HackD's ongoing 5-lug armored-slug build.

Looks good in my opinion. where did ya get it from?

 

They are the Steelcraft guards .. autotrucktoys.com had them significantly cheaper (even given shit exchange of our dollar) than anywhere else that could order from. I had brought them up in a search, and took a chance.

http://www.autotrucktoys.com/toyota...ck-Powdercoat-Tail-Light-Guards-PRD36893.aspx

 

So, I added this little thing to the Scuz-rocket's doors this afternoon. Showing the Flag.

Still got to plasti-derp the Tacoma badges.. some day it'll be warm enough to do that.

 

Plast-derping tape-up time for the door badging. I do a base coat of plasti-dip, and follow up with a coating of enamel to harden it up. Likely i'm making things too complicated, but the technique works for me to make it a durable application, yet entirely removable if it came to that.

 

Ahh .. that's better.



Edit: April 18th, 2016 at 6:50pm.

Updated post to indicate the run of completing partially done projects continued today. FINALLY got the rear end wired in to tow my trailer with actual functional lights. Not really all that much involved other than to drill and fasten a trailer plug connection to the Fab-4's bumper, routing the wiring, and plugged in the pre-made wiring splitter kit into the tail-lights.

$69 Draw-Tite 118496 T-One Connector for Toyota T100/Tacoma

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B004R32TG4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Also installed a trailer hitch holder to the inside of the truck bed, just behind the tail-gate. Another found on Amazon product. No more forgetting it on the shelf in the garage, or taking out my shins with it left in the receiver.

http://www.amazon.com/Stor-A-Hitch-...&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00



Several more things on the go - mostly electrical related, that winter put off.

• Run aftermarket reverse camera into my Kenwood head unit.
• Install and wire in the front replacement led driving light and led turn-signal/running-light combo steel insert replacements for the ARB plastic items, from Labrak (careful with this guy - he's apparently got sales issues) - http://www.shop.labrak.com/ARB-Bumper-Fog-Light-Assembly-Upgrade-LR-02-0024.htm

 

Vacation week/project week hump-day. Another thing crossed off of the list - installation of the Labrak light inserts for the ARB bumper. They've been sitting on my computer room floor, since about November.. about time i got to them. Still have to actually run the driving light wiring harness into the cabin - but i'll be doing that when i open the dashboard up to do the final wiring of this, and other electrical additions to the truck in the very near future. I only want to open up the interior and dashboard the *one* time, to do it all, all at once..

 

In summary, the major external parts list/mods to date (as of April 20th, 2016), are as follows:

• RTX Arsenic 16x7 +40 offset aftermarket rims - used - kijiji.ca
• 225/75R16 Goodyear Wrangler ST tires - used - kijiji.ca
• ARB Deluxe front bumper - new - 4wheelparts.ca
• Fab Fours rear bumper - new - 4wheelparts.ca
• Weathertech in-channel window visors - new - 4wheelparts.ca
• Extang Trifold Solid Cover - used - kijiji.ca
• ReadyLift SST 2.75/1.75" spacer/AAL lift kit
• Bilstein 4600 front struts/5100 rear shocks
• Toyota Accessories OEM access cab running boards
• Labrak light insert replacements with Rigid style LED driving lights for ARB front bumper
  
• Prinsu Design Studios AccessRac roof rack system
• U-Haul Class 4 trailer hitch and wiring
• Rear Steelcraft tail light guards

I'm now very close to my ideal of the perfect 5-lug slug, for myself. Anything further, is either in the small parts and finishing touches, or opportunities to upgrade components with maintenance replacement requirements as they come along.

 

Post a pic with the lights on in the dark!!!

 

I'll certainly do so, once i've actually got the wiring harness installed!

In the meantime, a few near-twilight photos will need to do, for now

 

hot damn! looks good, man!

 

Thank you.. it's hard to believe that it was bone-stock just about a year ago. A fair amount of parts thrown at it, along with a lot of creative thought in exploring and deciding options. I didn't want to JC Whitney the piss out of it, but at the same time, it needed to have the unmistakable persona, as being mine. I'm glad that as a project of sorts, it's come as far as where i wanted to take it.

A fair number of things that were considered, didn't make the cut.. a few of those things, i think we've discussed in the past.

 

For those times a year that i take the ATV for a good long distance away from home - I am going to need a place to pop the spare. I could always sling it back under the truck bed - but as far as our 5 months of Winter, and 7 months of Bad Snowmobiling goes, yuk. It stays effectively restrained under the tonneau cover when not carrying the ATV.

This is one of the reasons why i bought the Prinsu accessrac. I need to get a proper tire carrier mount, that i can utilize with the rack channel-lock bolt system so that the mount would easily be removable when not in use. I imagine a jeep item would be adaptable.

Photo just taken as i slung it up there temporarily, while re-mounting the tonneau cover today. Gonna need to be a lot bigger tires and suspension to get any street/trail cred, lol.. but if it works, it'll work. Accessrack is plenty strong for the 50 lbs of rim and tire.

 

Well, my armor popped it's first cherry on the way home from work this evening.. I looked into the rear-view mirror just in time to watch a Zombie in Wayfarer sunglasses behind the wheel, ghosting into my rear end in stop and go rush hour traffic at about 20 km/h. The driver of Daddy's Chevrolet Equinox that hit me, destroyed it's bumper cover, headlight surround and hood, radiator sub-frame, and punctured the rad. Well over $5k CDN in damages to his heap, and he went home on the wrong end of a tow-truck. My rear Fab-4's bumper didn't move, but in shortening up his front end, he dinged my tail-gate with his hood frown emoticon

Not cool... apparently my hazard warning stripes on the bumper were ineffective, although, I don't know why?!? Oh wait, because Zombie.

Note the hole to the right of the licence plate - that was my shackle mount point that punched through his bumper cover.

Bottom photo is to just show the hazard stripes - doesn't show any damage. post-hit there isn't really much except a ding in the lower crease, and a mild crease going vertically from there, slightly bending the tail-gate.. enough that it'll need to be replaced. Tail-gate still opens and closes fine. Where his hood wrinkled back at the tip, is where he dinged me.

 

Dam man sorry to hear...imagine if you had your trailer hitch in

 

All's good now .. truck fully repaired on insurance's tab, and quite minimal as compared to the hitter's damage costs. Rear bumper is a virgin no more, and held up perfectly to the relatively low velocity. Just confirms what i was wanting to do with going armored bumpers. The only thing that couldn't be fixed is a sticker, which is admittedly tweaking my OCD tendencies. Oh well.

Currently looking into retrofitting the rear end with additional anti-zombie repellent (claymore mine in the hitch receiver, perhaps? ... just kidding, i think.. ). Looking into a sequential pulsed strobe module for the 3rd brake light as a further warn-off.

 

Airbag in the hitch should act like reactive armor that they put on tanks. No one will want to bumb it because it'll bump back

 

Today's project .. wiring up the driving lights in my Arb - Labrak bumper inserts. I cheated a bit / ran out of time - it's wired up to the firewall - i just have to get into the dash to finish it up.

My main beams are really yellowed in comparison - and they need to be polished up with the sun-glazing on the lenses pretty evident now.

 

What Dash cam are you using?

 

DOD LS430W .. it's been superceded by the LS460W since.

https://www.amazon.com/DOD-TECH-LS430W-Japanese-Aperture/dp/B00JE7730A