BigMike’s Big Journey: New 2016 Tacoma

@BigMike , I don't understand half of what you're writing about, but I sure do like your enthusiasm. Subbed.

 

hes a visionary.

 

Thank you for the continued nice words guys, really appreciate it! I'm getting a lot done currently and need to get this thread caught up!

June 21, 2017 (continued): New Stickers!

That same evening I got some new stickers installed

First was my windshield sticker that I had mocked up about a month ago: "World's First Dual Ultimate 3(rd) Gen Tacoma"



Quick Q&A

Question: Dual?
Answer: A Dual Case setup is where you've added an additional stock low range gear set to your truck (2.28:1 Hilux ratio). The term "Dual Transfer case" is tossed around but we don't have two t/cases, rather a total of two low range gear sets. It looks like this: Engine > Transmission > Low Range #1 (inside of the Marlin Crawler) > Low Range #2 (inside of your Transfer case) > Ring & Pinion.

Question: Dual Ultimate?
Answer: A "Dual Ultimate" is when you have one stock low range gear set (in my t/case: 2.57:1) but you've upgraded to our 4.70:1 Total-Spline Chromoly low range gear set (in my Marlin Crawler). The name comes from what Marlin believes is "the Ultimate gear ratio", which, based on drivetrain and R&P, falls in the 200-250:1 range for manual trucks and 140-170:1 for automatic trucks. The name was created by Marlin and is used to describe the best of our products.

Question: Isnt't there something called a TacoBox?
Answer: A TacoBox is what Marlin invented in 2001 when he built the world's first Tacoma dual transfer case setup. Back in the 1990s we had a Dual T/Case setup for Land Cruisers that we called a "ToyBox", so "TacoBox" was the natural progression from there. As some 4Runners, T100s, Tundras, and FJ Cruisers share the same bolt pattern as the Tacoma (what the TacoBox was originally designed for), we still call it a TacoBox. We have many TacoBoxes running around in Toyota models other than Tacomas.

Question: What about a TacoBox Supreme?
Answer: A TacoBox Supreme is simply a TacoBox fitted with our 4.70:1 low range gears. This is synonymous with the above "Dual Ultimate" and is the Ultimate setup for a Tacoma. The origin of this term is easy to guess: I used to love Burrito Supremes from TacoBell and that's where we got the name from!

Good Question: Why does my windshield sticker read "Dual Ultimate" instead of "TacoBox Supreme"?
Answer: I plan to make a vehicle wrap for the Tacoma which will include TacoBox Supreme. This way I've got both bases covered, plus anyone from the older truck market who is considering a new Tacoma would be comforted to know that a Tacoma Dual Ultimate exists.

Last Question: Where the hell is my apostrophe??



Not only 1) was I missing the apostrophe, but 2) the sticker was not slightly curved as requested, and 3) we've ordered windshield stickers before and they are never in sections like this...

Well, I guess one nice thing about the sections is that it was easier to angle the sticker around the curve of the body



In the end I think it turned out okay. (p.s. from the future: I've already notified our sticker guy and he is sending me the missing apostrophe.)



And lastly I made this flip'n sweet sticker for the back window. I've always wanted something like this on my 1981 Hilux (I made one for it also, "36 speed / 511:1") so I was excited to get this on the Tacoma. I made it 7-inches tall but after applying it I was thinking 8" or 9" tall would be a better fit. I also ordered an eBay sticker indicating I'm driving a manual equipped truck but at this time it still had not shown up.

I've always wanted to make stickers like these for all our customers... Have a text field on our website or an easy to use calculator where you can enter in your truck's details and then we have a sticker made, but making this die-cut sticker one-at-a time cost just over $20... per sticker!



At this point my truck was look'n pretty good to hit another trail which was a good thing because two days later I returned to Bald Mountain!

(edit: revised a Q&A sentence)

 

You got the lockers on yet?

 

I don't have words to describe how badass your rig is. I remember watching this thread when you had first initially picked it up. Holy crap how far its come. You guys do some awesome work at Marlin. I can't wait to see this beast on 37's or bigger!

 

@BigMike, you can do a lot of building, but tell me there's one of these with dual cases somewhere at the office.

 

Thanks guys for the comments, always a pleasure reading and meeting new forum friends! @whitedlite I am humbled by your comment, thank you Sir

As for my ARB air lockers, they are installed and let's just say that at the point in history of this thread they are not wired in yet

Three days later was one of our largest local summer event called Moonlight Madness, an event put on by the Clovis Independents 4WD Club (event info)

June 24, 2017: 4th Trail Run: Moonlight Madness 2017

This is my second return to Bald Mountain since first buying the truck last year (see video on page 9).

I am way behind with trip reports at Marlin Crawler so again I'll have to spare everyone the details, get them posted up later once I post our official trip report.

