allenfab's 95 Tacoma build

Haha, I hear ya on that one. I still somehow end up doing a lot of maintenance shit during the summer though. Right now, the current list of items includes doing more repairs on my windshield washer reservoir (by the time I'm done, I'm basically going to have a fiberglass and silicone reservoir, haha), replacing my inner tie-rods, replacing the steering rack wrap-around bushing, pulling the rear brake drums and washing the mud out of them, power washing the front suspension and brakes, and maybe doing a coolant flush--none of which is terribly difficult (well, with the exception of the steering rack bushing which might require me to take the rack loose, which is hard on my old-ass, blown-out shoulders), but it does add up.

( I thought I posted this response days ago but it seems I got distracted and never hit the post button. )

 

Todd, you said the new skid was going to resemble the other one you had started so I thought I'd make a suggestion. If you're going to do that piece that curves down under the end of the case again, I'd put a decent-sized slot in the bottom of it so it'll be easier to wash mud out of so it's not sitting in there holding moisture up against your case and rusting the crap out of it.

 

For sure. That was going to be one of the last things I did on the old one but I tossed it before getting to that point. It's hard to see in the pic I just posted, but the top right corner of the plate was cut back and not welded to help with drainage also. I definitely don't want this heavy ass skid plate any heavier when I have to drop it from all the caked up mud and shit

 

This new version of the skid plate is going to make me a lot more comfortable when it takes a hit. Still not done with it though, but it is coming along. There will be tabs made that welds to the driver side lower link mount and trans crossmember with a couple of holes drilled in them that will bolt to the skid. I am also going to trim the back side of it and slant a plate up to the rear tube like the previous skid plate had, and ad some drain holes.

Also ordered a big ticket item that should be here in a few weeks

 

Skid getting closer to being finished. Just need to make the bolt on pieces connecting it to the trans crossmember and link mount and I can then drop it, finish welding, paint, and reinstall. I'll worry about the atlas support mount when the 500 mile fluid change comes around.

 

Fucked around and finally bought a trailer, which means more serious wheeling and with trips planned for hardrock, windrock, and possibly North Carolina and Alabama this year, figured it was time to protect myself so I'm in the process of installing a cage.

 

Fuck yeah man.

 

Looks like you might have to wear a bicycle helmet when wheeling now to keep from braining yourself on the aft tube.

Trailer looks almost like the same as my uncle's...only cleaner and newer, haha.

 

Helmets are definitely going to be needed, as much as I don't want to. But, that's the price you have to pay to play. I'm going to add padding first to see if I can get by with just that, but I don't think it will be enough.

 

So now you've taken things to a whole different level with that trailer Wheeling will get substantially more aggressive, more carnage, less body metal, etc. lol

I'm paying attention to that internal roll cage. I really want a cage in mine but the truck being a reg cab I almost feel that it will be too tight in there. Looking forward to the final product for some ideas for mine.

 

It's definitely tight. I am 5'8" and just slightly moving my head to the left will contact the upper bar that comes down to the main hoop (B pillar). I am thinking when I get new seats, I can mount them a little bit lower to help with head clearance. I think what I am going to do is run this cage until I can bring myself to design/build an exo that doesn't look like complete ass.

 

Damn, that's what I was afraid of. I am 6' tall, so it would be certainly tight in there. I guess you provided a good point with the idea of lowering the mounting point with aftermarket seats. Makes me nervous though...

I have only seen one exo cage on a tacoma that I like. Pics are floating some where on Pirate; really nice looking low profile one. i would consider something like that for sure.

I have been reading and looking at pics for several months now and still has not come up with a solution of what I would like to do. But you might persuade me to follow your ideas/design!

 

I lowered the stock seat mounts on mine due to the clearence issue. I lowerd the back mounts until the seat was basically on the floor and gained about an inch of extra headroom. I was also thinking of recesscing the floor like what the guys with the trails less travelled tacoma did.

 

I'm scared to do aftermarket seats for this reason. I'm a tall bastard myself at 6'4".

 

The exo on the Bro-coma build on pirate is by far the best exo I have ever seen on any truck. But, I do not have a roll-bender, at least not yet, and that is the only way to make a good looking exo IMO. Being able to follow the curvature of the cab takes a lot of time but it is worth the time in the end.

Me too and after thinking about it some, I think I may just find some stock seats from a newer Tacoma or some other vehicle and chop those up to make fit. I don't think I need suspension seats (well, maybe), and I definitely don't think I will need 5-point race harnesses when all I am doing is crawling.

 

I agree, the Bro Coma has the best looking exo I've ever seen as well. The rest of the rig though...it's definitely a bad ass rig, but from a maintenance standpoint, it's one of the most poorly executed builds I've ever seen. You gotta take half the truck apart just to replace the battery...from under the truck. If he ever needs to yank the engine, he's gonna have to cut out the shock tower brace and all the crap he has attached to it. If he ever needs to replace the back window, he's fucked. If he ever has to replace the A/C condenser, the filter drier, the radiator, or the headlight assemblies, he's fucked because it looks like it's effectively impossible to get the grille out. And the motor mounts are so close to the starter, if it will come out, it's going to be a PITA. Same with the oil filter to a lesser extent. The thing is a maintenance nightmare. I'm not terribly fond of how his tires stick completely out from under the fenders either. Sure, it makes for a really stable trail rig, but it looks like a roller skate.

I do kinda like that subframe thing he's got on the belly, though those skid plates he's got need a couple of big 2.5-3" holes in them for drainage. There is no doubt the man is one hell of a fabricator and I like most to the stuff he did with the suspension work--not terribly fond of his pan-hard bar, but that's just a nitpicky thing compare to everything else.

You build is superior, if only because it makes more sense to me, and of course, until someone does a comparable build with a bell-crank rear suspension, Jerry Lee's build dominates all, IMHO.

(Although there are cosmetic things I just don't like about Jerry's rig as well.)

 

Lee what does please you. lol besides todds truck

 

Jerry Lee's truck, Shane's 2nd Gen SAS build with the Bell Crank rear suspension, Tim #1's truck, probably yours if you ever got around to sticking a front drive axle under it , Todd's work on the OGT...lots of things please me. It's just that there's always something I think could be done better, even if it's just minor aesthetic shit. Nothing is perfect, I guess.

Likewise, there's usually something good I like even on the builds I'm not terribly fond of.

I just feel like if you're gonna go through all the effort and expense of building a bad ass rig, you shouldn't go out of your way to make it a PITA to maintain, which I feel that guy did with the Bro Coma. I mean, he literally put the battery, something that has a limited life, under the back of the cab and then boxed it in like a turtle's pecker so you have to take half the truck apart to get to it. There's a word for people like that: masochist!

 

I must go find this bro coma build

 

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/toyota-tacoma/993307-bro-coma-getting-unbro-d.html