F/R Locked TRD Sport DCLB Build & Colorado Wheeling

What's up, guys? Long-time TacomaWorld peruser, infrequent poster. This will be a thread dedicated to the build of my 2016 TRD Sport DCLB. My goal with the build is for the truck to be highly effective, dynamic (e.g., able to camp in it comfortably but maintain the authentic truck features), and reliable. I try to personally do as many of the modifications as I can, but I do take the truck into the shop for anything that requires a highly skilled professional (e.g., regear & locker install) or incredibly expensive tools.

Here is a current build pic as January 2024.

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I would also love to use this thread to discuss off-roading, hiking, camping, etc. Things from trail reports to wheeling experiences, camping outings - anything goes! I live in CO, so most of my postings/discussion will be focused on things in and around Colorado, but feel free to post anything you think is cool/relevant!

I'll try to keep this updated with anything I do to my truck or outings I take it on.

My Build List

Suspension

• Bilstein 6112 / 5100
• Ironman 4x4 Medium Duty Leaf Pack (0-440lbs constant weight)
• JBA Heavy Duty High Caster UCAs

Wheels / Tires

• 285/70R17 BFG K02s
• RRW Matte Black RR6-H 17x8.5 -12

Armor

• RCI Engine Skid
• RCI Sliders
• Brute force Fab High Clearance Rear Bumper (no swingout)

Drivetrain

• 5.29 Nitro Gears
• ARB Air Lockers (Front & Rear)

Lighting:

• Amazon LED Headlights
• Amazon Yellow LED Fog Lights
• Baja Design S2 Sports (in rear bumper)

Recovery

• Smittybilt X2O GEN2 10K Waterproof Wireless Winch with Synthetic Rope
• TORQ Engineering Hidden Winch Mount

Other

• ARB Dual Air Compressor
• Snugtop Hi-Liner Sport Mid-Rise Topper w/ Windoors
• BamBeds Sleeping Platform
• Amazon 4" mattress for car camping

Build Progress & Pictures:

The day I brought her home. Bought it used with around 86k on the clock.

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Installing the lift. Bilstein 6112s & SPC UCAs in the front. Bilstein 5100s and 1.5" Icon AAL in the rear.

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Lift installed w/ stock 265s

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New BFG K02's installed. 285/70R17. Picked these tires up for like $800 (got all 5) from a jeep guy who had the dealer take them off before leaving the lot. Hell of deal and some of the best tires I've ever ran.

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Installed some amazon led headlights & yellow led fogs. The yellow fog lights rock. They really help when driving in snowy or rainy conditions.

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Installed an RCI raw aluminum skid plate. Went with the aluminum since it's way lighter than steel and won't rust from salt in the winter.

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Quick story. During this install I noticed a small oil leak on the OEM skid. After some TW research, it seemed like it was the timing chain cover seal. For whatever reason the 2016s are notorious for developing a leak here. I took it into one of the local Toyota dealerships and got it repaired (luckily under warranty). Fast forward a year to this post and I've had it back in that same dealership 3 times to get various other leaks fixed that were performed during that repair. First had to get the passenger side head gasket replaced bc the tech pinched it during install and second time around I had to get the crank case seal replaced. As you probably figured, I was pretty frustrated with that dealership when I took it in for the THIRD time and they informed me that the technician who did the original install had since been fired for poor work. Wonder why, lol.

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Next up was installing the new wheels. RRW RR6-H 17x8.5 -12 offset. These wheels have a pretty sick design and become beadlock wheel. I just am running them as a normal wheel for now, but may upgrade to the beadlocks at some point down the road.

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At some point I installed my RCI sliders. I bought them raw and painted them myself. Would not recommend that. After hours of prep and painting they quickly chipped and rusted in the Colorado winters. I would just spend the money and have them power coated from the mfg.

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Topper installed. After much debate, I with the Snugtop Sport Hi Liner mid rise topper. So happy I went with the mid rise and Snugtop specifically. Midrise has been great for camping & hauling taller items and the Snugtop is well built, has nice features like a rain gutter for the rear glass, and mounts solid to the truck bed. I also added windoors (a must) and remote lock so that it worked with my truck key & I didn't have to fumble with a key to open it every time.

I am attaching a ton of pics so folks who are deciding on a topper can see the truck from all angles. I spent so much time researching to find the perfect topper (not a cheap purchase, lol) and struggled to find pictures that were similar to my truck/build.

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TORQ Engineering hidden winch mount & Smittybilt 10k winch installed.

