01 xtracab daily build no bolt ons all fab

So I started my venture on building the truck my dad would never help me get as a teen. A Toyota Tacoma 4wd. So far I haven't had time to do any major modifications due to some serious lack of mantinance from the previous owner. I've replaced in the past 5 months. All the joints and steering components with moog or better stuff including rack and pinion. All the wheel studs. Tune up. Rebuilt transfer case. And changed out the add relay and added a toggle for the front actuator. CV axles and front diff seals. Just put a 2006 trd rear axle under it yesterday. And did the grey wife mod. Finally I feel good about the miles I put on this rig. 120 miles+ a day. Though I feel I want to do a clutch and timing belt in the next month or so. So finally the fun stuff. Didn't like the first bumper I built so I just started building a new one. This time with a 9000lb winch and beefed up mounts. I ran 1/4"x4" flat bar down the inside of the frame back to the motor monts. And 1-1/4" sch80 pipe from the mounting plate to the front cross member. Got side tracked with the rear axle and started bending some teraflex shackles that I pulled off my 82 Toyota truggy on 39-12.5" s since I'm 4 linking it and don't need them anymore. I'll pick up some 1" sch80 tomorrow for a wrap bar on the rear and hopefully I'll make time to trash the strut spacer and put the bilstein 5100's on with a set of 2008 tundra springs that didn't pan out. So a note for anyone. Tundra struts don't fit on a taco. They give you 5" of lift and bind the cv's lol trial and error.

 

Struts done. And lesson learned... A. You can't combine new springs with spacers, the lift is too much for the cv's. B. You can't take your spacers out and install the new springs in the factory ride height setting when your tires are sized for the lift... They settle quick and you end up looking like an idiot trying to get out of your parking spot at work backing up and pulling forward 10 times to get enough circumstance to drive off...

 

took time out to change out the ball joints and draw up the uca's i plan on fabricating. made a couple of gussets for the spindles while i had them out. and picked up some 3/4 i.d dom 1/4 wall tube for the ucas and 1-1/4 dom for the bushings and uniball. redid the alignment with as much caster as i could get out of it. rides like a dream and takes the jumps like a champ soft landing smooth takeoffs. im going to add more caster in the ucas when i get started on them next week.

 

Sweet. Sounds like a beffy bumper.