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Yep, the ultra grey, was happy with it last time, seems to have sealed perfectly this time as well
Bought a new battery yesterday, and a digital multimeter which was 70% off.
Alternator is charging well and the bearing spins smooth, put the battery in, everything is good.
Been looking around for a winch line retainer (little nylon strap that keeps the line from free spooling too far out). Once I find one, bumper and winch are coming out, sanding and prepping for paint. Really wanted to go with an oem landcruiser colour, galactic grey mica but figured with the way bugs explode all over the pretty much vertical plate and since I use the top flat part as a table for tools I’d make do with regular flat grey.
After painting the bumper I’ll be mounting my homemade skids after I clean up the edges and paint them black to match my frame :). Really wish I could afford the front skid and T case skid from skid row as my front splash guard is pretty mangled but still usable. I could then modify my trans and oil pan/front diff skid to work with them and everything in terms of underbody protection would be complete. http://www.skidrowoffroad.com/product-category/toyota/toyota-tundra-1999-2006/skid-plates-toyota-tundra-1999-2006/
Update
Quick rewind back to September, turned out the rear third member I swapped in from the frame donor truck had a bad pinion bearing which was really annoying but it got me through the winter.
Also ordered and installed a new black hawse fairlead and a larger(safer) warn hook.
So I decided against a factor 55 prolink or flatlink+d shackle for a few reasons. 1. The hook I ordered easily fits both ends of my tree saver strap(or any size strap) for winch purposes, 2. when pulling someone out who doesn’t have a winch(or broken winch) but has an offroad bumper with snatch points for d shackles you’d have to use 2 d shackles together( unless you have a flatlink E version) rather than a hook and shackle 3. less expensive , 4. generally more versatile and one less d shackle when using a winch extension strap
Spring arrives
Long story short, planned to get the third member I took out rebuilt with new bearings, upon closer inspection there was nothing wrong with it, I suspect it was rebuilt at Toyota by the previous owner at around 300000km. So I put it back in and it’s just as silent as it was before.
Finally after a good year or so, mounted the top of the snorkel to the A-pillar
Today, figured I’d relax and make the custom switch panel I had in mind to fill in the gap under my single din radio.
First mockup
Time to test fit the dash
happy with the fit, now just put the other switches in
Ran the high-speed usb charger, aux cord and, hands-free speaker into the glovebox for less rats nesting
Very pleased with the finished look, kinda fighter jet style
Sooooo, when I win the lottery the switches will control from left to right, fog lights, aux 10-inch light bar, compressor, rear locker, and front locker for the red switch
Also painted the bumper black
Oh yeah, about two weeks ago
Other misc things, gas tank was leaking so I ordered a new one from rockauto as well as a new oem fuel pump and strainer
new fuel pump and strainer installed
gas tank painted and installed
Note: I’ve got the bed removal down to about an hour and 20 minutes
Also gave in and put a new PS pump in, couldn’t take the wining anymore, that plus the bad pinion bearings was extremely annoying.
Made up some drivetrain breathers about a month ag0( trans, t-case, front diff, and A.D.D actuator)
Rear diff breather is still behind the driver tail light
I’ve had new tires on for about 4 months. I’ve been researching tires for probably the last 2 years and narrowed down my choices to the KM3, geolandar Mt goo3, and general X3s. I went with the geolandars in the end, I think they’ll last the longest(stiffer compound) and for our trail conditions are better than the km3s. I think the km3s shine better in drier environments and have heard they don’t last very long. I think the grabber X3s are also a good tire but in the end went with the geolandars because I read some reviews that they were surprisingly quiet at highway speeds, which actually turned out to be true. Oh and I decided I’m sticking to 285/75/16. 315’s even with the correct wheels (3.5″ backspacing) require footwell modifications to get full up-travel. I also think 35’s are the absolute limit for the 7.5 hp ifs, especially with v8 power. Not to mention ideally 4.56 gears, and since my front diff is newer from the truck donor frame swap and the rear is quiet, I’d ideally like to get 2 or 3 years out of these gears before I switch to nitro 4.56 and front and rear ARB’S $$, Maybe by then I’ll actually be able to afford them as well, lol. I also want to become a better driver and I think lockers make bad line choices work etc
You’re probably thinking why not go sas. Here are my reasons for sticking to the ifs. Cost of a proper sas, a lot$. Ride comfort for long journeys, repairability when far from home, already have a new frame, lower control arms, front coil overs, steering rack, and high quality inner and outer tie rod ends.
I think if I were to build a serious rig, I’d start with something thats already solid axle, and the only reason I’m planning on getting a front locker is that I’m already paying the labour to install the gears so it makes sense.
