their mounting pins, and working them back into place. These things are like headlights! I am not going to tempt fate and heed the warning not to run these lamps more than ten minutes, since they get hot to the touch in short order. Tested with ignition on (not running), manual shift in reverse. I'll gradually transition to VLEDS so I don't break the bank. Reminds me of Donald Sutherland's line in "Kelly's Heroes": "Moriarty fixed up our tanks so they go as fast in reverse as in forward. We like to get out of trouble as fast as we get into it." 850 lumens from each reverse light will help with that.

 

There are options. Although, all are tough.

I was working in China for 6 years, wife and family in USA. Soon, I'll be moving 400 miles distant, wife and family will stay put.

The distance brings new problems, but all can be solved with a bit of understanding and a big dose of love.

 

Careful what you wish for... We lived in Kailua, on the windward side of Oahu, for three years and two weeks, jokingly arriving on Mom's birthday. In retrospect, it was good, but after three years, we were all more than ready to return to the Mainland, where there were four distinct seasons. That was 1965-1968, and now, since I retired from the north temperate rainforest of coastal Alaska after thirty years, enjoy "tropical Idaho" with less rain and less biting, flying insects.

 

My wife has been hollerin to go to Hawaii for years. She was not pleased that I turned down a few work trips there before I retired. She now has a place in Florida near the Space Coast so she goes there once a month. It helps that her brother bought some Florida acreage, retired here and built his retirement house there. That has kept her happy for a couple of years. Still get the occasional "when are we going to Hawaii" but not as often. I am not crazy for the heat so I stay here in VA most of the time. I like having 4 seasons. Then today we have wind chills in the teens. Florida don't sound so bad right now. Well except for the covid numbers there and the whole airport mess. Last week I had to drive 80 miles past our airport, to another airport, to pick her up due to cancellations to our airport.

 

was under $10k less than a year ago.. materials are a joke

 

I’ve definitely tried to discourage it, I would definitely have Island fever, but she was born on the big Island, her parents moved back to the mainland before she turned 4, they didn’t want a little Haole girl going to school there in the early 80’s. She still has an Uncle on Maui that we’ve visited a couple times, and I do enjoy the visits, but don’t want to live there full time!

 

I've noticed that NAPA uses different manufacturers (at least two) for the same CV PN. They both work and are functionally the same but they look a little different on the outside.

The only practical difference I've noticed is that the boots that one of the manufacturers uses have held up a lot better than the other manufacturer's boots.

 

I guess everyone is just used to the homeless and pee smell if that's what everyone is complaining about now, few years back I was going there every other month from orange county and it got worse each time I went.

 

In for new Shoes today - Nitto Ridge Grapplers 35x12.50x18

 

If I didn't use my truck bed I would do this, and im usually fairly against the idea of a hard shell.

 

whats your rear suspension setup? did you do a shackle flip?

 

yes on the shackle flip - the PO installed the current leaf packs (Deaver U402's not sure what stage 1.2.or 3, or?) working with Jeff from Deaver to build a new set of leaf packs that address the current/updated weight of the truck (shell w/rack, double swingouts w/ accessories and spare tire and decked system) the current weight of the truck is 3020lbs front / 3060lbs rear

 

Installed some LED rear tail light assemblies on my 2013 Regular cab. I purchased these from @SUMOTNK

Lights arrived well packaged and in great condition. Simple plug-N-play.

 

Its a dope lookin set up. nice that the weight distribution is pretty even too, I'm sure it rides a lot better . do you also have the fox 2.5s in the rear as well?

 

Thanks, currently it does have Fox 2.5's with resi and Eibach 650lbs front coils, rears are fox 2.0 smoothies with resi's - I will be pulling all that off soon, as Accutune is building me new Fox 2.5's w/resi and DSC Eibach 700lbs coils. in the rear they are building Fox 2.5's with Resi and DSC. they are revalving and tuning for my current weight

 

Thats going to be super nice. I have heard a lot of good things about accutune. At some point I plan on going the same route, its just a very expensive one haha how much you think you would want for the rear smoothies when you are ready?

 

Fully understand the "cost" issue I am not sure, I will post all my suspension on the for sale thread when I have it complete for whoever wants it, I am sure it wont be much, anyway I can pay it forward to other enthusiasts is what I like to do.