Scramble
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I have a write up coming soon in a new thread.
theesotericone's Trails and BS Thread
- Thread starter theesotericone
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I have a write up coming soon in a new thread.
theesotericone
New member
Good news for you guys. I refuse to join TacomaWorld so I'll be posting some Tacoma stuff in here. Think of it as a dual vehicle BS thread. With the Taco though I'll actually try and take pictures but no promises. lol
The money is already getting put into it. Just ordered up some speakers and a head unit from big A. Since the whole idea of this truck is low budget I got the best low budget speakers and head unit for the money IMO.
The speakers are Pyle PL63BL 6.5's. Four of those cost me a whopping 42 bucks. The head unit is a JVC KD-RD87BT. That was a bit over 60 bucks for a "Like New" Amazon return. It plays FLAC at 24Bit and has 22w RMS. That should be enough to make those Pyles sound passable.
You guys know I'm an audio guy and if you've seen my rigs system you probably realize it's killing putting such low end stuff in the truck. That's what's happening though. For the price point I'm kinda curious to how it will actually sound.
Off to DMV tomorrow to get it registered in my name. Then I'm either going to work or going to the junkyard. The nearest junkyard is 2.5 hours from me and they're not open on Saturday. What a bummer. But it's gonna be cold and snowing in Mammoth tomorrow so it's probably the best day to do it.
A seat and springs from an 88-94 are what I need most. If any of you guys have a line on either post up.
The money is already getting put into it. Just ordered up some speakers and a head unit from big A. Since the whole idea of this truck is low budget I got the best low budget speakers and head unit for the money IMO.
The speakers are Pyle PL63BL 6.5's. Four of those cost me a whopping 42 bucks. The head unit is a JVC KD-RD87BT. That was a bit over 60 bucks for a "Like New" Amazon return. It plays FLAC at 24Bit and has 22w RMS. That should be enough to make those Pyles sound passable.
You guys know I'm an audio guy and if you've seen my rigs system you probably realize it's killing putting such low end stuff in the truck. That's what's happening though. For the price point I'm kinda curious to how it will actually sound.
Off to DMV tomorrow to get it registered in my name. Then I'm either going to work or going to the junkyard. The nearest junkyard is 2.5 hours from me and they're not open on Saturday. What a bummer. But it's gonna be cold and snowing in Mammoth tomorrow so it's probably the best day to do it.
A seat and springs from an 88-94 are what I need most. If any of you guys have a line on either post up.
theesotericone
New member
I decided to skip work today and take care of getting the title swapped over. Since I had some time I tore into the truck after lunch. Here's some of those photo's you all like so much. lol
The inside of a very dirty, neglected 96 Taco:
The seats where the first thing to go. I'm still not sure if I'll just try and repair the drivers seat or get new ones. I called a few yards today and was quoted $250 for a set. That's half the price of the rig. lol
Took apart the dash and cleaned up everything a bit. Also eliminated all rattles. It's pretty amazing what you can do with old bike inner tubes. I also took care of the noisy speedo cable while I was in there.
I was about to start ripping the rear trim panels when I looked a little closer at the speaker enclosure. Turns out they pop right out. Toyo was actually thinking for once with that great design.
Some lower end audio stuff ready for it's new home. The speakers are already in.
The head unit installed and playing tunes. For the price point I'm happy with the system. In the small cab 4 6.5" speakers and a HU putting out 22RMS x 4 it's loud enough. It's not gonna win any contests but it'll do.
So that's how my afternoon went. Tomorrow I'll replace the broken parking brake cable and try to McGyver some solution for the seat. I'm still debating new leafs and a small lift. It's just hard to throw money at a beater when your real rig is just outside the garage door. lol
The inside of a very dirty, neglected 96 Taco:
The seats where the first thing to go. I'm still not sure if I'll just try and repair the drivers seat or get new ones. I called a few yards today and was quoted $250 for a set. That's half the price of the rig. lol
Took apart the dash and cleaned up everything a bit. Also eliminated all rattles. It's pretty amazing what you can do with old bike inner tubes. I also took care of the noisy speedo cable while I was in there.
