aemravan's build thread - project TacoRunner
- Thread starter aemravan
- Start date
Bpzimm
New member
I know this isn't the classifieds section, but I will have a set of these Centramatic Tire Balancers for sale next week most likely if you are interested.
Tire Balancers, Tire Balancing, Wheel Balancer and Wheel Balancing from Centramatic
They require wheel spacers, but work fine on 6 lug Toyotas even though they don't make a product specific to our vehicles. I have Spidertrax that I'll likely be selling as well if you aren't already running them.
I bought a set of lightly used 35x12.50x17 Firestone Destination MT2s a few years ago from a friend, and had a hard time getting them to balance with wheel weights or balance beads. After a recommendation from a Tacoma guy on 37s at Firestone, I tired the Centramatic Tire Balancers and they worked well. The tires are for sale too:
REDUCED!!!!! 35x12.50R17 Firestone Destination MT2s For Sale - auto...
I just ordered a set of 35x11.50x17 Nitto Trail Grapplers for a narrower stance and less rubbing. So I plan to run those with no spacers and hopefully standard wheel weights. Let me know if you or anyone else is interested.
Tire Balancers, Tire Balancing, Wheel Balancer and Wheel Balancing from Centramatic
They require wheel spacers, but work fine on 6 lug Toyotas even though they don't make a product specific to our vehicles. I have Spidertrax that I'll likely be selling as well if you aren't already running them.
I bought a set of lightly used 35x12.50x17 Firestone Destination MT2s a few years ago from a friend, and had a hard time getting them to balance with wheel weights or balance beads. After a recommendation from a Tacoma guy on 37s at Firestone, I tired the Centramatic Tire Balancers and they worked well. The tires are for sale too:
REDUCED!!!!! 35x12.50R17 Firestone Destination MT2s For Sale - auto...
I just ordered a set of 35x11.50x17 Nitto Trail Grapplers for a narrower stance and less rubbing. So I plan to run those with no spacers and hopefully standard wheel weights. Let me know if you or anyone else is interested.
I have heavily considered going to a "skinny" 35 as well from the 12.5's I'm running now... and will likely go that route if I am still on 35's.. if I step up to 37's i'll be sticking to the available 12.5" ..
as far as the centramatic balancers.. i'll have to let you know.. first time i've heard of these.. curious to know how they work.. Im running a 1" spacer on all 4 corners right now as well so spacer isnt an issue.
y=mx+b
New member
I have the kenda klever 35x10.5 and got them balanced at walmart perfect on the first shot. Had them up to 100mph without issues lol, so I'd say they're probably on the easier side to balance
Oh man.. you're running a skinny skinny... I didn't even realize that you could get a 35 in a 10.5, but I did only look at the nitto grapplers.. I'm seriously considering coming down in width... so much added weight for minimal (if any) benefit since I rarely even see offroad time lol .
I will say that the wheels probably have quite a lot to do with it as well.. I'm running a cheap american racing wheel that probably isn't the greatest to balance with even without a tire lol.
gm350reratliff
New member
The guy at Costco said the KO2's I just put on my Tundra were pretty easy to balance, for a BFG tire. There's a normal amount of weight on each wheel. They're smooth so far but I haven't had them on the freeway yet.
As for Ridge Graps, I've ran 3 sets of these over the years. 2 sets on my 5th gen and one set on my Tundra. The first set on my 5th gen and the set on my tundra were easy to balance with minimal weight on the wheels for the first 50k miles. Then after that point they seemed to come out of balance after a while and would be prone to flat spotting. The tread also seemed harder, with more slipping on wet/snowy roads but to their defense, they were about 2/3's worn down so I was replacing anyway.
