Build Tacoma 4500 build

The yokes were always the 🤬 reaction from the “driveline” shops I visited in the past when presented with Northern Drivetrain parts. Idk how he holds them (you can see the witness marks) but the work is top notch.

Dennys has been good to me as well in recent orders. Great resource for parts and catalog system so you can window shop and compare.
 
I don’t understand the balancing issue. Is the concern how straight they run?
Mostly just making sure I don’t get a vibration. I’ll run them on a lathe with a dial indicator and hopefully I can get it close
 
Mostly just making sure I don’t get a vibration. I’ll run them on a lathe with a dial indicator and hopefully I can get it close
Don't bother with balancing them. As long as they are close to straight and the angles are right, you wont have any issues with vibration.
 
Don't bother with balancing them. As long as they are close to straight and the angles are right, you wont have any issues with vibration.
This! If your eyeball can’t detect the run-out, they’re perfect!!!!

Improper phasing and violating the running angles/mismatch is what causes vibration.
 
Spent a few days at trail hero. Not many pictures but wheeled some good trails. Got the exhaust welded out minus the end dumps. Debating if a second pass is needed for strength. And my dad started on fiberglassing the dash back together.
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Took forever to make an atlas support/mount that I liked/worked and would allow the atlas to go in and out. It can now go out the top if the cab is apart or through thr bottom. It’s 1” sleeved with 3/4 and a 1/2 bolt. Atlas hangs down to just above the bottom of the tube. Probably either cut the skid plate and make a drop section there (1/4 skid cut a square and weld a 1/4 section over it to give a 1/4 extra of clearance)

The mockup atlas I used was no where close so took some time reworking stuff as the actual atlas was way bigger.

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Went down to nationals at Laughlin. Looked at a lot of cars and watched Saturday. Was a good time.

Worked on the rear sway bar today. Made the end links out of aluminum on the lathe and drilled and tapped for left and right hand 1/2-20 heims. Few more gussets on the tube and I’ll work on the front ones next.
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Just lots of welding and little tabs here and there. Made some aluminum spacers for the fuel cell and added a top brace. Made the battery tray removable incase I change batteries. And motor came out no issue. I’ll weld a bunch more tomorrow. Plan is to start painting the hard to reach stuff/under the drivetrain so I can start putting everything back in.

My parents painted a bunch of the interior panels and they turned out really good. My dad fiber glassed the dash back together and can’t even tell we ever cut it apart. He’s working on a set of fenders and bedsides that I also picked up
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Spent Sunday welding out the entire chassis. There still a bunch of tabs and small things that need added but I need to start putting everything back together and want to paint it before I do that. I’ll grind whatever paint I need and then touch it up as I go. Hopefully get it disassembled and painted this week

Started painting the small parts as well
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Have you weighed the chassis?
No I don’t have scales. Before I order springs I’ll take it to the guy I’ll use for shock tuning as he has scales. I’m sure it’ll be heavier than most ultra4 builds but I talked to a lot of guys at nationals who are building new cars cause their chassis is so twisted or just destroyed. I’m hoping the extra gussets etc will make it last longer.
 
Engine oil skid plate tubes got quick disconnects. The bar between front link mounts got a quick disconnect to service the trans and maybe snake it out. Gussets behind the lower link mounts. Intrusion bars. Spare tire mount
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Those dinky hooks on the tire strap have me concerned. Probably shouldn't be, they just seem small haha
 
Those dinky hooks on the tire strap have me concerned. Probably shouldn't be, they just seem small haha
I made them from a piece of 1.5” solid rod. Center section is still 5/8 thick with the outside still being 1.5. I kept them small enough I can get the hook off with a twist but big enough the hook doesn’t just come off. I think they’ll be more than strong enough but time will tell.
 
I think I finally finished capping all the sections in the frame. Added some fish plating to the inside of the frame by the engine.

Bump broke some pieces of 3/16 to finish the front of the frame. Ordered a second small griffin fluid cooler to use as an engine oil cooler and got that mounted.
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Guy on eBay called glamis junkie. I buy all my tube clamps, dzus tabs and most other things I don’t make myself from him. Good prices and everything seems to be quality stuff.
I use the same guy. Quality parts and fairly fast shipping.. I stack parts to get a better deal on the shipping costs.
 
I use the same guy. Quality parts and fairly fast shipping.. I stack parts to get a better deal on the shipping costs.
Yep. I recently saw he has an actual website and I’ll order through there next time possibly. Ordered a ton of stuff from him on eBay and if you message him he’ll combine shipping costs and refund the difference back.
 
I made them from a piece of 1.5” solid rod. Center section is still 5/8 thick with the outside still being 1.5. I kept them small enough I can get the hook off with a twist but big enough the hook doesn’t just come off. I think they’ll be more than strong enough but time will tell.
Oh, I meant the hook on the actual strap, not the mount you made.
 
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