Bigwapiti's 2011 Tundra build...'BIG NAMBE'
- Thread starter bigwapitijohnny
- Start date
plainjaneFJC
Deplorable
Good score, but typical waste of our tax dollars. Lotta people make money off of war.
bigwapitijohnny
Adventurer
That was a bittersweet thing to hear. These kits cost a civilian $2,100...I can only imagine what the army is charged. I remember that a hammer ran the government about $ 800 in the 80's...He said that the army couldn't give these away. Too many SGMTK1s not enough mechanics...
Regards,
BWJ
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plainjaneFJC
Deplorable
I just want to find one of those pallets of hundred dollar bills that went missing!
Ah, scratch my last post. I'd rather have one of those ^^^^
bigwapitijohnny
Adventurer
Expedition One bumper - Front
All,
Here is the 'PICS OR IT DIDN'T HAPPEN' post. I just got back from Atomic Fabworks to start the bumper project. I only have the front bumper for now. The rear will be here soon ~ currently it is being 'tweaked' at EXO. Bumper is exceptional in every aspect - very clean and welds are bomber.
Plan was to measure 2 Fyrlyts and the Dually D2s to see if we need to make adjustments. Holes are perfect and can accomodate a 3rd light if necessary. Fyrlyts are 150W 12v Osram bulbs ~ Will Kuhns at Sierra Expeditions carry these exclusively. He says that these new lights will throw plenty of light. He assured me that I am going to see the output and my words will be 'Holy Shiiiaaat'.
Also putting a Rigid industries 40" E series LED light bar on the Bajarack. Atomic is now working on fabricating tabs for the LED light bar / Bajarack and spacer mounts for the Dually D2s / EXO bumper...I will post a complete review of the lights at a later time complete with photos and video ~ stay tuned.
Going to powdercoat next week...Woot woot!
Regards,
BWJ
All,
Here is the 'PICS OR IT DIDN'T HAPPEN' post. I just got back from Atomic Fabworks to start the bumper project. I only have the front bumper for now. The rear will be here soon ~ currently it is being 'tweaked' at EXO. Bumper is exceptional in every aspect - very clean and welds are bomber.
Plan was to measure 2 Fyrlyts and the Dually D2s to see if we need to make adjustments. Holes are perfect and can accomodate a 3rd light if necessary. Fyrlyts are 150W 12v Osram bulbs ~ Will Kuhns at Sierra Expeditions carry these exclusively. He says that these new lights will throw plenty of light. He assured me that I am going to see the output and my words will be 'Holy Shiiiaaat'.
Also putting a Rigid industries 40" E series LED light bar on the Bajarack. Atomic is now working on fabricating tabs for the LED light bar / Bajarack and spacer mounts for the Dually D2s / EXO bumper...I will post a complete review of the lights at a later time complete with photos and video ~ stay tuned.
Going to powdercoat next week...Woot woot!
Regards,
BWJ
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bigwapitijohnny
Adventurer
Expedition One (EXO) front bumper is on...
All,
I just got my truck back from Atomic Fabworks. They installed the Expedition One front bumper with all the goods that go with it. Got the bumper back from RML powdercoating 2 weeks ago. Here is the 'pile' of goodies that needed to be installed. The guys at Atomic were great to work with, and they dove right in...
I chose to go with powdercoating this time as opposed to Ameraguard lining. I think that this powdercoating is more robust as opposed to the PC that I got from my previous Armorology bumper. I'll see how it lasts...Anyways, onto the install...The disassembly of my OEM bumper was quite an eye opener to me - IT IS A TIN CAN. All it seemed to be was a few 10mm bolts (4x) and a bunch of plastic clips...not good. I was able to sell the OEM bumpers / mirrors / grille to an auto parts salvage yard with one phone call. The proceeds of which almost covered the cost of the rear EXO bumper...woot woot!
The Expedition One (EXO) bumper is very stout. The frame mounting bracket and re-inforcements are well engineered. We were all impressed as to how beefy this unit truly is. Compared to the OEM bumper, there is no comparison. If I were to hit a deer with my rig, I have no doubt that I will remain a few links above said deer, literally, on the food chain. Here is the solenoid pack mounted and ready to go.
Dream almost realized...
Overall, Atomic was excellent in the install and wiring. I am grateful to have such a fully functional installer / fabricator in close proximity. More pics later.
