4x4 DBL Cab Tacoma Build

[jonsangel]

No turning back. Sold the motor and bought a stroker kit for the new motor....oh and cut off my frame

I'm going to start spending a lot of time on this beast so I should start having routine updates again

Xxxx
I'm building my own kit and keeping 4wd. I'm using toyota solid axle snout and hubs to base my spindle. I'll use a custom stub axle so I can use a 930 non-plunging outer, inner will be a plunging 930. front diff will be from a supra. I want to push the motor back and the suspension forward. I'll base all the mounts off of some kind of bulkhead to keep things symmetric and square. I dont have enough parts to start the design. Getting the 4wd components and buttoning up the motor are my main priorities right now...after I finish the cab repair

Xxxx

ahhh, now I follow you. I didn't know that was called the coast side. The diff will be pointing in the opposite direction so it would be running on the backside of the gears. I'm hoping getting reverse cut gears is an option. I picked up the diff on sunday. It's from a 91 MKIII Turbo'd Supra. It's a 8" with LSD. The distance between the flanges is just over 10". A 930 will fit inside the bolt pattern of the flanges so I can just make an adapter plate to convert the bolt patterns. The only thing I'm worried about is how the drive shaft is going to go from the transfer case to the diff. It will want to cut straight through the oil pan

Xxxx

Got some modeling done tonight. My goal was to keep my rims and brakes. Right now I have to use a 0.50" wheel spacer because my rims hit the caliper. The new hubs allow me to bolt a disc to the backside. I'm going to get custom rotors (Brake Rotor, 1.06 / 1 1/4, Directional Vane 32) and have an adapter/spacer (grey) to go from the hub (red) to the rotor (orange). This will pull my wheel in 0.75" from what they are now. sweeetttt

Here's a cut view. The stub axle (yellow) and snout block (purple) aren't finished yet

Xxxx
Picked up the GTO LS1. Pretty stoked

Can't wait to fire this thing up. I'm going to go with a TH400. Once I get that and transfer case I can start designing the suspension

Xxxx


I'm looking for a flexplate, torque converter, TH400, and a Ford NP2055 if anyone is looking to sell

EDIT: I'm specifically looking for a conversion flexplate to go from an LS1 to a normal GM torque convertor pattern like this, http://www.speedwaymotors.com/TCI-A...ine-to-GM-Auto-Transmission-Adapter,8701.html or this http://www.summitracing.com/oh/parts/add-712500a/overview/make/chevrolet

Xxxx
the 241 is going to be ~50 lbs lighter but it's also chain vs gear and an aluminum case. I'll be running 37s and I do some crawling every now and again so I'm not sure if I want that sacrafice

Xxxx
Called comp cam and this is what they recommended with my setup. XR269. They said it would work with my stock springs so I'm only changing out the cam

Then called TCI and this is what they recommended. 12" Maximizer Street with a 2200 rpm stall

Xxxx
I finally acquired a chop saw haha. I've had a CNC plasma and Tig welder before I've owned a chop saw.

I did some more research and made some phone calls on the NP241 and I am going to go that route. It came stock behind the TH400 so it will be much easier to match up. A lot of the weakness of the case is due to the driveshafts plunging into it but both my shafts will be two piece so this wont be an issue. I'm going to buy a tranny by the end of the day and put my cam/90k order in with summit as well. slowly progressing

Xxxx
Gotta keep that motivation alive! I've been traveling a lot for work so I haven't been able to spend as much time on this as I'd like. The suspension is slowly coming together. I just received my brakes so that allowed me to lock down my spindle geometery. I went with wilwood superlite 6R radial mount calipers and a 14x 1.25 rotor. They look massive My solid model is starting to take shape but most of the components are just floating in space. Now that the spindle is locked in I can finish the arm geometry. I'll post up my rough numbers in the next few days
Xxxx
The geometry is getting pretty dialed, probably 95% there. I'll do the final tweaks this week then I can start on the actual design of the arms. I was able to get a lot more travel than I was initially expecting without making too many sacrifices. I'm getting pretty eager to finish the design stage and start the build stage

Xxxx
The diff is 10.3 flange to flange so center to center is about 13". I need to make a custom adapter to go from the flange to 930 but it shouldn't change more than 1/8" from that. I assumed 30 degrees of steering (max angle of uniball) and 25 degrees at droop gives 38*. a fixed RCV joint is good for 40-45*. I haven't really done much for steering yet. The sketch of the steering is arbitrary right now. That is someone independent of the suspension geometry so i havent started it yet. I will cant the uniballs a few degrees for ackerman though

Xxxx
I finalized my numbers. I wanted to reduce my track width which made me gain some wheel scrub but I think I'll still be fine.