For now please enjoy some random wheel'n pics! I'm going to be out of town and very busy for the next three weeks so I won't be able to post for a while. Hope you guys enjoy!!

The first return to the Dinky Creek Trail Status board since last year!





Always such an awesome feeling to be back out in the forest! The smell, the cool, crips air. Love it!



We were invited to do a Vendor Appreciation run of which there were about 10 rigs. Mine was the newest, most stock, but thanks to the Marlin Crawler was quite capable.



The confident feeling you get when you have the World Famous "Crawler Truck" in your group is so impressive. To know that no matter what happens, no matter what brakes, you've got one of the best trail recovery vehicles on the planet.

 

June 24, 2017: 4th Trail Run: Moonlight Madness 2017 (continued)

Basic, exposed terrain of our pretty High Sierra Nevada mountains. The elevation for this trail ranges from about 6,500 to 8,000 feet.



It wasn't long until I got a chance to REALLY APPRECIATE just how awesome the Bed Bob is!!

Check this out! The stock trailer receiver cleared without contact! (if gif doesn't load, then try this link)



The best thing about this with a Marlin Crawler: NO BRAKES, just let the greatly magnified engine compression braking hold the truck back while idling. The Marlin Crawler ads such great vehicle control to the driver. No feet on any pedal with amazing, smooth, slow, precision Crawling.

 

The young new kid Tacoma showing some of the older trucks how to CRAWL.









Look ma, no hands!



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmHoEs_c11o

 

Wassssssup guys,

Whew!! I've been quite busy the last few weeks over here. I should probably consider getting this thread updated....maybe....sometime.....possibly......たぶん。。。。いつか。。。。もしじかんがあります

 

I heard rumors of the 37s, patiently waiting...

 

Those look like 37s

 

They are 37's. In fact that trip report convinced me I don't need 37's. They are huge!

 

Awesome truck. Glad I got to meet you, and see it in person.

 

Sub'd

 

Damn... Your truck went from normal to incredible quickly. Which suspension are you running now with the 37s? And I can only imagine how much cutting you had to to do.... The thing looks freaking sweet though!

 

Thanks for the comments guys! Dorton!! I wished I had known this is you! >_< I would have wanted to talk more specifics on TacoBox + Stick shift.

Hopefully soon I'll get to that

Time to get this thread back on track!

June 24, 2017: 4th Trail Run: Moonlight Madness 2017 (continued)

Came across a few pics from Facebook. Here I am in the act of Walking The Crawler





Pic of me filming the above video



Lastly, here is a cool shot with the Crawler Truck

 

Climbing up for a nice re-group photo





I love getting out of the city and the Tacoma is making this so much more comfortable



Whooops hahahaha Did this somewhere. Looking forward to tossing these wheels soooooon *Hint: You guys still don't know what I've got going on



Back in 1979 when Toyota introduced the 4WD Hilux it was marketed as the Son of the Land Cruiser. Do you guys think the Tacoma should be marketed as "The Son of the Hilux"?

 

June 24, 2017: 4th Trail Run: Moonlight Madness 2017 (continued)

Next we headed over to a popular obstacle known as V Rock. The hardest line is to the far left (out of the photo), the standard line is up the V (visible at left), and the easy line is what I took here on the right.

Here is a nice series of me going up open-open (no lockers), just pure traction by way of very low gearing (throttle-less slow & steady static friction FTW!)





With the Marlin Crawler TacoBox engaged you can go so slow (no throttle input, no riding the brakes) that a spotter can even rest his hands atop a tire while moving!

 

Next I spun around and climbed a steep ledge to the east side of V Rock. This ledge is fun because as you move right it slowly becomes more steep. There is a point at which my 1981 Hilux will not Crawl it, even with a 511:1 reduction, but yet a long wheelbase Hilux will go right up. So I was eager to take this 20% longer Tacoma up a much steeper section than I've ever tried and that is when this happened...





Everything was going good until the Tacoma began smoking!

So I backed down and waited for it to clear out.....which took quite a while!



It is strange that the smoke is white. This indicates water being combusted, such as a blown head gasket. It is typical to burn oil at severe angles due to oil shifting to the back of the pan and in a way flooding the rear cylinder(s) such that the piston rings cannot prevent oil from passing into the combustion chamber.....but burning oil through an engine results in a bluish smoke. For argument sake, there is a third distinguishable smoke color and that is gray which indicates a very rich fuel mixture.

Everything on my gauges looked fine so I reattempted the climb and up she went





I got out and checked my fluids and everything looked great. Oil was normal on the dipstick. As for future news, the next morning I checked the coolant and it was completely full in the radiator and right at the full line of the overfill reservoir. My theory is that I did burn some oil -- not enough to be noticed at the dip stick -- but that the advanced catalyst and emissions system of this truck was able to clean up the blue color resulting in only white smoke from burnt oil? It's a head scratcher for sure...