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update..............
The Taco is largely unchanged since the SAS 4 years ago....leafpacks still holding up...no leaning...no excessive sag yet.
So it's been 4 years and 2 months since the SAS.....and the new short radiator (which has worked just fine for cooling)......well, a couple weeks ago, the upper plastic tank decided to started leaking a little so I just now replaced it with the same part number(#1778)....same plastic tanks....same single aluminum core and only 5/8" wide at that. Let's see if it will do better this go around. Actually, I am not 100% sure it was the upper tank. It could have been the upper hose but felt it was time to replace both.
After all, this time I got it for pocket change($68 free shipping)
The upper factory hose was the original one....18 years old and looked a quite puffy so it was also replaced on this go-around with genuine dealer item 16571-07030. What a difference in the tight fit on the new radiator.
Also, a brand new lower hose (from O'reilly's) as recommended from some other SAS Tacomas with the short radiator. Gates # 22515 .....it did fit pretty good and did not have to trim any off.
227,000 miles and going good. Over 4 years I have had the completed SAS truck....and I still have it. I have driven it 9 years before the SAS and over 4 years after....I still get an occasional compliment from other newer Tacoma owners.....just got one yesterday while I was in a parking lot filling up my 4 plastic water jugs with the clean water osmosis machine....15 cents a gallon and there is no better deal anywhere in the country 😎
but I digress again. Anyways, I was peeking under the hood and figuring out why my right headlight H4 bulb seems to have crapped out and this young guy in a nice white 2nd or 3rd gen Taco cruised by with a big smile and said that he just had to make a pass around my truck .....and something about he really liked the look of it. Good to hear that and all I have is an old classic Taco with a little lift and 35" tires.
So anticipating a nice big snow storm on top of Mount Lemmon near Tucson in upcoming weeks.....generally when the flurry
subsides then the top of the mountain can have 2 or more feet of snow. On the north facing part of the mountain is the primitive
road and everyone that has a 4x4 gets the urge to see how far they can get up the road. Actually, it's a dirt road and winds
its way up the mountain. Seems like as soon as it gets to 12 inches deep that's when the tracks stop and the virgin snow starts.
12 inches of snow is really not that much snow even if it is a very wet snow. And everybody knows that wet snow is 3 times
harder to get thru compared to powdered snow. Mt Lemmon gets the wet snow every time. So the not so well known trick to
getting over the wet snow is low tire pressure. The ones that do air down on the primitive road are going from 35 down to 15
or maybe 20. That's not airing down. 3 psi is airing down for snow.👍 Beadlocks prevent the outside bead from popping off....
and prevent the tire from spinning on the bead. A Beadlock on the outside will only stop the outside bead from coming off.
And the irony is that it's the inside bead that is easiest to unseat thus why bother protecting the outer bead if the inner is most
likely to pop off first? So my poor man's beadlock is to glue the inside bead in place. A special "RTV" has proven effective and
is based on past experience. So, the rtv (Home Depot polyurethane roof flashing compound) is only to be applied to the front
inside bead for now. Logic is the front has the steering input and is heavier and is most likely to lose a bead first. Tires are due
for a rotation anyways.....so will apply the rtv to the rear tire and rotate it to the front.
Rear tire is layed down on the cement and the Hi-lift will push off the bead.
Jeez......bead appears to be a very tight fit....repositioned it around the wheel.
Repositioned it again
On the 4th or 5th location, it finally separated. This is a very tight bead. Probably did not need this rtv but this is all the better.
Using screwdrivers to keep the bead down while the surfaces are cleaned with starting fluid.
Then applied this magic stuff using protective rubber gloves and an index finger.
Applied on the wheel and also on the rubber bead.
Then aired up to 30 psi. This stuff does not dry overnight especially when it's frickin' cold like now in December. It takes a week in my estimation to really set up.
My Viair 400C compressor mounted out of the rain and in such a place that it is hard to steal.
2 ports for airing up are available.....this one in the rear bumper.....and another up front.
Very little overflow. I got lucky and did not over guber it. These are load range E tires(Toyo 35" MT's) and can be aired way way down.
This is the only secret sauce I recommend for this task.😎
Hi ZUK!
I looked through your entire topic, very competently done, the only thing I didn’t understand was how you restored the balls to such a good condition.
If you can write please.
The wiper surface on the balls is the typical condition one would expect from an Arizona rig. Rust and deterioration is not an issue in a sunny state.
The strong pitting does occur in the northeast and northwest coast.