With the geometry set I could start work on the bulkhead. It's far from finished but at least it's starting to take shape

 

[jonsangel]

Lower arms are coming together but still along ways from being done

Xxxx
haven't had an update in a really long time but I've been cranking away for sureMy modeling was about 99% done until I started working on the steering and showed the tire. Pretty substantial interference...

http://s692.photobucket.com/user/jonsangel_01/media/2016-02-09_zpsxda7wnio.png.html
but I worked on it last night and found a new upper arm shape that will work. I didn't mess with the shock position at all but I'm positive I can move them back a little so the cutout on the inside of the upper arm isn't as big

Here is the lower arm which is 100% done unless I end up switching the bypass and coilover to gain more clearance for the upper
Spindle is also 100% done except I need to locate the steering tab vertically. The tie rod hits the frame at bump right now so I need to drop it a hair

The swinger geometry is dialed to where I'm getting 1/16" of bumpsteer. The actual design needs some work though. I'm hoping the bumpstop isnt sticking through my hood haha

Bump

Ride Height

Droop

Random pick of the drivetrain. Right now the driveshaft interferes with the tranny pan. I could clock the transfer case a hair and it would only require a small notch out of the pan but it my be easier to just do a two piece
In other news, I finished up my welding/Jig Table

I picked up 37's. They look massive...but so did 35's for the first month haha
I picked out a new color scheme and powder coated my wheels. I'm stoked on how it turned out

I'm starting to get some machine pieces in which allowed me to check my rim/caliper clearance which I've been super worried about. It's going to work great. The brakes are massive. It's going to looks sexy when it's all together

http://s692.photobucket.com/user/jonsangel_01/media/20160217_181639_zpsqox4aj4q.jpg.html



I ordered all the hardware for the arms. I decided to do ruffstuff for the inside arm pivtos. We'll see how they last. spindle pivots and steering are FK.

 

[jonsangel]

I pulled the dash and everything underneath it. My plan is to run a standalone climate control dealio instead of the massive stock one. I'll also be running my own wiring for everything. As of now the stock dash is going back in
The motor is also rebuilt with a new cam, cam bearings, springs, etc. I'll take pics of that sometime. It looks brand new now.I should be cutting metal for the suspension sometime in March. The cage and cab should also be fixed by the end of March. It feels good to be constantly working on her again and seeing the progress!

To be honest I kind of just threw the lower arm spread in there and got lucky. At the time I knew it should be somewhere around the inner pivot because the outer pivot was almost on the SAI. I also had no clue where my outer pivot was going to be since I hadn't picked the outer stub/CV. I wasn't too concerned because the plunging 930 was good for 1.5" of plunge and I knew I wasn't going to be close to that. After I chose everything and put it in the model I had under 1/4" of plunge. What I ended up doing was the stock toyota outers (http://www.rcvperformance.com/product-details.aspx?sku=CVJ2851M) which is a 30 spline, chromoly, and good for 40 degrees. I'm using a plunging 930 inner (http://www.rcvperformance.com/product-details.aspx?sku=301174HF-28) and RCV can just replace the inner star to make it a 30 spline. Now I just need need a custom length 30 spline axle. This route was much less expensive than doing some kind of custom stub axle which i was originally planning to do. My only worry is sand getting into the wheel bearings because there really isnt a seal (that I'm aware of) of the back side for the axle.


not a big update but I got these fabricated. They're 1.5" each so the width will be little closer to the front. The axle is a FF so I'm not too worried about the extra stress on the bearings. As far as the lug stress goes I made them hub centric so the snout takes the load. The rims used to be lug centric before the spacer

Xxxx
Got the rear wheels mounted. That extra width really made a difference

 

[jonsangel]

Threw this together over the weekend for my parents. Came out pretty nice but I'm glad it's done so I can focus on the truck

Xxxx
I've been working just really slow... I'm way busy in life now than I was the first time building the truck. I'm considering hiring someone to help me out to get this done quicker and keep my motivation up. If you know anyone that may be interested message me. Anyway, I've got the steering pretty much nailed down. I basically just need to finish design the bulkhead before I'm ready to cut.

