The EXPO TRON Build

[TRON]

The best way to describe my goals for my build would be some pics of this beast! This is the SDHQ Offroad Inferno Pro Tundra! Double Cab TRD Pro with a short bed, 37s, Long Travel, Supercharged...what dreams are made of basically. Back to reality, I want Tron to be the Mid Travel/Expedition version of this Tundra. Enjoy

 

[TRON]

SDHQ Prerunner Front Bumper
It didn't take long for the next big Mod! After Sedona, I needed to address Tron's approach angle, and of course get rid of the eye sore rock rash on my stock front bumper




And straight out of a Michael Bay movie! This bumper is slightly modular since the whole skid plate is removable, and I'll replace it in the future with another skid that has a fairlead cutout for a winch. There is a winch mount behind the skid already, just waiting to buy a winch

 

[TRON]

ADS Racing Shocks
The next order of business before the Overland Expo involved a trip over to my good friends at ADS Racing Shocks located right here in Tucson, Arizona. Not only do I love supporting a local business, ADS produces race quality shocks built to last a lifetime! Many don't realize that out of the other shock companies, ADS ranks right up at the top and I have a means to prove it I ran 2.5 Coilovers with compression adjusters up front on my Tacoma with the massive 2.5 16" triple bypasses in the long travel rear, using and abusing them while never reaching the maximum potential of those shocks...sadly I never will either #R.I.P.Rinzler

Moving on, I sat down with Brian at ADS (the brains behind the operation) and we discussed how to lift the front end alittle more but also make Tron push the boundary, in other words, "Change the Game." At the time I had a firm grasp of what makes up a shock and the basic principles behind them, which begged the question, why would the full size TRD Pro Tundra suspension use 2.5 Coilovers if the smaller Tacoma used the same size? I know that's more of a question for the Toyota Engineers and there's probably a ton of good answers, but none would suit me. Plain and simple, I wanted to go bigger, and so ADS built the very first 3.0 OEM Replacement Coilover for the Tundra Market!


This first coilover was the initial mock up used on Tron, but here's a comparison to the TRD Pro 2.5 in the middle, and existing ADS 2.5 for Tundras in back. The Pro suspension is great, but lacks adjustability, and I avoid spacers at all costs. The 3.0 has an obvious bigger volume for oil thus keeping the shock cooler and more efficient for a longer period of time. (Less shock fade)


"The Game Has Changed"


Adjusted the preload and it was time to hit the trails! The red knob on the reservoir is the compression adjuster, giving me 20 settings of pure awesomeness

 

[TRON]

Overland Expo West - Mormon Lake, AZ May 2016

With no time to waste on the Wednesday before the Expo, I did a thorough check on all the bolts after installing the shocks, and quickly checked the ride height at ADS. Super excited about how well Tron felt on the road, I headed home to pack the truck and left later that day! This was my first Overland Expo and even though there was a lot of last minute planning, it was such an awesome and inspiring event. From meeting the Expedition Overland crew and hundreds of other enthusiasts that share the same passion for adventure to breaking Tron in with our first mudding trip, I am determined to attend every year from here on out and may even drive to the Overland East someday!

I arrived late Wednesday night and stayed with some friends in Flagstaff, but woke up bright and early to drive down to Mormon Lake and check out all the vendors setting up. Here's the first pic I took in front of the Mormon Lake Lodge


Right after stopping by the Lodge, I headed into the woods to find Quintin, Josh, and Bill (all fellow TacomaWorld members) who camped out the first night. Immediately after hitting dirt I knew it was time to try out my new 3.0s! Found mud instead...




Posing next to Josh @XPOTRPR






Headed out again to find an official camp.










Just before we got back to Mormon Lake we thought the Pelfreys of Pelfreybilt were coming up behind us...


Turns out it was the guys at Team Overland from Oregon rolling in to set up. They were really cool guys and immediately started handing out stickers and talking about how nice it was to see us driving around and exploring!


