CoastieRon's Silver build & BS

[Ron]

Before lift:

After lift:

 

[Trail_limo_pro]

Looks good. Just want to double check what setting you decided on. Uca in the future? Keep us posted. This is a great option cause it’s cheap and easy. Especially if it rides better than stock. Might go this route before kings

 

[Ron]

Looks good. Just want to double check what setting you decided on. Uca in the future? Keep us posted. This is a great option cause it’s cheap and easy. Especially if it rides better than stock. Might go this route before kings

The setting is on stock. Total cost was $616, labor was me and my cousin.

It's starting to settle a little and I'm ok with it. The ride is very nice.

 

[Ron]

Next up, dash cam.

 

[Ron]

Dash cam (1):

So I ordered a BlackVue DR590-1ch with a Power Magic Pro, as well as a GoPro mount from shapeways.

Today the BV and PMP came in, so I took a look at the wires and decided to solder everything.

I took apart the power jack from the camera and clipped off the receptical from the PMP. Soldered those together, as well as the constant power and acc power add a fuses.

 

[Ron]

All quiet right now over here. I haven't had the opportunity to install my dash cam, or the pile of other things collecting on my workbench. Was at summer camp with my son, then in the middle of that week my uncle passed away. So as soon as I got home from camp, me and a few aunts and uncles rented a van and drove out to Ohio. Even under the sad circumstance of the visit, I had a wonderful time with my family (my dad is one of 11). I partied pretty hard with my cousins. I just got home this past Wednesday and am still trying to recover (it was that good of a visit I guess). Now I'm going camping again tonight....

 

[Ron]

Dash Cam continued July 18

Well, at least the power wire has been run. Hasn't been plugged into the fuse box, but it's been run. This one is taking forever to get completed....

 

[Ron]

Dash Cam Jul 19

And it's finished. All wired up, all plugged in. Tomorrow I'll take a look at the footage from my commutes and see if the camera is angled well enough.I plugged my ACC into the window washer fuse using an add a fuses, and the BATT into the dome light fuse doing the same. While I was under there I cleaned a few other items up that we're not as tight/clean as they could have been.

 

[Ron]

July 29​

Today I removed the stock air flow thingy (technical term) to the air box from the wheel well and replaced it with the TRD Intake Flow Accelerator (PTR0335090AC). This is part of the TRD Intake, but I am piecing together my own little deal.

Stock:

TRD:

Pretty simple to install. The bottom section of the air box has 3 bolts that need to be removed. 10 minutes overall. Next is the intake pipe once I decide what to do. Then OV tune.
​

 

[Ron]

Key Card 1 Aug 1

I decided that I am going to do the Lexus Key Card addition as explained in this thread

I made my order today because my local had the best price for the card (202.86, PN 89904-53511), and ordered the key blank with it (37.58 PN 69515-30350). Ordered through the local's website. Parts department emailed me asking for the VIN number, so I gave it. Got this email back:

Hello
By the VIN provided by you, the parts you have ordered is not the correct part for your vehicle.
There is a price difference of $96.99 in your favor. we will credit the difference. The parts should be available tomorrow.
Thanks

I emailed them back asking them to please call me. Had a nice conversation with the parts guy. Said the part he changed it to was not a wallet card. I asked politely to please change the order back to what I asked for, and he responded with "are you absolutely sure that part will work with the truck vin you gave me?" To which I replied "I just read 16 pages worth of testimonials for exactly that part with exactly the same truck as the vin I gave you, so yeah, I'm pretty sure".

Parts will be available for pick up tomorrow. I tried to get the extra 96.99 off anyway, but he wasn't having it. Nothing else really going on right now, boring.....

 

[Ron]

Key Card 2 Aug 2

Picked up my order this afternoon and had the card programmed, and the key cut. Took the technician at my local favorite locksmith (Dependable Lock Nashua, NH) about 5 minutes to do after I assured him it would work. The look on his face was priceless when I said "gotta love the internet" after he started the truck with success after the first try.

A pricey convenience mod, but I think this one will be worth it to me....

 

[Ron]

Key Card 3 -Aug 3

So I'm a trust but verify kind of guy. I've decided that I love the key card in my wallet. So far it has great range, and I have had little issue with it. However, I have decided to keep an emergency keyfob in a make shift faraday wrap in a secure location in my truck for now, just until I get used to trusting the card.

