Doc's 05 Tacoma Build Thread
- Thread starter Dave Bennett
- Start date
Dave Bennett
Adventurist
Thanks guys!
Wil, I got the hinge lock and I'll post a pic of it in action at the Trophy :beer:
Wil, I got the hinge lock and I'll post a pic of it in action at the Trophy :beer:
devinsixtyseven
Explorer
i really dig that fridge 
...great job with the clean install! im hoping one of these days i'll get to see some of y'alls builds in person.
an aftermarket, uniball style upper control arm will eliminate your rub on the stock uca in reverse. ifs systems experience a change in the control arm angle when moving forward or reverse, it's just "the way it is". the wheels track outward due to toe angle in reverse, and inward when moving forward. inward means the control arms must drop, extending the suspension, outward means the control arms will try to go horizontal, compressing the suspension. the uniball uppers have a tighter side profile than the stock upper control arms, it's worth spending the 400 bucks on a set of camburgs than running a wheel adapter...the former strengthens your setup, the latter introduces complexity, a wider scrub radius, and more of a lever on the unit bearing. if you compress your suspension all the way and turn the wheels, your tires will rub. if you want to dial it right, take the coilovers out, put both front wheels on cardboard with some sand under it, and turn the wheels side to side with the lower control arm sitting on the bumpstop. youll see all the areas you need to trim or move the wheel well. once youre done, you can ditch the lift and have a large tire with a low c/g...or keep the lift and have a well-adjusted travel ratio using a longer shaft and a uniball upper control arm.
jason & co did a beautiful job on that rear bumper with the tire carrier, and the all-pro unit also looks really good. if any of you are considering a rear bumper, decide what you want it to do and what parts of the stock truck you want to keep. imho the demello unit is better suited for pounding around offroad with a bunch of stuff in the bed and unknown roads ahead--the allpro is a bolt-on unit exchanging clearance for stock sheetmetal protection. the demello unit replaces stock sheetmetal with formed grind protection at the corners, requires a cut at the back to maximize clearance, and can be drug in the dirt or bounced off the rocks as needed. there's nothing wrong with the allpro, it's just lighter duty than the demello unit. the demello is also properly linked to the frame at the forward edge of the quarterpanel protection...i cant tell from the pic if the allpro is designed the same way, but it needs to be, and if it isn't, dont buy it.
it's actually not hard to design and make the cuts for a custom bumper. the hard part is finding someone who's willing to work with you on the welds. ask around at the local community college, sometimes the instructors will work on the side for a fair rate and teach you something in the process. if you have someone do all the work, it's actually the iterative fitment/cut/weld/grind/repeat process that kills the wallet...i experienced this recently when i was on a schedule and wound up in the hospital, my rear bumper went from costing under 200 bucks to "a lot" because i had to have someone else finish the project. if you show up with a reasonable plan, any small fab shop will be willing to help you out...all you need is a sawzall, angle grinder, and hacksaw...they weld, you do the rest. scrap yards are the best place to find material...my rear bumper, part of the sliders, and the mods to the arb in the front are cheap scrap. its very easy to improve on the stock rear bumper, it just takes some time, and that first cut in the quarterpanel is...not easy.
round tube is stronger than box tube...again, thats just "the way it is". it just happens to be a lot easier to stand on box tube...also much easier to make cuts, gussets and other stuff, and attach to the frame if youre using box tube.
here are the frame attachments and supports we made for the main 2"x4" deck of my rear bumper...very little material beyond the stock supports, and fully boxed and sleeved. here is another view...my gallery there actually has a lot of photos from the various projects of late...rear bumper shots, rear fiberglass chop and fitment, and wheel well tubbing. the rear bumper still isnt finished, which is the other downside to doing it yourself if you dont yet own a welder.
if the rear of the new taco was similar in size to a tundra i'd send you the notes for how everything was measured and assembled, and why. it might provide some ideas for your own truck, if you choose the diy route.
