My Rough n Ready Taco excruciatingly slow build

Can anyone point me towards a thread that covers extending the parking brake bell cranks in the backing plate to clear a thicker leaf spring pack?
My Google-fu is kinda weak, and my data plan is kinda light.
Thanks

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/parking-brake-cable-rubbing.754211/

I did something like this, but straighter.

 

Awesome, thanks Phessor!
I knew I had seen an example or two somewhere just couldn’t remember where. Thank you sir!

 

Got three mounted, two on the ground.


So I am waiting for one more reason to go up to Fairbanks to pick my other two wheels, 2 hr drive, and a base cost of about $250/hr in town, one has to have more than one reason barring an emergency. Waiting for my specs to get finished and do a combo trip

 

Looks good

 

Well, got the new axle, and behold they sent the wrong one(for ADD) so I get to return it and picked up an axle at NAPA, install went smoothly. Next I got all of the new tires and painted wheels on the ground, and then did some wrestling with installing the new trailer lights plug setup from Tekonsha. It very simple, and went fairly well, besides the gravity well I was working in.
On a side note; I have been installing and wiring a bunch of lights in the wash bay at work. So the adage regarding the relationship between how far off the ground you are dictates how much stuff you drop. So the reverse was true working under the truck, if you dropped it you couldn’t find it and if you needed it, it was in the tool shed or up in the truck.
Next up on the hit parade, e brake bracket extensions.

 

Initially the next item on the list was the w brake cable brackets… However it seemed that other issues would take center stage- tail gate latch/handle failed (normally I would say broken, but the bolt that I fixed the latch pivot with 8 years ago) loosened up and let the lever pop over the actuator arm.

Well they don’t look like much, but they are fairly stout and will do the job. Once that was out of the way, then it was bracket time!


Works pretty good now, feels real solid on the ground now, even empty (a relative term…..)

 

The new Falkens, ride pretty good. The truck feels pretty planted on the road . Also survived the lunch test, had lunch in the back and didn’t even spill it after hitting the railroad tracks and frost heaves right after them at 75 on the way to work last week. Promising..

 

Well it looks like they are making some progress on the Pretty Rocks slide. Early spring 2023 photo:

Building an access road to the west side bridge site:



West side site work....

According to what I know of the plan, the area where the ore truck and the excavator are working is about where the western side of the proposed bridge will land. Or follow the purple arrow:

The view from the far side...

 

Just flew out last weekend for some work, nice weather. Got a look at the slump on the way out, while they were working on the bypass road.
Ranger station after a couple years being vacant:

Wonder Lake on the campground side: the boardwalk and viewing area after three years in a land that doesn’t hold still:

The contractor working on a bypass road to get equipment to the other side of the slide to do some prep work on the other end of the bridge site:

 

Well the southbound journey is a few days underway. Roads have been a mix of snow, packed snow, patchy ice and mix of all the above.
I have decided on a more leisurely trip from now on. Too burned out and ended up breaking some stuff on the drive north as well.
So just across the continental divide, in Ft Nelson, BC.
Wildlife tally so far: 1 wolf in the Yukon(1st one ever in Canada!) 1 moose, around 25 caribou- since Watson Lake, over 100 wood bison between Watson Lake and Lliard River hot springs. Pretty good so far, I’d say.
Lliard was amazing as usual, even a nice cameo from the aurora borealis. Cold and damp around there, shady river canyon and a bit of swampy area below the springs. A brisk morning, most of the groceries froze, so eating will not be the highlight of the trip anymore. Nature of travel in the late fall, I guess, bonus finding hot & sweet Jack links jerky is available just about everywhere.
Bare pavement now, about 2 days or so till Dawson Creek, and the end of the AlCan.

Crossing Johnson River on the way to Tok Junction:

Crossing the causeway on the east end of Kluane Lake, Yukon Territory:


On the way to Haines Junction, Yukon Territory:



Checking out the bridge replacement project at Teslin lake


somewhere in the south Yukon, a subtle reminder…..


A quick photo dump, another milestone:



Temp 2 days prior to departure….


late fall packing:

 

Well another AlCan trip is in the books. Like the Falkens, not overly noisy, and great traction.
More pics:
You actually can load 16-20’ beams on a 10’ utility trailer- just get creative. Fall colors across the valley, north of Healy.

Sunset at Lliard Hot Springs campground:


random sheep along the road in Muncho Lake Provincial Park:

Getting a new roof before winter…..


I guess that deer use bridges as well…




Soaking up 10 minutes of free internet from Telus, and noticing that I really need to wash the truck when I get to Montana…


The pot of gold a few miles south of the border….

 

Currently for those on the edge of their seat....
The tacoma has turned over 200K, and developed a short somewhere, so have it parked in Mt and am getting some exercise for the diesel.
Planning on locating the short, but in the interim I will be installing a battery isolation switch- in case many haven't noticed batteries are not cheap.