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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8923
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Its Pole Line Road time
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TROUBLE ON THE DRIVE HOME!
Mike casually planned to have his Rubicon aligned at the local tire shop, but those plans became more urgent along the drive home.
At speeds over 35 m.p.h., a violent oscillation was present indicating improper alignment, and possibly an under powered steering stabilizer.
Mike limped home safely, and he plans to get his Jeep aligned before installing the rear suspension lift.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64615
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Good photos of the process Ken... Let's hope it ends well... and lifted!
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bajalou
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4459
Registered: 3-11-2004
Location: South of the broder
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The rear lift might effect the "angle of dangle" on the front and change front alignment. Also, after all that work changing suspension, might want
to have the rear alignment checked also since it's going on the highways quite a bit.
Edited for spelling.
[Edited on 11-27-2010 by bajalou]
No Bad Days
\"Never argue with an idiot. People watching may not be able to tell the difference\"
\"The trouble with doing nothing is - how do I know when I\'m done?\"
Nomad Baja Interactive map
And in the San Felipe area - check out Valle Chico area |
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8923
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Its Pole Line Road time
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Thanks, Lou. If Mike can hold off from aligning the Jeep, perhaps Kevin will trailer Mike's Jeep back to his shop. On a side note, I advised Mike on
getting a Lifetime alignment policy on his new Jeep. My lifetime policy paid for itself in 2005!
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8923
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
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Mood: Its Pole Line Road time
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The buildup continues!
The Rubicon Express 3.5" Standard suspension is a "simple, bolt-on" kit that was anything but "simple" in its' installation. But, the final product
lifted Mike's Jeep high enough to run 33" tires, and take through the backcountry of Baja without fear of getting stuck.
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8923
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
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Mood: Its Pole Line Road time
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Rubicon Express install - continued!
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8923
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
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Mood: Its Pole Line Road time
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Let's get down to business..
Extending the rear swaybar links
Lifting the rear Trackbar mount
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8923
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
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Mood: Its Pole Line Road time
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Let the welding begin!!!
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8923
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
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Mood: Its Pole Line Road time
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Modifying the trackbar
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8923
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Location: Riverside, CA
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Mood: Its Pole Line Road time
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Installing everything...final thoughts.
The finished product!
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8923
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
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Mood: Its Pole Line Road time
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Next will be installation of the 33" tires and new wheels. In order to make the Jeep outback-ready, a new tire carrier with provisions for gas cans
and ice chest are needed. The new Rancho shocks perform well on the road, but the new climb-in height is a challenge for Mike. Maybe, a set of steps
are needed for him in the future...
(More buildup photos to follow...)
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64615
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Wow looks great! Seeing all that work and expense makes me glad I can buy a stock TRD Off Road Tacoma and take it right to places like Mision Santa
Maria without doing any mods! Of course, a little lift may have helped avoid some minor body damage! What a road!!
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BAJACAT
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2902
Registered: 11-21-2005
Location: NATIONAL CITY, CA
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David it's that road in 2011 agenda... and what about the Motomi run...That was alot fun maybe we an get Gadget to come out of hidding..
sorry Ken I din't want to steal your post...
I see Bajagrande is on for 2011 also
[Edited on 12-11-2010 by BAJACAT]
BAJA IS WHAT YOU WANTED TO BE, FUN,DANGEROUS,INCREDIBLE, REMOTE, EXOTIC..JUST GO AND HAVE FUN.....
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8923
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
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Mood: Its Pole Line Road time
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
Wow looks great! Seeing all that work and expense makes me glad I can buy a stock TRD Off Road Tacoma and take it right to places like Mision Santa
Maria without doing any mods! Of course, a little lift may have helped avoid some minor body damage! What a road!! |
The only modification required for a standard height Rubicon to make the run to Mision Sta Maria is protection for the oil pan. But, with careful
driving, this part is only a recommendation.
The TRD Tacoma is a great-looking and performing pickup. The non-TRD Tacoma that 'Frigatebird' drove on the 2008 Baja Grande with its street tires,
and street-optimized ride height was no match for Mision Santa Maria.  He had to
back out of the run until his Tacoma had better tires and more suspension lift.
We also had a non-TRD 4 Runner that bumped and banged its' way out of Mission Santa Maria in 2007. The driver was determined to make it back to Hwy
1, but repeated trips like that could have damaged the vehicle since a rear locking differential works much better than a semi-functioning limited
slip unit. TRD being the operative word here is very helpful in being the 'Trail Rated' equivalent of any Toyota product.
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TMW
Select Nomad
Posts: 10659
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
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See that white Toyota in the pix above, the only thing that stopped it from going anywhere was a bus. My new one should be ready next week sometime.
Probably go to Death Valley or Mojave Trail.