Since we couldn't get into the Expo a day early we sat out front and watched all the badass rigs drive in, EarthRoamers, Unimogs, and so on....I just lost motor function to pull out a camera.... We ended up finding a nice camp with tons of trees later on, then Cliff from SDHQ @tubbsisland showed up to hang with us for awhile in the #MacNCheese Jeep

 

[TRON]

Overland Expo Continued

I didn't plan on going the first day, but I'm really glad I did! 1 day is simply not enough to take in everything there. As soon as we arrived I kinda went straight for Expedition Overland's new 2016 Tacoma AT Habitat Build!


It was pretty cool getting to meet and talk with Jeff. I recently got my dad hooked on their channel so I made sure to snap a pic for him. Really down to Earth people and sure enough Jeff actually recognized my Tacoma Rinzler while I was showing him pictures on my phone!


A picture you don't see everyday with Sean @Defconbrix in front of his Tacoma


Walking out of the Expo to try and park closer to the main entrance, I found this Gem! #Spotted #0000 @Michael




Found Parking


Someday Adventure from IG showing off their Mil-spec Trailers and huge Powerstroke!


Then we end here on the last day before the party started haha




All packed up and last to leave camp. The old ice chest was later secured and then left next to a dumpster....I did splurge abit at the expo and got myself a new one a Canyon Cooler

 

[JTS2016TACO]

I found your build hey buddy!

 

[TRON]

SDHQ Tundra Bolt-On Rock Sliders

Considering how long this truck is, I knew I needed to protect the underside in case I ever ran into a challenging obstacle like my first trip to Three Feathers on the Chiva Falls trail. SDHQ just happened to be in the process of producing their own bolt-on rock sliders, and were kind enough to offer me first dibs to help bring them to the Tundra market! These things are bolted on using 4 supports along the frame including the body mount, making them exceptionally strong where they're most likely to be dropped on a rock if and when you roll your tire off an obstacle. They're also Tig welded, and built using 4130 2" Chromoly Tubing! With this new addition to Tron, and the upcoming TacomaWorld offroad event in Moab, I had a new boost of confidence and made some last minute changes to my schedule...

















One of my favorite pics to date!

 

[TRON]

T.a.Co. Rock Therapy - Moab, Utah June 2016

In 2015, I made my first trip to Moab, Utah for the TacomaWorld event officially named, T.a.Co. Rock Therapy. Moab reminded us of a much larger scale version of Sedona with all the red rock, and my wife and I fell in love with the breathtaking views, Arches National Park and of course their massive offroad scene! Although, I did create quite abit of doubt and confusion when I showed up to the Top of the World, and Hells Revenge Trails in Rinzler, being a 2wd Tacoma. I managed to get through these trails without issue and once again made Rinzler a name for itself.


Fast forward to 2016, I really had no intention of going to Moab in the midst of all our wedding planning. That was until my fiancée, being the amazing woman she is, plain and simply said, "get outta here!" SDHQ also played a role in my decision to make it happen! With their brand new rock sliders installed, I gained some confidence and decided it was MOAB or BUST!

Moab Bound Friday morning right after a midnight shift...the things we can accomplish when we are too excited for sleep haha


Somewhere in the middle of nowhere......


Utah on the Horizon and the entrance into Monument Valley.


Made excellent time traveling through AZ, so I made sure to hit the same pit stops along the way.


RINZLER


TRON




Money Shot!




Found some dirt roads before leaving Monument Valley. Before my next Moab trip, I definitely need to spend more time there and explore!


This was also the first trip with my Overland Bound #1235 Emblem properly installed the night before I left!








Mexican Hat




Not long after passing through Mexican Hat, I met up with my cousin Andrew @snowtank in his black Tacoma, and convoyed up to Area BFE outside of Moab. We signed in to Rock Therapy and met up with Cliff @tubbsisland and Jason from SDHQ.


Group dinner before the dunes


So glad we made it just in time for the Group Photo at the Dunes!


