'97 tacoma build: Abner
- Thread starter sixstringsteve
- Start date
-
- Tags
- abner build build thread tacoma toyota
airmanwilliams
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Provo, Utah
Very nice little truck. definately subscribed to this one.
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airmanwilliams
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Provo, Utah
hey steve how big is the bed in abner?
- Location
- Bountiful, land of rocks
mounted on top of the stock fuse box:
....
I'm interested to see how you maintain access to the stock fusebox with this mounted on top of it. Are you going to go with a weatherpack type connector to release any/all wiring or just leave a fair amount of slack in your new wiring as you wire so you can pull the cover away?
- Location
- The Land Northward (Bountiful), Utah
oh no...
I like it.
not another chit chat thread
I like it.
not another chit chat thread
- Location
- Vehicular limbo
lol - set the over/under about 60?
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
6 feet long.
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
oh no...
I like it.
not another chit chat thread
You know it, the social aspect is one of the best parts about wheeling.
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
I took the truck out this weekend for a 3-day camping trip in the swell. First off, I love this truck even more than when I first got it. I got 21 mpg the entire trip, with the bed crammed full of stuff. It was a pleasure to drive, and it did very well.
Wicked Monkey
Banned
- Location
- Utah
Super cool! It reminds me of my old Toy! Keep up the progress updates! I'll be watching this build
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
This trip helped me learn a few things about the truck and what I want to do to it in the future.
1) IFS rocks. Despite the limited flex, IFS is the way I want to go for any street-legal rig
2) the little 2.7 is a great little motor. It's not a powerhouse, or even throaty like the 3.4, but it's a peppy little engine that got me everywhere I wanted to go. And it got 21 mpg, can't beat that.
3) I like the 5-speed in it. The 2.7 lugs plenty, and I was able to crawl pretty slow. Would I love a doubler? You bet! Is it needed or in the plans? Nope.
4) I need a lift, especially in the back. This truck is a '97 and came with the short rear leaf springs, but that's no biggie. The springs are at negative arch, and with the bed loaded, they're almost resting on the bumpstops. I had very little uptravel in the back.
5) I need a locker. For the type of wheeling I like to do, a locker makes things much smoother. And smooth means I'm not breaking stuff.
The truck has 3.55's in it right now. The most standard gear that tacos (and other yotas) came with is 4.10s. 3.55's with 31" tires is a bit high. So if I went with a tire any bigger than this, I'd have to regear. Since I'll be installing a locker, I might as well regear. If I regear, I might as well go with big meats.
Here's the goal:
- 35's (already purchased from Bart - treps)
- new wheels (17x8 or 17x9)
- OME front lift (1-2")
- rear lift (2-3", for heavy loads when camping). I'm not sure if I want to go with Dakar (OME), TG, AllPro, Alcan, or custom springs from that place in Springville
- rear selectable locker. I've got my eye on an elocker rear axle to throw in.
- regear to 4.56's or 4.88's (I still need to research this)
- specialty products UCAs
- AllPro rear bumper
- camper shell (the tall ones with a bump in it)
- rear frame brace plates
- tub front fenders/firewall
So this will be my project this month. If you have any of the parts I need for sale, hit me up.
1) IFS rocks. Despite the limited flex, IFS is the way I want to go for any street-legal rig
2) the little 2.7 is a great little motor. It's not a powerhouse, or even throaty like the 3.4, but it's a peppy little engine that got me everywhere I wanted to go. And it got 21 mpg, can't beat that.
3) I like the 5-speed in it. The 2.7 lugs plenty, and I was able to crawl pretty slow. Would I love a doubler? You bet! Is it needed or in the plans? Nope.
4) I need a lift, especially in the back. This truck is a '97 and came with the short rear leaf springs, but that's no biggie. The springs are at negative arch, and with the bed loaded, they're almost resting on the bumpstops. I had very little uptravel in the back.
5) I need a locker. For the type of wheeling I like to do, a locker makes things much smoother. And smooth means I'm not breaking stuff.
The truck has 3.55's in it right now. The most standard gear that tacos (and other yotas) came with is 4.10s. 3.55's with 31" tires is a bit high. So if I went with a tire any bigger than this, I'd have to regear. Since I'll be installing a locker, I might as well regear. If I regear, I might as well go with big meats.
Here's the goal:
- 35's (already purchased from Bart - treps)
- new wheels (17x8 or 17x9)
- OME front lift (1-2")
- rear lift (2-3", for heavy loads when camping). I'm not sure if I want to go with Dakar (OME), TG, AllPro, Alcan, or custom springs from that place in Springville
- rear selectable locker. I've got my eye on an elocker rear axle to throw in.
- regear to 4.56's or 4.88's (I still need to research this)
- specialty products UCAs
- AllPro rear bumper
- camper shell (the tall ones with a bump in it)
- rear frame brace plates
- tub front fenders/firewall
So this will be my project this month. If you have any of the parts I need for sale, hit me up.
Cascadia
Undecided
- Location
- Orem, Utah
I don't have any of the parts you need Steve but when you get ready to tub your front wells let me know. If like to help out and do mine also. I would also like to do my rear frame brace because I pull a trailer everyday. So I wouldn't mind doing that together also.
Do you have any experience with the specialty products uca's? What can you tell me about them?
Do you have any experience with the specialty products uca's? What can you tell me about them?
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
I do have experience with the specialty product UCAs. They were on my last tacoma, and I was VERY pleased with them. At that time, they were the only UCAs that had adjustable camber and caster, which is nice. They don't quite get the range of motion or flex as the expensive ones like Camburg, but they're very solid and well designed. They're solid steel. Very good quality and they flat out work. I love 'em.
Last time it took me a week to tub my fenders, and my truck wasn't driveable until it was all done. So it's not really something we can just knock out in a couple hours. You're welcome to swing by and watch me tub mine, then you can decide if it's worth it to you. It's pretty invasive and kills the resale value of your truck, and it hacks it up quite a bit. I don't think you'll want to do it once you see how much I chop mine up.
But I'll let you make that decision.Frame plates shouldn't be a big deal at all, we can definitely do those together. I may end up doing the front frame braces too, just because.
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- Location
- Sandy, Ut
Fwiw OME (Dakar) has a shorter application that fits the 96/97 Tacomas with shorty rears, its pretty much the rear spring from the late gen i.e. pre-Tacoma trucks. However imo the 1-2 hours it takes to cut and move your rear shackle hangers on the frame is well worth the effort for the longer leaf (better ride and flex) and obvious availability of parts. I've done quite a few of the swaps over the years including on my '96 X-cab, the end result is a nice spring option with plenty of options for upgrades down the road. You likely have the '3 leaf' packs which are notorious for inverting and cracking, if nothing else swap in some later Tacoma 4-leaf packs and move the perches now, that way when your ready to upgrade suspensions its just a bolt on.
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
Do I need to move the front hangers forward at all, or just move the shackle hanger back? Regardless, I'm sure I don't want to stick with the shorty rears. I'll get the details from ya when I pick up my front OME's. I'll swing by tomorrow and get some gear from ya (assuming you'll be @ work tomorrow).
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Cascadia
Undecided
- Location
- Orem, Utah
I guess I will have to see how much it "hacks" up your truck. I don't want to kill resale value considering how often I sell my rigs. If you're going up to kurts tomorrow I may have you pick up some add a leafs for me if you're willing or maybe I can give you some company depending on when you go.
- Location
- Sandy, Ut
Rear hangers only, fronts stay right where they are supposed to. It centers the axle as needed and gets you the longer leaf. I'm in most of the day tomorrow but I do have some appointments so please give me a shout before you roll down.