The last set of Ridge Graps I put on the 5th gen last summer (mounted on Method 317's) were a ***** to balance. Several trips to discount tire and they're still not perfect but might be as good as they're going to get. They also seem heavier, stiffer, and noisier than the first set. They do seem to work pretty good off-road in the rocks, sand, deep snow, and some mud. With that said, and how expensive Toyo/Nitto are now and I wasn't very happy with DT the last couple times I went there, I decided to come back to the KO2 for my Tundra. For a more dedicated trail rig, I'd probably still give the RG's a nod because they do seem to work well and they actually seem to last.
gm350reratliff
New member
I like the tall/skinny tires. Those Kendas are definitely on the list of the next tires. I have some Cooper ST Maxx in the 255/80/17 size on my 4th gen and they're great off-road and fit easily. I don't really care for them on the road, especially wet/snowy/icy roads though. I'm on my second set only because they were cheap-ish but probably won't run them again. Plus they are a pain to get balanced right.
gm350reratliff
New member
Those centramatic balancers are more popular with the medium duty truck and up crowd with 19.5"+ wheels that are usually very heavy and not easy to balance. Years ago I worked for a company that had a few F550s and they had those. They seemed to work ok on those trucks so maybe they would tame a tall mud terrain.
So looks like, at least as a generalization from the folks here, that regardless of tire brand, balancing seems to be hit or miss, cheap tire or not. Which, I guess, isn't too unexpected when you have so much rotating rubber in the sizes we run.
I'll give balancing one last ditch effort (possibly via these centramatic balancers.. though visually they are far from appealing lol) and see how it goes. I may just let it be and not worry about it.
As far as skinny tires... I wish I did more research before jumping head first into my 35" tire selection. I decided that unless I end up stepping up to a 37" tire for my next round.. I will more than likely give the Kendras a go and see if I can take some advantage of the 2" difference in width. Should be a decent weight savings as well as added clearance.
I'll give balancing one last ditch effort (possibly via these centramatic balancers.. though visually they are far from appealing lol) and see how it goes. I may just let it be and not worry about it.
As far as skinny tires... I wish I did more research before jumping head first into my 35" tire selection. I decided that unless I end up stepping up to a 37" tire for my next round.. I will more than likely give the Kendras a go and see if I can take some advantage of the 2" difference in width. Should be a decent weight savings as well as added clearance.
well folks... it's September 2022 already and I still haven't gone offroad or camping since my 3-wheeling adventure a couple of months ago... getting realy close to staying honest to what I said this time last year... I told my brother if I didn't make it out camping at least 10-12 times (I think that was the number lol) that I would just sell my damn rig and quit wasting time and money on it...
I've only been out maybe 3 or 4 times total this whole year... makes you really stop and wonder why you spend so much of your time and hard earned money on something you don't use lol. I think I have a serious problem where I REALLY enjoy having a project to build lol. which I guess could be worse.. but does make it financially irresponsible.
I still have hope for end of this year to get quite a few camping trips in to really enjoy the rig.. so we'll see I guess... but in the case that nothing works out, anyone interested in a 2003 tacorunner complete overland build? lol Fully set and good to go with everything included. $35k I know what I have :cheer2:
I've only been out maybe 3 or 4 times total this whole year... makes you really stop and wonder why you spend so much of your time and hard earned money on something you don't use lol. I think I have a serious problem where I REALLY enjoy having a project to build lol. which I guess could be worse.. but does make it financially irresponsible.
I still have hope for end of this year to get quite a few camping trips in to really enjoy the rig.. so we'll see I guess... but in the case that nothing works out, anyone interested in a 2003 tacorunner complete overland build? lol Fully set and good to go with everything included. $35k I know what I have :cheer2:
Inv4drZm
Senior Member
Dang I was thinking mine could be worth 30k if I got around to building my custom fabricated long travel kit.
Maybe closer to 40k now lol.
well shoot! maybe I need to reconsider my potential pricing haha.