The aluminum foil works great on it to keep the signal contained.

 

[Ron]

Sorry, catching the thread up....

 

[Ron]

Debadge Aug 11

I decided to remove the badges from my truck. I used floss to cut through the adhesive. Once the badges were off, I pealed off the thick adhesive:

There was a thin adhesive film left that I wiped away with Laquer thinner:

I wiped away the remaining shadow and film with Goo Gone, then waxed with Maguire's cleaner wax:

In other news, I'm not quite satisfied with the dashcam mount that uses the GoPro mount, so I have something else coming in tomorrow to reposition the camera.

 

[Ron]

Dash Cam (Again) Aug 12

I relocated the dashcam from the GoPro mount to under the rearview mirror. I did this because the TSS is still in the way with the GoPro mount.

The mount is the

$99 BLENDMOUNT INNOVATIVE MOUNTING SOLUTIONS BlendMount BBV-2000R, Aluminum Dashcam Mount for BlackVue DR900S/750S/650S/590W Series Series - Patented Design Made in USA - Looks Factory Installed
BlendMount BBV-2000R, Aluminum Dashcam Mount for BlackVue DR900S/750S/650S/590W Series Series. It was kind of a pain in the ass to install, but once I had it dialed in, I found there is minimal interference to the sight line by the TSS module. It is more on the center-line as well.

The BlackVue DS590 is a little on the slim/smaller size, so I had to add the included stick on pads for the mount to get a good snug hold on the cam.
​

 

[Ron]

More Audio Aug 17

Well, I kind of got tired of the front stage with the PPI woofers and the Kicker Subi drop ins. I miss having the tweeters on the sail panels, and I wanted a speaker that filled the whole hole (LMFAO). So after much agonizing, researching, arguing, poll making, etc. I decided to just say fuck it, and bought a set of Morel Tempo Ultra 692s. Crutchfield had a sale on them this week for $299, and everyone else has them for above $400.​

​

My plan is simple. I'm going to disconnect the fronts from my amp (the wires going from the amp BACK to the OEM wiring harness), then run new wires from the amp to the crossovers, then from the crossovers to the speakers. I'm hoping to install the tweeters into the sail panels, and have already purchased and received a set of those. Maybe I can get the crossover mounted inside the door panel so I can just run one wire into the door grommet (pain in the ass on my last truck).​

​

Here's to hoping. Anyway, I'm going to probably be selling the Kicker drop ins in a few weeks.....​

​

 

[Ron]

Audio Again Aug 22

The Morel Tempo Ultra 692s came in today, so I swapped out my PPI drivers for the Morel drivers. They are not on the proper crossovers yet, so I'm going to be listening low volume until I can figure out where the tweeters are going.

Drivers

Comparison

PPI in door:

Morel in door:

You can see in this picture that I put some noico deadener on the surface that the speaker attaches to the adapter.

Crutchfield's "what fits" guide says these will not fit. They do, and just fine. There is 1 thing I do not like about the Morel drivers so far. I do not like the connection posts at all, and will probably end up soldering wires with bullet connectors. Right now they are hooked up the same way as the PPIs were (using the OEM wiring for the speakers to the amp). When I get a weekend free I'll install the crossovers and run new wires to the doors. Of course a lot of that will depend on figuring out how to make the sail panels without getting pissed off and breaking shit.

This morning I tested the speakers at what I considered the old middle volume (23) and found the drivers to be a high step up from the PPIs, even when not crossed over properly. I was listening to Umphry Magee's "Death by Stereo" album, and the morels kick amazing. When this gets fully set up with the crossovers, these things are going to be monsters.....

Tweeters:

The tweeters come with 3 mounting options, but no swivel mount. I'm going to have to look into finding a swivel mount for them.

A quick note about the PPIs: These are great drivers, but they were unmatched by the Kicker drop ins, and needed to be on their proper crossovers, getting at LEAST 200RMS. They were severely underpowered. I have the crossovers and the tweeters from the 3 way kit, and the crossovers will work in just a 2 way configuration, but I'll be honest, I don't like the AMT style of tweeters without the small mid range drivers, and I can't find a set to match.

Anyway, when I took them out of the door, I found some mild corrosion on the wires:

Another reason for me to solder the wires to the speakers, then heat shrink to protect the connections......

