Scott B.'s 2015 AC Build - Expo Style

Looks good man.

 

Thanks.

Stay tuned - it's getting lifted this weekend!

 

Suspension Lift

Today was the big day! And I am pooped. Lift day!!!!!!!!

Overall, everything went well. The process took a little longer than I planned on, but was not working fast. All in all, it came out great!

The Front:

I decided to use Bilstein 6112 coilovers. I have them at the topmost setting, which pushes the suspension down almost all the way. I'll have to see how it drives/rides, and let the springs settle - I may or may not adjust it. I also installed Camburg UCAs. I changed my mind, and used the ball joint arms. Since I live in the South, where we have rain and mud, I think the ball joint will last longer than the uniball. I will not be rockcrawling or jumping the truck, so the ball joint should be fine.

I also installed a set of Wheeler's bumpstops. I like their progressive compression (as opposed to the factory solid ones.)

You can see in the picture, I have replacement UCA bolts. Instead of bending the sheetmetal, I decided to cut the bolt heads off, and install replacement bolts from the other direction.





For the rear, I had Deaver build me a custom leaf pack - 3" of lift, and carry an extra 600 lbs. While everything was apart, I also installed an All Pro U-Bolt Flip Kit. I much prefer my u-bolt ends to be above the axle.

For shocks, I am going with Bilstein 5165 reservoir shocks. I am going to replace the upper shock mount and get the longest shock I can fit. Now that the new springs are in, I can get an accurate measurement. And yes, I need longer brake lines - way longer!

I also have Wheeler bumpstops for the rear. I haven't decided how I am going to mount them. I am considering mounting them to the frame as opposed to the axle.



I didn't get many pictures of the process, but here is a before and after of the front:



Before anyone says anything, my jack stands are teal. Way back when, Snap-On was playing with different colors, and I ended up with these. They are made by Lincoln in the USA so quality is not a question. An odd color for jackstands - but I'm not a marketing person, so what do I know?????

Here's a shot of rear after assembly. Yes, I know the shock is not attached. Fortunately, the stock shock is long enough (to fit) so I can use them (on road only) until I get the longer ones installed.



And finally, the result:


I like it!

 

Wow, I like it too,

Did you go 600lbs extra because of the topper and related gear?

Nice wheels too BTW.

Now hurry and get the rest of your front bumper covered with the fender trim stuff!!!

 

Yes. I am building an interior in the back, which will always have stuff in it, and I tow a teardrop. And, I have plans for a bumper with a dual fuel can carrier. There will be a lot of weight back there.

I wasn't planning on covering the front bumper, I am going to replace it. I figure I could sell it easier if it is just factory Super White.

As for the tinted windows, yes the AC windows and back window had factory tint (not sure what darkness.) I put 20% on them. I like really dark windows that no one can see inside the truck - helps with theft protection.

 

OK cool,
I was planning on tinting 20% over whatever was on mine from the factory.
Thanks.

makes sense on the bumper also, Someone will snatch that up.

 

Here a couple of shots taken after my test drive.

It sure is nice to sit up high again!

 

Looks great! You going to also black out the chrome in your grille?
Also what about the center caps on your wheels? Just curious.

I keep meaning to check and see how much the SR headlight assemblies are.
They look real good and are kind of blacked out from the factory.

 

I am going to build a Satoshi grill, and change the surround to Super White. I am thinking about adding an old "Toyota" emblem, too.

The center caps are in the garage. I was too tired last night to find them and stick them in the wheels. This morning, I realized I like the open look - it's more aggressive. I will put the caps in in a day or two.

I like the blacked out lights, too. Not sure if I will do the black headlight mod, though - we shall see.

 

Looks good!

 

Evaluation

I've done a bit more work on the truck in preparation for a trip - DE V - Parashant. http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/148233-DE-V-Parashant-Trip-Report Being in a hurry to get things done, I have lagged behind in keeping up the build thread. That will be remedied shortly.

In the meantime, I thought I would share my impressions of the truck after its (our?) first major expedition. The trip was a 2 week adventure, with 4600 miles of driving and 600+ of that on dirt. (I also went through 11 states.) And, I pulled my teardrop trailer.

Some of you may know that I drove Rangers for 22 years. Being that long in a truck, you get used to it, and know all of its intricacies. The Tacoma is fairly different than the Ranger, and I am still getting used to it. (Different doesn't mean better or worse, just not the same.)