Upper arm

Cycle

Steering

It's crazy how similar Armada's design was to mine. I've never seen anyone put their swinger in the bulkhead before I did mine. Armada is one of my favorite shops so I'll take it as a sign that I'm doing something right lolhttps://www.facebook.com/dave.ventura.927/posts/10208754094241939And random wedding gift I made. I'm pretty happy with how it came out


Xxxx
I haven't posted on here in awhile but I'm still chugging along

Finished the Spindle

 

[jonsangel]

Almost done with the Upper. Still need to finish boxing it in

Everything has been going together surprisingly well. I should be fabing up the lower soon then I'll be able to cycle it. Probably should have cycled it before I fully welded it but I was excited to be fabricating again lol

Xxxx
yesssss!!!!!! Thank you so much for that. I only post from a computer so that's easy

The rotor adapter profile and holes were waterjet but I had to have a step machined in to create clearance for the bolt heads. The waterjet just did a pilot hole for the tap drill for the tapped holes. The clearance is pretty close. I guess if my snout bolts come loose the grinding noise will let me know haha.

Xxxx
Took the last month off for work/vacation but got a little more progress last night

Xxxx
For Record keeping...
Drivetrain Specs

Motor:
5.7L LS1, 2004 Pontiac GTO
Cam - Compcam 54-414-11
LS6 Intake
Headers TBD

Transmission:
TH400
heavy duty reid case, 300m shafts, billet hub, reverse manual valvebody, rollerized

Rear Axle:
Ford 9" Full Floater, Cone Industry Grand National 30 hubs, 31 spline, detroit locker, 5.29 gears

Torque Coverter: TBD
Transfer Case: NP241 with fixed yoke
Front Differential: 8.4" 91 MKIII Turbo'd Supra with LSD and reverse cut gears
Xxxx

I'm going to redo my rear driveshaft and I have a toyota conversion flange on the 3rd member. I'm going to replace that with a yoke. Should I go with 1310, 1330, or 1350 yoke? On the transfer case side I'm going to use this SYE but it's only available in 1310 and 1350 (http://www.jbconversions.com/products/sye/np241c_std_sye.php).


Xxxx

4x4 dbl cab tacoma build | Page 23 | DezertRangers

Gathered a few more parts. I had oceanside converter build me one a torque converter. They start with a powerglide, open it up, beef it up, then weld it back together. Super good deal. This is the flexplate I went with http://www.turnkeyenginesupply.com/p...Flexplate.html.

Decided to do a mock up of the lower so I can cycle and check geometry. That thing is going to be massive. I should be able to cycle this week and then I can order the passenger side stuff as well

And the mock up of the frame

Xxxx

Finally got a chance to cycle the suspension and it's pretty damn close to the CAD. I put the wrong hole size in the upper arm where the spindle attaches (7/8 instead of 3/4) so I need to put some weld washers in there and I think that will put the camber right on point. It's within 0.5 degrees anyway though. I tried rotating the uniball on the spindle so that the inside tire gets a few more degrees of steering than the outside but the inside gets 2 degrees less. I'm sure I rotated the cup in the right direction so I'm not sure what's going on. It could just be I wasn't pushing the spindle all the way to the sides or the slop in the upper arm pivot i mentioned earlier. Not a big deal but not as I'd planned. now for pics!

Droop. -8.0": Target 3.0 deg, Actual 2.9 deg

Ride Height. 0.0": Target 1.0 deg, Actual 1.3 deg

Bump. +12.0": Target 6.0 deg, Actual 6.4 deg

Castor. Target 5.8 deg, Actual 5.8 deg

Started to weld the bottom of the upper arm but ran out of gas

 

[jonsangel]

Now that I checked the geometry and I'm happy with everything I'm going to order the dside lower and the pside upper and spindle. I'm also going to start making the bulkhead as well. I should start coming together pretty quickly now!
Xxxx

I watched a tutorial on my welder and saw how to use the pulse setting. That makes welding so much easier! It's kind of like relearning to weld but I think the welds are going to start coming out cleaner after some more practice

I finish my upper arm over the weekend. Pretty happy with it. My plan is to order the d-side lower and the p-side upper and spindle this week. I'll make the bulkhead plates with my plasma at home. It's about 80% designed right now

Xxxx

Finally got the rollcage fixed! it sticks just slightly farther out than the original one but I think it'll be fine. I tried getting the sheet metal back in but I gave up. I'm going to try and hire someone to do it. She'll hold

And got the bulkhead started. I did a super shitty mockup of the steering and it looks like it should work. It's going to start looking like a truck soon.

