Great Site

[daverami]

Hello,

I have been reading posts on this site for quite some time. Reading about all your adventures, and the way you have modified your trucks has given me the expedition bug, for sure.

My brother has an '06 Tacoma TRD Sport that he is going to sell. I can get it for a very good price. I was wondering if one of the items on my mod list should be to replace the LSD with an ARB locker, if that is possible. I would of course do some suspension mods, tires and wheels too. He is running 16 inch wheels. What some of you guys have done for storage capacity and such is just amazing. Keep up the great posts. I have learned a lot.

 

[mountainpete]

Welcome to ExPo daverami :wavey:

The 06 Tacoma is an excellent platform to build upon, but what you do first really depends on what you want to do with the truck. So tell us a bit more of what your goals are and what type of terrain you want to challenge.

In the meantime: Lockers are an item which often come later down the road, especially if you have a LSD already. The best place to start is your main contact with the trail - your tires. If your basic traction isn't there, all the lockers and lifts in the world aren't going to help you. Next, look at protection/recovery equipment equivallant to the trails you want to tackle.

Pete

 

[daverami]

Hi Pete,

Well, as far as goals for expedition travel, I would like to first off spend more time around the area I live. I live in southern Oregon, and there are so many places near here that I want to explore more. There are great areas to the east, also into Idaho. South is Mt. Shasta. I have spent a lot of time in that area while working as a field geologist. So much to see and great out of the way areas to see. Eventually, a Baja, Yucatan trip would be an incredible thing to do. I really enjoy reading about the trips on the site here. Also, how can I forget Canada, Utah, Arizona, lots of places.

As far as terrain goes, I anticipate desert terrain, as well as rocky trails. I would think a lot of driving on unimproved roads, or worse. I think I may be doing a lot of travel on my own, so nothing that would be dangerous solo, although I am aware that anything can happen any place at any time. I hope I can find a group to travel with on different occasions though. Of course, a lot of research will go into any trip planning.

You are correct about tires. I think that will be the first step. Also, the truck will be my DD also, although I don't anticipate driving more than 10K a year in that regard. So, I am thinking a really good A/T tire may suit me best. The truck has some Bridgestone Revo's on it now but they are getting down there. I have been thinking of Nitto Terra Grapplers. I had BFG A/T's on a few trucks I have had in the past, and they were ok. Thought I would try something different. Also, I have heard some good things about Cooper SST's, but they are a little more aggressive than an A/T I think. I may go up a tire size from stock, to a 265/75R16. I know a lot of people are on larger tires, but I would like to try and keep the power/gas mileage decent. What are your thought's on tire size?

I agree with you about the locker. Many things to do and research before that happens.

Thanks for the info, and please pass on anything else recommend.

David

 

[datrupr]

Welcome to ExPo, David!!!:beer:

I think you have a great platform to start with. And Oregon and the area you are in is great for some adventure, very close to a lot of places to see. Start with tires and protection first. 265/75/16's I don't think you will have any problem with, and with your LSD I would put lockers on the bottom of your list. Get some sliders, and make sure your underside is well protected, and then go from there. When you get teh truck, post up some pics, and it will be fun to watch your build.

 

[mountainpete]

265/75R-16 tires are an excellent place to start. All of the brands you mentioned are excellent, although a I have a personal preference to BFG. Chris (BajaTaco) currently runs the Cooper SST's and has communicated a number of positive comments.

I agree with datrupr on the protection front. Sliders are a next must, then other protection.

Make sure to read up on some of the Tacoma builds in this section of the forum. Start with these:

asteffes: http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=873
TACODOC (best built 05 around in my opinion): http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=521
ArchaeoTaco: http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3926

Pete

 

[daverami]

Pete, Aaron,

Thank you for your replies. I really appreciate the info you are giving me. Thank you for the links. There is so much excellent information to get many ideas from here. Yes, I totally agree, the tires first. I like your recommendations for protection too. Sliders would be an excellent addition, considering all the jacking points they will give you for recovery, as opposed to the stock setup, not to mention overall protection. I think the truck sale is a done deal, so I will get some pictures out. Noticing the signatures you all use, I think I will come up with something a little more creative. I will keep you posted on my progress, and will certainly keep picking your brains. Please, anything else you all can think off I will be very appreciative. Of course, I am reading on the site as much as time allows. Thanks,

David

 

[daverami]

Hi all,
Found some pictures here. These were taken at Lava Beds National Monument a little bit after my brother bought it.
I am doing some serious thinking on tires now. Thanks for the input. I really like the ones ArchaeoTaco put on his truck. Like I said, may be a little to aggressive for me at this time since the DD thing, but it may be worth it.

David

 

[DaktariEd]

Wow! Nice lookin' truck. :26_7_2:
Should be a great expedition platform...
As far as mods go, I'd put a creature comfort up there near the top: an Engel or ARB fridge (or similar). What an amazingly wonderful invention!
Then perhaps onboard air. I use that frequently.
I also like to explore on my own, so I added recovery equipment (a winch). The lockers I have, but have rarely used them. In fact I have only used them when I was with a larger group. Solo, I wouldn't choose terrain that risky.
Other things to consider, a beefy bumper to go along with a winch and to provide better recovery points...don't forget a high-lift jack...

