2001 Tacoma Xtended cab 4WD SR5 build

Have gotten the parts for the diff breather mod. Wanted to save a penny and did not buy the ARB relocation kit, instead went to NAPA.

 

I completed the rear diff breather mod today. Made a simple bracket to attach the filter:



I do not want it to show in the gas opening:









That’s what the filter looks like from below.

 

Back to continue the build. I have just ordered a bed rack kit from Wheeler's Offroad. I was wondering If anyone has a recommendation for a source for a canvas top?

 

I soundproofed the doors and sides and it was easier than I thought, only a few hours (does that ever happen?). When the trucks sitting its like a sound booth, hardly any exterior sound gets in. However, not surprisingly when driving it hardly made any difference. I have the materials for the floor, just have not got around to it.

But I learned a valuable lesson with my first car - There was a OEM foam piece in the shifter area that disintegrated. So I replaced it with foam that I had lying around and it was a night and day difference from just that! I have studied sound deadening a fair amount and you can apply loads of sound deadening but one hole will negate it all. So you might try an experiment with putting some foam or similar in the shifter area (I am manual). It was ages ago but as I recall I had to cut a slit in it to allow the shifter to move and it resisted the shifter a bit at first but got better later.

The manual Tacoma has a thick rubber boot which may stop noise better than the simple leather boot that I recall my car had but I'll try it and report back.

 

Yeah, mine is a manual, too. And will wait to hear with great interest what you find about the sound deadening of the shifter.

My cabin is very quiet when the car is stopped. When rolling, I have some dash rattles that I plan to address soon -- problem is have been planning to address for months now, but something always gets in the way. Will get it sorted, though.

The other sound source is the tires -- I have some very loud off-road tires. They have horrible grip on asphalt particularly when cold. I plan to replace them with skinny tall tires (I liked that look and I believe they are better than chunky wide tires) that are more suited to the pavement. My daily driver is rolling on Michelin PS2 Super Sport which are sublime. Now the truck won't get stuff like that, but am eyeing some Pirelli Scorpion Strada or Michelin Premier LTX, in 225/70 R16.

 

DIFFERENTIAL LOCKERS

REAR. OK I have decided on the rear diff and have ordered (and received) an Eaton TrueTrac # 913A541 from Summit. I am looking forward to having it installed and I think will do everything I need it to do.

Interested in the front as well. I do have the ARB compressor, so the ARB front seems reasonable, but am curious about OX if one is available, or the Eaton TrueTrac #911A342.

Any thoughts about the OX -- do they make a compatible product for the 1G Tacoma FRONT? This site suggests there isn't one.

As for the TrueTrac for the front, I am confused about compatibility. Ben's site states:

This Eaton TrueTrac fits Toyota 7.5" standard rotation IFS axles with 27 splines and 50mm bearing journals.
(Does NOT fit IFS clamshell style housings.)​

Is my 2001 SR5 4WD compatible with this front TrueTrac?

 

Got an answer very promptly from Ox confirming what I feared, namely that they don’t make a front diff lock for my specific truck. Apparently their shift fork needs an attachment to a differential cover which this model lacks.

 

For the money/features, would you pick up the S8 again or go a different route?

 

Frankly, I hate the S8. Lots of features crammed in just because we can, but with little to no thought to higher level ergonomics. Locked down. There are some obscure sequences of commands that you have to dig out from some forums for certain settings. Maps are useless due to font size and color scheme. SIM card that works perfectly in iPad doesn’t work in this POS.

I wanted to get an Alpine but with the supply chain issues last year there was none available. Will happily pay double the S8 ‘cost for a tasteful quality unit. Any day now I am going to rip it out.

Stay away.

 

Picking up the build again. Have had the Eaton TrueTrac installed by the local DesertRat shop.

Next will be an ARB bull bar #3423040, and a Warn M8000-S winch.

The bull bar arrived well packed in two units on a pallet. Here it is on a furniture dolly:



And here on top of my trusty HF tool cart:



It comes with a bag with small parts, turn signal lights, a bumper kit, and various attachments:

 

Sort the nuts and bolts out by size, and it'll be way easier than you think.

 

I managed to install the turn signals and the winch in the bull bar. Followed the ARB instructions to rotate the clutch housing 144 degrees to allow access to the disengage lever. Problem is: there is no room for the control box (6 x 5 x 3.5"). Any suggestions as to where to put it? Am tempted to fabricate a bracket to place it on top.

 

Control box is almost always relocated, regardless of the brand of bumper.

 

I will place it in the engine compartment driver side back toward the fire wall. The red wire will reach the battery but need three ~60 in long wires to the winch itself.

What gauge should they be? The originals are 18 in long gauge 2.

Any good source for these wires?

 

Welding wire/cable is something I'd use if upgrading battery cables, or connecting any high-current devices to said battery.

Look at the amp draw of your winch, and measure the length of wire needed. There are formula's easily googled to help figure out the appropriate gauge.

Sorry I'm not giving you exactly what you need, but the info to figure that out could be helpful in the future for ya!

Nice to see you've got that space up there by the way; that's where the ABS module sits.

 

@Abeyancer

The welding wire you use for your battery cables, what's your source?

Could help the OP here.

 

Wire, 60V DC, with PVC Outer Insulation, 1 Wire Gauge

https://www.mcmaster.com/6948K74

 

I work with industrial electrical so my 2 cents is going to be overkill... that being said I'll keep this short.

I would avoid anything with a PVC outer jacket, the 190F temp rating is a joke in my opinion and have seen it start degrading way faster with the presence of oil. It's only best suited for food/beverage applications. I would go with a welding cable, better ampacity, better abrasion resistance as well as oil and chemical. Something like this

https://www.wireandcableyourway.com/1-0-welding-cable-class-k

Also, avoid buying from McMaster Carr. They are a God send for parts when prototyping or when you need it fast but they are always way overpriced

 

No such thing as overkill when safety is a concern!

Thanks Jimmie.

It's why I recommended welding cable...I mean a ton of current goes through it. Just wasn't sure what gauge he'd need based on his winch's current demand and length of run.

 

That's also why I recommend welding cable, it has a much higher strand count which allows the same ampacity over a longer run of cable. I just guessed the gauge I linked based off what he posted from McMaster Carr