wi_taco 2015 TRD OffRoad build "The Gray Ghost"

Glad to help but I can't take the credit, it has all been done before. See this thread by the venerable crashnburn80: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-northstar-agm-battery-voltage-booster-upgrade.604478/

Yeah I don't particularly care for the clips on mine, wish it had the buckles like photos show on their website. I do think the materials and construction are super tough and I like the concept but not the execution for my own preferences. No big deal though, $30 gamble and I still might use it on some other vehicle like my Jeep or just resell it.

 

The first thing I noticed when I got mine was, it's not the same as the website shows. Mounting to the headrest is not a problem. I have not had any problems with fire extinguisher coming loose. Even after Tigerton and Bayfield. So for 30 bucks I will keep it.

 

I saw this video today.
Seems like a simple basic set. I haven't looked into it any deeper.

https://youtu.be/ZzP8ttptlUo

 

Hmm good to know and glad it has worked for you. I think it would definitely work based on my very limited testing but it just doensn't knock my socks off after seeing how it works. I really wanted to like it especially because like you said it's only $30. Oh well, bought the Desert Does It mount for down below the driver seat.

Yeah that is definitely a good solution for anyone wanting to add 12V power + lithium on a budget. I didn't go with it because I wanted to get fancy with mine and there are some technical things that are deal-breakers for my specific build.

 

Well since winter is about to arrive I won't have much going on for a while. Lots of projects are half finished or waiting on more parts but likely they will all have to wait until spring. Someday I will have a heated garage. Anyways, figure I should update miscellanous stuff for the build so I don't get too far behind on things.

11/9: Had some warm weather so I tried to better wash off old dirt from the chassis before spraying my annual coat of Woolwax. Then life and work got busy and I didn't get around to doing it. Now it's friggin cold and my garage is full of other crap so right now I'm stuck. Not too worried, there are 2 coats still holding strong from past years.



11/26: New rear bumper from @At The Helm arrived along with a case of Amsoil for regular maintenance. Bumper going into storage until spring when I have warm enough weather for paint. Initial impressions are that it looks hella beefy and the fab quality is excellent.



12/13: Already shared this in the Wisconsin group thread, but I ordered a 72" Husky toolbox and it arrived in sad shape. Now I'm dealing with Home Depot for returns but it's a headache. Really needed this for more storage, very disappointed. Currently I can't park in the garage which is preventing me from maintenace like gear oil changes. Life is a struggle. I'm just going to hibernate for a couple months now and stockpile parts for 2023 adventures.

 

I'd send that bumper to the blast shop for a blast and powdercoating.

 

Right now the plan is to sand & paint it myself using the same KBS products I used on the sliders. Figure it will give me the most consistent look and if it scratches I can touch up myself. But I'd be lying if the powdercoat option hadn't crossed my mind so I could get it installed quicker.

 

Sliders & paint I get but that bumper crys for powder, much more durable.

 

Well at least I have time to consider all options. Going to wait until spring to test fit before any coatings go on.

 

Second that

 

Hey at least you have a garage! The struggle is real in the winter time in northern climates without a heated space

And who was the carrier for that toolbox? Thats embarrassing it arrived in such poor condition.

 

No doubt I’m thankful to have a garage at all. Just a crime unto myself that I haven’t invested in heating it. Long story there, short story is I’m at a crossroads whether to build a new garage or buy a different house. Or stick with status quo and suffer lol.

I have no idea who the carrier is - they didn’t give me any paperwork and showed up in a rental box truck with a lift gate leaking hydraulic fluid all over the road. Super janky arrangement.

 

Ive used portable propane "salamander" or torpedo heaters before and they kick out a surprising amount of heat. Same concept as the old kerosene fired ones. They are a bit loud and you probably dont want to run them all day without popping a window open, but way better than freezing

 

Yeah I had one of those at one point. The problem is my garage: I insulated the walls but I can't insulate the ceiling/roof due to some issues of the old construction. Garage is big enough where even the largest torpedo heater can't really keep up with the thermal loss for long so I'm basically just lighting money on fire to buy propane. I can run a line from the house for natural gas but same principal applies: I'd just be wasting money.

I've considered all options and my best are to build a garage or move to a new house. Building a garage won't net me any more when selling the house, so the only thing that makes financial sense is to move - not something easy to do in this market. I'm getting close to making a move soon but it never goes as fast as you want. So for now I can only do work for about 8 months of the year without turning into a human ice cube lol. First-world problems and what not.

