SGU - The Speed Glampers Uberfahrt

@olsin6 where do you guys cut the frame when you shorten the Tundras? I assume close to where the cab and bed meet? so the cut is in a 'straight' part of the frame?

 

I don't want to hi-jack the whole thread so I will put it together in my build thread. That was the hardest part figuring out where to do it because the frame drops down closer to the cab so we ended up doing it basically in the middle of the of the main cross member over the axle. @osidepunker is correct we moved the front leaf hangers forward a foot but the frame dropped there so it gave me a little over an inch of lift not necessarily a bad thing with my camping gear in the back. I'm curious where we end up with the custom I96 packs from Jeff at Deavers. I figure we can adjust that as need with the LT shackles. The frame also tapers so now it is actually wider over the axles, my bumps stops on my LT rear will actually come through the bed partially in the wheel well. The gas tank was a PIA and I'm still trying to figure out if I can stick a OEM 38 gallon in there but it's not looking good. Something else I didn't know the drive shaft is aluminum so the first driveline shop I took it to wouldn't do it. Everything that we did on the truck including the conversion to 2014+ body led to it's own set of challenges. If I had it to do over again I probably wouldn't have done the 2014+ body conversion, that was just an unnecessary expense and challenge with the radiator cage and other stuff. I only did it because the fiberglass was in stock which we really wanted in hand for the frame and bed cut. I already had the headlights and taillights from my 2017 and I had a junk yard lined up that was willing to swap needed parts for the older ones but that ended up falling through $$$. The biggest thing I have learned, my lack of patience has a direct negative effect on my budget lol. BTW the folks at SDHQ are the experts in this type of modification as they have done a few of these. I just couldn't afford what they were charging which I will say I do think is absolutely fair for the work involved. I have a friend who owns a custom hot rod shop and he worked for Toyota for many years. I was able to work a deal with him. They do these frame mods all the time on car builds so everyone was confident with the project. Plus he is allowing me to be hands on so I can work on the truck myself which is nice.

 

Definitely have to learn to be patient lol I've wasted money too because I couldn't wait lol. Couple things:

If your front leaf hanger moved down and outboard, then do not adjust with the shackle. The shackle length has a direct effect on the geometry of the leaf movement. First, make sure your pinion angle is correct on your leaf perch. Then strip the leafs down to the main leaf and mount to the axle, front hanger, and shackle. Then droop the axle until the shackle is exactly perpendicular to a line drawn from the front leaf pivot to the rear upper shackle pivot. This is where you set your limit strap length. You don't want the shackle to swing past perpendicular or it might invert on you. Then, move the axle up until the leafs are exactly straight, no arch. This is where you set your upper bump. At this point you want the bumps fully compressed on your bump pad so that the leafs cannot go into a negative arch. Make sure the strike pad is wide enough to account for axle movement and leaf flex, both laterally and longitudinally.

Your bumps don't have to be mounted in the wheel wells. You can set the bumps where you want as long as the strike pad is placed properly.

Have you looked into steel drive shafts? One of these days I am going to investigate options. Toyota did aluminum for economy reasons, but a steel shaft would be more durable on the rocks and a lot thinner so less chance of contact. Any driveline shop should be able to measure and build a custom steel shaft.

 

Very good info guys. I always wondered what it took to do the bed/frame chop conversion.
@Bo-Hunter the 3rd gen facelift wasn't just swap and go? Radiator supports needed to be swapped over as well? At this point instead of a 38 gallon would you consider a fuel cell?

@osidepunker my bud in his second gen tacoma upgraded his driveshaft not to long ago. It was from South Bay driveline up here in san jose. Pricey, but he feels the upgrade was worth it. Double Cardan like the older first gen tacos, a zero angle pinion to the shaft, smaller diameter tubes, and thicker walls. I never really looked into it for the tundra.

 

Thats pretty much exactly what I want to do. Its low on my list of priorities though

 

Thank You Alex great information I really appreciate it. I did not look in to steel drive shafts honestly I didn't even think about but maybe sometime down the road. I stopped in today at lunch and took another look I defiantly have more things to work through. I'm hesitant to give information out on a forum before I have worked through everything as it might not be accurate information I'm giving out. I think I mentioned to you before I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer so it's a learning process for me.

