The Frankenstein Build! LT/Expo/Trail rig..and BS

Also, now that I'm perusing the Eibach/5100 Gallery thread... what's the benefit from getting new UCAs/LCAs aside from a better alignment? Will stock UCAs/LCAs do for what I need it to? No wheeling, at the worst- very shitty forest roads.




When we gonna see that LT?

 

That one would take up a lot of room You also would not mount it in the cab. It would have to be in the bay by the batteries.

The way i have it is its in the cab and i can change on the fly when i need too.

The down side to really both ways is that it's manual. YOU have to constantly alternate the switch. Remember how in CO mine wouldn't start off the starter battery? It was cause i was leaving the solenoid on the whole day meaning both batteries where linked. So the secondary was getting all the charge as it had the most load on it. So i had to jump myself three mornings.

In other words, through out the day, you have to switch solenoid on and off every so often. Once i started doing that more regularly, about every hour or so leaving it on the starter for 15-30 mins, i was totally fine.

Thats where the Nat. Lumina kit or something fancy like those is nice. It monitors the starter battery for when it dips below 10.1v and switches the solenoid off to let the starter charger for 15mins. Then goes back to the secondary battery till the starter falls below 10.1 again.

So that said..i think you'd want a setup like mine if your gonna go the homemade "cheaper" route like me with the switch in the cab.

Or cough up the huge bucks for the auto setups. Which all usually only have a 200amp solenoid..not a HORRIBLE thing..but considering winches peak up to 450amps some times..i like have a 500amp constant draw one....but thats just me over building.

You have 33s yes?

If your an auto, get 4.88s

if your a manual, go 4.56s

for the installs you'll need the Ring and Pinon gears for both diffs. A reverse cut 7.5'' front set and either a 8.4'' if your rear is an open diff or an 8'' ring for the elocker.

You'll also need the master install kits for both diffs.

Idk if you know how to do them but setting the up is VERY important and on toyota diffs, or so im told, is a bit tricker then most diffs. If you planning on doing them yourself do lots and lots of research on them.

Silas(Slogetto) did his own gears and would be more then happy to offer insight to setting the backlash.

otherwise, most shops charge about 6-800 for labor i have read i think...not 100% sure on that.

UCAs with the Billies and Eibachs will just help your alignment. New LCAs wont do anything..unless your LCA bushings are shot then its usually much much easier to just replace the full LCA.

UCAs DO give you benefits if you ever decide to get a nice coil over like Kings, Foxes, or Icons. Just make sure you get Extended Travel ones. In combination with the UCAs, you'll gain about 1'' more down travel or more and a bit more up travel. Giving you basically Mid travel which is a great setup! i Saw Jerry's Mid travel in Moab before he hacked up his truck and the front flex was VERY impressive.

LT?? idk what your talking about...

 

Thanks. Yeah, a manual system makes a lot of economic sense. And that big honking roto-dialer thingie doesn't. Especially if it has to live under the hood. Makes way more sense to have a simple switch inside the cab.

I saw National Luna and IBS systems at Sierra Expeditions, each were around $400.

I'll probably just start with the bigger alt and see what that gets me. Adding a 2nd bat add quite a few layers of complexity.

 

Yea it does..plus you have a good starter battery and with the bigger alt it'll never die I bet. Not for what you do with just running a fridge at night.

The bigger alternator will be way worth it. Lots of power.

 

Upgrading the alt is a priority. I am maxing out the stock one now if I run the fridge and the stereo with the headlights on.

When we were at the wall winching, it definitely struggled. Could not keep up even tho I had Ben in the truck keeping the rpms above 1500.

 

Haha yea winching takes a big tole on it.

The alternator will help with that for sure. And especially the lights fridge and stereo. Hell I ran all my lights and winched a truck out with just the alternator and the one battery haha works great.

 

Is there a good write-up on the alternator mod?
What do you think about the mod where you take a old AC compressor and turn that into a air compressor for your tires?

Oh, and in the OP "dubbed" is spelled wrong.

 

^^there ya go...about 140pages back ha

Ways after that I think page 152? Or around there is my install. I did things just a touch different with quick releases.

The AC to air compressor can work well. But you need the right compressor and it can get complicated with oil and lines. Plus custom fabbed brackets to mount it.

Ill keep my CO2 all day any day over a compressor thought.

 

Thanks, i think i'm gonna be adding it to my list of mods.

Custom fab isn't a issue, and if it keeps me from having to haul around a tank, or a electric compressor, all i gotta do is keep a small coiled hose in the back seat with a attachment.
I think i'm gonna look into it more.

 

Is a great and fairly cheap upgrade for the alternator. Well worth it.

Ben in CO did that mod to his 2nd gen. He did a write up on here that'll help get you started with info on it.

I almost did it too but couldn't really figure out where to actually mount it..so make sure you let us know how it goes.

 

Here ya go man

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2n...ven-air-compressor-k-unlimited-board-air.html

 

Yeah I have 33's. 4.56 gearing it is.
Okay so I'm a rookie when it comes to the drive train & differentials
So this would be an example for the reverse cut 7.5'' front gearing:
http://www.4wheelparts.com/Drivetrain-Differentials/Toyota-Tacoma-Front-Reverse-7-5in-4-56-Ratio.aspx?t_c=12&t_s=237&t_pt=5092&t_pn=G%2f22-2055-456

and this would be that 8" ring for the elocker (since that's what I have) don't know what, or if I have an open differential:
http://www.lowrangeoffroad.com/index.php/yotamain/1995-2004-toyota-tacoma-parts/differentials/8-std-rotation-ring-and-pinion-differential-gears-4cyl-v6-elocker.html


As far as the master install kits for both of the diffs, I am at a loss for that.