It does, after all, have quite a lengthy build sheet, is a v8, with only 150k miles on it.
arty: I'm not being COMPLETELY serious at the moment... but would be lying if the thought hasn't crossed my mind... but it would have to be to the right buyer of course..
gm350reratliff
New member
I feel you. We used to go off-road several times (like at least once a month) a year but now, maybe 1 - 2 times a year. We moved 2 years ago and we're still close to open public land to wheel on but we also switched jobs and even though our schedules are pretty much the same as they were before the move, my wife and I just have less free time to get out there it seems. Factor in two active kids and we have even less free time. Rotating shifts and covering shifts destroy your personal life, BTW. I did manage to slip away this past Saturday for some dirt time but it was only half a day. Still, I enjoy these 4runners and still intend to outfit them the way I want.
So after finding out about these centramaric balance disks.. I decided I had one last ditch effort for balancing..
Found a local set that fit to check which spacer I needed to run.. I can say with confidence that with the sport brakes I needed a 1.25” spacer.. the 1” did not clear… I also found out how thin the sidewall on the calipers are with the aid of a grinder… well.. 2 new calipers and a replacement set of 1.25” spacers that i traded a local member later.. I have these on.
Amazing… just about all of the vibration appears to be resolved after 2 quick test drives down the highway.. there is a tiny , almost unnoticeable vibration that still shows up, but overall it is just about all resolved..
They look a little funny.. but now I don’t have to worry about what my calipers look like I guess.. lol. You can also hear the beads rolling around under 15mph but it’s not bad, just thought it was interesting.. anyhow.. pretty stoked to keep trying this out and see how it goes..
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Found a local set that fit to check which spacer I needed to run.. I can say with confidence that with the sport brakes I needed a 1.25” spacer.. the 1” did not clear… I also found out how thin the sidewall on the calipers are with the aid of a grinder… well.. 2 new calipers and a replacement set of 1.25” spacers that i traded a local member later.. I have these on.
Amazing… just about all of the vibration appears to be resolved after 2 quick test drives down the highway.. there is a tiny , almost unnoticeable vibration that still shows up, but overall it is just about all resolved..
They look a little funny.. but now I don’t have to worry about what my calipers look like I guess.. lol. You can also hear the beads rolling around under 15mph but it’s not bad, just thought it was interesting.. anyhow.. pretty stoked to keep trying this out and see how it goes..
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Pulled off my exterior molle panels today and am selling them locally.. decided to take it back to basics a bit.. plus I never use the traction boards or the fuel pack.. cleaned up the look quite a bit, plus its $500 bucks back in the bank..
I have lately been very seriously contemplating shaving more weight.. and have been considering tubular bumpers front and rear... the initial idea was to sell off both of my bumpers and just build my own set.. it's certainly possible and I would have even pocketed a bit of money. That was the plan until I can across a local shop.. JC customs.. I'm sure some folks have seen his stuff on Instagram lately with the 5th gen rear bumper he just did and knocked completely out of the park.. He's not far from me and after chatting a few times and pricing out his builds I am all but fully committed and booked..
His work is phenomenal and will give me that little extra spice I'm looking for on the exterior to finish off the look.. and the pricing is reasonable. Only couple of things are his build schedule is packed out until February and I would also need to sell both of my bumpers to justify the build..
I just checked coastal offroad and it would cost $2564 to have the 2 kits delivered to the states in a weld-it-yourself form. Is it reasonable to try and get $2200 for the rear bumper and $1600 for the front bumper? Surely they have at the minimum of 1000 bucks of labor in them unless someone is welding them up.. or am I shooting too high here?
I have lately been very seriously contemplating shaving more weight.. and have been considering tubular bumpers front and rear... the initial idea was to sell off both of my bumpers and just build my own set.. it's certainly possible and I would have even pocketed a bit of money. That was the plan until I can across a local shop.. JC customs.. I'm sure some folks have seen his stuff on Instagram lately with the 5th gen rear bumper he just did and knocked completely out of the park.. He's not far from me and after chatting a few times and pricing out his builds I am all but fully committed and booked..
