My Rally Sweep Build

Lol, you can always use stack some scrap wood under the jack if you wanna go macgyver . A hi-lift is definitely a great tool to have, it has so many different uses it is something everyone should have if they offroad. Buuttt, a floor jack is much safer for doing stuff like swapping tires in the driveway.

 

Since I'm going to start doing rally cross I think I'll probably go with the floor jack just because I'll get more use out of it.

 

SO… I should probably update this thing.

I've been busy working on another project, a rally car for the purpose of entering stage rallies eventually if things go well. Thus, I haven't been spending too much time on my Tacoma. However, I've done a little wheeling on my own. Nothing better than to learn the limits of your rig by getting it stuck.

That's right it's story time! So gather 'round all you wheelers and truck lovers… I have some stories for you.

 

So last thursday (11/6) I was merging onto I-91N from I-84W near Hartford on my way home from the climbing gym and I got a little aggressive with the throttle. This normally (99%) of the time regardless of the weather -- it was raining at the time -- isn't a problem. However, this time the back end steps out hard. I counter steer to correct and tap the brake with the left foot while easing of the throttle. The truck just goes more sideways. So I step on the brake in hopes to bring the truck to a halt but nothing happens. I look at the concrete barrier I'm headed for and just think "Yup I'm gonna hit that". I hit the barrier and spin around and hit the barrier again in the rear. I turned the key to restart the truck, the engine cranked over, and I drove away.

I was finally able to observe the damage when I got home and was impressed that it wasn't worse. Now the front is patched up with zip ties and old coat hangers.


The headlights are off but not too bad.


See that round part on the front? That should be flat.


Flattened a bit of the round tubing.

But now the tailgate has a little bit of a sticking issue… anyone know or have a guess?

 

This is what is left of the bumper mounting bolts on either side of the truck.

Driver side:


Passenger side:


But I got the grille and headlights MacGyvered together with zip-ties and coat hangers.







Overall it's not too bad for a temporary fix.

 

Got the Tacoma fixed however, one of the PIAA lights broke on the way home from the shop. Gonna have to get a replacement for it. But why would PIAA make these so freaking fragile? Boggles my mind.

Also, have to get some new A/Ts for this summer.

 

So I have been doing sweep at Empire State Performance Rally (ESPR) the past couple of years and it's been pretty sweet.


This was the first time I did sweep at the NASA Rally Sport ESPR in 2015. I bottomed out my suspension hard enough to turn the whippers on full more than once. This prompted getting new leaf springs in the rear.


This is from the 2016 ESPR. The upgraded springs and newer shocks and front coils handled everything much better this time.

I also decided to build my own rally car. I competed in the NER SCCA Rally Cross events and a couple of rally sprints with a car that I rented from a friend while I built mine. I entered in the New England Forest Rally in 2016 and finished!


The Tacoma works as a tow vehicle but just not as well as I would hope. A 4.7L V8 should fix that though.


This is right near the end of the first stage of NEFR, Concord Pond. I could have gone faster to get all the wheels off the ground but it was more important to finish.


The call was "right 5 over jump" (R5/jump). I did the 'right 5' and 'jump' part right but didn't get over the camber in the road. Thankfully my co-driver and I were fine and all the damage was behind the wheel so we got pulled out and finished the stage.


Disaster! On the last stage of the first day the suspension gave out first in the rear (which my co-driver and I thought was a flat) then the front while I was pulling off to check the rear. Thankfully no flats because gravel rally tires are expensive. I mean so is suspension but I should have spent more on that in the first place. We were able to continue the next day thanks to an awesome crew.


The final stage of NEFR. We had some trials along the way, like dodging a moose on stage, suspension not even taking 50% of race pace, the list could go on. But we finished the last day and that's what matters.

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