The Insane Asylum DCLB build and XJ insanity

I just need UCA! The wallet needs a little bit of time.

I graduated school two weeks ago and start my new job Friday! I hope it isn't too much longer.

The look my wife gave me... she mentioned maybe I could install it last weekend and I told her I didn't have everything I needed.

 

You could get away with installing it without the UCAs and then do them later. You'll need to come up one day and run URE with us! That really short WB will do well.

 

I wouldn't want to run it too long at a 3" lift without the UCA though. Wouldn't my alignment be pretty far off? I'm afraid it'd drive like crap and wear my tires.

I'd install it ASAP if I wasn't afraid of all that.

 

People have done it and even if you get them and install them when you do your lift the alignment will be off. The biggest thing they allow you to do is caster correction and also a little more flex with the uni-balls or high angle balljoints. Caster does not wear tires btw.

 

Good point about the caster. Camber wouldn't be too far off?

Heck, I might just do it now and when I get tires in the near future, do UCA then.

 

Ordered some goodies tonight. Thanks to @Sandman614 for making my wallet a little lighter. Also downloaded the Torque app for my phone so when it gets here I can play with it.

vgate OBD2 Scanner iCar2 Bluetooth Diagnostic Tool Support All OBD Protocals for Android Devices

https://www.amazon.com/Vgate-Scanne...=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=vgate+bluetooth+scan+tool

Ordered some CBI ditch light brackets. I like where they place the lights more in front of the A-pillar.

Got an IFS skid on order from SOS Offroad Concepts first of the actual armor upgrades!

 

Recent trip to Busted Knuckle Offroad Park in Alabama. It was a heck of a lot of fun even if I mostly rode with someone. Truck needs some upgrades for this place. Has some really awesome trails, hill climbs, and buggie courses.
More pictures can be found here
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/busted-knuckle-trips-photo-and-video-dump-area.552770/

Lost traction on the rear wheel and couldn't get any higher

 

Got the Vgate Bluetooth OBDII scanner and then downloaded Torque Pro App now I can watch my trans temps and other data. Have already played with this thing for a few hrs messing with settings and watching different live data. Man I remember the days of doing that all day and it started to get old now that I don't do it anymore it's fun to actually take a hard look at the truck and see the health of the systems via. the data stream.

vgate OBD2 Scanner iCar2 Bluetooth Diagnostic Tool Support All OBD Protocals for Android Devices

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075R62FTH

 

Thanks @EddyRRT for delivering my IFS skid to the Meat Meet yesterday looking forward to getting it installed!

 

Getting armored up installed SOS bolt on sliders yesterday. Thanks to @EddyRRT for blasting 4 holes in my frame that the recall frames no longer have and clearancing the plates around a rivit that didn't use to be there. Thanks to @HrBrad8 for the hookup on the sliders they look really good. Have to retrain myself on getting in and out of the truck around them now.

 

So in a poor choice of timing decided to paint and install my SOS Offroad Concepts IFS skid. Poor timing because it was hot as crap and the only place I have to do it is in my apt. complex parking lot which the asphalt was hotter than hell on a hot summers day. Was burning me through my shirt. Also didn't get my jack out of the garage so had to muscle it up and bolt it in. Also the skid had been riding around in the bed of my truck for like a week so it was hot as shit also so the paint job isn't the best which is fine because it'll get all scuffed up anyways.
Also did some maint. and changed both the cabin and engine air filters. The air filter wasn't horrible but the cabin air was disgusting. It's been about a yr. and close to 50k mi. since I changed either so it was time.

 

Looks like my cabin filter did when i changed it at 90k.

 

Skip the sliders look so sexy!

 

Thanks!

 

Thanks to @Sandman614 I got a secondary auxilary trans/oil cooler. This write up will be for the down and dirty quick off the cuff I got impatient install, lets call it Mod1. Mod2 will consist of fixing the hackery/impatientness and a few things that I have thought of to make it a little more efficient than it already is. I will post screen shots of trans temps after my test drive this evening and explanations of what the conditions were. I romped on it pretty good to see how good it is at keeping the temps down. Also I live in an apartment complex so some mods I do I have to do stuff in my apartment then go outside and have to rush getting it on so that I don't get in trouble with the complex. This explains some of the things I did for just in case scenarios where I would have to change plans based on interferences or fitment. The cooler is a bar and plate style which IMO are much better at heat transfer and cooling than the typical cheap tube and fin style. Before there are any comments about doing mods in the house getting metal shavings or on the kitchen table, this is a bachelor pad so I get to DWTFIW!

What you'll need:

Timmay trans cooler (the patent #s cross reference to a B&M cooler)
4 M8x1.25x25 bolts (I went longer because that's what lowe's had)
4 M8 x1.25 nylock nuts
8 M8 flat washers
3 M6x1.0x20 bolts (I went longer because that's what lowe's had)
3 M6x1.0 nylock nuts
6 M6 flat washers
1 3/8-3/8 brass barb adapter
3 small hose clamps (worm clamps work I used them though not my preference)
4 Rubber grommets
1 Piece of aluminum flat stock I used a 1/16"x3/4"X3ft stick (I bought 2 and used half of each just in case)

Disclaimer:
If your truck did not come with nor has the stock external transmission cooler you will need to take the hoses off and get longer ones from the parts store. Also get hoses that are rated for oils. Fuel line and other hoses may not be rated for oils. This is important because if you do not get the proper hose in can come apart and clog your coolers. I have seen this before and it doesn't end well for the transmission especially if you do not monitor the temps all the time.

