Ok so ive been on here for a while and havn't posted, just looked and watched. My build is coming along quickly so i figured I would post it up. Take into consideration I'm a poor college kid so the budget is pretty tight.


Specs:
01 Tacoma 2wd Regular Cab
Steering Rockwells front and rear
4 link front and rear
47" LTB's
16" 2.5" Sway a Way airshocks
Ron Davis Radiator with built in Fan and shroud
Derale coolers for steering and transmission
2.63" Ballistic joints
Beard suspension seats
Tmax winches (9500 lb. front, 6500 lb. rear)
So this is how it looked when we started
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/untitled15.jpg


After removing the bed and interior we realized it had been wrecked worse than believed. The cab is shifted to the drivers side almost a half an inch.
Next we went ahead and cut the frame off right behind the cab.

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/untitled13.jpg

With the frame cut and the cab up on jack stands we went ahead and cut out all the front suspension.

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/untitled11.jpg

Next we welded up the lower brackets for the rear and welded them up to the frame. The brackets are from sniper fab, they are pretty beefy and have misalignment built into them. In the picture you will also notice the frame has been plated. The holes in the frame plates are for the tube that will be added in the rear later.


http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/P1030860.jpg


With the brackets welded up we tacked the lowers on the axle and dropped in a couple mock up links.


http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/P1030861.jpg


There will be 3" of frame side separation and 11.5" of axle side. Both front and rear suspension will be triangulated lowers and straight uppers. The lowers are 48" end to end and the uppers are 36". The links will be the same from front to back.


http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/P1030862.jpg

Next on the list was sliders, since all the rear tubework will be tied into them. Sticking with its name, we went with .25" wall 2x4 and .25" wall 2x2 for the sliders. The frame plates and gussets are also .25"

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/untitled2.jpg

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0090.jpg


The Tacoma frame rails are flat and square the whole length of the cab so it allowed us to build and weld the sliders on the table.


http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0091.jpg


With the sliders welded in place we were stoked to throw some tube at the rear and see what this this is gonna look like.


http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0096.jpg

The main tube has 8 bends all in the same plane. In the last pic you can see how far off center the cab is. The plan is to pull the cab over later when we do the interior cage. While we were rolling with the tube and had a few extra hands around we kept going in the rear.

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0098.jpg


This is where we stopped on Thursday but here are some random things we have been working on for the truck to keep the progress rolling. These are the upper frame side brackets for the front. They are 3/8 with a .25" bridge between them. They were also tacked and welded on the table for simplicity.

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0093.jpg

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0092.jpg


I went ahead and cut the diff pans out of both the front and the rear and Greg had the honor of degreasing these monsters.


http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/untitled14.jpg

We are shooting for 130" wheelbase. The 47's make the cab look tiny.


http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/untitled6.jpg


http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/untitled3.jpg


http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/untitled6.jpg


The engine situation is kinda up in the air. There is a 5.3 available to me but I would like to hold out on a 6.0. As far as lockers and axle upgrades that will depend on money. I am a college kid, so money isn't always abundant.

So with work and school, build time during the week is limited. Greg and I managed to spend 2 hours in the shop tonight and got some more tubework done in the rear. Here are the pics:


http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0101.jpg


http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0102.jpg


http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0106.jpg


http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0103.jpg


http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0104.jpg


http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0110.jpg


Hope to start on the lower part of the rear this weekend, won't get much done till then with turkey day.

I got some time in the shop this weekend. Once I get rolling, I forget to stop and take pictures.
With the holes in the frame plates I bent up a piece to serve as the fuel cell mount and a place to mount the upper link mounts.

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0111.jpg


I dimpled up a piece of .25 plate which will eventually serve as the mount for the fuel cell and help to stiffen up the rear tube work. The plate is just sitting there, it will get welded in this week.


http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0115.jpg


Figured I'd throw the fuel cell in to see what its gonna look like. Didn't really worry about setting it in the right spot but its pretty close. Its only a 12 gallon cell, but thats what I had for the previous build so I figured I would use it.


http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0117.jpg

When we started looking at the rear, we wanted something a little different. It reminds me of jim's chassis, but I think it looks pretty cool. Don't mind the wooden jack stand haha.


http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0112.jpg


Rather than just run the tube to the rear straight, I put a slight bend in them. The flat area will eventually have a basket built to fit to serve as a cooler rack but that will come later.


http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0116.jpg


I wanted to give the rear the look of a "wheel well" so I bent up some tube. This will also help and support the rear tube work. It is starting to take shape. Once I make the "wheel well" tube for the other side, the majority of the tube work in the rear will be complete. Some bracing, gussets and a winch mount and that will be about it.


http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0118.jpg

damn looks good! nice solid build!

fukin bitchin

Definitely subscribed to this one.

