Builds TheGrrrrr Build Thread - 2013 LC

[tbisaacs]

Mounting widthwise looks cool, but practically speaking, mounting lengthwise makes it quicker/easier because you can access all of the pins to deploy or stow the boards from one side of the vehicle.

^ this. I ran mine across for a while and it looked better but was a pain. My maxtrax are slightly tweaked and I have to wiggle them off the pins. Picture 5-foot nothing me climbing up each side of my truck 3 or 4 times trying to get them off the pins .

 

[TheGrrrrr]

^ this. I ran mine across for a while and it looked better but was a pain. My maxtrax are slightly tweaked and I have to wiggle them off the pins. Picture 5-foot nothing me climbing up each side of my truck 3 or 4 times trying to get them off the pins .

The one benefit from an East/West mounting would be the ability to stand on the rear tires to reach them better than standing on the sliders. Of course this would require them to be mounted all the way to the rear. Since they are just within reach from the sliders, North/South is the better option for me. I also assume there is a wind resistance advantage but it’s probably not enough to be relevant aside from maybe noise.

 

[RobW0]

The one benefit from an East/West mounting would be the ability to stand on the rear tires to reach them better than standing on the sliders. Of course this would require them to be mounted all the way to the rear. Since they are just within reach from the sliders, North/South is the better option for me. I also assume there is a wind resistance advantage but it’s probably not enough to be relevant aside from maybe noise.

I have mine across the back so I can stand on the tailgate when I need to use mine.

 

[TheGrrrrr]

I have mine across the back so I can stand on the tailgate when I need to use mine.

View attachment 2725783

Well sure, if you want to make it look easy.

 

[TheGrrrrr]

Spent some time requesting quotes for some upcoming projects and this is the first I got back... Wanted to LineX the full exterior:

Hi Matthew,

This is Jose from The Custom Shop with Line-x In Glendale AZ we do off full exteriors at this site and our prices for you size truck you will be looking at ...

Black Premium line-x $5,300+ tax Door Jams are an additional $600.
Line-x Extra ( color) $6,500+ tax Door Jams are an additional $600.
We will need your vehicle for 10 business days.


The Custom Shop
623-842-8748
5101 W Maryland Ave
Glendale, AZ 85301


Since I was thinking closer to $5k max, I don't think $7100 is going fit the budget. Hopefully the gears/lockers quote comes back a little more in line with expectations. If not, it may be time to move on to the bumpers and a DIY install...

To summarize:

LineX: $7100 and 10 days
Gears/eLockers:
Rhino Front Bumper: $2100
ARB Rear Bumper: $1156

 

[linuxgod]

Spent some time requesting quotes for some upcoming projects and this is the first I got back... Wanted to LineX the full exterior:

Hi Matthew,

This is Jose from The Custom Shop with Line-x In Glendale AZ we do off full exteriors at this site and our prices for you size truck you will be looking at ...

Black Premium line-x $5,300+ tax Door Jams are an additional $600.
Line-x Extra ( color) $6,500+ tax Door Jams are an additional $600.
We will need your vehicle for 10 business days.


The Custom Shop
623-842-8748
5101 W Maryland Ave
Glendale, AZ 85301


Since I was thinking closer to $5k max, I don't think $7100 is going fit the budget. Hopefully the gears/lockers quote comes back a little more in line with expectations. If not, it may be time to move on to the bumpers and a DIY install...

To summarize:

LineX: $7100 and 10 days
Gears/eLockers:
Rhino Front Bumper: $2100
ARB Rear Bumper: $1156

4.88 gears + Eaton/Harrop eLockers should be about $5-6k for your 2013. It's more for the 2016+.

Having done them recently, I will say:

• Serious city gas mileage improves a bit. Highway doesn't really (at least at 75+). I pretty much get ~13mpg for both now
• Towing mileage suffers in 4th but you can often hold 5th so that helps if you're willing to pay attention and manually shift between 4th and 5th.
• Off the line on 34s if feels like you added 100HP, especially if you turn on ECT PWR
• Anecdotally my transmission and oil temps seem to run 10-12 degrees hotter now
• 4.88 was great for rock crawling but with the amount of towing I just did I half wish I'd done 4.30s
• Rear locker is a must have. Front locker is unnecessary IMO for most situations. I did both

Summary: If you tow and only run 34s or maybe 35s then 4.30 is really the gears you should get for a good mix of performance and mileage. However if you want the deep 1st gear low range crawl, spirited off-the-line performance, and don't care about MPG then go with 4.88.

 

[bemerritt]

Spent some time requesting quotes for some upcoming projects and this is the first I got back... Wanted to LineX the full exterior:

Hi Matthew,

This is Jose from The Custom Shop with Line-x In Glendale AZ we do off full exteriors at this site and our prices for you size truck you will be looking at ...

Black Premium line-x $5,300+ tax Door Jams are an additional $600.
Line-x Extra ( color) $6,500+ tax Door Jams are an additional $600.
We will need your vehicle for 10 business days.


