Yukikaze's build and BS: Utility Package AF

how does the scale thing work? just show up and pay the fee? and how much was the fee?

 

Well first off you're gonna get a crazy look because you're not in a trailer.

Basically you pull onto the scale with your front wheels on the front-most scale and rear axles on the next scale back. Pretty obvious seam in the ground, just gotta straddle it.

Then there's a call button you hit (It's high up because they're expecting a trailer, so you jump up and smack it, then feel like a dummy when you notice the one at normal height )
The attendant will ask if it's your first weigh or a re-weigh, you say first weigh. The re-weigh is only if a trucker needs to get a load balanced.

After a moment they will say they got the weight and ask you to pull off the scale and go inside.

The attendant will ask you stuff like trailer number and license, all you gotta do is say that you're just weighing a "Privately owned vehicle" and they fill all that info out POV.

Oh, and it costs $11.50

Also be aware that since this is designed for trucks many times the weight, I believe the resolution is in 20 pound increments. The accuracy is not changed by the lighter weight (a common myth).

 

thanks. now i can go and not look like a fool, since you did it for me haha

 

Drained and filled the diff with AMSOil Severe Gear, and I swapped in Brembo rotors and Akebono Performance Ceramic pads while I was at it.

Still have to get a proper burnish going (nothing crazy is actually needed, just bed things in via commuting, more than a leisurely scoot around my neighborhood to get the pedal back to normal) but I am digging it so far.

Nothing crazy in terms of upgrade, but low dust and a slight bump in bite, for about $150 shipped via rockauto. This truck already stops very well considering the wheels and tires are light, and the whole thing is a full couple hundred pounds less portly than its more full featured brethren.

Brake fluid is still quite clear after almost 3 years now!

 

Another one of my projects... big ups to @Man of Steel TRD and @Carter'sTaco for donating their front lips to SCIENCE!


I'm gonna see about getting appropriately sized quarter-turn or quick release fasteners (Dzus or otherwise) to set up an easy-on, easy-off setup. I'm clocking a whole hell of a lot more highway miles on my truck so I am going back to the lip spoiler. Will need to work out something to clear my tow hook probably.

In other news... Instead of a tax return this year I got a uuuuhhhh... this.



Fox 2.5 DSC up front, and Camburg uniball UCA's to boot. Super duper hype to finally be sorting out the front suspension! Rear still needs some tweaks, but now at least I won't be running a wacky mismatch of fancy clicker 2.0's in the rear with stocks up front.

 

I have accumulated a cloud of 3rd gen parts over the past 3-ish years and I just so happen to have an extra quicksand bumper laying around...
So I set about playing around with the QD bumper lip idea that has been rolling around in my head.

Problem 1: there are little raised lips to center the OEM fastener, which don't give you adequate clearance for an aftermarket clip.


That one is easily solved with a little razor blade and some careful shaving down, and the clips themselves go on a little tight but altogether pretty drama-free:


But that's kinda where the idea loses its steam. I can get them to clip the lip to the bumper, the problem is the working length of the longest commonly available quarter turns is just plain too short and I can't easily get them to lock in.



Longer fasteners are available, but they're specialty fasteners costing $6 a pop and you'd need 11 of them to make the whole setup.

And truthfully, you'd be under there wrestling with installing the quarter turns longer than you would just lining up a normal bolt so... I think I might try one other thing before totally tossing the idea.

 

wow looking at this build really makes me take pride in my SR. I honestly used to feel some type of way when a v6 pulled up next to me but now I have more pride, heh

 

Thanks man, I appreciate the kind words. And definitely take some pride in your truck, it may be "only" a four cylinder but it's got strong heritage from one of the better engine makers in the world. Born from the 22RE and into the 3RZ, it straight up shares the block with the 3RZ but with fancy VVT heads. If you look closely at the way the engine's deck (coolant and oil passages in the block) is cast, you can see an awful lot of resemblance to the 2JZ as well. It's not a glamorous motor by any means but it's got it where it counts- and if you take care of it, it'll see you through a lot.

And on top of that I kinda see modding any vehicle as an extension of yourself- it takes on a character that's unique, and it reflects who you are. "There are many like it but this one is mine" and all that.

