Betterbuckleup's 2000 taco build & BS

got my alignment checked at firestone. Good to see that I can get pretty close with my toe plates in my garage. Just didn't have the wheel quite centered cause it was late and I was tired of fucking with it.
The cross caster numbers and camber are a lot better than I thought for using the cam eliminators too.

I'm happy with those numbers.

 

I hear you, don't worry! I'm not ignoring the complaints, in fact the bolt has gotten about 3/16" shorter since our first kits. Unfortunately every truck is different depending on the LCA's, bushings, year, cam tabs, how aftermarket ones were installed, etc. I stray on the safe side and make them slightly longer to account for everyone. I've worked on many, many 3G4R's and 1G Tacos and every one has been different. I'll even trim the bolts down more if need be when installing them in our shop because I can see how they're going to fit. I'd hate for a nut to come loose on someone's truck due to a short bolt.

I've also been told the lock nuts should have 3-5 threads behind them especially in high vibration conditions. This unfortunately adds 1/4"-3/16" extra. We've looked into and testes thinner lock nuts but we haven't found anything we're happy with yet.

 

Those numbers look great!

 

Looks great! Love the lathe work on the bolts.

 

Those ones aren't but we do offer gresable ones. They're a bit pricey but worth it if you're running aftermarket bushings.

 

I thought about turning down the nuts as well on the non locking side to be shorter if I needed more room. Could be an option for you to get them even more low profile if u have access to a lathe.

 

Bought the cheapest ADD CV axle off rockauto to turn into a trail spare stub shaft. Was surprised to see how little grease there was in the boot of the outer joint. Probably wouldn't have thrown any grease if the outer boot tore.

 

On the hunt for tighter steering feel
Pulled the column and added a plastic spacer to the tilt ball. Also re torqued the steering wheel nut to spec.

 

Have you ever re torqued or replaced steering rack guide in the driver side of the rack?

I forget the process but I think Timmy has a video on it. It holds a roller or slider against the rack arm and it may take some play out?

 

The rack is relatively new. I replaced it a little over a year ago I think. Haven't messed with the guide. I've read that some people reported the steering not returning to center as easily when the guide was tightened too much.

Not sure if it was the plastic shim or the retightening of the wheel nut, but the steering does feel slightly stiffer. Haven't driven it on the hwy yet though.

 

Machined and welded a chain link onto the inner stub to match the outer one.

 

Ran out to Buck island lake for a quick overnight on Friday with a buddy and his dad.







No issues with the truck other than on the way back when the cases started contacting the cab and vibrating like crazy.

Discovered that the driver side trans crossmember got bent up a little bit. No doubt happened when I dropped down really hard onto a big rock one of the half dozen times. Need to find a frame puller to straighten it out and then I can add some bracing to prevent it from happening again.


A lot closer that normal.


The solo LCAs continue to get abused without complaint.

 

Or... OR! Here me out! Just cut of the cross member out and build a bigger beefier cross member out of 1/4" and make that work instead

 

Or tube.

Or ask @eimkeith to please finish his crossmember.

 

I had thought about that. That sounds like a lot of work though lol. And all the structure that the OEM one has built into it make it surprisingly strong, so just adding another tube brace to it should really make it bulletproof I think. If I were to make one custom, I'd wanna make it more high clearance and put some thought into. More thought than I currently have to go to a project like that at the moment....

Compared to the bent and formed OEM one, I didn't think that a single tube crossmember would be as strong tbh.
Didn't know he had one in the works. A replacement trans crossmember?

 

I haven't had any issues with mine yet, but I hardly hit it given how much clearance I gained.

Yep, he designed one with driveshaft/exhaust passthrough.

https://eimkeith.com/2020/01/23/high-clearance-crossmember/

 

Well it was a good run while it lasted, but my wife's front end started to squeak and I'm thinking it's the lowers that had the anti-seize treatment 3 years ago exactly. I bought some 90* 6mm zinc chromate coated zerks like you and will be adding them to the lowers in the next month or two.

Had good luck with them?

 

Tbh I haven't really used them since installing. Every time I've had to grease them, I've had to pull the bushings because they were toasted.
Hoping with the new KP off-road kit that I won't be going through as many now and can use the zerks more.

 

So I haven't been able to find a body shop that's willing to help me yank down my crossmember an inch, for less than $500.
And I haven't been able to come up with an easy rigging setup to do it at work without drilling into concrete to make a ground tether point. It's not just bent up, but sort of twisted as well which I doubt I would be able to correct easily myself.

The transfer case vibrating and shaking the cab is getting really annoying, so I'm looking at cutting the driver side mounting arm off and fabbing my own to work with the existing crossmember bar. It's a lot less work than doing a whole crossmember from scratch.

Here's what I have drawn up so far that I might try to make out of 3/16" plate and carboard. it would be nice to have send cut send laser out the parts, but I have a feeling i'll be going a lot of grind to fit given how everything is bent and I don't know accurate positions of everything in that area. and I already have a sheet of 3/16" laying around that I can use.

If it works out, it'll be a big more high clearance than the factory one. and hopefully doesn't bend when hit.

 

I'm amazed you hit it hard enough to force it up that far, on my grey truck I cut that mount out and used the one from FROR and pushed my t-case/trans up another 1.5", was so close to being flat belly. But nothing touched the cab that I remember (and yes that was a 4cyl truck), but who knows I might have used a sledge and drift to clearance it, its something I wouldn't hesitate to do.