The Wild Crow - A Not So Wild Build Thread

[jim65wagon]

The Wild Crow - Flight Prepartions (A Not So Wild Build Thread)

Well,we done went an did it. We bought a new truck. It is a 2014 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off Road withthe TX Baja package. Why? Because ….Well,...here's the back story....


As you may or may not know, my wife and I have this plan: In 3-5 years (depending on our kids' college time lines) we plan on running away together. Selling nearly everything we own with the exception of our teardrop trailer –the CrowsWing; and our Toyota Tundra – the CrowsTow (aka Queen Elizabeths Revenge) and travel the USA for at least a year, seeing the sights and generally be itinerant vagabonds.


Wait....you already have a Tundra to tow the trailer ....where does the Tacoma fit in with this plan? Well, let me 'splain, please. No, there is too much. Let me to sum up:


The original plan did involve the Tundra. Rebuilding all the components (I do mean all) of this daily driven 220,000 mile truck (300,000+ likely by the time ofthe trip) was going to be a costly and time consuming affair. Also considering we will soon be in need of an extra vehicle due to two driving age teenagers. It became clear that we would be better off starting with a new vehicle, building it up to our specs and keeping the tundra for the extra vehicle, ..


The Tacoma TRD PRO was chosen back in February when rumors of it came out. Why? Well, Iliked it. It had all the Off Road features (locker ATRAC, DAC) but also looked cool with the scoop and “bead-lock” wheels. Plus, the suspension was already upgraded, saving me from buying an aftermarket suspension and lifting it in the driveway Hey , and it's covered under Toyota,s warranty.


So you wanted a PRO but got a Baja? Oh, you noticed that discrepancy? Well, yeah....when the dealer (we only stopped to test drive a TRD Sport) asked if wewanted a 2015 or a 2014, I said if you can find a 14 BAJA equipped the way I want I'd settle for that. A two hour search later they found one. After a not so brief negotiation (they took a chunk of money off the price for it being a 2014, offered a low low finance rate and added some to our trade in) we agreed to buy a new truck


Here it sits: The Wild Crow.
It's Black, it's beautiful and it's ready to take over towing,kayak hauling, and forest road duties from the Tundra.









Modifications and Cost List:

Interior:
Glovebox Organizer - by Salex.........$18
ImMrYo Mirror relocation bracket....$35
Tuffy Cup Holder.............................$30
HuskyLiners Xact Contour Mats........$202
CoverKing Seatcovers.....................$311
Cobra 75 WXST CB radio.................$75 years ago, pulled it from the Tundra
Constant USB ports in console........$50ish with USB's, wiring, fuse block
400 watt anytime mod....................$ CHEAP
110v outlet in console.....................$25 for outlet and wire tap


Towing:
Tekonsha P3....................................$120
EZ View Mirrors from TrailToys..........$45
Ultragauge......................................$80

Exterior:
BAJA emblem...................................FREE!
Steekers on the cap.........................FREE! to $7 each. We like to collect them from places the truck has been
Hood Crow and Stripe......................$70
Painted Beadlocks...........................$ 9 Primer and Black

Suspension:
Firestone Ride Rite Airbags..............$310
Daystar Cradles..............................$76

Underhood:
Redline Tuning Hood Struts..............$76

Bed and Storage:
Jason Workforce Cap (used)............$700 + $200 in expenses getting it home from SC
BensonX DIY HiLift Mount and
Fuel Can Storage and
Yakima Rack storage.......................$20ish in hardware along with some scrap aluminum
QuickFist Clamps for
shovel, axe, and bow saw................$30

Total for mods so far:......................$2,256



Trips List (camping with the teardrop):
Monongahela National Forest July 2015
Kerr Reservoir July 2016
Highlands NC July 2016

The Wild Crow as it looks now:

 

[bknudtsen]

Awesome!

 

[xkid]

Congrats

 

[jim65wagon]

Thanks!

Well, it's almost ready. Nothing is ever perfect, so a few minor modifications will be necessary.


First, we were going to spring for some crossbars to put on that factory roof rack so we could haul kayaks...until Beth discovered the crossbars are built in-- they simply unclamp and can be swung to be perpendicular or parallel depending on your mood for the day.! Sweet! We're saving money already!




Next, the running boards hadto go. They're too high to use as a step, too plastic to use as a slider, and too wide to avoid hitting the back of your leg when getting in or out. Hopefully they can find a new home on someone else's truck A pair of rock sliders purchased for the Tundra but never installed are slated to be attached soon.













I added a glovebox organizer. Not much of a mod but well worth the 5 minute install.Now we have a place for those extra straws, napkins and ketchup packets from Chick-fil-A.



Next on the list: TheImMrYo mirror bracket from the Tacoma World forum. That dang mirror hangs way too low for my liking. Now it's up as high as it can go affording an improved view of the road. Another 5 minute modification with great results. (First photo not my truck.....had to steal a before pic off the interweb)

Before

After

 

[TLC Norway]

Cool, what engine is there?

 

[Adventurous]

Looking good! What kind of sliders are those?

 

[CLynn85]

Can't wait to see this beast in the day light! Guess I have an excuse to return your pie container now....

 

[jim65wagon]

Cool, what engine is there?

That's the standard Tacoma 4.0 V6

Looking good! What kind of sliders are those?