I was about to start ripping the rear trim panels when I looked a little closer at the speaker enclosure. Turns out they pop right out. Toyo was actually thinking for once with that great design.
Some lower end audio stuff ready for it's new home. The speakers are already in.
The head unit installed and playing tunes. For the price point I'm happy with the system. In the small cab 4 6.5" speakers and a HU putting out 22RMS x 4 it's loud enough. It's not gonna win any contests but it'll do.
So that's how my afternoon went. Tomorrow I'll replace the broken parking brake cable and try to McGyver some solution for the seat. I'm still debating new leafs and a small lift. It's just hard to throw money at a beater when your real rig is just outside the garage door. lol
phattyduck
Elite Member
I can't wait to see pictures of the heater core / blower fan area...
That whole thing needs a good scrubbing.
Unless the rear is hitting bump stops, why lift?
-Charlie
That whole thing needs a good scrubbing.
Unless the rear is hitting bump stops, why lift?
-Charlie
theesotericone
New member
You might be waiting a while for the heater core pics. lol
I pulled the blower motor to shop vac out the blower assembly. It was actually pretty clean. I'm not planning on doing shit to the heater core unless it fails. It's not exactly the easiest part on the truck to access. It's quite possibly the most difficult. Getting to it makes a 4wd starter swap seem easy. The heat works fine and I cleaned up all the control cables and louvers.
The factory leafs are flat at this point. Not quite negative arch yet but with any weight they go negative. One of the cheaper leaf swaps comes by using a 88-94 Toyo truck springs. That also gives the Taco about 2" of lift with the 4 leaf and about 1.5" with the 3 leaf. So, if I do that swap, I get a free lift and can then run Billie 5100's out back.
fourfive
Senior Member
Right on. I'm a member on a few other Toyota sites but never make it there because t4r takes up all my time :tinfoil3:
Labor of love with these old Toyota 4x4s. Great buy. Glad the Tacoma went to someone that knows how to take care of it instead of getting scrapped. Dig'n the photos. I expect it to look showroom ready when you're done ;P
theesotericone
New member
It's found a good home. I don't know about showroom though. How about cleaner and mechanically sound? lol
One very expensive stone. Remember I need to get the rig F/R ARB locked and re-geared. I'd rather sit in my current seats for a bit longer to make that happen. You still thinking about twin I-beaming your rig?
AssBurns
New member
Haha I feel ya! That stuff ain’t cheap.
Yeah, I still plan to do the TTB swap, but in reality, I doubt that’s gonna happen very soon. I need to buy my wife a 4th gen, then I’ll have her car as a DD. Once I do that, I might consider collecting parts. The problem is mostly money (coilovers and bypasses aren’t cheap!), but also I don’t want too much down time. I might see if I can find a cheap beater 4wd to hold me over while I do the swap.
Yeah, I still plan to do the TTB swap, but in reality, I doubt that’s gonna happen very soon. I need to buy my wife a 4th gen, then I’ll have her car as a DD. Once I do that, I might consider collecting parts. The problem is mostly money (coilovers and bypasses aren’t cheap!), but also I don’t want too much down time. I might see if I can find a cheap beater 4wd to hold me over while I do the swap.
theesotericone
New member
You guys are gonna find this stuff pretty good I hope. Let's clarify some facts. I paid 500 for this truck. My wife won't let me make it a play toy. It's a super low budget to get it up and running to my satisfaction. With that said on too the photo's. lol
OK so kill me. I put KYB Gas-A-Just on the rears. I decided against new springs and they had the most travel out of any stock length shock. There softer then Billie 4600's and a lot cheaper. Total price for both: 91 bucks.
Next it was on to the parking brake. The previous owner pulled the whole bar out after the cable broke. He also must have tried fixing it cause a very important part of the system was missing.
Take a guess what these are about to become?
Figure it out yet? I was missing the wire pulley that holds the cable taught. It also acts as a roller when engaging the brake. The OEM part looks like this and would have set me back 13 bucks if my local dealer was open today. If being the key word.
Here's my McGyvered version installed. Total cost? 10 minutes of my time. I already had the washers and JB weld in the garage. Best of all it works perfectly.
