AK's UBRLND TuRD

So I'm thinking I've got a good week of serious maintenance planned. My buddy is heading out of town for the holidays so I've got his garage on loan (I've got a garage but it's barely big enough to fit my lawn mower!).

I think first phase will be the front end work.... after reading some threads on ball joints I decided to check mine as I had suspicions something was outa wack... I get an audible clunk every so often when turning out of my driveway. Sure enough my passenger side LBJ has some play... with 177K on'm...since I'm sure they're original, they have outlived their service life. SOOOO I've got some OME Toyota UBJ's and LBJ's on the way, and while i've got it apart I might as well throw in new CV's (prob go with napa ones). Anything else I should replace while I'm at it??? Control arm bushings? Bearings? I did a brake job last year with new rotors, pads and calipers (of course this was before I read about tundra upgrade!)

Phase two will be the timing belt and company... and while I've got THAT torn apart replace my valve cover gaskets and all the internal seals... that should be a fun weekend in itself!

 

Got some real "important" work done!

Mounted my new xprite LED's


Added a USB port (Amber of course!) and blank switch slot



threw in some new husky liners (sans little boy of course)


and switched to LED interiors from @csjumper2003

 

I would appreciate some output pics of those 9" bad boys

 

I'll have to grab some when it's dark... at 3pm

 

It's 4pm for us here haha

That's the thing with winter. No time to do anything after work. Unless you love working by headlamp

 

Just whimpy headlights...


With the Xprite 9"...

 

Loving this so far

The story of getting the truck... wow. That's all I have to say lol.

Like what you've done with it. Giving me plans for the scan gauge and cobra cb that came with the truck - I already have the paranoid fab switch plate and a single din head unit so my setup may look a lot like yours lol.

 

That's a nice looking pickup you got there. Have to say... Looks a lot like mine!

 

Sweet looking truck and cool story to boot. I love those 1st Gens, still think they are the best Gen Toyota has made so far. Kicking myself in the ass everyday for getting rid of mine.

 

The scan gauge is the first thing I threw in there when I got the truck. I didn't like any other mounting solution i.e on the steering column or in the corner by the A pillar... not "factory" enough for me. I do have to consciously look at the gauge when I need info which of course could be a driving distraction, but I mainly have it for fuel info and clearing codes.. so not a big deal. I did my best with the CB to mount it as far back as possible to make it flush, I bought an elbow adapter for the coax cable to take the strain off the connection, works great!

 

I've told the story to a few people, and even now it still sounds made up... but I promise, it all happened! It was probably the biggest IN YOUR FACE karma moment of my life! I could have easily been a two post TW member... Hey I'm getting my truck...2 days later... Hey, I totaled my new truck!

Mother Nature: Oh...so you wanna be a big shot and do this all in one day... by yourself... in the middle of winter?

Me: YUP

Mother Nature: Ha... watch this!

 

Nice truck! Frame work looks excellent ​

 

Thanks, it was such a pain to get everything ready and prepped for welding that the actual welding work was kind of inti climactic... Only took but an hour or two!

 

Man I've been on hiatus for WAY to long! Was forced to leave my home state for the "lower 48" this past summer ( PCS move to the U.P. of Michigan for the Coast Guard) and it's been a rough ride, always tough to move a family of 5 with dogs and cats, selling and buying houses... Anyways, now I've finally found some time to work on the truck! Other than maintenance, big Accessory has been the prinsu rack, and a 4x innovations rear bumper I'm still waiting on.

Prinsu install was pretty straight forward, followed @BYJOSHCOOK install and modled mine after that. Putting the rack together was easy and took me about 45min, then I threw her up on the roof and started measuring and eyeing the positioning. I marked the center of the rack and aligned it with my rear view mirror and 3rd brake light, then a quick check with a tape measure and on to marking.

Then it came to drilling, if you have reservations, just go for it... It's really no big deal! I worked my way up to a 3/8 drill bit.. only breaking one in the process!?



Then it was time for the rivnuts... Used one of the bolts that came with the rack 4 washers and the rivnuts tool to install. I was sent a bolt kit meant for a double cab with the rain gutter, so I grabbed some shorter bolts cut my own rubber spacer pads for mounting, already had the rubber laying around and 2$ in bolts was worth not having to wait for replacements.

And here she is all buttoned down, with the 30" lightbar in place. Have not noticed any leaks or excessive wind noise, and the rack is SOLID!

 

Also picked up a Forney 140 flux welder, since this is a skill I felt I really needed to learn! Plus now I can build my own accessories and maintain the only crappy part about my truck... Rusty parts!


Not too shabby for my first few welds I think!

 

Oh I lied... I did get something else for the truck... Here's a preview of what's to come...!

 

Hey dude I swear I’ve seen you around town in Juneau! I’ve got a black single cab and live in the valley

 

You probably did, but I'm sadly not in Juneau anymore, moved to MI this past summer

 

Ah I see, it’s a shame though, not many 1st gen guys here

 

Probably cause they rusted to pieces! Damp, humid ocean air.. ALL THE TIME! I loved my tour in South East, I just wished there woulda been more access to trails you know. I did take her over to the Hoonah logging roads on a deer hunt, which was all around just fun as hell... but that was the most action she saw in her time in Juneau.