Ripcord's Spruce Mica Build

2013 TOYOTA Tacoma 4x4
TRD Off Road w/ Rear Locker
Spruce Mica Green (6V4)
5-speed Auto


Most recent pictures:






BAMF, Toytec, Goodyear, Redline Tuning, Baja designs



And the most recent walkaround:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/fac7G88MYro



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UPGRADES & MODIFICATIONS

Links to pictures/Write-ups can be found next to each item.


Suspension:
*Front: (PG. 1/ Post 10)
King 2.5 ET Coilovers, 600 lbs/in springs
SPC 25470 Forged Upper control arms
Wheeler’s Superbumps
Removed sway bar
*Rear: (PG. 1/ Post 9)
King 12” 2.0 rear shocks
BAMF Shock Relocation
BAMF HD Shackle hangers & shackles
OME Dakar EL095R leaf pack [With OEM rubber bushings: (PG. 6/ Post 108) | Trimmed to fit BAMF shackle:(PG. 11/ Post 208) | Noise reducing liners:(PG. 14/ Post 274)]
Toytec U-bolt flip
Timbren U-bolt flip & Off-Road Bump stops (PG. 11/ Post 208)



Wheels & Tires:
FN Wheels 5-Star: 17x8.5, 4.5” BS, -6mm offset (PG. 1/ Post 8)
315-70-17 Goodyear Duratrac (PG. 15/ Post 281)
315-70-17 Cooper STT Pro (PG. 6/ Post 108)
315-70-17 Goodyear Duratrac (PG. 1/ Post 8)
TPMS cheat canister (PG. 3/ Post 41)
*Tire Clearance: (PG. 1/ Post 11)



Drivetrain & Brakes
4.56 Gears with factory locker (PG.10/ Post 182)
Custom HD Driveshaft (PG. 12/ Post 234)
Toytec Carrier bearing drop
Toytec extended brake lines (PG. 1/ Post 9)
EBC Greenstuff 7000 brake pads (PG. 1/ Post 10)



Exterior:
Sherpa "Animas" Roof Rack (PG. 16/ Post 310)
Fenders/Flares trimmed (See: Tire Clearance) | Re-did with bolts (PG. 6/ Post 108)
Custom Cowl Intake (PG. 17/ Post 323)
Safari Snorkel (Hilux version) (PG. 5/ Post 81)
TRD Pro grille & color matched grille surround
TRD Pro Headlights (PG. 14/ Post 274)
Projector Retrofit by SRQ Fabrication (PG.10/ Post 181)
Suma curved anti-glare mirrors (PG. 15/ Post 281)
Redline Tuning hood struts (PG. 2/ Post 30)
Tailgate anti-theft (PG. 2/ Post 30)
*Tent / Camper:
Custom Wedge Camper V2 (PG. 15/ Post 288) / (separate dedicated thread)
Custom Wedge Camper V1 (PG. 11/ Post 201)
Bed Rack: Low Profile (PG. 1/ Post 3) | Bed Rack: Armortech 8" rise (PG. 3/ Post 44)
Roof Top Tent: Odin Designs Type-E (PG. 1/ Post 3)
ATH Bedside Stiffeners (PG. 3/ Post 50)
Tepui 6' awning (PG. 16/ Post 301)
WaterPort Mounted to bedsides (PG. 11/ Post 208)
Costway 44qt 12V Fridge (PG. 16/ Post 301)
Rear Lighting & Power Outlets (PG. 16/ Post 301)
Removed bed rail caps, bulb seals around tailgate
Custom Flat tailgate panel (PG. 12/ Post 235)
Bed Cubby seals (PG. 12/ Post 235)
*Armor / Recovery:
C4 Fab Steel Plate bumper (PG. 17/ Post 324)
Pelfreybilt aluminium Front bumper (PG. 1/ Post 6)
Smittybilt X2O 10k Comp winch (PG. 17/ Post 324)
Smittybilt XRC Comp 9.5k winch & Factor55 flatlink (PG. 3/ Post 57)
Pelfreybilt steel Hi-Clearance rear bumper (PG. 3/ Post 44)
Pelfreybilt aluminium IFS Skid
Pelfreybilt aluminium Mid Skid
Pelfreybilt aluminium Transfer case / exhaust skid
Pelfreybilt aluminium Gas tank skid
Armortech weld-on Rock Sliders (PG. 1/ Post 6)



Interior:
Kenwood DMX907s Head Unit [Pending Install]
DesertDoesIt Seat spacers (PG. 16/ Post 303)
Custom HAM radio face mount (PG. 12/ Post 235)
RAM mounts with Qi wireless charger (PG. 1/ Post 4)
GPS Tablet running Backcountry Navigator Pro
Thinkware F800 Dash cam (PG. 1/ Post 5)
Center console organizer



Electrical:
Motorized HAM radio antenna mount (PG. 12/ Post 235)
Fog Light Anytime mod (PG. 1/ Post 7)
Northstar 27F AGM battery (PG. 12/ Post 235)
Rear Lighting & Power Outlets (PG. 16/ Post 301)
*Lighting:
Baja Designs S8 30" Light bar - Combo pattern (PG. 17/ Post 324)
Baja Designs Squadron pods - Amber wide-cornering pattern (wired to factory fog switch)
ExtremeLED "Scene" pods as dust/chase lights
ElementLED 20" Optix Pro single row light bar (PG. 9/ Post 166)
ElementLED Amber Canon Fog Lights (wired to factory switch) (PG. 9/ Post 166)
ExtremeLED 18” single row light bar (PG. 1/ Post 7)
ExtremeLED 6” single row light bar pair (PG. 4/ Post 65)
Raxman LED Flood pods (wired to factory switch) (PG. 1/ Post 7)
*Communication:
ICOM 2730 50W dual band HAM radio (PG. 12/ Post 235)
Baofeng UV-5R V2+ handheld dual-band HAM radio



