it looks like a great start, i like how youre planning the setup with the sketches. is everything scaled out, more or less?
i have a similar "issue" as you with the approach and departure angles, a tundra is very similar in size (even similar shape and engine size) to a dakota...there are some really, really well built dakotas around here, they look like a great platform for an offroad/expedition build.
have you considered trimming off the rear quarterpanels to the frame, and protecting the quarters with a wraparound low-profile rear bumper? you might be able to save the forward bed length that way. moving the rear axle forward decreases the amount of "outside" heavy storage you have, since youll be closer to cantilevering fuel, water, and spare tire weights and potentially wind up with severe understeer and poor articulation in front (or a high cg from throwing everything on the roof). a long wheelbase can be a pain in tight turns, but at speed and over straight-line obstacles it's more stable than a short wheelbase...and you can carry more toys
.
it ends up looking something like
this, and then you have to decide what to do about the exhaust.
not trying to talk you out of bobbing the bed, but there might be other options that will work just as well and let you keep some cargo volume and capacity in the bed.
at 130" w.b. i havent had a problem yet...nor has another guy with a tundra who actually did bob his bed 14", kept the rear axle in the stock location, and moved the front axle forward a couple inches when he did his axle swap, and he runs pretty rough trails. his truck is pictured in
this thread, with a d60 rear axle and 44/60 front, as you can see it's a monster on the trail but not much room for expedition stuff in the bed.
you honestly dont need 60s with 35s, not for expedition stuff...unless youre going larger than 35s in the future. 35" is a great diameter for trucks this size, since the breakover and access angles are poor compared to tacomas and other minis, and it's less work to fit the 35s under the truck and retain a low c.g. than it is to fit 37s or larger tires that can be run with a dana 60. 60s are also heavy and expensive, and with 35s you could get away fine with a 9/44 or pair of 44s with 60 steering components and axles. the result will be strong enough, and lighter and cheaper than a pair of 60s. look around, mix and match your parts...you may be able to find a hybrid solution that fits your needs better than a pair of straight 60s...609, 6044, any combination you can think of can be built these days, oftentimes lighter, stronger or cheaper than straight 60s (but you usually only get to pick one of those things, and sometimes two if you look really hard).
regardless, i cant wait to see the results. it's good to see another "full bodied" expedition truck planned out there
...and i'm sure with the detail youre putting in that i'll be looking at some of your ideas for my own build
.
-sean
