Jamie's 2000 Tacoma Build-up

SAR_Squid79

Explorer
pray4surf said:
Enjoyed your posts at TTORA.. You've done a great job converting your truck, I've admired it from afar...

Welcome to ExPo!

Rick - Hoping to be following in your 4x2 -> 4x4 conversion in 2008

Thanks man.

As you get closer to your conversion, if you ever have any questions - don't hesitate to ask.
 

Rexsname

Explorer
Do I understand correctly that you only have one transfercase and that it's low range is 5:1? I just went with dual transfercases with 4.7:1 in the crawler and 2.28:1 in the "regular" case. I guess I've become spoiled in the short amount of time that I've had the duals. I have a hard time imagineing only haveing one very low range.

Not knocking it, mind you, just not getting it.

Welcome to ExPo


REX
 

SAR_Squid79

Explorer
Rexsname said:
Do I understand correctly that you only have one transfercase and that it's low range is 5:1?

Yes that is correct.

Inchworm designed the "Lefty" to be a modern version of the older *Right-Hand-Drop* Toyota Gear Driven Transfer Cases.

The "Lefty" is a *Left-Hand-Drop* Gear Driven Transfer Case for late model Toyotas such as the Tacoma, 96+ 4Runners, and the FJ Cruiser.

The OEM Tacoma/4Runner/FJC transfer cases are belt driven and therefore has no options for upgrading. In the older gear driven cases, you could simply open them up and change out the gears. The "Lefty" from Inchworm has now given that option to 96+ 4WD Toyota Owners who want lower gearing without all the modification involved with installing dual cases.

The "Lefty" can be ordered in:
4.0:1
4.7:1
5.0:1
5.7:1

and you still have the option for dual cases.

More info here:
http://www.inchwormgear.com/store/p...d=985&osCsid=5d9e270c6a5845b9a2be9bc6a5412057
 

SAR_Squid79

Explorer
Willman said:
Just read over your thread!

Nice job!

Love the ExPo white!

Keep up the great work!!!

;)
Thanks man! I'm a fan of your rig too. Hopefully we can hit the trails together soon. I'll be moving back out to the West Coast in the Fall.
 

Dave Bennett

Adventurist
SAR_Squid79 said:
Thanks man! I'm a fan of your rig too. Hopefully we can hit the trails together soon. I'll be moving back out to the West Coast in the Fall.

What a coincidence... Tacosupreme has orders to Ft Irwin in August. We need to get out to the desert! :friday:
 

SAR_Squid79

Explorer
Yep - I've got orders to Coronado in September!

After being here in Illinois for 3 years, I'll be very eager to hit the desert with you guys!
 

StumpXJ

SE Expedition Society
Yeah, you guys will be getting my wheeling partner.... Logan (tacosupreme) is stoked to be heading out that way... He is a desert head for sure.

Hopefully when we get out of here, it will be to the northwest somewhere. Might have to meet in the middle at some point, and do a run.

~James

Oh yeah... nice truck Jamie! :D
 

IronSmiles

Observer
SAR_Squid79 said:
Yep - I've got orders to Coronado in September!

After being here in Illinois for 3 years, I'll be very eager to hit the desert with you guys!

Sucks you won't get here til sept. I work on NAB Coronado now and start my terminal leave in July, moving back to TX in August, we will just miss eachother, hah. You've got a great rig though and theres a HELLA lot of good places to wheel out here!:victory:
 

SAR_Squid79

Explorer
Yeah - I tried to stay out there for my shore duty, but it was either:
1.) Stay in San Diego and do a job that I hated for 3 years, or
2.) move away from San Diego for 3 years to do a job that I like...

...I chose #2. I'll be back out there soon. No big deal. Sucks that I'll be just missing a fellow Navy ExPo guy, though.
 

corax

Explorer
Just saw this thread . . . very nice rig.

If I decide to make a new front bumper, I think I'll have to steal some design ideas from yours (imitation is the sincerest form of flattery you know)
 

SAR_Squid79

Explorer
The Latest

About 8 weeks ago I made yet another trip to 4xInnovations for another session of custom fabrication.

When I initially did my PreRunner - to - 4WD Conversion, I had Budbuilt build me the crossmember I needed for my Inchworm Lefty Transfer Case. I needed something ASAP, and I could not have something custom built unless I had a fabricator RIGHT THERE the day I did my conversion (which was not possible). Budbuilt was/is the only person who already had all the demensions neccessary to build the mail-order, bolt-on part that I required.

The Budbuilt crossmember fit perfectly, and did the job that I needed.


The only issues I had with the Budbuilt Crossmember was: #1 - it used an OEM Toyota (rubber) transfer case mount. With that old-style rubber mount, and my T-Case geared at 5.0:1, that rubber mount allowed for a lot of movement in the T-case & shifters when I was in Low-Range in a crawling situation. #2 - The other thing that neither Bud nor I though of - is that I have Demello Bolt-On Sliders, and one of the mounting points is right in the way of the Crossmember! :mad:

I originally had to kind of jury rig the crossmember to clear the slider mounts, and I couldn't mount the crossmember flat, and consequently I had to cock it at a bit of an angle to get it to work. Me being the perfectionist that I am - that never sat right with me.

ENTER 4XINNOVATIONS!​

So I had that BudBuilt X-member for about 9 months, and as I said it worked fine, and never caused any problems - I just knew that there was room for improvement. I talked to Adam about it, and he said that he could definitely offer a solution which would integrate one of his new Super Duty Toyota Transfer Case Mounts.

Here's what he came up with:

A custom tube crossmember, with integrated Transmission / T-Case mount:






The mounts are welded and gusseted onto the frame, and Adam was able to integrate my Slider mounting point - which you can see in the pic:








Integrated Super Duty Transfer Case Mount:






He fabbed up a Heavy Duty skid-plate to provide maximum protection for the transmission pan, and transfer case:


(This is kind of a crappy pic - I'll get a better one soon!)​







REAR FRAME REINFORCEMENTS:

The other project that had been on my to-do list since Moab was rear frame reinforcements. In Moab, on "Moab Rim Trail", my frame flexed, and just like every other Tacoma that's been wheeled hard - my bed hit & dented the back of my cab. I had talked to Adam about this as well, and he took measurements, and made a template, and laser cut the reinforcement plates, and they ended up fitting just about perfect (he had to do a little grinding to trim a little fat around the edges).

 

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