01 Tacoma Build BLW Fabrication

Hi there for those of you that are interested in my first gen build ill will start posting things from when I got it till now and future. I bought this truck out of high school and have slowly built it.


Here is the truck when I first got her all stock on the original factory Bilsteins.

After a few months, I got the basics wheels, tires, spacer leveling kit, and of course a light bar.

 

Being a broke college kid I let the front end of the truck wear out. Ball joints, control arm bushing, tie rods, cv axles, rack, rack bushings, and shocks were all done. I replaced the stock uca for an SPC uca and put on an Eibach pro truck lift. That lift to this day was probably the best $500 I have ever spent. After rebuilding the front end of the truck and learning a ton about the truck in general not a whole lot changed for about over a year. The taco was my daily to school and work. I also am a welder so I used it to do mobile jobs. I built a rack for the truck so I could use my RTT that I normally had on my OL trailer that my CJ-7 would pull.



After some time and a few camp trips in the truck, I was ready to make this thing my camping rig and start building it to be so. 33x12.5 R15 cooper at maxx and vision overland wheels

 

That’s a clean rack!

 

Thanks for posting, nice to see a first gen here as well.

 

I got some more pics to post of her in her current state. I’ll post them shortly

 

Thank you!

 

Here is my current suspension set up. 2.5 ads coil overs with pac 550 springs 2 inches long than a set up with 750 springs to get the proper ride height. In the rear is deaver j29 spring matched with some ads 10in stroke triple bypass. No holes in the bed just some slight encouragement from a sledge.

 

That is a helluva set up!

 

looks like a good start.

 

Nice job keeping the spare under the bed with the shock relocation!

 

Thank you 33” too

 

Nice rig!
Tell me more about your front shock setup please.

 

I really like your rear shock relocation, that looks really clean. I did a flatbed build on my first gen and went with OME dakar’s and an add a leaf, but it’s not going to sit level like I wanted. I really wanted to do something like what you’ve done, just couldn’t think out the relocation with enough confidence to start cutting and welding.

looks really good!

 

Boys at ads had me run a longer 550 spring compared to a standard 750 spring to get a softer ride and also get the front end to keep the front tires on the ground by adding that extra 2 inches it ads preload to throw the tire at the ground.

 

Got any pics of the flat bed I would like to see it!

 

WOW, just checked the prices on ADS shocks, looks like I will be a lifelong member of the Bilstein crowd.

 

That makes no sense, if ADS told you that they lost any credibility with me.

 

I good shock setup like that has benefits, I have forgotten about the cost of mine 20 yrs on, but being able to rebuild and change valving is worth admission IMOP

Having said that,, everyone has a budget and deciding what's more important is always part of making decisions, I mean, I don't have ditch lights cause i can spend that money on things that are actually usefull.

 

The added length is to get the truck to the same ride height as 750 springs. The truck rides awesome and I may be explaining something incorrectly but they boys at ads know there stuff