Author Topic: BigMike's Big Journey: A 2016 Tacoma Build Thread  (Read 561612 times)

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BigMike

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June 19-21, 2020: Final Prototype's First Test (continued)

Made it safely to camp! I only saw ONE other rig on both the entire Red and Coyote Lake trails!! It was so peaceful and quiet... I cannot remember the last time I got to relax this much out on a trail. Plus the Tacoma has a radio (can you believe it?!) so I was enjoying slow bluegrass music. It was very refreshing. Very relaxing. I love the outdoors. I need to do these simple trails more often.



Eating breakfast Saturday morning. This is the second campground from the end of the trail, remote and peaceful.



Immediately behind where I am standing in the above photo is Coyote Lake! Coyote is about three times larger than Red and the elevation is 9,000 ft. Fishing is good here early each season. Fishing in the Sierras is limited to 5 fish per person and requires a new $50(!) license annually

Check out our new Rock Crawling Videos!
2016 56-speed 580:1 Tacoma Rock Crawler   
1981 36-speed 511:1 3RZ-FE Rock Crawler
1987 6-speed Supercharged 4A-GZE MR2
Instagram: @SlowestTacoma
Things are only impossible until they are not.
"The worst of both worlds, the best of neither." -abnormaltoy
"An informed question. But difficult to answer. I am what you see." -Nanaki

BigMike [OP]

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June 19-21, 2020: Final Prototype's First Test (continued)

While I was taking the above photos there was talk of a shopping list going around for some of the people who had been there the whole week and needed resupplies. Butch, who is a club member with a Jeep YJ and one of Marlin's closest local friends, volunteered to take his YJ out both trails and back to Shaver Lake City. Knowing I'd be much quicker than his leaf sprung Jeep, I interjected offering to take him in the Tacoma which he was happy to hear since he wouldn't have to do any of the work :yupyup: and I was happy because I'd get to run both trails again :yupyup:


I straight-up biltzkrieged both Coyote and Red without stopping all the way to the Sand Flats in just over an hr! :o That was some of the quickest off-roading I've done in the Tacoma. This truck is surprisingly smooth over rocks at speed




..





But, guys, check this out...




...




:o





...So either it's already fully bottomed out as shown or my fenders are gonna get one hell of a massage next trip.




:o




This happened dropping down the Gate Keeper on our way back through Red Lake. I was definitely going too fast and while being articulated down the center line and turning into the corner hard-right the inside passenger front tire flexed all the way into the fender!!




I also briefly flexed the driver front tire into it's fender but it wasn't nearly as bad. When this one happened it sounded worse and I was thinking the fender had been blown up. Was relieved to see it wasn't that bad.

I am so excited to have so much flex but hot dang this sucked haha I've been running big trails and have zero body damage! I don't want to call this body damage! :nope: This wasn't driver error, it was self-inflicted! :rivers: What do you guys think?? haha

I'm sure the metal of the passenger side fender has stretched so it'll need to be replaced entirely. I've needed to add supports to the fenders since all I ever did was just trim them. At least now I have a reason to redo them with extra clearance and get some bar stock welded along the leading edge so this won't happen again!

Check out our new Rock Crawling Videos!
2016 56-speed 580:1 Tacoma Rock Crawler   
1981 36-speed 511:1 3RZ-FE Rock Crawler
1987 6-speed Supercharged 4A-GZE MR2
Instagram: @SlowestTacoma
Things are only impossible until they are not.
"The worst of both worlds, the best of neither." -abnormaltoy
"An informed question. But difficult to answer. I am what you see." -Nanaki

BigMike [OP]

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June 19-21, 2020: Final Prototype's First Test (continued)

From there I aired up slightly and jammed back out to the pavement. Butch was blown away at how fast the Tacoma is on the open dirt road, saying my speed was double what his Jeep could manage. Back at the highway I aired up all the way and drove back down to Shaver Lake. The new OBA system work'n PERFECTLY! Butch was also impressed by how convenient it was to air up all tires at the same time.

In town we checked off the shopping list and turned around, drove back up the hill and fireroad, aired down for Rock Crawling, and returned back in through to Coyote. It was my first time ever spending this much one-on-one time with Butch which was awesome and we got to chat a lot. As a result I didn't take a single photo!

Back at camp in one piece and parked next to the Crawler Truck. With issues from V2 Prototype out of the way I'm starting to learn details of wheeling with RCLT HD, actually getting able to focus on performance instead of worrying about issues and stopping to take measurements and collect data. (Note from the future: I'll be discussing wheeling with RCLT HD in detail during my next trip report.)





:camping: next to the lake



Sunday morning. Beautiful.



This is my profile photo on my Garmin Connect account :thumbs:

Check out our new Rock Crawling Videos!
2016 56-speed 580:1 Tacoma Rock Crawler   
1981 36-speed 511:1 3RZ-FE Rock Crawler
1987 6-speed Supercharged 4A-GZE MR2
Instagram: @SlowestTacoma
Things are only impossible until they are not.
"The worst of both worlds, the best of neither." -abnormaltoy
"An informed question. But difficult to answer. I am what you see." -Nanaki

BigMike [OP]

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June 19-21, 2020: Final Prototype's First Test (continued)

Knowing we could get out quick together, Marlin and I decided to take off early





If you've ever wheeled with Marlin then you know full-well that despite his namesake he is one of the fastest Rock Crawlers around. I can't believe how fast he wheels that old truck. Even in my 1981 with less tire air pressure and softer suspension I cannot keep up with Marlin in The 1980 Crawler Truck.