 

It's winter so everything pretty quiet on the build front. Mainly stockpiling parts and planning maintenance/mods for springtime. But there are a couple updates:

First and foremost, I got a refund for that beat-up toolbox that Home Depot delivered looking like a crumpled beer can. Downside was that it took the entire month of December to get resolved which blocked me from using the garage to do any maintenance. Upside is it was a blessing in disguise. Turns out Harbor Freight announced the release of a Gen3 US General toolbox line coming in spring. I'm definitely getting one of those even though it costs more - thanks Home Depot for sucking so badly to make me spend money elsewhere! Come spring I also plan to buy a HF Badland jack because my current home jacks are both decades old and starting to die. Stay tuned on that.

After the nationwide cold snap and blizzard, we finally have some warmer temps. Got all the way up to 60 degrees one day. And now that I don't have a giant busted toolbox in my way I can do some work! Starting with the small things I upgraded my tire gauge from this cheap Slime unit that works well but is basic, to a cheap Husky unit that has a seatbelt cutter and glass breaker (model XD-224). Brief tests seem to get accurate pressure readings and I'm a tiny bit more prepared for emergencies (but hopefully never have to use them).



Changed gear oil in the rear diff and transfer case. T-case oil came out looking like brand new. Rear diff looked good but with a bit of anti-seize on the plug with some sparkles in it. It's really not that bad, but considering the last Blackstone report said it had high metals this is something to keep an eye on.



Another look at the rear diff drain plug. It's hard to show but there really isn't a huge amount of metal build-up there. Much of it is residual gear oil. I'm not losing sleep over it.



Taking off the engine and trans skid plates for cleaning, maintenance, and hopefully some Woolwax if weather permits. A while back I removed the driver side cat guard "wing" because it rubs on the cat. If I get time I might drill some new holes on the trans skid to drop it down like 1/2" for better clearance. Seems this is common on the RCI skids and I think I was one of the first to get them. Early revision minor growing pains, oh well.



Back in November after returning from my road trip I was going to change the oil. Stopped dead in my tracks when I found oil leaking from somewhere and coating my entire Fumoto valve. On closer inspection I found oil leaking from what appears to be the front main seal. Ordered the seal and a special tool, but then of course had my toolbox fiasco and cold weather. Since that time I've been monitoring the oil level and surprisingly it has never dropped far enough to warrant adding any.



Now that I finally removed the front skid for a closer look it does indeed seem like the leak came from the front main seal. Really isn't even much oil - just enough to coat the lower pan with a thin film. I still believe this happened when I did some water crossings in Michigan's U.P. and the temperature difference probably shrank the seal just enough to let a little oil pass by.



Here's a wider view of the engine to show what I'm seeing. No oil from anywhere higher up on the block, just from behind the harmonic dampener pulley. Very minor. I've got nearly 120k on the clock so this isn't very surprising or concerning. Come springtime I'll be doing the water pump, pulleys, and tensioner so it will be a perfect time to also install the new seal. For now I'm just keeping an eye on things.



While I had everything up on jack stands I also greased all the U joints. They were overdue because I had some grease gun problems back in September before my road trip. My local Bumper to Bumper is more of a niche parts shop that has some really good quality stuff sometimes, and I happened to find they carry Lincoln grease guns. Picked up this handly little guy (think it's a 1113?) and all I can say is WOW. Never again will I buy cheap guns, this thing is just superior in every way to what you can get at the auto parts stores. New tube of AMSOIL NLGI2 MP grease and everything is happy.



Here are two of my old grease guns, think they are both made by Performance Tool and carried by Advance Auto and AutoZone typically. Both have a fresh tube of grease and worked for about 10 pumps then shit the bed. Never again. I have too many types of grease in the collection now, no time left to play with garbage tools. Will be converting all of them over as they die off or when grease tubes run out.



I've got more work to do but past 2 days the temps dipped down below freezing again. Some 40 degree days coming up this week and hopefully I'll get a bit more done. Happy New Years everyone, see you in 2023!

