Hendrix834's Slow-As-Molasses Build Thread and BS

I told myself when I got my truck to hold off on making a build thread until I did something major, because I tend to draw things out longer than anyone really should. So, after the addition of some new suspension yesterday (oh, the suspense), I'd like to introduce what will likely be one of the slowest builds in TacomaWorld history!

As it looks today:


As it looked when I bought it:


A little bit of background; I bought the truck back in June of 2019 to replace my then vehicle, a 1994 Land Cruiser. 4wd was a must, as well as ample interior space, so I settled on this 2014 4wd double cap short bed. It came with the distributor TSS Package, which includes steps, a tonneau cover, a little bit of window tint, and the chrome T-force (I think?) wheels. It had around 77,000 miles when I got it, compared to the 265,000 miles my 80 Series had (barely broken in!).

One of the things I regretted about my 8 years of driving my Land Cruiser was that I never really tried to just enjoy it in its stock form. From the moment I got it, I was constantly focussed on how to build it and make it better. So I spent a fair amount of time doing nothing major to the Tacoma and I'm glad I did. It's amazing how capable and fun these trucks are with little to no modifications (pictures below for proof of stock fun).







Before creating this thread, I did a handful of upgrades and modifications, which I will detail in posts below. I look forward to keeping this build going!

 

The truck had a set of Cooper Discoverer A/T3's on when I bought it. I used to run those, and then some Cooper S/T Maxx's, on my Land Cruiser. Cooper makes a great tire. After several sheet metal screw and rock punctures (I worked in construction, at the time), I decided to get a set of Milestar Patagonia M/T's (265/70R17).



So far, they've been great. Not much noise at all and no significant drop in gas mileage. Their first real test was at a trail system not far from Memphis, in Drummonds (Sugar Creek ATV Park). The whole place is basically a mud hole with some really steep and slick hill climbs, as well as a ton of water crossings. The aggressive tread ejects mud quickly and allows it to keep grabbing traction. Didn't have any problems that day.



Back in February we got hit pretty hard with snow and ice, so I had to get out and explore with a couple of buddies. Mud tires aren't the best on snow and ice, but these did just fine. I was driving pretty conservatively, but I never had any sketchy sliding moments (except for the purposeful donuts in the Bass Pro Pyramid parking lot. We also hit some nearby trails and the Patagonia's continued to wow me.

 

Since I've never had a pick-up truck before, I wanted to take full advantage of having a bed, albeit a short one. I like to carry as many of my tools as possible with me, especially on trips. The under/behind seat storage is amazing, but I wanted to be able to really utilize the cubbies in the bed. So I replaced the driver side cubby with a Tuffy Truck Bed Lock Box. I love the ability to keep some of my tools locked way in the truck bed. I don't love that the box started rusting along the edges within a couple of months of being installed. But it's a tool box . If it ever gets bad enough, I can just touch it up with a rattle can.



I've always wanted to ability to carry extra fuel with me on trips. I've never run out of gas before and I'd like to keep it that way. Also, having a fuel can would make it easier to keep my Honda CRF230 and my family's '48 CJ2A from getting thirsty. I always really liked the Rotopax fuel cans and mounting system. I do wish I'd done some more research first, so that I would have known some people have problems with their Rotopax cans leaking. Mine leaks pretty bad at the cap. It's plenty tight, I regularly vent it, and the o-ring is installed in the right position. I think what's causing it is the uneven surface where the spout threads on. I think if I sand the surface flush, the leaking should stop. But, the problem is currently being mitigated by a FloTool Shaker Siphon. That way I can fill the truck up without having to remove and upend the fuel can.




The latest, and probably easiest, bed modification is my RockyMounts LoBall bike fork mount. I read where some people had issues fitting their bikes with this mount in a short bed, but it's as if it was designed around my application. My mountain bike fits perfectly and the closed tailgate applies just enough pressure to keep the back wheel from bouncing around.

 

The only comms I've ever used was a budget CB setup on my 80 Series. It was good for figuring out which lane I needed to get in during an interstate traffic jam, but as far as communicating on a trail, it was pretty lacking. All my off-road buddies here started getting into GMRS, so I decided that was the route I needed to go. I purchased a Midland MicroMobile MXT-275 with their universal antenna lip mount and 6db gain whip antenna. The audio quality is night and day compared to the Cobra CB I used to have. I went with the 275 so I could do a more discreet install (all the controls are in the speaker/mic). To make everything nice and hidden, I replaced one of the dash power outlets with an

SZJELEN Atomos Monitor Power Cable D-Tap to Locking DC 5.5 2.5 for Video Devices PIX-E7 PIX-E5 Hollyland Mars 400s

RJ45 ethernet connector plug.







To make sure the radio turns on, I installed my auxiliary fuse block system. It consists of a

$41 Blue Sea Systems 5026 ST Blade Fuse Block 12 Circuit with Ground and Cover

Blue Sea Systems 12 circuit fuse block and a Blue Sea Systems 100 amp circuit breaker all mounted to

$70 Auxiliary Power Fuse Block Bracket Compatible with Toyota Tacoma 2nd Gen 2005-2015

Overland Equipped's 2nd gen Tacoma fuse block bracket.

 

One of the best upgrades I ever made to my 80 Series was an Old Man Emu suspension system. I considered several different options for the Tacoma (Bistein 5100's, like everyone else) but decided an OME system would be the best option for me. Thank you to @HeadStrong Off-Road for making it super easy to select exactly what I needed for my truck. I went with 885's, firm struts, Deaver's single leaf AAL, and SPC upper controls arms. So far, I couldn't be happier with how it looks and rides. I've got a camping trip in the Ozarks coming up in a couple of weeks, so I'll really get a chance to see how it performs then. I'm also glad I paid the little bit of extra money to have the front coils and struts preassembled. It made the install short and sweet.