Sandra the Escape Artist Build and Snaeper's BS

So as of a few days the truck has officially been with me for a year and I have one of the first big mods in the pipeline that might end up making a few waves so I figured it's time to give Sandra a build thread.

2019 Tacoma SR with SX Package, 2.7 I4 4x4


How she sits presently (8/9/2024)​

Snaeper's Rambling Preamble:
So I had been wanting a Tacoma for a few years. A former boss had one and had lauded their resale value and reliability. Work had necessitated a move to a truck from my old unibody SUV since I was rapidly running out of space inside and tired of having to worry about keeping my interior clean. Not to mention the dread of potentially getting into an accident and getting clobbered by a few hundred pounds of power tools that had suddenly accelerated (or NOT decelerated).

I was interested in Access cabs since I had and still have little to no need for a rear seat on the regular, but I did still want the jump seats in case I had to haul sub contractors around for short trips due to work, and those have served the purpose just fine.

I plan on owning the truck for a long time, and while I'm sure the 3.5 V6 will be just as reliable as the other's that came before, I chose to go with the 2TR-FE four cylinder. I'm just not a lead footed driver and the truck performs fine for me in Phoenix, AZ. I can see how it might not be great in hilly areas or places with short freeway on ramps on the regular, though.

I also was unsure on how much I'd really use 4x4, but that was more important than the V6 and I didn't want to pay for both and use neither, so the I4 with 4x4 was the options I was looking at the most.

Between 2016 and 2018, the SX package wasn't available, so I was mostly looking at the Convenience package trucks in White or Silver, as I wanted a low maintenance color for dusty AZ. However, when 2019 introduced the SX package to the SR line, it brought the Quicksand color with it from the higher trims. At the time I went to buy this truck, it was the only I4, 4x4 and the color was just an added bonus. I test drove it (and a V6 4x4 Off Road for comparison) and was happy with the options on the SR so I stuck with that.

First Round of Mods

Installed SnugTop Rebel with Sportsman Package, Sliding Windoors and Yakima Rails.

This was one of the absolute musts I wanted to get on the truck as soon as possible. I planned on sleeping in the bed of the truck to try out car/truck camping and seeing how much I liked it before investing in a more overland-centric set up. I also wanted it on there for tool and material hauling. Most bed covers simply wont allow me to put some tool boxes in, or force me to un-stack them, thus taking up valuable floor space. So a camper shell was the first, second, and third answer for me.

Not Pictured: A Viper Two-Way Alarm system with remote start. My last vehicle had remote start and I really wanted it again for my next vehicle, but the Taco SX simply doesn't come with any kind of keyless entry as standard, so you have to option it, and the dealer wanted an astronomical amount. This was less.... but I'm discovering that the installer definitely cut some corners and I'll be taking it somewhere in the future to get it sorted out. Thusfar, though, it performs it's function without issue and the alarm also works very well.


Not in any rush to go with aftermarket wheels as I like the stock SX's plenty. However, I picked up some 265/75/R16 Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S' and sold the stock Firestone's to offset the costs. I think the AT3 4S is a great general purpose AT tire that is an excellent toe in the water for me, as I have never owned a 4WD vehicle before, nor a truck, and didn't want to buy anything too big, bad, nobbly and heavy, only to not use it and get punished the rest of the time.

They have been excellent tires thus far, and really improved the look of the truck with their larger size.


I also did the popular Subaru Kicker Tweet swap to give the basic audio some extra punch. The difference wasn't night and day, but it was definitely an improvement over stock. It made me thirst for more though...

Second Round of Mods
Mostly smaller stuff for this one, but with the help of some fellow members, I was able to fill out the audio (Round 2 of 3)

Bought some fog lights off a local member on Facebook. I'm not super proud of this mod, because at the time of this writing, I still need to add the fuse and switch, so for now I'm just posing.



Added @MESO Map and Dome lights... and realized that the SR doesn't have a black headliner like the TRD's get! Had never noticed despite having spent significant time around other 3rd Gens. These things really are bright as hell.


