A.Wilson013's Build Thread

[BigBluePile]

Nicely done!

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[Tyler21]

The ol' girl is "sold" pending payment.

A few days back I found a guy on Expo Portal that was looking for an "Adventure Ready" truck at under $22k. Tonight we came to an agreement on price, and he'll be flying in from San Fran and driving it home. Should know when, exactly, tomorrow.

Should have kept it in Washington and just sold it to me instead of this guy..

 

[A.Wilson013]

Should have kept it in Washington and just sold it to me instead of this guy..

It actually didn't work out with that fella. CA Emissions didn't like all the extras, I suppose.

Sold it to my friend [MENTION=142712]bennett707[/MENTION] that I met while doing the WABDR a few years back. He's BASICALLY in Washington =)

 

[Tyler21]

It actually didn't work out with that fella. CA Emissions didn't like all the extras, I suppose.

Sold it to my friend [MENTION=142712]bennett707[/MENTION] that I met while doing the WABDR a few years back. He's BASICALLY in Washington =)

thank god we don't live in CA. now I guess I am forced to build my own I am currently blaming you on all the spending I am about to be doing.

 

[A.Wilson013]

thank god we don't live in CA. now I guess I am forced to build my own I am currently blaming you on all the spending I am about to be doing.

Building the vehicle was probably the most rewarding part of owning it. Truly knowing every inch of the vehicle, front to back, inside and out, is a very comforting feeling when you're hundreds of miles from nowhere.

Sorry though =)

 

[poleclimber63]

geez

Some of the best builds and some of the gents that have been incredible resources for the rest of us are selling up and riding off into the sunset in other trucks!! This sucks!! What Bill O'Reilly said!?!?"!<!>!? Hepar has mentioned his intentions as well!!! Well $hit!

After being a 4Runner owner for 5 yrs myself, I do, on occasion see the wisdom of "a couple of more cylinders". When I'm towing, a little more size would be nice, I grant you. However, all things considered, these occasions are far enough apart that the 3rd gen is the ideal solution for me.
We had a snow storm early last week and I brought a work truck home, to work from home, for a couple of days. Our work trucks are Ford F150's. Compared to our 4R's, this is a big truck. I hated driving the F150 in the bad weather--- even in 4X4, there is absolutely no road feel, the bloody thing was so heavy, every time I touched the brakes it would slide and the ABS would be vibrating away! Touching the gas got me no where (could be tire related to some degree, I admit), one of the worst 4X4's I've driven. Worse even than my old Suburban. It just convinced me I'll never go heavier if I can help it! At least the seats were comfortable! At the end of the day, I'd get home, jump in my 4R, and hit the road to do some errands without any issues whatsoever ie. sliding or spinning tires! ----Love my Truck!

Seriously, You've been a prolific contributor over the years and I personally thank you for the inspirations, feedback, and advice! Good Luck and I hope you keep us updated on the next build!

 

[bennett707]

I'll contribute that it is an odd feeling when someone asks about mods and I don't know the answer inside and out. Although I have read this entire thread more times than i'd like to admit...

With that said, thankfully the 3rd gen t4r and 1st gen tacomas are similar in a handful of aspects allowing me to relate back to my successes and struggles with the taco. Building it from scratch was very rewarding, and the ease of mind that comes with knowing exactly what is and is not done, what could be a concern and what has adapted from your changes.

It's a unique feeling to discover all the mods Alex did. I am still finding things and it's been 2-3 weeks since transfer of ownership. Thankfully Alex is very responsive and attentive to my posts/questions when I discover things and need assistance on a specifics.

 

[jstim]

[MENTION=63487]A.Wilson013[/MENTION] I've looked at a bunch of your stuff and had a couple questions about your icon setup in the front. I know most people are on one side or the other of the fence. Meaning king or icon, but seeing that I will be adding a winch to my exsisting setup as well as sliders. What spring rate we're you running on yours? Does softening up the adjusters actually help the drive? Would you recommend a 700 lb spring?

 

[A.Wilson013]

[MENTION=63487]A.Wilson013[/MENTION] I've looked at a bunch of your stuff and had a couple questions about your icon setup in the front. I know most people are on one side or the other of the fence. Meaning king or icon, but seeing that I will be adding a winch to my exsisting setup as well as sliders. What spring rate we're you running on yours? Does softening up the adjusters actually help the drive? Would you recommend a 700 lb spring?

I was running a 650lb spring. However, to achieve just 2" of lift I had about 2" of preload on the springs. Fully compressed they weren't contacting each other, so it never bothered me. I had 700lb springs on my first Icons and I felt they were too stiff.

Softening the adjusters makes a very noticeable difference. Some people will say they don't make a difference. However, if you look under their trucks, you'll notice they don't have the adjusters, or any clue what they're talking about.

King vs. Icon is what it is. After riding in and driving both, I could not tell a difference between the progressive vs. dynamic valving in any situation. Even the long traveled Tacoma I rode in felt just like my 4Runner when bombing down a VERY rough forest service road. Of course, I am not so naive as to believe that it would feel the same if we were jumping off of dunes, but I don't do that anyway. Icon seems easier to buy, to me. The King part numbers and kits confuse me.