More to come....

 

[TRON]

Had to steal some photos to show off the rest of the night
Photo Cred from TW: @teamhypoxia

Im at the Bottom heading out to commence #WannaBeTrophyTruck

Phot Cred from TW: @PS78

More to come...

 

[TRON]

T.a.Co. Rock Therapy - Continued

The next morning at BFE I gave Tron a good walk-around and all was good to go, surprisingly I didn't break anything! Definitely wont be hucking my truck anymore since this truck is being built mainly for Overland purposes and eventually Tow Pig duties. With that said it was time to break Tron in, MOAB style! My buddy Ryan brought his Power Wagon and we already made plans to take on Hells Revenge in our full size beasts along with Andrew @snowtank and Nate @natemob in their tacomas Pic Cred: Ryan @RPS1030

Hells we meet again. Pic Cred: Nate @NateMob

Nate's Tacoma behind TRON

Made it to the Hells Gate staging area and met up with another TacomaWorld group led by Billy, owner of BruteForce Fab.


Once we got there it became clear that no one currently present had ever done Hells Gate before...and at first left everyone looking at the initial decent, thinking it was the gate. Little did they know, Hells Gate was down this nasty looking decent, around the bend and back up on the other side. Since I was the only one who had seen this obstacle before, well you may have already guessed it....I was first to go and lead the way! My spotter, Ryan, deserves all the credit though since he had never seen Hells Gate before and yet, got me through the entire obstacle with some minor scuffs on my rock sliders! (Not to mention he spotted 3 more trucks all without fail!)


From my Instagram video. IG: @st3f3ns

HELLS GATE! Nate took pics since my phone began to overheat and wouldn't record, but there is some drone footage floating around on Instagram! IG: @wonger559














Another Angle














More to come...

 

[TRON]

T.a.Co. Rock Therapy - Continued

With Hells Gate Claimed I was walking on water, but I wasn't out of Hells Revenge just yet... I also got a chance to take some more familiar pics!

RINZLER


TRON






















About to drop down Dragon's Tail and caught up with more tacos...




Hells Revenge was soon claimed thereafter and after assessing the damage, I was happy with the outcome and even more satisfied with TRON! I definitely need a new rear plate bumper, something with slightly better clearance, and looking for a swing-out tire gate. SDHQ FTW!


Back at BFE getting ready for the raffle. I was satisfied with my #WannaBeTrophyTruck award from our night at the dunes


To finish off the night I took advantage of a photo op with these almighty Tow Rigs and Toys owned by @jlee and @jberry813






And this concludes my EPIC trip to Moab! TRON will return in 2017

 

[TRON]

Camp Four Hatchet - Mt. Bigelow, AZ June 2016

My wife wanted to get out of the house since she missed Moab with me and we desperately needed to escape the first big heat wave of summer here in Tucson. Without too much thought we packed the truck and headed up Catalina Hwy to Mt. Lemmon, more specifically Mt. Bigelow for a quick weekend camping trip.


I was excited to finally break out my RTT Annex for the very first time!






My brother-in-law joined us on this trip as well in his 96 F-150. He's actually OB# 1300 just hasn't signed up on the forums yet

 

[TRON]

Knoll Lake Camp - Mogollon Rim, AZ July 2016

Unfortunately my bachelor party was postponed, but it all worked out for the better. Instead of 110+ degree weather outside of Phoenix, the fiancée, a couple friends, and I took a trip up to the Mogollon Rim, Northeast of Payson, AZ near Knoll Lake. It was a pretty awesome spot away from the crowd and the weather was beautiful! It did get alittle warm in the afternoon, but only to be cooled off everyday with some light rain. I also took advantage of borrowing a trailer from my father-in-law to be, and towed our 3wheelers out!

Overpacking as always....


