Build Thread: Sixstringsteve's 2002 Tacoma double cab: Carlos

[sixstringsteve]

That names perfect sense, thanks for the detailed explanation. I put tons of anti-seize all over that bolt, and made sure not to tighten it till the weight of the vehicle was on them.

I'll give you a call tomorrow to make sure I torque those to the right spec.

 

[sixstringsteve]

Recent pics from a trip to the Maze.

and video:

[video=youtube;Yd4QSluAT4Q]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd4QSluAT4Q[/video]

 

[sixstringsteve]

This past weekend, on my way to a river trip in Moab, I hit a deer. It was on highway 6 about 10 min south of the turnoff to scofield res. It was raining, and I was able to slow from 70 mph to about 40 mph before smacking it. I saw it in the other lane, walking my way, about 50 feet away, but the typical deer in the headlights just kept walking in front of me until I hit him. It was like it happened in slow motion. The brakes did their job, although I ended up locking them up and skidding 10-20 feet in a perfectly straight line.

The bumper took most of the abuse, but the grill and corner markers and one of the fenders got a bit messed up. We're just lucky we weren't hurt, and that we were driving a truck that was taller than the deer. It was a sad experience, I don't like watching animals die or inflicting pain on them, but it was unavoidable. He got knocked down by the bumper, then got stuck in front of the skidding passenger front tire. He eventually slid off the truck into the bushes on the side of the road and we kept driving. I hope it died quickly and didn't suffer much.

The bumper did its job, but it's a little crooked now. Bummer.

 

[jeeper]

Ouch.. I imagine the hook loop for the d ring wouldnt feel good!

 

[sixstringsteve]

I know. A direct shot to the ribs and hip with both of them. Hopefully it was enough to kill it instantly, but I doubt it at 40 mph.

 

[Spork]

That looks a lot better than I was expecting, I have a feeling my stock bumper wouldn't do anything and I would be replacing a hood, grill and fender.

 

[sixstringsteve]

I haven't tried opening the hood yet, but it looks fine. If I had a bumper with a hoop, like an ARB or Elite Offroad, it would most likely have prevented the fender, grill, and light damage. I may end up grafting something into that to offer more protection from deer/cows.

I guess you can only drive highway 6 so many times before hitting a deer there.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

...If I had a bumper with a hoop, like an ARB or Elite Offroad, it would most likely have prevented the fender, grill, and light damage. I may end up grafting something into that to offer more protection from deer/cows...

There is a reason they call them 'bullbars' in Australia, their first function is to prevent further damage/injury in the event of an animal strike. In the Aus outback kangroos are 10x worse than deer, add camels, cattle, etc and everything there has a bullbar on it including the school bus.

...I guess you can only drive highway 6 so many times before hitting a deer there.

Very true, I've heard there are more wildlife encounters there than any other highway in Utah.

Glad you were not hurt and the damage is minimal. Be sure to inspect your radiator closely, shifting of the front grill/core support and fenders can crack the plastic top and bottom tanks.

 

[sixstringsteve]

Cool, thanks for the tips. How big is a kangaroo? Big enough to go through the windshield of a truck?

I have an appointment to have it inspected by Cascade Collision. The tranny cooler didn't look affected, but I'll have them check the frame for straightness (the bumper is beefier than the frame), check the winch mount for contact with the wires, check the trans cooler and radiator, and anything else.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Cool, thanks for the tips. How big is a kangaroo? Big enough to go through the windshield of a truck?...

Sure, because they are often in the air when hit. A full grown kangaroo when standing can be 8' tall and over 200 lbs.

 

[sixstringsteve]

I never thought about them being in the air when they're hit. Makes perfect sense. Maybe limb risers aren't so much for tree limbs, but kangaroo limbs?

 

[Troop92]

Just imagine if you didn't have that bumper.... This is making me rethink my bumper design/fab in the next few months.

 

[Tonkaman]

Just imagine if you were in the replacement vehicle for Carlos, you likely wouldn't have driven home. Carlos saves lives, keep him forever

 

[jeeper]

Carlos saves lives

Love it

 

[STAG]

Steve I have heard bad things about Cascade Collision, but I don't have any first hand experience.

I'm glad you guys are okay and didn't get hurt.

If you want some tubes bent up for a bull bar hit me up. No labor cost.

And I apologize beforehand on saying this, but the evil side in me kind of had to laugh when you were describing the moments leading up to hitting the deer. I only laugh because out of all the people I know on RME, you are the one that would not like to hurt/kill an animal the most. It's almost a sign ha. I can picture how bad you felt by dragging the deer in front of your tire, and then having it slide into the bushes.

 

[Troop92]

Steve I have heard bad things about Cascade Collision, but I don't have any first hand experience...

I've used them - they repaired our Beetle after it was vandalized pretty heavily while in college. They did good work, we were pleased. This was the South Provo location, can't comment on others.

 

[sixstringsteve]

I've had bad experiences with them too, but they're pretty comprehensive in assessing the damage. I'm going to get a repair estimate from them, then take the check and fix it myself.

You're the man. I may hit you up to help me bend some tube for a hoop on this bumper, but I'm definitely paying you for your work.

Yeah, I didn't enjoy hurting an animal. I'd laugh too if I were in your shoes, it's pretty funny when you think about it. That being said, I still need to go hunting. I'm not ignorant that my food comes from animals, but I know it's going to be tough for me to pull that trigger and watch it die.

 

[sixstringsteve]

I've had bad luck with the south Provo location. Their body work is great, but they farm out the mechanical work to the lowest bidder, and the mechanics that did my repair were clueless. We had to send it back and have a second mechanic fix what the first guys hadn't fixed.

 

[Troop92]

I've had bad luck with the south Provo location. Their body work is great, but they farm out the mechanical work to the lowest bidder, and the mechanics that did my repair were clueless. We had to send it back and have a second mechanic fix what the first guys hadn't fixed.

Totally get it, makes sense. We had windshield, body panels, and paint. No mechanical.

 

[sixstringsteve]

I agree, their bodywork and paint work is impeccable.