The Custom Shop
623-842-8748
5101 W Maryland Ave
Glendale, AZ 85301


Since I was thinking closer to $5k max, I don't think $7100 is going fit the budget. Hopefully the gears/lockers quote comes back a little more in line with expectations. If not, it may be time to move on to the bumpers and a DIY install...

To summarize:

LineX: $7100 and 10 days
Gears/eLockers:
Rhino Front Bumper: $2100
ARB Rear Bumper: $1156

Let me know if you find gears In stock anywhere. Most places told me back ordered until October.

 

[TheGrrrrr]

4.88 gears + Eaton/Harrop eLockers should be about $5-6k for your 2013. It's more for the 2016+.

Having done them recently, I will say:

• Serious city gas mileage improves a bit. Highway doesn't really (at least at 75+). I pretty much get ~13mpg for both now
• Towing mileage suffers in 4th but you can often hold 5th so that helps if you're willing to pay attention and manually shift between 4th and 5th.
• Off the line on 34s if feels like you added 100HP, especially if you turn on ECT PWR
• Anecdotally my transmission and oil temps seem to run 10-12 degrees hotter now
• 4.88 was great for rock crawling but with the amount of towing I just did I half wish I'd done 4.30s
• Rear locker is a must have. Front locker is unnecessary IMO for most situations. I did both

Summary: If you tow and only run 34s or maybe 35s then 4.30 is really the gears you should get for a good mix of performance and mileage. However if you want the deep 1st gear low range crawl, spirited off-the-line performance, and don't care about MPG then go with 4.88.

Yeah, I don’t tow and don’t plan to but plans change. SDHQ just quoted me $6551+tax for Nitro 4.88s and front/rear Eatons installed, including an REM Polish of the gears. My other option is the Tundra/100 Series 4.30 option running only a rear locker but that seems like a lot of work that I don’t know how to do and am not sure who to trust with the job. Also not entirely sure if the REM Polish in the new stuff really eliminates the need for break-in or if it’s just $250 in pure profit.

 

[bemerritt]

Yeah, I don’t tow and don’t plan to but plans change. SDHQ just quoted me $6551+tax for Nitro 4.88s and front/rear Eatons installed, including an REM Polish of the gears. My other option is the Tundra/100 Series 4.30 option running only a rear locker but that seems like a lot of work that I don’t know how to do and am not sure who to trust with the job. Also not entirely sure if the REM Polish in the new stuff really eliminates the need for break-in or if it’s just $250 in pure profit.

I thought about the polish for the main reason of being able to be picky about a shop doing it further from home. But something about it doesn’t seem right to me. Don’t like the idea of refinishing the surface, when surely a lot of effort from nitro was made in the first place to get them where they want them to be.

 

[grinchy]

I don’t regret 4.88s for a second. I don’t tow. But anytime I need the torque, it’s there, and I think that’s worth the compromises.

 

[linuxgod]

Yeah, I don’t tow and don’t plan to but plans change. SDHQ just quoted me $6551+tax for Nitro 4.88s and front/rear Eatons installed, including an REM Polish of the gears. My other option is the Tundra/100 Series 4.30 option running only a rear locker but that seems like a lot of work that I don’t know how to do and am not sure who to trust with the job. Also not entirely sure if the REM Polish in the new stuff really eliminates the need for break-in or if it’s just $250 in pure profit.

I dunno, maybe @Taco2Cruiser has an opinion, but I would still break in the gears properly. Gear break-in isn't just about creating a perfectly meshed surface, it's also about work hardening the gears. You can only do that by lapping them in or putting them under load several times. Not saying REM polishing is a bad thing, I just wouldn't rely on that solely.

I climbed all sorts of stuff in Moab on Find N Things with the center diff and rear locked but the front unlocked, including some of those 45+ degree slopes. 18 psi, MTS set to Rock and I don't think I had any slippage (unlike when the rear is unlocked and it might slip a bit if there was sand on the rocks). Obviously YMMV and the type of offroading you do will come into play as to whether a front locker is useful, but if you end up on the fence with your decision it's not necessary IMO.

If you want the Toyota 4.30 gears, I suggest getting @TeCKis300 to do it

 

[TeCKis300]

Hah, not saying I'll do it, but 4.3s are a great option because of the relative ease and cost they can be had for. Especially if not bothering with a front locker. Just drop in the full front clamshell assembly from a Tundra or Sequoia with tow package. Could probably re-gear and install a re-locker in a weekend.

DIY 4.3 Re-Gear

Still in the early stages and I could use some recommendations on differential install kits/parts. I've got the keystone pieces in the garage as I attempt to collect the ancillary parts before I rip into the car. Planning a 4.3 re-gear with rear only Harrop e-locker. Locker is less of a...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[TheGrrrrr]

Hah, not saying I'll do it, but 4.3s are a great option because of the relative ease and cost they can be had for. Especially if not bothering with a front locker. Just drop in the full front clamshell assembly from a Tundra or Sequoia with tow package. Could probably re-gear and install a re-locker in a weekend.

