Home About Contact Advertising Feedback Website Help Change Website Color

  • Welcome to Tacoma3G.com, a free resource for 2016-2023 Toyota Tacoma owners!

    This website is the passion-project of a USMC veteran/mechanic, @Tyler. I created Tacoma3G.com to share my knowledge of this subject with others and to provide like-minded folks with a comfortable space to ask questions and create 'build threads' within our Tacoma Forums. Now, if the format of this website is confusing to navigate for you, or if you're interested in my full mission and T3G's history, check out the Help and About pages.

Jfrisch’s Red Taco build

So, while sitting here at work, eating lunch I figured I would lay out my list of "phases". I will call them phases as I change my mind just as much as my underwear (every 4-5 days :ROFLMAO:). I figure it will be nice to have goals lined out and what I plan to accomplish with the truck. Just because it is installed, doesn't mean it wont get removed, ie, bed cover, light bar, etc. I do drive about 90 miles round trip a day so until I need/ absolutely have to get a cheap daily, this thing will stay on the road. Will always be street legal, just don't want to pay a grand in fuel a month for it.

Phase I: (COMPLETED)

Wheels/ tires
ARB air locker for rear w/ compressor
More lights (lightbar/ ditch lights)
More protection (rear bumper, front skid)
Personal items (seat covers, bed cover, roof rack, kid friendly items)
Misc stuff that really doesn't matter :poop:

Phase II: COMPLETED

@marlincrawler Tacobox install (ordered- 6-8 week lead time) :geek:
33-35's (gonna do some fitting to see what I want to run for the time being)
Sliders
Figure out how 3 car seats will fit in my truck before this new baby comes
Possibly front bumper
Exhaust re-route

Phase III: After new addition to the family

37's (CHOP CHOP CHOP) IN PROGRESS
Front bumper (if not done in Phase II) DONE
Bed- offroad bed not a “flatbed” DONE
Winch- DONE

Phase IV:

Transfer case 2nd mount (due to tacobox)
Front skid (better than the one on it now)
Interior storage for cb, radios HH, phone etc
Roof rack (prinsu) need to add some limb risers to this thing. Need a solid attachment

Phase Rock Crawla'

Possibly 40s
Solid axle swap
Rear tube work
Rear tube work
..................................

More to come in future!
 
Last edited:
Took the truck to the graffiti wall today. Had a blast cruising down the tracks look at all the artwork. Some of it is amazing to see in person. These are the flood walls that separate the city from the Mississippi River.

Urban crawling you might say.

07318FB8-A508-4323-A5FB-66ABD3F80D70.jpeg
42720461-A762-4697-B42E-153B7639BA8C.jpeg
19965CB2-C044-44B0-885B-3A356C4AD265.jpeg
A8439915-7DA6-4234-9264-B714A7D81157.jpeg
7E5B3ECA-64CB-4025-A019-F8F1FFF325C4.jpeg
 
The taco box has arrived! (Yesterday). It’s a thing of beauty. It’s gonna be a few weeks before I have time to put it in the truck but I cannot wait.

Going to Flat Nasty Offroad park this weekend to do a little wheeling. It’s been too long.

I did, however, install a soflobumpers snorkel on my truck last week. Fit was great, easy to install!

AE246CA3-59BA-4F9D-9D8D-0645872D68BA.jpeg
3BF5CCFD-653E-4452-9FE6-566FE8DD3E5F.jpeg
 
Took the truck to Flat Nasty again to get away for a little bit. Did a little damage to the front skid and factory running boards ?

Also, started a YouTube channel to post the videos we take while Offroad. They are short now but will get better. I’m a newbie to this but will catch on!
 

Attachments

  • EFC99EAD-62AA-4781-BA00-13EDC3E34256.jpeg
    EFC99EAD-62AA-4781-BA00-13EDC3E34256.jpeg
    1,018.1 KB · Views: 91
  • 70CBFA8D-B99B-4C6C-A073-4028F71180FF.jpeg
    70CBFA8D-B99B-4C6C-A073-4028F71180FF.jpeg
    1.7 MB · Views: 98
  • E4C9910D-985A-4D5F-91DC-12D2F50C1620.jpeg
    E4C9910D-985A-4D5F-91DC-12D2F50C1620.jpeg
    1 MB · Views: 86
Went to the junkyard in search of a shift boot for the tacobox shifter to match the others. Got pretty close!

Would never guess what it came out of either ?

B93EC72B-5BBA-4A43-A8C2-A95C0F369032.jpeg
 
Working on welding up the sliders for the truck.

They are Avid off-road- Weld on sliders.

Short little story-

I am not a welder. I actually just picked up a welder to make my own shift lever for the tacobox. That was the very first time I have EVER welded. I feel like I’m catching on quick but there is a lot to learn. I’ll post a pick of my very first weld, 3 days ago. This was pass #2 after fixing the wire speed. The absolute first pass was boogers on boogers- just nasty.

I figured since I put the money in a welder, why pay someone to weld up my sliders? Didn’t make since. I have been practicing on scrap metal to see how the welds turn out on those. I felt confident enough to weld up these sliders and that’s where we are at!

(2nd pass weld) this is flux core gas less so it has a lot of slag
0B1A6A64-11FC-43CD-98F2-B6D8D82FE282.jpeg


Avid weld on sliders


6DF9E65C-365A-4F55-950D-5AA44EAA039C.jpeg
0CC45087-981D-45CA-8BAA-1F082ABB2371.jpeg
 
Few updates on the tacobox:

Had a bad leak going on and it was coming from the shifter- pic below
Talked to MC and they had to wait to for a manager. Got back to me pretty quick and said they have recently been made aware of the Tacobox being over filled- the tail housing of the transmission now fills up with fluid/ part of the design. Too much fluid means it slings up through the shifter hole and leaks.

MC said to drain 1 quart out of the Tacobox and that should take care of it. Said no issues with that, so hopefully if there was, I would be good by them.

The Tacobox also made horrible rattle noises, due to t case resting on a bolt from ebrake mount. Also, there is a bracket for the vacuum hose that hits the body. It was terrible trying to drive it, any kind of torque put on drivetrain, turning, taking off, etc it would rattle like a bad u joint.

I took out the bolt that was rubbing, shaved 1/2” off of it and reinstalled. Also, relocated the bracket to the other side of t case. While doing this I drained Tacobox and filled back up with new fluid- approx 3 quarts. (Hand pump leaves a little bit at bottom of quart jug)

Took it for a drive and all rattles are gone! Very excited about this. It’s back to driving like a new truck again. I will have to check the “leak” tomorrow as it is pouring outside while testing it.


If you plan on installing a Tacobox keep these things in mind.
A59392F7-79EE-440F-98FC-22B90998C448.jpeg
 
Jfrisch01 said:
Truck was feeling photogenic today! Patiently waiting to install the tacobox!
F6273D19-230B-4B06-A51C-1765F6A7FA47.jpeg
Click to expand...

Gorgeous rig, that red is a great color. what size are the tires in that pic? Wild Peaks? Are they noisy on the highway?

i just looked up House Springs, and realized I was up your way this week. Had to attend a two day meeting for work in St. Louis.
 
Back
Top