Major DIY Maintenance/repairs:
P0333 - Knock Sensor wire harness repaired (PG. 1/ Post 12)
Loose truck bed fix (PG. 14/ Post 274)
HVAC Fan blower controls (PG. 15/ Post 296)




My Trip Reports & Photos:
March 6, 2020 - Camper V2 Shakedown
Oct 20, 2019 - Moab Rock Therapy (PG. 14/ Post 261)
Oct 5 ,2019 - Crested Butte fall colors (PG. 13/ Post 249)
Sept 21, 2019 - Red Cone Pass (PG. 13/ Post 249)
Aug 17, 2019 - Ouray (PG. 13/ Post 249)
July 16-28, 2019 - FJ Summit & BroCo Adventures annual summer trip (PG. 13/ Post 241)
July 4, 2019 - Crested Butte
June 19, 2019 - China Wall wheeling (PG. 12/ Post 234)
June 22, 2019 - Moab (PG. 12/ Post 229)
June 15, 2019 - Steamboat Springs camping (PG. 12/ Post 230)
June 9, 2019 - Clear Creek Camping (PG. 12/ Post 221)
May 25, 2019 - Valle Vidal, NM (PG. 11/ Post 218)
May 19, 2019 - Chinaman's Gulch (PG. 11/ Post 218)
May 11, 2019 - Estes Park Camping (PG. 11/ Post 218)
May 4, 2019 - Hackett Gulch & Solo Camping (PG. 11/ Post 207)
April 20, 2019 - Chinamans Gulch & camping (PG. 11/ Post 204)
April 13, 2019 - Camper V1 shakedown snow camping (PG. 11/ Post 201)
February 24, 2019 - Snow Wheeling on Rainbow Falls (PG. 9/ Post 169)
January 12, 2019 - Snow Wheeling at Switzerland trail (PG. 9/ Post 166)
Nov 17, 2018 - Snow Wheeling at Rollin's Pass (PG. 8/ Post 142)
Oct 20, 2018 - Moab Rock Therapy (PG. 6/ Post 110)
Oct 6, 2018 - Clear Creek camping / Fall Colors (PG. 6/ Post 102)
Sept 22, 2018 - Halfmoon Gulch / Fall Colors (PG. 6/ Post 102)
Sept 1, 2018 - Aspen / Crested Butte, Pearl & Schofield pass (PG. 5/ Post 89)
August 25, 2018 - Steamboat Springs (PG. 5/ Post 89)
August 4, 2018 - San Juan's & Black Bear Pass (PG. 5/ Post 88)
July 21-28, 2018 - 9 Day Expedition through northern states & Canada / Morrison Jeep Trail (PG. 5/ Post 82)
July 15, 2018 - Breckenridge Peak 10 trail (PG. 4/ Post 66)
July 7, 2018 - Halfmoon Gulch & Mosquito Pass (PG. 4/ Post 62)
June 30, 2018 - Glenwood Springs, CO (PG. 3/ Post 56)
June 24, 2018 - Red Cone Pass, CO (PG. 3/ Post 49)
May 25, 2018 - Sierras / Yosemite, CA (PG. 1/ Post 16)
May 18, 2018 - Big Sur / Pismo, CA (PG. 1/ Post 15)
April 20, 2018 - Big Bear, CA (PG. 1/ Post 15)
Feb 19, 2018 - Snow camping at Argentine Pass, CO
Jan 20, 2018 - Borrego Springs, CA
Jan 3, 2018 - Anza Borrego, CA
Dec 24, 2017 - Rio Puerco, NM




And some random pics from my trips for you to enjoy

 

Before we get started, a little background…



This isn’t my first Toyota, nor even my first Tacoma.

My first vehicle was a 2001 red double cab Tacoma Prerunner that I quickly realized was useless to me without 4wd. I bought a 2002 4Runner to replace it. Built that up, sold it, regretted it, and bought a second 4Runner just like the first. That was sadly totalled in a hit and run accident last August.

I had often dreamed of a Spruce Mica Tacoma ever since I saw one, so here we are!

These pictures are from 2008 when I traded my original Taco for my first 4Runner.






If you are interested, the build thread for my late 4Runner is here. Just as organized and detailed as this thread will be





If you are interested, the build thread for my 4Runner is here. Just as organized and detailed as this thread will be =======================================================================================================




I am a mechanical engineer, I graduated in 2014 in New Mexico. During school I participated in the FSAE program, which I HIGHLY recommend to all engineering students. Find a school with an FSAE program, there are lots of them. It was the single most useful part of my education, and a very nice resume builder if you are interested in the Automotive industry.




.

 

Now, on to this Tacoma…


|Dec 21, 2017|

I bought my Tacoma for $24,500 in Plano, TX.
At that time it had just over 73k miles.

It was an early Christmas present to myself

Impeccable maintenance history, absolutely loaded, and unmodified other than a TRD Pro Grille insert. It is the cleanest vehicle I had ever purchased. I was pleasantly surprised by the JBL stereo, that option wasn’t high on my want list and I have never been a big music person but it’s really nice to have some power behind the music.




Here it is when I flew to Texas to pick it up.




