JB's not a Broverlander build - 2004 4x4 doublecab TRD

I bought my truck when it was less than a year old, so I highly doubt they were ever replaced before I did them. The recall, iirc, was for the earlier models. I don't believe there is a factory replacement interval, but the normal accepted interval from TW people is 90k ish miles, at least.

Judging by how catastrophic they fail, I wouldn't want to push it. Even the factory ones are only $250 for a pair, and that's if you don't look for a good deal on them. So, $250 is a WHOLE lot cheaper than a destroyed front suspension, or worse, if they fail when driving down the highway. They are actually quite easy to replace. All you need is a pitman arm puller $10-$15) and a floor jack. I can replace mine in probably 1/2 hour, easy. I've only ever replaced them when doing a bunch of other work, too, so it's taken longer, but there are 2 castle nuts and 4 bolts per side. The pitman arm puller will pop off the tie rod end and the lower control arm. Just remember to disconnect the lower bolt for the shock before you get into the balljoint...

 

Made a little progress on the skid plates today. So here's a quick update:

Looks like I picked a nice day to b outside welding.

Got the Front half of the skid at least bent to shape and tacked together. Used the whiskey bend method here.

Then I put together some new and improved mounts. Using a jig I made out of some square stock, this should ensure they go in straight. I used some cardboard to get the basic shape, then transferred the shape to 3/16" steel. The side supports were whiskey bends, then re-welded the seams. I welded some nuts to the top of the mounts and will use this same jig on the skid plate to ensure the wholes are perfectly aligned.


Mocked up on the truck, but welding will have to wait for another day.


Gotta stop, too damn hot....

 

its 68 here with 84% humidity
i had to stop and wait for the water in engine compartment to dry up (cleaning muck under battery tray), its too humid to just evaporate!

 

A few years ago I went to Louisiana for work in August I believe. It was like 95 and, I dunno, like 10,000% humidity. That was retched.

It's 107, in the shade, now...

 

Made some more progress on my skids. Actually looks like a skid plate!

But first things first: NEW WELDER!!!! Hobart 210 MVP. This should handle anything I want to throw at it now. My little Lincoln 125 just wasn't cutting it...


On to the bizness:

Burned my mounts in. Welds don't look that great for 2 reasons: 1) was trying to keep the heat down by doing a series of tack welds because I didn't want to set my LCA bushings on fire and 2) I'm a shitty welder.

You can also see I've bolted up the "C" channel I'll be using to recess the bolts, rather than have bolt heads sticking down to get caught on rocks etc... This also sets the skid down a little bit to give me extra clearance for my diff drop.



Now it's time for the bottom plate to get put in its place...




...and tacked up. I used some scrap to maintain the angle when I take it off for final welding. As you can see, I'm still using flux core, as I haven't gotten a gas bottle for my new welder yet. I haven't even taken advantage of the 220v yet because my extension cord doesn't reach to where my truck is parked. 110v tack welds are no big deal, at least. Once I'm ready to do all the final welds, I'll throw the 220v at it and have some fun.




Here's a close up of the finished product of the recessed bolt hole. It worked great! When I got everything lined up, (top pic) I carefully marked the location on the skid, I took the skid back off and drilled the holes large enough for a socket to fit in, then tacked the C in place. Did another test fit and it worked perfect. It's almost like I measured!




Here it is with a few stitches along the seam, and you can see remnants of a whiskey bend I did near the back (right side). This bend might add some rigidity, but it was mostly to get a good alignment with the front piece and the rear mounts. The mounts are level side to side, but apparently weren't level front to back, or at least the way the bottom plate went it, the plate wasn't level front to back, so just a small adjustment to ensure the plate mounts flat against the frame mounts.



Next step is side pieces, 1 or 2 reinforcing ribs down the center, and to finish up my trans skid as well.

 

wow, a lot of DIY here... impressive.
-love the kiddos lending a hand as well! im sure they'll remember that too.

...and the photos of the MOON! awesome!

 

OP must be slacking, has not done much this past month
maybe he should come help me with my truck, need a bed removed

 

Funny you say that. I actually did some work this weekend. Will be posting soon.

