Long Travel BS Thread

We got similar sounds !
I miss driving on the beach. I haven’t been to Pismo out west here in years.
https://youtube.com/shorts/fHpxvhYWK1E?si=tu2tdAXBVKkt7P39

 

What about just doing something like this? Aluminum base with sacrificial UHMW? Just the weight oriented side of me hating on steel skids more than anything.

 

would definitely slide better than just aluminum would thats for sure.

 

I still say everyone is sleeping on 7075. But I won’t waste my time explaining that it’s actually harder than mild steel. It takes more to gouge 7075 than it does steel.

You could do a .190 7075 base with .190 UHMW be lighter and stronger than a .188 mild steel skid. If friction is a concern at least.

 

It's an interesting conversation for sure, and I'm all about nerding out over some materials science.

The 7075 ha a slightly higher hardness and tensile rating than A36 steel (Rockwell and brinell). However the shear modulus of A36 is more than double the 7075. Sliding over a sharp rock, hardness determines how deep the gouge is, but the shear modulus determines how much material (if any) is torn out as you continue to slide across the rock. Of course there's a lot more to look at to, including elastic limits and yield strengths, etc, but the discussion seemed to be more about gouge resistance than anything. I think 7075 is wonderful, but likely underutilized in offroading because of 3 things:
-the price
-the fact that the majority of home builders don't have the tools to easily cut and tig weld aluminum
-general lack of understanding of the various grades and applications. Only considering steel for skids is like the "there's no replacement for displacement" engine mindset.

To reiterate for the next bit, I know UHMW brings up a lot of lot of opinions. I know it's a viable option for what I want to accomplish when designed right. I have plenty of firsthand experience using it, I just haven't had the pleasure of designing it yet, which is why I asked about design parameters.

I found the information I needed, and finished up the math last night. Like most materials, there's a sweet spot, and for my application, It lands on 3/4". There's a minimum tubing structure I'd need for any of the materials. Essentially two more tube crossmembers with a couple of longitudinal braces. With 3/4" UHMW, I don't need any additional support, just bolting points. Total UHMW weight for the entire underside is ~65lbs, which is pretty great. 7075 would be about 20 lbs lighter. So there's a weight difference, but nothing crazy, and both are SUBSTANTIALLY lighter than steel or any type. The 3/4" will take impacts like the steel. Very different than what you see under UTVs.
Like aluminum however, this will be a more expensive material than steel. However total cost should be similar to if not less than buying off the shelf skids for a factory layout Tacoma from any of the respected aftermarket companies.

Cory, I kind of view this similar to your commentary on potentially engine swapping your Tacoma with another Toyota/Lexus engine vs a "easier" LS.
May take a bit more work, but ultimately it's a bit more personally fulfilling, and when done right, is absolutely as effective, potentially even better when you factor in your more niche goals.

 

You do plenty fine wasting time pretending to be a bigger expert than you are in the small pond that is TW.

Folks that spend all their time nerding out in CAD and material engineering instead of actually hitting the desert or the rocks love to try and reinvent the wheel with this stuff, but real life experience changes everything in a hurry.

UHMW sucks in reality for a truck in the rocks that isn’t lightweight like a side by side or Samurai. It sticks and gets ripped off. Aluminum 7075 links are falling out of favor in a hurry right now since they just lock you onto any gritty type of rocks compared to steel. HT chromo or steel links slugged with aluminum is becoming the norm.

 

I'm no expert, but I did ride a lot of BMX between '95 and 2015. Not a direct correlation at all, but just food for thought. Steel pegs (typically 4140) slid best on all surfaces, aluminum was rarely used because it didn't slide for shit (it even did poorly on waxed steel coping), and polyethylene (unsure on the exact type) was becoming more popular but was a replaceable wear item unless it had a full-length aluminum core.

 

UHMW is great stuff for sure. And I definitely won’t dog it. It just gets tore up. But when you’re sliding a 3 ton vehicle over rocks, anything is getting tore up. So it’s a pick your poison situation more than anything.

 

Ya know. I was going to ignore this. My background goes far deeper than Tacomas for starters. It just so happens to be a platform I really enjoy.

I certainly hope you’re not referring to me with the CAD comment, because I’m one that believes CAD has partially destroyed the fabrication/building world. Guys behind a computer making parts that they don’t even have the skill to build at the end of the day.

Secondly. I really enjoy your comment about how guys need to spend time in the desert or rocks to find what works. Then proceed to dog the shit out of UHMW for heavier vehicles. When tons of Ultra4 and Trophy trucks run it for skids. Vehicles that see more abuse in one race than any single vehicle in here will in its entire life.

Anyways, guys have a great day! There’s always 100 different ways to skin the same cat.

 

You’re a good fabricator no doubt, but you come across as extremely arrogant when you make statements as fact that are just incorrect when you’re out of your lane.

I was directly pointing out your lack of experience rock crawling or going fast in the desert. Don’t know or care if you use CAD, just a generalization for build threads with lots of pretty CAD pictures and not much on dirt pictures.

Find me a 4400 Bomber, CE, Miller, UFO, Triton, or Lasernut car with a piece of UHMW on it in 2025. It’s all AR plate these days. A few, but not all, of the 4600 Bronco’s run UHMW under the front skid but those are the only ones I know of that are competitive at U4 races. Can’t speak to TT stuff since I don’t know much about them.

I enjoy reading posts from guys smarter than me and learning as much as I can about areas I’m not as familiar with so that I can apply different ideas. Hence why a SA rock donkey like me frequents this thread from time to time and largely keeps my mouth shut. Places like Irate4x4 and RDZ are where there’s real tech still happening

 

In the process of helping my wife build a pretty nice mid travel truck on 37’s.

I will never find enjoyment in doing these pivots though. Between the grinding and a ton of fitment, it just sucks.

But pushing the tire forward sure saves a bunch of work on the firewall.

 

How much does that pivot kit move the tires forward?

 

1/4”-1”

 

Anyone in Orange County need some sound deadener?
I’ve got the box that was supposed to be used for my taco sitting here.
It’s about 400$ of the good stuff from skyhigh.
I’ll let it go for 200$ just to get it outta my way. My Silverado is covered top to bottom or I’d use it up


https://skyhighcaraudio.com/sky-high-car-audio-120mil-sound-deadener-16-5sq-ft/


Sold

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but that doesn't seem enough to truly help with tire clearance?

Even at 1" that seems like it would help with clearance marginally.

 

1” is substantial. Ask any woman.

 

I need to meet the women you hang out with.

 

lemme tell you rn, no matter what you do, it’s gonna be a shit ton of work. LS’s are nice because ecu’s are cheap and available and universal, and the aftermarket support on LS’s is awesome. Try finding a set of cams for a 2UR! You can find pistons, but that’s about it. Some dude in Dubai has a TT IS350 making like 800 wheel, almost entirely custom 1 off parts. He also has a GSF with forged pistons waiting for the new PD blower to finally come out from elate mfg.

The 2UR would be infinitely cooler though, and sound 10 times better. And make way more power. My truck feels slow as a dog with 6.3L.

 

I used to live down the road from torspd. Spent a lot of time in his garage and turning wrenches in his driveway. Got to absorb a lot of knowledge from him. It was incredible hearing him talk about everything he's gone through building that 1gr. Similar story to the Dubai guy, of if you want it, make/machine it yourself, because no one else does.

The motto of this genre is "just because you can.....doesn't me you should.....but it's awesome that you did"

 

It’s just a money problem. Everything’s a money problem