In the last installment, our...
In the last installment, our Tacoma project got a new front suspension via an All-Pro Taco Supreme kit supported by Walker Evans coilovers. We finally had a rig that was ready to sit on all fours again. It was time for some wheels and tires, plus some attention towards steering and brakes.
As we mentioned previously, we wanted a truck that could tackle some decent off-road terrain and retained good road manners for distance highway driving as needed. It was 37-inch tires that we chose for our Toyota and we shod it with Mickey Thompson MTZ rubber. These tires have an aggressive mud tread and side-biters for traction but are designed with a three-ply angled sidewall to help performance on the highway as well. We mounted the new radials on a set of Mickey Thompson Classic II wheels that had been beadlocked by the builders at OMF Performance Products. They added a beefy bolt-on aluminum outer ring to the alloy wheels to keep the tires on the bead under low pressures.
You'll recall from the last build issue, we installed a Toyota IFS steering box that was tapped with ports ready for hydro assist plumbing. This month we'll show you our further upgrades to the steering setup with the addition of a Performance Steering Components (PSC) pump, reservoir, and one of their assist cylinders. The added steering power will make it considerably easier to maneuver with the 37s and also take some stress off the steering box and front frame structure.
Lastly, it was time we jumped into providing stopping power for the Tacoma. Our Solid Axle D60s came equipped with half-ton Chevy single piston calipers on all corners. We knew the stock Tacoma master cylinder diameter was insufficient for these calipers and we needed one with a larger bore. We chose a commonly available Chevy master and combined it with a dual diaphragm booster unit from another year Toyota. We had to fabricate a simple adapter to mate the two and rework most of the brake plumbing to get everything completed and get the truck stopping again.
Take a look below at some further details for the project additions this month. Check in next time as we progress towards doing some steel work and adding some trail armor.
 For our wheel choice, we went...  For our wheel choice, we went with a set of 17x9 Mickey Thompson Classic II wheels in an eight-lug pattern to match our D60 wheel hubs. Backspacing is 5 inches which should help minimize highway wobble or wander when running large tires. To those we had OMF Performance Products add aluminum beadlock sets using their scalloped outer rings in a brushed aluminum finish. |  Here you can see the machined...  Here you can see the machined ring that OMF welds to the MT Classic II wheel after they machine down a portion of the outer wheel lip. We like the fact that OMF also machines ridges on the welded ring and the outer ring to further prevent the tire from slipping on the wheel. |  OMF tops the wheel with a...  OMF tops the wheel with a thick aluminum ring that is secured with 24 5/16-inch Grade 8 bolts. To further ensure a solid clamp of the ring, they machine each bolt head recess at a 6-degree angle so that the bolt heads sit square to the ring surface once the rings bow in slightly to conform to the tire bead. |
 We've had problems in the...  We've had problems in the past keeping wheels balanced on our rigs that see a lot of trail use. Clip-on weights often get torn off in the rocks, leaving you with an out-of-balance tire. Stick-on weights added to the inside of the wheel work better, but we thought we'd try something else. Innovative Balancing manufactures Dyna Beads, small ceramic balls that we installed loose inside our tires. These are meant to balance the tires dynamically while in motion. We're hoping this balance method will prove to be reliable and keep our tires in balance as they wear or as chunks get torn out of the tread. We added 12 ounces per tire before fully seating the tire on the wheel. |  The Mickey Thompson Radial...  The Mickey Thompson Radial MTZ is designed with an aggressive tread pattern which should work well on the rocky terrain we'll most likely encounter. The sidewall is three-ply rated and has added side-biters to aid in grabbing traction. They mounted easily on the beadlocked wheels. |  The finished wheel and tire...  The finished wheel and tire combo looks great and the 12.5-inch wide tire fits well on the 9-inch wide wheel. Once the tires were mounted and inflated to seat the inner bead, we deflated them and again retorqued the beadlock bolts to ensure the rings were fully seated and clamped consistently around the wheel circumference. |