I love the first sentence: "I am a poor college kid so budget it tight" and then one of the first things in the list of specs is steering rocks, 4-link an 47's.

Anyways, fawking great work so far, its going to be awesome when its done. Whats yalls timeline to get it finished?? great fabwork as well. What engine??

H :eek: ly crap , that is bad ass ! . Definately gonna be watching this build . Really nice work so far , can't wait to see it finished :smokin:

Definitely subscribed to this one.

I love the first sentence: "I am a poor college kid so budget it tight" and then one of the first things in the list of specs is steering rocks, 4-link an 47's.

Anyways, fawking great work so far, its going to be awesome when its done. Whats yalls timeline to get it finished?? great fabwork as well. What engine??

haha yeah well I've been collecting parts for a while, my build actually started as a rear engine toyota buggy. Traded custom housings and red labels and wound up with rocks and 47's . As for the engine, I have a 5.3, but would like to try and find a 6.0. As for the time line, i'd like to be finished up pretty soon after the first of the year but we will see.

fukin bitchin

H :eek: ly crap , that is bad ass ! . Definately gonna be watching this build . Really nice work so far , can't wait to see it finished :smokin:

Thanks, i'm stoked with the progress so far. Hopefully I can keep on rolling

This truck makes me want to start over and get a taco and build a real truggy. Nice work keep the photos coming.

agreed... this thing looks badass :smokin: looking forward to seeing more progress

Rear tube work is awsome:smokin:

NICE ! goinna be another great taco build

looks very badass

Bitchin is an understatement...:smokin:

So what are you goin to school for?

Damn this thing looks good. I'm diggin the stance, and the rear tubework. I just wish as another poor college student that I could afford to build my 4runner half this nice.

Bitchin is an understatement...:smokin:

So what are you goin to school for?

Thanks for all the good words guys, i appreciate it, i hope to have more progress this weekend. Probly wont be anything substantial but hope to have the suspension more or less tacked in place.

I'm am a Mechanical Design Major, I wish I could say I designed the Truggy in AutoCAD or Bendtech but I didn't. I have bendtech PRO but I've just been winging it.

come on Ryan, get off the computer and get to working on that truggy!


looking good :)

Ok, so this weekend wasn't as productive as I had hoped but the weather was pretty crappy.

So we finished up the other "wheel well" and tacked in a spreader in the rear. Gotta start working on the mount for the rear winch, anyone have any "trick" ideas?

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0120.jpg

Now that the rear is almost finished up, it was time to move on to the front. To make room for shock hoops and tires we did away with the inner fenders. The fender portion is all that remains. It is actually still quite solid even though there isn't much material left.

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0121.jpg


http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0128.jpg

Looking at some of the other taco builds on here I've noticed that when doing tube work in the front, there is alot of empty space between the frame and the grill that is hard to cover up and not look funny so we came up with a solution that will hopefully fix that problem.

We drilled out the spot welds that hold the lower section of the radiator support in and removed it. With the grill in place, we clamped the lower section in as tight to the grill as possible.


http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0127.jpg

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0135.jpg

Once we decide on it's final location we will re-weld the lower section in. To gain some more clearance in the front, and keep the front tube work compact and clean, we cut the frame just in front of the stock motor mounts.


http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0130.jpg

The frame rails will get plated just like the rear, and the tube work will roll up and in to narrow the front end. This will also make it very easy to incorporate the front winch mount.

The only other update is just some tedious detail work that I hope will make this rig really stand out. I got my upper link brackets from Scott at MudPro (http://www.mudprometalworks.com/) I had him make them 9" tall rather than his standard 7.5" to gain some more axle separation . These things are pure beef. Although the brackets themselves are very nice, I thought i would add my own style and change them up.


http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0131.jpg

You can still see the iron cross perfectly.


http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0132.jpg

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0133.jpg

:smokin:


Looks like you're off to a good start.

Sick build , subscribed :D

I'll try to make it over there this week to help out with that winch and shock mounts :D

MORE!!!! love it

Sick! For all us sittin' here jackin' off to this thing please keep the pictures rollin'!

Ya must be real fackin poor.

