El Taco Diablo... Mall Crawlin, now with LT for tall curbs

Took me 18 months to realized my frustration with F&R 3 link, lol

 

Gotta clean up the fender flares... But I reached a milestone

Caster is set
Toe is set
Chamber is close, but won't know for sure until I set ride height.

Have to clean up the fender flares for sure... but full stuff and lock to lock is clear.

https://youtube.com/shorts/hNjAq1wwxpU?feature=share

 

@Crunchytaco69

What size coils should I be running here? Your guy recommended 16 inch, but if I run those, my preload collars will be halfway down the shock. I think I need 18 inch.



The coils are not compressed here.



Or, I need a spring retainer like the ones on my stock travel coil overs.

 

Seriously. I'm being to think this fucking Long Travel shit isn't worth it.

 

Yep.

Until it is, and you've got that travel

 

At this fucking point I don't know if it will ever actually get done...

And here, it's my "daily driver"... that I haven't been able to drive for 2 weeks, and don't know when I will actually drive again.

Sorry... but now I'm starting to get kind of mad about this shit.

 

Understandable.

I've never done a truck project like this, so I can't comment on it, but I've had my fair share of projects that had me questioning everything I was doing several weeks in.

Take for example my restomod '77 Firebird that had a 305 that got an Olds 400 transplant; getting new floor pans welded in sparked my interest in welding.





Anyway, I got as far as redoing everything sans paint and exterior molding but fully redid the interior, motor, and even had all the exterior parts.

Started life as an Espirit but redid everything to make it a Trans Am.

You're just feeling some burn out, totally normal. Just sucks you're not much closer cause we'd be cutting and welding parts real quick.

 

LMAO. I was 99% sure I wanted a LT DC tacoma years ago. After calculating $$ between IFS crawler and SA crawler, I went with the SA route. No more BS to worry about and no more thinking twice if the trail is too technical or what's next to break and leave me stranded. Each to their own I guess.

You bought everthing already, can't give up.

 

Lol... I was breaking less shit than the solid axle Jeeps I run with all last year. On stock travel IFS on 35s. They were SA on 37s.

There's still plenty of shit to break with a solid axle.

 

It's a jeep, what do you expect, lol. If they move from the driveway, that's magical already.

Haven't fix anything on my truck, not even a TR yet. Been through Dusy and most of the trail in the Sierra. On the other hand, IFS guys I know break on Vrock at Bald Mtn (wtf) and at Blue Canyon (literally a fire service road).

 

Funny... Dusy was one of the trails we did last year. Broke a couple CVs on the last day, otherwise I was rolling with no issues.

SA FJ broke a front link.
SA Toyota Truck broke a leaf spring

 

My buddy's stock Rubicon broke a factory brake line at Bald. That was funny.

 

Actually, thinking about it... that FJ was leaf sprung in the front, he broke a leaf not a link.

He also had some brake issues the last day, can't remember what that was about.

 

From my experience, majority of the ifs guys don't follow the same line/climb as the solid axle guys. Most obstacles have bypass or a second, less harsh portion that other vehicles can get by. Ask @Kwikvette Is bald open?

Hey @Kwikvette snow run

Similar to Coyote Lake, my buddy's IFS tacoma on 33 can get there just like our solid axle truck but they're not doing the same stuff we're doing. They're not picking the biggest rock or most gnarly climb on the trail. They take their sweet time and pick the smallest rock to get over. Getting there is getting there, regardless. But I do know my IFS buddy do a sh1t time of maintenance after each run.

 

The whole point is I want to be on trails where IFS isn't supposed to be, doing things IFS isn't supposed to do.

SA was never an option.

This long travel stuff will work it's self out. I'm just at the point in the project where I'm kind of frustrated. Hopefully I can get some things worked out today with parts that aren't working.

 

You got the Bigmike attitude, lol.

Yep. Like all this hatred on DB. I personally know 2 guys with Fabtech DB doing more sh1t to their truck on bad AF trail while other nicely built tacoma with kings/fox suspension refusing to take their truck or hitting every bypass. Show truck vs all purpose.

 

I probably don't take this biggest lines, but I definately don't do many bypasses. I realize my limitations, and I don't make things difficult for the sake of it. (But, hell, I was taking bigger lines the the Gladiator on 42s that was with us on Swamp) I don't like holding up the group. Lately we've been wheeling with mostly SA rigs on 37s and 38s. I've been holding my own. Hopefully the improvements I'm making will move us forward.

 

Knowing your limitations is key.

Show built vs multipurpose built, that's the difference. Built that look like it done every trail to built that actually done every trail. That's what most jeep I see here are for, most with 37+ and a sh1t ton of tire shine. But not all are like that, just most.

You're just a few hours north from me *I think* and we both know Cali folks love their Toyotas with mini axle, lol. Smallest axle with the biggest tires. These guys are no joke and show no love. There's a few in town (Fresno/Clovis) with mini and 40s . 95% of toyota here are done with mini, other 5% go 1t or custom.

 

Ya, I'm just about a hour and 45 North of Fresno. We've actually started wheeling a lot in that area over the last year. We hooked up with a real cool group out of Chowchilla. We'll be doing Swamp, Red/Coyote, Dusy this year coming up, for sure. (Those are already on the books and being planned now) Maybe more, down that way.