His truck is heavy for its size, weighing a half ton more than my 1981. So I've always assumed it rides so smooth because it's like a boat-anchor Cadillac. But now the Crawler Truck has met its match in terms of over-weight Rock Crawlers :yupyup: and for the first time in my life Marlin was unable to keep up with me on a 4WD trail! I even had to stop twice for him to catch up! I've been wheeling with my dad my whole life so this was a humbling experience.

It took me 35 mins to get from Coyote to Red. :o Overall it took us 1 hr 30 mins to the Sand Flats.

Maybe he's just slowing down in his older years but I was so excited and was teasing him like crazy when we got back to the Sand Flats.

This Tacoma is so cool! I wish it was the same exact truck but 15% smaller in every measurement.

Aired back up and read to jam out the fireroad.



Returning home on one of my favorite mountain roads of all time!

Check out our new Rock Crawling Videos!
2016 56-speed 580:1 Tacoma Rock Crawler   
1981 36-speed 511:1 3RZ-FE Rock Crawler
1987 6-speed Supercharged 4A-GZE MR2
Instagram: @SlowestTacoma
Things are only impossible until they are not.
"The worst of both worlds, the best of neither." -abnormaltoy
"An informed question. But difficult to answer. I am what you see." -Nanaki

BigMike [OP]

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June 19-21, 2020: Final Prototype's First Test (concluded)

Home safe and sound! I am blown away with RCLT HD. This Version 3 is the first prototype with refinements and out on the trail it is such a better working setup than the second prototype.

To put development into perspective of market viability, I'd give Version One a 0 out of 10, Version Two a 4 out of 10, and this final version, Version Three, an 8 out of 10. The production design that we've already begun manufacturing only fixed a couple issues but further improved a dozen or so design elements. I'm very excited for the final version and can't wait to get it installed so I can finally stop tearing apart this poor truck!



Non-stop from the end of the Fireroad to my Driveway: 26.5 MPH hahahaha

Of course this is because I dropped 7,000 feet in elevation :yupyup: Still shows how efficient the 3.5 6cyl is despite having 40s and a horrendous drag coefficient



This truck is a lot of fun :thumbsup:

Regards,
BigMike
Check out our new Rock Crawling Videos!
2016 56-speed 580:1 Tacoma Rock Crawler   
1981 36-speed 511:1 3RZ-FE Rock Crawler
1987 6-speed Supercharged 4A-GZE MR2
Instagram: @SlowestTacoma
Things are only impossible until they are not.
"The worst of both worlds, the best of neither." -abnormaltoy
"An informed question. But difficult to answer. I am what you see." -Nanaki

Wainiha

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How much you want to sell your truck for?  JK i have no use for it here.  If sell my properties and move to Oregon I will build a crawler with RCLT and call Wyatt For the rear.  Someone would have to teach me how to rock crawl though.  I only know 50 MPH in the sand.
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^ Who let Wainiha into the mainland?? :yikes: - Big Mike

79coyotefrg

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It looks amazing Mike.
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I have 8500 miles on my new orange booted +3.5" RCV's including a trip from Kansas to Moab to Rubicon (went up soupbowl) and back and they still look perfect. I think you'll like them.

Regarding the flex have you considered a rear swaybar to help the IFS front flex a little more? I put a TK1 swaybar on the rear of my FJ and while it limits rear travel some it definitely makes the front work harder. But its hard to know if you're just chasing your tail or not with dialing in the suspension. Now with mine while going on downhill obstacles when the rear has little weight on it there isn't much flex so maybe there is a balance between front and rear. So maybe only with something like a CTI ramp will you be able to tell the balance between the two. I'm sure your rear 3 link is better than my factory geometry also.

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Its so good to see pictures of your trip into Red and Coyote Lake Mike.  The last time I was there, was with Dean, in July 2006.  I hear that LaDawna and her husband Rod will be relocating back to Fresno in a couple years.  Maybe next time I get that way, we can go for a trip up there.  Or arrange a Dean run.  Maybe I could drive your old crawler.   :thumbs:
Miss ya Dean (4THEWKN) & Kyle (KYOTA)!!

4THEWKN~9/17/2006  If it wasn't for you, I'd be driving something other than a Toyota!

My build up ~ project Kilchis! http://board.marlincrawler.com/index.php?topic=32961.0
Zak's truck build ~ http://board.marlincrawler.com/index.php?topic=64319.0;topicseen

Ritchie

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Looking good Big Mike.
Still waiting to hear from Wyatt in getting my truck into his new shop for his rear 3 link addition on my truck.

Perhaps you can out a bug in his ear for me...

Thanks.
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05sport4x4

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Looking good Big Mike.
Still waiting to hear from Wyatt in getting my truck into his new shop for his rear 3 link addition on my truck.

Perhaps you can out a bug in his ear for me...

Thanks.

I debated about posting this but is it out of control.  It's a good that you have not gotten in contact with him.  I would look for another builder for your 3 link.  There are some major issues that you should avoid.  I have a build that is currently stopped for months because of missing parts.  I won't post the link here but search TacamaWorld for Rock Solid Toys. 

If your local to the Los Angeles area I would contact Robert at Otwell Welding.  He did the roll cage and some other work on the 4gen 4runner race truck Steel City Racing.  Quality work, upfront and honest.

John

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How did those alignment specs work on your trip Mike?  It looks like the alignment guy set up your camber to compensate for road crown, but I'm wondering if you had any wandering going on because of the little caster?
"A friend will help you move.  A real friend will help you move a body."

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