First day out was great, just hanging with one of my old high school buddies who was also one of my groomsmen. He even drove that Altima hiding behind the tent to camp But hey it doesn't matter what you drive! I'm pretty sure this trip turned him into an adventure enthusiast like myself since he doesn't get out very often, which was a really cool feeling!


I definitely have too much shit....but hey it made camp comfortable and I like being prepared


Late that night Jamie @JTS2016TACO drove up in his brand new 2016 Tacoma, bringing his girlfriend and my fiancée who had to work late. We quickly got them setup and were ready to fully enjoy the weekend. Starting off brunch right the next day with some frozen margaritas to keep us cool, and the unveiling of our first camping trip with the Coolest Cooler! Even though we waited 2 and a half years for the cooler, I really have nothing bad to say about it! The Coolest Cooler is nothing short of EPIC, which fits right in with my setup


Our little buddy Johnny Cash posing for the camera....if you can find him haha, awesome little camp dog! He's a mini schnauzer.


Monsoons rolling in quick, glad I finally got an EZ-Up








Later on our good friend Jake @Kyouto42 showed up in his Tacoma. Made me miss mine with all his fiberglass.


@JTS2016TACO


Not long after that, Pat @PLC721 and Travis @SuperiorDetail in his Sunset Bronze Mica, showed up making it a Tundra Party! Travis has some photography skills so I stole some of the pics he took for the rest of the day.






My badass Fiancée and her '86 200X, then myself on my '86 350X




Couldn't have asked for a better weekend! Last one heading out of camp.


And finally the end of an awesome weekend from the Rim's edge




My better half and I.

 

[Michael]

Overland Expo Continued

I didn't plan on going the first day, but I'm really glad I did! 1 day is simply not enough to take in everything there. As soon as we arrived I kinda went straight for Expedition Overland's new 2016 Tacoma AT Habitat Build!


It was pretty cool getting to meet and talk with Jeff. I recently got my dad hooked on their channel so I made sure to snap a pic for him. Really down to Earth people and sure enough Jeff actually recognized my Tacoma Rinzler while I was showing him pictures on my phone!


A picture you don't see everyday with Sean @Defconbrix in front of his Tacoma


Walking out of the Expo to try and park closer to the main entrance, I found this Gem! #Spotted #0000 @Michael




Found Parking


Someday Adventure from IG showing off their Mil-spec Trailers and huge Powerstroke!


Then we end here on the last day before the party started haha




All packed up and last to leave camp. The old ice chest was later secured and then left next to a dumpster....I did splurge abit at the expo and got myself a new one a Canyon Cooler

;) awesome!

 

[JTS2016TACO]

I always love your story telling :)

 

[Vyscera]

There's an awful lot of squat with that trailer hitched up. Looks like it's nose down. You probably need to flip that ball mount over or get a straight mount. Or if you keep the 3-wheelers centered on the trailer axle you'll reduce the tongue weight.

 

[TRON]

There's an awful lot of squat with that trailer hitched up. Looks like it's nose down. You probably need to flip that ball mount over or get a straight mount. Or if you keep the 3-wheelers centered on the trailer axle you'll reduce the tongue weight.

These Toyota springs are a joke actually, already have reverse arch in them... I got my eyes set on a nice pair of deaver heavy duty leaf springs to properly lift the rear and handle the weight of my gear and a trailer. I'll admit that was my first time towing the toys so ill definitely keep that in mind if we take em out soon haha, thanks for the tip

 

[TRON]

Four Till Four "Coffee and Trucks" Meet
Every now and then it's fun to meet locally to chat about big adventures to come or just talk about trucks and our new modifications. This time we met for coffee in Scottsdale, AZ at Four Till Four, and big thanks to @DefconBrix for some awesome shots with his badass camera!

An EPIC DUO!

Just like old times


and here's what I got from the Four Till Four meet

 

[TRON]

I always love your story telling :)

I have the longest midnight shifts so it allows for plenty of story telling haha

 

[TRON]

Posted my Overland Route to Mount Graham HERE but I'll keep it in my build as well!