Long story short, the adjusters (which to be clear ONLY adjust compression) make a difference, and I would not recommend 700lb coils. That said, compression adjusters on the front are more a luxury than anything. Your load up front doesn't change much (or at all) so you'll only be tuning to match desired performance in whichever terrain you're in. In the rear, they're awesome. The ability to tune them to match any added weight in the back was one of my favorite things about my suspension. When I had hundreds of pounds of gear, my tent, cooler, and whatever else in the back, I could stiffen it up and it drove just like it did when it wasn't loaded.

 

[jstim]

I was running a 650lb spring. However, to achieve just 2" of lift I had about 2" of preload on the springs. Fully compressed they weren't contacting each other, so it never bothered me. I had 700lb springs on my first Icons and I felt they were too stiff.

Softening the adjusters makes a very noticeable difference. Some people will say they don't make a difference. However, if you look under their trucks, you'll notice they don't have the adjusters, or any clue what they're talking about.

King vs. Icon is what it is. After riding in and driving both, I could not tell a difference between the progressive vs. dynamic valving in any situation. Even the long traveled Tacoma I rode in felt just like my 4Runner when bombing down a VERY rough forest service road. Of course, I am not so naive as to believe that it would feel the same if we were jumping off of dunes, but I don't do that anyway. Icon seems easier to buy, to me. The King part numbers and kits confuse me.

Long story short, the adjusters (which to be clear ONLY adjust compression) make a difference, and I would not recommend 700lb coils. That said, compression adjusters on the front are more a luxury than anything. Your load up front doesn't change much (or at all) so you'll only be tuning to match desired performance in whichever terrain you're in. In the rear, they're awesome. The ability to tune them to match any added weight in the back was one of my favorite things about my suspension. When I had hundreds of pounds of gear, my tent, cooler, and whatever else in the back, I could stiffen it up and it drove just like it did when it wasn't loaded.

I'm looking for that extra bit of luxury. I just need 3 inches of lift, it's going to be my daily driver, plus my exploratory vehicle, thanks for the Input. I really admired your rig.

 

[A.Wilson013]

I'm looking for that extra bit of luxury. I just need 3 inches of lift, it's going to be my daily driver, plus my exploratory vehicle, thanks for the Input. I really admired your rig.

You could get 3" with a bit more preload, I just didn't want it that tall. I was at 2.5" after my .5" body lift.

 

[jstim]

You could get 3" with a bit more preload, I just didn't want it that tall. I was at 2.5" after my .5" body lift.

I just still have the rubbing with 265/75/16s, so I was trying to get to 3 so it would stop.

 

[Underdogg]

My night photography game is weakkkk. Here are some shots. It's dark though.

Here's how it is on the tracks... There's a piece of 1" x 3" flat stock in the track itself with some holes tapped into it. 1 bolt on either side of the legs.

And the front legs are just resting on the roof. I won't be drilling any holes up there as I feel that'd just be asking for leaks. Left the gutter functional as pointed out by [MENTION=44220]BigFishAllDay[/MENTION]

Thanks man! Final assembly of the jets, and the rack. Seemed fitting.

clean and simple, very nice. I am going to jump on building a rack soon since I have a ton of tubing laying around!!

 

[eatpasta]

thank god we don't live in CA. now I guess I am forced to build my own I am currently blaming you on all the spending I am about to be doing.

dood Ca emissions are a nightmare.

I have an '83 CJ7 with an early-smog Carter electronic carburetor and I have been pulling hair out since 1993.

It would be a simple $400 Weber upgrade fix, but not legal here.

:redbrick:

If I showed you a pic of the inside of my engine compartment, you would laugh yourself silly.

my 16 mpg Jeep is legal somehow but my 55 mpg Passat TDI is illegal?! TF is wrong with this picture?

 

[magicalgoomies]

This is something that I bookmarked for future references. I love the simple and clean look. The green also looks so nice. Nice build A.Wilson!!!

 

[Road Bull]

Alex, do you have any more pics of your current rig? How are you liking it after having it for a bit?

 

[BigBluePile]

I heard he sold it for a Prius. I guess he hates V8's. Something about granola bars and Birkenstock's....?

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[A.Wilson013]

Alex, do you have any more pics of your current rig? How are you liking it after having it for a bit?

Not sure how I missed this, sorry.

I really like it. A lot. My only complaint is that with my KDSS in the rear my 255/80R17 spare doesn't fit in the factory location, so I had to have a mount made to carry it in the back, taking up a TON of space.

I heard he sold it for a Prius. I guess he hates V8's. Something about granola bars and Birkenstock's....?

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<3

FJ rear diff locker and ARB compressor are installed:
DSC_0016 by Alex Wilson, on Flickr

DSC_0010 by Alex Wilson, on Flickr

Leader of the pack last weekend
DSC_0047 by Alex Wilson, on Flickr

DSC_0077 by Alex Wilson, on Flickr

DSC_0081 by Alex Wilson, on Flickr

DSC_0087 by Alex Wilson, on Flickr

And here's [MENTION=82154]GSPRunner[/MENTION] in his new Tacoma.

DSC_0068 by Alex Wilson, on Flickr

and since it's one of my posts... A couple pointers

DSC_0169 by Alex Wilson, on Flickr

DSC_0103 by Alex Wilson, on Flickr

 

[BigBluePile]

Looks great [MENTION=63487]A.Wilson013[/MENTION] !!! How you liking that rear diff lock swap?



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[Road Bull]

Nice... It looks like you are putting it to good use. So is your tire mounted standing up on the driver's side cargo?

If you were building another 3rd gen, would you still do a similar swing away for your spare? I am about to go down that road after jumping up to 285s.