I had the truck stock for the first few months, took it on a lot of trips.

This was 4 days after I bought it. Stopped in my home state of New Mexico on my way back from Texas.



Photo by @Horger12


And some wheeling once I got it back to California, where I lived at the time. This is from Anza Borrego.
I did get a color matched grille surround for it pretty quick and experimented between the stock-style grille and TRD Pro grille the truck came with. Ended up sticking with the TRD Pro grille.










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|Feb 15, 2018|

Bed Crossbars:
I don’t consider it a mod, but one of the first things I got for the truck was a roof top tent. I think I spend a lot of my weekends out camping so I can justify it. I did make some quick bed crossbars for holding the RTT. All in the crossbars were under 90 bucks, not too bad.

I have plans to make a collapsible modular bed rack in the near future, but I needed something simple in the short term for carrying my RTT.

Parts / Retail Cost:
$60 - 1.5” square tube 0.120” wall, 2x 5’ sections (I would do 1” square if I made another set)
$23.36 - 8x T-slot bed rail nuts (McMaster-Carr 94750A595)
$3 - (8) ⅜-16 bolts & washers - 2 per side per bar
The mount ends I made from some scrap I had laying around

Tools:
-welder
-chop saw
-plasma (or some time with other tools if you don’t have one)
-9/16” wrench

Time:
2 hour, plus paint.

Cutting out the mount ends

Bending them



Test fit



I picked up these T-slot nuts from McmasterCarr (PN: 94750A595)




Bars welded, painted and done!





Armor Tech offroad sells crossbar really similar to what I made, see this thread here:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/tacoma-bed-cargo-cross-bar.278982/



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Roof Top Tent:
I wanted a tent with all the good features!
-overhang w/ annex
-3+ person size
-skylights
-Good materials and build quality


I went with Odin designs Type-E 3 person tent:
http://odindesigns.com/shop/type-e-roof-top-tent/

I have been very happy with it so far! It is a solid tent that fits my needs well and is quite comfortable.

I drove from SoCal to Colorado and back on a 3 day weekend to pick it up and took it snow camping on the first night I owned it!

530A2056 by Alex Fleming, on Flickr





Back in California, when I don’t have more substantial wheeling plans for the weekend I usually just head to my favorite nearby beach campsite, South Carlsbad state beach campground. Highly recommended for all SoCal members who just want an accessible & relaxing place to get away from things.






We definitely aren’t roughing it!



Some night shots, I am trying to get better at them...

 

|March 5, 2018|

RAM Mount system:
I enjoy organization. As such, I value a well thought out and organized work area. Enter the RAM mount system. Most of you know what RAM mounts are, ball-and-socket arms that allow you to position devices, screens, and much more wherever you see fit.

I also added a wireless charging pad to the RAM phone mount.

Parts / Retail Cost:
$25 Tacoma-specific threaded RAM Mount blocks
$27 - RAM Mount universal X-grip Large phone holder
$25 - RAM Mount cradle for Samsung tablets
$9 (x2) - RAM arms, 3” length
$8 (x2) - RAM mount threaded 1” ball
$3 - #10-32 flat head bolts
$13 - VINSIC mini ultra-slim Qi wireless phone charging pad
$12 - dual 2.1A USB outlet
$100 - Samsung Tab A 8” WiFi/GPS tablet (bought used)
$42 - 128GB MicroSD
$10 - OCD Center console organizer

Resource threads:
-RAM Mounts for tacomas https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/ram-mount-feeler.476890/
-Wireless charger on RAM Mount https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/ram-mount-feeler.476890/page-32#post-16591334
Thanks @WetTaco for the idea!

Tools:
-Trim removal tool (or putty knife)
-Drill
-0.201" (#7) drill bit
-10mm socket
-Allen keys

Time:
1-2 hours. Depending on how fast you can disassemble/reassemble the dash. This was my first time doing so on this truck, so I took my time.


Here is the completed product, install is shown below.



========================================================================================================

Procedure:

Here are all the RAM Mount products. I originally got the regular size X-grip phone mount, but with my Galaxy S8 I needed to exchange it for the larger mount.




Glued the wireless charger pad to the X-Grip phone mount




Here are the Tacoma RAM Mounts, the particular ones I am using are 3D printed copies I made since I have access to those tools. You can get genuine CNC machined billet aluminium mounts in this thread: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/ram-mount-feeler.476890/

(For what it’s worth, the 3D printed mounts I made are plenty strong for this application and have held up great)






Taking the dash apart can be daunting for a newbie, but I assure you it is simple!

Step 1: Pop off the climate controls by using a putty knife under the bottom. Unclip the wiring harness plugs after that.




Step 2: Take out the 4 Radio bolts, then you can just pop the radio out, disconnect its plugs also.






Step 3: Unclip (don’t fully remove) the gauge cluster trim

There are 2 push pins above the steering column, just push the center part of the pin in to remove it.

You can see here why this step is necessary, the cluster surround covers part of the center stack trim.




Now you can just pop off the center stack trim and take it to a workbench.




Step 4: Mock-up the assembly on a workbench and mark where the holes need to be drilled. Drill hole with a 0.201" (#7) drill bit.






Attach the backing plate with adhesive, be sure not to cover the holes.




Step 5: Take everything back to the truck and re-assemble!

I use the android app “Backcountry Navigator PRO”. With it you can download user defined areas of various different topo maps for offline use, having expandable SD card memory is important for that since they take up a TON of storage room. You can also save waypoints and record a GPS track which can be exported as a .gpx file. The tablet is a Samsung Tab A 8” with WiFi and GPS capability and holds MicroSD cards up to 400GB. The RAM Tablet mount is meant for 7” tablets so I had to trim it a bit.