You guys remember this damn thing? I called around and even a used seat was more then I wanted to pay. McGyver time.
So the first thing to take care of was the track. It didn't slide properly and would bind up. The second thing was the broken cross cables that allowed the seat to "sink". If you look closely you'll see the old parking brake cable has become the new cross cable system. You'll also see an old cable that I had laying around that works as the connecting cable for the seat rails.
Next up was trying to make the seat more comfortable. I had some 4" memory foam lying around so that was put to use. I ended up cutting it into 2" thick sections. It was a small remnant and a bit of a jigsaw puzzle to get good coverage.
Some of you smarter folks out there must be thinking "That's just gonna slider all over". I'm not that smart but I did have the same thought. So out came the sewing kit. Yep. Those are 8" zip ties.
The previous owner had some improperly fitted seat covers on the truck when I got it. After washing them I decided to fit them properly. The result it my "improved" drivers seat. I just got back from a test drive and it's actually pretty comfy. Look out Recaro, I'm coming for you. lol
The passenger side seat also got the same treatment minus the new foam pad. It's foam wasn't nearly as bad as the drivers side.
Along with that both the truck and my rig got an oil change. I went though all the fluids on the truck again and everything but the clutch reservoir was good. The clutch reservoir was almost dry though. I filled it back up and will keep an eye on it.
I also did a full inspection of the front suspension. The steering rack bushings are shot but everything else was solid. It's gonna need front pads and rotor resurfacing in the next 5000 miles but other than that it's road ready.
After finishing up I went to test out the new shocks. I bombed my favorite dirt road and came away impressed for what they are. Let's face it a 45 dollar shock isn't gonna feel like a race shock but the ass end is was less bouncy. It's actually fun to drift this truck. Can't really do that well with my rig since it's an auto. The truck's a 5 speed so hauling around a corner and dropping into 2nd breaks it loose nicely.
Sum total of this little project, including the price of the rig, stands at 747 bucks. I'm satisfied that I got a good deal. lol
OK so kill me. I put KYB Gas-A-Just on the rears. I decided against new springs and they had the most travel out of any stock length shock. There softer then Billie 4600's and a lot cheaper. Total price for both: 91 bucks.
Next it was on to the parking brake. The previous owner pulled the whole bar out after the cable broke. He also must have tried fixing it cause a very important part of the system was missing.
Take a guess what these are about to become?
Figure it out yet? I was missing the wire pulley that holds the cable taught. It also acts as a roller when engaging the brake. The OEM part looks like this and would have set me back 13 bucks if my local dealer was open today. If being the key word.
Here's my McGyvered version installed. Total cost? 10 minutes of my time. I already had the washers and JB weld in the garage. Best of all it works perfectly.
You guys remember this damn thing? I called around and even a used seat was more then I wanted to pay. McGyver time.
So the first thing to take care of was the track. It didn't slide properly and would bind up. The second thing was the broken cross cables that allowed the seat to "sink". If you look closely you'll see the old parking brake cable has become the new cross cable system. You'll also see an old cable that I had laying around that works as the connecting cable for the seat rails.
Next up was trying to make the seat more comfortable. I had some 4" memory foam lying around so that was put to use. I ended up cutting it into 2" thick sections. It was a small remnant and a bit of a jigsaw puzzle to get good coverage.
Some of you smarter folks out there must be thinking "That's just gonna slider all over". I'm not that smart but I did have the same thought. So out came the sewing kit. Yep. Those are 8" zip ties.
The previous owner had some improperly fitted seat covers on the truck when I got it. After washing them I decided to fit them properly. The result it my "improved" drivers seat. I just got back from a test drive and it's actually pretty comfy. Look out Recaro, I'm coming for you. lol
The passenger side seat also got the same treatment minus the new foam pad. It's foam wasn't nearly as bad as the drivers side.
Along with that both the truck and my rig got an oil change. I went though all the fluids on the truck again and everything but the clutch reservoir was good. The clutch reservoir was almost dry though. I filled it back up and will keep an eye on it.