 

In other news, on goes one of the donated front spoilers. I can't say I really love the way it looks, especially since it blocks the view of all the cool stuff on the suspension, but at the same time the difference on the highway is pretty dramatic. I realized I was listening to my music a few ticks lower than I would normally just from the reduced wind noise. I also coulda swore that 6th was a little more cooperative at about 65 MPH, but that could just be placebo on my part. The mileage numbers will tell the real story. I'm thinking if it's really worth ~1 MPG I should keep it on more often than not.

 

would these be an option for attaching the spoiler?

https://www.mcmaster.com/93040a110

 

Subed....for that front spoiler info. Might need one on my OffRoad.

Great work on the truck and thanks for sharing everything.

 

Finally got the front suspension put in and mostly sorted out!

Still need to figure out the optimal damping settings but with preload at 0 on passenger's side and about 1/4" on driver's side I am actually slightly lower than I was on the OEM TRD Bilstein shocks with a 1/4" spacer.

Hub to fender is about 21.5" front (both sides) so now my rake is pretty massive at almost 3 inches, as the rear measures in at approximately 24". Will have to figure that out, either raise the front a tad or lower the rear.



So far it feels pretty great- even though I am not running a sway bar it feels way more confident than it did when I tested without on OEM shocks.

 

Doing a few small things here and there this weekend...

First up are some bumper caps that I got from @St.Germain , huge props to him for helping to make my truck even more of a chimera of 3rd gen parts...

Gotta figure out what to fill the backup sensor holes with, though!

I also got another Baja designs goodie:

S2 Sport in wide cornering amber.



Mounted up on a pelfrey chase light mount that, to my understanding, is/was one of the last orders filled (possibly the last?) before the whole... thing happened.

Oh, and I need to put my RCI skids back on!!

 

Nothing too exciting to show (yet) but I changed the oil this weekend...


With a $2 rebate per jug on these bad boys plus an oil filter package deal (which I put aside because I only use Toyota OE ) it will be about $30 out the door after rebates.

While I was there, I put in a secondary oil pressure sensor, and wired the whole truck for a lot more goodies on the switch pro. Both passenger and Driver's side now have aux power sources in the cabin. Passenger's side is gonna be for a dash cam hardwire, and driver's side is gonna be for some gauges (hence the pressure sensor)... gotta love that switch pro!!!

 

@readyme gone through 2 tanks of gas so far... Rolling average before was about 21.6 MPG, last fill up was 22.6 MPG, so the +1 MPG number seems pretty accurate.
There's so much that can throw that off though, using the A/C vs not, traffic, strong winds, driving habit, so I won't say it's a magic bullet... but a little boost in aerodynamics can make a reasonable difference.

 

Oh, and now that I have some more seat time with the suspension... Man is it awesome.

Accutune really hit it out of the park with the valving on it. Feels absolutely incredible, got it aligned with 4.7 degrees caster and 0.7 negative camber. I'm trying some aggressive (for a Tacoma) front negative camber to see how I like it, and with the amount of weight transfer I get from no sway bar I feel it is definitely a plus.

Big thanks to @*TRD* for putting up with me being super particular about my setup and asking all manner of questions.
We talked it out and I decided to stick with the stock Fox spring rate despite my truck being a good bit lighter and running lighter wheels than the average Taco that's gonna run 2.5's up front. This is also to make up for the fact that I'm not running a front sway bar. I still have the option of a free spring swap to 550 but I doubt I will use it. The truck leans into turns but in a very predictable and non-dramatic way, and the tail end does not feel loose. Combine that with flutter stacks and a bit of the Accutune magic to firm things up and it's brilliant.

The result is a truck that can mash over obstacles at speeds I would have cringed at before, yet somehow it also feels more like a sports car. Super awesome stuff, really happy with it! Definitely a vendor on here I would recommend.

 

Awesome to hear!!!! Thank you!!

 

i saw that oil the other day, wondered if its any different from the regular synthetic choices.

 

Supposedly it has a bit more anti-oxidant additive to extend life through higher loads and temperatures. Me personally I’m a bit skeptical about it being appreciably better than any other SN plus full synthetic- my selection criteria is whatever has the best coupon or deal available and is a quality brand full synth 0w20.

 

I love a base model build and yours is excellent and exciting.

Keep up the good work, Your making me really want a cheap UP SR.