1st Gen Tacoma Budget Build

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tjZ06

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I can't stop buying stuff!
Well, you're definitely an Overlander! Good tunes are always a good investment in an Overlander, IMHO. That's actually on my list for my WJ, I just have a pretty cheap HU upgrade with stock amp/speakers for now. Do you have any pics of how you setup your sink? Anyway, rad build! I thought about a SAS'ed 1st Gen Taco myself. I still really like the advantages of a pickup for keeping the RTT at or below the cab height (for trail clearance, aero, and just not climbing so darn high!).

-TJ
 
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Kwikvette

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More manual labor; my thicker drift punches came in so I was able to knock the cone washers loose and remove the hub assemblies. You can see just how weathered the manual hubs are -

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Got everything apart and degreased -

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With new O-rings and gaskets, all that was left to do was get the cover and dial media blasted. Bringing these bad boys back to their former glory, in the old school color-scheme -

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Kwikvette

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Couple of updates, one of my Fox shocks blew and my transmission pan started seeping just a bit.

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I'm not the kind of person to leave things to chance so I opted to square it away. Fortunately, I kept those Bilstein 5100's so after I picked them up from my storage, I went out to buy everything else I needed and tackle the job.

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No horseplay, boss is watching!

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After everything got buttoned up and topped off, I took the time to degrease and pressure wash as much as I could. Best way to find a leak is by having a clean undercarriage to begin with.

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The Bilsteins will do for now until Fox decides to either warranty my shock or not.
 

Kwikvette

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And the real reason the update -

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Here my truck is getting it's final measurements for my custom made sliders. There are still companies out there that make both weld on and bolt on sliders for1st gen Tacoma's, but none of them are any different from each other really.

I wanted a kick up to both protect my cab as well as matching the aesthetics of my rear bumper.

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Kwikvette

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solid build! the sliders look perfect with the rear bumper!
Thanks!

That was the intent. I'm really digging the added protection as I've already scraped some rocks along some narrow trails. Had it not been for the sliders, my cab would've gotten dinged.
 
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Kwikvette

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Not much more has been done aside from maintenance and the sort.

Went wheeling with a buddy on Christmas Eve and had a close call where I almost flipped -

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You're not having enough fun if you don't experience an "oh shit" moment...

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With the loose rock and soft mud/dirt underneath, my traction gave out and I literally slid backwards; braking and steering input made no difference.

This is why it helps to always carry recovery gear. Used my ARB snatch strap, traction board, and d-rings to attach from my truck driver recovery point to my buddy's recovery hitch.

It was an ass puckering 5-10 mins sitting there though while I waited for my friend to turn around and hook up. Especially when my truck teetered in mid air as he went through the passenger side to grab my gear!
 
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Kwikvette

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Few more shots; still waiting for my friend to send me pics he took.

Tons of loose rock and mud which made it very interesting for my 2wd.

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Kwikvette

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Hollister is fun, especially when it's a little wet. :)
A few other Tacoma friends were supposed to go but they couldn't make it being Xmas Eve and all.

Saw multiple new Rubicons out on the trails on their own, but none of them hitting the black trails. So capable yet they stuck to only green/blues...what a shame.

I do have 2 more mods happening soon that I didn't list in the thread....
 

Kwikvette

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Pending upgrades as I gather more 4x4 parts for my conversion.

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ARB bumper on the way as well...
 

tjZ06

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Icon... nice!

I know it always looks less extreme in pics, but couldn't you have just slowly crept forward when you were on that little mound? It looks like the back tire was about to start coming back down the mound...

-TJ
 

Kwikvette

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"Budget build" on a Toyota with ICON, Warn, and ARB!

Buy once, cry once! That is a helluva rig!
Thought the same!
Ha!
Couldn't help it lol

I've yet to put on my bumper; it's sitting there on the side of my house.

I'm hoping to get it on these next few weeks, but I've put it off because I'd want to put the winch on at the same time. I have yet to upgrade my wiring, alternator, and battery so even if I did get the winch on I wouldn't be able to use it yet.
 

Kwikvette

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Icon... nice!

I know it always looks less extreme in pics, but couldn't you have just slowly crept forward when you were on that little mound? It looks like the back tire was about to start coming back down the mound...

-TJ
I had already dug slightly into the dirt a bit so instead of creating a rut and dropping rear driver even more (causing the angle to be more extreme), I just stopped. My axle was locked but rear passenger was on a mound of mud/sand on that mound and I doubt I would've been able to push off of it.

I'm a 2wd.
 

tjZ06

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I had already dug slightly into the dirt a bit so instead of creating a rut and dropping rear driver even more (causing the angle to be more extreme), I just stopped. My axle was locked but rear passenger was on a mound of mud/sand on that mound and I doubt I would've been able to push off of it.

I'm a 2wd.
Gotcha. I think with more wheel-time you'll find you can drive out of something like that... and the 4x4 conversion won't hurt! ;)

-TJ