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cbechtold's 2001 Tacoma Double Cab TRD 4x4 Build

8K views 9 replies 2 participants last post by  cbechtold 
#1 · (Edited)
I picked up my 2001 Double Cab SR5 TRD 4x4 in January of 2014. I've always liked the Tacoma and I always knew that I would end up getting one, but when this one came up for sale, I knew I had to get it. Before this, I had a 1976 FJ40 and then a 1999 RX300, but when I got my Tacoma, I saw so much potential in it and then I knew that I could have a lot of fun with this truck.

This is how it sits as of: 1/11/2015




Engine/Drivetrain:
- All stock.
- 3.4L V6
- Stock TRD Gearing
- Automatic Transmission
- TRD E-locker Rear
- OEM Exhausted
- OEM Air Intake

Suspension:
- ICON Vehicle Dynamics Front Coilovers
- ICON Vehicle Dynamics Rear Shocks
- ARB 4x4 Accessories Old Man Emu Dakar Leaf Springs
- RevTek Front Differential Drop Kit
- ARB 4x4 Accessories Old Man Emu Bushing
- Wheeler's U-bolts w/ Hardware
- Custom 25" Extended Rear Brake Line
- BAMF BPV Bracket

Tires/Wheels:
- BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A KO Tires (LT265/75R16)
- Toyota Tacoma OEM Wheels (16x7)

Armor/Protection:
- Relentless Fabrication 1995.5-2004 Plate Front Bumper DIY Builder Kit
- Relentless Fabrications 1996-2004 Tacoma Wrap Around Rear Plate Bumper DIY Kit
- Demello Off-road Hybrid Rock Sliders

Interior:
- Sony Bluetooth Receiver with App Remote (MEX-BT3100P)
- WeatherTech All-Weather Floor Mats

Exterior:
- None

Lighting/Electrical:
- None

Recovery Gear:
- None

Miscellaneous:
- None


And this is where it all started. Completely stock, very clean and 222,266 miles on it.



Photo from January 5th, 2014.
 
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#2 ·
Demello Off-road Sliders

I turned 18 awhile back, and what did I ask for? Sliders!

I knew that my Tacoma would soon follow the footsteps of my father's legendary FJ Cruiser (SACDFJC) and I knew that I would have to protect the body from the rocks that my truck would soon see.

My father's FJC has Demello Off-road sliders and they've lasted since he built it. So, this was a rather easy decision for me to make when choosing a company to order sliders from. Jason, at Demello Off-road, fortunately had a set of sliders for the first gen Tacoma at his shop that he was trying to get rid of and as soon as he got word from my father that I was in the market and that my birthday was coming up, he packaged and sent them up immediately.



These are the sliders and when I got them, I went straight into installing them on my truck.

Before w/ Running Boards:





Before w/o Running Boards:





After w/ Demello Off-road Sliders:





I have to say, I'm always pleased with what Jason makes and I'm very happy with the turnout of the sliders! I do need to drill the holes for the bolts that are unable to be installed without it the drilled holes, but that will be for another day.

I have to throw a big thanks to Jason from Demello Off-road for such a wonderful product and a special thanks to my father purchasing and allowing me to be able to build my truck into what I want.
 
#3 ·
ICON/Dakar Lift Kit

So, I was going to wait until next week to install my lift kit, but I was bored and had nothing to do and that boredom lead to the lifting of my truck, despite not having my rear shocks.

Here we go. Here's the old setup in the front:





Brand new ICON Coilovers:





I know it's so highly debated, but I also installed a diff drop while at it.



Then started on the rear.



Old rear set up:



I cut down the exhaust pipe while at it.



Dakar Leaf Springs:



Overall, I'm very happy with the way the lift kit came out. I'm liking the new stance that the truck has now. Drove it for a bit afterwards and it rides very well, but it does sway a bit on the bends. I sure the rear shocks will help a ton with the rear and the way it rides.

Here are some pictures of the truck as it sits with the lift.







**I have all the parts to the lift and they all are installed on my truck.**
 
#4 ·
ICON Rear Shocks

Rear shocks finally came in and to be 100% honest, I was so excited to finally have the suspension done, so I ripped out the shocks from the boxes and didn't look to see which was which. I quickly solved that after 10 minutes. Anyway, here are the rear shocks...







I extended the rear brake line. This was just a spare that my father had around from when he built SAC'D FJC.



Sooo... The rear axle is completely dropped and the brake line still has a lot of slack. 25 inches might be a bit overkill but it works, most importantly.

I got a little something something from BAMF at this time as well.
 
#5 ·
BAMF BPV Bracket

Finished up the suspension with BAMF's BPV Bracket.

Started out like this...



Ended like this... (Sorry that the second image is a bit blurry.)





Not the prettiest, but it works. May have had a few issues along the way, but I'm happy that I finished it with plenty of time to spare.

As a small side note, now that I've installed the rear shocks, I believe that the rear has been raised even more now.



It might be just me, but I'm going to leave it as is for now until I get bumpers and skid plates and then I'll start to adjust the suspension. I might invest in 4crawler Axle Relocation Plates, since the rear wheels do seem further forward than before, but until then, I've got a lot of time to think of what I really want to do to my truck next.
 
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