Hey, my name is Brian and I live in upstate NY. I bought my TRD Pro February 2016. This will be a straight forward budget build but It should interest anyone considering similar mods.
First things first. After 3 months of driving the truck I developed severe back pain. After eliminating other possible causes I realized it was the drivers seat messing with the nerves down there. Every time I drove it the pain returned. All possible seat positions were tried to no avail. So I bought these cushions and they solved the problem. They also are great shock absorbers for bouncing in the trails. I got them on Amazon for $115.
Upon reading other threads I found that if you drive through water above you rear axle you may get water in your differential so I added the ARB diff breather mod. I mounted the breather in the engine bay and ran the lines the same way Cymon did on his thread.
I did have enough line to run separate lines for both my diff and the e-locker. I ran the line from the engine bay to the diff leaving a loop for suspension travel. Then I measured (if I remeber correctly) 12.6 feet left over. I ran that to the e-locker and used the fitting to connect to the e-locker breather tube using gorrilla tape to secure the connections.
Next I added a Bestop 42922-01 HighRock 4X4 2" Receiver Recovery Hitch Insert with D-Ring Shackle along with a CURT 21510 Coated Hitch Pin and Clip (sold separately). I got these through Amazon as well. Hiitch - $35, Pin - $3. I haven't had the opportunity touse it yet but from the reviews it should do the job. Eventually I will buy a bubba rope and a gator jaw soft shackle.
Now to armor up. I got a set of RCI Metalworks sliders in bare metal. Here in the northeast we have alot of mud with insidious boulders lurking within so I knew I would need these even before I bought the truck. It took about 3 and a half weeks to get them but it was worth the wait. These are no nonsense, get the job done, solid sliders.
I cleaned and preped the sliders by scrubbing them with soap water and a scotch pad to get the sticker and tape glue off. Then I wiped them down with a grease and wax remover. Then wet sanded them with 400 sand paper. I did two coats of primer and 3 coats of mat black paint. The Rustoleum spray paint came out sporadically at times but it settled out fairly smoothly with minor runs. I like the look and smooth finish.
Install was a bit of a shoulder workout but fairly straight forward. I made a cardboard template of the plate with hole pattern and used it to check alignment and bolt pattern. The sliders came with 28 bolts and washers. (I will have to check the size, maybe 2 x 1/2"). I was able to use all 14 bolts on the drivers side but only ten holes lined up on the passenger side. I called RCI and the nice girl said this is normal and sufficient. I used the jack to hold up one end while I got the first bolt in on the other. (The sliders weigh 50lbs a piece). Once I got a bolt in on the other end it was just a matter of cranking the rest in. I did not have any trouble getting the ratchet in. I belive the bolts are 13mm. I replaced the stock bolt for the e-brake lines with the longer bolts and the clip fit back in place just fine.
I almost forgot the first things I bought were Husky Weatherbeater Liners. The stock mats were lovely with their TRD logos but grossly insufficient for protecting the carpets from all the mud, snow and muck that gets dragged in. The Husky's fit great, are flexible enough to cover well and seem durable. Definitely a great investment.
While installing the sliders I discovered a fat dent in the stock gas tank skid (which isn't much better than aluminum foil). So now I am considering either the RCI skid (left) or the C4 Fab skid (right). Despite the $145 difference in price, I am leaning towards the C4 for the side coverage.
I was asked how far the RCI sliders extended out from the front passenger door step. I measured 3 " from the lip sticking out to the outer edge of the tube.
Thanks Chris. I don't have alot of money to put into it but slowly and surely I'll get it there. I will order the gas tank skid in a couple of weeks and save for a winch and hidden mount over the winter. I love the tank. Perfect all around vehicle.
More RCI sliders pics and info as requested. The sliders are 19" high from ground to the top of the tube and 5" out from door frame to edge of tube at the bump out. I haven't had a chance to put them to the test yet because I'm waiting for my new gas tank skid to arrive, to replace the stock one which has a fat dent in it, before I risk any more damage. I will definitely be putting both to the test and will give a honest review of their performance.