da Green Thunder Mod Garage

Ever since I installed my Northstar battery, I’ve been watching my voltage pretty closely. It seems to swing between 14.1 during the warm-up sequence to as low as 13.2 when I’m towing and the trailer batteries are charging off the truck. Even when not towing, the voltage ranges from 13.3-1.38 normally.

To insure the battery is getting a proper charge, I installed a voltage booster talked about here on the forum from HKB Electronics (https://www.hkbelect.com/product/438-mk2-micro-blade-5a-electronic-fuse-version-2020/)

I have been running it for a week so far and it is working nicely. The voltage has increased to 14.4 during warm-up and it holds much more steady at 14.0 during driving. Even waiting at a traffic light it doesn’t drop below 13.8. Haven’t towed with it yet, but I suspect it will continue to provide a nice 0.3-0.5v bump over stock.

March '23 Update: the HKB continues to deliver great results. I've read a few complaints about quality and failures on the forum, but mine has been rock solid so far. I also measured the voltage at the battery with the truck running. My ScanGauge was showing wavering between 14.2 and 14.3 and my voltage meter was showing 14.35. Seems spot on, especially since I don't know where my SC is measuring nor do I fully trust the cheap voltage meter I bought.

 

Added a catch can…always wanted to try one of these things. Never thought it would do much on a N/A motor with port injection. A fellow member (@NWPirate) posted some nasty stuff from his so I decided to give it a try. I’ll post a pic of what I harvest…

The machining on this JLT catch can is beautiful. Installation was straight forward too.

 

Updated: Feb 4, 2024

Tried 4,000 miles between drains and that was too far. The fluid was at the base of the threads and the rubber o-ring was wet, so I think it was technically full. Since the mount actually goes pretty far into the can, I bet this was already just pouring fluid back into the engine intake. Going to try 3,500 miles next.


After 22,xxx miles, this is how much I've collected (that's a standard 1/2 gallon beer growler)

 

A tire ate a bolt, so time for new shoes. BFG A/T KO2s in 275/70 R18. Wanted Coopers but it didn’t happen. My past experience with these tires has been great other than they are a PITA to keep balanced. Fingers crossed…


Tread Depth: 14/32
Year 1: 13/32 after 10,5xx miles (1,7xx towing)
Year 2:

 

There’s a huge gap of air that gets stuck in the front section of the washer fluid tank when you refill it. Drives me nuts, so I drilled a hole to allow the air to escape. Now a fill is a full fill.
First remove the reservoir


Drill a hole in the front section.
Like this

Clean out any plastic chips, reinstall and fill!

 

Installed the Front Multi-mount Panel from Desert Does It. Perfect place too store gear. MagLite and my IFAK are attached. I hit it occasionally with the back of my shoe, but it is generally out of the way...

 

As much as I loved the truck box for its functionality it was ugly to look at and was a PITA to remove. I needed more bed space and to retain a means to secure things in the bed. So added a Diamondback HD! This really should have been my first mod, but wasn’t in the budget a few years ago.


Added the LED light accessory to my shopping cart. Wanted some light back there and this works great!

 

How have I missed your build thread!? I'll have to start from post #1 soon.

 

Eliminating the truck box forces some new organizing of the gear…

Purchased the Victory 4x4 molle panel for the front of the bed. Very happy with it so far. Also picked up a rail system for the Diamondback. Still need to organize things and move around, but will save that for another weekend.

Aug ‘22 Edit: It took some time, but finally got stuff organized.
Traction boards, tools, straps, cargo net and bungee cords on the rack and the larger tools on the Diamondback.

 

Great build so far @Green Thunder
I already see a few things I need to steal.

 

Thanks. My skills and garage are more limited to bolt-on toys, but I’m having a blast making the truck mine…

 

Nothing wrong with that, it's a great stress reliever too!

 

Installed a normal stock exhaust I got off OfferUp. The TRD just has way too much drone, especially when I’m towing. The V8 noise was amazing but I’m loving the quiet cabin so far.

Think I’ll spray the tip with some black high-temp paint….

Note: I have already sold the TRD exhaust.

