2000 Taco racetruck

[Crawl]

Started work on the rear Taco housing. The hub gussets are burned on. I tried to move around welding 1.5” at a time. Side to side trying not to warp it much.

Also started on the truss. I don’t really have much of a plan other then what my available steel steers me too.

It’s got to be wide to the outer area to support the tall upper mounts for the reverse triangulated 4 link. Trying to plan for around 9” separation.

The cover on this thing is like 3/16-1/4” thick! Edit: the hammer tap guess doesn’t make for good measure. It’s shit thin. Idk. Maybe 1/8”.

I will still add significant ring gear protection.

 

[Crawl]

Slow week. Working on mounts, and geometry while welding up the truss 1.5” at a time.

 

[Crawl]

I’ve slowed down on this build a little. Our race series started again after Covid delays, and I’m running the old truck again. We have a short summer, so I have to enjoy as possible.

More axle work. Mounts and front geometry coming along. I got my laser cut stuff. I will be on night shift soon to take my knuckles into work to machine the steering arms.

 

[Crawl]

Finally got around to machining my knuckles for the home brew double sheer highsteer arms outta stock LC arms. The DOM tube is 1” od .75” id. It will be the bolt mounting for the trailgear stuff that came with my full hydro kit. The fifth stud arm will come off and around to capture the top making it double sheer.

I just looked at my TG highsteer arms on the old truck, and guesstimated about 1.25 over and .25 up from the tre hole.

I’ve been having a fun race season in the old truck. Another win for the wall.

 

[SLOWPOKE693]

Awesome thread! I'm looking forward to future updates.

 

[Crawl]

Taking my sweet ass time getting the front end geometry the best I can.
Made these front upper frame side mounts today.

Took another win on the big fast track in our series. I held back slightly after qualifying 3rd to leave the line. On lap 3 I lined up some apex’s to pass the P1 v8 Wj, and to my surprise the ole 22re put a nose on into the braking zone.
It was a great race.

We have rescheduled our postponed race due to a Covid lockdown to late October. If the stars align maybe, just maybe I can take the 2000 Taco for a test rip.

 

[Crawl]

Finally got my front geometry settled. I had to relocate both dip sticks, and found a v6 Camery thermostat housing to make clearance happen.

Motor mounts are in stock location.

Im going to have to run a two piece front driveline.

 

[Crawl]

Made this over the last two nights shop time. It’s all Toyota stuff. Pinion joint is Land cruiser, then 2000 taco joint on other end with the pillow block, then 80’s joint at the t case.
For the bearing block I just took a stock Toyota pillow block and cut out the rubber then pressed it into some pipe.

I’m not sure how well it will hold up, but I will try it.

Tucked up nice and pivots with lower arm mount.

 

[Crawl]

Next on the list is the rear suspension links. I can’t move on with chassis stuff till I know where stuff lands.

Making some rear, upper trailing arms today for the shocks. The coil carriers will mount from the axle.

 

[Crawl]

Welp, the race season is over. Time to bunker down into the build again.
I’ve pretty much got the rear geometry settled on. It’s a bit experimental, but I’ve been watching a few top shelf competitors enjoying the idea. (Wyrick, Fordzilla, etc)

 

[AK_F250]

I’m a bit behind the times, are the upper trailing arms for clearance, packaging, both or something else?

 

[Crawl]

I’m a bit behind the times, are the upper trailing arms for clearance, packaging, both or something else?

I’m cheap, and found the aluminum links cheap. I wanted to put them on the bottom so they can take the rocks.

As far as I know the advantages are keeping shocks out of harms way, lower links can be further out on axle, and I think I can achieve better roll axis. Higher cog would be one disadvantage.

I’m NOT at all an experienced link geometry, science guy.

 

[Crawl]

Bubble gummed a driveshaft together for the rear. It’s the stock rear Tacoma DS with a piece of DOM I found on the side of the road from one of those house jack post things. I used my little Atlas lathe to spin up some adapter sleeves to snug up the fit to the yokes.

Also buttoning up the belly, and mounting points with bars, gussets, etc.

Next will be the floor, and seat mounts before going back to cage design. I figure getting the floor stuff done before having to climb through all the bars is a bright idea.....

 

[Crawl]

This front dropout crossmember really sucked to fab rolling around, burning myself, can’t see well, upside down, etc.

It’s got 3x 3/8 Allen bolts with the tabs taking all the load. This is the break over impact zone. Hope it holds up. It shouldn’t be a belly dragger, and I think the belly will be around 25”, but pretty wide.

Things are getting colourful from all the repurposed metal going in.

First race for 22’ is mid May.

 

[Crawl]

Well, I’ve been tinkering shifters-tunnel-steering-exhaust. I decided to get some of this hard to reach stuff buttoned up before putting the cage back together. Saves me crawling, and contorting through the bars.

I raised the stock auto shifter using much of the OEM tunnel. I bent the tcase shifter over, and rotated the stock boot to work. All the wiring for O/D switch, NNS, selector lights will function again.

The holes in drivers side floor pan are to clear, and access the o2 sensors.

Life’s been a bit crazy, but I’m getting back at this thing.

 

[Crawl]

Does anyone have experience with mounting the steering orbital-rotation valve LOWER then the pump?

I see a lot of them mounted high up in the chassis, just wondering if it’s for more reasons then I realize. Is is gonna bleed out OK?

I’ve never owned a full hydro setup, but I watch my racing peers get very upset at their systems. Makes me nervous.

 

[AK_F250]

No different than your steering box being on the frame below the pump. It's the height/location of the reservoir that matters the most since its gravity feeding the pump. Other than that, everything should bleed itself if you cycle the steering and add fluid before starting it.

 

[Crawl]

 

[Crawl]

Mid steer double shear 5th studbolt with LAndcruiser arms

 

[Crawl]

I haven’t gotten much done on the Taco. Life and shit. But, decided I should go race a two-day enduro in the local series. I’m now motivated again.

I missed a gear before the rocks…. Got 3rd overall for 20 laps total. 8 minute laps.

 

[chaplinfj60]

cool build for sure.

tube caps. so i had some 1.5 solid round bar laying around. i put that inside on key areas and plug welded it too.

 

[Crawl]

Cut out the TG hubs with a carbide end mill. Drilled and tapped for 1/2 inch cap heads. Turned down the heads to clear wheel mounting.

 

[Crawl]

cool build for sure.

tube caps. so i had some 1.5 solid round bar laying around. i put that inside on key areas and plug welded it too.

That makes sense. More “crush and fold”resistance.

 

[Crawl]

Front bump cans for threaded bump stops.

Front end is almost gubber welded out. Just got some brake line brackets to finish up, grind out the the knuckles for birf clearance, and then probably something else.

I ended up using my old stick welder for a lot of it. I’m not a great welder, but that’s just fine. I should have bought a good welder 20 years ago. I always borrowed, or took my stuff to a good unit in the past, when I cared more. I’ve broken enough shit to be confident in my boogers.

The front end got real tight fitting everything.

 

[Crawl]

I’m moving shop, so I put heat on the build to get it to a roller. I need some 8 x 15 inch wheels to get a better idea of stance, but this is how it will basically be dimensionally.

Lots left to do. I’m happy with the thing, and happy I decided to cut 3” out of the wheelbase. It’s sitting at 114” wb.