And I had a little accident in the garage. I was chasing a 3/4" hole that I had cut on the plasma on one of the bigger bulkhead plates. As the drill was breaking through the plate it caught a burr and ripped it out of the vise. The plate spun up and caught me just below the eye. I was wearing safety glasses but it didn't cover the part that got hit. Only got three stitches but it gave me some hairline fractures around my eye socket. First black eye. The color got much worse after that picture

Xxxx
4x4 dbl cab tacoma build | Page 24 | DezertRangers

Getting the lower arm together pretty quick. Just need to box in the sides and do the cup wraps

I'm also getting the steering pivots/bushings made this week so the steering should start coming together this weekend. I should be able to start the front diff mounting. I was waiting on hardware that came in

 

[jonsangel]

This thing is going to be sexy when it's done if I dont say so myself. Ran out of Argon but should be able to finish it completely tonight or tomorrow

got the steering pivots made as well

Xxxx

Finished the lower! Pretty happy with how it came out. I need to make some tweaks to the files for the passenger side but went together nicely overall. Fit it up with the rest of the suspension. I didn't have snap ring pliers to take out the weld pucks on the lower mounts so I couldn't attach it to the frame yet. Should be able to do that this week and cycle everything again

I also started the steering. I was worried about being able to make everything square so things didn't rub but it went together alright... with a lot of effort. I was hoping that I could just leave a gap between the steering spreader that swings back and forth and the bulkhead but I think it's going to deflect too much and want to rub so I'll probably through in a delrin sheet that it can slide on. But it looks like everything is going to work out

it's going to be pretty slow progress from here since I'm gone every weekend for the next few months

Xxxx
Still cranking away. Got the passenger side spindle done. I need to find a new place by the end of july so I'm really trying to push to get this thing rolling before then

looking for some help in the garage if anyone is looking to make a few bucks. message me if you're interested

Xxxx


I wish... I ended up having to move in August and that put everything to a halt. My new place didn't have a 220 in the garage so I had to put in which slowed things down. I just got the welders hooked up two weeks ago so I'm finally making progress again. I realized I welded the uniball cup backwards on the D-side lower so I had to cut that out and weld it back in. I was so mad at myself.

I got the P-side upper finished last week

I just need to make the P-side lower before I can start welding up the bulkhead. Once the bulkhead is welded I can stick that to the original frame and then it'll be a roller. That shouldn't be too far away

Xxxx

Starting 2018 on the right foot with a HUGE bump. First, and untruck related, I made a sign for my gf's parents. She drew it up and I cut it out on the plasma. I colored the cactus and mountains with a torch

Cab is finally coming together. I hate bodywork. I'm really worried it's not going to be straight enough for the windshield. I might end up cutting the corner off a different cab

 

[jonsangel]

Making the P-side Lower

Now that all the suspension is welded up I can throw it all together and cycle everything. It's finally starting to look like something!!! The garage is getting really crowded making this off the truck

Cycling the suspension. It's cycling over 20" but I'll bump and strap it at 20". The camber was on point with what I wanted.

Droop

Ride Height

Bump

Full Lock. I think I can get a few more degrees if I machine the misalignment spacers a little more. It's at 30 degrees in the pic

The CV fits in there nice and snug. I can probably figure out the length of the axles now and see how much plunge I'm getting

Front Diff Mounting

Now that I'm happy with the suspension I can start welding up the frame. After that I'll finalize the steering. After that I can mount the motor. That's the last step before I can start fitting it up to the truck. It's so rewarding to see it all coming together after all this time. The suspension was such a big bottle neck in the progress. I'm hoping it starts coming together pretty fast now. Overall everything has been going together better than I expected. Other than welding the lower arm uniball cups backwards everything has been great. Hopefully it keeps going that way

 

[jonsangel]

Thanks everyone! I'm glad to be making progress again.
I looove having a cnc plasma. It makes things so much easier and faster

I started boxing in the frame. I need to turn it upside down to finish

I'm hoping to have the motor mounted this week

Xxxx

Finished Boxing in the frame now. I should be able to mount the motor now and move to the steering

Xxxx
Small update. Started making the motor mounts.

I'm ordering the rest of the steering stuff this week. I'm going 3/4 inner and 7/8 outer heim. Both will use a 5/8" bolt for the misalignment. It'll be 1.25 DOM with a 1.5" sleeve for the outer bung.