-sean
...great job with the clean install! im hoping one of these days i'll get to see some of y'alls builds in person.an aftermarket, uniball style upper control arm will eliminate your rub on the stock uca in reverse. ifs systems experience a change in the control arm angle when moving forward or reverse, it's just "the way it is". the wheels track outward due to toe angle in reverse, and inward when moving forward. inward means the control arms must drop, extending the suspension, outward means the control arms will try to go horizontal, compressing the suspension. the uniball uppers have a tighter side profile than the stock upper control arms, it's worth spending the 400 bucks on a set of camburgs than running a wheel adapter...the former strengthens your setup, the latter introduces complexity, a wider scrub radius, and more of a lever on the unit bearing. if you compress your suspension all the way and turn the wheels, your tires will rub. if you want to dial it right, take the coilovers out, put both front wheels on cardboard with some sand under it, and turn the wheels side to side with the lower control arm sitting on the bumpstop. youll see all the areas you need to trim or move the wheel well. once youre done, you can ditch the lift and have a large tire with a low c/g
...or keep the lift and have a well-adjusted travel ratio using a longer shaft and a uniball upper control arm.jason & co did a beautiful job on that rear bumper with the tire carrier, and the all-pro unit also looks really good. if any of you are considering a rear bumper, decide what you want it to do and what parts of the stock truck you want to keep. imho the demello unit is better suited for pounding around offroad with a bunch of stuff in the bed and unknown roads ahead--the allpro is a bolt-on unit exchanging clearance for stock sheetmetal protection. the demello unit replaces stock sheetmetal with formed grind protection at the corners, requires a cut at the back to maximize clearance, and can be drug in the dirt or bounced off the rocks as needed. there's nothing wrong with the allpro, it's just lighter duty than the demello unit. the demello is also properly linked to the frame at the forward edge of the quarterpanel protection...i cant tell from the pic if the allpro is designed the same way, but it needs to be, and if it isn't, dont buy it.
it's actually not hard to design and make the cuts for a custom bumper. the hard part is finding someone who's willing to work with you on the welds. ask around at the local community college, sometimes the instructors will work on the side for a fair rate and teach you something in the process. if you have someone do all the work, it's actually the iterative fitment/cut/weld/grind/repeat process that kills the wallet...i experienced this recently when i was on a schedule and wound up in the hospital, my rear bumper went from costing under 200 bucks to "a lot" because i had to have someone else finish the project. if you show up with a reasonable plan, any small fab shop will be willing to help you out...all you need is a sawzall, angle grinder, and hacksaw...they weld, you do the rest. scrap yards are the best place to find material...my rear bumper, part of the sliders, and the mods to the arb in the front are cheap scrap. its very easy to improve on the stock rear bumper, it just takes some time, and that first cut in the quarterpanel is...not easy
.round tube is stronger than box tube...again, thats just "the way it is". it just happens to be a lot easier to stand on box tube
...also much easier to make cuts, gussets and other stuff, and attach to the frame if youre using box tube.here are the frame attachments and supports we made for the main 2"x4" deck of my rear bumper...very little material beyond the stock supports, and fully boxed and sleeved. here is another view...my gallery there actually has a lot of photos from the various projects of late...rear bumper shots, rear fiberglass chop and fitment, and wheel well tubbing. the rear bumper still isnt finished, which is the other downside to doing it yourself if you dont yet own a welder.
if the rear of the new taco was similar in size to a tundra i'd send you the notes for how everything was measured and assembled, and why. it might provide some ideas for your own truck, if you choose the diy route.
-sean
Dave Bennett
Adventurist
Great write up Sean!
Thanks for the info... pinche links no trabajo... :smilies27
Thanks for the info... pinche links no trabajo... :smilies27
devinsixtyseven
Explorer
bugger. eh, drop in to the galeria de pictures at tundrasolutions, search for my username (it's the same), and i think the box supports are on one of the last two pages. links work for me, dunno why theyd break ...
btw did you mean to say pinche? or cuadro? lol...
...btw did you mean to say pinche? or cuadro? lol...
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Dave Bennett
Adventurist
Trophy Carnage...
I had a blast meeting everyone at the Trophy. What a nice group of people, and Arizona was very beautiful.
Unfortunately my bid for the Trophy ended early friday morning during the sand course. I flogged the truck mercilessly through the course finishing in 1:10, but the jump at the end got me... I broke my rear ring and pinion upon landing. Evidently alot of early production 05's have had this problem and it finally got me.