 

So here's the long awaited progress I made this weekend on the skids.

The Hobart 210 MVP is glorious in 220v.

Got a few pieces tacked to the edges of the front skid. More than likely I'll do a couple braces front to back inboard of the edges, then do a brace side to side near the back.

Here is one of many many test fits. Everything is going together pretty smoothly. Slowly, but smoothly.


I then fab'd up a couple mounts for the forward frame mounts. Just some scrap 1.75" DOM tubing I had laying around and 1/8" plate welded to the ends. I'll get these cut to length, then bolt them in place, and carefully mark their positions on the skid, remove the skid and cut the holes. Then re-install, tack in place, then remove the whole skid and finish the welds.


That's a Blah Blah Blah IPA from 21st Amendment, if you're curious.


I don't have a pic of the rear/trans skid, but I did get that mostly cut out and started making my bends on that, too.

 

Made some more progress on the skids this weekend.

As I said in the previous post, I got the tubes cut to length, then mounted everything up. Then carefully marked the location.


Took everything back off, marked the center of each whole and drilled it out with a step bit large enough to get a socket in the whole. Then mounted everything back up, tacked the tubes in place, then removed it *again* and burned them in place.

I also mounted a side-to-side reinforcement (same "C" channel stuff I used for the recessed bolt).

I plan to do some triangle gussets on the tubes for extra piece of mind, and some front to back ribs about 2" inboard of the edges to clear the diff and add strength.


Then it was off to the races on my rear/trans skid.

This ended up being two pieces. The one piece of plate I had wasn't quite long enough to reach all the way forward enough (by like 2 inches! This will be sandwiched between the frame mounts and the front/IFS skid.


Here's the skid after test fit and ready to stitch the whiskey bends together. In retrospect, I shouldn't have done a whiskey bend at the rear (the 90 degree one) because 1) 90 degree whiskey bends are a PITA, and 2) with that extra length I probably could have has a single piece rather than stitching on the extra piece.

Oh well, live and learn.

I'll be doing some reinforcement ribs along the sides, and probably one down the middle

 

are these current CA fires close to where you are at?

 

Not the big ones. got rerouted because of a grassfire closed part of I-5k but nothinn to worry much about. I have friends all over though. One friend who lost his house in the santra rosa fire in 2017 just got evacuated again.

Im in SMUD territory, so we don’t need to worry about PG&E setting fires, lol...

 

@jbrandt, i know you don't have a need to delve into the FF realm, but maybe you know more about it than i do.
I had to apply this nasty stuff to the underbody rubbercoating of my truck that I damaged to cover up some naked steel on the floorpan until i can get something figured out
I don't have a clue what its doing after 3 weeks of application and what rats nest i may or may not be facing going forward with it
it sucks not knowing what the heck i am doing with this stuff



... driver side under the feet approximately



and it looks as though i missed a few minuscule spots and have to go out with a light and drizzle some more on it

 

looks like that stuff got burned. Since that's just on the body, I would clean that off best you can then use some of that rubberized spray stuff that comes in a rattle can.

Might do a search for some of the other folks who actually use the stuff on a regular basis and ask them.

 

thanks jbrandt
i keep running into dead ends it seems regionally and on the 1st gen area
have been trying to branch out to Canada but the rubber undercoating is not a good product to use anymore which i can understand
just not quite sure what to do with what i have going on now

 

... any cool plans for your truck this spring?

much is in store for mine

 

Finally had some more time for the skids:

Had to make a couple adjustments. THe side ribs contacted the lower control arms, so I adapted and overcame.

Then, I realized I made a slight error in my measurements and had to add another 3/16" to the height of my center frame supports.

Added some ribs to the front. This thing isn't going anywhere!

As it sits here, it's pretty much done. Just need to do some final fitment, and finish welding and paint.


Rear (trans) skid is just about done too, just need to add the reinforcement ribs along the sides and 1 down the middle. Will update with pics when I finish that, too.

 

Aside from driving it, no not really. Once I finish the skids that'll be it for a while.

 

have you reinforced your frame?

some like to do that in the rear area

 

Nah, I don't plan to carry heavy loads in the back or anything like that.