Xxxx
I ordered all the steering components and started mocking everything up. Everything should get here by the weekend. Does anyone have an extra pitman arm? I also need a u-joint for the steering box input, anyone have one or know where i can get one? or any steering components for that matter
I'm not sure exactly where i want to put the box. I might end up moving it higher and towards the frame. I need whatever joint that's going on the input to check for clearance

Xxxx
Thanks for the links!
The steering box I got says 31 splines. I don't see any u-joints for that spline. It's coming in the mail today so I'll verify what it is.
http://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=31210&cc=1048755&jsn=14

Xxxx
The box came in and I was able to get a pitman arm off craigslist. The pitman came off a stock 2004 Jeep TJ. I moved the box up and closer to the frame which will let me make the drag link a little longer. The U-joint I need only has an OD of 1.25" so it doesn't need much clearance. The output of the box is 1.25" and has 4 sets of 8 splines with 4 indexing teeth. The input is a 13/16 x 36. The spec says 31 because there is a flat in it which removed 5 of the teeth. confusing. I need to get the motor and headers in before i get too far on the steering anyway. it'll have a tricky routing

This gets really tedious when you have to build so many of the subsystems from scratch. I should start making a list of how many cars/trucks my truck is made out of. I'm approaching 10 and will probably be above that by the time this is together

 

[jonsangel]

I got the tie rods in

I'm trying to figure out now if I want to raise the box up so I can push it closer to the frame. I would need to raise it about 1.5". The stock arm has around a 1" drop. They make drop pitman arms so i guess it shouldn't be a problem

Xxxx
Got the steering all mocked up. I lost a little steering from not adjusting the uniballs on the spindle for caster. I'm still getting a total of 30 degrees each way which should be fine. The akerman worked out so my inside tire is turning about 2 degrees more than the outside tire. It's going to get interesting running the steering shaft. I'm pretty sure it's going to have to run through the motor mount. Next is mounting the motor so I'll get to figure out that puzzle soon<p>

Xxxx
^^^ That's definitely an interesting setup. I think I might get lucky with the steering. I really need to find/buy headers so i can check for clearance.<p>
<p>
I got the motor in place. The pulley isn't all the way on FYI. It's sitting a hair higher than what I had in the model. <p>

<p>

<p>
The tab for the power steering pump was in the way of the steering shaft and I have to relocate it anyway so I cut it off<p>

<p>

<p>
The drivers side motor mount is going to be a little tricky <p>

<p>

<p>
I'm hoping to have the motor in place tonight with the mounts. Then I want to start the motor to make sure everything is good before I put the frame in. I can't wait for that

Xxxx
Nothing better than loading a fresh plate into the plasma

I found some headers that will work with the steering

I got the UCA mounts, steering swinger pivots, motor mounts fully welded, and the frame boxed. I just need to the steering box mount and a few more welds and I'll be ready to fit the bulkhead up to the original frame and see how much of the firewall I need to cut out.

 

[jonsangel]

I finished up welding the steering swinger and spreader. I'm pretty sure they didn't twist surprisingly

And I got the bulkhead welded to the frame. I've been dreading this since i started building. I took my time lining it up and it should be pretty spot on. The height of the bulkhead i took from the model but I set my cab height by asking a few other Taco's how high their frame sat at ride ride height and matched that.

xxxx
4x4 dbl cab tacoma build | Page 26 | DezertRangers

It got a bit overwhelming putting the motor in. I started to cut metal and i kept having to cut in order to get everything to fit. The drive train sits higher in the cab than I was expecting so I had to cut quite a bit of the floor out. I also ended angling the motor down like 4 degrees. I probably should have put the new bulkhead in at a few degree angle too but I think this will be fine. Now that I have the new floor in it seems a little bit more manageable getting this thing back together.

Started the firewall. I gotta figure out what to use for thermal insulation since it's so close to the headers.

 

[jonsangel]

And big shout out to Emilio for hooking it up with a new A-pillar. This is going to make getting the cab back together so much easier

I also bought some the bypasses from him. 3.0x12, 3 tube

Next is finishing the firewall then I can start the engine cage. She'll be on her feet soon!

Xxxx
Luckily I only had the motor mounts tack welded on the frame side. it's fully welded on the frame side. Kind of hard to explain but i had the motor mount bolt going through just the front side so the motor could pivot about the plate. When i got the motor where i wanted I cut off the back plate. I bent it and cut it about 3/16" shorter. I welded it back in place. Then I put a bolt through the backside and took the bolt out of the front. I just had to bend the front plate. Not sure if any of that makes sense. I'll take a pic.

The a pillar got all smashed up in the roll and i had to cut it out when i fixed the cage. I tried bending it back and could never get things to line back up when i went to put it back in. so I got that new grey section in the picture
Xxxx
I moved to LA and am just now finally getting the garage setup. This garage is a lot smaller but at least I have a garage in LA. I made some temporary shocks in order to get the thing on the trailer but that was it's first time rolling on it's own weight in years.