His work is phenomenal and will give me that little extra spice I'm looking for on the exterior to finish off the look.. and the pricing is reasonable. Only couple of things are his build schedule is packed out until February and I would also need to sell both of my bumpers to justify the build..
I just checked coastal offroad and it would cost $2564 to have the 2 kits delivered to the states in a weld-it-yourself form. Is it reasonable to try and get $2200 for the rear bumper and $1600 for the front bumper? Surely they have at the minimum of 1000 bucks of labor in them unless someone is welding them up.. or am I shooting too high here?
gm350reratliff
New member
Pulled off my exterior molle panels today and am selling them locally.. decided to take it back to basics a bit.. plus I never use the traction boards or the fuel pack.. cleaned up the look quite a bit, plus its $500 bucks back in the bank..
I have lately been very seriously contemplating shaving more weight.. and have been considering tubular bumpers front and rear... the initial idea was to sell off both of my bumpers and just build my own set.. it's certainly possible and I would have even pocketed a bit of money. That was the plan until I can across a local shop.. JC customs.. I'm sure some folks have seen his stuff on Instagram lately with the 5th gen rear bumper he just did and knocked completely out of the park.. He's not far from me and after chatting a few times and pricing out his builds I am all but fully committed and booked..
His work is phenomenal and will give me that little extra spice I'm looking for on the exterior to finish off the look.. and the pricing is reasonable. Only couple of things are his build schedule is packed out until February and I would also need to sell both of my bumpers to justify the build..
I just checked coastal offroad and it would cost $2564 to have the 2 kits delivered to the states in a weld-it-yourself form. Is it reasonable to try and get $2200 for the rear bumper and $1600 for the front bumper? Surely they have at the minimum of 1000 bucks of labor in them unless someone is welding them up.. or am I shooting too high here?
After having built a full plate Coastal Offroad rear bumper for my 4th gen, I realized that I don't want a super heavy bumper back there so I haven't installed it yet, don't know that I will. All the plate was cut just about right, it's super stout, probably bullet proof and the entry price was right at the time but damn, it's pretty heavy. Looking at building a slim but strong tubular bumper now. Might even do the same for the front. I'd even really like to go with aluminum and shave even more weight but that probably out of the cards for quite some time.
Ye si have 0 complaint about it .. it’s a super awesome bumper, especially for the price , and yes.. bullet proof for sure lol. Weight is one aspect .. but my driving factor is purely visually lol. Weight savings is an added bonus.
I’d love to go aluminum myself.. but I currently can’t fan my own aluminum and anything purchased is stupid expensive. We’ll see though… I need to be able to sell both bumpers for at least 3500 combined to justify switching bumpers so who knows if there will even be any interest at all
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Here is a friendly reminder to go through and periodically check the bolts you've messed with before..
Was chasing down some odd squeaks and noises that have been driving me nuts thinking it was something suspension related up front.. ended up finding that I had a couple loose body mount bolts.. the passenger front one in particular. I tightened the nut just about 1/4" up on the bolt threads. Needless to say it was pretty loose and was making some funny noises.
I need to check the rear ones.. but the coastal bumper makes that really tough with access.. it's my last set of bolts to go through and most of the noises I've been hearing should be resolved.
On a related note.. on the centramatic balancers started leaking fluid.. but I was able to get a hold of them and looks like they'll cover it under some warranty.
Was chasing down some odd squeaks and noises that have been driving me nuts thinking it was something suspension related up front.. ended up finding that I had a couple loose body mount bolts.. the passenger front one in particular. I tightened the nut just about 1/4" up on the bolt threads. Needless to say it was pretty loose and was making some funny noises.
I need to check the rear ones.. but the coastal bumper makes that really tough with access.. it's my last set of bolts to go through and most of the noises I've been hearing should be resolved.
On a related note.. on the centramatic balancers started leaking fluid.. but I was able to get a hold of them and looks like they'll cover it under some warranty.