Here is what I used Nuts, bolts and flat stock is self explanatory so I am only posting pics of the other misc. parts.






First you'll need to enlarger the holes in the cooler mounting tabs to 1/2" just doing the outer 4 will suffice. I did all 8 just in case.


Push the grommets into the newly enlarged holes. Then take your flat stock and either cut it in half and/or if you got 2 sticks like I did center the hole in the grommet on one piece of flat stock. And either use a transfer punch or a sharp drill bit with some downward pressure to mark where to drill the holes. I will show the location of the holes later as compared to the cooler (I went off eyeball no measurements)


Stack the 2 pieces together and pilot drill with an 1/8" drill bit through each hole


Next enlarge the holes to 5/16" or 8mm


Now bolt the cooler to the flat stock. The cooler mounting tabs are offset to one side that is the side I put the thick end of the grommet on and mounted the flat stock to. Also you will see that there is a gap between the 2 larger diameter parts of the grommet that is ok it'll get taken care of. As well the center part of that grommet is less than 1/2" so it'll move around some again that movement will be taken care of upon tightening of the bolts.



Here is where the Nylock nuts come into play tighten the bolts until that gap is gone and then a little snug. Oh and we are using the M8 hardware for attaching the cooler to the flat stock. Because we aren't tightening the bolts down really tight and there is no sleeve in the grommet to prevent over tightening. The nylock nuts serve to lock it in place where it's good to go. No a split lock washer won't hold and threadlocker probably won't hold that great.


Great now it should look a little like this


Before we head out to the truck cut the fittings off that came on the hoses that are pre-installed. Notice I have not drilled any mounting holes to go to the truck as of yet. I am going off the cuff with this. Years of modding and building shit I can visualize roughly where stuff will go and wing it. If you want exact measurements I can get them for you just let me know. I just didn't feel like taking any and just going off my eye.


Now lets go out to the truck and get to installing this thing. Sorry there aren't as many pics in these stages as this is where I have to try and be as inconspicuous as possible. Take your grill off it's easy 2 10mm bolts and a couple body clips lift up done (there are write ups about this)! Now here is where I knew the general location where I wanted it but played around until I figured out this would be best place. This is where you can see where I have the cooler mounted in relation to the flat stock. The edge of the cooler is ~even with the center of the holes to mount to the truck and those holes are ~1/2" to the edge of the flat stock.


How did I get it there here are the steps. Unbolt the 10mm bolt to the bracket that holds the condenser. Now drill a 1/4" hole ~1/2" down from the edge of the flat stock on both pieces. Then you will bolt up the assembly to the condenser mount tightening it up so the edge of the other side is even with the top of the radiator support. Then you will drill a hole in the radiator support for the bolt.


Now if you got 2 pieces of flat stock mark and cut the tails off you can also mark the lower holes to be drilled. You are going to need to drill these holes off center on the flat stock to avoid 2 big holes in the support bar. My pic just shows an example of the off center hole each truck will be a little different so this is where you'll have to mock it up to find the perfect spot. I cannot drill the holes in the support bar just yet since the bumper is in the way and I don't have a batt. operated drill. So upcoming is where zipties come into play.





Now tighten all your bolts and if you are in the situation I am use those big holes and thread some long sturdy zipties through your cooler bracket holes and those big holes and tighten them down


Now to hook up the hoses. Notice the orientation of the hoses outlets on the cooler, the center vertical hood latch support is in the way so they have to face that way no biggie. Also if your truck did not come equipped with the stock trans cooler you will need to take the supplied hoses off and go get longer ones. How long I have no idea. The piggy back method will be the same to the radiator cooler as it is to the stock external. Take the top cooler hose off and attach the hose to the shorter of the 2 coming from the new cooler using the brass barb. Attach the longer one to the cooler. At this point you will also replace the stock hose clamp as it will not tighten enough to not cause the hose to blow off or leak. You will need your 3 hose clamps for this step.


Tighten up all the clamps and then ziptie the hoses so they don't rub on anything. This is also where I want to make some changes and will. The shorter of the 2 hoses is a little to short and isn't run in the best way. I will address this later. I also don't like ziptieing hoses in this method I will build some brackets and use some rubberized clamps for those brackets for the hoses.



Now reinstall your grill. Where this cooler sits now is right slap in the path of air coming through the grill unlike the factory one which 2/3-3/4 of it is behind the bumper not really getting good airflow.

 

What I can see them!!! In my post and the quoted part

 

Because the pics are in your GOogle account you're logged into.

 

Damnit are any of the pics working then? I used the same method of cut and paste for all of them. This is the first time it hasn't worked then.

 

Yep none of them. Try it again, they all show that they are linked from your google account and not uploaded to the post