Seabass's Fish Taco Build

It's been a thousand years since my last update, but nobody cares. Let's not kid ourselves...

Anyways, she's had some work done recently. Here's the list of maintenance/upgrades that have been going on for the past few weeks.

• Removed AAL and factory springs, and installed Dakar leafs with poly bushings in all leaf eyelets and in shackles
• All-Pro u-bolt flip kit, drilled and read for Wheeler's bump stops
• Added Wheeler's Super Bump stops on all 4 corners
• Went with the longer rear Bilstein 5100's (B110 model) for more downtravel
• New front 5100's, kept the same 886 coils because they are holding up so well
• Upgraded to the new Light Racing upper ball joints that now have a grease zerk and new design
• Added LEDs to my ARB awning
• Replaced both top shock mount kits (old rubber was destroyed, and shock top eyelet was worn)
• Valve cover gaskets, plenum gasket, and plug seal gaskets finally replaced
• PowerStop drilled/slotted rotors with ceramic pads
• Extended front/rear braided steel brake lines
• Brake fluid total flush

Last year's fixes:

• New LCA bushings
• New driver's side LCA
• New CV's
• New inner tie rods
• Diff and transfer case fluid replacement
• Partial transmission flush (40%)

Fixes remaining within the next month:

• New steering rack
• New outer tie rods
• Power steering flush
• Transmission mount
• Install gas tank skid (need to get Off Road gas tank straps with studs to mount)

She runs like dream again, with power restored. The ride is so much smoother, and downtravel/flex in the rear is much better than before.

 

i like this build

it has like 0 bs in it too for now..

 

Thanks! I let things go a bit too long, so getting all of these fixes done was like having a new truck again.

Next big project - Line-X the whole thing and lock the rear.

 

how do you like those avid sliders? confident using the high lift on them?

 

They're fantastic. I've used them on either side many times to lift my truck with my Hi-Lift jack. They don't even flex. Even better, they've been heavily used on some rough trails, a few times they were used to actually turn a corner around a boulder in some tight spots. The only damage they receive is scraping on the paint which I just touch up with spray-can bedliner.

Get them welded on for maximum strength though. And welded properly.

 

Rear suspension looks much better
Nice truck Adam

 

Wow, I actually found the pics of my truck at the dealership when I first bought it. I thought I lost these long ago...

 

SUB'd

 

That reminds me... I really need to update this build. SO many new upgrades added in the past couple months.

 

lineX being one of them?

 

Updates!

 

Ok folks, the OP has been updated with the current list of mods and equipment. I also updated to some newer photos, but I'll be posting each project's write-up here in the lower comments because it's pic-heavy and there's lots to go over that won't fit in the OP. Stay tuned!!!

 

Work has had me traveling alot, and on weekends I've been reassembling/finishing the truck little by little. Now that I'm caught up on everything, I can catch this thread up.

 

How much was it to color match bedliner your truck if you dont mind me asking?

 

Thanks, brother. They have had tintable bedliner for a few years now, but most of the shops that do these coatings like to stick with the stock colors that come pre-blended. The benefit of using a custom painter is that they know how to mix pigments and they have access to the clear bedliner so it can be colorized. They can add pearl, metal flake, change your shade, or do anything you want. They can even hold back the chunky texture additive and it sprays on smoother like mine. I wanted to still be able to wipe it down with a towel and not snag it up.

 

Ah, the big question.

So I was quoted $4500 for the necessary body work that my truck needed and for the 3-layer bedliner coating. That included all shop supplies, labor hours, materials, prep work, etc. I also had the same shop put my bumpers on while it was in there, including cutting my rear fenders to fit the high clearance bumper rails on the sides. They also fit my fender flares and found a better way to attach them by using actual real bolts in at least half of the places where the bolts are just decorative. Out the door for 3 weeks worth of work was $5700.

They also did a bunch of little extras like find missing trim parts, re-spray my fender wells and exposed frame with flat black, etc. They did a lot of little extras that I didn't ask for.

My painter has been doing restoration projects for 30 years. He does precision work on classic show-quality cars. He came highly reviewed and recommended, and I'm not disappointed one bit for paying extra for the quality work that I received.