I don't think I posted these pics of the steering. It's going to be tiiighhhttt. I'm worried it's going to be in the way of the pedals. We'll see

The most recent stuff. Set up the bender with the pneumatic ram. It goes into the hitch on the truck

Started the drive train tunnel. All the covers will be removable. I'll build a center console over this so you probably wont see it at all

And started the transmission mount/crossmember

Next up is sort out the steering and pedal clearance. Then firewall and tunnel. It feels good to be working again though. Progress pics should be much more frequent now. If anyone knows and LS motor guys in the LA area I could probably use some help buttoning up this motor

Xxxx
Figured out a new routing for the steering last night. This will give space for the pedals which was my big concern. Hopefully the joint does ok with the heat...

Xxxx
Right angle FTW! I had bought brand new wires awhile back but they were straight off the plug. They wouldn't have even worked with these headers let alone the steering shaft. Good call

Xxxx

Got the tranny mounted

I'm going to try and use the stock steering column. Looks like everything should line up. It looks like I'll be able to use the stock brake pedal and keep the brake booster which I'm really happy about. Hopefully I don't have to get a new master cylinder for the bigger front calipers

 

[jonsangel]

Still making slow progress. I finally opened my harbor freight bead roller I've had in the box for about a year. Stiffened it up and motorized it with an old motor I had lying around. I used a sewing machine pedal to control the speed. The setup works surprisingly well

I made kind of a quick mount for the bigger tools I have on the welding table. Bender, bead roller, and vice

I decided to use these rivet nuts to hold on all the removable panels. I think it will work better than the speed nuts i was planning to use.

Started all the paneling and messing around with the bead roller

I'm just about done with the firewall so I can move on to the engine cage and buttoning up the motor. I've been putting off the motor because that's one thing I have no clue what I'm doing on haha. I'm sure it'll work itself out.

 

[jonsangel]

figured out the steering

Xxxx
The firewall is finally done! That took way longer than expected.

Shifting my efforts to the front which should be more fun. Got the major stuff laid out in solidworks. Hopefully I'll get back in the garage in the next few weeks

Xxxx
It's been awhile since I've been on here. It's unfortunate photobucket took a shit. Once they get back online I'll go back and fix the pics.

I ended up having to redo a ton of work. After I finished the firewall I mounted the seat and pedals and it felt super awkward because the pedals were shifted so far to the side. I ended up pushing my motor forward so that I can make the tranny tunnel narrower which allowed me to shift my pedals back to a comfortable position. It's pretty frustrating having to redo all that work but better now and not regret it later. The new firewall is about done and I've cut the old motor mounts, tranny mounts, and steering box mount out. I should have it all remounted in the next month. Enough with the words, more pics

Pulled the motor to button everything up and figure out accessories. I got this alt relocation bracket from dirty dingo. It's going to be a tight fit in the little taco's engine bay

I rebuilt the transfer case and added a slip yoke eliminator from JB Conversions. I plan to put a toyota flange on it to keep my driveshaft the same

In moving the motor, I had to push the steering box forward. I was thinking about doing an intermediate swinger (in blue) between the steering box and steering swinger. I can't think of a reason why this wouldn't work other than it's more parts to break. It allows the pitman arm to be completely horizontal which should reduce the loading on the box. Anyone have any thoughts?

xxxx

4x4 dbl cab tacoma build | Page 27 | DezertRangers

Started the engine cage. Finally some fun work. The motor is sitting way lower than I expected but i guess that's a good thing

I also started remocking up the steering shafts

 

[jonsangel]

Made a little more progress on the engine cage. I'm hoping to get the shock mounts mocked up tomorrow

Xxxx

Got the shock mount mocked up. The bypass I have has too long of an eyelet so I need to change it out so I can cycle both shocks but the coilover seems to be in the correct position. It's cycling a tad over 20" so that's still looking like a good number

Xxxx
Got the drivers side shock mounts done! staying at home has an upside. I should be able to knock out the passenger side this week and she'll officially be a roller

Got the passenger side done

Pretty big milestone. First time on her wheels in almost 5 years. Crazy how long it's been

Finishing up the steering is next



Xxxx

The bump stops are going between the two shock mounts so that will tie the two together. The engine cage will get a x in the front and a crossmember between the shock mounts. There will also be more gusseting between the shock mounts and cage to spread the load. I'm going to try and get another down tube from the shock mounts to the frame but space is tight. Once I get the steering shaft in there I can figure that out. My last engine cage cracked without that tube so I really want to try and fit that.

