Good info. And don't worry about getting off topic. Any Toyota discussion as well as useless banter is more than welcome in this thread. I am not an internet forum Nazi.

 

UPS man came today! Trail gear bumper checked off the list.

 

That's my favorite out of box tube bumper. Looks great.

 

^^^ agreed. I intend to build one similar to this but with my own twist when I get to that point.

 

X3. For the price and instant availability, I don't think it can be beat. There is a ton a trail gear hate but I've beat on a lot of their products over the years and never had a problem. Does anybody really know why trail gear is hated so much? Been wondering this for a long time.

 

Truck looks nice with the bumper and super light-weight grill you have, haha.

Trail Gear hate... personally I have nothing but good things to say about anything trail gear i have used/ordered(i haven't actually bought much TG stuff, but have called them numerous times for tech). They provide supply to a niche demand and contribute lots of $$ to events. That said, I have read that the hate comes from releasing products that are very similar to other innovative products but using cheaper parts/labor to manufacture it. Marlin Crawler supposedly made the first 6-shooter hi-steer, but when a former employee left MC there was a discrepancy on who developed the product, you can google it and pirate4x4 will have more rants. I try to buy a product from the company that developed it or US made when I can. Trail Gear has great customer service, and lifetime warranties. Unfortunately, when they acquired Longfield Super Axles, they discontinued the cut to length 30-spline inner axle shaft. Which I needed for my full-float build just weeks before i finished it up.
I caution anyone who wants to read up about the TG saga on pirate4x4, the forum can be a wealth of information and helpful folks, or it can be a cesspool of ignorance and fools that would rather derail a good thread just to hear them selves talk....(gets down off soap box)

 

You didnt want the stinger??

Ive been thinking about front bumper as well and cost is a factor. If you buy the winch plate to build off of that 140ish alone. Whole bumper like 4

 

I didn't go with the stinger for a few reasons. First, when I go wheeling, we squeeze my truck and a jeep on a '28 gooseneck trailer. I don't think it would fit with the stinger. Second, the stinger blocks the head lights. Third, its just a little too obnoxious for my taste.

I also considered buying the winch plate and building my own bumper but I don't have a tubing bender so....well, you get what I'm saying.

 

Yup you nailed it. Price / availability is a huge factor. When I wanted sliders I priced out 1035 dom tubing , and talked to a buddy to use his bender to make them , now add welding wire & gas / cut off wheels / grinding discs , as well as the countless hours to make them. I went to the local 4wheel parts and bought the 1035 dom trail gears for 200$ On a lunch break. Sometimes fabbing certain parts ain't worth it unless you already have the material.
Trail gear has haters for sure. Most of there products are too knotch , some not so much. Hands down no bull˟˟˟˟ warranties isn't a joke , there awesome. I've heard & read It's more about how they came into the business . Read on pirate that a marlin engineer left and went to trailgear & designed a lot of really similar wink wink parts. Same reason so many hate Walmart , kills small hardworking American business's . Aka trailmart. There have been times I wanted other than trailgear parts , out of stock or back ordered is quite common. Never a issue with trail gear.
Most of the hate ( Yota veterans & label whores ) because they came in the game a few years back and took most of the toyota market away from old time vendors ( marlin ) who paved the way for real toyota wheelers. Marlin was dual casing & crawling yotas when everyone else had triple chrome roll bars / sunroofs / 20 chrome shocks / 20" lifts / 100 KC lights & big foot gas pedals. Trial gear just happens to start up in the same town of fresno , ca where marlin was for years , basically copy's designs & parts catalogs and sells them for a decent discount . Marlin is USA built / assembled , most of trial gear ( not all ) is Chinese , but usually cleverly worded for one to assume is USA manufactured 100%. They ruined the longfeild name after the buy out. I'm sure there still great axles , but by no means a og longfeild. Not even the same parts. Rcv made them to Bobby's specs , trail gear just stamps his name on them and won't even tell you if there american made or true material used. Want real longs , go to the rcv website.
Sorry for the thread jack , you asked lol , just my opinion & experiance.
I still <3 trailgear with all that said. Lol

 

I did ask and y'all answered. Very good points.

Well, I saw a 1994 Lexus LS400 with 148,000 miles for sale in Glen Burnie while I was working. Called the number and met with the owner this afternoon when I finished up. It was a pretty clean car considering how clapped out most of them are. The engine was CLEAN and ran smoother than a singer sewing machine. No bull. It ran stupidly smooth! He was asking a very fair price for the condition and mileage but $2500 is more than I want to spend on a 1UZ donor vehicle so I passed. He was not interested in $1500 cash today unfortunately.

Being a little bummed about not scoring the LS400, I went to Advance and bought an el cheapo $30 2-5/8" tach and installed it since my truck doesn't have a factory one. Guess you could call it "comfort wrenching."

 

Crazy about trail gear. I typically buy what I like and has a good company that stands behind their products no matter what.

Sucks that the donor car did not work out. I agree 2500$ is a little high for just a donor, unless it was a super low miles engine or you had an immediate buyer for the rest of the car when you were done with it.

I love comfort wrenching. I have bought so much stuff for my vehicles in the past just to make me feel better after a crappy deal.

 

Yup! Amazon.com one click buying is dangerous when I'm in a bad mood and have had a few beers. There are a lot of Yota parts on Amazon! I need a breathalyzer hooked to my phone that will lock out amazon if I blow over a .08

 

Does anybody know what these plugs go to? The blue and white ones. I'm assuming something the SR5 had that my truck doesn't.

 

It wasn't an extremely productive weekend but I got a couple things accomplished. I met up with RBX who hooked me up with a grille for my truck and I got to check out his 4runner which is "full retard" status. Also, a friend gave me a truck box which I had to notch out to get it to fit. My boss bent me up some aluminum diamond plate to finish it off and we got it bolted in tonight.





Finally looks complete again with a grille. Thanks RB.


Notched 3" out of both sides to make it fit.




Bent up and riveted in some aluminum to finish it off.

 

Looking really good! Did you use a trail gear suspension set up in the rear as well?

 

Thanks! Right now the rear has stock springs with AAL's I believe. I just added a 1" block temporarily until I figure out what to do.

 

Good deal

 

Hahahaha. I hear you there. Been many drunken nights ordering things I do not need. Now I'm going to have to check out amazon for yota parts. Damn you!!

 

Been a while since I've posted so there's a lot of updating to do. Recent upgrades include 27 spline TG front shafts, front spartan locker, front driveshaft with 11" TG slip, IFS width rear axle swapped in, rear shock setup, slightly beefed gas tank skid and a crushed trans pan.










Spring wheeling trip

 

Fathers day wheeling trip with some friends including RBX and his full retard 4Runner