Also, wireless charger doing it’s thang





My co-pilot enjoys the movies I have saved on it as well

 

|March 5, 2018|

Dash Cam:

After my old 4Runner was totalled in a hit and run while parked I wanted a dash cam to keep an eye on my truck 24/7. Years ago, I had a cheap chinese dash cam that quit working pretty quickly, so I knew I wanted a quality unit this time.

The thinkware F800 dash cam and its “park mode” feature work well with constant power. It can handle up to 64GB MicroSD cards which can hold approximately 10 hours of HD footage that is constantly looped over (the Pro version can do 128GB). In park mode, the video frame rate is reduced to 2 FPS creating a timelapse instead, which greatly increases the amount of footage that can be stored at any given time. Or you can change that to record on motion detection instead of constant time lapse. And it also can sense when battery voltage is getting low and will shut itself off. The camera also has a G-sensor that will archive footage around the time when impacts are detected so they are not recorded over, even in park mode.

I had a hard time deciding if I wanted a rear facing camera in addition to the front. In the end, the dash cam’s most common use is to prove your innocence in front end collisions. That is where the real value of a dash cam is. If someone hits you from behind, it's pretty obvious who is at fault. Also, I back into my parking spaces 99% of the time out of habit meaning the rear camera wouldn’t capture much useful footage anyway. A rear camera would just increase the rate at which the storage memory was used.

Parts / Retail Cost:
$225 - Thinkware F800 Dashcam
$24 - Thinkware hardwire kit
$22 - 64GB MicroSD card

Resource threads:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/clean-hard-wired-dash-cam-install.358850/

Tools:
-Trim removal tool (or putty knife)
-10mm socket

Time:
1 hour

Here is the completed product, install is shown below...




Some sample footage of a car pulling out in front of me…



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Procedure:

The optional hardwire kit makes install pretty easy, you just need to tap into some constant voltage (non-ignition switched), ignition power, and a ground.




You will need to take the A-pillar trim off, as simple as removing these 2 bolts (10mm socket). After that the pillar trim just slides backwards and out.




Be sure not to block the curtain airbags with the wires you run through the A-pillar. Then feed the wires down behind the dash to the fuse block.

The Door Locks fuse (20A) is the only constant voltage fuse down there. For the ACC power you can choose any of the IGN or ACC fuses and for the ground just find a bolt that goes through some metal dash framing.




Here is the camera mounted. The camera attached with 3M double sided adhesives, I tucked all the wires in the headliner over to the A-pillar. Be sure to leave enough room between the mirror mount so that the camera (with harness plugged in) can slide over and detach, I had to re-position mine further away from the mirror due to that.



Very discreet when viewed from outside the vehicle.

 

|April 14, 2018|

Trail Armor:
Now for some big boy mods, armor. I know there is some debate over steel vs. aluminium for skids… but the fact of the matter is this: get only as much protection as you feel you need. I am not as big of a rock crawler type as I used to be, so these are to act more as a fail safe than an enabler. Also, in an accident aluminium bumpers will deform and absorb more energy which is safer for the occupants. There is a significant cost to aluminium however...

The primary reason for aluminium is of course weight savings, so let me throw some numbers at you real fast:

Full Steel skids: 189 lbs
Full Aluminium skids: 93 lbs

Front Steel bumper: 105 lbs
Front Aluminium bumper: 60 lbs

TOTAL Steel weight:294 lbs
TOTAL Aluminium weight: 153 lbs

THAT’S A DIFFERENCE OF 141 LBS! That is almost like carrying around an extra passenger all the time!

Before #Pelfreybroke2018 where they went out of business. Pelfreybilt had some solid products and a stellar reputation, that combined with them being semi-local made the choice a no-brainer.

Parts:
Pelfreybilt aluminium front bumper
Pelfreybilt aluminium IFS Skid
Pelfreybilt aluminium Mid Skid
Pelfreybilt aluminium Transfer case / exhaust skid
Pelfreybilt aluminium Gas tank skid
ArmorTech weld-on rock sliders
(I'll do a rear bumper in the near future)

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I had access to a powder coating shop, so I had that all done on my end to save some money. But, here are the raw aluminium skids and bumper when I picked them up at Pelfreybilt in San Diego.






The hardest part of this whole install was actually removing the stock bumper. So many clips…

In addidition to the Pelfreybilt instructions, I used this guide from grillecraft: https://www.grillcraft.com/installs/install_detail.aspx?install_id=296




It is very self-explanatory installing the bumper. And if not, the instructions are well written.

I also chose the transfer case skid that requires a rerouted exhaust, so I paid an exhaust shop $140 to get that done for me. I recommend waiting until you have the skid in hand so you can confirm the relocated pipe is clear of the skid on the backside since the skid does slope up to be level with the bottom of the frame rail.



All but one of the skids are direct bolt on. The transfer case skid requires 2 holes to be drilled in the frame rail.



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The last part of the protection to add is Rock Sliders!

There are many options for rock sliders. Bolt-on is a popular one, allowing you to get powdercoated sliders. I did not feel like paying a lot for a set of sliders, so I went with a weld-on set. ArmorTech (4xInnovations) are sliders I have had on multiple vehicles in the past and they have always done what I needed them to. They are $225 a pair, which is a bargain compared to the $600+ sliders you can find from many vendors. I did NOT powdercoat the sliders, partly because I had to weld them on and partly because I know i'll need to touch these up periodically after wheeling.