I've been saving and collecting parts for almost 2 years. I go to school full time and work full time. I live off less than $100 a week, if you don't consider that pretty poor then I don't know what is.

I've been saving and collecting parts for almost 2 years. I go to school full time and work full time. I live off less than $100 a week, if you don't consider that pretty poor then I don't know what is.

This is a sick build, I love it.

If you are working full time and making less then $100 a week you need a new job:flipoff2:

Keep the :mr-t: progress coming!

This is a sick build, I love it.

If you are working full time and making less then $100 a week you need a new job:flipoff2:

Keep the :mr-t: progress coming!

He said that he is living off less than $100 a week, not making less than that. i'm sure thats after bills and rent.

Either Way, Sick build!

You are right, even though I could use a new job, they are pretty nice about working with my school schedule, thats why i stick around.

Thanks, i hope to have some more progress pics this weekend. Rockcity Rob stopped by to use my dimple dies last night, maybe he will post up so me pics. Its amazing how much quicker it is when the holes have been plasma cut for you haha

You are right, even though I could use a new job, they are pretty nice about working with my school schedule, thats why i stick around.

Thanks, i hope to have some more progress pics this weekend. Rockcity Rob stopped by to use my dimple dies last night, maybe he will post up so me pics. Its amazing how much quicker it is when the holes have been plasma cut for you haha


The build is coming along nicely. Def. some nice work.

The dimiples worked out great. I did fawk up 1 of my brackets and dimpled it backwards :shaking: having the parts CNC plasma cut makes things go much quicker :D

I'll keep my pics to my build thread to keep the hyjack to a minimum :)

The Taco is looking killer though. Should be completed in about a week or 2!

Great build! I'm looking forward to seeing the final product!

rockwelled taco truggy with a V8:grinpimp:, subscribed

i dont know how i missed this build but all the work looks awesome. its coming along really nice. i have one question, why such a long WB? (130"?!) i know the rear can steer, but still. my friend has this setup and its also single cab truck and his was at 126". you have the hubs flipped out? what backspace wheels? it might be pretty hard to maneuver on the trails even though it will drive over anything that gets in its way.

i dont know how i missed this build but all the work looks awesome. its coming along really nice. i have one question, why such a long WB? (130"?!) i know the rear can steer, but still. my friend has this setup and its also single cab truck and his was at 126". you have the hubs flipped out? what backspace wheels? it might be pretty hard to maneuver on the trails even though it will drive over anything that gets in its way.



the front had to be pushed forward for the diff to clear the engine, etc. The rear was pushed back a little to keep the proportion so it looks good. And, it does look good and is proportioned pretty good :)

Hopefully Ryan will get some more work done soon and post some more pics!

:)

this thing is tits Ryan :smokin:

like i said hit me up if you need a hand

I need updates.

Ill post some pics this weekend, Ive been waiting on some parts from RuffStuff for 2 weeks and it is really slowing down progress. The interior cage is coming along , and it should be rolling in the next week if I can get some parts.

Can't wait to see more of this truck :smokin:

all that work and you're going with an interior cage?? That cab is great, grated it will get beat to shit regardless, but I'd do with an exo any day.

and yeah, "poor college kid" my left fucking testicle...that is a serious wad of cash to blow thru in two years for ANY build on a moderate income. (aka, career vs "full time" college work). I've been there, done that, too.

In short, I'm both insanely jealous and impressed. Carry on.:eek::flipoff2:

Sorry for the delay on the pics. We took a trip to Mountain City TN for some wheeling at the end of last year, had some snow at home and have been super busy with school, but progress has been steady. Bill and Greg came out earlier this week and we made some serious progress. Bill welded for about 8 hours straight. I'm still waiting on some parts from RuffStuff to finish up the interior cage and mount the rear shocks. I hope to have it rolling soon. Well anyways, on with the pics.
Greg added some tube to the "wheel well" and I think it looks alot better.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0864.jpg
Courtney came down and helped bend up some frame rails in the front, we tried to keep it pretty tight to the motor.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0855.jpg
The motor in the picture is just for mockup. Its a 5.3, I've got my heart set on a 6.0, just gotta find the right deal. You can't really see it in the picture, but there is a TH350 behind the motor, it all fits surprisingly well.
With the frame rails in place, I bent up a winch plate and broke out the dimple dies again.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0861.jpg
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0854.jpg
Also went ahead and made a mount for the suckdown winch in the rear. There are still a few more details to add but you get the idea.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0857.jpg
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0860.jpg
We've been waiting on some rolled tube for the interior cage, but we figured we would get started anyway. I know the tubes should come to the center more, but the goal was to try and match the tube in the rear to keep as much rear visibility as possible.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0859.jpg
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0863.jpg