After a spirited bit of driving in the rain on a muddy road, I realized it was finally time to pull the trigger on some bed stiffeners, so I went with the best and got some Total Chaos bed stiffeners. I have absolutely nothing against stiffeners from other brands, but the TC ones really work for me and how I use my bed. Was able to pick them right up from @SDHQ OFFROAD as they had them in stock in their showroom and I happened to be in Gilbert for work!




Took the next step with my basic audio build and swapped in some Infinity Kappa Coaxials. This does mean I now have 8 tweeters in the cab... so a sub is going to come soon, but I've been extremely pleased with the audio performance thus far. This is especially considering I'm using the most basic head unit and haven't had to add an Amp yet.

An Infinity BassLink SM2 and Kicker Key Amp are in the future, as well as some Second Skin sound deadening and new door clips to replace the few that were broken/lost during install to quell rattles.



@Man of Steel TRD is the nicest guy and hooked me up with the selector knob from his TRD Sport as he had upgraded to the TRD Pro knob. I didn't realize how much the urethane knob sucked until I gripped it. I now hate my steering wheel, lol.


AZ has a pretty active Tacoma community from both TW.com and also the Facebook group, so the sticker is a great way to get a shout out to my fellow Taco enthusiasts.


And to cap off round 2, I got a bed mat at long last. Was an awesome birthday gift from family!

Snaeper's Ultra Low Budget Sleeping Platform
So my camping adventures haven't been as frequent as I'd like due to work schedules, but I have been very happy with my simple sleeping platform solution.

Work also requires I have maximum amount of bed space available during the week, so a permanent solution wasn't really attractive to me, but it will certainly be a project in the future if my work situation changes!


I basically use two 2x4's and two sheets of plywood. All material was acquired from a job I was working on and was destined for the trash bin. This was shocking considering the plywood is 11-ply cabinet grade plywood! Exceptionally strong! The 2x4's were also high quality, incredibly straight boards. I really should treat them to ensure they last longer, in case this solution becomes long term.


I place the 2x's in the notches on the bed sides and set the two pieces of plywood atop them, then drape a clean shipping blanket over top (I also have these in abundance thanks to work). I then roll out the mattress topper off my bed (full size).


An old comforter, sleeping bag and other items are then added. I haven't tried this in hot weather yet and might exclude the comforter in those situations. While the low ceiling makes maneuvering a little difficult, I've had some very good nights of sleep back here barring the first one in which I awoke with whiskey-fueled claustrophobia.

Round Three of Mods
This is going to kick off with what will very likely be a world first, so stay tuned for that. I'm pretty excited!​

Mod List:

Exterior -
SnugTop Rebel with Sportsman Package, Yakima Rails and Sliding Windoors
OEM Fog Lights and Bezels
Total Chaos Bed Stiffeners
REKGEN Mud Flaps

Wheels/Tires/Suspension -
Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S - 265/75/R16
Tough Dog 40mm Adjustable Foam Cell Shocks, Extended Travel F/R
Headstrong 3-leaf AAL
Wheeler's Superbumps (Front)
All-Pro U-Bolt Flip Kit with Timbren bump stops (Rear)

Interior/Audio -
Kicker Subaru Tweeters
Infinity Kappa Coaxial 6x9's
Infinity Kappa Coaxial 6.5's
Huskyliner Weatherbeaters Floor Mats (Fronts Only)
MESO Custom's Map and Dome Lights
TRD Sport Selector Knob

more when I remember them...

 

So this is a pretty common picture, yeah? We've all gotten boxes from the Purple and Orange Santa's before haven't we?


But nobody (that owns a Tacoma) has gotten what's inside these boxes before...


More details to come!

 

So suspension pieces are starting to pile up. This wasn't the plan, but I don't have the facilities or resources to put things together all by myself, so it's just a matter of waiting for the stars to align to get it done with the help of friends and other forum members.