The reason they are cheaper is the legs must be welded to the slider. This is a good thing though, because it allows you to fine tune the angle of the slider to your preference! Just remember to make sure you aren't blocking any of the doors from opening.



Welded and painted. Be careful welding to the frame rail on the driver’s side, there are some fuel hard lines on the backside of the frame rails held by some plastic clips that enjoy catching on fire .




=========================================================

Here is everything done!





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EDIT: June 4, 2018

Added a winch and Factor 55 stuff

(PG. 3/ Post 57)

 

|April 14, 2018|

Lights:
No bumper install is complete without lights!

Parts:
24W pod pair (flood pattern)
ExtremeLED 18” single row light bar (combo pattern)
ExtremeLED 6” single row light bar pair (flood pattern) for rear dust/chase lights
Ch4x4 “Toyota Small” push button switches

Procedure:
Since I would be losing the factory fog lights, I wanted to be able to use the stock fog light switch for the LED pods in the new bumper. In order to do that, I spliced into the stock fog light harness. I didn’t want to overload the stock wiring, so I used a wire size calculator to confirm that 2.5 Amps these pods use for the relatively short distance the stock wiring travels is perfectly fine for the stock wires.





To accompany these new fogs, I also did the Fog Lights Anytime mod for obvious reasons.

Thanks @nd4spdbh for the Write up!

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...no-splicing-no-bending-100-reversible.309407/

(not my pic)


Pelfreybilt, Baja Designs, ExtremeLED



Now for the Light Bar. The Pelfreybilt bumper is designed to fit a 20” Baja Designs light bar with a surface-to-surface mounting width of 21.6”. The problem is that Baja Designs are expensive and almost all 20” light bars have vastly different mounting widths, which made finding one that would fit difficult.

I ended up trying out an ExtremeLED 18” bar. What I had found was that with its narrower mounting width, I could bend the supplied brackets to perfectly match the 21.6” Bumper mounting width. This solution worked perfectly!






I also picked up some rear dust lights, they are 6” bars (flood pattern) from ExtremeLED with amber lens film.

*Haven’t installed these yet, I will when I do something different with a bed rack*





And finally for the switches. I got these from CH4x4: http://www.ch4x4.com/product-category/push-series/toyota-small-push-switches/#

These are designed to fit in the small push switch positions in modern Toyota center consoles. Almost look factory!




I wanted to keep the wiring simple so I used the harness that came with the ExtremeLED light bar and got an extra dual light Harness for the rear dust lights whenever I install those. I replaced the supplied switch you see here with the ones I showed earlier.




For the switch positions, I moved the factory ATRAC and USB/AUX switches over to make things more organized. One thing to note is that these switch holes all have different “key” features in them, so some filing is needed when moving the factory switches around (but not when only adding new switches).






For the dash lights circuit, I tapped into the green wire on the back of the A-TRAC plug







=========================


EDIT: July 16, 2018

Finally installed the rear dust lights. Link to post = (PG. 4/ Post 65)








=========================



EDIT: January 12, 2019

Switched out the lights for ElementLED lighting, now I have a light bar that fits in the bumper and fogs that actually make light...

(PG. 9/ Post 166)












Light Bar

 

|April 14, 2018|


Wheels & Tires:

Wheels & Tires aren’t something that people much more more thought into than “Which ones look the best?!”

Having some experience in vehicle dynamics, I have seen the difference that even a small change in unsprung mass and especially rotational mass can make on how a vehicle accelerates, brakes, handles bumps and changes direction.

Generally speaking, rotating mass requires 4x the power input that non-rotating mass does. For example: Adding 16 lbs of mass per tire (64 lbs total) feels like you are adding 256 POUNDS to the truck. So a small difference in tires makes it feel like you have a heavy passenger with you all the time. This is all irrelevant of tire size or gearing and only taking mass into account. This 4x factor also works against you when you hit the brake pedal...

Yes, 35’s are larger and heavier than equivalent 33’s or smaller, and I will re-gear accordingly. But, I have had 35’s and 33’s in the past and have experienced the benefit offroad, some extra mass is a worthy sacrifice for the extra diameter. I still want to minimize the impact of a tire this size. Also, once you go big you don’t go back!

My list of requirements were:
*315/70/17 or 35x12.5x17
*D load range (8 ply)
*less than 65 lbs each
*All terrain / Mud terrain
*M+S snowflake certification
*Good winter performance
*minimal road noise

Through my research in tires, I found HUGE differences in tire weights. Given the same tire size, the difference between the Duratrac and Grabber X3 is 16 lbs for EACH TIRE.

Take note of the Tire weight row… Of course there are other tires on the market, but these are commonly purchased tires for an example.




There were only a few that met that requirement, the Goodyear Duratrac being one of them. I have had multiple sets of that tire in the past and will again be using them on this build. (big surprise)

315/70/17 Goodyear Duratracs
*load range D (8 ply)
*61 lbs each


========================================================================================================

Now for wheels, the same principle applies here. I wanted something lightweight first and foremost. I also wanted a style that was simple, clean and classic.

Most aftermarket 17” alloy wheels come in around 26-28 lbs per wheel and stock wheels are 30 lbs per wheel.

The FN Wheels 5-Star fits the bill perfectly, coming in at just 22 lbs per wheel and looking stunning!

