What I love, what I hate: My 21 platinum build thread (Now supercharged)

Thanks for the .02. That's great feedback and I wondered the same thing. I don't think I'll mind so much having a 2nd volume knob as long as the factory HU touch screen is more responsive than my 17 is. Seems like I have to stab at everything at least 3 times in my 2017 before it finally does what I want it to. I have only driven the new truck 35 miles home from the dealership so I honestly don't know much about how it works. It is possible I will be following in your footsteps though and eventually replacing the HU anyway.

lol yeah, wives are funny like that aren't they. I was the same way you are. While I'm still living on a city-sized lot I need to be pretty frugal on my space so dedicating a garage bay to "I can only use this one when I want to work on something" wasn't really an option. BendPak makes a 1/2-rise and this full-rise that are really sweet for installs where you still want to be able to use it as a parking space.

Cool, thanks for confirming. I'm really trying to utilize all factory locations and routing points whenever possible. The last thing I want to do on a brand new truck truck is open the door and see speaker wire grommeted between the door frame and the pillar.

 

Next mission: Get rid of the "Ironman Green" springs. Just dropped them off at the powder coater. Found a red that matches the TRD red really closely. Should be ready to pick up in a week.

Ironically, he said he's done dozens of these springs now. Apparently I am not the only one out there who didn't pick lime green for their truck's accent color.

 

Who did you use?
I have no idea why they switched from yellow to green during their rebrand. They look good on my wifes black 4runner. But agreed would be better a different color on like 90 something percent of other colored vehicles.

 

I used Precision Powder Coating off N Vancouver/Hwy 99. I didn't shop around too hard (okay, not at all lol) but they wanted a minimum charge of $125 to do it. seemed reasonable to me and they are only a 10 min drive from my place in Vancouver.

 

That’s who I used for both pairs of sliders. Did a great job.

 

Following, I had a hard enough time bringing myself to pull a door panel on my 20’ can’t imagine doing a full interior strip. Great looking shop!

 

That's great to know, thank you. They had some great reviews on Google that helped sway me too. I had some stuff done by another shop years ago down off of 27th and Holgate I believe it was, and it came out okay enough that I didn't gripe but definitely not as nice as I was hoping for.

 

'morning Everyone. I woke up a little early today (Guess I'm excited to see Santa?!?) so I spent a bit of time working on my amp rack under the driver's seat. Currently just held together by sheet metal screws until I get it finalized, then I'll weld it. The goal of this rack is to keep the Fix86 and amp sitting about 3/4" above the rear seat vent outlet so air flow is not restricted while giving me plenty of real estate to mount the gear and run wires.

The solid lines are cut lines, dashed is bend.


The shop isn't quite finished yet so I can screw down my brake wherever it's convenient.



I don't gotta use this sweet little tool very often, but when I do it's worth more than a winning lottery ticket.








This is as far as I was able to make it before my day job started needing attention again. Shape is figured out, now all that's left is to smooth out the rough cuts and weld it. Also still need to drill mounting points.

 

Got a little more done today. Yes, that's a second layer of sound deadener you're seeing there. I can tell quite a significant difference in sound transmission throughout the cab now between nothing to dynamat-only, and then dynamat + closed cell foam. I'm only going to have the carpets out of this truck once so I figured I might as well do it all. Present status is carpets back in, amp/Fix86 mounted, wires run to everywhere they need to go.



Relays and seat connections for the heated rear seats. I bought two Katskin heater kits when I originally built my 2017. Getting into the upholstery was quite an ordeal but the kids thank me every time they get to use them.


I built the harness to hook into the rear cigarette lighter.


Sure feels nice to have all the carpet back in

 

Finally getting some time back out in the garage today. Hoping to keep the momentum up through Sat/Sun too. Just finished the front light bar install. I'm very happy with the way it came out. My objectives here were,

1) Light up the road better when I'm out in the country, and
2) Integrate whatever I come up with into the existing truck lines as cleanly as possible

The NSV one is top notch of course but as infrequently as I expect to need it, it wasn't worth $1,000 to me. Instead, I bought this one for $170:

$168 iJDMTOY Hood Scoop Mount 36" LED Ultra Slim Light Bar Compatible with 2014-2021 Toyota Tundra, Includes (1) 108W High Power LED Lightbar, Hood Bulge Mounting Brackets & On/Off Switch Wiring Kit

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071SDDTGK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thinking it was going to be curved to match the bulge, like the NSV one. It was just a straight bar however, and it was going to look absolutely terrible if I put it in there per the instructions. I almost packed it back up to return but then started playing with it a little. I finally ended up determining that with a fair bit of careful cutting I could fit it into the plastic insert behind the hood bulge and hide it behind the mesh. It took me about an hour and a half start to finish but as I mentioned previously I'm very happy with the way it came out.






I wasn't real pleased about the idea of trimming sheet metal but finally decided everything else looked well-supported enough that it would be fine.


