Chicks Do It Too! Calling all ladies to post your trips and tricks

Finally put on the OME nitro’s and Dakar leaf pack in the rear. Hopefully today I’ll get the front done. It always seems to rain when I work on my truck.

Recently I started using a rust converter on the frame works pretty good.

Also I installed my ARB bumper should have placed it higher but it is what it is some people put it much closer to the flares and I wanted to leave some space so I went with 20mm Gap as ARB recommended.


And I changed out my wheel bearing.

 

Reviving this. I bought the Fluke meter and have been more than happy with it.

Now I have also finally got the second battery under the hood and have been doing MAJOR underhood rewiring/rerouting. This is the one thing I wish i had just pony'd up the money for to do all at once in the beginning but because i didnt i made more work for myself along the way, complete with the most work to date to take wires run from the passenger firewall nipple to the drivers side battery and moved them over to the passenger side battery. going to try not to cut the wiring any shorter and find a spot to store them cleanly, if not well then cutting will ensue. The pic posted is the before picture. I will post up an after pic soon.

Now i just need to find a spot to put the trailtoysNSA box on the passenger side. or maybe mount my ML ACR somewhere else. decisions, decisions.

Also bought radflo fronts for my baby on black friday so that is going to be AWESOME (when they come in off 4 week backorder)

 

Need more pictures!!!

 

rerouting the wiring has been a bit of a pain (that might also be an understatement), even though I am getting more efficient at it, though the worst part was my Amazon ML-ACR and switch being DUDS!!!! I am beyond pissed about that because I lost an entire afternoon to BS troubleshooting a BAD ML-ACR from amazon. I should have trusted my gut when i noticed the old solder on the wires and tape residue on the wires and on the back of the ACR. When I got all the way done and tried to get it to function it dint function, and I spent a lot of time fighting with it before determining that it must be the ACR. I swiftly ordered a new ACR and switch from OGE (since I had already bought their wire harness to route to the switch) and they SWIFTLY shipped me one! (Shameless plug for OGE: they were helpful to me all along the way when he helped me determine the style of Deutsche connector I would need to modify my ACR to work with his harness. He was responsive and caring and literally within 10 minutes of each order I placed, the item was SHIPPED!!!!) Last night I got it all plugged in and it WORKED! I shed a tear of joy that everything was correct the way I had it wired and routed and all I had to do was swap out the ACR. It was a beautiful moment to see those lights pop on on the switch and hear that "click" from the ACR.

Attached are beginning and intermediate pics (teasers because I don't have final pics yet, cool your jets they are otw). The intermediate day is where I have the airbox taken off and I thought I had about gone out of my damn mind fighting with the stupid dysfunctional ML-ACR. I thought myself crazy for going through the headache of all of this but its going to look great all buttoned up with everything wired up and ready to go. I am going to fab one more item, a small bracket to mount my 2/0 gauge winch power anderson connectors too (both the one from the winch and the one from the starting battery). until next time...........

 

In

 

Finished it tonight!!!! Yaaaas!!! It feels good to start some thing, get it right, and finish it. Hooked up my solar panel again and everything is back the way it was but BETTER before the great underhood wiring experience of dec & January.

Now let's play a little game of find the ACR because I hid it quite well

Next up, radflo front covers, serpentine belt & idler pulleys, front wheel bearings, and spark plugs.

 

Idler pulleys and serpentine belt were on the list for last night, but sadly I was only able to exchange the belt and the no.2 idler pulleys. There is a part of the oil filter housing in the way for the no.1 idler pulley on the newer 4.0 v6 in the T4R, and i need either an offset 14m combo wrench or a 1/2" drive 14mm short socket. Asking aroudn if anyone has the wrench or short socket (or both) and then I can get the no.1 changed out.

Also on a related note, does anyone know which pulley PN the tensioner PULLEY (not the whole assy) is? I have seen so many differing reports and I would like to change out that pulley if I can but i need the correct PN.

Next up sparkplugs, then front wheel bearing and hub assys and Radflos!

 

Installed a HF Badlands 9K winch into my ARB bumper last night. Relocated the remote plug so I could keep a clean look. With it clocked right you do not have to trim the handle to fit in there.

 

Did my sparkplugs this past weekend, and I have to say it was pretty straightforward. Pro tip: make sure to have some penetrating spray (liquid wrench, PB blaster, etc.) handy because you might need it to help free some persistent sparkplugs. When the first one I tried to undo started creaking and making a terrible sound I stopped and radioed for help (a friend with some penetrating spray)!

I was really worried about breaking a plug in the head and luckily (after help arrived) it went really quite smooth! Next up front bearings and radflos, and clearly I need to take more pics but if anyone here wants to change their sparkplugs I am sure there is a thread here detailing how to change them but here is the one from the 4runner forum featuring an up and coming mechanic who fits with the theme of this thread:

 

I changed my spark plugs a while back and good lord, it was such a pain. My model has the plugs wayyyy the heck down, so you’ve got tons of components to disassemble before you can even start removing plugs. Without the perfect tools it was just so frustrating. I just learned that the 12-15 Tacoma’s are the “special” ones where everything is 10x more curse word inducing lol

But loving this thread so far... can’t wait to catch up on it all! Hopefully I can contribute

This may have already been mentioned, but has anyone here heard of the Rebelle Rally? It’s #1 on my bucket list...

 

Changed out my front rotors and pads the other day.
Went back to OEM rotors paired it with akebono ceramic pads.
Came fromEBC rotors and hawk pads.. The hawk pads were nice, but didn’t last long, and ate the crap out of the rotors.
I’ll see how this set up goes

 

Here a little helper I found useful for anyone else doing spark plugs on the 4.0

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/how-to-spark-plug-change-1-gr-fe.30479/

 

Did the bench to bucket swap. No drilling required all the holes were already there Uber the carpet. Used the old seat belt clips because the ones that came with the seat do not connect to the seat belt for whatever reason. Took out the old weight sensor and put in the passenger side seat. Used the old wiring harness from the bench seat and after hiding the wires under the carpet it looks pretty clean!

 

Upgraded my radio, I bought a double din so my cb could be mounted in the radio but my helper got over zealous and ruined the face plate cover so I will have to buy another one in the mean time I guess I’ll mount the cb between the seat. Soldered the wires then put shrink wrap over them. New radio sounds way better I was surprised because it’s the same speakers.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/tensioner-pulley-failed.526023/

 

Yeah and when you put speakers it’ll make it even better!!!
While you in there add some sound deadner
It’s very therapeutic like putting together a jigsaw puzzle

 

I plan on doing an upgrade and sound deadner for sure I hate it when people do not take the time to do that.

 

New clutch installed and flywheel turned. Good to go for another 150+k
I obviously changed all the bearings and transmission rear seal that had a small leak.

It was a PITA and I am glad I went to my friends house and had help. The bell housing needed a little forplay to finally line up but we got there. Also I was glad I had a ride to the machine shop to get the flywheel turned. Next clutch I’ll upgrade the flywheel and clutch but this one is like driving a car lol.


Flywheel before had some blueing to it but. I heat cracks

Old school lablome I believe and he did a great job for $30 but since he fit me in same day in a pinch I gave him a tip

After being turned took off a 10/1000th

Old clutch not dead yet but didn’t want to wait any longer.

 

Custom driveline installed today via my driveway shop lol. The OME suspension on a RC made the driveline angle too steep. It was at 15 degrees with 2 degree shims. This one will accommodate up to a 26 degree change.