I’ve been saving up for skid plates all summer long, and since I’m sticking with ifs, I decided full underbody protection would give me peace of mind, more capability(sliding over obstacles) and also make servicing and doing oil changes easier so I ordered a full assortment skid plate set, front skid, oil pan, transmission and T case(shipped them to CBI). Don’t think anyone makes a gas tank skid and I don’t think its really necessary as the gas tank sits flush with the bottom of the frame. Coming up to my first oil change soon and won’t have to remove jerry-rigged homemade skids every time I change my oil and filter. There’s also cutouts to service the trans and t case.
I don’t have any photos of them yet, I’ll try and get some this week
I finally got to air down this past weekend see how the truck works with the new tires and skids, unfortunately (or fortunately) didn’t touch the skids on any rocks yet, pushed a bit of mud though. First impressions of the tires off-road, very happy, these things grip like glue. It was raining so I thought I’d explore a bit rather than fish my usual spot. I went into shoelace lake trail from the north end. I aired down to 20psi, made it literally all the way to the atv access without spinning a tire or reversing. Made breakfast on the tailgate, drove down the access fished for 1.5 hours on my kayak(no fish). Packed up and headed back to where my tent was set up at camp. Some observations about the tires, sidewalls are super strong, next time I’m airing down to 15psi which I think will be perfect.
Very pleased with how the truck works, drives, capability, versatility.
I think the only thing left on the list apart from gears/lockers is maybe a fridge and folding portable solar panel. (PS Yes, I know I don’t have sliders yet. If the cab and box were in better shape, I’d have probably held off on the tires and got sliders first). Kind of nice not having to worry about paint and dents though, just point and shoot, lol
^Breakfast stop before hitting the access to the lake
Good choice for tires. We picked up 34’s for M’s Tundra – 305/something R18. Little bit of rubbing on the mud guard with the RTX rims, which stick out about 1.5″ from stock.
I like the 285’s on my Tacoma. I’ll probably go with that size for my new Taco as well.
As for skids – as long as you pick your lines, you don’t need ’em.
So turns out non-oem center bearings are not the right move. After some research, I found out the oem spicer part number for my truck and found the part on amazon for $56. Apparently the “donut hardness” is what causes the cheaper, cough, $90 one to fail.
Installed
Attachments:
A friend notified me of a bed that was at a yard up in Pembroke last year. With my bed full of large holes(lost my stanley tape measure) and my wheel wells rusting out I had no choice but to buy it. Lucky for me the shipping cost to get it down here was outrageous so it was still there after so long. The only way for me to get it down here was to rent a car hauler and go pick it up.
Took the cap off and removed the bed, once again the cheap harbor freight hoist saving the day. Spent a few hours scraping surface rust underneath between the bed floor and cross braces and got to use up all my various spray cans of primer, rust primer, rust paint, self-etching primer… you get the deal. Also, the mount for the fill tube for the gas tank isn’t broken so anybody can fill the tank, lol. Also, put some foam between the bed rails and cap which is nice. The bed also came with spray in line-x. The bed also came with an unpainted new fuel door, lucky for me I had a can of dupli color 056 white.
Thanks! I’m pretty happy with the bed.
Latest changes to the truck include a new rad, thermostat, window visors and new 130amp alternator which has been sitting behind my seat for quite some time.
Bit of an interesting problem, my radiator failed a few weeks back on a fishing trip. Was driving along, my transmission fluid was being pumped into my coolant which naturally started blowing out my overflow tank. Left camp around 6:30 pm (unaware of the imminent peril ahead) to go and get firewood down the road, missed the trail entrance so I put the truck in reverse, nothing, barely no drive reversed 30 feet and pulled into the trail.I new something was really wrong. Looked under the truck, everything was covered with trans fluid, luckily not my manifolds. With only 1/2 litre of trans fluid I locked the truck and walked back to camp. Lucky for me I called Muskoka Auto Parts the next day and they delivered me transmission fluid, coolant and everything I thought I’d need to bypass the trans cooler in the rad to get home. Made it home without issue.
So when I got home I ordered a new rad, had a new thermostat and gasket in the garage which I didn’t install before Moab when I did the timing belt/ water pump.
Got the rad changed, new thermostat, all was well until the most recent fishing trip. No word of a lie as I was leaving the exact same place I get firewood from I lose all gauges, turn on high beams, high beams really dim, alternator!. I turn off everything, radio, lights, unplug phone chargers and make it back to camp on battery. The next morning changed the alternator and made it onto the lake by 5pm. Just enough time to get some fish.
I really wonder how old this alternator is, its an oem Toyota Denso and the alternator that was on the truck when I got it but it must have been replaced at the dealer at some point, I can’t believe I got 130,000km out of it through mud and water.– New window visors, stick-on style, can’t believe Ive gone so long without some
– The ruined and partially seized alternator
– tasty fish– The new rad
– ruined alternator
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