I also did a full inspection of the front suspension. The steering rack bushings are shot but everything else was solid. It's gonna need front pads and rotor resurfacing in the next 5000 miles but other than that it's road ready.
After finishing up I went to test out the new shocks. I bombed my favorite dirt road and came away impressed for what they are. Let's face it a 45 dollar shock isn't gonna feel like a race shock but the ass end is was less bouncy. It's actually fun to drift this truck. Can't really do that well with my rig since it's an auto. The truck's a 5 speed so hauling around a corner and dropping into 2nd breaks it loose nicely.
Sum total of this little project, including the price of the rig, stands at 747 bucks. I'm satisfied that I got a good deal. lol
Last edited:
theesotericone
New member
Before heading out to climb this morning I pulled the stock 235's off the Taco and threw on my rigs old split spokes with 265/70's. I lowered the rears to 28PSI and kept the fronts at 32PSI. What a huge improvement in dirt road handling. I'm sure it'll handle OK enough on the highway. It's a sweet spot I can live with.
Just one photo for now as I was in a hurry like always. lol
I'll get some more eventually.
I had a little hiccup with the new stereo set-up as well. For the first few hours it sounded great at all volume levels. Then it started to crackle at anything above mid-range. I got home and tore into it.
First I verified good ground. Then I checked all voltages. Everything was normal. I figured the cheap ass speakers blew but all 4 at once is really bad luck. I put the stock deck back in and the speakers sounded fine.
I removed the a speaker anyway figuring the JVC deck had enough power to cause the crackling. I pulled one of the speakers from my rig and did a swap. The cheap ass speaker sounded fine in my rig with way more RMS pushing it. The Polk I pulled out of my rig also crackled in the truck with the JVC deck.
So that left the deck as the issue. I updated the firmware and the issue still persisted. I'll call JVC tomorrow and get tech on the line. That should be fun. I'm positive it's a bloen output capacitor on the deck but there gonna tell me it's blown speakers. In the meantime I've ordered another unit from Amazon and will swap it out and return the current one. Gotta love the big A's return policies. lol
Just one photo for now as I was in a hurry like always. lol
I'll get some more eventually.
I had a little hiccup with the new stereo set-up as well. For the first few hours it sounded great at all volume levels. Then it started to crackle at anything above mid-range. I got home and tore into it.
First I verified good ground. Then I checked all voltages. Everything was normal. I figured the cheap ass speakers blew but all 4 at once is really bad luck. I put the stock deck back in and the speakers sounded fine.
I removed the a speaker anyway figuring the JVC deck had enough power to cause the crackling. I pulled one of the speakers from my rig and did a swap. The cheap ass speaker sounded fine in my rig with way more RMS pushing it. The Polk I pulled out of my rig also crackled in the truck with the JVC deck.
So that left the deck as the issue. I updated the firmware and the issue still persisted. I'll call JVC tomorrow and get tech on the line. That should be fun. I'm positive it's a bloen output capacitor on the deck but there gonna tell me it's blown speakers. In the meantime I've ordered another unit from Amazon and will swap it out and return the current one. Gotta love the big A's return policies. lol
BrianSD_42
New member
theesotericone
New member
Thanks. It's amazing what you can do with washers. I might add them to the must haves like bailing wire and duct tape. lol
I got the new deck installed. Same issue with crackling above 60% volume. I'm at a loss here. EVERYTHING checks out good. Even using a ground loop isolator produces the same damn symptoms. I've installed a lot of car audio and have never had this issue that's plaguing me currently.
The cheapo speakers are getting returned to big A. I decided to just bite the bullet and put in some Polk DB651's all the way around. I'll also completely eliminate all stock wiring at that point in time. If that doesn't fix this issue I just might end up throwing things. lol
theesotericone
New member
There's a before shot upthread on this page. I'll get some after shots once I get it buttoned back up. Currently the door panels are off and the deck is out awaiting new speakers. I also picked up some new manual window cranks. The old ones didn't have handles. There gray not tan but they where half the price of the tan ones. Budget builds are great. lol
theesotericone
New member
Buttermilks Loop North to South
It's been a busy few weeks around here and my rigs been sitting patiently waiting for a chance to get on the trails. With really high winds today I decided to not go climb and let my rig do it's thing.