So, with dashed hopes and much humility, we said our goodbyes and limped a few miles out to the pavement in 4HI to get a tow, listening to the steady, rythmic clunk from my crippled differential. Fortunately for us I had 35,300 miles on the odometer... and I cant say enough good things about the dealership there in Peoria, Larry Miller Toyota. They didnt even ask me if I had been off roading despite the giant TTORA sticker, Arizona pinstriping, mods, and expedition laden vehicle. I was covered under warranty no questions asked. Toyota's warranty is good in my book. So we rented a car (covered under said warranty) and drove home, the parts will be in wednesday and I'll drive or fly back out and bring home my truck thursday or friday.
So begins the planning for next years Trophy. I'll be back...
I had a blast meeting everyone at the Trophy. What a nice group of people, and Arizona was very beautiful.
Unfortunately my bid for the Trophy ended early friday morning during the sand course. I flogged the truck mercilessly through the course finishing in 1:10, but the jump at the end got me... I broke my rear ring and pinion upon landing. Evidently alot of early production 05's have had this problem and it finally got me.
So, with dashed hopes and much humility, we said our goodbyes and limped a few miles out to the pavement in 4HI to get a tow, listening to the steady, rythmic clunk from my crippled differential. Fortunately for us I had 35,300 miles on the odometer... and I cant say enough good things about the dealership there in Peoria, Larry Miller Toyota. They didnt even ask me if I had been off roading despite the giant TTORA sticker, Arizona pinstriping, mods, and expedition laden vehicle. I was covered under warranty no questions asked. Toyota's warranty is good in my book. So we rented a car (covered under said warranty) and drove home, the parts will be in wednesday and I'll drive or fly back out and bring home my truck thursday or friday.
So begins the planning for next years Trophy. I'll be back...
blupaddler
Conspirator
Doc
Glad to hear you guys made it home safely! We were all concerned.
Sorry again about the carnage, that's really good it's covered under warranty too.
It was good to see you guys. Thanks for handing out those books too! (could I have another...please)
Glad to hear you guys made it home safely! We were all concerned.
Sorry again about the carnage, that's really good it's covered under warranty too.
It was good to see you guys. Thanks for handing out those books too! (could I have another...please)
Glad everything worked out, especially no problems with how the damage was done. I know we all missed you on the rest of the trip.
On a lighter note, we got so awesome photos of how you broke the truck, so those might make up alittle for the damage!!!!:victory:
I'm sure some of the others will post up the pics soon.
On a lighter note, we got so awesome photos of how you broke the truck, so those might make up alittle for the damage!!!!:victory:
I'm sure some of the others will post up the pics soon.
Dave Bennett
Adventurist
Thanks guys!
Robb - you got 2nd place at the Trophy!!! Thats AWESOME dood!!! :luxhello: :rockon: :luxhello:
Robb - you got 2nd place at the Trophy!!! Thats AWESOME dood!!! :luxhello: :rockon: :luxhello:
Scott Brady
Founder
Glad you guys are home safe and truck is being taken care of.
Let the group know if you need any help with transportation from the airport, or to check on the dealership, etc. I am sure we can make it work.
Let the group know if you need any help with transportation from the airport, or to check on the dealership, etc. I am sure we can make it work.
Dave Bennett
Adventurist
Mlachica said:
For sure! We have a good core of local ExPo peeps here in SoCal... we should do something, after all it is officially "desert season" :costumed-smiley-007
Ryanmb21
Expedition Leader
lookin to get involved!
That sounds intriguing. Although, I have never met anybody from the board, I am very interested to participate in the near future. From what I've read, everybody seems to be stand-up good people....
Being in socal, I'd be very interested.
05TACODOC said:
That sounds intriguing. Although, I have never met anybody from the board, I am very interested to participate in the near future. From what I've read, everybody seems to be stand-up good people....
Being in socal, I'd be very interested.
devinsixtyseven
Explorer
:sombrero: together, that is a great pair of sentences right there. i can hear the toyota representative now..."well sir, we've found many owners of your production run have carnaged their rear differentials upon landing." i mean...how cool would that be05TACODOC said:
...seriously now, i noticed your misfortune mentioned elsewhere on the forums (maybe the trophy thread?), really sorry to hear about it...breaking a critical component at the beginning of a trip is a real letdown. good to hear it worked out and you were able to get home safe, and good on toyota to replace it under warranty.
-sean