Roof Walker's Lunar Rock Pro

Tried my hand at vinyl wrapping the lower tailgate. Looks alright, not so much up close.

 

I obviously cant see much detail but I think that looks awesome. Especially the black, it really compliments the rest of the black accents on the truck.

 

Agreed! I always thought the truck could use a an accent on the back but it seems like most just use the inlay letters. I’m surprised I don’t see this lower tailgate vinyl more often around here. Most of the defects are in the lettering. My first attempt was disastrous to the point I went and got a quote from a professional afterwards. I didn’t think it was worth $350 so I gave it another shot and feel much better at this attempt. We’ll see if any of it is visible in next week’s picture dump

 

If my truck wasn’t black, I’d definitely do it to mine! I thought about doing a topo wrap on the tailgate at one point but it seemed a little too “bro-y” if that word makes sense haha. What you did is nice and simple.

 

Photo dump from a recent upper peninsula trip

Sept 29&30 2023 - Drummond Island





















Oct 1&2 2023 - Whitefish Point







Left with only minor pin stripes and some more dings in the skid plates. Couldn’t have asked for a better time.

 

Clean build my dude

 

30K maintenance this afternoon. Oil, both diffs, trans, and T-case all flushed and filled. Also inspect brakes and re-torqued all suspension components installed last summer.

I used the opportunity to retire my front skid as well. Ol’ girl has taken a beating! One sheered bolt, too many dings and enough deformation that the skid mounting points no longer line up, including the oil service panel.

 

A few things in the works right now; the biggest and most exciting is that I’ve committed to 33’s!


I decided to stick with the Maxxis Razr AT line, just bumped up to 285/75R16. The performance on them so far has been great and it’s tough to pass up a tire that’s only 58lbs a piece. That will help me hug that line of daily drivability and functionality in the dirt.


I also picked up an ARB compressor on sale. I’m not completely set on where to mount it but I’m leaning towards the behind the grille location. If anyone has any experience with this and wants to sway me one way or another I’m all ears.

Lastly, a couple things that most people don’t care about, but sometimes it’s the little things that bug me the most

Cleaned up/repainted my light bar brackets and hardwired the Weboost kit to my aux fuse panel




I will post again once the tires are mounted. I hoping to break them in soon at my local ORV park. Thanks for reading!

 

That’s awesome!!

I’m really interested to hear how you like the 285 Maxxis ATs. I have their MT right now in 265 and I’m probably going to 285’s once these wear out.

I’m curious to see how you like their AT tire, seems like most people only have good things to say.

 

I’ve been watching your thread as well and I would be lying if I didn’t say your choice of switching over to MT didn’t open another set of doors for me to over analyze But in the end, the Razr ATs suited me fine and as boring as it is to get the same tire again, I knew that I wouldn’t be disappointed. It was nice to see a fresh pair side by side and compare how much tread I wore through. I estimate that my original pair would have lasted at least 5 years If I kept them on.

Driving 33s so far has been bearable. I noticed right away the increased feel of the weight through my normal pace of acceleration and ritualistic shifting habits with the manual but I don’t think it will take long to adjust. How much of a hit the mileage takes is still to be seen.

It’s hard to see in these pictures but in person the truck just looks so much more proportional now. And the additional ground clearance is subtle but noticeable.

 

Hahah well I’m glad my thread didn’t cause you to buy something you didn’t need! From what I can tell so far with my tires, Maxxis makes a great product.

Those look killer on your truck! When I go up to 285’s it’s gonna be a tough choice between the ATs or sticking with the MTs. I do remember the acceleration being a dog when I briefly went up to the 33” Yoko’s. Being a manual probably helps some for you, my truck is an auto trans.

 

So a couple updates to add. I took off my sliders to have them stripped and powder coated. The winters have done a number on them and I’m tired of looking at the rust:



I will also take some time restoring the mounting hardware by tossing them in the ultrasonic cleaner for a few rounds before the reinstall.

I then spent some time detailing the undercarriage, applying an annual layer of rust prevention, and used the opportunity to get the spare updated to my current sized tires (285/75R16):


Rock sliders already back from the local powder coater:

They look good as new for now. But after driving around the past few weeks without them, I’m kind of digging the clean look of the truck without them on. I do have a wheeling/camping trip coming up but I’ve decided to leave the sliders off through the winter and remount them in the spring. The trails I’ll be driving will be well below the Taco’s threshold of abilities at the moment and I’m not too worried about picking up any damage.


I also have not decided on a long term mounting location for the ARB compressor so I picked up a

$103 Viair 88p Portable Compressor Kit (12V, 120 Psi, Forup to 33" Tires)

Viair 88p for the upcoming trip and built a convenient air up/down kit:

I figured this would work for now and then can be commissioned to the wife’s Subaru once I get the ARB in service.

A final side note on the new tire- After driving around with the 33s I’m happy to report that I feel like I made the right decision. The increase in size/weight is really only felt in the sluggish low end of 1st and 2nd gear. The manual trans gearing seems to handle the increased size just fine otherwise. I’ve also only lost about 1mpg on average and that makes this tire size very tolerable for daily driving. And finally, the increased weight of the wheel has toned down quite a bit of the harshness that I previously experienced after installing my lift. I believe I have found that sweet spot I was hoping for between additional off-road clearance but leaving the truck comfortable and street-able. It would take a lot for me to consider changing tire size again.

 

Great update all around! I’m especially happy to hear your findings on the 33’s and that you like them for daily driving. Mine should be on by the end of the month.

 

Another photo dump from my fall wheeling/camping trip. This year will be remembered as the “That’ll buff out” trip

Manistee National Forest Sept 27th - 29th


















Overall a short and very relaxing trip. Most trails were rated easy and not challenging but it was still fun. Snagged a nice spot on the second night; quiet secluded bluff looking over the Manistee River. Topped off the trip with a little fishing and enough fire wood and bourbon to keep us happy.

Trails completed: Tin Cup loop, wooded trail outside of Tin Cup, Little Manistee ORV trail, Yuma Hills & High Rollway River loop.