Winkle99 Build Thread

High probability that a crawl box will be this Winter’s off season project. My “when in doubt, throttle out” style is not good for the long term health of my truck. It was most impressive to see “3 Tons of Fun” elegantly crawl up obstacles. Are you using stock rear end gears? With the extra available torque, are stock gears strong enough?

 

Excellent! Your build was one of the first I read before I started modifying Winkle. I am transitioning to a new job and I’ll be taking some vacation time in August. Very flexible. Can you ride/wheel during the week or do weekends work better for you?

 

Took Friday, July 31 off from work. Biked the Indian Creek Trail #800 from Rampart Range parking lot to Strontia Springs and back.


I enjoyed smelling the scent of pine for 4 hours. No covid for me. Knock on wood.


There were fields of flowers blooming:


This trail tested my endurance. I hiked with my bike (Trek Stache 7) on some of the steeper sections, which seems more steep in person compared to the photo.

 

Right on

It would be good to get out with some other more experienced wheelers. I’m down to push my boundaries, but not when I’m solo! And I work a normal work week, but it’s also super flexible.

 

It's a game changer for sure. I am running 4.56s but that's about tire size, not gear strength. Your stock gears are fine.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/official-crawlbox-bs-thread.422186/

Some light reading for ya. Take notes. Bookmark important stuff so it's easier to find later.

 

Saturday August 15 - Had a blast riding with @johntoyota on Red Cone, Radical Hill, Middle Fork Swan River, and SOB Hill up to Georgia Pass. What a great loop! I am again amazed at our trucks' capabilities especially wheeling up Radical and SOB. The Red Cone gatekeeper obstacle seemed meager to me this year compared to the two times I climbed it in 2018.
Top of Red cone:


John climbing up Radical:


Looking up Radical's shelf. Still some snow up there:


Radical's higher shelf sections provide me the closest feeling to flying without wings because there is nothing around. It reminded me of being in a little 2 seater Cessna 150...


... especially around this switchback.


My mechanical mountain goat hanging with real mountain goats at the top of Radical Hill:


Middle Fork:


Up:


And Over:


The beginning of SOB Hill with its steep loose boulders is like mogul skiing up hill. Pick your line (rear locker engaged) and GO! Definitely gets the adrenalin flowing.

Top of Georgia Pass looking North. I'm thinking the smoke plume(s) are either the Williams Fork and/or Cameron Peak fire.

 

Finally found SOB?


Also, airing up at the top of the pass? Hope you're patient. Little compressors and thin air take forever.

 

Yep finally - Even approaching SOB from Middle Fork with GAIA and with John who has been there before - we missed the turn up the hill by the cabin. Fortunately John realized it right away.

True. I think it took about 8 minutes per tire to go from 16 to 35 psi on a 32 inch tire.

 

2020 Off Road excursions:

• June 7
  • Kelly Flats
    • Trip Report
• June 14
  • Daken to Rampart Range south to FS325 into Saylor Park
    • Trip Report
• June 24
  • Modano Pass
    • Trip report
• July 25
  • Switzerland Trail and Pennsylvania Gulch
    • Trip Report
• August 15
  • Red Cone, Radical Hill, Middle Fork Swan River, and SOB Hill up to Georgia Pass
    • Trip Report
• August 23
  • Emerald Isle, North Carolina
    • Trip Report 1
• September 12
  • Red Cone and Wheeler Lake
    • Trip Report
• October 22 - 24
  • Moab, Utah
  • Top Of The World, Rose Garden Hill, Onion Creek, Flat Iron Mesa and Steel Bender
    • Trip Report 1
    • Trip Report 2
    • Trip Report 3
    • Trip Report 4
    • Trip Report 5
    • Trip Report 6
    • Trip Report 7
• December 8
  • Red Elephant Hill
    • Trip Report
• December 12
  • Rainbows Falls
    • Trip Report

Some favorite pictures from the past year:


A little "out of tune" entertainment for my friends at 12,000 feet

 

Subbed, good stuff!

 

Winkle received his first war wound wheelin' at Wheeler Lake. As I was climbing the last obstacle before the lake, a large boulder kicked the front end into the embankment, denting the passenger fender:


I pulled the fender, supported it on the grass at angle that would distribute the load as even as possible, and then hit the deepest indentation with a dead blow hammer. Much of the crease bent back into shape. I cleaned up the remaining undulations with a fender repair tool set my brother kindly let me borrow.


I sanded out the scratches the best I could. I know it is not perfect. I didn't spend the time to get all the undulations out, but it is good enough for its next round of Colorado pinstriping.


Frank at Maaco was most helpful. I stopped by before work and asked him to paint the fender as is. The fender was ready to pick up in the afternoon before I left work. I was very please with the results. They blended the paint very well with the existing 8N1 Blue Horizon Metallic and hid many of the preparation imperfections I made from my first attempt at fender repair.



Also had a little Oops at SOB Hill. I didn't quite clear a boulder and nicked my side light:

Easy fix. I ordered another side light off Ebay and installed. I'll touch up the bumper when I perform my yearly armor touchups in the spring.

Winkle is ready for the next adventure in Moab Oct 22 at ROCKtober Therapy.

 

Great job! With some fresh paint that fender wont even be noticeable.

 

I'm heading out to Moab, Utah Wednesday Oct 21. Thursday Oct 22, I plan to wheel Top Of The World, Rose Garden Hill, and Onion Creek, then cruise on 128 and 191 over to the Rock Therapy campsite. I may be solo on some parts of those trails, although they are popular enough that I think there is a high probability I can hook up with someone. But in case I can't find a human spotter, a mechanical one will have to do. I added a front camera to Winkle.




