06RadiantRed's Build

Hey Guys,

Really Really bored tonight, so I thought, why not start up my build page!

I have a Radiant Red 2006 Tacoma -TRD Off Road v6 Access Cab that I purchased used on November 15th 2010. This is my first vehicle I have ever bought for myself. Up until then my daily driver was a 1988 Toyota Pickup 4x4 that my Dad traded a F250 Diesel to my cousin for back when I got out of Highschool in 2002. The old truck is great and i still have it! But I had been wanting a newer version for a while. Drooling over Tacoma's for a few years. Finally it happened!
I had been searching for about a year, trying to get finances in order while also figuring out what sort of deal i should expect to get. I had got back and forth between new and used a bunch of times. As you guys know the resale value of our trucks is really high, and at times it just didn't make sense! Why would I get a used truck with 35k miles for only 3k less than a new one?? You know the feeling. Anyways, I finally found one I was looking for up in Portland Oregon. I live in the Bay Area and had a really really hard time finding a decently priced 4x4 Off Road Access Cab truck. Ridiculously hard time. So when this finally showed up on my internet search, I jumped at it.
This was my first car/truck buying experience so I'm sure some of you could have done better, but I think I did ok! Ended up getting them down to $17,900 for it(before CA-rape tax and crap). When I bought it, it had 63k-ish miles which was a bit higher than I wanted but not outrageous so I delt with it.

Here is the original video that got me:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAP0plJy_U8&feature=player_embedded

I think I am basically every view on that video, I couldn't stop! Haha!

Day I picked it up:


Couldn't believe I finally bought a truck! No one else was there to witness it so I had to take a pic



It was a long first day, got up at 5am so i could catch a flight to Portland, got picked up from the airport by the dealer, went and bought the truck, then proceeded to drive the 600 or so miles back to the Bay Area! Got home around 1 or 2am I think.

In any case, on to the fun stuff.

First things first.

I wanted a lift, of course! And some new tires and wheels. Those street slicks weren't going to cut it, although i miss their gas mileage abilities.

I ended up going with a Toytech spring kit, 884 coils and a 2" AAL in the rear. Then found myself in a toss up of tires/wheels but settled for ATX Artillery's 16x9, and some 285/75r16 BFG A/Ts. For about 2 months, I did not install the rear AAL.





Somehow the morons at Wheel Works, couldn't get on my center caps, so I ended up doing that at home.

So im sitting pretty now, thinking ill call it quits and let the truck do its thing. Well of course it rubs like crazy in front. I immediately had the dreaded front Diff vibration from the lift. Sucks. It took me almost 2 months to figure out the front Diff. Oddly enough, i replaced the side needle bearing and that didn't fix everything vibration wise. Somehow, while diagnosing my front diff, the right wheel bearing started going out! A needle bearing and 2 wheel bearings later... smooth as ice! So happy. Once i got that all figured out, i installed the rear AAL. Of course, this induced some rear end shudder, which has mostly been taken care of by a carrier bearing drop.


Friend let me use the lift at his shop to help figure out that damn vibration up front.


Changed both diff fluids then too.

Here is the awesome little slide hammer attachment you need to make, so you can remove the side needle bearing from your diff with out removing the Diff it self!


By the way, if anyone needs advice or help with the front Diff vibration, feel free to PM me. Totally willing to do what I can!

So now things are good. I decide i need some more HorsePower! Installed this baby in about 2 hours. Gave me at least 30 more HP.


Woooo! Sarcasm aside, its nice. My girlfriend got it for me as a birthday present


Here is a pic from my first wheeling trip, the Norcal 3/12/2011 Hollister day trip! Pretty damn fun, thought it would be great to meet some guys from TW and so i signed up last minute.



So after that fun adventure, Im thinking damn. Time for more mods, so I can have more fun! I got in last minute on a group buy for some TC UCAs and some extended travel ICON coilovers.

Here they are, ill get more pictures later of fully installed. Was too dark and i keep forgetting now.





Install went pretty smooth. Next i decided its time to try this Plasti-Dip stuff the forum seems to be coated with already.



They came out pretty good. Also did the front valence. I like it! Nice to test out a look before you make it permanent.

Most recent addition, i decided i needed some more HP!



Thanks for the sticker bob!

Update:

New rear Fox 2.0 FJ shocks installed:



Now i gotta color match that grille and do some BLHM!
Then some sliders and a SC

And thanks for taking a read. Not much compared to most I know. I will get there! Let me know if you guys have any suggestions, always nice to hear some ideas.

To Do List:

-Real Alarm System
-Light window tint up front
-Some type of navigation setup in dash.
-Chrome bumper delete
...

 

Nice looking rig and great write-up!!

 

Hey thanks guys!

Currently waiting on a reply from relentlessTaco. Think im going to get a rear bumper and some base sliders next. Looks as if that might be a ways out though till they can get made. In the mean time. Im trying to figure out my rear suspension setup. I was going to get some longer billys but saw some info about the Fox FJ shocks that might work. That and either a good 3 leaf pack or save for a real pack. Not sure yet on the leafs, which is a better buy..