Viola, finished product

 

The rest of today was spent on all sorts of odds & ends:

- Moved my Powerstep harness from the old truck to the new one
- Pre-wired bed relays
- Installed bed power port
- Cut & siliconed bed lights


Bed relays: Tail gate popper (3x unlock), bed power outlets (cigarette plug + USB), LED bed lights (Not pictured is a PAC IGN-3. This will be wired to cause the bed lights to turn on with the cab lights and stay on for 10 seconds longer)


12V power source at the back of the bed


Going to the hardware store tomorrow for some stainless screws. The cheap black painted ones that come with these kits always rust.


These are the bed lights I got:

$21 Nilight - TR-05 2PCS 60" 180 LEDs Bed Strip Kit with Waterproof on/Off Switch Blade Fuse 2-Way Splitter Extension Cable for Cargo, Pickup Truck, SUV, RV, Boat , 2 Years Warranty

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KXR799K/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

they were about 6" too long but I didn't like the other styles I could find. As long as you cut them on the on the power contacts between
every 3rd LED you're fine to shorten them.


Globbed some silicon over the cut ends. hopefully it'll be dry tomorrow so I can install them.

 

Found some pics from when I did the heated seats on my 17. I promised the kids I'd swap these over to the new truck. I actually looked at doing heated and cooled this time but after a little research I learned that cooling requires building the seats with some specialized foam. I didn't want to get that involved, so heat-only it is.



I wanted to be able to turn them off/on from the driver's seat, to make sure they didn't get left on forever.

 

What do you tap into for power to the rear heated seats? Also where did you run the wire? Thinking of doing the same soon.

 

I went up the center of the truck and tapped the back cig lighter. I don't know if I'm going to get away with that on my 21 or not b/c I have one of the full length ESP underseat boxes coming. If it sits too close to the truck floor I will have to extend my wires and go into one of the door wells.

 

Awesome build! AND I definitely have shop / garage envy!
What made you decide on Ironman 4x4 suspension? I think this is the first I’ve heard of it. Most members seem to flock to Icon, King, Fox... then there’s The more economic choice of Bilstein ( what I was considering.... maybe).
Just curious... I have no opinion on which is better, but I’m looking for options....

 

Thanks! I spent a lot of time planning out (and building) this shop. Tried to cover all my bases. The only thing I really wish for is more room, which I'm just not going to get in the city unfortunately.

To answer your question though, I settled on Ironman because I wanted something that was a complete system designed to work together, and kept me close to the 3"-ish lift I have with my 2017 (lift/level only on that one). I have never been happy with the way that truck rode. The consensus on Ironman reviews is it seems to be reasonably capable off-road (less important to me) and well-mannered on-road (very important to me). Icon, King etc all seem to be tuned more for off-road handling than on-road comfort. So that's why I decided to give Ironman a try. I also looked at OME which also seems well regarded in on-road performance but with only 1.5-2" of lift I didn't want to go backwards. On this build I am going up another inch on tire size (to 35) and re-gearing to 5.29 to keep my acceleration (another beef I had against my 2017 with 34" 295/60's). The other gear choice was (I think) 4.88) but I'm less worried about fuel economy than I am about having a really fun truck to drive. I'm told the 5.29 gears will cost me about .3-.5mpg is all but it will be a lot quicker off the line.

hope that helps!

 

Yes! Thank you sir!
There’s NEVER enough shop space...

 

I got out to the shop early this morning and started working on it again. this is the first time I've seen the light bar lit up. Holy cow is it ever bright.


Planning to wire it in with the high beam, combined with a switch inside the cab where I can choose to activate it as an auxiliary high beam or not.

I also discovered this strip tool. Until two weeks ago I've spent my entire life stripping wire the old fashioned way. I'm never going back.


Presently working on the bed lights. I have the light strips themselves installed now, and working on the in-cab wiring. The light kit comes with a switch assembly but I wanted the lights to go live whenever the back cab lights are activated instead. The wire is so thin (20-22 gauge maybe) that I had to hunt down and sacrifice one of my wall warts to get something even close to a small enough gauge to butt connect with them. I don't like butt connecting large gauge differences because you end up with a stress point in your finished harness. The small wires will flex and move much more than the larger ones will, and the smaller wires are prone to breakage.

 

Could you show us which small wire you tapped into for the bed lights?

I removed the driver side door sill and there is a bunch of wires. I’m not sure which to tap.

 

Funny, I was just coming back to my desk for a few minutes to post that. And drink a beer. But mostly drink a beer lol

I couldn't figure out which wire it was from the door well - as you mentioned, there are a lot of them - so since I already had the C pillar covers and headliner off I was able to trace it down directly from the light. It's a pink 20ga that goes up the driver's side C pillar.

 

Not my best work ever but nobody's going to see it except me (and now, all of you lol). Function before form on this one. I ripped a 1 1/2" strip of scrap sheet metal I had laying around, double-stick taped both sides, taped all my relays to one side, taped the other side into the recess under the back window. I am trying to get the truck put back together enough so I can drive it this week which means none of this has been tested yet. I've triple checked all my connections though so I "think" I should be fine. If I'm not, it just means pulling some panels back out of the way and chasing things down.