DIY 4.3 Re-Gear

Still in the early stages and I could use some recommendations on differential install kits/parts. I've got the keystone pieces in the garage as I attempt to collect the ancillary parts before I rip into the car. Planning a 4.3 re-gear with rear only Harrop e-locker. Locker is less of a...

forum.ih8mud.com

I’ve spent more time in that thread than I’d like to admit! If I had *any* actual wrenching experience, I would probably attempt it. But since you didn’t say you wouldn’t do it…

 

[linuxgod]

I’ve spent more time in that thread than I’d like to admit! If I had *any* actual wrenching experience, I would probably attempt it. But since you didn’t say you wouldn’t do it…

I can wrench but I'm definitely not an expert myself. Swapping in a used 3rd member is pretty simple as you're just unbolting the driveshaft and then removing a bump of bolts on the diff to slide it out, but beyond that I'm paying someone to do it right. Not trying to sell you on that option though... if you don't care about highway mileage and you don't plan to pull a heavy trailer then I'd go 4.88 in a heartbeat if you're bothering to do the regear at all

If you can find someone selling the fully assembled 3rd member for the rear and the entire clamshell (basically the whole diff) for the front, probably any decent mechanic could do it for you in a day. When you're done sell the old 3rd member and old clamshell to recoup some of the cost.

That said I went with Nitro gears in part because I had 110k on the truck and plan to keep it and I figured new Nitro gears set up right will likely last as long as used OEM gears. Also I didn't have to risk receiving a used 3rd member or clamshell that is actually in bad (or just marginal) shape... something I wouldn't know until I had swapped everything over. If I had 300k on the truck and needed a set of gears I would've looked in the salvage yards.

 

[TheGrrrrr]

I can wrench but I'm definitely not an expert myself. Swapping in a used 3rd member is pretty simple as you're just unbolting the driveshaft and then removing a bump of bolts on the diff to slide it out, but beyond that I'm paying someone to do it right. Not trying to sell you on that option though... if you don't care about highway mileage and you don't plan to pull a heavy trailer then I'd go 4.88 in a heartbeat if you're bothering to do the regear at all

If you can find someone selling the fully assembled 3rd member for the rear and the entire clamshell (basically the whole diff) for the front, probably any decent mechanic could do it for you in a day. When you're done sell the old 3rd member and old clamshell to recoup some of the cost.

That said I went with Nitro gears in part because I had 110k on the truck and plan to keep it and I figured new Nitro gears set up right will likely last as long as used OEM gears. Also I didn't have to risk receiving a used 3rd member or clamshell that is actually in bad (or just marginal) shape... something I wouldn't know until I had swapped everything over. If I had 300k on the truck and needed a set of gears I would've looked in the salvage yards.

You and I are thinking about this the exact same way. I think I am going to track down Ken Francisco (ZUK) and let him order the Nitro 4.88s, have them REM polished, cryo-treated and set them up right with an eaton locker in the rear and just rely on ATRAC in the front. Aside from street cred, I’m not finding a lot of convincing data (anecdotal or otherwise) that makes me feel like a front locker is worth the additional cost or what seems to be increased potential for breakage, particularly when ATRAC has been good for all but the most difficult obstacles.

 

[linuxgod]

You and I are thinking about this the exact same way. I think I am going to track down Ken Francisco (ZUK) and let him order the Nitro 4.88s, have them REM polished, cryo-treated and set them up right with an eaton locker in the rear and just rely on ATRAC in the front. Aside from street cred, I’m not finding a lot of convincing data (anecdotal or otherwise) that makes me feel like a front locker is worth the additional cost or what seems to be increased potential for breakage, particularly when ATRAC has been good for all but the most difficult obstacles.

ZUK is 100% the way to go

 

[sdnative]

Very happy with the work ZUK did on my 100 third. Plus he is local to you. Win win.

 

[supercarrera]

Hah, not saying I'll do it, but 4.3s are a great option because of the relative ease and cost they can be had for. Especially if not bothering with a front locker. Just drop in the full front clamshell assembly from a Tundra or Sequoia with tow package. Could probably re-gear and install a re-locker in a weekend.

DIY 4.3 Re-Gear

Still in the early stages and I could use some recommendations on differential install kits/parts. I've got the keystone pieces in the garage as I attempt to collect the ancillary parts before I rip into the car. Planning a 4.3 re-gear with rear only Harrop e-locker. Locker is less of a...

forum.ih8mud.com

I'm pretty happy with my 4.30s so far. I think they were a fraction of the cost of going 4.88s too.

 

[linuxgod]

I'm pretty happy with my 4.30s so far. I think they were a fraction of the cost of going 4.88s too.

If you buy new Nitro gears the cost is the same (or darn close). Labor is quite a bit too.

If you buy take-off 4.30s then yeah I could see it being a lot cheaper if you can score a good 3rd and clamshell cheap

 

[grinchy]

Another 800 miles today. Going ‘uphill’ from California to Washington got 16+ real mph on 4.88s with 35 at tires. Average speed again around 65mph. Didn’t go easy on the pedal on the uphills either.
Truck empty.