End of an era @DaveInDenver?Huge thanks to @DaveInDenver for making the drive to Denver to sell the 'nest and give me a hand getting it moved to the Tacoma. Got her lined up and bolted down, though I do want to add a couple more bolts but I was running out of gas.
What have you done to your rig today?
- Thread starter HoneyBadger
- Start date
I'll be installing one of theses set ups into @NotyourmomsWife 4Runner, eventually.Working on an NWF EcoCrawler install on a 1st gen tacoma. The build and install has taken me 2x longer than I expected, but getting there!
So many shifters! Triple shift seems like a great idea until you have to make sure everything clears everything else!
DaveInDenver
Rising Sun Ham Guru
Kind of I guess. They just look and fit much better on 79-04 trucks and we've been doing a big tent with cots more lately is all. I hemmed and hawed but things just aligned, this is absolutely the right move. Very happy that John's gonna be the caretaker for a while. He's definitely the right person, machinist, wrench, dog guy.
I was at (number of trucks) + 1 on toppers and this number was increasingly reminded of me to be 200% more than needed. There's maybe a small trailer, perhaps a teardrop, in the future. We were also thinking hardside, slide-in or maybe a tray + FWC. Bottom line is the 'Nest is a young couples game and it didn't really need to be on Donna The Taco anymore.
What happens with the '85 is another matter. Right now the working plan is I'll keep it for solo and what-not. Probably keep the 'Nest on it, too. This truck really just can't be our primary, it's not really 2 + dog workable. Nevermind that I need to do a whole lot of work. It's got me in a similar funky mindset as @Hulk and his 80.
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No so much what did I do to my rig, but what can I do to my rig now. Built a Swag Off Road finger brake today for my HF 20-ton press.
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Brucker
Hard Core 4+
No so much what did I do to my rig, but what can I do to my rig now. Built a Swag Off Road finger brake today for my HF 20-ton press.
Congrats! The best part you will find is the ease of making new different dies when the time comes that you need them. Gooseneck and hemming dies are a must around my shop. But to warn you the gooseneck dies available from SWAG don't offer enough capacity. You will be better off cutting your own bigger ones. Also check out the air/hydraulic 20 ton bottle jacks. Really helps speed things up. And if you do go that route, a foot pedal control for it frees up the hands. Best of luck and skill with your new piece of equipment!
KC Masterpiece
Hard Core 4+
- Joined
- May 4, 2019
- Messages
- 2,218
Brought a new gal home.
Not tech and will start a build thread when we start working on it.
Pick up Ian’s fist truck yesterday.
It’s a 1983 Toyota Trailblazer!
What’s a trailblazer? Well it’s a precursor to the 4Runner much like the Trekker and the Breaker Breaker. I’ve dreamed about the day we could start a project together and it’s finally going to happen, but not till I get my axle swap done on my 80 first.
It needs love, but it’ll be fun. I need to start collecting parts.
Pick up Ian’s fist truck yesterday.
It’s a 1983 Toyota Trailblazer!
What’s a trailblazer? Well it’s a precursor to the 4Runner much like the Trekker and the Breaker Breaker. I’ve dreamed about the day we could start a project together and it’s finally going to happen, but not till I get my axle swap done on my 80 first.
It needs love, but it’ll be fun. I need to start collecting parts.
DaveInDenver
Rising Sun Ham Guru
"It looks like your truck has a case of the Mondays."
Yeah, kind of tacky and a pretty specific target demographic.
KC Masterpiece
Hard Core 4+
- Joined
- May 4, 2019
- Messages
- 2,218
Im approaching middle age fart and also find it tacky.
DaveInDenver
Rising Sun Ham Guru
KC Masterpiece
Hard Core 4+
- Joined
- May 4, 2019
- Messages
- 2,218
I got tired of the 80 winking all the time.
First, the culprit. This is the third Slee harness that's been in this truck. Right side failed like this twice, the left side once.
Since I was tired of dealing with the connectors melting down every few years, I decided to swap to H4 lamps, which naturally means Depo headlights... To be clear, it's an H4 for the low beams (I just didn't connect the high on that plug) and an H1 for the high beams, with an H4 connector because that's less expensive than the individual H1 connectors. And I've never had an H4 fail on me.
I used LED's for the low beams, but Halogen for the high beams so that in the winter I can let the high beams warm up the glass if I need to melt the ice off of the lenses in a storm.
Much better now. So much brighter than my OEM reflectors, especially with one headlight failed.
Dan
First, the culprit. This is the third Slee harness that's been in this truck. Right side failed like this twice, the left side once.
Since I was tired of dealing with the connectors melting down every few years, I decided to swap to H4 lamps, which naturally means Depo headlights... To be clear, it's an H4 for the low beams (I just didn't connect the high on that plug) and an H1 for the high beams, with an H4 connector because that's less expensive than the individual H1 connectors. And I've never had an H4 fail on me.
I used LED's for the low beams, but Halogen for the high beams so that in the winter I can let the high beams warm up the glass if I need to melt the ice off of the lenses in a storm.
Much better now. So much brighter than my OEM reflectors, especially with one headlight failed.
Dan
Attachments
DaveInDenver
Rising Sun Ham Guru
@DanS - what bulbs did/do you run?
The Slee harness, it's a couple of relays and a plug that mates to one of the factory headlight connectors to switch it? Is this a common problem with it or did you draw the short straw with a unicorn?
Is the one that burns up the triggering connector or one of the headlight connectors?
Are there no fuses or fusible links?
Since it's the same connector you may have a bad ground for that side, which might still be there, lurking, waiting for an inconvenient moment.
The Slee harness, it's a couple of relays and a plug that mates to one of the factory headlight connectors to switch it? Is this a common problem with it or did you draw the short straw with a unicorn?
Is the one that burns up the triggering connector or one of the headlight connectors?
Are there no fuses or fusible links?
Since it's the same connector you may have a bad ground for that side, which might still be there, lurking, waiting for an inconvenient moment.
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It’s 3 different slee harnesses over the years. It’s the non-Toyota headlight connector that has failed (2x right side, once on the left).
While I was replacing the connectors to an H4, I checked the resistance of all the wires for exactly that reason. 0.03 ohms was the highest.
There are fuses.
I assume that the non-Toyota connector is just ever so slightly looser fitting than Toyota, and that it must wiggle more and gets some water in there at an in opportune time to case it to burn up. None of them have been slow, they’ve always just not worked one day with no browning ahead of time when I’ve checked.
None matter, because now I’ve got quality H4 sockets on there that I also covered up with heat shrink.
Dan
DaveInDenver
Rising Sun Ham Guru
FWIW I pack the sockets full of dielectric grease on pronged headlight connections. Doesn't necessarily help with loose fit but seems to help with water intrusion.
NyNomad
Wincher
put the pumpkin on for Annual Pumpkin Snorkel Head Season!!