A lot of thought went into the build design of this truck. Since this isn't my first truck, over the years I have figured out what I like/need, what I don't want, what works for me, and what does not work for me. (Everyone has different needs/wants.) What I have built so far has worked very well.

Going from a TTB front suspension to an IFS was much easier to get used to than I thought it might be. The rear suspensions are virtually identical, so that worked as expected.

The 4.0 V6 has plenty of power - it's not a Mustang. The transfer case has a nice low range (slightly lower than the Ranger's.) The 5 speed automatic is what really surprised me. Good gear ratios, up and downshifting, and the kicker - wonderful engine braking! I put the truck in low-range and 1st gear, and went down steep hills with the trailer with ease - and barely used the brakes. Likewise, climbing steep hills (with and without the trailer) was easily handled with the nice selection of gears.

As for the back of the truck, the drawers I built under the sleeping platform were nicer and more functional than expected. The WinDoors on the shell were worth every penny - the ultimate in convenience.

Overall, I really like the Tacoma. And I am very happy with the way I am building it.

 

Refrigerator Mount

Having a fridge while off road for a day or a week is really nice. I admit, I used to shun these things, thinking how ridiculous they were. I am a convert. No soggy food, no leaking ice chests, warm drinks turned cold (great in the desert!)

I built the sleeping platform and drawers to accommodate a fridge, and here is my "quick release" mount.

First, I built 2 feet/slider assemblies, one for the front and one for the rear of the fridge. The length of the sliders is just less than the inside width of a drawer.



I attached the sliders to the fridge using longer feet mounting bolts.



I cut 4 hold-down clamps



and mounted them to the inside of the drawer.



The fridge drops in the drawer, and is slid towards the rear of the truck, with the sliders engaging under the clamps.

When the drawer is closed, the forward side of the fridge hits the sleeping platform, keeping everything locked in place.



For power, I mounted a 12V power port to the leftmost vertical divider, just beyond the fridge.

This setup worked really well at Parashant.

 

Front Gears, ARB

I swapped out the front gears. I ended up ordering a clamshell from ECGS, and swapping, then sending mine to them - not what I wanted to do, but with my work schedule, it was the prudent thing to do.

4.56 gears with an ARB. Neither Truetrac nor Torsen make a limited slip for the Tacoma, so it was really ARB or nothing. I was going to leave it open, but at the last minute I decided to get an ARB. Expensive, but I think it was the right thing to do.

Working by myself, I didn't get to many pictures of the swap process.




I really like the 4.56 gears with 33" tires. Pulling the trailer on and off road, the engine and trans weren't straining at all. And off road, this setup worked great!

 

On Board Air

I mounted a

$221 Viair 400P - 40043 Portable Compressor Kit. Tire Pump, Truck/SUV Tire Inflator, For Up to 35" Tires

Viair 400P compressor in a corner under the sleeping platform.

Since compressors are loud and vibrate, I mounted it using isolator bushings (and fender washers on the bottom of the bed.)




Leaving the rear portion of the sleeping platform removable makes it so much easier to get to things!

 

Nice job with the gears and oba! What are you rpm with 4.56 at 60mph? I'm debating between 4.56 and 4.88. But I have heard mixed reviews.

I only want to regear once but may go up a size in tires, soI want to make sure the choice I make is the right one.

 

Like most people, I did not like the way the 7-pin connector hung down below the bumper. It would be only a matter of time before it got ripped off (I already backed into a stone wall with it. )

I thought the easiest and safest option would be to put it in one of the license plate light holes. Not my idea, and thanks to whomever came up with the idea - aren't forums great?!

A simple mod - I'll let the pictures do the talking.

 

Hello Scott

Your truck looks awesome! I'm about 2 or 3 months away from buying my 1st 4WD (2015 DCSB TRD O/R) as I currently have a PreRunner. I'm also on the fence as you were, about Billy 6112's vs the other 3 brands but strongly leaning towards the 6112s. I would set mine at the setting below the highest one which should give me almost 2.5"s. Sorry if you posted this & I missed it but.....

How much lift did you get (front & rear)?
Any drive-line or CV vibes due to your lift?

Thanks man!

 

Thanks for the compliment.

I got a good 3" of lift on the front with the 6112s. I am still tweaking the rear to get the truck level, but going for 3" as well.

Fortunately, I do not have any new vibrations from the lift. The suspension worked really well on my 4600 Parashant trip - very happy with it.