Update
I've decided to put a dual exhaust manifold to beef up the power...I don't think I'm going to change the intake manifold at this point. I'm not really going for a hotrod straight 6, but I would like to increase the engine's performance. The exhaust issue will be tackled at a later date as I have other fixes that are the priority right now.
About a week ago, I realized just how badly I need to upgrade the brakes. I was driving with a full load of wood and tried stopping at a red light. Bad idea. I should have just floored it and gone through the intersection. For those of you who have ever driven with drum brakes all the way 'round, you know what I'm talking about. It was not fun. Then, the same day, I almost rear-ended a car. Note to self: it takes a LONG time to stop when you are pulling/hauling anything that has only drum brakes. So next on the list is an axle swap. I'm getting an open knuckle Dana 44 axle with disc brakes. Should be here in a couple weeks.
Until the axle gets here, I'm going to do some fabbing work on the truck starting with the bumper. In my opinion, this is one ugly bumper. I don't really have the $ to have someone fabricate a new one, so I'm working with what I've got. The first step I took was to cut off the ears that wrapped around the corners.
I measured and marked on the bumper and went to town with a reciprocating saw.
Next, I cut the ball plate off. I'm going to have my friend use his plasma cutter to cut a square in the middle of the existing bumper so I can insert and weld a hitch receiver. Should be much more clean looking. I'll add some D hooks on the back of the bumper as well for pulling purposes. On the ends of the bumper where I cut off the ears, I'm going to weld plate metal to cap it off, cleaning it up a bit, then paint the whole bumper black. Next, I'll add a swing out arm for the spare tire and some gas cans. The swing out part is for a later date...probably next spring.
My buddy Chris and I were in a fabbing mood, so we started the bed rack as well.
The first two arches were the most difficult to do because we had to square them to the truck and ensure the top was level for the RTT. Then we added the cross members. We had to fish-mouth notch the ends to get a good fit and weld. Now that the hard part is done, I'm going to add some more supports. The end goal is pictured below (courtesy of someone on Tacoma World...I think Avid Offroad Fab made this).
Also, as a side note, I just got these in the mail...not the child :sombrero: I'm waiting to install these new leaf springs when the new front axle goes in. It'll be a 2.5" lift. Can't wait to have new springs! The original ones are rather worn :bike_rider:
