Scott B.'s 2015 AC Build - Expo Style

A-Pillar Gauges

Being old school, I like having analog gauges to monitor engine conditions. While the Tacoma dash has a couple of analog gauges, several are missing. I added two of the missing ones to the a-pillar.

So what functions are actually missing? Most important is engine oil pressure. Yes, there is an idiot light - but I have always liked to see trends, not just absolutes. In this case, the absolute usually means engine failure. By monitoring the oil pressure, I can see if a problem is developing - and hopefully save the engine. Not that I expect a problem, but you never know...

The other important function is transmission temperature. Again, there is an idiot light (a first on a vehicle for me,) but I much prefer to monitor the actual operating temperature, not just the "too hot" point. Again, by monitoring temperature, I can shut down when things start to warm up (+220*) to save potential and probably transmission damage. Going off-road and towing a trailer both add to the strain/load on the transmission. And as we all know, heat kills an automatic transmission.

I selected Autometer gauges - the Sport Comp II series specifically. I have used Autometer gauges for many, many years and have never had a problem with them - so why not continue? The Sport Comp II are similar to the Sport Comp, but have LED lighting. I like these because they more or less match the factory gauges.

For 20 years, on my trucks I have mounted the transmission temperature gauge on the a-pillar. Naturally, on this truck, the trans temp goes on the a-pillar. In the second slot, historically I have put either the engine oil pressure or engine oil temperature. Engine oil temperature is not as critical to monitor, so oil pressure goes in the second slot.

How to mount the gauges? Lotek makes an a-pillar replacement cover that has mounts for two gauges. Unfortunately, it does not fit the newer trucks with airbags. Autometer makes single gauge mounting cups, but the cover is nowhere near flat. Time to fabricate!

I fabricated a flat mounting plate to hold the gauge pods and mount to the a-pillar cover.



From the front of the truck:



The idea first went to CAD (cardboard aided design - I love that term!) I made 3 models before settling on this design. I then transferred the design to aluminum, drilled holes in the a-pillar cover. Once mounted, I had to make a couple of slight modifications to the plate, and ended up with what you see here.

Mount the gauge pods, and test fit.



Mount and wire the gauges.



The final product installed.



It looks rather industrial. It did not turn out exactly like I was thinking it would - but it is very functional. And unique looking.

 

Looks good to me Scott...those A pillars are hard to see around hu. I have door window shades which makes it even worse...lol

 

I dig the CB install. I have been looking for pics behind the cubby. Thanks!!!

 

So, on my recent trip to South Dakota and Montana, this happened...

 

Hood Blackout

White is a very reflective color (obviously). The white hood, coupled with a low angle of sun, sends the reflection right in my face. Since I can't change the sun, I decided to change the "white".

I found 3M vinyl at Crawlorado.com, custom cut for the hood of the Tacoma.

Installation was a breeze - we spend more time aligning the vinyl on the hood than actually peeling and sticking.

We decided to locate the rear edge of the vinyl at the crease in the rear of the hood, rather than at the rear edge of the hood. It seemed like it would fit better at the crease, but after installing the vinyl, I think it would fit fine in either location. As it turns out, I really like the inch or so of white at the back edge of the hood.

The best part is, the sun reflection into my face is gone! Flat black really works.

Here is a view right after installation:



Here we are, camping at the lake:




And, I think it looks cool, too!

 

Since you're moving to Alabama, I'll hop in here for the fun!

 

Sub'd! Love the build and I admire your attention to details

 

Welcome.

Thank you.

It can be a PITA, but in the long, most definitely worth it.

 

Front Brakes

As the miles have been rolling by, I picked up a vibration from the front wheels when I applied the brakes. As I am sure you have read on here, this is unfortunately a common problem on these trucks.

Miles tend to wear brakes, and I have plenty of miles. And, I had almost worn out brakes. No time like the present to upgrade!

I looked at several different upgrade options utilizing the stock calipers. I considered going with Tundra brakes, but I didn't want to buy 7 wheels again.

I decided on Raybestos brakes. They have a new Performance series that seems competitive with other vendors performance products. Having used their brake products before, and having good luck with them, I thought I would give these news one a try.