I've done this loop at least 30 times. It's close to my house, it's scenic and it's also how you access Mt Humphrey's, Basin Mt, and the South Side of Mt Tom. In all those times it's always changed a little from season to season. It's never stopped me though. Not even last year when it was completely washed out.
That changed today. One of the great things about wheeling is seeing new obstacles. It's usually on a new trail that you get to see them. Today I got to see a new one on this trail I've run a lot.
Here's the lower(North) start of Buttermilks Rd. It goes down easy dirt until it gets closer to those mountains in the background.
Did I say it was windy? Here's what half my drive looked like. I'm the only vehicle on this road. The dust was literally blinding at times.
Here's my new obstacle. That's Mt Tom behind my rig. That's a HUGE mud pit in front of my rig. It was deep, sloppy and long. Well over 200' long.
In all my trips this section has never been like this. I don't know what changed up slope to divert that mush water and mud here. This shot is the end of the mud. Notice that thing that looks like a post in the middle of the trail? It's a shovel. I ended up using it. lol
If you look closely in the 3rd photo you'll see a possible bypass on the passenger side. I decided that was my ticket around most of it. You have to cross about 30' of deep slosh to get to it. It's off camber to drivers side and it also had a large 18" step to get onto it. I hit the gas and lined up the rig. It went really well till the passenger front tire hit the step and dug in. That pulled the whole rig hard left. With that done I was axle deep on my drivers side leaning at about 20 degrees. It also meant I was stuck. lol
When I got out my drivers side door was laying in mud. I was about to get out my traction boards and shovel when I remembered the last guy left his shovel. I used it to dig out my drivers rear. The passenger rear was the one spinning. Damn I need lockers.
Anyway after digging out a bit and putting it in Lo I was able to get free without resorting to traction boards or my own shovel.
I lined back up and went for it again. Yeah, I'm dumb like that. Wouldn't you know it ended up with the same result. After digging out from round 2 I decided to call it a day and go home. Here's the aftermath.
Another fun day and another reason to get locked. It was also the first time I had to wash my rig since I've owned it. lol
Road Bull
Senior Member
Ooohweee! That's some slop you got right there. That mud seems out of place, like it was put there for you, and others... You should have hit it again. Third time's a charm man! I am digging your trail reports. I don't see much in the way of water crossings so for from your neck of the woods. So this is an interesting development. I like how someone else payed it forward and left a shovel there. I am sure things would have been WAY worse if you went hay diddle diddle right up the middle. Another great reason for me to get some traction pads... Or.. a locker.
This is crazy weather weekend for sure. I just got back from a little trip up to Canada. While there it snowed and we heard that it snowed down in Washington again. I came back today to super crazy wind gusts on the drive back. But where I lived escaped snow fall. But... The wind has been knocking out power off and on this afternoon.
There is a small group of us going out tomorrow towards the Olympics again. I hope someone has a chainsaw. If these winds do what I think they are doing, it will come in handy.
This is crazy weather weekend for sure. I just got back from a little trip up to Canada. While there it snowed and we heard that it snowed down in Washington again. I came back today to super crazy wind gusts on the drive back. But where I lived escaped snow fall. But... The wind has been knocking out power off and on this afternoon.
There is a small group of us going out tomorrow towards the Olympics again. I hope someone has a chainsaw. If these winds do what I think they are doing, it will come in handy.
theesotericone
New member
Just got the mandatory evac notice for my neighborhood. There's a fire that started at 2:45PM that's burning 1.5 miles to the NE of me. Luckily the winds are from the south and pushing it into the Whites. It's gonna be a sleepless night. Sprinklers are on and my roof has a garden hose watering as I type this. I talked to the Sheriff and let them know I'm staying put until I need to go. The wife is at a friends for the evening. My rigs packed and ready to go when needed.
http://www.fire.ca.gov/current_incidents/incidentdetails/Index/1938
Looking NE from my driveway:
http://www.fire.ca.gov/current_incidents/incidentdetails/Index/1938
Looking NE from my driveway:
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