 

Finalized my MPG tracking for 2022 (2020 stats here, 2021 stats here). Added basic color coding to more easily see trends. Some takeaways for my fellow analytics nerds:

• Drove 11k miles (-5k vs 2021) and spent $2,450 for fuel (-$100 vs 2021). Average MPGs at 17.25 which is about -1.6 less than last year.
• Best single tank MPG was 20.55. Worst single tank MPG was 13.91 - NO BUENO!!
• Outdoor temperatures still have an impact on mileage no matter how much I drive like a grandpa. Seem to lose ~4mpg in coldest winter months.
• Adding a lift and armor has certainly taken a toll on MPG. I'm at 5,450 curb weight now during expedition loadout. Getting fatter every day.
• Since I'm working more from home my driving habits have changed some. More short trips = Bad MPGs, there is no two ways about it.
• Lifting the suspension has caused issues with driveshaft angles. I feel like this has caused extra drag and likely lower MPGs.
• Plan to replace U-joints, carrier bearing, flush/fill trans, full serpentine system, and throttle body cleaning in 2023. Curious how much difference that will create, if any.

(Ignore the horizontal lines - these delimit my trips/vacations and don't have any meaning. I'm just to lazy to remove them from the photo)

 

At this point would you say the fox suspension was a worthwhile expense? I've had bilstein 5100's for years and they have been fine but considering getting something similar to what you have when I replace my suspension.

 

That's a difficult question to answer but I'll try my best. Adjustability to perfectly dial in lift/preload? Yes, no question they win. Ride quality/adjustability? Magic 8-ball tells me "Ask again later after I have them re-valved/rebuilt the first time." Longevity? Only time will tell, but if they hold up to multiple rebuilds then no question they are the superior long-term choice.

I bought mine with the "Adventure" tune which is supposed to be better for on-road and trails (i.e. stiffer, I think). I have tried all settings from softest to stiffest, and right now I think anything but the lowest 3 settings are too stiff for me. Right now I have them all on the lowest setting and it's pretty good but not perfect. I am in no way faulting the vendor, my decision to go with the Adventure tune, or anything else. I think since the Performance Elite series were brand spanking new when I got them there is a learning curve. I still have many plans for my build that will add extra weight - rear bumper pending install in spring, possible front bumper and winch later 2023, on-board air, etc etc. All that weight might change things too. It's a moving target really. And it's all subjective to the individual driver.

The big question: Am I happy with how it rides right now on the lowest DSC settings? Absolutely. But I do think there is room for improvement. I will say that compared to the previous 6112/5160 combo there is a drastic reduction in body roll and more confidence that I am in control when driving and not the suspension driving me. On pavement it handles closer to a sports car than I would ever expect a lifted truck to handle.

Shorter answer: Yes I am happy for my personal needs. There is still room for further tuning/optimization. They are expensive, but hopefully I never need to replace them again (just rebuilds forever). No, they are not the best option for everyone due to the expense.

 

Great answer thank you.

 

01/02/23: First maintenance of the new year! Well, long overdue maintenance and nothing real special. Finally got around to changing my oil - last change April 2022. This is as dirty as I've ever seen it come out. Not worried though as I frequently check the level and running Amsoil which should give a little extended protection. Collected a sample for Blackstone testing just out of curiousity to see how well it performs over longer intervals and less than ideal usage.



One part of of the job that still always give me heartburn is diverting/collecting the runoff while changing the oil filter. I've rigged up small collection cups, ran a tube all the way down below, etc. but none of them are fun or foolproof. Today I found the solution: an aluminum Miller Lite can bottle + a small piece of baling wire. Wrapped the bailing wire around the bottle neck and hang it off the funnel area. BOOM! Zero chance of leaks or spills and plenty of volume for remaining oil.



Still chasing a phantom creaking/clunking in the front end. Shot some more moly grease in my SPC UCA ball joints (usually put about 5 pumps in each oil change, after off-roading, or whenever I think about it). On the first drive after oil change & BJ greasing to pick up a pizza it seemed to go away, but the very next trip I faintly heard it coming back. My skid plates are off right now and my other theory was it was the skids creaking but that's eliminated now. It doesn't always happen so it's very hard to pinpoint. Truck drives just fine and I couldn't feel anything loose when I pushed & pried while it was on jack stands. The mystery continues but I'm not losing sleep over it.

Update 1/13/23: After removing the skid plates I still got some creaking, even after greasing SPC UCA balljoints. I jacked it up to let front suspension hang free then greased BJs again until I got some grease pushing out the boot bottoms to really lube them up. Checked all torques, checked with prybars, couldn't duplicate noise while stationary. Drove it a couple short trips and the creaking is gone now. Feels like my driver side SPC UCA balljoint was the culprit and maybe just didn't have enough? Current greasing interval is either every oil change (5K) or when I do offroading or water crossings. I'm going to modify that to every 2K miles, after offroading, or before & after trips more than a couple hundred miles.