BigMike’s Big Journey: New 2016 Tacoma

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZhK4kcF3xU/

Just saw this on Instagram. LOOK AT THOSE TIRES!!!

 

Looking forward to seeing the soup bowl video!!!

 

Hello guys,

I am so far behind with updates.........maybe I should just give up.

For example, this boring video was filmed four weeks ago....

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

 

I suppose I should also include this other boring video which has some additional footage of my Tacoma

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XEloiUJ8Gs

 

Yes. Very boring. Please post more....ya know, to help me with my insomnia.




Awesome work. I'm loving it.

 

Looking good!

 

Awesome! Thanks for sharing.

 

Wow, glad I chose to come in here. Amazing stuff. Hopefully, you find time to catch up on the boring updates!

 

This thread is awesome. I have practically the same truck......17 Sport Access Cab six speed. Except mine is Inferno. I want stage one on my truck.....

 

Do not give up!

I’m still waiting for the rear bumper pics.

 

https://www.rpphobby.com/product_p/rc4z-rtr0034.htm




Found this online today, cool original marlin crawler. When does the third gen come out?

 

Just found this thread. Somthing else just went on my list!!

 

subd

 

Sorry guys! I've been enjoying this truck a lot!

July 12, 2017: Stage 2 (continued)
The sad reality is that with only one day left there was no way I could get this done, plus without even having a shake down run... I sat the truck down with all four 40s installed and they couldn't even clear the rear fenders. The fenders were literally resting on the tops of the tires...
...So as you may have expected I moved to Backup Plan A which is to slap on Marlin's set of 37" x 12.50" x 17" BFG KRAWLER tires he had laying around

33s, 37s, 40s!



Fortunately All Pro had sent me a set of axles that I received this VERY LAST day before leaving for Rubicon. Holy crap, talk about cutting it close... In they went:

 

July 12, 2017: Stage 2 (continued)

Got the truck outside for the first time in a week and also first time on 37s!



The front coils definitely need to be cranked up more.



The rear seems... "ok"



Love the look so far!



Probably could use some rear wheel spacers...

 

July 12, 2017: Stage 2 (continued)

Next up was to flex it out to see how much trimming I'll need to do



Oooff. The rear is horrible. Lift side:



Body roll side:

 

Front:





Suspension look'n good





So the front end will be lifted a bit more once I crank up the coils... But there is definitely going to be rubbing once on the trail.

 

Definitely need to trim here...



Some different possible cuts...



Front as well. The dotted line is the location of many aftermarket bumpers I've seen online so as long as I stay beneath that I can cut out more later.



Regarding aftermarket front bumpers, I don't know if I discussed this yet or not but earlier in spring I attempted for THREE MONTHS to get a front bumper that I am quite fond of (and I hardly like any 3rd gen bumpers!). This bumper is featured on the front of a suspension company's Gray 2016 Double Cab Tacoma. I don't want to mention names, but I spoke directly with the bumper manufacture, confirmed it can be made out of aluminum and delivered in time for Rubithon, but then received no response from my many messages and voice mails leading up to July. Finally, realizing it wasn't going to get done in time, I had no choice but to cancel the order. Immediately after I sent the message to cancel, within FOUR minutes I got a reply simply saying sorry and best of luck.

Wow. Maybe we wronged this gentleman in the past? Maybe he didn't mean any ill feelings but the near instant reply to my cancellation after weeks of silence was very strange. In hindsight this was a really great thing because now I'll get to build my own bumper!

So moving on I'm not too concerned with these factory bumpers. They'll likely get beat up and that's fine with me; They will be replaced soon enough.

 

July 12, 2017: Stage 2 (continued)

Back inside that night I began cutting. I cut the driver's side first and realized I could have done it better. So the passenger's side has a better looking profile and the two don't match. Oh well. It's temporary anyhow and I'm supposed to drive to and be on the Rubicon in less than 24 hrs so no time for OCD...



Back up in the air to get more lift out of the front coils...



Also did some quick work at a lazy, non-permanent way to remedy the rear fender clearance issue...



...by moving the rear axle forward about 3/4". (The Tacoma's reverse shackle design articulates the axle forward, not rearward as it does to our older pickups so a little here should go a long way.)



And that was it for the day before the event!

 

July 13, 2017: Stage 2 (continued)

I was up till the wee hours and slept in Thursday morning. Our group caravan had already left town before I had even woke up. I still needed to get the truck cleaned, organize all my tools, start packing, get the truck aligned, take it for a test drive around town, pick up my co-pilot, et cetera, and make it 6 hours to Loon Lake in time to get sleep before leading the group through the Rubicon in a truck I've essentially never wheeled before with a bunch of mods not tested before!

On my way to get the truck aligned I stopped off at the shop to see how things were going. Check out the Tacoma Mall Crawling with 37s



Random picture after getting it aligned



Finally back home early afternoon and ready to start packing to hit the road! This is parked next to my 1981 also on 37s. Fitting in my garage, the Tacoma is about 1.5-inches shorter than the Hilux.........yet...............are you ready for this..........the distance from the ground to the frame beneath the B-pillar is NINE INCHES. Seriously, 9-inches less ground clearance yet with the same size tires and nearly the same overall vehicle height. THIS IS NUTS!



I'll take more comparison measurements later. Right now I gotta get packed and hit the road!