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8923
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Its Pole Line Road time
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
Seeing all that work and expense makes me glad I can buy a stock TRD Off Road Tacoma and take it right to places like Mision Santa Maria without
doing any mods! |
David - I asked Mike today why he did not choose a Tacoma in which to build for Baja. He said, "The FJ Cruiser, for example uses ALL PLASTIC for the
rear bumper, and I'm not going to drive a truck made out of PLASTIC." He has issues with Toyota build quality and how Toyota warranties their
vehicles when you modify them.
Mike plans on driving this Jeep until the wheels fall off, so modification is not a problem with him.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64615
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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apples to oranges... a stock base Tacoma is like driving a Jeep Patriot or Compass, and doesn't belong on the Santa Maria run.
I drove my truck with its stock tires, stock everything, when it was 5 months old to Mision Santa Maria and back. The rear bumper did get caught on a
rock ledge as I was dropping down a short grade (dropoff) but you expect just a tad of underbody damage from that road... my other two Tacomas also
got small dents on the underpanel from big rocks we need to drive over. Only damage to my three Tacomas occured on the Mision Santa Maria road, in
fact!
I was talking about a 4WD Off Road TRD Tacoma (bumpers are chrome not plastic) to a Jeep Rubicon... both off the showroom. I found that Toyota quality
far outshines any American product... and you know I like Jeeps as a rule (I used to own one and my dad had two)... but who can afford them the way
they are made now, always breaking down (or needing mods to trail)?
I have now had three Tacomas, total driving of 256,000 miles in over 10 years... never a breakdown or never in the shop for repairs preventing me from
going to Baja. Neal Johns and many other Tacoma drivers on Amigos de Baja really talked me up on Tacomas before I got my first one... and I still went
to the Ford dealer first to check out a Ranger (you had a Ranger then, too)... The wouldn't take my van in on a trade, so I went to Toyota Carldbad
next... and it was soooo easy and not a bad thing was said about my trade in... and that was over 10 years ago... The same salesman is still with
them.
My 2010 Tacoma turned one year old, six days ago... other than a drip that was fixed when it was brand new, it has never had any warantee type issue,
squeeks, rattle, failures in the past year/ 18,600 miles... with 5 Baja trips, a Borrego trip, and local 4 wheeling runs with other Tacoma owners.
Oh, what a feeling! 
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64615
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Hey Ken... Have you seen this Jeep Rubicon motorhome?: http://www.caranddriver.com/features/09q4/the_hard_way_to_he...
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8923
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Its Pole Line Road time
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Jeep build quality? Toyota hype? How about 7 years and two medium-level repairs?
| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
I found that Toyota quality far outshines any American product... and you know I like Jeeps as a rule (I used to own one and my dad had two)... but
who can afford them the way they are made now, always breaking down (or needing mods to trail)? |
David, better check to see if your Tacoma has a recall?? 
http://www.internetautoguide.com/10-12-2010-79-1251/2010-toy...
OCT 05, 2009 | Recall ID# 9292 
FEB 03, 2010 | Recall ID# 29439 
FEB 03, 2010 | Recall ID# 62362
FEB 18, 2010 | Recall ID# 74118 
With Toyota's, there seems to be a great deal of hype. Mike made his decision based upon his desire to enjoy "Off-Roading" with Jeep clubs, not just
mild-terrain dirt roads that lead to campsites. For that reason, I believe he made the choice to go with a Rubicon-level Jeep instead of a Tacoma
pickup. I *DID* recommend to him the TRD Tacoma based on his type of off-roading, but he said the Toyota brand wasn't focused on dirt/rocks like Jeep
is. Look at the Toyota warranty small-print if you don't believe me.
I think for mild-type off-road situations, the Tacoma is excellent. The Ranger is a piece of...well, junk. Mechanically, my Rubicon has had issues
with its' fuel evap sender unit, two mode A/C switches and two O2 sensors after 110,000 mi. This is after 7 years of hard off-road use.
Oh, I bent the rims, punctured one tire, broke the frame where the tire carrier attaches, bent a steering knuckle on a boulder, trashed a tie-rod on
another boulder, broke a fender flare on a boulder, but that was while having fun, not on the daily commute or anything.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64615
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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No recalls on any of my Tacomas for 'defects'. They want to change my gas pedal 'just in case' I want to put two or three floor mats on the same side!
I said no thank you, the truck is perfect... and it is.
You do have to get over the 'because it is a Jeep' it can off road thing... The word and history are great... but quality of American brand vehicles
still needs work. How do you take being in the same place with Neal Johns... now he is Mr. Super Tacoma, more than I?!
Made in America doesn't mean what it used to... Anyway, my Tacoma is made in Baja... and so far, so good! Built in 'the Baja' for 'the Baja'! (sounds
Canadian, 'eh?). Sometimes we need to look beyond our borders for the best in things... You have! 
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