RSB's Radiant Red Tacoma build

[austintaco]

axle relocation

I had never heard of it until I started reading about the 255/85 tire size on Expeditions west. I am going to call All pro in the morning and see if the centering pin that they make for 1st gen 4runners will work for a Taco.

Expeditionswest:
http://www.expeditionswest.com/equipment/tacoma/bfg_mt_km.html

All Pro:
http://allprooffroad.com/8489suspension/51

 

[RSB]

One day I tried to put the truck into 4WD and it wouldn't engage. Confirmed it was a bad front diff actuator. Hoping to have it replaced this week. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like it's something I can do myself.

http://ttora.com/forum/showthread.php?t=146184

I'm in Oklahoma City! Wow. Looks beautiful out there in the Ozarks. I had no idea there were so many trails out there. I'd love to go!

Tough break on the front end. What happened?

And what part of OK are you in? I do a lot of wheeling in both the Ozarks and Ouachitas, so if you want to get out and put that b@d@s$ build to use exploring this part of the country, give me a shout! (I'm planning a group run in late-March, fyi.)

 

[RSB]

Thanks!

Wow, that IS a very clean truck. I love the transformation from stock to 6" to current!

 

[RSB]

thanks for the info. I'd appreciate if you send me a PM on anything more you find on this!

I had never heard of it until I started reading about the 255/85 tire size on Expeditions west. I am going to call All pro in the morning and see if the centering pin that they make for 1st gen 4runners will work for a Taco.

Expeditionswest:
http://www.expeditionswest.com/equipment/tacoma/bfg_mt_km.html

All Pro:
http://allprooffroad.com/8489suspension/51

 

[austintaco]

thanks for the info I'd appreciate if you send me a PM on anything more you find on this!

Will do.

 

[Wes Craiglow]

You get this thing in the dirt yet?!

Wanna see some PICS!

 

[RSB]

Soon! New actuator going on this weekend.

You get this thing in the dirt yet?!

Wanna see some PICS!

 

[RSB]

The weather has made finding time to work on the truck a bit difficult...

Finally it warmed-up enough for us to get the new actuator installed. Here's what it looked like inside once we got it open:

We still can't figure-out how how the mud got inside. After installing the new actuator, I put a thin layer of silicone around all the seams and gasket material to hopefully prevent mud from getting back in again in the future.

 

[RSB]

Earlier the same day I managed to visit my local fabricator (Custom 4x4 Fabrications) to weld-on the rear frame reinforcement plates I've been needing to get done.

We also modified the frame end-caps in preparation for the new winch to be installed on the ARB.

 

[RSB]

New seats! :wings: Installed a new set of fabric Corbeau GTS II's w/double release harnesses. The driver side includes a seat heater.

New pair of WeatherTech FloorLiner DigitalFits to match!

 

[RSB]

I opted to install the belts directly behind the seats anchored to the floor. Corbeau specifically instructs you not to do this. It's a major safety issue. In the event of an accident, your collar bones can break more easily.

In my case, however, I do not intend to use these belts anywhere other than off-road. In addition, I still want to retain the back passenger seat usability.

Therefore, I mounted the belts directly to the floor. They can also be removed when needed.

The Corbeau seat brackets required minor modification to allow fitment for the the OEM seat buckles and Tuffy center security console. The brackets were cut, re-welded, and reinforced w/additional steel. The seat buckle assemblies were left alone.

Overall, these seats are a HUGE improvement. They're very comfortable and most importantly—they keep me in place on the trail. :sombrero: I'm very happy I made the decision to invest in a pair of these before the fridge or auxillary fuel tank!

 

[RSB]

Communication equipment was my next priority. I really liked flyingwil's clean installation of his Yaesu FT-7800 faceplate and remote speaker in the headliner. So, I decided to do the same thing. I ordered a Yaesu FT-7900R 2m/70 band transceiver w/remote separation kit and a ClearTone MFG speaker MFJ-281.

With the headliner removed, I placed the head unit in position and traced the outline:

Using a Dremel, I cut-out the outline and repeated the process for the speaker.

The head unit was shaped to fit and epoxied for stability. Everything was secured w/gorilla tape. I made the mistake of cutting-out the outline of the entire housing of the speaker, and not just the speaker itself. Thankfully, a little ingenuity with a piece of cardboard managed to solve the problem.

Here's how it turned-out:

 

[RSB]

I went with a Larsen NMO2/70BK 2m/70 band 1/2λ antenna. For a solid ground connection, I was careful to remove all paint from the body and mount that made contact w/the screws:

Installed...

The transceiver itself was mounted inside the compartment underneath the rear passenger seat. I plan to use locking nuts similar to the ones made by Lightforce for added security. The microphone hasn't been installed yet.

I spent half a day on this project. I'm very pleased with how it turned-out.

Thanks to Wil for sharing this idea. :beer: Functional designs that help to save space are very important inside the cab of a Tacoma!

 

[java]

be very careful with the seat belts like that. in a front colision with any sort of speed the belts anchored to the floor will want to compress your spine.
why not put the anchors to the back seat seat belt bolts? they are quick release, just unsnap them when not needed or someone is in the back seat

 

[Cackalak Han]

Not only that, but in a roll over, you're forced to stay upright instead of being able to lean sideways like with a traditional seat belt. You need a roll bar for a seat harness like that.