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

My friend’s 97 4Runner is like that. Oil leaking everywhere, shocks blown so bad it looks squatted, brakes grinding (but safe, I’ve put it up on the rack at my shop and inspected them), coolant is the consistency of pudding, and it has 380k miles. That thing just keeps going, he came here alone when he was 18 and he bought the 4Runner when he was homeless for $1500. Now he lives pretty comfortably as our sales guy at my shop.

 

It's decent, quieter than I expected. Also, not as deep as I expected. There's a slight attenuation 2500-2600 RPM but it's not terrible. Again, my old stock muffler was split so I am somewhat accustomed to noise in the cab. I'll likely sound deaden in the spring.

And thanks again, I love pie cuts and they're pretty simple.

EDIT: for anyone interested, I did a 30° turn up to 90° turn down on a 6" CLR in 8 pieces at 7.5° either side. I forget my long wall length, I think it was 1.58".... sorry. It follows the axle housing proportionally.

 

LOL. Serious. They are very bright and impressive looking from the driver seat, but they are very bright in the wrong spot and not bright where they are supposed to be. Headlights should have the brightest part of their intensity right at the cut off as this is what projects distance. You also want to minimize foreground light as very bright light close to the vehicle isn't helpful, it is harmful. It reduces your night distance vision and draws your eyes down from the headlight horizon to where the headlights are focused. AlphaRex lights have the hot spot extremely low in the beam pattern, to the point it isn't even a legitimate headlight. The super low focal point causes very bright light immediately in front of the truck greatly increasing foreground light, which as I mentioned above is exactly what you don't want. However, from the driver seat this makes the headlights initially appear like a major upgrade, especially in areas of urban light, even though the opposite is true. And by dipping that hot spot so low in the beam, you've also lost your distance projection. So not only do your lights not project as far, your night vision is greatly reduced by the bad beam pattern making it so you can't see distance as well either, compounding the distance visibility problem. So you can now out drive your headlights, meaning that traveling at highway speeds, by the time an object is visibly illuminated by the headlights you will not have time to maneuver to prevent a collision. Because your night vision is reduced and your distance projection is reduced. A proper headlight design greatly increases the output intensity at the cut off without excessive foreground light, so you spot objects further away and maintain your night vision so that you have time to safely maneuver the vehicle to avoid a collision. There is a lot of science in headlight design, and AlphaRex doesn't use any of it.

 

Is that why I feel like I can't see shit at night since getting some 12-18 months ago? I just thought it was because I'm getting old.

 

Not because getting old (or at least not only), it is because you've replaced your actual headlights with short range floods pointed at the ground. If you want exceptional lighting on a 2nd Gen, this is the way:https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-ultimate-headlight-upgrade-h4-not-led-or-hid.398066/

 

Well….. while that’s obviously based off real knowledge of headlights and how they function, which I have very little of myself… I have to disagree. I drive highways and backroads at 1-2am as often as during the day, my windshield is blacked out with tint (35%) and I have 5% on all the other windows. I can see to drive with the drl’s alone at lower speeds, and I’ve never had the slightest problem seeing anything with them at any time other than heavy rain at night. They’re better than any other headlights in any car I’ve driven. Maybe I’m missing something but I took a video earlier today while adjusting them and they’re pretty bright at the cutoff.

 

The bit of pipe with the 90 came from a LS1 intake kit. It’s 4” pipe, an 11” leg on that 90. The intake/scoop portion up front is Volant- which is 3.5” so I got a kit from AFE (part 59-80612) made for Chevy intake. Came with the 3.5x4 coupler, and the 4x4 coupler. Worked like a champ.

 

Are those your low beams?? I could be wrong but they look like they're aimed a bit high.

 

It is hard to tell with the high beams on, but those don't look like they have hot spots in the pattern.

Check out 13:15-15:30, and it demonstrates what I am talking about.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kItoEHPgn98

Also, your high beams are obviously misaligned. The headlight is not compliant if your high beam aiming is separate from your low beam. High beams are supposed to be fixed to the low beams and aimed by the low beam cut off.

 

Thank you @C4 Fabrication - Money very well spent with your company.

 

That’s low and high beams. And yes they may be, I adjusted them up today but might have overdone it. I’ll have to test and see

 

They are fixed to the low beams as far as adjustment goes. These headlights have always seemed slightly off with one cutoff being higher than the other but that’s my only gripe with them.
As far as being compliant goes I’m not particularly worried about it. I run pods on my hood and toggle them like high beams, have wide ish wheels, rock lights and dark tint. In Indiana nobody seems to care honestly

 

If the high beams are fixed to the lows (as they should be) the high beam aiming appears off from the manufacture. The right low beam looks higher, yet has a lower high beam. And the left beam which looks lower has a higher high beam.

 

They’ve been like that since I got them. An annoying defect but never bothered me enough to get them replaced or anything.

 

Terrible pic, sitting at alignment shop, but I got 3 things done this week. 2 1/4” LT, 35’s
and the last is the super white paint peel, rear drivers door. Still need to trim a bit more, no rubbing on the street. Cycled it yesterday with no coil on the shock and no bump stop, surprised to see it cleared everything with tire straight, with it turned cleared firewall, but hit front and rear portion of fender. Screwed up a limit strap installing it, new one should be here tomorrow, so a little trim, new strap, and then time to play!

 

Well picked up another 15 with 45k miles about two weeks ago. Removed tool box, seat covers, home made bed mat, swapped out Huskey Floor liners with my Weather tech in Black truck, detailed inside and cleaned up out side. Got several things planned for the coming weeks.

 

Looks mint!

 

Yep! I got lucky. It was right down the road from me as well so didn’t have to travel to pick up. Drove a few 3rd gens but didn’t like them as well as 2nd gens.

 

Epic! What caused you to need to do this and what equipment did you use to press them?

 

So sorry man! This is exactly why I have my dash cam installed and keep mine in the garage when I’m not driving. People suck and most will take the easy way out.