Managed to talk my GF into coming out and helping out. She managed to get all the stubborn undercoating out of the cab to start prepping for bedliner.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0874.jpg
In the last pic you can also see the A pillar and some of the floor structure and gussets for the interior. I had to notch the dash mount bar to make it fit around the A pillar, it is a tight squeeze.
Bill went to town welding up the rear axle and we got it rolled back in place. The lower shock mounts are leaned forward about 5 degrees.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0875.jpg
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0876.jpg
Bill also got the upper frame side link mounts welded up. I think the geometry and mounts worked out well.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0879.jpg
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0858.jpg
Bill also got the mowhawk pans from MudPro all welded up, we stuck with the overkill theme and welded them inside and out. All I've got to say is these things are BEEF.
We were real sure what to do in the front, but we went ahead and bent up a stinger. Gonna add a little tube but try and keep the front pretty simple.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0880.jpg
I have yet to decide what to do with the upper frame side mounts in the front. The plan is to plate the tubes coming out of the frame and then build a mount from plate, we just don't want it to look bulky.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0862.jpg
Any ideas are appreciated.
Well thats all I've got for now. Today I got the front axle all welded up and rolled back under the truck. Gonna work on some shock hoops for the front this week, I hope to see it roll soon!

Simply badass!! Can you get some overall shots of the truck? Love all the fab work going into this thing :smokin:

holy shit.:eek: sick build.:smokin:

I'll try and get some overall shots, the truck is so big that it is hard to get far enough away to get the whole thing in one picture. Hopefully I'll get to roll it out soon and get some overall shots.

Slap couple of dimple-died plates on the upper frame side mounts in the front.

Fuk'n sick rig by far.

any idea of the manufacturer of those jack stands?

:eek: wow.... just wow

I hate you! this thing is badass dude

is this thing done yet :flipoff2:

How have I missed this??? Damn this is AWESOME!!!!!! Hell, I'd settle for a 5.3 ha! But, a 6.0 would be super badass.

Well another weekend gone and some more decent progress. Bill came out and welded like a maniac. He welded up all four steering arms with the gussets I picked up from mudpro. Man these things are BEEF! I don't think i'll be able to bend these things.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0883.jpg
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0882.jpg
He also welded up the fuel cell mount, I think it turned out great.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0885.jpg
Since I'm doing an interior cage I am trying to build it so as much as possible can be welded out of the truck. This is the rear portion of the interior cage. I know the tube in the center could have been closer together but they match the tube in the rear to maximize visibility in the rear.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0884.jpg
I finished up today by building the rear shock mounts. I think they turned out pretty good. Once my shock bungs come in I'll be able to set the rear on its own weight. I'm hoping to work out the front next week so we can roll it out.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0886.jpg
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ollieman15/100_0887.jpg
I have some rolled tube coming in from ruffstuff this week so I should make some big steps on finishing the interior cage too.

I could settle for a 5.3 but i feel like later i will regret it. I'm trying to go as big as I can afford right now so if I ever decide to build a buggy I will have the parts I need. As for being finished yet, I am hoping to have it on all fours by the end of next weekend. That should give me the motivation I need to get it finished up.

Where are the damn updates?:D

Come on man, where is the updates???

update mofo!!!

Sorry guys, the truck has been rolled out of the shop to make room for another project. Once we get this one rolling, mine will make it's way back into the shop. Here is a link to the build we have going on right now.

http://www.nc4x4.com/forums/showthread.php?t=86224

Sorry guys, the truck has been rolled out of the shop to make room for another project. Once we get this one rolling, mine will make it's way back into the shop. Here is a link to the build we have going on right now.

http://http://www.nc4x4.com/forums/showthread.php?t=86224

Linky no worky mang!!! Can't wait to see the progress.. Wade

link is fixed. Hopefully it will be rolling soon so we can get back to the taco.

any updates on this thing:flipoff2:

This is the first thread I read here. Nice build.

shit...another unfinished build thread. I realize they are never finished but i was really hoping to see this thing wheel:p

last i heard he sold this..

And it was going so good

ugghh - that was an emotional roller coaster. At first I was like :eek: and then I was like :crybaby2: