KD7NAC_07FJ a.k.a. Clark's Mods

[KD7NAC_07FJ]

I originally posted this over on YotaTech but enough people were asking about my mods at the Tahuya run yesterday I decided to re-post it here.

First "Clark" is the name of my Avatar, the sinisterly smiling frogman. I've had that Avatar since I stared gaming on line a very long time ago and "Clark" is John Clark from the Tom Clancy novels I was reading at the time.

So, This is Clark;


Mods I've done so far;

BFG TA 285/70R17 (33's) KO

Rear Dif breather relocate.

Bandi mount.

Dual battery - using painless solenoid and battery tray but custom switch and wiring.

Light bar add-on to stock roof rack (x4 PIAA 510's)

A pair of PIAA 1500 for the back mounted on the rack

Custom Switch Box for Aux Light Switches and Winch rocker switch

3" OME lift
-Front 885 coilovers, N140S struts
-Rear 895 coils, N141 shocks

Road Armor Front Bumper

WARN Rear Bumper

Replace factory sliders with All-Pro sliders

Factory front skid plate powder coated black

A pair of PIAA 520 fogs in the bumper

Warn 9.5xp

In Cab winch controls

Console 12v socket add-in

12v plugs with 115v socket in back.

Ellis Precision Grab Handles.

Black-out - My goal is to eliminate all silver, inside and out
Done:
Painted front Bezel
Painted Interior Dash trim
Steering wheel
Replaced Exterior Door handles with black Tacoma Door handles
Replaced stock ugly silver mirrors with TT all black mirrors

Radios
-FT-857D & FT8900 under passenger seat
-Cobra CB install on back of center consol

Springtail M-PAC rack(s)

Kenwood DNX8120 /wHD

Black out To Do:
Inside Door Handles
Wheels

[KD7NAC_07FJ]

Pretty self explanitory.


Installed;

I'm using a Yeasu FT8900R so i did have to modify the mounting hole for the antenna and the unpowder-coated area you see on the top is for the grounding plane of the antenna. When I mounted the antenna I sealed the surface with silicone to prevent corrosion.

[KD7NAC_07FJ]

Before the lift;

After;


Front 885 coilovers, N140S struts
Rear 895 coils, N141 shocks

I went with the heavy setup because everyone was saying how heavy the Road Armor bumper would be with the winch in it but together they weigh just under 200 pounds.

With the heavy springs there are some issues with traction and articulation so I replaced the 886 coilover springs with the 885's.

[KD7NAC_07FJ]

My goal besides the obvious was to get the battery as far back and as low as possible.

I ordered the Blue Torch Fab Optima battery box and fabricated a plate/bracket to mount it on the wheel well.

Mounting location on the right wheel well;

Box in place;

Bracket welded to box;

Box powdercoated and mounted;

Battery and solenoid mounted;

The picture of my dash all torn apart; My neighbor happened to walk by and freaked that I was doing that to my brand new truck

For the solenoid signal lead I found the 12v ignition hot circuit in the fuse box;

I originally used a spade connector snipped in two which works fine
but I found a "Tapa-circuit" clicky-> that I later replaced it with.


I initially used two of the switch blanks in the console switch cluster for the solenoid switch;

But with the DRL switch mod I moved two smaller LEDs to the same switch.

Now I have a blank for the winch master arm switch.

[KD7NAC_07FJ]

Similar to other power mods I put the 6 circuit Blue Sea fuse box behind the passenger kick panel that runs off the second battery. There is a second 6 circuit fuse box under the air intake tube by the second battery for "outside" accessories.

Added the 2 12v plugs to the 115v plug panel in the back;

For the center console I did not want the plugs to be hot all the time but I did want to be able to make them hot with the ignition off also;

So a PIAA relay tied into the ignition hot tapa-circuit turns on the plugs with the key and the switch above overrides the relay to make it hot all the time.

I wanted an indicator to show when the override was on to remind me or in case I accidentally flipped it on so I wired in an LED at the front of the console;

[KD7NAC_07FJ]

I wanted a light bar that doesn't stand up very far so I got the add-on bar from FJ CrusierAccessories drilled, grommets in the holes and ran the wires inside the tubes;

I don't like exposed wires so I took the roof rack apart (time consuming), threaded the wires for the back lights;

Threaded through the roof rack and out the right front post;

and everything goes through the roof;

I chose a slotted vertical hole in the track to lessen the leak possibility and I used butel tape sealant (normally used in windshield installation). The butel tape is nice because you can mold it around each wire and for lack of a better word squish it into every crack and crevasse and it protects the wire from chafing. After I was done I turned the hose and the pressure washer on it with zero leaks. It's been 4 months now in Washington rain and still no leaks so no worries there


All the connectors are waterproof, wire connections are soldered and heat shrink wrapped.

[TrAiL bUs]

Nice write up what a rig

[KD7NAC_07FJ]

I agonized for the longest time trying to figure out where to mount my light switches.


I finally decided I would mount them on the far left trim cap but after I took it off I found there wasn't any real usable space behind the trim piece. So I decided to fabricate a box to sit on top of the trim cap.



Powder coated and switches installed.

Installed from the drivers view;

Outside looking in;


Some of you have asked for the drawing for the switch box;


And an update after my winch switch install - the switch box Mk II with the winch switch

[sealevel]

Sweet!!!

[KD7NAC_07FJ]

I went with the Road Armor bumper 1. because out of all of the ones I've seen I like it's looks the best. 2. because I waited on two other manufactures for more then 3 months and went to Road Armor and had my bumper sitting on my garage floor 3 weeks later.


The Road Armor bumper requires a winch with a remote mounting solenoid so I had to return my 9.5ti for a 9.5xp. I should have researched that a bit better

My first try at the solenoid location I didn't like because I don't like the way it looked and it didn't allow me to locate the bumper in the right place.

So I pretty much reworked/wired the solenoid and it is now mounted behind and under the winch drum for that clean look;

And since I rewired the solenoid anyway I relocated the control socket;

I plan on running winch controls inside my FJ but I haven't finished planning it out yet.

I had the factory skid plate powder coated. Figured since I already had one there wasn't much reason to buy another one until I trashed it

When I get around to it I will trim off the corners. It is a little bit too much of a mud scoop right now and I can't use the factory anchor points from the side.


Update: A good bit of crawling on the Lake Isabel trail and some "trail metal forming" and me bending the other side to match and it's not so much of a mud scoop anymore