(T)akes(A)ll(C)urrency(O)utta(M)y(A)ccount

Well figured it was time to post up the progress of my first Toyota.....Have been building and off-roading Jeeps for years now (still am in fact).....actually was waiting for the Jeep truck (AEV Brute just not in the budget) but as it got pushed farther out in production and my 300k mile f150 couldn't wait any longer.........Went out to test drive a new 4dr JK and the Tacoma.....never made it to the Jeep dealership!
Day 1, early Dec. '16 (that's the wife daily 07 JK on 35's and it's been thru it all)

 

Game plan is build an expedition rig for more exploring and camping the Western US.....I always have the Jeep to fall back on for some rock crawling if needed. So i expect to load up the truck with gear first so I get the weight figured out and then build the lift and tires to fit. So based on experience, skids and sliders are always one of the first items...thanks to RCI Offroad

 

Next wasn't really planned just yet...as I was researching RTT I noticed CBI was having their Garage Sale and one thing led to another and Nate and the boys at CBI gave me a smoking deal on the tent and Nate's bed rack and I was off to Idaho via a weekend trip with the wife and dogs thru The Grand Teton National Park. The Expedition Rig is really taking shape now....

 

Is that a Scout or a Bronco peaking through the garage?

Welcome to TW.

 

Also thru the Revteck light bar on the front as I like the look of the Tacoma front (CBI hidden winch mount will be added later) and the light bar tube dia matches the sliders and rack so it fits.....painted (plasti-dip) the rear bumper and badges as well but all the badges came off soon after as the clean look is much better in my opinion.

 

Next...ordered the front bed rail mounting rail and then modified the RCI Hi-lift jack mounts to accommodate my Powertank bracket and fab'd up a Rotopax mount for the extra fuel can....

 

As the tent has an LED strip across the interior top I needed a way to plug and play without the truck being on so I wired up an auxiliary USB/Cig port in the bed with an on/off switch in the storage box....now I just drop my LED/phone lead thru the tent and into the bed and it charges no problem....

 

Made a quick run to Moab a couple of weeks ago.....rained all weekend but at least we got out for a weekend and allowed me to see how the weight thus far on stock components were or were not working....

 

As mentioned before goal is to load this thing up with weight first and then build the lift and tires later to match (that and can't see not utilizing the stock tires for as much as I can get out of them before going to something more aggressive......that and the JK needs new 35's first and damn tires get expensive)....but the Moab trip proved I got to do something as the rear was bottoming out and I was dragging the hitch mount quite often, so after a little research I got Bilstein 5100's (2nd gen on front due to better extended and compressed lengths compared to 3rd gen) and Toytec's 1" rear lift blocks all for under $400 (Jet.com had great prices and 15% off for first time user's).......More pic's to follow as this is current 03-16-17 and going on this weekend and next.....got ther rear Bilstein's on already, setting front at 1.75" with stock coils and 1" blocks in rear

 

It's the never ending '63 IH Scout frame-off restoration......originally wanted a CJ-5/7 or early Bronco but the cost of those nowadays is crazy compared to a Scout.....unfortunately I've learned the hard way there is virtually zero aftermarket for IH and thus I now have accumulated 3 engines, 3 tranny's, 2 grills etc etc etc extra other parts as who know's what will be needed as I complete this thing but that is a whole "nother" large build thread to bring it current. One day it will be a nice Sunday driver holding up traffic on the interstate as it try's to reach 60mph.

 

Seriously dying at the title...
Subd!

 

Bilstein 5100 installed front and rear......front at 1.75" and rear with Toytec 1" blocks.......Honestly cannot complain with this setup for $400 and a afternoon in the driveway.

First pic is only rear Bilstein with blocks installed ......second is 100% complete......I don't have any post measurements yet.