p nut
butter
I don't know about the seats in the bed law, but Utah doesn't even have a helmet law for motorcycles, so wouldn't be surprised if this was 100% legal.
Box Rocket '03 DC Tacoma Build
- Thread starter Box Rocket
- Start date
I don't know about the seats in the bed law, but Utah doesn't even have a helmet law for motorcycles, so wouldn't be surprised if this was 100% legal.
Box Rocket
Well-known member
Not illegal in Utah if there are seats and seatbelts. I have a rollbar partially built already. And I don't do anything technical with the kids back there, just mild trail riding at most. And if you freak about about the likelihood of a highway rollover, go talk to everyone with a convertible.
RMP&O
Expedition Leader
Why would I freak out? They are your kids....
I didn't think any states allowed that anymore. Goes to show what I know.
Glorybigs
Adventurer
Legal in NV as well. There are still many, many free states as opposed to the few nanny states. Freedom, it's what Expo is all about.
JCMatthews
Tour Guide
If all of the seats in the cab of a truck are being used, it is legal in Utah to ride in the back of a truck as long as the riders are seated on the floor of the bed. So you don't even need seats, just a full cab. Adam what would it take to get you to make one of those bumpers for a 1st gen Tundra?
Box Rocket
Well-known member
Too much. Sorry.
I've gotta take a hiatus from fab work for a while. My regular job has been 80+ hr/wk since January and will continue through June. On top of that I've been burried with fab work on the side that has eaten up every spare minute. My family/home/life has been severely neglected for too long and I need to get some balance back. Maybe down the road I'll pick it back up once things calm down.
JCMatthews
Tour Guide
Let me know, I am in no hurry and would love to have a Tundra sized copy of your rear bumper. I am willing to come and help as well.
Box Rocket
Well-known member
I recently tackled the relocation of my rear shocks. This was for two reasons. One reason was that I wanted to do a ubolt flip to get a little better clearance under the axle, but the factory lower shock mount is on the ubolt plate so by removing that I needed new shock mounts. Secondly, with my rear suspension set up the OME nitrochargers were limiting my down travel earlier than I wanted so by moving the shock mounts I could get a bit more droop in the rear suspension which is helpful in the rocks since the IFS isn't really flexy at all. I need all I can get from the rear end.
I welded in a new crossmember and used some new shock brackets from Ruffstuff.
after some tweaking I think I ended up with pretty balanced travel from the 10" stroke OME shocks. Right about 5" of travel in droop and compression. I'm using the whole shock for sure and with the position of the shocks I'm getting a bit farther drop than I was in the stock location. It rides a little different (not bad just different). I welded in a new crossmember directly underneath the the upper mount on the driverside. This positioned the shocks behind the axle instead of one forward and one back. I supposed there is potential for some axle wrap with this setup compared to the stock configuration but others are using this approach with good luck. I chose to keep the shocks parralel vs angled to the center. The angled set up can give a bit more travel, but you lose some lateral stability. I wanted to keep the stability so I kept them parallel, but they are angled backwardward at a similar angle to the stock set up.
I used the ubolt flip kit from Trail Gear. As part of this mod I also wanted to relocate the rear axle. Under compression my tires were rubbing the front of the rear fenders. I got some relocation plates from Roger Brown that allows the axle to be moved 3/4" or 1" in either direction. I chose to move the axle backward 3/4". One note is that by moving the axle the spring center pin no longer lined up with the hole in the TG ubolt plate. I had to enlarge the hole in the plate to get it to fit over the spring center pin.
Driverside compression. The tire is now centered nicely in the wheelwell. Before the relocation plates the tires were chewing into the front of the fender even after some trimming.
Passenger side droop. there was more droop to be had but the tire was starting to climb the wall. You can see a fair amount of twist in the top leaf under full flex.
I've spoken to Kurt at Cruiser Outfitters about this (who I feel is as knowledgable about the OME products as anyone) and from all the information I've been able to get the OME Dakars are designed to be fairly flat at ride height. This allows for optimal ride over rutted/washboarded terrain that these springs were designed for. But for playing in the rocks and really flexing the suspension this means that a flat spring at ride height is going to go into negative arch quickly when compressed. After talking to Kurt it doesn't sound like anything I should be overly concerned about. I supposed there is potential for quicker spring fatigue if this is a common occurance, but after running the springs for 3+ years now with no ill effects I'm ok with it.
Here is the compressed spring with some pretty heavy negative arch. That's as far as it will go since it has arched to match the bottom overload leaf. I suspect that ARB knew the springs would flex this far since the overload leaf is the limiter and is in this position? You can also see that the rearward angle of the shock doesn't bottom it out and leaves a couple inches of travel left in the shock.
This let me check measurements for bumpstops. Looks like a 4" bumpstop will be just about perfect.
The flexed side. This is almost to the most droop the spring will allow and the shock is within .5" of full extension. So the shock might still be limiting full travel but only slightly. I think this is the best I can get with this setup.
I welded in a new crossmember and used some new shock brackets from Ruffstuff.
after some tweaking I think I ended up with pretty balanced travel from the 10" stroke OME shocks. Right about 5" of travel in droop and compression. I'm using the whole shock for sure and with the position of the shocks I'm getting a bit farther drop than I was in the stock location. It rides a little different (not bad just different). I welded in a new crossmember directly underneath the the upper mount on the driverside. This positioned the shocks behind the axle instead of one forward and one back. I supposed there is potential for some axle wrap with this setup compared to the stock configuration but others are using this approach with good luck. I chose to keep the shocks parralel vs angled to the center. The angled set up can give a bit more travel, but you lose some lateral stability. I wanted to keep the stability so I kept them parallel, but they are angled backwardward at a similar angle to the stock set up.
I used the ubolt flip kit from Trail Gear. As part of this mod I also wanted to relocate the rear axle. Under compression my tires were rubbing the front of the rear fenders. I got some relocation plates from Roger Brown that allows the axle to be moved 3/4" or 1" in either direction. I chose to move the axle backward 3/4". One note is that by moving the axle the spring center pin no longer lined up with the hole in the TG ubolt plate. I had to enlarge the hole in the plate to get it to fit over the spring center pin.
Driverside compression. The tire is now centered nicely in the wheelwell. Before the relocation plates the tires were chewing into the front of the fender even after some trimming.
Passenger side droop. there was more droop to be had but the tire was starting to climb the wall. You can see a fair amount of twist in the top leaf under full flex.
I've spoken to Kurt at Cruiser Outfitters about this (who I feel is as knowledgable about the OME products as anyone) and from all the information I've been able to get the OME Dakars are designed to be fairly flat at ride height. This allows for optimal ride over rutted/washboarded terrain that these springs were designed for. But for playing in the rocks and really flexing the suspension this means that a flat spring at ride height is going to go into negative arch quickly when compressed. After talking to Kurt it doesn't sound like anything I should be overly concerned about. I supposed there is potential for quicker spring fatigue if this is a common occurance, but after running the springs for 3+ years now with no ill effects I'm ok with it.
Here is the compressed spring with some pretty heavy negative arch. That's as far as it will go since it has arched to match the bottom overload leaf. I suspect that ARB knew the springs would flex this far since the overload leaf is the limiter and is in this position? You can also see that the rearward angle of the shock doesn't bottom it out and leaves a couple inches of travel left in the shock.
This let me check measurements for bumpstops. Looks like a 4" bumpstop will be just about perfect.
The flexed side. This is almost to the most droop the spring will allow and the shock is within .5" of full extension. So the shock might still be limiting full travel but only slightly. I think this is the best I can get with this setup.
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digitalferg
Adventurer
Did you fab the upper mount and cross member yourself? Any pics of the mounts before the shocks were on? I've got alcans that moved my rear axle rearward an inch. I def need to change mine up as my front shock doesn't have much down travel at all....
Co-opski
Expedition Leader
http://www.iihs.org/laws/mapcargoareas.aspx
Here is a nice map that you can hover over the states to see the laws for each state. I still like the option to put people in the back.
Box Rocket
Well-known member
Ferg I used these. Crossmember is just some square tube I had on hand.
http://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/catalog/SBRKT-FLT.html
cam-shaft
Bluebird days
This isn't for my truck but I thought I'd share it anyway. A guy in VA asked me to build him a bumper like mine for his Tacoma. He had a few changes in mind from how mine is set up, but in general the bumper is an almost direct copy. He chose to do a single swingout instead of a dual like mine. The swing out has a spare tire, hilift mount, and a basket for two jerry cans. I have a lot of hours into this mainly because I'm not a real fabricator and only have basic tools so I'm slow when it comes to fab work. But I think it came out ok.
Here's the bumper itself. Main section is 2x5 rec. tube. Frame plates are 3/8". Side tubes and lower receiver tube is 1.5" with some 1.25" tube to tie the side tubes back to the frame. Boxed gussets on frame plates and receiver. 1/4" plate for hinge mount from Comp4x4.
Start of the swingout. Used 2" sq tube for the swing arm and spare tire mount. Destaco 2000lb latch.
Hinge is from Comp4x4. Lubricated brass bushings and a 1" bolt. Doesn't get much simpler than that, but it works great.
I love it, very clean, simple, practical, and purposeful.
Cam-shaft.
Box Rocket
Well-known member
thank you.