250k Mile Colorado & Georgia Rig Gets a New Life

Howdy,

After years of lurking and learning from so many of you, I figured it was time to finally contribute a bit of my own journey. This Tacoma has been with me through just about everything — Colorado winters, Georgia summers, and more trails than I can count. It's hauled skis, dirt bikes, kayaks, rifles, and lately, mostly bicycles. I’ve recently found myself craving a hands-on project again — so I said screw it and built the truck I’ve always wanted.

Before the Build
Back in 2017, I told myself I wouldn’t lift the truck until I had fully worn out the stock suspension. I wanted to wring every bit of life out of it before upgrading — and I did exactly that, logging 250,000 miles across a mix of dirt, snow, and asphalt. Most of that was with my dog Drax riding shotgun, and occasionally, one of a few women along for the ride (currently on the hunt for a permanent co-driver there, too).

Remaining To-Dos
There are a few lingering maintenance items I plan to knock out soon:

• Replace the tensioner pulley
• Install new OEM CV axles + high-angle boots
• Flush and refill the brake fluid
  

Build Decisions
When it came time to finally upgrade, I knew I wanted to do the work myself. After researching extensively and pulling from other forum members’ builds and recommendations, I landed on:

• ICON Stage 4 suspension
• ICON RXT leaf packs in the rear
• Vision Flow -12 offset wheels
• Goodyear Wrangler Duratracs — a return to something I’ve run before and trust

I want to say thanks to everyone here who’s taken the time to document their builds. Real-world insight from people who actually turn wrenches is invaluable. I learned early on to listen to the ones with experience — and to ignore the rest.

️ Project Scope & Timeline
My tool setup is mostly in storage, two hours away, so I chipped away at this after work and on weekends over the course of about two months. Not ideal, but the slower pace let me focus on doing things the right way.

✂️ Fender Trimming
I started with the fender wells — easy entry point that didn’t require wheels, tires, or suspension to be installed yet.

• Removed the stock flares
• Measured and cut ~2"–2.5" of clearance
• Used a plastic ruler I drilled for consistent indexing
• Freehanded the cab mount area after mocking up the lines with a Sharpie

I used an oscillating cutting tool from Harbor Freight. It’s slower than a cut-off wheel but allows for much cleaner lines — especially if you take your time.

Painting the Flares
I sanded down the OEM flares and started experimenting with paint: a black base coat and a root beer metallic flake. Unfortunately, the company (Lime Line) sent me iridescent flake instead — not what I ordered — but I decided to treat it as a learning opportunity.

Painting in July humidity in Georgia is a nightmare. I ended up building a temporary drying booth in my shed with fans and directional airflow. The difference in clear coat quality was night and day. I might paint the entire truck myself down the line once I build a proper setup — I think I could do a pretty solid job.

Cab Mount Chop
While waiting on my suspension shipment (which had some frustrating delays — I’ll spare the details), I had a buddy help with cutting and plating the cab mounts. I opted not to relocate them for now, but I may revisit that when I’ve got my own welder. The chop granted an extra 1.5" of clearance if I remember correctly.

️ Suspension Install
Front Install:
Took an entire weekend. ICON coilovers and UCAs went in, but it was more challenging than expected. Roughly 10 hours of work, and I wrapped it up in the dark before driving two hours home.

Rear Install:
The rear leaf install reminded me that 250k-mile bolts don’t come out without a fight. PB Blaster, a torch, and eventually a borrowed set of locking pliers saved the day. After 2.5 hours of struggling, I called in backup to get the last few bolts handled and reassemble the system. Definitely a “phone-a-friend” moment.

Final Touches

• Tires mounted and truck aligned
• Fender flares reinstalled
• Lettered the tire sidewalls with a paint marker (small detail, but it pops)

Final Thoughts
This truck’s been through a lot. It’s been my daily driver, access rig, gear hauler, and refuge. She may be a little old, moan when you lean into the throttle, and carry the faint smell of dog and brake cleaner — but she’s loyal, she runs strong, and she’s good to my dog.
Honestly, what more can you ask for...

If you made it this far, thanks for reading.

 

Welcome to TW! Nice looking ride!

 

Welcome to TW!