 

You can get a “bling” tip for it

 

Maybe. I actually don’t care what the exhaust looks like for some reason. Painting it black will just hide it better…

 

My “black chrome” tips are a shade of mud brown 99% of the time anyway. I’ve considered just chopping them to dump past the axle a few times.

 

My cabin air filter usually has a pile of leaves and crap on top, so it was time to add a screen to the intake.

Remove the wipers and the plastic cover/cowl to access the big open gap. I had a roll of steel mesh stuff in the garage so cut it to size. Test fit:


After 3+ layers of rust-oleum-type spray to protect everything:


Not sure it will hold as-is, but didn’t want to drill into the truck. Will watch and see how it does.

 

Bought this Viofo A119 V2 in late 2018. Had it running for a year in my previous truck and installed in the Tundra about two years ago. Really didn’t expect it to last this long but it has been great so far. Glad I paid for the high-quality memory card as it has been flawless as well.

For power I initially just used a fuse insert (or whatever they are called). Never had any issues…

I was very curious about the rear view mirror dongle you can get off Amazon, so decided to give it a try. This way when I get a new camera the power will be simple. It also freed up space for me to run wires thru the firewall for my ditch lights.

 

A stocking stuffer from Amazon. I like the red/white/blue version better, but this is more subtle.

 

My trailer scales about 4,000 fully loaded, but I have a pin weight over 700lbs. Blame the dual batteries, dual propane, bike rack and even the "normal" mattress on our bed. With a single axle and the most storage in the front of the trailer, she's a heavy girl when loaded for a long weekend. With a cooler full of food, four SUPs and the family, my rear axle weight is just barely under the limit. The squat is real. The truck drives fine, but the bouncing can get bad and I hit the bump stops.

This pic is a "light" weekend and I'm still running a negative 1.5" rake.

I've had airbags on previous trucks and while they work great, I hate the horrible ride when unloaded. I also didn't like dicking around with the air when hooking up or unhooking the trailer. Some of the other solutions seemed good, but I just didn't know what I wanted to do until @RainMan_PNW ran the Roadmaster Active Suspension system on his truck and talked them up. More load capacity and some sway control while preserving the full axle articulation?! Sign me up...

These are the HD version set with the 2mm shim for "maximum" load. My Playschool jack stands couldn't keep the rear axle off the ground (even when shimmed with 2x4's) and so I had to rent time at a local U-mechanic shop (Stew's Garage). Total install time was 1.5hrs. That includes getting the truck up on the lift, finding the tools and even re-doing some of my work when my OCD wasn't satisfied. The install is very easy and straight forward when you have the right tools.



Before the install my truck (with full fuel) was sitting at a level 39" (measured from the ground to the wheel well at the axle). I've got a 2" rake now with the rears sitting right at 41". Not sure I need to have them cranked all the way up, but I'm going to see if they settle over the next few weeks and get a couple weekends of towing in. I really don't care if I have a bit of negative rake when towing, but I want the bouncing to stop and have a more controlled ride. Time will tell if I should reset the springs to the lower 1mm shim



RAS Update (Aug ‘22): After three trips loaded heavy (see post 118) the RAS has settled down about 0.5”. So I still have a bit of rake, but the system is working great.

I also did a day trip with the family exploring forest service roads with a few hundred lbs of gear in the back and no issues with the RAS.

 

How’d they do for you in the corners? Take a windy road yet?

 

Just my normal commute yesterday. There is still some body roll, but it does seem to be less. Kind of hard to tell with these seats that don’t have any lateral support. The truck also feels more “squared up” when I get into the throttle. Like there is less axle wrap.

So these things are acting like a sway bar and traction bars. Nuts. I’m starting to wonder they will cure cancer too.

 

I definitely notice the traction bar effect. It took me a week to start settling down in how I drive it…my mileage is coming back to normal now, but I do give her hell in a couple specific spots in my commute still

 

I have the same one on mine. Good looking truck!

 

JB weld steelstik

 

I called bullchit on the Desert Does It Seat Jackers when I first saw them. Loved the multi-mount panel (post #96) but was sure the over-priced Jackers were just a placebo. No way those short shims could make a difference.