I did not want drilled rotors, but have been curious to try grooved ones. These are grooved, but not in the traditional manner. I am not sure if the groove design is marketing or engineering - sure looks like marketing - so it will be interesting to see how well they work.

Raybestos also has new pads in their performance series - Element 3. These pads have shims attached to them right out of the box! No more messy, sticky lube to quiet the pads!

Installation was a breeze! I took everything apart, pushed the pistons in, popped the new rotors on, and reassembled. (I wiped a thin layer of grease on the hub, under the rotor hat, to keep rust from forming in the future.)

I bled the entire braking system, not just the front wheels. I like to flush the brake system once a year, to remove water from the system and prevent rust from forming.



Purdy!

How do they work, you ask? Very well. I have done a panic stop against a tape measure, but the truck does stop shorted than it did with the worn factory brakes.

EDIT: Part numbers for the pads and rotors

Pads -

$38 Raybestos EHT976H Raybestos Element3 EHTTM Replacement Front Ceramic Brake Pad Set for Select Toyota 4Runner/FJ Cruiser/Sequoia/Tacoma/Tundra and Lexus GX460/GX470 Model Years (EHT976H)

Raybestos EHT976H
Rotors - Raybestos 980670PER

 

Dual Batteries, Part 1

My original - pre truck - plan included dual batteries. I planned on setting up a system similar to the one I had in my Ranger. Along the way, I had many conversations about dual batteries, and read many write ups on both single and dual batteries. There are different viewpoints out there, all of them backed with valid ideas. There is no wrong solution - only different.

I evaluated my intended use of the truck, and added in my many years of experiences of failed batteries. I compared different setup ideas, mapped to my experiences, and decided to run duals. Multiple batteries makes the most sense to me, redundancy being a good think.

The next big question is which battery(s) to run? And what size? Stock, the truck came with a Group 27 battery. I want to run AGM batteries, and heavy duty ones at that. I decided on Odyssey batteries, their Extreme series. So what size? They don't make a Group 27 size. The options are Group 31 and Group 34. G31 is quite a bit larger, and G34 is a little smaller. I decided on two G34 batteries. A G34 is 28 pounds lighter than a G31, and 2 G34s have more power than a single G31. The big thing is getting weight off the front suspension. The second battery is going in the bed. Future plans call for heavier front springs, so any weight reduction is a good thing.

I have never cared for factory style battery hold downs (j-bolts) and wanted a cage for the batteries. I found a nice cage by Artec - steel and not too expensive. I had them powder coated black, so they should last a long time.



Installation was very straightforward.

Starting here -



Battery removed -



I drilled 4 holes for the mounting screws, and painted them to help prevent rust -



Cage installed -



The end result -



As of yet, I have not changed any of the factory wiring. That will come with I install the second battery.

 

I too was on the fence of what batteries to run. Now thinking of doing G34’s as well, but both in the bed. I guess what worries me is that I don’t plan to run a bed cap so the batteries would be exposed to the elements. Figuring out what to do there still

 

I think the batteries would be fine enclosed in battery boxes - you know, the plastic ones used in boats and RVs.

For security, you could mount a cage inside the box, through bolting both through the bed floor. That way, the cage carries the weight of the battery, and the box just keeps the weather away from the battery.

 

Will definitely look into those.

Btw, would you happen to have part numbers for those Raybesto brake rotors and pads?

 

The numbers were supposed to be in the picture! I see I missed the mark...

I will get them for you this weekend.

 

Part numbers added to post above.

Pads -

$38 Raybestos EHT976H Raybestos Element3 EHTTM Replacement Front Ceramic Brake Pad Set for Select Toyota 4Runner/FJ Cruiser/Sequoia/Tacoma/Tundra and Lexus GX460/GX470 Model Years (EHT976H)

Raybestos EHT976H
Rotors - Raybestos 980670PER

 

Thank you sir!! Looking forward to more updates on the truck!

 

sub'd

 

Whoa! When I had my Ranger, I followed your builds on Explorerforum. They were fantastic reads and inspired several projects of my own. That said, I just bought a Tacoma and ran across you here. Kinda weirded me out a bit, tbh; I thought I had gotten lost!

Glad to see you here, Scott.

 

Sickass truck

 

Yes, small world isn't it?

Glad my work was inspiring.

I assume you will have a build thread here, right ???