FN wheels 5-Star 17”
*17x8.5”
*4.5” backspacing / -6mm offset
*22 lbs each




========================================================================================================

Final example: General Grabber X3’s on stock wheels would be 107 lbs per corner. Goodyear Duratracs on FN wheels are 83 lbs per corner. That is a difference of 24 lbs per corner and 96 lbs overall. Again since this is all rotating mass, we use our 4x multiplier on the 96 lbs difference. That is like having an extra 384 lbs on the truck when trying to accelerate and brake. That is a HUGE difference!


Make your tire decisions wisely my friends.

 

|April 14, 2018|

Suspension:

For the front, we are just going with the tried and true King 2.5 coilovers. I kept the standard 600 lbs springs since I am doing aluminium armor and when I get a winch it will be synthetic cable. I also plan to keep the lift pretty minimal, ideally 2” or less once I confirm the trimming was successful. The last piece is the upper control arms, all extended-travel coilovers require an aftermarket UCA with more ball joint articulation than the stock arm. I went with SPC because I wanted to have fine control of the alignment for tire clearance purposes (further discussed in the next post). I also have had uniball/ poly bushing arms in the past and the constant maintenance was very annoying!

The rear is more fun. On my old 4Runner I copied the BAMF shock relocation to fit 12” shocks. For the tacoma, I just got the BAMF setup itself. I also ordered the HD shackle hangers with HD shackle from them. For the leaf springs, after reading many threads on the topic, I decided on the OME Dakar leaf pack standard duty. That pack is good for 2.75” of lift with up to 330 lbs of cargo. If I find myself needing more, I can add a leaf to it. I also got some supplemental parts from Toytec: extended brake lines, u-bolt flip, carrier bearing drop.

Parts:
-King 2.5 Coilovers (600 lbs/in springs)
-SPC upper control arms
-Wheelers Superbumps
-King 12” 2.0 rear shocks
-BAMF Shock Relocation
-BAMF HD Shackle hanger
-BAMF HD Shackles
-OME Dakar EL095R leaf pack
-Toytec U-bolt flip

Tools:
-Full metric socket/wrench set
-Jacks & stands
-Ball joint puller (for the aftermarket UCA)
-Cut off wheel
-Air hammer
-Drill

Time:
Took me 2 hours to weld the shock towers and paint them before I started on the truck. The front is all bolt on so that’s just a few hours. Shackle hangers were a pain and took a solid 4 hours by themselves. Rear shocks involved a lot of cutting, measuring and welding so those took a solid day by themselves.

Starting with the rear. Before the install, I welded the BAMF shock relocation towers together. Starting with the mounting plates using a 1.5” spacer to set them perfectly.










I also painted the towers before welding them on the frame, since once you do that the only way to paint the hard to reach areas (like the backside) is to remove the bed.




Before I could tack on the shock mounts and flex test for clearance, I needed to get the Dakar Leaf pack and BAMF HD Shackle hangers on.

Old shocks and leaf springs out.




In addition to the HD hangars, I ordered BAMF’s new HD Shackle!

The purpose of the HD shackle hangar is to replace the stock hangar which is prone to bending from large loading situations and also from rocks due to it hanging very low.




The plus sign on the left leaf pack means it is slightly above the nominal spring rate, so I put that one on the driver’s side to counteract the Taco lean. A circle means it is perfect and a minus sign is below nominal. The arrows tell you which way is forward, naturally.




Weak factory shackle hanger that I mentioned above. Each hangar is held in with 4 huge rivets. The heads have to be cut and the rivets drilled to remove them. This part alone took me like 3 hours.




Lots of cutting…




Cut a large part of the hangar off to better access the rivets.




Hangar removed completely.




New BAMF hangar in place.




U-bolt Flip and the Dakar leaf pack, this was taken before the relocated shocks were finished.




Toytec stainless braided extended brake lines. You will need extended lines to get all the travel out of the 12” shock swap.




OK, Back to the shock towers! First set the axle on some jack stands. This will keep the leaf springs loaded and the axle will be at “ride height” compared to the frame.




As can be seen most easily on the driver’s side (passenger side is pictured), the towers really only have one position, so they can be fully welded on right away. I did cut off most of the driver’s side factory shock mount to make room for the reservoir. The passenger side mount needs to but cut completely off.





For the Axle shock mounts you need to cut off the factory lower shock mounts.

To position the new lower mounts, I used the published lengths of King 2.0 12” shocks: 19.585” compressed and 31.585” extended (bolt center to bolt center).

Now measure from the upper mount 24.585”. This will be the length of the shock at ride height, 5” of uptravel and 7” of downtravel. You can vary this number if you plan to run the truck at a higher level of lift. Confirm clearance at full compression before fully welding.




Here are the shocks themselves. I got them valved F12/10 and with compression adjusters. Mounting dimensions are 1 ½” x ½” bolt.

For my hose fittings, I just ordered it with normal "straight" fittings, if you did not get the compression adjuster, you will want a 90 deg fitting on the reservoir side.

If you wanted to, a 45 degree fitting on the shock-side of the hose might be a good idea. This would better position the hose as you will see in the finished pics.




I swapped out the 2.0 rod ends with grooved 2.5” shock rod ends (same shaft threads) in order to run King’s new reinforced plastic shaft guards. Shaft protection is very important when they are as exposed as these rear shocks are. Rock chips = leaking shocks!



Got it all dialed then fully welded and painted.




Ruffstuff makes some weld on reservoir saddles for clamping the reservoir.

 

Front Suspension:



For the Control Arm, I went with the SPC (Light Racing) 25470 Upper Control Arms.
There are a few reasons these arms are superior to any other on the market.