And welcome to ExPo!

 

[Willman]

Welcome to ExPo, David!!!:beer:

I think you have a great platform to start with. And Oregon and the area you are in is great for some adventure, very close to a lot of places to see. Start with tires and protection first. 265/75/16's I don't think you will have any problem with, and with your LSD I would put lockers on the bottom of your list. Get some sliders, and make sure your underside is well protected, and then go from there. When you get teh truck, post up some pics, and it will be fun to watch your build.

:iagree:

Welcome to the ExPo!!!

Great looking rig!!! Sliders are a great place to start! You need to protect that nice looking rig you have! Map out out a Buildup Plan for the Future! This way you can start with the essentials and build up!

Scott W/ Expedition West would be a great start!

http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6

http://www.expeditionswest.com/vehicles/ewvehicles/tacoma/

Also...Flyingwil, TacoDoc, and mine can give you some good ideas where to start!

Good Luck!

:26_7_2:

Good luck!!!

 

[daverami]

Hi DaktariEd and Willman,

Thanks for your feedback and all the information. I now have a huge list of threads and posts to go through, it's great.

Yes, sliders are a must, and probably the bumper/winch setup also, especially doing things solo.

I will come up with a logical, hopefully, list of mods and improvements to do, over time of course. Also, I am buying the truck from my brother, we talked about it last night. I'm really excited.

By the way, have you guys heard much about the OME Dakar leaf packs? Did a search and there are a few things out, they are fairly new I understand. I had always considered custom Deavers.

I'll keep you posted. I'm glad you all don't mind questions.

Thanks again,

David

 

[Bergger]

Hi DaktariEd and Willman,

Thanks for your feedback and all the information. I now have a huge list of threads and posts to go through, it's great.

Yes, sliders are a must, and probably the bumper/winch setup also, especially doing things solo.

I will come up with a logical, hopefully, list of mods and improvements to do, over time of course. Also, I am buying the truck from my brother, we talked about it last night. I'm really excited.

By the way, have you guys heard much about the OME Dakar leaf packs? Did a search and there are a few things out, they are fairly new I understand. I had always considered custom Deavers.

I'll keep you posted. I'm glad you all don't mind questions.

Thanks again,

David

I'm not positive but I think the OME Dakar springs are OME springs made in malaysia so they are less expensive. I'm not sure if they make the Dakar springs for the Tacoma. I have the OME springs, shocks and shackles on my 03 Tacoma and love the set up. The price is resonable and the ride/flex is nice. They also hold a load much better than stock and after almost 2 years I still have about 3" of lift out of them. I think the OME is a great choice for the Tacoma if you want increased flex, better than stock ride and the ability to carry a heavy load. If you do not plan on carry much weight then you may opt for an Deaver 7-8 leaf pack. Or go for the 9-10 leaf pack to carry more weight. They will cost you a bit more though.

 

[Scott Brady]

Hi David! Welcome to the site

 

[daverami]

Hi Scott,

Thank you all for the nice welcome. I have been quietly following as many of your adventures as I can. Truly amazing to say the least. What a great way to see so many places. I understand, and can appreciate, all the hard work that has gone into the building and outfitting of your vehicles, and can certainly appreciate all the planning that goes into a trip. A pretty critical part, right up there with having a dependable and trail worthy rig. I'll keep you up to date on my progress, and I'm glad you all don't mind questions. I am in the process of picking tires. Torn between an A/T or M/T. I had mentioned earlier that the truck will be my DD also, but I don't think I will drive more than 10K a year. Regardless, I am thinking of something in load range D. Would an E be too much for a Tacoma? I know an expedition rig will be carrying a lot of weight, so maybe tires won't make that much difference, although they do make a difference to the drivetrain components I would think. Again, thanks for the welcome.

David

 

[mountainpete]

David,

Very nice Tacoma! Nice canopy on there too!

For your tire question, the AT vs. MT's again depends on what you like to travel. Mud Terrains are poor icy road perfomers, while AT's are excellent. AT's are not as good in the mud or other sloppy conditions because they can't clear their tread as easily. AT's are quieter and ride smoother. MT's look cooler.

Based on the travel you described below, I think you will be quite happy with something like a BFG All Terrain or also something a bit more agressive like a Cooper STT 2's. There have been a number of positive comments about the Coopers, which is a recent style change. Make sure to look at those - only one load range available on them as far as I know.

Pete

 

[Bergger]

The tire question is one that everyone seems to struggle with including myself. I had AT's on my Tacoma then went to some MT's. I currently run Firestone Destination MT in a 265/75 size. While I do like the tire, awesome for offroad applications and surprisingly good on pavement, I will be going back to an AT tire in the next few months. My truck is also my dd and the MTs are just not wearing as well as an AT tire. I rotate them and keep the front end aligned but they are still cupping and making my ride a little bumpy. Also the more they wear the louder they are also getting. I personnally think that unless you plan on driving in a lot of mud you will probably be better served with an AT tire. The BFGs do tremendous on rocks, dirt, snow, pavement and do a very good job in mud as well. This is the tire I will be going back to. I may also consider some Yokohama's since I've heard good things about them as well.