Meanwhile, I always kinda browse Craigslist in the hopes of finding a gem of a steal, and boy did I find one on Wednesday. Some kids had listed "Timbren U-bolt flip kit with bumpstops for 2nd gen" for $40. The price was so low it was almost too good to be true, but I emailed him anyways and inquired. It was a genuine kit, had never been installed and was for a truck that had been sold as his brother now owned a 3rd gen. Of course, in my head, I thought 'well, it should still work for the third gen' but lord knows I wasn't going to tell him that. So I carted my ass to the other side of town and a cursory glance seemed to have everything check out. Brand new U-bolts, brand new Timbren bump stops and all the fixings for $40. Done deal. (Sidenote: It ended up being an All-Pro flip kit with Timbren bump stops)

Winding the clock back to earlier in the day, I recently got a new phone and was struggling trying to email this young fellow about his bump stops when in pops a Tacomaworld notifcation from the AZ Classified thread in our regional forum. For the same reason I browse craigslist, I looked into the thread and damned if my buddy @TACOVRD hadn't listed his Wheeler's front bump stops for $40 as well! I picked up the craigslist purchase then rendezvoused with him on my way home and got back a happy, thrifty clam.

But then I opened up that Timbren's box and looked at the invoice (which was conveniently included) and to my dismay, learned that the u-bolt flip kit was for a first gen. Also, the four pieces of hardware to fasten the bumps to the plate were missing. In my excitement, I could've haggled, but I was blinded by the savings.

Poop.

All was not lost, however, as I noticed the mounting plates seemed generous with their holes and sure enough, the included invoice confirmed that these were "universal" mounting plates. A cursory look on All-Pro's website revealed these were identical to those included in the 2nd/3rd gen kit, and All-Pro sells U-bolts for that kit to boot! So I ordered replacement u-bolts for my truck and now it's just a matter of finding some bolts and washers to fasten the bumps to the plates and I'll be right as rain and that little bit more ready for my lift. The longer I wait, the more prepared I'll be, but damn if I can't wait to get my stuff on my truck!

 

The haul.

 

So I spent all day (9am-7pm) yesterday with @Man of Steel TRD and had @TailHook join us for the rear half of the truck which was where we really needed him!

Installed items list:

• Tough Dog 40mm Adjustable Extended Travel Foam Cell Shock and Spring (Front)
• Tough Dog 40mm Adjustable Extended Travel Foam Cell Shock (Rear)
• @HeadStrong Off-Road 3-leaf AAL
• Wheelers Offroad Front Bump Stops (Thanks again to @TACOVRD )

Pending:

• All-Pro U-Bolt Flip Kit with Timbren Bump stops as the new U-bolts haven't come in yet and I haven't sourced hardware to fasten the Timbren's to the mounting plate.

Jeremy (Man of Steel) was a gracious host and had me over to his well-stocked-with-tools garage. He had recently repaired one jack, bought another one, and then I had also borrowed one from a co-worker. This seemed like overkill, but it actually made the whole process go that little bit smoother having three jacks to pick from. I also brought my jack stands since Jeremy is currently working with the recalled Harbor Freight ones (I bought him some new ones as a thank you).

​

We started on the fronts, and that went fairly smooth with the drivers side, taking care not to let the driveshaft flex or pull too much. The Passengers side had a hiccup as the shock's top mount wasn't rotated properly. A quick trip to Autozone to rent a spring compressor and a lot of sweating and cussing from Jeremy and I and we managed to rotate it into position and install the shock without further fanfare. Side note: The stock bash plate really does suck on these trucks. Skid plate soon, when my wallet recovers.

​

Wheeler's Superbumps also went in and man what a pain in the ass those are to install, but what a huge upgrade they are over the stock ones.

