TL;DR - The Exped Megamat for the RTT continues to be one of my most "worth it" purchases, and Exped (the company) stood behind it - years after my initial purchase - when it developed a slow leak.
Worth every penny.
Category: Shop Talk
A parent category that captures non-trip related posts and information. Sub-categories can filter this further.
TL;DR - I knew I had cracks in the front passenger corner of the bed, but I had no idea how bad it was. Luckily, I have great friends who could help get it buttoned back up!
October 18, 2024 Sometimes, in an effort to make a Tacoma work really well off-road, modifications to the drivetrain result in the on-road performance being a little less than ideal. That's what happened to me - inadvertently - when I installed 4.88 gears in my front and rear diffs. I've loved those gears - they are one of my best mods on the trail and at slower speeds - but the side effect has been that my RPMs are significantly higher than stock when I'm cruising on the freeway. In fact, I've ended up finding that 62 mph - at…
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October 17, 2024 Ever since I relocated my rear shocks, or at least ever since I got it right the second time, I've been running 2.5" ADS Racing Shocks with a 10-inch stroke and resis. They have been performed fantastically and after rebuilding and revalving them after a couple years of use, they worked even better! The first set of 10" smooth body shocks ADS made for the rear end of a 1st gen Tacoma, and the only trend I ever started. Really, I had no desire to ever run a different shock, and I figured that the ADS would…
10 Comments
TL;DR - I'm going to try replacing my 5th gear with a taller gear that should lower my RPMs at highway speeds and will hopefully improve my fuel economy (MPGs).
On the freeway, it's high revs all the time.
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TL;DR - The new 1st gen Sequoia double 5-spoke wheels sit a little too inboard and cause some rubbing on my suspension components, so I've installed some wheel spacers to fix the problem.
The solution to my problem.
TL;DR - I am not happy with the lifespan I got out of the X-Axis joints on my SPC upper control arms (UCAs), so I'm going back to the original polyurethane bushing-based SPC UCAs.
4 Comments
TL;DR - The new wheels and tires look good, but they rub in places that are not acceptable. It's my fault, and I'm hoping to solve the problem with a couple 0.5" spacers.
Definitely no complaints in the bad-ass looks department.
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TL;DR - I waited too long to swap out the spherical bearings in my ADS coilovers, and they ended up destroying the rod ends of my shocks. A simple job made more complicated by my lazy ineptitude.
Well, shit.
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I've never been a fan of mud. I'm not a fan of driving in it, camping in it, or hiking in it. And, I'm definitely not a fan of getting it all over - and in - the Tacoma on a trip. Not my idea of a good time. As such, I've always tried to keep my tires pulled in, under the fender flares. This worked reasonably well with the stock wheels and tires, but when I bought some 16" SCS Stealth6 to fit the larger calipers that come with the Tundra brake upgrade, I ended up pushing the wheels…
9 Comments
For the last 5 years, I've very much enjoyed the wheel-and-tire combination I've been running. Not only did the 3rd gen 4Runner 5-star wheels look great - especially after I went to all the trouble to paint them - but they fit the larger calipers I installed as part of the Tundra Brake Upgrade and are the lightest OEM wheel manufactured by Toyota! Likewise, while I felt that the Cooper S/T Maxx were a little stiff and heavy - largely because they are only available in a 10-ply, E-range rating - they have been a great tire from a performance…
15 Comments
I like to keep the cab of the Tacoma tidy. And, I'm not great at keeping the cab of the Tacoma tidy. Really, I think most folks would say that the inside of the Tacoma is amazingly clean-looking given all the adventuring I do, but to me it always feels dusty and a bit of a mess. I've added various containers in order to contain some of the chaos - largely in the extended cab area, with the 12v house battery box and some cardboard storage containers for our clothes - but one of the things I haven't ever done…
11 Comments
TL;DR - I have been extremely happy with Cooper S/T Maxx tires over the last six years. I would not hesitate to recommend them as one of the best tires you can run for the type of exploring that I do.
Fantastic tires.
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TL;DR - The scheel-mann seats I bought two years ago are the most comfortable seats I have ever sat in and continue to work as designed. The only thing better would be Toyota OEM seats that were built/upholstered to provide the same support but with a slightly less bulky form factor.
Without a doubt, quality seats.
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Immediately after installing the Chevy 63 leaf springs at Zane's @Speedytech7 shop - with a lot of his help - and loading up the Tacoma for the trip back home, it was clear that the rear end was sitting just a tad low. In setting up the leaf packs, Zane guessed that I'd need four of the five leafs, and had kindly removed one prior to my arrival. Upon returning home, I promptly set about removing the packs from the Tacoma and reinstalling that fifth leaf, which pushed the rear end of the truck up a couple of inches. Restoring…
4 Comments
Ask anyone who knows me, and they'll tell you that I'm reasonably careful with my things, treating them purposefully, and knowing that by doing so, they should last a long time. I try to be the same way with my camera equipment, but for some reason, I continue to break stuff. This time, I may have (definitely) crashed my DJI Air 3 drone into the ground at 45 mph. The same people who tell you that I'm generally careful with my things will also tell you that I am able to learn - albeit slowly - from my mistakes. As…
14 Comments
TL;DR - It's finally time to replace my front brake pads on the left (driver) side, and I've been so happy with the Toyota OEM pads I've been running that I'm not even looking for other alternatives.
TL;DR - the ride on the Chevy 63s is great, but I have a little too much lift, so I'll be removing a single leaf.
Not even fully flexed out, it's nice to see the tire easily drop down to - essentially - the bottom of the wheel well.
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TL;DR - After installing my second LutzAuto Speedometer Correction Device, I've started having trouble - the speedometer jumps randomly from 0 - 130mph - with it again. As such, I'm removing it and I'll just do math to correct my odometer readings for MPG averages.
This device has such promise.
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