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3" Lift and New Grill

Discussion in '1st Gen. Tacomas (1995-2004)' started by andoskyy, Dec 19, 2011.

  1. Dec 19, 2011 at 8:29 AM
    #1
    andoskyy

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    andoskyy [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Finished my lift kit sooner than I imagined. Got bored, found some scrap expanded metal, and here is the result...

    IMAG0261.jpg
    IMAG0262.jpg
    IMAG0259.jpg
     
    andoskyy, Dec 19, 2011
    #1
  2. Dec 19, 2011 at 10:41 AM
    #2
    MapleMoose

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    MapleMoose Drunk Canadian

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    Looks really good man!! Im about to do this to my grille this week acutally. What kind of expanded metal did you use? whats the spacing on the gaps?

    Love our trucks by the way!
     
    MapleMoose, Dec 19, 2011
    #2
  3. Dec 19, 2011 at 10:50 AM
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    IDtrucks

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    IDtrucks Unhinged and Fluid

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    JVC Deck, 10" sub mountd in rear seat cubby, 2 LED off road lights mounted in grille, amber raptor style grille lights, LED rock lights, square led bed light, custom made fuse block tray, 12 blade Blue Sea fuse block, 100a marine circuit breaker, black plasti dipped full grille, tinted tail lights + third, Uniden 520 with 4' firestik, Bilstein 5100s with 620lb Eibach coils, Diff drop, Chevy 63 leaf swap, TG creeper joints, 14" triangulated biletein 5125s, 8" extended steel braided brake line, TG Rock Sliders, CBI Moab 1.0 front bumper, custom fabbed bed rack, full TRD E-Locker axle swap and matching re-gear with custom stand alone wiring circuit, 29 spline pinion flange from an 06 wishbone runner, tubbed for 35x12.5" general grabbers on Ultra type 181 wheels, crush sleeve eliminator, Mini ARB compressor, front ARB locker, garage fab aluminum front skid plate, custom built high clearence rear bumper, removable mothafuckin doors
    wow! grille looks great! nice job on the lift also. could you get up a few more angles of the truck so i can see what it looks like with stock wheels and smallish tires (for the lift)? also i like the wheels, i think that style of wheel is the best factory one toyota makes, when i get a lift and tires im considering not even getting aftermarket wheels and just painting the stock ones black and keeping em.
     
    IDtrucks, Dec 19, 2011
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  4. Dec 19, 2011 at 10:55 AM
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    MapleMoose

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    MapleMoose Drunk Canadian

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    Just make sure your dont get tires that are too wide. The will rub on the frame at full lock.

    X2 on more pictures!
     
    MapleMoose, Dec 19, 2011
    #4
  5. Dec 19, 2011 at 12:05 PM
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    andoskyy

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    andoskyy [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Thanks guys! Will snap more, and better, pictures soon. The lift is 3" spacers in the front and 2" add-a-leafs in the rear.

    JR97, what gaps are you referring to? The actual expanded metal spacing? I can measure tonight, but its probably 1/4" or 5/8ths.

    When these 31x10.5x25's are gone, I'm moving to 33x10.5's. Probably have 10k worth of miles left on the tread...but might have to help that process along with a few burnouts. haha.
     
    andoskyy, Dec 19, 2011
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  6. Dec 19, 2011 at 12:56 PM
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    MapleMoose

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    MapleMoose Drunk Canadian

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    Yeah I was talking about the expanded metal spacing. 1/4" looks about right. How did you fasten it to the grille?
     
    MapleMoose, Dec 19, 2011
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  7. Dec 19, 2011 at 3:35 PM
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    bubba289

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    bubba289 weaksauce

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    grill looks bad ass. wish u would have done a step by step on it tbh so i could possibly do it myself.
     
    bubba289, Dec 19, 2011
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  8. Dec 19, 2011 at 3:40 PM
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    Madjik_Man

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    Madjik_Man The Rembrandt of Rattle Can

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    Grill, lift and wheels look great.

    Makes me have a bigger boner for a 95-97 front end :(
     
    Madjik_Man, Dec 19, 2011
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  9. Dec 19, 2011 at 8:47 PM
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    01Tac0ma

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    01Tac0ma Bash Fabriction & Off-Road

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    Look at build!
    Grill & Lift looks sweet! Time to get some lights behind it now.
     