No it wasn't as easy as I thought it was going to be, we ran into several issues. I called Jamie the parts manager at Sparks because I knew he did this conversion to his personal truck. Turns out he had the same problems maybe even to a higher degree than I did because he used different fiberglass. Toyota wanted $800 for a complete cage and radiator supports. I just wasn't going to do that and I couldn't find used that wasn't all jacked up. Jamie turned me on to some aftermarket stuff through Keystone and with a combination of those parts and fab parts we were able to get everything done for about $300. Knowing what I know now if I had to do it over again I wouldn't spend the money I would have just waited on Gen 2 fiberglass but that's just me. I will try to get a build thread started as soon as I can so this awesome thread doesn’t get off track.

 

I’m definitely looking forward to your build thread, but we’re just not happy unless our thread is off the rails - take is as far off track as common internet decency will allow. Which is pretty fuckin far.

 

Ancient chinese secret. I'd have to kill the whole forum if I told. Lets just say that it isn't as simple as people think it is. There is a lot of overlooked stuff that has to be done.

 

I hear the key is doing the chop wearing just a speedo to speed things up. That's how those things work, right?

 

New trip thread is posted, Mammoth in August:

https://www.tundras.com/threads/mammoth-run-aug-9-12.28166/

Also, we still have room for a couple trucks for our Sequoia Run if anybody wants to go:

https://www.tundras.com/threads/sequoia-run-july-19-22.25972/

 

September and October?

@osidepunker @n2deep @zackbremer @papasmurf @Spolar @jc153 @roypark @UncleJimmy

Who else?

 

What's the question?

 

What up dudes!!

 

im not sure either because he's going to be in a toy hauler in ohio lol

 

That was my point LOL

 

Made virtual friends with Randy here when I saw a video of him jumping his tundra. He’s in Vegas and goes to Big Bear and shit like that. Thought I’d see what’s next and invite him.

Sup dude!


So yeah, we’re moving, but not exactly in a hurry to drive to Ohio.

 

What? Really?!! Ohio?

 

Moab in October - Yeah

 

Only place I could make in oct is somewhere I could drive out fri night to meet u guys for sat/sun so it’d have to be relatively close unfortunately

 

Sand dunes in Michigan you can wheel on.

 

Any time you want to plan a two night weekend trip you let me know.

 

Yessir. Moving back for a couple years so Lisa can get enough years running her own practice as a doctor to transfer her license to AZ. Otherwise AZ wants her to work as an entry level counselor under supervision for five years before they let her even apply. It’s pretty stupid how states have different rules and don’t do reciprocity. It’s worse than gun laws.

Dope! Have you been to them? I’ve seen some crazy pics and videos.
We plan to go there and also use Ohio as a sort of base to explore Canada and Nova Scotia, the northeast, Midwest and east coast.

We’re buying a toy hauler to live in that has a garage for our FRS so we can go drive on all the amazing race tracks east of the Mississippi too.

 

https://www.tundras.com/threads/october-run-parker-area.30477/

There ya go

 

MOAB end of Oct? As in last weekend. As in my bday weekend? BOOM. plan formed.

@KevinK You're going. This is a demand, not an invitation.

 

When I was a kid many moons ago but haven't wheeled on them. A few of the local Toyota guys I know go a couple times of year and tell me it's awesome. I plan on taking my build up there when I finish, we should meet up.

One of my co-workers who is really into wheeling and doing projects (he has 3 4runners and a land cruiser ) just bought a right hand drive Supra, It's super cool, Can't remember the year but he plans on running it on a few tracks.

 

How have I missed this thread !

 

I don't know!

 

not sure but since you brought it up...

@osidepunker @KevinK @dragos28 @ryanjboutin @roypark @n2deep @Bo-Hunter @Spolar @jc153 @Rheywood456 @spenny

where you all at lets resume the fuckery

 

I dont know either !!!!
Damn cool videos !
Ha! Yep I started at the beginning!

 

did someone say fuckery? i'm all about the fuckery..