Doozy4212's Better Truck Drawer Build/Guide

I’m actually a hardcore stock-mobber, should i just mold the whole thing out of high performance carbon fiber?





Jk, I am definitely going to look at rivnuts some more today!

 

DO IT!!! Kind of a tangent but I've always wondered why the camper shell folks dont make a carbon wrapped camper shell!

 

It would badass but considering I paid $2600 for my fiberglass cap, I would hate to see the price of a carbon cap. but the weight savings would be sick!

 

HEY YOU GUYS!

I got a package in the mail today!



What is it you ask!?!?



48" Ryadon Locking Drawer Slides featuring Zazu, my 40 lb. pile of endless dog hair, entertainment and overall stupidity. First off, like I had said in a previous post, I got these slides off of eBay for a great price plus another 20% off! They shipped fast and ultimately got to me today, Thursday, as opposed to Monday when they were originally scheduled to be delivered! Not that I desperately needed them but I'll take 4 days ahead of schedule! Below are a few more pics of them side by side with my current/old/used Hettich 48" non-locking slides.



I am extremely impressed with the overall quality of the new slides. They are stout and heavy as all hell! The locking mechanism works flawlessly from what I have experienced playing with them. At this point what I am thinking is I am going to be splitting the pairs. What I mean by this is I will be pairing 1 locking slide with 1 non-locking slide to essentially get 2 locking slides. This is going to allow me have the cooler out in a locked position and also my "kitchen" drawer out in a locked position and will ultimately eliminate one of my original debacles of figuring out a clean closure system for the drawers. AND the slide will also keep the drawers locked closed! I'm not going to lie guys, I am getting super excited!

 

Looks good. Your endless pile of dog hair looks very involved, too!

It's amazing how heavy those slides are. My 4 5-foot slides weigh about as much as my platform with the drawers.

 

Yeah, that’s actually my supervisor on this project, she’s not very helpful really.

I totally believe that, I’m willing to bet both sets of slides weigh a combined 70-80 lbs

 

sub'd!

 

thanks! My move is fully in motion, excited to get it over with, more excited to start this!

 

The move is coming to an end and I balled out on Amazon yesterday. Construction will begin shortly!

 

Subd

 

I am starting to think I should never have ‘planned’ a ‘start’ to this drawer build. Reason being I had my truck in yesterday for a growing whine coming from the rear. The tech drove it said he didn’t hear anything and said “it’s normal” and blamed it on my Sumo Springs rubbing the frame. I called BS and asked to drive with the shop foreman. We got two minutes down the road when he said “turn around, I hear it and don’t need to hear it anymore.” Long story short, there is a TSB that came out on February 6, 2018 describing this exact problem. Basically I am getting new body mounts and a whole new leaf pack. Parts will be here in 5-7 days and the work should only take a day. We’ll see but I won’t be starting the drawers before that.

In other news my Amazon order is all here and I am psyched to start assembling it all....it just feels like it will never actually happen. I am sorry if i have let any of you down.

 

All part of a build good buddy! Sometimes life steps into the spotlight for a while and other projects have to hold on till the main concerns are taken care of. Better to have your noises actually verified and a solution in place so you have a truck to use these drawers in!

 

I like you attitude! Thanks for the kind words!

 

I think that is called "life" - happens to all of us. Just keep at it, everything will get done!

 

Still haven't heard from Toyota as to if my parts for my truck have arrived yet but I am patiently waiting.

In the mean time I installed my Pop & Lock. It's a small mod but I regret not doing it sooner! The process was pretty simple, the hardest part is running the wire up into the cab and taping the wires. I chose to run the line up through the grommet under the passenger seat and then under the door sill to the kick plate at the passengers right foot. All in all super easy, super convenient and only took about an hour or so to do! I will say the actuator is pretty loud and kind of sounds like hell but whatever, it'll become white noise sooner vs later!

 

Spoke with my service adviser at Toyota this morning. He told me that all of the parts are in with the exception of the cab mount bushing, or as he called it, the pillar bushing. The bushing is apparently on back order with no ETA. I am a little frustrated because I want to get this project going and I am more or less at the mercy of Toyota. Additionally every conversation I have with my adviser leaves me with an uneasy feeling that I am a major in convenience to his life. Whatever, I just want my truck fixed.

Since I won't be building this weekend I suppose I will get the last of my new place unpacked so I can be completely open and available when the time finally comes for me to start this project.

Thanks to all of you still following!

 

Mate, this is incredible! Nice work.

 

it's about to get better, as soon as toyota gets my truck into the shop and fixes me up, I'll be starting this build for real!

 

So I picked some stuff up tonight. This all starts tomorrow!

 

UPDATE: 4/16/2018

My parts for my truck repair under the TSB are still on back order and I am inpatient. SO, I started this project this weekend. I did as much as I could with my schedule and interruptions throughout the day. On Friday night I went to Home Depot and Lowe's to get materials. These materials included:

• 1 - 1/2" Birch Ply (4 x 8)
• 1 - 3/4" Birch Ply (4 x 8)
• 1 - 1/4" Birch Ply (2 x 4)
• Ryobi Drill Bit Kit
• Titebond III
• #8 x 2" Pure Brass Screws
• #6 x 3/4" Pure Brass Screws
• Dewalt 20V Max Circular Saw
• 90* Clamp
• 2 - 6" Bar Clamps
• 2 - 12" Bar Clamps

I had HD cut the 1/2" and 3/4" birch ply down to 58" x 48" rectangles at the store. The next morning I laid out the 1/2" birch and started marking it to make the cuts I needed for the base. Our trucks are 42" between the wheel wells. I marked a line 3" in from the wheel the outside edges and drew this line 28" down. I then marked 33" down on the outside edge and connected the line between the point 3" in and 28" down and the mark on the edge 33" down.



I then used a hole saw to create a nice curve in this corner and also provide some relief for this cut.



It didn't go exactly according to plan but I am not to concerned as I will smooth all the corners and edges out with a sander before applying a finish to the wood.



Next a test fit, perfect!



Following my test fit for the base it was time to start adding the upright portions of the drawer frame. For this I ripped the 58" piece of birch ply into 5 - 9" strips, 1 - 8 1/4" strip and. 1 - 1 3/4" strip. Two of the 9 x 58" strips were used on the sides. The third 9 x 58" strip was cut down to 40 1/2" and placed as a cross member 48 1/2" back from the front of the drawers.



All of the screws were drilled and counter sunk every six inches with the #8 x 2" brass screws. And obviously tons of glue was used!



Following getting the sides and main cross member in place. I started to lay out the cubbies that will be at the front of the bed. Using the leftover wood from the 9" strip I cut for the main cross member, I took the remainder and cut it down to 2 - 9" x 8 3/4" pieces! This were screwed and glued 12 13/16" in from the inside edge of the outside support to give me three uniform cubbies.



Following this I used the 1/4" birch to cap the end of the drawers . This was cut to 9 1/2" x 42" and again, screwed and glued.



To provide some addtional rigidity and a place for the cubby doors to rest when closed I used a square 5/8 dowel and inserted them at the 'front' of the cubby and secured everything with more screws and glue. It should be noted that I used the #6 x 3/4" brass screws for attaching the 1/4" back plate and the 5/8" square dowels.



Here is the progress thus far!



Finally I filled all of the screw holes with a stainable wood filler made by Elmers and roughly sanded it all flush.