    01Tac0ma, Dec 19, 2011
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  10. Dec 19, 2011 at 8:49 PM
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    TACOMABOSS

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    TACOMABOSS Well-Known Member

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    That is fucking BADASS!!!
     
    TACOMABOSS, Dec 19, 2011
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  11. Dec 19, 2011 at 8:58 PM
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    TACOMABOSS

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    TACOMABOSS Well-Known Member

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    :laugh: hahahaha
     
    TACOMABOSS, Dec 19, 2011
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  12. Dec 20, 2011 at 5:21 AM
    #12
    andoskyy

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    andoskyy [OP] Well-Known Member

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    haha, thanks again guys!

    Yes, I should have done a step by step, sorry...but here's the best I can describe it, but let me know if you have any questions:

    Upper grill:

    1. I cut out all inner plastic with a dremel.
    2. There were some spaces on the side of the grill that could have been filled with fiberglass and bondo'd...but I chose not to. might do it down the road, but you barely notice it with all black. (pics to come)
    3. Traced the outline of the grill onto cardboard and cut it out.
    4. Traced the cardboard pattern onto expanded metal and left 1" extra all around.
    5. The only tricky step: In order to not see the edge of the expanded metal, I had to heat up a few links and melt them into the remaining grill supports. (pics to come)
    6. Cut half way through the expanded metal with cut off wheel and bent a few pieces over to meet up with the grill...then used epoxy to stick them together.
    7. Everything was painted with bed liner spray before and after installation.

    For the Lower valance:

    1. Cut roughly 4x6" piece of expanded metal, pulled back the bottom of the grill and shoved the expanded metal up there. I then simply welded it to the frame. Can't see the welds because its black and behind the license plate.
    2. Painted

    Unfortunately, in the winter, I go to work when its dark and get home when its dark...so I promise a few more pictures this weekend.

    Will likely mount a few small driving lights behind the grill soon. I was thinking that, or molding a few into the bumpers somewhere. I like the looks of big PIAA lights, but want something I can keep on at all times. 1st gen lights aren't too powerful
     
    andoskyy, Dec 20, 2011
    #12
  13. Dec 20, 2011 at 5:24 AM
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    Fiolo

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    Fiolo Senior member

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    Nice job, the blacked out look in the front looks awesome
     
    Fiolo, Dec 20, 2011
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  14. Dec 22, 2011 at 6:38 AM
    #14
    andoskyy

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    andoskyy [OP] Well-Known Member

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    here are a few more pics

    444.jpg
    2222.jpg
    5555.jpg
    333.jpg
    1111.jpg
     
    andoskyy, Dec 22, 2011
    #14
  15. Dec 22, 2011 at 7:05 AM
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    whiteout

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    whiteout Active Member

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    Is this similar to what you used?
     
    whiteout, Dec 22, 2011
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  16. Dec 22, 2011 at 7:33 AM
    #16
    andoskyy

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    andoskyy [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Essentially, yes. I got the spacers off ebay for $60 and AAL's from a random website for $80, and rear Tuff Country shocks from Amazon for $43 a piece.

    very inexpensive lift.

    I have some bad noises now, which are apparently due to the driveline angles. need to drop my carrier bearing this weekend and see if it helps.
     
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    andoskyy, Dec 22, 2011
    #16
  17. Dec 22, 2011 at 9:36 AM
    #17
    MapleMoose

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    MapleMoose Drunk Canadian

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    I just used (2) 3/4" nuts with longer bolts to drop my carrier
     
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    MapleMoose, Dec 22, 2011
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  18. Dec 22, 2011 at 9:58 AM
    #18
    andoskyy

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    andoskyy [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Sounds good. I have some scrap aluminum stock that i'll likely drill through and make some spacer blocks out of.

    Did you have a noise or a vibration before the drop?
     
    andoskyy, Dec 22, 2011
    #18
  19. Dec 22, 2011 at 10:41 AM
    #19
    MapleMoose

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    MapleMoose Drunk Canadian

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    Yeah i had both. Also because my carrrier bearing was shot.
     
    MapleMoose, Dec 22, 2011
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