Not much Tacoma left.. 4500 koh build

Starting a new thread to document this new build. Will post as I go and the plans later on but some teaser pictures for now.

I’ll try to keep this up to date but I do post a lot of stories on Instagram of my progress so shoot me a follow at @hambone.114 or @hambone_fab_works

 

I picked up a wrecked 5 lug 3.4 95 Tacoma a few years ago. Original plan was to strip it, build a cage in it and swap the cage to my current white truck.

few years go by, I moved houses, actually started the cage and got the racing itch.

I started collecting parts earlier this year and started actually working on it mid August 2024.

plans on to be legal to race king of the hammers in the 4500 class as well as other races.

Will be ls, th350, atlas, 609 axles, 37s, 4500 legal “full hydro” steering, and more.

 

My current truck is the white one (build thread on here) and I finished the red 4door not long ago for a buddy. Both solid axle with the intents to go fast. Bypasses. Coilovers. Lots of uptravel etc.

 

Day I hauled it home

 

I quickly stripped the interior and trans (motor was missing) after I got it (December 2021) We moved to our new house early the next year and it sat till the following winter when I pulled the cab and started a cage. It got pushed back outside onto the frame when the red double cab project came up and I started on the new frame middle of August 2024.

Table I made to move the frame around
the frame looks odd but will make sense later

 

I slowly collected parts. Picked up two stock 5.3s that needed some work from one of the sketchiest marketplace deals I’ve ever done. A cam, new lifters, a gasket kit and more for the motor, a core of a th350, a foam th350, 3D printed atlas, knuckles and a bunch of other stuff.

 

I then got to cutting. The plan is just a Tacoma shell on a “chassis” essentially. The floor is cut out and a subframe will be made. The front section of frame rail are 2x3x.188 and the section under the body is 2x3x.120 wall. Most the cage will be 2 in dom wirh 1.75 dom gussets .

I started small but things escalated quickly

 

The frame rail sits just inside the body seam under the door. So I cut all that out to get the body sitting how I wanted

 

Bro…

 

And then made some motor mounts. Turned the bushings down from delrin and sleeved with 3/4 dom for a half in bolt. Most things will be cut out of 3/16 and then plated with 1/8 for strength. I find working with 3/16 is easier over 1/4 and my cnc plasma table cuts 3/16 way better.

 

And that brings us about up to date. I’ll try to find pictures of the rest of the parts I’ve acquired but I still have lots left to buy/find and make. Goal is to make koh 2026

this is pre Labor Day weekend. I got the motor where I’m happy and about to start making the motor mount tubes.

 

Looking forward to see where this goes and how it progresses !
Rad !

 

Just watched the ultra's race last wknd, can't wait to see you on the track.

 

Needed to get the frame strong enough to support the motor to start working on everything else. So got it welded and the top section plated and the motor mounts in and welded. I don’t normally like to fully weld anything till I’m done but I need all this strong enough to support everything without crushing me. If I need to move it later, I’ll just embrace the suck and go to town with the grinder. I also started to try and figure out how I want to do the subframe and link mounts.

 

Nice work!

 

More cutting. Got most the upper cab trimmed for the cage. Started on the subframe to get the trans mounted. Housing should be here tomorrow along with heims to start laying out the links. Subframe will weld to the 2x3 frame and it all lands in line where the cab cage will be so should be plenty strong and all the cage/subframe will be supported by each other

 

More work on the subframe. Heims showed up and housing should be here Monday. Poly performance has been helping me out big time so make sure to hit them up for any part needs.

I need to redraw and cut the overlay and extend the top plate for the lower link mounts and I think I’ll be happy with them.

 

Innocent question;
I know 4500 is front mount engine, is there any rules on set back?

 

Rules are pretty lose. Just has to be in front of the driver seat essentially. Mine will still probably be more “factory” than a lot in the class considering there’s full jimmys chassis and tube buggies that just have a square frame rail under the “cab”

 

Got it thanks.