UTAH (and Surrounding Areas) BS Thread

I'm sure there's DIY's to follow, and videos, and instructions from ARB
Installed mine on a 2nd gen it was a matter of nuts and bolts.
I put everything else in a bin to deal with later on a separate day with more time. Bumper itself didn't take much time.
That way I could at least get rid of the old stock parts from taking up space

Rest left is fogs, turn signals; the truck can still drive without (headlights have city bulbs, turn signals)

lights usually come with instructions but yeah I'm in the same boat as you. While I know how to use wiring tools, I'm not sure the best "route" for the wires to take for lights; in terms of if it should be a standalone harness that connects to the battery (yay, even more shit bolted to the terminals now) and separate switch ran to the interior, possibly poking it through a firewall grommet.
With ground to chassis

But in terms of actual tools for wiring in general, things that are good to have:
-conduit/protective sheathing of the right size
-heat shrink tubing
-3m super 33 electrical tape
-good butt/crimp connectors, insulated heat shrink type that are adhesive-lined, of the right gauge (I have an assorted kit of NSPA Krimpa-Seal)
-connectors, to wire in if you want any removable sections
-good quality pliers for crimping and cutting; I have Knipex and Snap-On
-DVOM/multimeter, doesn't have to be the most expensive
-maybe a couple of other things
-light, to see what you're doing
-zipties or other method to secure wiring
-way to denote your new wiring as visibly add-on and not factory, and possibly not sneaking it into stock wiring so it's easier to diagnose by anyone in the future and remember what is and isn't stock. For example, a single wrap of yellow tape usually indicates rodent chew repair; you could choose your own color; 3M Super 33 comes in all colors included at Home Depot

which the stuff above is good to have in general if you don't already, like if you ever need to make a wiring diagnosis or repair in the future, or install of other parts anywhere else on the truck

hardest part for me right now on the mechanical side of the bumper, is 1. I didn't have the time beforehand to black paint my fender edges behind the bumper as recommended
and 2. determining what to set the height. I see posts of people setting theirs very close high up that looks good, but the ARB instructions state I believe set it 10-15mm (which is a big ugly gap) to allow room for the bumper itself to flex during winch/recovery without trashing the fenders
so I really need to figure out what exact permanent location I'm gonna put it at, before doing the final last part of install for recovery strength, which is:
1. drilling the extra holes to put the final last bolts
2. installing ARB recovery point, which also drills/bolts, under the assumption the bumper is bolted to it's final installation point/there's no going back from there - I think the holes drill into the front part of the frame

then, if you haven't already, you're gonna need to figure out which front suspension springs to run, usually higher springrate to handle the added bumper weight and sit right
and whatever special tools may be needed to safely replace the springs

you also can customize/pick and choose what fogs you want in it, now or later
for example, at least on my 2nd gen, I got the extra regular fogs kit
but for more money there's places that make replacement holders compatible with different aftermarket LED fogs that are probably brighter, stronger, and more reliable - but cost more

the fog insert usually comes with plastic fill plates that you knock out to mount lights into them; you can always just keep those in there for now to drive around if you plan to get to that later
just make sure any electrical connectors you keep the plugged into a part (like a bulb) or taped over, so they're not just dangling unplugged allowing corrosion and moisture to enter a bare terminal that's normally plugged in and sealed

 

HEY! I jus got me a fresh rol'a duck tape. I kin anstal anithin with fresh duck tape. Gi'me a call... BR 549.

 

Cleaning out storage. Free 3rd gen K&N filter if anyone wants it. Probably 20k on it and could use a cleaning and some oil but otherwise in good shape. In Orem.

 

Did a thing today.

 

Trail limos for the win

 

How were the trails? Were they dry?

 

Anyone familiar with the KDSS on a 4Runner? I’m familiar with what it’s supposed to do, but how does it actually perform offroad?

 

sway bar delete

 

For the most part. The mud you see is from Long Canyon.

I have a 4Runner with KDSS.

 

Yep.

My Gladiator (rubicon trim) was expensive, but I get factory lockers, leather, heated seats, swaybar disconnect, 4:10's, 33's (can run 35's without a lift), and 4:1 transfer case. Not sure what toyota is gunna offer other than bolt on bumpers and racks.

