Buyobuyo's Build Thread

looks sweet!

If you need a good velcro solution, use 3M dual lock

 

Thanks.

The fabric has the soft (loop) side of the velcro sewed to it, so I don't think that dual lock would work. That dual lock looks like what they give you to mount the ez-pass to the windshield. I just need to get the hook side to stick to the bed rail. Where it pulled up some rain got on the rail between when I cleaned the rail and put down the velcro. The rest stuck down well. The side that was a little wet may have stayed down if I hadn't been messing with the fabric trying to get the side windows on.

 

I went to see @DOUBLLD this morning, and he installed my cab mount chop and frame horn reinforcement plates.

I didn't take any in progress pictures, but I'll snap a few pictures when I get home. I stopped to grab lunch.

Also, it was good meeting @chiefcrunchy who was having Dan work on his truck as well.

 

Cab mount chop


Frame horn reinforcement

 

After a 3 month back order wait, I received my Smittybilt AWS yesterday. Everything looked great initially. Closer inspection revealed coating issues inside the shackle pin hole. The coating is very thin/non-existant on the top of the shackle pin hole, where the shackle pin would bear against when under load. The bottom of the shackle pin hole looks to have been colored in with sharpie. I've emailed Smittybilt CS about this, so hopefully there will be a quick resolution. Their CS has been good the couple times I've contacted them in the past, but that was product questions and not product issues.

 

The weather is really nice today, so I went out and mounted my Smittybilt AWS. It looks nearly identical to a Factor 55 Prolink but costs half as much. I ordered it back during Black Friday, but it was back ordered until recently.

I cut off the existing hook with my grinder and mounted it up. I cut a small hole in the line guard and used a couple of zip ties to keep it up at the rope eye. This way hopefully, I won't have the issue that I had when I was out back in December, and the line guard got stuck behind the fairlead. It took a good 15-30 minutes to get it out, so I could use the winch.

 

I picked up a vibration back in December after the trip to Bald Mountain. I've been living with it (aka ignoring it) but recently the nature of it changed some and a squeaking noise started the other week when I take off from a stop. In December when this started, my first thought was a wheel/tire balance issue, so I had that done but didn't solve anything. Today, I crawled under the truck to check for play in the u-joints and the one closest to the rear diff is sloppy AF. I took the truck to a local shop, and they took it for a test drive. They said based on the test drive and the description of the symptoms the problem is most likely either the u-joints or rear diff pinion bearing. They suggested starting with replacing the u-joints and carrier bearing. I had them give me a quote because I've never done u-joints or the carrier bearing, and they came back with a $700 price. The bulk of the price is parts since they quoted Toyota factory parts at full list price.

 

I spent the day working on the truck and FINALLY was able to get my u-joints and center support bearing replaced. It took a lot longer than I expected, but the 2 hrs running around to basically buy 2 bolts that I didn't get beforehand really added up. Instead of a factory center support bearing, I installed a polyurethane Ford Ranger center support bearing from Inland Empire Driveline Service. Check out this thread to read about the mod. https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...uy-iedls-polyurethane-carrier-bearing.421410/

I used 1-1/2" x 1/2" x 1/8" steel channel for the lower bearing brace and 1" x 1" x 16 gauge steel square tube for the needed spacers. I made the spacers 2.25" long, and I used M10-1.25 x 80mm class 8.8 zinc plated bolts to bolt the bearing back onto the crossmember.

I'll try to remember to grab a few pictures tomorrow after work.

 

Here are a couple of pictures of the new center support bearing installation.

 

I started the fiberglass install today. A friend of mine came down, and we spent the day fitting the passenger side fender. It isn't completely finished yet, but it's about 90% there. I'm having issues around the headlight, and I've got a few more holes to drill to get everything to bolt up in the headlight area.

Here's a picture of the overall fitment so far. The top corner where the fender and A pillar meet took a lot of work. It still needs a little bit more to make it so nothing is touching/rubbing.



Here's a closeup of the headlight fitment problems. The fender is hitting the headlight at the top. I can get the light bolted in but it's pushed toward the driver side and is rubbing on the grill. I need to do more work here to get the clearance to move it over. I'm going to have a little gap in the end.



Here's the door gap. It gets bigger as you go down, but it isn't horrible. However, the fender doesn't naturally fall that way. I have to push it over 1/2"+ to get the gap the way it is in this photo.

 

That's actually not a bad fit for fiberglass fenders...pretty common issue with aftermarket body parts. Best just to get it as good as you can get it and let it go

 

Nice, are those the McNeil fenders?

 

Yeah. My buddy was fussing about the gap at the headlight, and I kept telling him that I'm fine with some gap. It's not ideal but I'll live with it. If I'm motivated, I'll work on it in the evenings after work next week to try to get a better fit at the headlight and the touching part at the a pillar. There's always next weekend if I'm not motivated.

Advanced Fiberglass Concepts

 

Pretty much this...if you can maintain a good lineup with the hood when closed I would rather tighten up the headlight personally. I have a little more gap in my fenders to door jams, but mine initially rubbed on install and had to be sanded in a few spots.

Glass for the most part is somewhat of a compromise. You will forget the discrepancies in time...did you sand any of the headlight area? Normally they have a little excess material there so you can mold it just right to fit your ride.

 

The door jam up near the a pillar was tight but not touching. I did sand it some to open it up and get a more even gap. Where the fender and a pillar meet has taken the most work and still needs a little more.

I have sanded some around the headlight. Mostly at the bottom as it was hitting there. Now that the light is going in further, it is hitting at the top. It is hitting in a weird spot though, so I need the best way to clearance it.

 

That's what happened around my headlight, I had to trim the very upper and lower lips of the headlight cavity. I used a dremel for this which I would recommend if you have and just keep checking it as you go.

 

I have a Dremel. On Saturday, I was using my oscillating sander with 80 grit for most of it. I also used files to remove material faster.

 

Im surprised you used that much equipment. For me the dremel worked quite fast as I didn't want to remove much material at a time without consistently trying to fit it. As you likely now know, there are a few fitment points to maintain which can lead to various little imperfections that get in the way from a solid fit.

I think I stayed around the 120 mark for mine when it came to some light sanding.

 

I didn't use my Dremel at all. This is the sander I was using.



That triangular piece is Velcro on the bottom and the sandpaper sticks to it. I've go 60, 80, 150(?), and 220 grit for it.

 

The triangular sander I got is way too big to be worth a damn on my fenders without making excessive flat areas so I just stuck with the dremel. If you are getting results with it though then solid.