Regards,
BWJ
All,
I just got my truck back from Atomic Fabworks. They installed the Expedition One front bumper with all the goods that go with it. Got the bumper back from RML powdercoating 2 weeks ago. Here is the 'pile' of goodies that needed to be installed. The guys at Atomic were great to work with, and they dove right in...
I chose to go with powdercoating this time as opposed to Ameraguard lining. I think that this powdercoating is more robust as opposed to the PC that I got from my previous Armorology bumper. I'll see how it lasts...Anyways, onto the install...The disassembly of my OEM bumper was quite an eye opener to me - IT IS A TIN CAN. All it seemed to be was a few 10mm bolts (4x) and a bunch of plastic clips...not good. I was able to sell the OEM bumpers / mirrors / grille to an auto parts salvage yard with one phone call. The proceeds of which almost covered the cost of the rear EXO bumper...woot woot!
The Expedition One (EXO) bumper is very stout. The frame mounting bracket and re-inforcements are well engineered. We were all impressed as to how beefy this unit truly is. Compared to the OEM bumper, there is no comparison. If I were to hit a deer with my rig, I have no doubt that I will remain a few links above said deer, literally, on the food chain. Here is the solenoid pack mounted and ready to go.
Dream almost realized...
Overall, Atomic was excellent in the install and wiring. I am grateful to have such a fully functional installer / fabricator in close proximity. More pics later.
Regards,
BWJ
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naptownwhiteboy
New member
Nice work. Keep it up.
team-oomizumi
Observer
That's what I'm saying as I drool over your cache of mods... Gonna be sweet!
bigwapitijohnny
Adventurer
Extreme 2" shackles are on...
All,
Along with getting the EXO front bumper put on, I also had 2" shackles put on as well. Originally, I upgraded to Deaver-add-a-leaf springs instead of 1" blocks due to my cargo needs. After all was said and done, I sat level driving daily and 'sagged' when I towed the Sherpa II.
I considered airbags, however, shackles seemed to be a solution with fewer headaches (moving parts) down the road. Anyway, I was able to acquire these from a fabricator on the Tundra boards. He is out of Utah, and these are beefy to say the least. Here is a pictorial chronology of my rear suspension dilemma / solution...
Stock
Toytec Ultimate 3/1 ~ used a Deaver-add-a-leaf instead of 1" block...
Coach's 2" shackles installed
More eye candy...
Ride is noticeably better than before. I have a rake now when I drive, and level / slightly raked when I tow. I may change this up over time, however, it seems to work for right now...
Regards,
BWJ
All,
Along with getting the EXO front bumper put on, I also had 2" shackles put on as well. Originally, I upgraded to Deaver-add-a-leaf springs instead of 1" blocks due to my cargo needs. After all was said and done, I sat level driving daily and 'sagged' when I towed the Sherpa II.
I considered airbags, however, shackles seemed to be a solution with fewer headaches (moving parts) down the road. Anyway, I was able to acquire these from a fabricator on the Tundra boards. He is out of Utah, and these are beefy to say the least. Here is a pictorial chronology of my rear suspension dilemma / solution...
Stock
Toytec Ultimate 3/1 ~ used a Deaver-add-a-leaf instead of 1" block...
Coach's 2" shackles installed
More eye candy...
Ride is noticeably better than before. I have a rake now when I drive, and level / slightly raked when I tow. I may change this up over time, however, it seems to work for right now...
Regards,
BWJ
GTABurnout
Explorer
Interested to see how well the new lights work for you.
mjmcdowell
Explorer
Your Tundra build
Yeah.. the lights would be kool..... but I would really like to see her in action, mud, rocks hill's etc. you get the picture..... (not just in a cow pasture) :sombrero: Nice truck!! great build thread!! stay safe, mjmcdowell
Yeah.. the lights would be kool..... but I would really like to see her in action, mud, rocks hill's etc. you get the picture..... (not just in a cow pasture) :sombrero: Nice truck!! great build thread!! stay safe, mjmcdowell
bigwapitijohnny
Adventurer
EXO bumper pics...
All,
Well it's been about 1 week since I had my EXO front bumper on. I am glad the front is on. Again, Atomic Fabworks did an INCREDIBLE job installing / wiring / and fabricating to make this dream a realization. EXO is currently developing a rear tire carrier for the Tundra. I may go with this as an option...