Haha and if it wasn't obvious I would probably get a mechanic to do this work (ouch on the wallet, fck me right).

Ah gotcha. Care to define down/up travel?
I think I'm gonna stick with my Eibach coils & stock UCAs/LCAs for a while since they seem to do what I need em to do (since I ain't crazy at wheeling)

 

Yes that is the right R&P for the front diff.

That is also the correct for the E locker. But you say you don't know if you have a locker or open?? If you have the Elocker, you have the 8''. If you do NOT have a locker what so ever, unless its an air or auto locker, you have the open 8.4'' diff like me.

But i you have then nice little button in the cab to lock the diff(Which turns your Open diff, to a locked diff) they you want the 8'' R&P that you posted.

Master install kits are like so..

Front: http://www.lowrangeoffroad.com/inde...ation-master-install-kit-with-side-shims.html

rear for the 8'': http://www.lowrangeoffroad.com/inde...erential-setup-installation-bearing-kits.html

Don't use the cork gasket that comes with it. Use Toyota FIPG instead.

Yea..its an expensive endeavor why its not SUPER popular..but it is a nice upgrade.

Up and down travel has to do with your wheel travel. So, for instance right now just sitting out in the driveway your suspension is holding your wheels at a certain point in relation to the LCA and UCAs. since you have Eibachs coils, you are actually forcing them down more as they are providing you with lift.

Wheel travel has to do with the measurement that your wheel Moves or Cycles when the suspension is being used. So total wheel travel generally for a stock setup up front like you and i have with the 5100 shock is about 7-8'' give or take about .5''.

Up and down travel is how much travel you have from your normal ride height position down or up. Due to the Eibachs and 5100s, you really only have about 2-3'' down travel. But you have about 4-5'' up travel.

Mid travel setup is the aftermarket UCA and the extended travel shocks on the nicer coil overs that can have different coils and adjustable valving and ride height. These shocks really aren't that much longer then a standard travel coil over. In fact its usually only a 1/4'' spacer that gets removed from inside the shock. But that translates to .5'' more shock travel..which translates to about 1-2'' more wheel travel give or take .5''.

So gain more down travel mainly and a bit more up travel, but due to the stock bump stops, you don't gain that much more up tavel, mostly just down travel. Which is great as it keeps you from lifting a tire which means, more traction.

 

I'm about to hit the hay so I'll respond to that last post more tomorrow. Take a look at this quote from you in another thread:

Do you happen to have a side shot view to show how far they stick out? Would you have anything different done-- drill the light mounting holes a little farther back, toward the grille few inches more?

I'm getting the half guard & have LF 240s already wired up and ready to mount. Just emailed with Tim and my bumper is currently being cutout so I feel now is the time to ask for simple modifications..

I'll check back de la mañana

 

honestly dude, unless you do the re gear yourself or know a buddy to do it for you it will be cheaper or the same price to just send in your diffs to ECGS and have them set it up for you. A lot of shops do that even when you go to them for the regear. its just more cost effective to send it out to a place like that. would be about 7-800 each diff

you are probably looking at about 200-250 per R&P and 150-2 for each rebuild kit, so for each diff you are at at almost 500 in parts. then you add in labor and boom. same price as sending it to ECGS.


or you could be a cheap ass like me, and find a used r&p, find a friend who will do it all for free, and dont even use a rebuild kit because it didnt arrive in the mail in time. but thats not a very likely scenario haha

 

Is there much of a quality difference between those set up kits^ and the ones marlin crawler sells made by Yukon? or are you just paying for brand name? I haven't had any experience with re gearing.
I did however buy (

$44 Differentials: Identification, Restoration & Repair

http://www.amazon.com/Differentials-Identification-Restoration-Jim-Allen/dp/1424326613) this and it has a lot of good info. seems like a lot of people use Yukon.

 

hmm..ill look and see..i might yes.

The lights do stick out in front of the bumper, but not the light hoop. And when something does hit them, they just tilt up. But yes you could just drill more holes a bit further back. That said i have the slimmest grill that comes on tacomas (95-97) and i probably could only have gone 1'' back.

All in all..im not totally worried..LF lights a freaking beef and like i said, they just get tipped up generally or there are plently of replacement part if something does infact break.

this is a great option too if you have the tools and ability to rip out your own diffs. You will also have to have your truck sit diff less for a couple weeks. Unless you can afford to pay upfront for just new diffs and then send them your old ones back for core for a refund(i believe its 200 a diff up front and 200 a diff back when received)

I know Yukon is a big name and very popular for gears. The ones i pulled off of the Lowrange site i do not know about their over all quality and what not. As a whole, i have not seen a lot of trucks gears go bad due to the gears or bearings themselves, but usually to poor install or setup.

other brands are:

Nitto
Presison
Trailgear/Lowrange sells some now, im sure its a rebrand

few random others too.

 

lol, just realized my 8.4 diff is still sitting in a milk crate in a trash bag in my garage...from moab. Right there under the pool table by the welder

 

Your lucky day! I have the perfect pic to show you what i was talking about.



Truck in the foreground is Cody's, he works at Lowrange Offroad. That a bumper built by Tim this year. Mine is in the back ground. We both have LF240s and you can see they over hang the bumper, but the hoops protect them perfect.

 

hahaha

nice. Good paper weight huh?