The front camera image shows a Jerry can that I picked up from @Backcountry chef a few weeks ago as a covid project. It had some expected rust and needed restoration. I ordered new gaskets and a new screw on spigot with a smaller diameter tube that fits inside the Tacoma gas tube. As I waited for the parts, I poured cleaning vinegar (6% acidity vs 5% for regular vinegar or apple cider vinegar) and some old chains into the gas can and shook it periodically over a few days. The rust cleaned up pretty well but there was still some minor scarring at the bottom. I added Red Kote fuel tank liner to help preserve the Jerry can and to keep the gas clean.
My googlefu revealed that the US 5 gallon gas can originated early in World War II, copied from the German "Wehrmachtskanister" or "Benzinkanister" made in the 1930s. The name "Jerry Can" comes from the slang World War I name for the German soldiers. The X stamped on the side of the can provides strength and allows for expansion as pressure rises from increasing temperatures. The G stands for Gas and the QMC stands for Quartermaster Corps.


Picture of the interior after Red Kote applied, shows the markings stamped on the bottom and the rust scars on the lower portion of the picture.

The first line, ICC-5L, is the standard the can conforms to, the second line, M.C.C., is the name or initials of the manufacturer, in my case, Melvina Can Company and the third line, 20-5-51, is the capacity and date, 20 liters-5 gallons, made in 1951. The screw on cap was made by Rieke in Auburn, Indiana.

I loaded Moab maps for offline GAIA use and I loaded the 2000 Tacoma Factory Service Manual into my head unit so I always have it ... just in case.

 

Nice looking rig, David. Good choice and functionality, keep it rolling.
Glad you are getting out for some good trips, looks like great wheeling in the central Rockies there!

The 4xInnovations gear is looking good, how is the fitment ? It looks like the ticket for a rear plate bumper for my purposes, how is the fit for the skids?

 

Thanks!
The 4xInnovations front plate and rear tube bumpers provide excellent fitment. I am impressed. They bolted right in for me.
The Demello bolt on rock sliders fit snugly. I take them off in the Spring to touch up the previous year’s damage. I spray a little fluid film where they interface on the frame for lubrication. Easy taps with a rubber mallet slides them in place.

 

I wondered about a bolt on option, but went with the Relentless Fab sliders, I’m pretty happy with them, might try some AllPro weld ones and get some bolt on brackets welded onto them for my 85, I like the idea of being removable but am suspicious of mounting strength given the Taco’s heavier weight. Could be a good option for the next rig(if there ever is one).

I am definitely going with the 4xInnovations rear plate with a swing out and probably get the additional hinge to set up a dual option, single one seems to be a lot of weight off one side. But that is a dream for another year....
Next spring it will be setting up power for a Dometic fridge, and prepping for either a winch or rear bumper, depending on how all the cabin projects go.
Always something it seems....
Have to replace the legs on the cache, build a bigger shed/shop combo so I can get better access to my tools and upgrade the power system to a wind/ solar hybrid set up. Maybe even site prep for a greenhouse/sauna combo, like a buddy of mine says, if it isn’t one thing, it’s ten.....






Someday some wheeling for ghost towns and mines in the Colorado Rockies is on the list, have a few more truck mods to get sorted first. Enjoy your backyard, that’s why you’re there....

 

My Tacoma again proved how capable it is in Moab.
I hit the trails I planned, Top Of The World, Rose Garden Hill, and Onion Creek, plus two others Flat Iron Mesa and Steel Bender. There were some ledges where I had to get out and stack a few rocks especially taking the more challenging route left (clockwise) up the ledges to Top Of the World. There where times when the rear locker came in handy. I bypassed the chute on Flat Iron Mesa and one or two obstacles on Steel Bender near the end but otherwise the truck just bombed through everything.

All the armor has new battle scars, the 0.25 inch thick Trans skid plate with angle stiffeners along each side is bowed about 0.375 inches from impacts on the taller ledges. The rear diff has some new minor scratches. Everything else is clean.

The head unit with Apple Car Play maps (highway) and GAIA maps (trails) kept me on course. The front camera was my spotter as I inched to the edge of Top of the World.

Here are some pictures:

Top of the World
This is an example where I had to stack some rocks to allow the rear differential to clear the ledge.


The front camera has the green, yellow, and red guidelines and I stopped the truck when the red guideline went over the edge.




Rose Garden Hill


Onion Creek


Flat Iron Mesa at the Squeeze also known as the Intimidator.


Flat Iron Mesa at Tilt a Whirl

Tilt a Whirl is a time when my rear lockers came in handy. The rear tires spin, I reach for the Easy button, the lockers engage with a click, the rear tires gain traction, I reach for the Easy button again to disengage the lockers.
https://youtu.be/z2EyE6lrWIs

Steel Bender at the first ledge


Steel Bender at the second ledge
https://youtu.be/m42nl6MPXTc

When I departed the campground, I stopped by Picture Frame arch before heading home:


Winkle carried me safely for 5 hours at ~75 mph on the way out, wheeled tough trails for two days, then 5 hours at ~75 mph back home - What an amazing machine!

 

You got some giant brass cahones coming down RGH solo that shit is no joke. Easily a 4 foot drop on that 1 ledge.

@50 amocaT and I spent a solid 30-45 minutes moving and stacking rocks to come down those ledges 2 years ago when we ran kokopelli. Neither of us had ever done anything like it and ultimately decided to turn back and camp closer to TOTW.



Kudos to you man.

 

Looks like a fun trip. I need to go back and hit some of those trails. Didn't get enough trail time last time I was there.