All the feedback is much appreciated! Thanks

Xxxx
something like this for the bump mount

Xxxx
Got the steering shaft in there. I hope that heim is big enough lol. It's a little weird how it's going to pierce the firewall but should be fine

 

[jonsangel]

I forgot I had some heavier springs lying around so I was able to see how much force I needed at ride height so I can order new springs

Action shots at full droop

It's tight in there but I managed to get some tubes to the shock mount. The drivers and passenger side will be the same but I started on the side that had the space constraint. Brake booster in the d-side and alternator on the p-side. Still have more tubes to put in to make them match. It's not ideal or pretty but it should work ok. I also plated more between the shock mounts. I'm not sure why I didn't make it go down all the way the first time

I had to redo the trans cross member cause it wasn't centered

Xxxx
I started machining the steering swinger pivots. still need to cut the outer perimeter

Xxxx
Finished the shock mount tubes. Came out better than I thought it would

A little more progress on the firewall. That steering bearing makes it so awkward

Xxxx
So I had time to look at the motor. It was super hard to spin until I released the #5 cap. Funny thing is, when I went to retorque the bolts it spun fine. It's still around ~50 ft-lbs to spin but it's about that torque with all the cap bolts loose. I don't feel any grinding and it rotates pretty smoothly once it starts spinning. I think I'm just going to leave it like it is

Xxxx
I got a lot more progress on the engine cage. Added gusset tubes and plating. It just needs the firewall tubes added back in after i finish welding the panels, bumpstop mounts, and a crossmember.

I started mocking up the steering but summit shipped me left hand threaded rod ends instead of right hand so i couldn't put it all together. Everything is a tight fit but i think it's going to work.

I made some delrin dies for the bead roller. They work so much better than the normal steel ones. It doesn't dig into the metal and slides a lot better around the corners

 

[jonsangel]

Xxxx
I started final assembly on the motor. I really wish I would have paid more attention taking it apart how many ever years ago. I have a couple rogue connectors I'm not really sure what they go to

1: Mass Air Flow
2: Intake Temperature? (although it might be coolant temperature)
3: No Clue
4: No Clue
5: No Clue
6: Starter Relay? I think this wire was added by the person that trimmed/modified the harness

Then there's this bunch of wires. I'm pretty sure they are all supposed to go to a fuse block

Xxxx
Here's a list of what I have. I have three unidentified connectors
ALTERNATOR
IGNITION SWITCH
FUEL INJECTOR
IGNITION COIL
THROTTLE POSITION
IDLE AIR CONTROL
AIR INTAKE TEMP
MASS AIRFLOW
ENGINE COOLANT TEMP
O2 SENSOR
MAP
KNOCK
CAM POSITION
CRANK POSITION
OIL PRESSURE
A/C CLUTCH COIL
A/C HIGH PRESSURE SWITCH
UNIDENTIFIED #1, two pin

EDIT: Figured out the AC connectors

Xxxx
#1 is the alternator connector jumper i guess. It probably hooked up into the original harness. see lines 14 and 15 below. I'll just cut that connector and replace it with a weatherpak then bring the wires into the cab

List of loose wires:
1) Bank 1 Injectors: Connect to ignition on fuse block
2) Bank 2 Injectors: Connect to ignition on fuse block
3) AC Compressor: Leave disconnected, I'm no baller
4) Engine Speed Signal: Connect to Tachometer
5) Fuel pump relay control: I will probably hard wire this to the run/start instead of putting it on a switch. I just need to make sure it will auto shut off if I don't start the motor. Connect to ignition on fuse block
6) Switched Ignition: Connect to my stock tacoma ignition switch. I'm leaving it on my stock steering column
7) High speed cooling fan relay control: Put in parallel with a fan switch relay to auto kick on in case i forget to switch it on
8) ECM Power: Connect to fignition on use block, 10A
9) Class 2 Serial Data DLC: Wire to OBD2 connector
10) Engine Sensor: Connect to ignition on fuse block, 15A
11) Check Engine Light: Connect to dummy light
12) AC Clutch: see line 3
13) Starter Relay: Connect to stock ignition switch
14) Alternator Battery source: Connect to always on fuse block
15) Alternator charge indicator/signal: Connect to dummy light through ignition source. Add 50 ohm resistor inline

I'm sure I need the MAF sensor hooked up for start up but do I need the 02 and intake air temp sensors as well? Feels like I'm getting close to solving this puzzle

Xxxx


What are people doing with the pcv system? Should I hook it back up or bypass/block it ? I don't have any of the components for it.