​

Next was the rears, and Alan (Tailhook) showed up just in time. Jeremy only has experience with installing full leaf packs on Taco's and my memory of helping Alan with his Add A Leaf install was hazy at best. To boot, Alan had gotten the older Headstrong AAL pack, so there was some amusing quips in regards to that. The drivers side install was a pain in the ass. A little kicking, a little maneuvering, some pulling and more before it finally went in. By comparison, the Passenger install was a breeze, which was a relief because Jeremy and I were whipped by the end of it. Big thanks to both of them for the help and I couldn't have done it without them, at least not in a day!

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The lift was a huge boost for my rear suspension. The rear leafs on Taco's suck. I'm sure you've heard that before ad infinitum, but with all of my tools and the new suspension and jack, my bed was sagging pretty bad. When the new AAL's went on, it perked up impressively. Very, very happy with the improvement and looking forward both to some trail raiding, but also commuting!

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Ended up netting 1.75" of lift in the front, and 2" of lift in the rear. Expecting to settle to 1.5" and 1.75" but we'll see! The truck rides like a sports car now, yet is still quite comfortable. The adjustment I made to the shocks for the rear seemed a little tight, and the bed hopped around like it didn't have a fiberglass shell on it. Once I loaded it with all of my tools, however, it went back to riding like a dream. I'll play with rebound while empty to see where I want it exactly. Super happy to get my truck a little bit closer to a "finished" state. Skid, sliders, Racks, Lights, Seat Covers.... still a bit more to go. Damn this hobby and passion.

 

Looks badass dude - I’m all about the moderate lift and honestly 1.75” -2” is plenty and just right in terms of not wearing out components prematurely or placing undue stress on things.

 

Yes, it was the perfect amount of lift. No need for UCA's or anything like that, and the lack of vibes is awesome. I was sweating the need for shims and a carrier bearing drop kit, but everything checked out perfectly.

I'm impressed with the Tacoma's stock brake lines, but I still think an upgrade to stainless steel lines is in the future.

EDIT: And UCA's might still be in the cards down the road, for added droop travel.

 

So I've done a few things since the last update.


Got the final suspension piece installed for now, as the U bolts finally came in. Had to trim the mounting piece of the bump stop to get it to fit between the nuts of the U bolts but otherwise it fit well. All trimmed pieces were painted black to prevent rusting. Kinda killed suspension travel but the truck is very cushy going over bumps, and I'll take the improvement.





Popped out the hub caps logos and soaked them in soapy water. Rinsed them well and then hit with a few layers of metallic silver and then a few layers of flat clear.


The change isnt dramatic, but I like the look more than the flashy chrome. Just gotta get some black locking lug nuts and I will be happy with these wheels for a few more years.

EDIT: Oh god, this picture is even worse on desktop. I'll get a new one.



Also installed some REKGEN mud flaps my brother got me for my birthday belatedly. The truck looks much more purposeful. Going to see how they fare on Bulldog Canyon this weekend. Pictures of that sometime next week.

 

Well 2020's been a wild ride. Got laid off shortly after my last post, so I kinda put the kibosh on truck stuff for awhile to conserve funds. Today I just landed a new job because not doing anything was finally driving me stir crazy and I had an awesome opportunity fall into my lap.

During that time, I've only done a handful of things and I just wanted to write them down so I remember.

First off, I installed some ICON sway bar relocators. An easy-peasy job that ensures my sway bar won't bang against the coils and shock bodies anymore.

Secondly, I disassembled the rear bumper to swap in one I got off another member locally for $25. What a pain these bumpers are, but it's in and ready for a bike rack or Westcott Universal Swing arm attachment down the road.

Now that funds are on the way, I hope to advance with a few more things on the truck.

 

Congrats on the new gig, man!

Now get back to modding!

 

I got some catching up to do, for sure.

I think ditch lights, an ARB front recovery point and a skid plate are next. Finishing up the fog light install (still posing) and getting the OR skid under the tank as well.

Also, I forgot to mention I bought @StillNoPickles fire extinguisher mount from him.

 

Scored a free TRD Off Road gas tank skid from a local member. Got some threaded straps off Amazon for $52. Installed in under an hour. With a cargo strap, needle nose pliers and basic sockets it was easy to do solo.