 

It's on it's way! Find a place to move yet?

 

Slowly but surely.

I have not found a place yet. Couple of interesting places in Foster City, would be nice there. 5 minutes from San Mateo, and easy to jump on 92 to get back to the east bay where my dads tools are.. haha

My current lease isnt up until the end of next month, and everyone on craigsList seems to only be interested in hearing from you if you have Deposit in hand, waiting to move in tomorrow. Gotta keep looking!

 

Looks great!! Love the lift with the 884s, im lookin at them as well. The vibes/shudder issues give me worries though

 

Nice truck man! Love the color and what you've done to it so far!

 

Thanks thanks!

I made a thread today about what Im trying to do with the rear suspension:

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/suspension/150574-rear-suspension-next-step.html

Let me know if you guys have any advice

 

Nice looking truck man! I'm jealous of the ICONs and I love those wheels on that color of truck.

So you did the front diff bearing replacement yourself? Is everything still holding up in terms of smoothness driveline?

Any chance we could talk you into starting a how-to thread for all that is involved with the bearing swap? Metallikatz has a thread but the info in it is a little brief and he doesn't seem to post in the forums very regularly.

 

Wow totally missed this reply! Sure I don't mind helping at all. Only problem is that, I don't have more than a few pictures from when I did the replacement.

As for how it is holding up, great. So far no vibrations except for some from the rear drive-line that i still need to fix, but hasn't been enough of an annoyance to get me to do it yet. I only have about 8k miles on the replacement though, so its no test of time fix.

One thing that we did a little different than what others have done is not set the bearing so far into the diff. I have tried to explain this in a few threads floating around, but I'm sure it gets lost in the mix. Ill try to explain a bit here about it.


First off this is just an opinion of my Dad's and mine. But here goes.

This needle bearing that seems to wear out of spec too quickly, keeps the CV centered into the Diff. All the angular forces the CV is put through while spinning not in complete parallel wants to move it off center, the inner end of the CV is kept in line by this bearing. If you think about it, there is a ton of force the bearing is against, especially in 4 wheel drive while turning or going through your suspension travel.

The forces acting on the CV in relation to the needle bearing are similar to a 2 dimensional teeter-totter. That is the best thing I can come up with to explain it. The spines inside the diff are being driven, putting power through the CV to your wheel, the first knuckle on the CV, closest to the diff has to transfer that nice rotating motion off center to the wheel when its not in line perfectly with the diff. By nature its going to put pressure on the needle bearing. The CV will naturally want to center, but the needle bearing holds the inner end of the CV in line with the diff.

The gear inside the diff that your CV splines mesh with has some play, at least mine did. I felt around in there and it was a little sloppy. I have read this is the case with most that have checked. So when you think about the fact that your spines are not held in a 100% static location, and the first knuckle of the diff is constantly trying to straighten out under load. And the little needle bearing is caught in the middle, holding the inner side of the CV in line with the diff. You can imagine how its has a motion similar to a teeter-totter moving up/down, front/back and any combination between.

That probably didn't make a whole lot of sense, its hard to explain with words alone. But essentially what we did differently when we replaced my bearing was not putting it in as far as it had been stock. There is probably about a quarter to half inch of variance you could use when seating the bearing. Were sort of thinking that if you don't seat the bearing in as close to the splines, it has a little extra distance there, making it so there is less leverage on it.



I have read about how the metal use to either make the bearing, or the shaft could be out of spec. That could very well be part of it too. I'm no mechanical engineer and have no real proof that our little theory here is the cause except for some head scratching while looking at the whole situation when we were doing the replacement.


Feel free to ask anything about the replacement though, I don't mind at all trying to help answer.

 

You've got a beautiful truck dude. I've got an 06 radiant red double cab, and I can't wait to lift mine and throw some new shoes on her.

Congrats, and well done man!

 

Hey thanks man! Fix up your truck description, rep that rad red! Its not just red!

Small update as well. Got some new rear shocks in today, going to install them over the weekend. Cant wait. Been putting off new shocks for a while. Went to order some 5150s from DSM but they were way way back ordered so I went with a little upgrade



Will be nice to not top out over the slightest bump.

 

niiice!

 

Very nice

 

Thanks guys!

Here they are finally installed. Damn they ride so much better. Really glad DSM re-valved them too! They are great.



and a new money shot!

 

Down with the chrome!!! BHLM, Satoshi, things you will do... yes? It completely changes the truck man!

 

looking good!

 

LOve the truck brother! Looks good! My twin at least a two door version of my truck

 

We have exactly the same truck! Love the color, sickest color out there hands down! Sick mods bro!

 

haha thanks guys.

yeah Brian I really gotta get going on the BHLM and the satoshi...

it would be nice to get a backup camera worked in there too.