Lucky Luciano Custom Paint

 

It's estimated to add about 60-80 lbs of extra weight, BUT.. the side benefit is that it's a sound deadener. My stereo sounds better and I have zero rattles. This texture does clean up VERY easy because I can wipe it off. I literally just power spray it and wipe it dry with a clean towel to get rid of the water spots. My towel just glides over it like it has a thick coat of wax. This stuff is guaranteed for 10 years from UV fading, is very scratch resistant, and it also takes glare off of the hood.

 

Unfortunately, I got in a hurry to mount the bed rack by myself for a camping trip and I whacked the back left corner of the bed. Ouch! It hit hard enough to dent the metal but it only scratched the coating. My paint guy said if I ever need, he saved the mix formula and could make me a small cup of this stuff and it's really easy to touch up any dings like this with a small brush. Once the hardener is mixed into the blend, you have about 30 minutes to apply it but he said he could do it on the spot for no charge.

 

Just to get everyone up to speed, here's the list of items that are currently on the truck after the overhaul. As I go through pictures and remember everything I did this past couple of months, I'll add them in.

Body/Chassis

• 2006 Indigo Ink access cab Sport 4x4
• Color matched bedliner exterior (3 coats)
• Bushwhacker pocket style fender flares

Suspension & Steering

• OME Nitro 90000 front shocks (yes, they fit the TC lower shock mounts)
• OME Nitro 90000 rear shocks
• OME 886x coils
• OME trim spacer on driver's side
• 1/2" ride height spacers on both sides
• Total Chaos UCAs
• Total Chaos Racing Series dual-shock capable LCA's
• Rebuilt original steering rack with poly bushings, new tie rods, new boots, and new internals
• Dakar leafs in rear (+spec on driver's, 0spec on passenger) - no AAL yet, but not needed
• Wheeler's Super Bump Stops front/rear
• All-Pro U-bolt flip kit
• Poly bushings for leaf shackles and eyes

Wheels and Tires

• 285/75/16 Yokohama MT's
• Method Racing NV's - matte black

Brakes

• PowerStop drilled/slotted rotors with ceramic pads
• 4" extended steel braided brake lines front/rear

Armor/Recovery/Expedition

• Pelfreybilt steel front bumper with full hoops - black textured powdercoat
• Pelfreybilt steel high clearance rear bumper with LED cutouts and hidden receiver - black textured powdercoat
• All-Pro IFS skid plate - black powdercoat
• Avid Off-Road sliders (welded) - black texture powdercoat
• Pelfreybilt gas tank skid
• KB Voodoo aluminum bed rails
• KB Voodoo aluminum tailgate cap
• Total Chaos bed stiffeners
• Warn M8000 winch with Warn 95' synthetic cable
• Factor55 FlatLink E shackle mount assembly
• 3/4" D-ring shackles (qty 4) with rubber isolators
• 60" Hi-Lift mounted/locked in the bed
• Long bed roof rack with custom-fabbed drop-in baskets and awning mount points
• Tepui Kukenam roof-top tent
• ARB 2500 awning & tent body
• Full size spare with KM2
• 20,000# snatch block
• 30' 30,000# snatch strap
• TRED Pro traction boards

Electronics

• sPOD Bantam accessory controller with touchscreen
• ARB Intensity AR32F (qty 2) - flood pattern
• Baja Designs Squadron-R Sport LED pods (qty 2) flood pattern - used as fogs
• Baja Designs 20" S8 driving/combo pattern LED bar
• Baja Designs S2 Sport flush-mount LED pods (rear bumper)
• Cali Raised 27W side projecting ditch lights with low profile ditch light brackets
• Kenwood Excelon DNX994S full touchscreen with nav/DVD/apps
• Boston Acoustics component speakers in doors
• Rockford Fosgate 1500W 4 channel amplifier - foor door components
• Rockford Fosgate 1000W 2 channel amplifier - for bass sub
• UltraGauge Blue synced to phone

 

Luckily I've been camping and backpacking a ton, but not with you guys. I've been to Overland Expo every year but I've camped onsite with other friends. We like walking around the show all drunk and whatnot and not have to relocate.

Desert camping season is upon us though. I've got some AZ Trail hikes in October and early November, but I'm always game to set aside weekends for truck camping, too.