 

[Ron]

Audio Clean Up Aug 26

Clean up! I grabbed some stuff on Amazon to clean up my system and to prep for doing the tweeter / component crossovers.

Put new teminals at the end of everything

Ran wires for the crossovers

Not done yet tonight, more to follow...

Left the rear seats out so when everything else comes in, I can finish up "quicker". But for some reason, my back up camera is not coming on. The only thing I did to effect (affect?) That was disconnect my neg terminal to my battery when I was doing everything?

 

[Ron]

Audio Again Aug 30

Last night, the connectors and the adapters for the tweeters came in, and when I got home from work, I got to work soldering the connections for the tweeters.

I then started on the passenger side, removing all the trim panels, Oh shit handle, a-pillar, etc, and ran the wire down. When that was done, I removed the door panel, took the woofer driver out and ran the woofer wire to the door. This was MUCH easier to do than my Tundra was. The wire boot comes out easily. There are two wire harnesses to unplug, and you can push the boot out from the cab of the truck, then run the wire through a pre-existing hole in the boot, and into the door. Run all the wires back through the hole in the cab, plug in the harnesses and away you go. I didn't take pictures of that though. Next time I have the kick panels off, I'll try to remember to do that.

All in all, running all the wires and installing the tweeters took around 3 hours of taking my time, taking water breaks (it was hot AF in my garage), and finding misplaced tools.

With the crimp on connections I used, as well as proper labeling, hooking up the crossovers was a breeze

When I was all wrapped up and before putting the door panels back on, I took the truck to the parking lot down the street and did a function check on the speakers, making sure each channel was functioning properly (left was actually left, etc). All was good, so I went back to the garage and buttoned things up.

This morning I did sound checks with a few different styles of music to make sure I had my sound settings good to go. I actually turned up the mid-range by 1 tic, and played with the treble until I ended up 1 tic higher than I was at. I started at a volume level of 25, and moved up by increments of 5 until 40 (almost ear splitting for me). The speakers really really open up right around 32 on up.

The music I selected this morning:

The Beatles: Abbey Road, Mean Mr. Mustard-Polythene Pam-She Came in Through the Bathroom Window-Golden Slumbers-Carry That Weight-End

Leo (metal covers of pop songs): Take Me To Church-Born This Way

Snoop Dogg: Gin and Juice-Shiznit

Megadeth: Blackmail The Universe, Blackmail The Universe-Kick The Chair

Mercyful Fate: Evil-Curse of the Pharaohs (because King Fucking Diamond)

Umphrey's McGee: Death By Stereo, Miami Virtue-Domino Theory

The woofers have been breaking in for the last couple of weeks (days?) and are flexing really nice with rich full bass. I have the high pass for the fronts set at 90 so I'm not overwhelming the woofer drivers in the door, but it sounds great right there. The tweeters are plugged into the +2dB attenuation slots, and sound pretty good there so far. I'm not sure if tweeters need the same sort of responsible breaking in period, so I'm going to take it easy on them. But they are clear with great sound reproduction. I did not reset the gains at all, as I tuned the amp with an oscilloscope to match the input of the head unit.

One thing I do need to adjust on the amp is the rear high pass setting. Right now it is set at 110 (ish, more like 108 or something, see picture). The kickers in the rear doors sound almost tinny and flat compared to the fronts, and I need to get just a little more bass to them.

I'm very happy about the sound in the truck right now. Some minor tweeking of the amp aside (I might go a smidge lower on the front woofers on the high pass), I am rolling in the right direction.

Tonight I have an appointment at the dealership for the truck's 15K mileage service, and hopefully the TSP flash. When I get home, I'll revisit the settings on the amp, then put the rear seats back in.

I'm sure I have forgotten something.......

 

[Ron]

TSB 062-018 Aug 31

Yesterday, I had my 15,000 service, and had the TSB-062-18 completed at 14,978 miles. Software update 8966304A6100. I don't know how long this new peppy version of my truck is going to last, but boy does it drive better now. Especially on the highway during my commute. The pedal at take off is way more responsive (sensitive) than it was the day before.

I also got the opportunity to put my back seats in and button everything up. Before doing that, I changed the rear crossover to 90 hz from 110 hz. Sounds a bit more full back there now.

Now to get rid of some things so I can get new speakers for the back.

