TacoFMS' attempt at a build thread

got the light bar mounted and somewhat installed last night, unfortunately not having a garage or shop or, well anything like that, to work on bit me square in the butt.... ran out of daylight and couldnt get the light to work.

got a chance to look it over when the sun came up this morning at work and found i missed a crimp on the connection to tell the switch when to turn on(dont know tech terms, its what was jumped off the park lamp to give ok to turn on). so i respliced it and this time properly crimped it. and it works.... for now. (not thrilled with the big box store's version of an offroad lights "premade" harness so i have another on the way to replace this one with that will give me much better piece of mind for safety reliability and sealed connections)




may end up cutting the plastic out of the lower valence and fitting some mesh that matches the satoshi in there instead. will still give me a bit of a defense from objects yet wont block near as much light and will blend in with the satoshi better???? who knows???

 

Nice job!

 

thanks its gettin there.

 

Well havent really updated this in a while and been doin little things here and there when I get a chance.

Decided towards the end of may that i needed a different cb so got a 29lx after seeing one of the supervisor's at my work get one and be quite pleased with it. got it all mounted up and moved the antenna to a relentless hood mount so it works like a charm pulling around a 1:1 from what my cb guru tells me, no clue what that means just know that i can get out pretty far and hear folks from a good ways off.




then earlier this week got my new toolbox in and mounted it up, swapped toolboxes in preparation for my next diy project for the truck. not sure when it will be started though since school has started back now.


and a side shot to show how flush it sits.



not a whole lot done but, heck, at least its something, right???

 

It's an SWR of 1.1 on 19, and like 1.5 on 40 and 1. Basically it means that the antenna is ideally tuned, and that the mount is well grounded to the metal of the truck. That's about the absolute best way to run a CB on a new tacoma with a composite bed, because it needs metal under it to work well. The Relentless mount is good stuff.

 

and there you go folks, its my cb guru^^^^^^ without him helping me with the stuff i would be lost and still trying to figure out how to turn it on!

thanks again keith for all the help!

 

Had to make some new mounts for my tractor supply hi-lift today. Since I got rid of my old toolbox and didnt want to start making the brand new pretty one look like swiss cheese yet, that meant I had to come up with something to replace my previous version of the hi-lift mount.

Here is the end result. nothing real fancy, no sense in showing pics of the process, just got some aluminum flat bar and a vice and went to bending.




So, as always, whatcha think??? I figure not too bad for using just some cut off pieces of aluminum I already had laying around and a couple dollars worth of hardware, may even keep the aluminum bare??? Or should I paint it?

 

dont worry im gonna try to pick up another piece of flatbar this weekend to start work on yours. I just think that we will be forced to do steel for sturdiness for what you want. I have a feeling yours is gonna whip me and it will be a complete failure on my part!!

 

You should make and sell those things. Simple, yet people need them.

 

heck knowing my luck i wouldnt even be able to give them away!!! just like the old toolbox!!

 

Ok, so it begins again... The presents are beginning to trickle in!!!








But wait a second Justin, What is that for???????






Oh you children will see soon enough!!!

 

Bumpah.

 

FINALLY GOT THE TRANSFER CASE SKID INSTALLED!!!!!!

spent some time this past Friday and got the skid installed that I have been procrastinating to do now for well over a year.



Yes I know it is not flush but at some point I have to take it back off to do the oil change in the transfer case and I will concentrate on lining it up better when I put it back on then.

Also took the opportunity to put the exhaust wrap on the pipe running along side the transfer case and right by the actuator so that hopefully I can keep some heat of those two things.

 

I am still researching my choice for winches. I like Dave's. What brand is yours, and if you don't mind me asking, how much was it?

 

mine is an engo. it is the E9000s and it was a bit over $400 shipped.

Best thing to do is if you have a profile on autoanything then log in to your profile and do a search of the winch.... spend a min or two looking at it and the options blah blah blah then just close out your browser or whatever. within a day or so they will send an email to you for 10% off the winch.... dont get it yet. wait a couple more days. they will send you one for 12% off.... wait longer grasshopper! after a day or so they will finally send you an email for 15% off that is only active for a day or two. JUMP ON IT! and then it will be just shy of $400 for the synthetic line, or it will be like $280 for the steel cable.

 

I am looking at their winches now, but they dont show the 9000 with a synthetic line. Only show it with a steel cable.



After submitting a membership I got a coupon code right off in their first email for 15% off any order over $199. The winch you got, with the steel cable is only $369. That makes it right off a cost of about $330 without synthetic line. I am still on the fence there. I like the idea of the synthetic line, but I have heard that it breaks down a lot under the ultraviolet light from the sun and gets weaker. Still have that to consider.

 

it is only listed as the winch with "hawse fairlead" option. instead of roller fairlead. not only that but i have heard similar with the synthetic line, but when it is in a plate bumpah its not gettin much sun. not only that but if i find that to be very true and have to purchase a new line a $15 cover will solve that problem

 

Cable came in to remote mount the solenoid box and wire up the winch.
Figured that I might as well be different if I had to purchase extra wire and not just go plain! So this is what I chose.



a bit different and possibly a conversation starter. So now I need to work on mounting the solenoid and running the cable so that I can cut and put ends on it to be ready for the next step!!

 

That's a good lookin truck.