Initially, I purchased an IBS dual battery system from Sierra Expeditions. This system is elegant in its design, and It's has been bullet proof so far. As you know, I decided to mount the auxillary battery in the bed cabinet system. I also purchased a Blue Sea systems 12 fuse block and 100 amp resetable circuit breaker.
Note: Atomic Fabworks did the electrical wiring and I am going to meet with Steve to go over the wiring schematics / specifics soon. I am not familiar with electrical wiring, so please don't ask me questions about the ins and outs of the wiring...
The LED lights are all wired to the auxillary while the winch and FRYLYTS are wired to the main. My lighting 'grouppo' consists of 2 FYRLYTs / 2 Rigid industries Dually D2s as fogs / a 40" Rigid LED light bar overhead on the Bajarack / and a Dually D2 diffused lens as a back up light. The light output on these lights are INSANE, however, they are different - Halogen vs. LED. I will post a comparison / night shot post soon...
I decided to go with switches from OTRATTW. They laser cut all of their switches and they are crisp and clean. I had them mounted to a removable plate that fit into the console. The switch turns on when the interior lights are on, and the small LED indicating bar lights up when the switch is activated. I'm still working on the passenger eject button as to what to do when activated...
There is also a Warn VR 10,000 winch with 3/8" MasterPull Superline Winchline and a Winch Stop Thimble. In case you are wondering, this is a hockey puck that I bored out. Cheap mod = $ 1.60...
For security, I decided to use several different nuts and bolts. It's a shame that we have to spend anytime with this, however, it is a cruel, fallen world that we live in...I went with two different sized pin-in-torx screws and two different kinds of tamper resistant nuts. McMaster Carr sells these at a reasonable price. Cheaper that other retailers...
It is a combination of these nuts and bolts that will hopefully slow the thieves down and require too much time and effort. Overall, I am pleased with how the EXO front bumper with accessories turned out. I am currently waiting for Expedition One to put the finishing touches on my rear bumper with tire carrier...
Nights pics will come shortly...Stay tuned.
Regards,
BWJ
All,
Well it's been about 1 week since I had my EXO front bumper on. I am glad the front is on. Again, Atomic Fabworks did an INCREDIBLE job installing / wiring / and fabricating to make this dream a realization. EXO is currently developing a rear tire carrier for the Tundra. I may go with this as an option...
Initially, I purchased an IBS dual battery system from Sierra Expeditions. This system is elegant in its design, and It's has been bullet proof so far. As you know, I decided to mount the auxillary battery in the bed cabinet system. I also purchased a Blue Sea systems 12 fuse block and 100 amp resetable circuit breaker.
Note: Atomic Fabworks did the electrical wiring and I am going to meet with Steve to go over the wiring schematics / specifics soon. I am not familiar with electrical wiring, so please don't ask me questions about the ins and outs of the wiring...
The LED lights are all wired to the auxillary while the winch and FRYLYTS are wired to the main. My lighting 'grouppo' consists of 2 FYRLYTs / 2 Rigid industries Dually D2s as fogs / a 40" Rigid LED light bar overhead on the Bajarack / and a Dually D2 diffused lens as a back up light. The light output on these lights are INSANE, however, they are different - Halogen vs. LED. I will post a comparison / night shot post soon...
I decided to go with switches from OTRATTW. They laser cut all of their switches and they are crisp and clean. I had them mounted to a removable plate that fit into the console. The switch turns on when the interior lights are on, and the small LED indicating bar lights up when the switch is activated. I'm still working on the passenger eject button as to what to do when activated...
There is also a Warn VR 10,000 winch with 3/8" MasterPull Superline Winchline and a Winch Stop Thimble. In case you are wondering, this is a hockey puck that I bored out. Cheap mod = $ 1.60...
For security, I decided to use several different nuts and bolts. It's a shame that we have to spend anytime with this, however, it is a cruel, fallen world that we live in...I went with two different sized pin-in-torx screws and two different kinds of tamper resistant nuts. McMaster Carr sells these at a reasonable price. Cheaper that other retailers...
It is a combination of these nuts and bolts that will hopefully slow the thieves down and require too much time and effort. Overall, I am pleased with how the EXO front bumper with accessories turned out. I am currently waiting for Expedition One to put the finishing touches on my rear bumper with tire carrier...
Nights pics will come shortly...Stay tuned.
Regards,
BWJ
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plainjaneFJC
Deplorable
It turned out pretty nice.