This will all be hidden by the JL Stealthbox so I didn't really take any time to make it pretty. I just wanted something that was easily serviceable and having everything stuck to one easily removable metal bar seemed like a good way to accomplish that.

 

Really looking good. Another bonus for that Ironman is their US headquarters is in Wilsonville and the coilovers are rebuildable if that matters to you.

Your really making me think I want another stereo build in this one. I’m trying to figure out the controls for my light bar and any other stuff I may add. I have two options Pioneer deck with their optional controller, or SDHQ switch pro kit. Guess we will see.

Did you get your coils back yet?

 

Thanks. Yeah, I do like that they (Ironman) are local. Hopefully the setup gives me the results I'm looking for. I stopped by Precision Powder Coating last Thursday at 2:01PM to pick up my coils. They closed at 2 for the holiday and just as a I rolled up the last employee was locking the door lol. So will have to make another trip down there this week.

What Pioneer deck would you replace the HU with? I hesitate to swap HU's because the factory one is designed to integrate into the speedo cluster for nav guidance. Not the end of the world if it doesn't I suppose but I also want to give the 2021 HU a try before I throw it in the dumpster. the things I hated about my 17 are the touch screen sucked - it never seems to accept my input unless I ever so carefully press exactly on top of the button I want - and I got a lot of glare. The 21 screen seems a lot higher resolution and has a more subdued finish so I'm hoping it will be easier to get along with.

BTW here is my solution to the switch dilemma. I think up to six could probably fit here if I needed them to. My four will be

- Front light bar (on with high beam, or off. I don't see a need to turn the light bar on separately)
- rear heated seats
- bed 12V/USB power port
- nav-in-motion (I liked my location in the 2017 better but that spot is now taken up by USB ports in the 21)

 

I’m running the same amp and stealth box. It’s pretty awesome

 

I didn't quite make it as far as I wanted to this weekend but that was largely by personal decision. This afternoon was pretty nice around here (by that I mean it wasn't raining lol) so I took a couple hours to go bike riding with my 16yo. As much I enjoy my projects I try to remember that I'm a dad first and foremost. The truck, cars, shop will all still be there when I get back.

Completed improvements so far include

- 100% dynamatted - roof, doors, floor, rear wall. I've actually still got the front doors to do but everything else is complete. I've burned through 72sf of the stuff and picked up another 20sf of it yesterday to finish the front doors with
- 100% padded. Dynamat adds mass to the panel to dampen vibration and sound transmission through the panel itself, dynapad actually insulates against sound and, to a lesser degree, thermal transmission. Ideally, you'd use both products on every install. I used a cheap Amazon knockoff to save some dough on this step. These two steps were a lot of work - it had better be effective.
- rear door speakers are in. JL Audio 5.25% components. tweeters mounted in their factory location.
- sub wired
- Fix86 and amp mounted under driver's seat. Custom sheet metal box built and covered with black headliner cloth.
- Rear relay panel built and installed
- All interior wires are now run to their appropriate locations. The ends are waiting for me to hook up in the engine bay. Planning to install my own auxiliary fuse panel.
- front/rear dash cam in
- Front crossovers mounted in the center console. I'm using Sony three-way components up front - tweeter, 3.5" mid, 6.5" mid-bass
- AMP powerstep harness run. Connections not made yet.
- bed power panel in

Felt pretty good to actually start putting the interior back together. The carpet is all back down, some of the plastic panels are back in, and the passenger seat is bolted back in place.


Some questions, for those of you who have been through this before:

1) What do we like for LED lighting retrofits? For as much money as my full VLED treatment cost me on my 17, I'm not too pleased that some of them are already going flakey.

2) My Nitro gear set showed up. There was only one each of ring & pinion. I've never regeared before, but am I thinking right that there should be a gear set for both front and rear differential? I got one gear set, and two bearing sets (one labeled front, one labeled back).

 

Sweet! I can't wait to get it fired up and tuned. The amp sure isn't cheap but it's such a compact and very powerful package. Saves me from buying multiple amps, and finding spots to mount them all. I also really like that it has a DSP built in. Now let's just hope I'm smart enough to tune it.

 

YeAh it’ll do it all and do it well.
I started the sound upgrade and the dSP had me spun. I ended up taking it to a shop that I trusted and had work done there before. They got it sounding exactly like I wanted.
Can listen to speaker phone, podcasts, Dire Straights, slightly stopped, or tool and it all sounds phenomenal.
I put the bass knob just under the lid of the console. Hidden but at
My fingertips.

 

LOL..I bought the exact same tool for stripping wires when I was doing the audio wiring inside the truck. great tool.

 

Cool to see you reporting back what I hoped for out of all this work. I'll fiddle with it a little bit just because that's the type of guy I am but I'm probably going to have to take it to a shop too honestly. Do you run the little organizer tray thingy in your console? I had my rear seat heater cutoff switch under the console lid in my 2017 and hated that I kept having to push that tray out of the way every time the kids complained about their butts being too cold.

 

I have a half tray organizer. My bass knob is on the outside just under the finger latch. No need to open the console. I’ll attach a pic tomorrow.