cbechtold's Long Travel IFS Crawler Tacoma Build and BS Thread

If you have Instagram give @fabienflorent a follow or he’s on here occasionally as @Happysmiley and will be a good source of info!

 

One of these days I'll update this build thread with the past year of events and lack of wheeling, but here's a teaser of something coming soon!


IMG_6437 by Cory Bechtold, on Flickr


IMG_6471 by Cory Bechtold, on Flickr


IMG_6411 by Cory Bechtold, on Flickr

 

Oh damn.

 

interesting rear suspension setup…. More info as I see coilover and leaf spring.

 

Haha! Leaf springs are getting deleted. Trailing arms will be taking their place

 

Tank where the spare used to go or in bed?

 

I'm so freaking pumped to see Martec's trailing arm kit for the 1st gens

 

Nope. Keeping the tank where it's at for now. We are planning on a 3 link setup. Maybe later I'll consider just a full on back half and fuel cell, but that's a future me problem

You and me both man! So stoked for some better suspension on the rear

 

Out with the old. In with the new! 13 weeks until leaving for Hammers when I finally get to use this truck again!


IMG_6503 by Cory Bechtold, on Flickr

 

what rear end?

 

Spidertrax Spider 9 3.5" DOM

 

sweet.
I’ll looking at different axles options
The gx470 might go into surgery

 

I know D60s have been a popular option for the GXs as well Diamond Axle makes a LC 9.5" replacement housing.

 

Diamond 9.5 is nice and sturdy.

 

Trade ya

 

Tempting man. Tempting.

 

Alrighty. Time to get this thread a little more up to date. Let's start where I left off. The armor on the truck was starting to show it's age and the wear and tear is up there. I kept bashing the front bumper into everything so it's time to update that.

New crossmember base for the new bumper


PXL_20231225_010040960 by Cory Bechtold, on Flickr


PXL_20231227_212026010 by Cory Bechtold, on Flickr

Quick coat of paint so it didn't rust outside


PXL_20231228_021757031 by Cory Bechtold, on Flickr

Onward to the actual bumper. First the base plate for the winch.


PXL_20240102_021532608 by Cory Bechtold, on Flickr


PXL_20240108_015516231 by Cory Bechtold, on Flickr


PXL_20240110_000935398 by Cory Bechtold, on Flickr


PXL_20240110_022424448 by Cory Bechtold, on Flickr

Now to make it look like a bumper.


PXL_20240115_040422816 by Cory Bechtold, on Flickr


PXL_20240117_220615301 by Cory Bechtold, on Flickr

Added some new lights so I can see in the desert at night.


PXL_20240118_001131193 by Cory Bechtold, on Flickr

Made a couple small gussets and extra mounts and frame tie ins for all the support I can get with this bumper.


PXL_20240118_025908110 by Cory Bechtold, on Flickr

New high clearance front bumper means new shorter rad, plus the old one was bent and starting to leak


PXL_20240124_191727997 by Cory Bechtold, on Flickr


PXL_20240124_211157898 by Cory Bechtold, on Flickr

Plenty of room for the new skid plate, whenever I build that lol


PXL_20240124_211444678 by Cory Bechtold, on Flickr

Tackled a few other small things while I had the truck apart. Cleaned up some wiring as well behind the rad inside the core support.


PXL_20240124_223136655 by Cory Bechtold, on Flickr

Best lights in the game. Stoked on the look of these.


PXL_20240125_212138741.PORTRAIT by Cory Bechtold, on Flickr

Pictures don't do these light justice. They are stupid bright at night. Almost like having the power of the sun on the front of the truck.


PXL_20240126_025502251.NIGHT by Cory Bechtold, on Flickr

 

On the drive back from Hammers, the last gas station stop made the truck feel like the transmission was on the way out. Lots of slipping and lots of not engagement in the gears. Needless to say, I wasn't wrong.

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PXL_20240206_050335540 by Cory Bechtold, on Flickr


PXL_20240206_050312410 by Cory Bechtold, on Flickr

Straight to the trailer and storage for awhile since I didn't want to look at this thing for a while. Too much work put into it for it have a major failure right after a trip. I was pissed.


PXL_20240211_224206569 by Cory Bechtold, on Flickr

Coming 3 months later, truck came back and I pulled the trans out and sent it off to get rebuild since Toyota no longer sells the parts for these transmissions. I'll run it until I break it and then it'll get something GM with a reverse manual valve body because racecar lol


PXL_20240507_034312843 by Cory Bechtold, on Flickr

Rebuilt the crawlbox and got a new transfer case install since the old one was on it's way out as well. Cleaned out a bunch of ATF off the crawlbox which was not fun.


PXL_20240630_205124987 by Cory Bechtold, on Flickr


PXL_20240630_231209207 by Cory Bechtold, on Flickr


PXL_20240701_010714394 by Cory Bechtold, on Flickr


PXL_20240701_045511714 by Cory Bechtold, on Flickr


PXL_20240701_050131123 by Cory Bechtold, on Flickr

6 months after the initial failure, the Tacoma came back for good so I could put her together, or so I thought.


PXL_20240703_031137168 by Cory Bechtold, on Flickr


PXL_20240705_003327152 by Cory Bechtold, on Flickr

This is why I can't have nice thing.


PXL_20240708_014224813 by Cory Bechtold, on Flickr


PXL_20240710_213516531 by Cory Bechtold, on Flickr


PXL_20240710_224128894 by Cory Bechtold, on Flickr

The following weekend, she finally felt the garage under her own power.


PXL_20240714_213004522 by Cory Bechtold, on Flickr

Transmission has held up great so far. Only like 750 miles on it right now, but I'm happy with it. Helps a ton it's no longer a daily driver.

 

Alright. The big one. Here's a teaser of the Martec Engineering Trailing Arm 3 Link setup with the new Spider 9 rear axle. I'm so stoked so far!

Pic are from of Nick @ Martec.


IMG_20241210_154450 by Cory Bechtold, on Flickr


IMG_20241210_155201 by Cory Bechtold, on Flickr


IMG_20241213_125440 by Cory Bechtold, on Flickr


IMG_20241213_125459 by Cory Bechtold, on Flickr


IMG_20241213_125441 by Cory Bechtold, on Flickr


IMG_20241213_125506 by Cory Bechtold, on Flickr

 

Can I safely assume Martec will be releasing a first gen trailer arm kit based on your truck’s R&D?