Might upgrade to a steel skid down the road, but this is better than nothing for now.

 

Haven't updated this in awhile. Aways back, I got a TRD Faux grille from @TailHook that came off of @OmegaMan73 s truck. Price was too good to pass up so I snagged it even though it wasn't a high priority item for me.

I love the way these trucks visually widen without the big sombrero on the front, though, so it was worth it to me.

Also and far more recently, I swapped in some Diode Dynamics SS3 Sports in place of the OR fogs I got awhile back. It's another thing that was much more cosmetic than functional, but it also inspired me to get off my ass and order the fog stalk... Since I'm still posing.



I also finally got my DMM installed. It's nice to be able to have google maps in my line of sight, among other improvements. Definitely must-have for SR owners and others. It's super easy to do with the right, basic, tools. Even just the single phone mount they offer is worthwhile if you don't have other plans down the road.

Not done with lighting upgrades, so stay tuned.

 

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Long awaited update post. I know y'all have been sitting on the edge of your seats for this one (/s just in case it wasn't obvious)

Things I've done since the last post many, many years ago:
- Installed the ditch light DD's and Trigger 4 system. I've honestly got to get around to getting the Trigger system to work because it was great at turning the ditch lights on... but seemed to forget how to turn them off. Super frustrating.
- Installed the DD fog lights. Have been a little timid with wanting to take off the steering wheel but that should finally get around to getting resolved here soon.
- Got an NVX Powered under-seat subwoofer for the driver's side and it bumps just enough for my liking without letting my neighbors know my taste in music. Fits perfectly under the seat.
- Installed a Kicker Key 200.4 under the Passenger's seat which also did wonders to get the door speakers up to speed. Audio is pretty much settled at this point.
- SCS Gen5's with Michelin LTX AT2's. Kind of already regretting the AT2's but I still have my original wheels and may look for a deal on some lightly used MT's for wheeling.

Things I've got to do:
- Install the factory fog switch/turn stalk I alluded to above.
- Bought some HELLA Sharptones for an easy mod. Going to paint the trim rings either Red or Silver.
- Figure out where I'm rubbing. Front mud flaps may be coming off.
- Install the 3D Printed center caps I got for the Gen5's. Need to clear coat them before, though.
- Fix and Finish a few other things I've not been getting done.

Wild how fast 3+ years have gone by.

 

The post I wanted to come here to make.

I'm wanting to actually get out and do a longer trip. Probably starting small before hand, though.

Dunno how far out this is because I really need to get a new job that lets me have some actual time off. I've basically worked every week for the last four years and while three day weekends have been nice, the mental and physical fatigue have still set in and I'm toast. I think it's just been light, simmering depression mixed with other interests to distract me from how much I was hating life. Anyways.

My goals are to get the truck a bit more trail ready while being smart about it. Not trying to make a rock-crawler or a GVWR-busting glamping RV.

Priorities right now are (writing this out mostly to think through it):

• Sleeping. I've thought about a RTT, I've thought about a more permanent sleeping set up in the shell... and then I've thought about an RTT again. Still not sure, but a RTT on the shell would open the bed up for a bit more mess. Only option I'm considering is the Inspired Overland Standard Lightweight. On the more $$$$$ side would be swapping the SnugTop for a base Alu-Cab ModCAP.
• Fuel. I don't love the idea of storing fuel in the bed if I'm also sleeping there. Not impressed by the lack of options for camper shells. Not terribly keen on getting a swingout bumper even if I get an aftermarket bumper. Also not excited about storing a rotopax on a roof rack in Arizona, but it's an option.
• Alternative Tire Mounting. Not a huge priority, but something I have certainly been keeping in mind. One of the reasons I even zoomed in on the ModCAP as an upgrade was the tire mounting on the door. It does put the weight a bit higher but keeps it tighter to the truck than a swingout would imo. If I keep the SnugTop, then I might consider mounting it in the bed. Definitely not sleeping back there, then.