Even the 'pro' models are a joke. The TRD offroad model is still the best bang for the buck IMO

 

As a die hard toyota fan I agree. And I can tell you that they'll offer the bare minimum and people will eat it up. I mean they didn't put in motorized seat adjusters until like 2-3 years ago lol but they do hold the market on reliability and that's what people care for. We're actually looking for a jeep wrangler for the wife for her next car, but i'll keep my truck or at least i'll always have some sort of toyota, I just can't let it go lol.

 

Wanted to give the forum a shot at these first before posting them on KSL, I have a set of TRD faux beadlocks for sale here soon. They're in great shape, one has a scuff on it from hitting a tire on the freeway but it looks like with some elbow grease it should come off. Just getting a new set, they'll come with tires on them, Falken Wildpeaks, have tons of life left in them. Shoot me a dm if you're interested, they're getting hard to find.

 

Oh yea. I sometimes think that toyota reliability is confused with negligence. I don't fully trust the Jeep yet, but I did put over 200 mi offroad on it in Nevada last weekend. Didn't see anyone except for two older gentlemen who go lost and there phones died that had the map. They were in a wash with a lot of boulders. The trail was a little much for them and they were trying to figure out how to get down a small waterfall.

My wife and I pulled up and I was expecting the worst. An abondoned truck in the middle of the trail with no one in it. We were about 10 miles away from HWY 318, but you couldn't see it from the canyon wash. We got them down the waterfall and then they followed me out.

That state is one big offroad trail. We will definitely go back. We were north of vegas in Panaca, and Pioche. I found a nevada 4x4 site put on by the state gov. It had all sorts of .gpx downloads. We literally just picked trails and made loops. Some fireroads, and a lot of 2-track washed out roads with just enough difficulty to make it interesting. All the snow melt and rain created some interesting trail conditions.

 

My only concern with jeeps is the electronics, they're notorious for being figity after a while but now a days if you maintain anything it will last as long as you want it to. My father in law has almost 200k miles on his TJ and it still runs like a champ. I'm also helping him rebuild an old 1944 willy's that started after new plugs and oil change lol it all evens out in the end imo.

 

When my motor blows up in my second gen this is what I'm throwing in next
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqsEU0itvIU

 

You'll easily find a buyer for those beauties. Post it up here too https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/trd-pro-tx-baja-official-thread.360056

 

I do. It’s basically a hydraulic sway bar system. There is a central piston that once pressurized essentially lock the away bars. The system gets “enabled” around 12 mph. Below 12 mph, it’s similar to a sway bar disconnect (not quite, but similar) and allows more articulation due to the sway bar being able to travel further up and down.

Above 12 mph it’s a beefy sway bar, but it still rides ok on washboard because the hydraulic system does offer some “damping”. It is harsher than a non-KDSS vehicle at higher speeds on rough terrain.

I’m about to install a bunch of DrKDSS stuff that allows me to turn it off at higher speeds and beef up the system when my lift goes on. Getting it all done this coming Friday by Geoffrey at Agility Customs. Will happily share more after that’s done.

 

Looks like the new Taco will be complex electronically. I assume it will be a turbo hybrid like the tundra. I don't mind the electronics, but its the idea where you need to visit the dealer in order to fix stuff. Im sure their will be lawsuits ('right to repair') coming down in the next couple of years.

 

Is it worth the extra coin? Probably a matter of opinion, but curious.

@BortisYeltzen i’m guessing bases on your post that it doesn’t limit mod options?

 

I really like the KDSS for off-roading at low speeds. It’s a little harsher at higher speeds. It’s awesome on the highway.

Is it worth the $? Toyota specs it on the GX’s and Land Cruisers, it’s part of their premium off-road accessories. The downside is it could also leave owners with a premium price repair if it fails. It also adds cost when doing a lift, which I’m about to find out first hand. Bought pretty much every DrKDSS item they make. Also, plan to do some extra maintenance removing the covers and fluid filming things occasionally. I believe it does also limit some lift height options, so if you want to do long travel, probably skip KDSS.

DrKDSS:
https://drkdss.com/collections/kdss

Bunch of info at the TW sister 4Runner site:
https://www.4runners.com/threads/is-kdds-worth-the-money.30576/

And KDSS Boogie Man stories here:
https://www.4runners.com/threads/kdss-existing-or-new-owners-beware.12050/