What Did You Do To Your 3rd Gen Today?

[JZiggy]

went in easy and fast, those rivets tho, super hard to get them to snap off, just making cruise control brackets now.

Oh I see you're a 3RZ also. Yes, a 1"-ish drop bracket is needed to clear the pass side strut. I had to do that too.

 

[shazbot]

 

[shazbot]

i

used this, each bracket is 2inches long, holes are 10mm in I think

 

[austindenny]

So, I finished v1 of this project a few days ago but at least put it through its paces for the first time today. Need to make a few adjustments/improvements for some of the tolerances that strain under loaded weight.

some shoddy drawer-organization

mostly glad to have this capability – before, accessing the cooler and other random items, like camera gear, without totally unloading was basically impossible.

and the most important feature

 

[Pj Benn]

Were there plans you followed or did you just design on your own?

 

[austindenny]

Were there plans you followed or did you just design on your own?

I watched a handful of build videos to get an idea of what I wanted and then did a basic design in SketchUp. Made a lot of changes along the way, though. The sliding top and using two drawers instead of one large drawer were game time decisions.

 

[4Runner4Leon]

Nice, that's a must-have. I like the black hardware update too.

Yup, these have gone through numerous upgrades and updates since the early days - all brackets are now powder coated, and everything is sourced from USA manufacturers. Costs more than the Chinese alternatives, but is definitely better quality.

 

[JZiggy]

Yup, these have gone through numerous upgrades and updates since the early days - all brackets are now powder coated, and everything is sourced from USA manufacturers. Costs more than the Chinese alternatives, but is definitely better quality.

Nice! I'm pretty sure I'm still rocking the prototype :cheers:

 

[eddielasvegas]

Good on ya and let's hope all of us in the good old USA now think like this and act accordingly.

Higher prices and better quality? Yes and yes.

Intangible benefits worth way more than a few dollars saved? Yes, yes and yes again.


Eddie

...and everything is sourced from USA manufacturers. Costs more than the Chinese alternatives, but is definitely better quality.

 

[4Runner4Leon]

Good on ya and let's hope all of us in the good old USA now think like this and act accordingly.

Higher prices and better quality? Yes and yes.

Intangible benefits worth way more than a few dollars saved? Yes, yes and yes again.


Eddie

Thanks Eddie, glad you appreciate that aspect of our products. Someone on another forum called it a gimmick, to which I said it may be a gimmick until it happens to be a job of someone in Michigan or Ohio, then it suddenly matters.

In all honesty, the USA made components only add a few dollars to the kit's price, but there is a notable difference in quality. And I love stopping by my local powder coater's facility and giving him 1,000 brackets to powder coat, knowing that I'm helping out a local business instead of having the product come from some near-slave-labor factory in China.

 

[shazbot]

Thanks Eddie, glad you appreciate that aspect of our products. Someone on another forum called it a gimmick, to which I said it may be a gimmick until it happens to be a job of someone in Michigan or Ohio, then it suddenly matters.

In all honesty, the USA made components only add a few dollars to the kit's price, but there is a notable difference in quality. And I love stopping by my local powder coater's facility and giving him 1.000 brackets to powder coat, knowing that I'm helping out a local business instead of having the product come from some near-slave-labor factory in China.

my Trumpbux well spent

 

[3bears]

Thanks Eddie, glad you appreciate that aspect of our products. Someone on another forum called it a gimmick, to which I said it may be a gimmick until it happens to be a job of someone in Michigan or Ohio, then it suddenly matters.

In all honesty, the USA made components only add a few dollars to the kit's price, but there is a notable difference in quality. And I love stopping by my local powder coater's facility and giving him 1,000 brackets to powder coat, knowing that I'm helping out a local business instead of having the product come from some near-slave-labor factory in China.

long term use reports ? Curious how the pop rivets are holding up on the hood application part of it.

 

[4Runner4Leon]

long term use reports ? Curious how the pop rivets are holding up on the hood application part of it.

JZiggy and I have had ours installed for close to a year and a half, no issues. Rivets are probably the best type of permanent fastener for this application, as they are less sensitive to vibration than threaded fasteners.

Since the days of those early kits, we've upgraded to multigrip rivets, which are even stronger and with a larger bulb on the back side of the sheetmetal. Those are not going to go anywhere.

 

[JZiggy]

I pop my hood all the time so these struts have been cycled many times. Still solid and working great. I can't decide which is my favorite mod: rear 3D printed cupholders, short shifter, or the Spiker hood struts.


Okay, I think it's the cupholders -- sorry Leon :becky:

 

[4Runner4Leon]

I pop my hood all the time so these struts have been cycled many times. Still solid and working great. I can't decide which is my favorite mod: rear 3D printed cupholders, short shifter, or the Spiker hood struts.


Okay, I think it's the cupholders -- sorry Leon :becky:

Scandalous!!!:cheers:

 

[tylenol650]

Changed my rear stabilizer bar link :canada:

 

[seirunner]

finally got a rear bumper / tire carrier installed

 

[CougarT4R]

OME Lift

Finally installed a lift, went with the OME 881/906 with a 10mm spacer in the rear and nitrocharger shocks on all 4 corners. After one year of ownership it finally doesn't look like a saggy heap.

 

[Crazy09sage]

Capped off the week with new tires after installing Energy Suspension body mounts, rear sway bar bushings, and an OME 10mm coil spring trim packer in the left rear.

Overall with all the work the side to side is within 1/2’’ of each other now with just under 1/2’’ rake rear to front. That and she handles great now! Time to hit some light trails this weekend.

 

[Moonbandit]

Finally installed a lift, went with the OME 881/906 with a 10mm spacer in the rear and nitrocharger shocks on all 4 corners. After one year of ownership it finally doesn't look like a saggy heap.

Looks great.
How do you like the nitro chargers over bumps?
Been really thinking about these.
Just afraid they’d be too harsh or stiff over potholes or uneven manholes over 20mph