Making her mine...

My 2021 SR-5 V-6 access cab is now about 3 weeks old. Got her with 6 mi. and I am done with the brake-in at 1000 mi. Did not tow, over rev or drive only highway miles nor brake hard. Drove on 2 lane small town roads. I plan to having this truck for a long time, Got 18 years out of my '01 Tundra before the frame rusted away. Now starting to do mods which make a truck truly yours. I would like to add to this thread as I keep doing mods to the truck. Did engine oil today was pretty easy( had to buy new filter wrench), Glad I did it at 1000 mi. as I could see some metal dust in the bottom of the filter housing. Replaced SR-5 filter with a TRD filter, will do this from now on. Also had a hard time with the skid plate bolts behind the air dam, put 2- 1.25" holes in the air dam for easy future access. Will keep the air dam on- debris protection and it looks OK.

 

grats on a new truck and welcome to TW

 

Congrats and welcome! Looking forward to seeing the evolution

 

welcome! a few things i would recommend if they interest you... bed mat, LED interior lights and OEM remote tailgate lock

 

That thread title though.

Spoiler

I’m disappointed by the actual thread topic

 

Sorry, I'm an old dude..

 

take the air damn off!

 

Congratulations on the new truck and welcome to the forum

With a conscientious break in, 1000 mile initial oil change and the TRD filter upgrade you sound like someone who takes the long approach to vehicle care. Me too, this truck is going to be with me until my expiration date.

Rust is the #1 enemy, especially in places like Wisconsin -- get yourself a case of Cosmoline RP-342 and get spraying -- keep the rust away, change the oils and coolant regularly and they might just bury you in it!

 

One thing I found annoying is just how slippery the plastic bed gets especially in cold weather. all my Ice fishing stuff sliding all over. So I got some spray Herculiner and was about to spay it all down to get a no slide surface, But then I thought about how I wanted the "valley's" of the bed to stay slick for easy cleaning. So I covered all the valleys with 1.5" painters tape and then sprayed just the ridges. Worked like a charm. Also did not like the crimp weld under the cab painted the same color as the rest if the truck looked kind of unfinished, So I sprayed that down also. Did to whole job with just 1 can of spray.

 

Today did the side steps, Went with the K-Fab nurfs, I really liked the third step to access the bed. Also the tubes are not as big as other brands. The installation was real e-z even by myself. I did use a marine gel glue on the bracket face to keep out salt and water. All the installation holes lined up perfectly. The bottom of the step is 12.5" off the ground and 2" higher than the air dam or crossmember.

 

Over the weekend I decided to install some helper-leaver springs as the truck will squat if I add a trailer or a load- as much as 2 in. with a trailer and an ATV. After reading a lot here I decided to go with Helwig 550's even though some guys had some issues with them in the past. But they were easy and cheep so I gave them a try, They went in all right all I had to do different was point the "U" clamp upwards near the axel and add a 1/2" PVC tube filled with exterior const. glue for strength near the leaf spring keeper so to avoid contact. As I only want the helper springs to compensate for a load, I think this will work..

 

After I was done with that, I coated the frame with an anti rust spray. Having owned a '01 Tundra I was aware of the rust issues. I used Fluid Film on the Tundra but was not happy with the fact it never dries and seemed to attract dust and sand. Gave CRC marine a try after watching a few You tube's vids. on it. Very happy with the CRC, Covers everything well, Dries, looks good. But be sure to do it outside, wear throw-away clothes, Gloves, Eye protection and a doo-rag. The aerosol is fine and sticks to you..took 6 cans.

 

@JackPineS
Access Cab - YES

Turned 765 miles on mine today. Look for any excuse to drive it... did a very small ( 5- miles or so ) tow at 600 miles
with a < 1000 pound camper to test out the 7-pin connector and brake controller - worked like a champ - can't wait
to take a trip to the Grand Canyon later this summer with camper in tow, camera gear in cab...

Haven't done much to it, bed-step ( must-have ), bed lights ( rule! ), weathertech all weather mats ( yes! ), functional
running steps, bakflip mx4 cover.

This is the first new vehicle I have owned in 30 years, and will be the last. My son will inherit a nice ride.

 

Working on the grill guard now, Bed lights are now on the list!! Good idea...

 

3rd Gen. Builds (2016+) | Tacoma World

 

Got the grill on looks good I think..

 

How do I move this post to "Builds"...?

 

@JackPineS
Riddle me this... and forgive me for being non-mechanically inclined ( retired computer analyst )....

Why use the TRD Filter instead of the SR5 Filter - I assume it's the same size and fit isn't an issue -
Is it that much better?

 

Nice car in the background!

 

Agree

5.0 baby. CHP style !