asteffes' '06 Taco DC (because I want to be a cool kid, too.)

[UncleChris]

I think UncleChris and I just wanted to be Tough Guys(tm) and muscle through it.

I actually used the bottle jack when I put mine on, as I had no assistance.

It worked pretty well, but you had to have it positioned just right, otherwise it would slip out.

 

[asteffes]

The Donahoe suspension, now with about 2,000 miles on it, is awesome. The on-road ride quality and stability are incredible. Off-road manners are excellent, as well. The rear does not feel so jittery over bumps. The truck is stable under braking. It doesn't get tossed side-to-side over slow-speed bumps, even with the front swaybar in place.

The Donahoe kit is good-to-go.

 

[Scott Brady]

Great feedback

That suspension does kick up the fun factor quite a bit

 

[asteffes]

New sliders from BentUp

AJ at BentUp in Sacramento installed rock sliders today. They're made from 2"x2" square tubing, and weigh about sixty or seventy pounds per side. Very beefy, and they make for a convenient step, too. They're welded on to the frame in four places. Custom bling Rustoleum job by yours truly.

 

[UncleChris]

Looks nice Adam!

How much did they cost you with install?

 

[asteffes]

$275, as advertised on BentUp's website. Bolt-ons are $425. AJ's a great guy to do business with, too.

 

[Dave Bennett]

$275, as advertised on BentUp's website. Bolt-ons are $425. AJ's a great guy to do business with, too.

Those 05 pics on Bentup's site are of my truck! :hehe:
Mine were the first ones made back in June of 05... that is so cool to see my ride on there! :Wow1:

http://www.bentup.com/trailarmor.html

 

[asteffes]

Yep, I noticed. I took some more pics for AJ today. It's good to see more support for '05+s.

 

[flyingwil]

Those 05 pics on Bentup's site are of my truck! :hehe:
Mine were the first ones made back in June of 05... that is so cool to see my ride on there! :Wow1:

http://www.bentup.com/trailarmor.html

Missing the Giant TTORA sticker!


Adam-

Looks great! I love AJ's front bumpers!

 

[BajaTaco]

Cool sliders - congrats. Some peace of mind too

 

[asteffes]

Adam-

Looks great! I love AJ's front bumpers!

He had some crazy Darth Vader/Mad Max-looking sliders on an FJC that he bought from someone who trashed it on the Rubicon. The sliders consisted of two sheets of steel with some tubing in between to create a 1" or so gap between the sheets. The entire sheet of steel would simply slide against any obstacles. They looked really evil.

We briefly talked about a rear swing-out bumper/tire carrier for the '05s. He just needs a truck for a week or two to make it happen. I live two hours away and can't leave my truck at his shop, so we'll have to find another way (or another truck in Sacramento) for him to do the design work. He had an example from an older Toyota pickup in the lot which looked very stout.

I would prefer something with a removable tire carrier so I don't have to suffer with the reduced visibility during everyday use.

 

[FourByLand]

Nice sliders!

Can't wait to see them getting used!

:archaeolo

 

[asteffes]

It looks like things are just going to be too crazy before the Trophy. I'm moving this weekend, and have no time to do any more mods. So, coming this winter will be:

New tires, probably Bridgestone Revos in 265-75-16 (+1" over stock)
ARB bumper w/Hella Rallye 4000 Eurobeam lamps
Warn winch

I'm holding out on the rear suspension for now. I think I'll be unhappy with an add-a-leaf, as I want to get rid of some of the rear sway with an aftermarket leaf pack. However, that's a complicated ball of wax figuring out payload vs. flex vs. stability. I don't really want to mess with it at the moment.

 

[asteffes]

I installed new tires this weekend. The factory 265-70-16 BFG Rugged Trail tires were getting too shallow for rain and snow, so I replaced them with 265-75-16 BFG All Terrain T/A-KO tires. These are an inch taller overall, with no suspension lift required to accomodate them. These are LT-type tires, load range D and also have the snowflake-on-the-mountain designation for use in snow.

For anyone wondering, yes, the 265-75-16 will fit in the factory spare location without modifications to the truck. The tire shop guys had no trouble with it.

These should be a good compromise between on-road manners for everyday commuting and snow/off-road traction when needed.

 

[Mlachica]

Today, I installed a Kenwood TM-V700A dual band transceiver. I wired its GPS input to one of the serial ports of my Garmin GPSMAP 276c GPS, enabling tracking of APRS stations as well as a beacon of my own position data to other APRS receivers. This is basically a copy of Chris' setup, but I'm using a glass-mount Larsen antenna to maintain a low profile.

Pictures to follow soon.

Can you elaborate on this with pictures? I'm planning on using the same radio and I already have a 276c. Is your 276 powered from the vehicle or do you just use its own battery?