1) Fully Sealed Joints. No constant maintenance like with Polyurethane & uni-balls.
2) Minimize tire rubbing. Use the SPC Arm in combination with the OE lower cams to position the tire forward in the wheel well and still keep perfect alignment settings.
3) TONS of adjustability.
4) Rubber Isolation to reduce NVH.
5) More ball joint articulation than uni-ball joints.




I will discuss the specifics of the SPC ball joint adjustment in the next post, but you can see here how it works basically.









New coilovers in and front all back together. The coilovers will come with 0.25” of threads showing above the spring, this is usually good for about a 1.5 inch lift. Since the cylinder threads are 10 threads per inch and the coilover lever ratio is about 2:1, that comes out to 5 threads (0.50") per 1 inch change of vehicle height. At the default setting, they provide about 1.5” of lift and I wanted to be at 2.5” of lift, so I added 0.5” of preload to make it total 0.75” of threads exposed.

EDIT: After confirming tire clearance, I lowered the truck a bit to 0.60" of exposed threads.

Also added a set of Wheeler’s Superbumps and EBC brake pads. The 7000 series greenstuff pads are formulated for minimum brake dust and maximum pad life. With how much i'm focusing on keeping weight down, I didn’t feel a need for super stopping performance pads.





As a reminder, whenever you lift a vehicle you want to reset the VSC system (stability control). Very easy to do, use this How-to:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...ibrate-your-vsc-computer-the-easy-way.467485/



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Here it is so far! Tire clearance is next...

(these were taken before the rear shock install was complete)

 

|April 14, 2018|

Tire Clearance:

35’s are big tires to try and clear on these trucks, especially without long travel arms to push them further out. But there is hope! There are a few surefire things you can do to eliminate rubbing.

-The big one is the famous Cab Mount Chop. Easy to do, assuming you have a welder or know one. Be sure to also trim/flatten the pinch weld while you are there.

-The next important one is the front bumper. If you are keeping the stock bumper, you will need to trim that quite a bit. Going with a high clearance front bumper gave me all the tire clearance I needed in that area though.

-Another necessity is fender and flare trimming. The main areas to trim the fenders are near the pinch weld in the front wheel well and at the front of the rear wheel well (the rear tire moves forward as it comes up).

-The secret sauce however is the front alignment. As mentioned, I went with SPC upper control arms. The reason for this is they have the ability to adjust the location of the upper ball joint which helps change the tire position up front. By moving the tire position forward, you can gain more clearance to the body and cab mount area. In order to move the tire forward, you will need an aftermarket front bumper for the tire clearance up front.

-One final note is on Wheel offset / backspacing. The ideal backspacing is just enough to prevent tire rubbing on the upper control arm, usually around 4.5” of backspacing or slightly less. As you push the wheel further out (with spacers, lower backspacing on wheels, or even just a wider wheel) the tire will make a wider arc along the steering axis which will mean it will rub worse on the pinch weld/cab mount area. IMO the perfect wheels specs for these trucks are 4-4.5” backspacing and 8-8.5” width.



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SPC Ball Joint Adjustment

For the SPC ball joint, you can see here the range of adjustability you have in the upper ball joint position. Caster and Camber can both be adjusted independently of each other. Using the procedure below, we can move the tire forward and create more clearance!



SPC's adjustment chart:


Basically what we want to do is set the factory lower arm cams at max caster, then do the entire alignment using the SPC upper ball joint (except for the toe setting of course).

To elaborate on the lower arm cams, move the forward bushing in towards the truck and move the rearward bushing outward. This will move the lower ball joint forward.

I ended up going with the F setting on the SPC ball joint for both sides. This, combined with adjusting the lower arms, moved the tire about 1” forward. This is a HUGE amount when trying to help with your rubbing.

After all that, camber can be set with the slot in the upper control arm and toe is set on the Tie Rods.


Watch this video for a summary of the changes.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/f2YhnldfI50




With a lot of other aftermarket arms, you end up with 4+ deg of caster which is the only way to get some tire clearance and still set the alignment with the lower arm cams. So with SPC arms, I am able to get my alignment pretty damn perfect and still have more tire clearance than them.





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Cab Mount Chop

The front cab mount chop is almost required if you run 285s (33s) or above. It consists of just trimming the mount and welding in a new low profile side. Was short on time, so I had a shop do it for $150.

Cut a LOT off... the more the better.




On mine, you can see how the filler plate angles back. Get as much clearance as possible!

Be sure to trim/flatten the pinch weld while you do this.




========================================================================================================


Fender Trimming!

There are two parts that must be trimmed, the fender flare and the fender itself. To get started on this, remove the wheel well liners. I ended up trimming a lot more than needed, but mostly for cosmetic reasons.

Now remove the flares. There should be one bolt on each end and a bunch of plastic clips all around it. Be careful popping the clips off, the clips are replaceable but the receiving features on the flares are not… in fact it's probably best to just remove the clips from inside the fender instead of trying to pop the flare off. Clearly not how I did it, but it is what I recommend now that I have taken flares off.

You can see how much extra sheet metal there is beyond the attachment clips for the flare, this is what we are trimming off.





I decided to take about 3” off of the flares and fenders. I tried to mimic @inv3ctiv3 ‘s trimming lines, because damn his truck looks good! I also read through @tetten ‘s build quite a bit in this area. Why Toyota made the Tacoma flare 6+ inches tall is beyond me, it has always looked stupid with how big it is.