Xxxx
I got the pedals figured out (still need to weld in the gas). I had to put a big jog in the brake pedal to clear the steering column. Everything feels pretty comfortable though so I'm happy with how it all came out.

 

[jonsangel]

I got the driver's side bumpstop mount in. I need to ream the tube before I can get the bumpstop back in after welding. I was planing to use a stone cylinder honer. We'll see how that works.

Inside Gusseting

I got the master cylinder in. Should be fine with the lines. Who know's if it'll work with the new, bigger brake calipers...

Fancy AN adapters for the water pump

I got the PSC pump and pulley installed

I threw on a belt to make sure everything was going to fit up and it was slightly too long. The steering pulley is smaller than stock so I need to order the next belt down

I just have a few more things to do before being able to install the motor for good. Then I can finalize all the wiring, intake, exhaust, and start this bitch.

Xxxx
Got the brake calipers mounted. It was a lot easier than I was expecting. Hardest part was chasing the plasma holes in the 3/8" plate. I used rubber tube as shims on either side of the disc and to space it radially then hit the caliper with some air.

Xxxx

Haven't had much time for the truck lately but managed to work a little last night.

I got the transfer case shifter mocked up

I started the transmission shifter but the scatter shield doesn't let me use any of the mounting brackets that came with it so I need to fab new ones

I got the hiems I needed to finish mocking up the steering but the single tabs I was trying to use to mock up the brackets are too flimsy to move the tight uniballs on the spindles. I'll just replace the tabs with thicker material and double sheer.

 

[jonsangel]

I was able to pick up some used air filters so I guess I'm going to try and stuff these in here somewhere. either option isnt ideal

Xxxx
Got the shifter cable mounting figured out. The lever arm coming off the trans was super brittle and cracked when I tried to bend it so I had to weld the cracks and a doubler plate on it. Hopefully it's still strong enough

 

[jonsangel]

I started fitting up a McNeil prism dash. It's a little out of order but I figured the wiring would be a good break when I get burnt out on fab work. It still needs to go up about an inch and forward a couple of inches. It creates a massive gap in the front and I'm not sure how to close it up. I guess I could put some kind of valence across the lower section of the windshield to block it. seems weird it was made that way though

Xxxx
First part painted! I'm hoping when I put in the tranny/transfer case it will be for the last time. For now I'm not worrying about 4wd. I just want to get her running and then I'll worry about the drive shaft, gearing, and front axles

I got the steering mocked up again with stronger pieces. I used a laser level against the ceiling to measure the angles. It worked pretty well actually. Just shy of 30 degrees each way.

The steering box swings a lot more than I thought it did so I'm only using 3 turns out of 4 to go lock to lock. I designed for 60 degrees of swing and it's closer to 90 I think. Is this an issue or can I just leave it like that? To fix it, I would need to change the geometry and location of the intermediate swinger.

For my front brakes, should I run a hard line on the upper arm and do flex at the spindle and frame joint or run all flex? The flex line would be 4' which seems like a really long run. Also, the caliper has a NPT fitting. Can I run a AN fitting directly in there or do I need a banjo bolt for some reason?

Xxxx
I figured out the steering. I was only using 60 degrees and the steering box swings 85 degrees. That turns 4.25 turns to 3 turns. I decided to change the geometry a bit. I'll use 75 degrees to give me a total of 3.75 turns lock to lock. The arm get's an inch shorter and I move it 1.21" forward.

Before

After

Xxxx
Oh wow, that's super sensitive. I'll see if it's easier to swap the box or add a quickener if I don't like it.

I'll use more of the throw, 80 degrees

Xxxx
In unrelated news, we picked up a tow vehicle. 2006 E-350 with a 6.0 Diesel. The plan is to convert it into a camper. I'm trying not to get distracted from the truck. Gonna keep the suspension pretty mild, maybe 2" lift. I'd love to build some beams for fun but it's not really buying me anything to. Truck first. TRUCK FIRST

Xxxx
Alright, I think I got my steering figured out now. It's just shy of 4 turns lock to lock, box is swinging 80ish degrees.
Full Left

Centered

Full Right

Xxxx
This helmet is amazing! so much easier to see the puddle and even through the lens normally. Went with the Miller Digital Infinity. X-mode is badass. I feel like the reaction time is so much better than my last helmet. I'm not seeing any spots after a long welding session. I also got some welding sleeves which are much more comfortable than the leather top half I have.

MIG beads come out much better when you can see