Holy chit I was wrong. The seat is like a recliner now and the whole seating position feels new. Crazy for a 1 inch lift.

Nov ‘23 update. Love the Seat Jacker. When the wife tested it she liked the seat better. Just installed a set on her side. Wanna bet she doesn’t notice?

 

Sitting In vs. On the seat is the perfect description… Glad they worked out for your long frame. You never know since we are all different.

Did a 2.5 hour drive a few days ago and really enjoyed the new seat feel. I’ve got to change all the other adjustments so it will take some time to dial them all in. But looking forward to the end result. Just need to get my son to stop fuking with them when he drives the truck!

 

Finally got a full trip in with the new Roadmaster Active Suspension. @Dsptundra These things are amazing.

Trailer here is fully stocked for a four-day weekend. All the clothes, all the gear, all the food, full water, etc. Truck is loaded up too. In the bed is a 80qt cooler filled with food and beer, four SUPs, four beach chairs, misc gear and whatever else was "needed" to completely fill it up. The heavy cooler is also back against the tailgate (not where I normally put it), so max weight to the rear.

End result is basically a flat rake. Measured here in the pic with the family and dog not in the cab, the front is at 39" and the rear at 38.5". Guess I don't need to drop the RAS down from 2" because it is basically perfect with my weekend load.

Ride quality loaded up is amazing. There is still some bounce in the springs, so the RAS doesn't make it rock-hard. I actually could handle a bit more stiffness but it is pretty good as-is and I wouldn't want to change the unloaded ride quality. The rear suspension is now much more composed when hitting big bumps in the road at freeway speeds. No more bottoming out or porpoising. Just a few controlled "waves" and then back to normal. Super happy...

I might have to drop down my WDH a notch to adjust for the RAS. The spring bars are definitely easier to install now and I to feel a slight "floating" in the steering. Going to give it a few more trips to see how things settle down.

 

I've tried a few dash mounts for my cell but nothing seems to satisfy me or more importantly, feel strong enough. First tried the HVAC mount from Hondo's Garage with a Ram Mount grip for the phone. It worked okay, but didn't feel like it could hold my larger phone when I upgraded. I've really liked ProClip's equipment in the past and when that route next. It didn't feel very strong, but never failed me. Unfortunately both designs block the HVAC vent and blow hot/cold are on the back of my phone. Not a great design. Also, I've never liked the phone cord running up the front of the dash.


So it was time for the dash mount system from Rago. I didn't wire up the US power but I did pull the power cord up through the dash so I can retain Apple CarPlay (not wireless on the 2020's!).

There are two design "misses" I feel in this latest design from Rago. First, is the mounting system. I know some people go with plates on the bottom, but I think Rago should just offer wider washers for the underside. Washers with 1" diameter would spread the stress out a lot more. I didn't bother since I'm just holding my phone. But if I wanted to start mounting a tablet then I'd probably add larger washers (and wire in power). Second, when they added the USB power to the design, they didn't put a hole in the base plate for the wires to pass through. Four holes exist and they're four the mounting screws. Given the center location of the power system, it would make sense to cut a half-inch hole in the base plate so the wiring and drop straight down into the dash.


So to solve that I drilled another hole on the backside of the dash divot and pulled the cord up.


At the USB port, I drilled a hole on the underside of the part and just fed the cord threw...


Love the look of this system. The install is much cleaner, the phone isn't blocking the HVAC and I'm liking the position of the phone

 

In Work: I started eyeballing my ARB dual-compressor system install and ran into a few roadblocks I need to solve. First, the wire harness is too short if I'm going to mount it on the passenger side. I'll probably need to add about 12-18" of power wire. Annoying, but should be straight forward once I get the time buy the wire and splice it in. Second, I realized today when I had the dash apart for the Rago Dash Mount install that the ARB switch doesn't fit in the Toyota-sized windows on the dash. Another annoying issue to solve. Might abandon this route all together and mount the ARB under my seat using the Desert Does It bracket. We shall see...If you're running this compressor in your truck, please tell me how you did the power switch!