Masked flare to cut. I marked the cut so that the flare was 3.5” tall all around.




Cut flare using a dremel with cut off disk.




Cuts cleaned up using a stationary belt sander.




Now onto the fenders themselves. When working on the rear, be aware of these brackets that hold the bedsides.

What I did for these was move them away from the wheel well by one hole.





Fender marked for the cut. I wanted the fender to be ½” inside the flare at all times.




There is plenty of room behind the fender, so don’t worry too much about inadvertently cutting anything important.







Use some paint match to cover the raw metal from the cut.




Get some edge trim, you will need just under 20ft of each size:
1/32" for the fender itself (McMasterCarr 8507K14)
1/16" for the flares (McMasterCarr 8507K52)




I didn't add the edge trim until August, so the next few pages won't show any edge trim.







The next thing you want to do is replace any of the plastic clips that inevitably broke when you first removed the flares. I got 10x 10 packs on Amazon for $9, meanwhile the dealer wants like $1 per clip!

GRQV-0047616315

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012SUQD0A/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

With all new strong plastic clips in there and a bolt on each end, the flares should be held plenty strong on there!




here is a completed picture!




.

 

|April 28, 2018|

Aww rats!!!

P0333 Error Code:
One lesser known, but VERY expensive issue to have repaired on tacomas is the knock sensor wiring. The root of the problem is that many japanese manufactures have switched their wiring looms over to a soy-based material instead of petroleum. This means critters find them yummy! Critters will gnaw on the knock sensor wires until they short out on each other, causing an error code. The reason critters always go for the knock sensor wires is quite simple. They are tucked in a warm, safe, and secluded part of the engine bay. Perfect bedtime snack for a mouse making a nest.

Symptoms of a shorted knock sensor wire are severe: The truck will be in LIMP MODE!
-Will not shift into 5th gear/overdrive
-Runs with spark timing severely retarded (awful MPGs and no power)
-no cruise control
-no traction control

To have a dealer repair this is often a multi-thousand dollar job. Some people claim they have gotten their insurance to cover rodent damage if they had comprehensive coverage… after a deductible of course.

To avoid this issue? Spray rodent repellent under the intake manifold now! It only takes 1 mouse 1 night to cause these problems.

Parts / Retail Cost:
$40 - Replacement knock sensor wire harness (82219-08010) - I didn’t end up needing this, but get one incase you do
$42 - replacement manifold gaskets
$25 - Rodent repellent spray

Resource threads:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/knock-sensor-replacement.235717/
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/rodents-chewing-knock-sensor-wires.517687/
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/knock-sensor-questions.456772/

Tools:
-T40 Torx bit
-8mm allen
-10mm socket
-12mm socket
-wiring tools

Time:
The factory service manual quotes 20 hours for this job, but also calls for removing the cylinder heads… my slow self did it in 6 hours and only had to take off the intake manifold. It helps if you have someone with small hands nearby!

Procedure:

This will be your first clue of a problem… P0333 - Knock sensor not reporting, bank 2 (drivers side) in addition to the TRAC OFF light. Check engine light reappears immediately after clearing the code. The TPMS light is on for a different reason.




As a backup, got some replacement manifold gaskets, a replacement knock sensor harness, and some rodent repellent spray.

Turns out after I got everything apart I got the wrong gasket set… luckily mine were in great shape.




Start by taking the engine cover off, 2 10mm nuts.

Then remove the air filter housing, a few 12mm or 10mm nuts, the throttle body clamp, and a vacuum hose in the back.




Remove the black intake plenum by disconnecting all the myriad of things attached to it including the throttle body… You will need an 8mm allen key socket for the bolts going into the intake manifold.




The fuel rail will need to be unbolted, as it will need to be moved around to get the lower intake manifold off.




When removing the T40 torx bits for the intake manifold, ignore the security bit torx head bolts. You don't need to remove those. Only the normal Torx head bolts.




With the manifolds off, we now have access to our working area… probably a good idea to cover the intake ducts.



The culprit will be found underneath these hard coolant lines, you will just have to reach around them. Small fingers help…




The chewed knock sensor plug wire!




Notice the straw? Evidence of a mouse nest!



You should be able to disconnect the plug and maneuver it around the coolant hardlines. Here was how much mine was damaged. These wires shorting on each other was the source of the error code.




Mine were chewed almost all the way through so I went ahead and cut out the chewed parts, extended, and soldered the wires. If yours are chewed too close to the plug to be repaired, that is when the replacement harness section is needed.




Last step before putting it all back together. Spray the heck out of the area with this stuff.




Success! Ignore the TMPS light…

The truck runs great again! The whole limp mode thing basically made it undrivable.

 

Badass! Glad to see you finally got this thread up. Can’t wait to see some good stuff buddy!

 

Thanks Harry,
Been waiting on a few loose ends for a while before I posted this! Should be a steady stream of good stuff on this thread for a while.

 

Here are some more photos from the trips I have taken since getting the truck in a state that I enjoy it.

These are mostly from Pismo / Big Sur


































My ugly mug

 

Continued:

From the sierra mountains and Yosemite nat'l park












































This one is a video:

 

+1 for adding trim to the edge. I'm not really big on fashion or aesthetics but $20 and 15min of work make the cut edges look so much better and help smooth over rough edges for when working in the wheel well areas. I really don't know why more people don't do it.

 

Yeah I need to take some pics and update that section with pictures with the edge trim

 

subbbbbbbb

 

Happy to help, my son constantly turns my ram mount and watches YouTube on my phone. Sub'd for future updates.