ZUK
clear
in Russia, this is a little worse, such cars often drive through mud and some owners do not properly monitor the condition of the chassis, so the balls have deep furrows on the surface.
700 miles and the first oil change....looked fine. Had some fuzz on the large magnet that I stuck inside the diff but that's normal.
Same ole paper gasket. No tears in it so re-using seems ok. No rtv.
Hello to your thread Ken. I am still researching the front selectable locker idea (Gevork). I saw your build thread and am browsing around. What is your experience with the 'con' of the e-lockers where they have to roll before they engage? Since you are sporting one and recommending one I tend to want to listen
Hi Gevork-
Just saw this notification....
Any delay in engagement is just not even noticed. I know the theory and the rumor....there is just no obvious play. I just flick the harrop locker on and go.
ya....not all wheels are created equal....or tires.....some combos result in a super tight bead seal and some have beads that easily pop off. My old Swampers used to pop off and lose air all the time. The Home Depot roof sealant stopped it 100%. Works on both the inside AND outside bead.
Going very strong on this SAS 2001 rig....So many SAS builds put all that money and blood/sweat/tears into it and end up selling in a year or 3.......not me, I build it and I use it, even if it is 99% on-road duty. Tomorrow, I am having Patagonia LT315/70R17's delivered to my doorstep. More to come.
ya....not all wheels are created equal....or tires.....some combos result in a super tight bead seal and some have beads that easily pop off. My old Swampers used to pop off and lose air all the time. The Home Depot roof sealant stopped it 100%. Works on both the inside AND outside bead.
Going very strong on this SAS 2001 rig....So many SAS builds put all that money and blood/sweat/tears into it and end up selling in a year or 3.......not me, I build it and I use it, even if it is 99% on-road duty. Tomorrow, I am having Patagonia LT315/70R17's delivered to my doorstep. More to come.
I have noticed that. My tire/rims seem to have very tight beads as I have not had an issue....yet lol.
I feel that. I recently did some front axle maintenance upkeep on mine and now I have to do some rear axle maintenance. One day I'll get to it.
update......4 new tires on the Taco.....Patagonia LT315/70R17's on the same style aluminum factory wheels(7.5" wide). The "old" tires were TOYO 35x12.50x17's and were starting to slap the pavement after 2.5 years......they ran about 350 each. These Patagonia's are 190 out the door price each.
They ride super quiet and these are mudders.
Also, it took 5 years but now the tie-rods are shot to hell. The chinese tie-rods that Marlin supplies are not quite performing like I think they should so getting the 555 brand tie-rods from http://CruiserOutfitters.com ....thank you Bryce.
Been just over 5 years that I've been running the Marlin tie-rods on my fresh SAS. When I first got them I thought they were kinda cheap looking and I was right but I still ran them. The cheap plastic boots were tearing almost from day 1. That let dirt and rain in for those 5 years. One of the tie-rods was so sloppy in the ball fit that it was threatening to separate. A call to http://CruiserOutfitters.com and a couple days later I had 4 decent quality tie-rod ends.
The steel threaded rods from Marlin are just fine......don't know if they have the same chinese tie-rod ends or not these days.......
New one up against the one from Marlin.
The CruiserOutfitters 555 brand has a thick real rubber boot. I expect some good life out of these.
I cannot tell you how nice it is to feel the steering wheel tightened up....less wander.....and no clunking over the road bumps. What a difference.
New tierods from http://cruiseroutfitters.com ...................................please excuse all the dirt and rust....I'm getting lazy in my 64th year.
The pitman arm is a special creature.....spline portion is a Marlin....arm section is from Trail-Gear.....and a proper MIG weld to glue the together.
out of order on the pics.....here's the passenger side with the custom Y arm which is holding up for 5 years. It has been cryo treated to relieve welding stresses and strengthen the metal.
passenger side.................. tie rod ends are "Made in Japan"
The 35" Patagonias are so reasonably priced. 190 per tire.
Just waiting for the 1st really BIG snowstorm on Mt. Lemmon......the primitive road can have about 3 feet of snow.....wet snow....not the easy powder stuff. Wet means nobody makes tracks thru it ....but a few can do it. The secret is 3 psi.....the snowshoe effect. But nobody ever thinks they can run psi's that low....except for a small group of dogs.
07-28-2018, 12:24 PM
I have driven it 9 years before the SAS and over 4 years after....I still get an occasional compliment from other newer Tacoma owners.....just got one yesterday while I was in a parking lot filling up my 4 plastic water jugs with the clean water osmosis machine....15 cents a gallon and there is no better deal anywhere in the country 😎
