Gandalf Da Grey - Slow build

Stainless steel 550g weighted shift knob from @7r41lbr34k3r

 

Scored a sweet deal on a Mountain hatch tailgate V1 from @the_tacocamper

It had some damage from mounting holes breaking off. My first lazy attempt at fixing them was some liquid nails I had laying around. That did not work at all.

Went to the store and bought some JB weld 2 part epoxy. This worked out much better. Didn't take any pics of the JB weld, but basicly just cleaned up each hole with a bit of 80 grit, then applied JB weld. Held it down for the 1 min cure, waited a couple hours and called it good. Haven't fully tightened those bolts, but so far looks like it's gonna hold just fine.

Super excited about this. Got it for cheaper than I could have bought some HDPE cut to size as a few of my buddies have done. Love this mod.

I use my tailgate for a work platform often, and this is already amazing. Already put it to work helping a buddy install his lift today. Would never have paid full price for this. Love it! Thanks @the_tacocamper !

 

Some pictures from my last outing in Yacolt Burn National forest.

Did some trail building. Got to play with the 5100s on their second outing and put the sliders to work. Love the 5100s - far better than I expected. I am sure there are better options out there, but how well these do for the price cannot be understated. If you are even somewhat on the fence about 5100s as a budget option, do it.

Slashed a tire on a sharp rock after sliding into it sideways. I'm not sure any tire would have survived this hit. Was a steep hill climb in very dry conditions. Super loose dirt and rocks. Slipped just a bit, moved sideways and the tire pushed against a sharp rock while moving. Not even mad.

I have done a lot of miles off road, aired down with the stock goodyear wranglers. These are great tires. I have yet to find a place, time or condition that these have failed me. I just wish they looked better. They helped me pull out a lot of people in the snow last year. They keep up on trails with others running a lot of other tires. They aren't perfect, but don't think they are holding you back from having fun.

Ran skyline trail for the first time. Really cool trail. For sure going back. I don't recommend Yacolt burn if you don't have sliders. It would be fine if you stay off the trails, but there are some really tight sections on the trails. At the least have a spotter if you go without sliders.

 

Got the decals in for the Fellowship of PNW Tacomas. Trial run size came out perfect. This double sized one the letter blend a bit. Will be getting that fixed. Still, I love it

 

Needed to do something about the blown tire from my last outing. After looking around for a week for options I ended up scoring a great deal. Got some 265/75R16 Pathfinder AT tires from discount tire. Almost new, $200 out the door.

Gained 0.5" ground clearance

Also removed the bed decals in preparation some something else.