Those are from Butcher54. Custom made for as Access Cab Tundra

 

[jim65wagon]

Since nothing much has happened to the Tacoma recently, other than driving it, I thought I'd post up some comparison photos. The 2nd Gen Tacoma and 1st Gen Tundra are close in size. The wheelbase is almost exactly the same. Parked side by side with the tires lined up you don't see the 1/2" difference. You do notice a few things though:

The Tundra is a few inches wider


Slightly longer to the rear


and a bit longer in the front


They have about the same ground clearance. Note: the Tundra is on a 1.5" Lift with Donahoe coilovers and 285/75/16s. The Taco is the factory 1.5" BAJA coilover lift and 265/70/16s


Question: Why does the crossover exhaust for the Tacoma (above)drop down so far? he Tundra (below)sweeps back and keeps the crossmember as the lowest point.


The Tacoma has a bit better approach angle


I'm Diggin' the new ride. The seats are comfortable on long trips. The premium stereo thumps when you want it to. Gas mileage is averaging about 2 mpg more than the Tundra according to Fuelly. The Bilsteins are extremely smooth on the freeway and seem more compliant going slow over bumpy bits than the Donahoes on the Tundra.

 

[jim65wagon]

What Do You Need When You Already Have 12 Cup Holders?






More Cup Holders!


Why you ask? Because the placement of those 12 are not conducive to safe drinking and driving.


With 2 cup holders in each door, well they really are bottle holders, which I don't mind, but they cannot hold a fast food style drink or my travel coffee mug.



Of course, there are the two in the back of the console, but they are for the back seat drivers. I can't safely reach a cup stashed there while motoring.



I know, I hear what you are saying: There are two perfectly good cup holders at the front just beyond the gear shift. Yes, there are, you are right about that. Their being perfectly good is another story.



Some highly intelligent designer over at Toyota decided it was a good idea to use these rubber inserts set inside a big rectangular compartment. All well and good, but they did not account for an, um, American size portion control problem - or for my clumsiness.
Once you put your cup in, the insert stays attached.



If the insert were round, there would be no issue. It's design makes it almost impossible to fit back into its base while driving - especially at night. You have to turn the thing precisely square to get it back in place.
.......


My solution? The Tuffy cup holder they sell for their brand of consoles. It's nearly the right size. Nearly the right color, and you can nearly fit any size drink you may want to chug while driving.






I warned you this was going to be not so wild......but don't worry, there is more interesting stuff in the plans.....

 

[Stifler]

nice rig! I love my kids but cant wait to "Run away" with my wife!!!!

 

[bknudtsen]

I can't believe how many useless cupholders there are in these trucks! Totally ridiculous... Btw, the 6-spd manual at least has a slightly better configuration in the center console, but a tall bottle does get in the way of shifts into even gears.

 

[jim65wagon]

See, this thread is as wild as ever.

I've managed to add a Tekonsha P3 brake controller. I've got it mounted where the little tray was in the dash to the left of the center stack. I'm not real happy with the mount (I'll need to fabricate something better looking) nor am I happy with the hole left in the dash by the removal of the tray ( I may need to modify the tray itself)

The installation was pretty straightforward. Finding the stupid plug in the kick panel was probably the hardest part. It was way up high and behind a mass of wires. Higher than I had seen on other installs on the interwebs. It also didn't want to come out of hiding and it was quite the chore to plug it in. My hands and arms just aren't slim, let's say. I cursed and scraped and cursed some more but managed to plug in the pigtail.

Now I have a working brake controller to make the working trailer brakes actually work. Now I can't wait for the test tow....

 

[jim65wagon]

We didn't like even the small TX stickers and wound up peeling those off. We decided the Baja needed something to that shows just how special the truck is.

\



We picked these up for FREE! from the free emblem thread over on Tacoma World. The size and style of lettering fits well with the stock emblem and the price was right.

 

[jim65wagon]

Time for more Wildly mild goodness!


Having read countless threads of peeps moanin' and dissin' on Toyotas choice of rear leaf springs I decided to try to alleviate any potential problems before they surfaced.

Having previously installed Airlift AirCells (like Timbrens) on the Tundra, which resulted in keeping a set of Deaver 3 leafs from sagging for 200,000 miles so far ( even after abusing them by overloading the truck on several occasions); I knew some sort of similar helper spring aid had the potential to keep the springs usable for years.

I liked the capability of the AirCells. What I didn't like was the ride when unloaded. Down the road they were fine, with any kind of a load they were excellent. On a large bump, say a bridge or railroad crossing or a very potholey road, they do a little funky extra pulse when the truck is unloaded. Whenever the suspension slams down on the Aircell but there is not much weight, the AirCell pushed back and you can feel it.

For the Tacoma, I decided to try something new to me: Airbags
I like the idea of adjustability for a load. Being able to adjust ride height on a whim is cool. Ya know, the Baja comes with a 1.5" lift in the front, but why'd they leave the rear stock? The bags have the potential to compensate for that squatting look.

So we did it. We bought the Ride Rites.


While I took the wheels and spare off the truck my wife unpacked the Airbags and the Daystar cradles (because I know eventually we'll be flexing that suspension), and we laid out all the tools within easy reach


She started the assembly of the bags/brackets, and mounted the Daystar Cradles to the lower brackets.






I did the bolting of the bag assemblies to the frame. Why don't they make tolerances under vehicles for 'Murican sized hands?






While I worked on that, Beth took the time to install the inflation valves. We decided running them through the license plate would be the slickest, most unobtusive look.




We aired the bags up to 50 psi, no leaks and got an instant 2 1/4" lift!


Realistically, we're riding on a daily with 12 psi which still gives a 1" lift over stock height. The truck looks proportional with this and it rides comfortably when unloaded.