 

[Ron]

Today:

Ordered Morel Tempo Ultra Integra 602s for the rear doors.....

 

[Tyler]

TSB 062-018 Aug 31

Yesterday, I had my 15,000 service, and had the TSB-062-18 completed at 14,978 miles. Software update 8966304A6100. I don't know how long this new peppy version of my truck is going to last, but boy does it drive better now. Especially on the highway during my commute. The pedal at take off is way more responsive (sensitive) than it was the day before.

I also got the opportunity to put my back seats in and button everything up. Before doing that, I changed the rear crossover to 90 hz from 110 hz. Sounds a bit more full back there now.

Now to get rid of some things so I can get new speakers for the back.

Still driving better or did it learn its old habits already?

 

[Ron]

Still driving better or did it learn its old habits already?

It's still driving better, but I feel as though it might be a band aid....

 

[Tyler]

It's still driving better, but I feel as though it might be a band aid....

Apparently regear to 5.29 is the real fix. $$ though.

 

[Ron]

Apparently regear to 5.29 is the real fix. $$ though.

Yes. I watched that video. I'm never going up to that size tire (33-35), I would go to 4.88 though, but yeah, big money.

 

[Ron]

Updated the rear doors in the truck to match the fronts. That whole "Premium sound for $250" is great, if you don't like music LMAO.


The Morel Tempo Ultra 602 Integras came in, so I did a pit crew change out. I'm getting really friggen good at getting the panels off at this point.

Anyhow, here is a side by side of the Morels and the Kickers. Please note that the Kickers are the 6.75" coaxials, and the Morels are 6.5" coaxials.

Unboxing:

The speakers have soldered in resister style crossovers to protect the speakers from going too high on the woofer or too low on the tweeter.

The terminals in my opinion should be more robust for a $269 pair of coaxials

Side by side comparison

Look at the size of that magnet on the Morels!

And we're installed:

Right at this moment, I am not getting full range of these speakers. I have my high pass set at 110-ish Hertz, and will leave them like that for one month for responsible break in. Then I will probably set the rears to "full", or at the very least down to 60-ish.

 

[gaterose]

Great writeup! Nice to hear running the wiring was fairly easy. I've been wondering about that for when I swap the 3-ways for components eventually (it's bound to happen...) since the tweeter is wired separate. Getting from the cab through the door is always the hardest part.

I decided to try an Audison based on your results, not very happy with my 10tw1 either. It should arrive today and hopefully this weekend I can build a box around it based on the APBX 10 DS dimensions

 

[Ron]

Great writeup! Nice to hear running the wiring was fairly easy. I've been wondering about that for when I swap the 3-ways for components eventually (it's bound to happen...) since the tweeter is wired separate. Getting from the cab through the door is always the hardest part.

I decided to try an Audison based on your results, not very happy with my 10tw1 either. It should arrive today and hopefully this weekend I can build a box around it based on the APBX 10 DS dimensions

Wow, cool!

The wiring to the doors is extremely easy. I had a 3 way set up in my last truck with the tweets in the sails, and it was awful wiring them.

If I could grasp running active, I'd love to run a 3 way again, adding a small mid driver to the dash and moving tweets to the sail panels...

 

[Ron]

Quick hit:

1. Speakers still breaking in. Think this weekend I will change some settings on the amp.

2. Ordered one of those HPS intake hoses in red, because why the fuck not, and I had a coupon.

3. I started a Gent Scents subscription a couple of months ago. I've been getting the Bayrum scent, one block a month. I find the scent to be extremely pleasing, but my wife does not. No biggy, I just switch the side the block is on when she is in the truck. I've been taking the old blocks and putting between the rear seats and the C pillar. However, I have found that after the first block I got, the blocks tend to dry out a bit quicker, and don't last as long. So I'm going to look into re-using the blocks with Bayrum oil or something to that effect.

4. My wife is having a hard time getting into the truck, so I have to do something with the grab handle on the passenger side. Gonna make some para cord grabs in silver and black so she can hoist her short ass in the truck....

Anyway, that's it for now, except I want 4.88 gears......

 

[Ron]

My truck is pretty friggen sexy. Need bed bars for my skis (have a ski cargo carrier coming from my BiL).

Also am going to put some vinyl on the hood. blinding ass commute killing me....