Maximized - Letters - July 2012
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| maximized Letters July 2012 envelopes
| Tom Hogan Asks "Looking to body drop and riase the bed on my 99 taco.any pointers???"
This is a good question, Tom! The Tacoma has a few peculiar issues that make the decision between choosing a traditional body drop and a stock-floor bodydrop a little more difficult. For those of us who live in an area where smog is a concern, fitting the catalytic converter under a shorter frame is an issue when it comes to doing a SFBD. For this reason alone I usually suggest performing a traditional BD on them. Beyond that, where the steering runs through the firewall is usually a mess because of the rack placement and firewall opening, and the problem is worsened if you Z the frame section to get the front crossmember level with the frame. I suggest not trying to "fudge" the stock stuff and start with an open mind. The stock stuff does not lend itself well to modification, and the joint at the rack will most likely bind. Also the front strut mounts may possibly need to be swapped with a strut eliminator kit depending on how you choose to drop the front framehorns. The bed is fairly straightforward though; the biggest thing I can say is to make sure that you brace the bedsides after you remove the factory bracing. I think that most people struggle with bodydrops of any type simply because they try so hard to force the stock pieces to do what they want when many times it is easier and far cleaner to start from scratch. Good luck!
| Brice Justin Linebarger asks "What's the pros and cons to having over axle bags?"
Brice, this is one of those questions that I think should be on a test that you have to pass in order to be certified to actually purchase airbags. The most common thing people think of when they hear the words “air bag” (aside from your parents who think they go in your steering wheel) is the double-convoluted, or more commonly called the double-donut, 'bag. This style of 'bag has a relatively high spring rate (that means it's stiff) and is designed to be mounted in a leverage application like on an A-arm or in the middle of a link bar. By installing the double-convoluted part directly over the axle the truck will be overly bouncy due to too stiff of a part; think front coil spring from a fullsize truck being mounted directly over the axle. Air is more forgiving so it won't ride too horribly. Many of you are even thinking to yourself “Mine rides great! Max doesn't know what he's talking about,” but let me assure you that if the 'bag was under leverage you would be FAR happier with the ride quality. The pro side of your question is that the double-convoluted bag is easy to mount over the axle, which is why so many people run them that way.
| David Martinez asks "You know what I hate...I hate it when I'm driving down and i hear a pop or a clunk sound. I always almost shit myself a little. Funny part is, why do I always turn down the radio?! Like that's gonna help."
You know, David, I think that this is possibly one of the best questions I've had the pleasure to answer in Mini Truckin', and I have asked myself this very same thing. Here's the thing though, it makes sense to turn the volume down if you hear a noise coming from your vehicle, girl or boy. What doesn't make sense is why men can't leave the volume control alone when driving anywhere... ever.