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Brute Force Fab rear bumper installed. During this install I also got an ARB dual compressor, ARB front & rear air lockers, and 5.29 nitro gears installed. The gears & lockers are easily the most worthwhile investments you can make in your truck. 5.29s are the perfect ratio. I did so much research on 5.29s vs 4.88s and I can assure you that no matter if you run stock tires or 35s, you'll LOVE your 5.29s. I can still cruise 75 mph no problem (only at around 2500 to 2700 rpm with 33s) and the get-up-and-go and shifting is sooo much better. Lockers for me were also a must since I wanted to wheel the truck & feel confident going anywhere in the CO backcountry. I think that for most trails a rear locker is sufficient, but if you're getting gears done, just get the front installed while you/the shop are in there. You will love have a front locker. I love the ARB air lockers, but I think that any locker, whether electronic or air, from a reputable brand will perform great for you.

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Good looking truck! Got more pics?

What's on deck for mods?

 

Thank you! Yes, have quite a few pictures that I'll upload to show the truck's progress & how it is setup today. Just need to find some time to sit down & write up a post

Next near term mods are bed stiffeners & getting some stage 2 Deavers to help with the extra weight in the back. Longer term mods are front bumper and (eventually) 35s, but going to wait to make that official step until these 33s run out.

 

A buddy and I took the trucks out to Wheeler Lake Trail near Breckenridge, CO this past weekend and had a great time. Pretty tough trail, but we made it through all the obstacles and were trucking along to the lake, but some storms came in and brought hail, so we turned around just before getting to the lake. Overall, it was an awesome day and I would highly recommend the trail, but just be aware that you'll probably come home with some new wheel rash and some new scratches on the skids & sliders.

Will be uploading some videos, but for now, here are some pics.

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Here are the vids from Wheeler:

 

Camped out in the Telluride area for the Labor Day weekend and had a great time. Lots of cool mining history near our campsite. I guess Nicola Tesla and George Westinghouse worked at the mining site (see last pic) on their first industrial use of alternating current electricity. Pretty awesome history!

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What's up guys - anyone here running portals? Listened to a podcast on the 74Weld Tacoma portals and have recently been seeing some of the shops in Colorado offer Werewolf portals. After learning more about portals, I honestly think the price tag of ~$14,500 for the Werewolfs is really not that bad... with portals you essentially bypass a lot of big-time modifications that our trucks need to run a 38" tire properly. It essentially packages the lift, & regear and deletes the need for a CMC or relocation, extensive fender cutting / tubing, custom length CVs (most people would get for long travel setups), etc.. The parts & labor (if paying a shop to install these things) would likely easily bypass that $14.5k price tag of the portals. Plus, you can't achieve the same ground clearance with the more traditional modifications as you can with portals given their offset between the axle shaft and the hub mounting surface.

Curious to hear other opinions. Here is the podcast link to the 74Weld interview with their founder. He provides some really solid information on what portals are, how they work, how they're manufactured, etc.

 

Anyone have opinions on leaf pack manufacturers & specific leaf pack considerations based on the below details?

I am looking to upgrade my rear leaf pack to something that better handles the weight of the camper shell, steel rear bumper, my wooden sleeping platform, and our camping gear. My static weight would likely be around 300 lbs of weight. The bed weight increases when we load up for camping and I haul a trailer with a few ATVs or a motorcycle occasionally, so I'm leaning towards something like the Deaver stage 2 pack, which are designed for a bed weight of 400-600 lbs. I also want a 2" lift so I have rake again (I am running a 3" lift in the front and a 1.5" Icon AAL in the rear, which was level before my camper shell & bumper, but now is sagging a bit).

Right now the leading contender is Deaver Stage 2, but my buddy also told me about ATS Springs. They have great prices and, from what I have read, similar quality to the more expensive options like Deaver.

 

Archive or Alcan

 

Thanks for the input! Have you run either brand before and if so any thoughts?

 

Yes I run a custom Alcan pack (they build them to your desired weight and lift amount) and the ride is great.

Archive's leaf offerings are new but everyone seems to love them.

Both made in the USA.

 

A buddy of mine came out to visit for a quick camping trip to Breckenridge. We camped off Georgia Pass, a nice and quiet off-road route with some great dispersed camping right outside of Breck. On Saturday, we hiked up to Mayflower and Mohawk Lake – about a 6.5-mile hike with approximately 1,800 feet of elevation gain. It was a really nice, moderately difficult hike, with most of the elevation change coming toward the end. Theo crushed the hike too, pulling me all the way to the top! On Sunday, we headed to Denver from Breck via Boreas Pass. Unfortunately, most of the aspens had lost their leaves, but it was still a beautiful drive back!

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when did you buy/install your SPCs?

 

Bought and installed them November 2021.

 

interesting.... i bought mine in december of 2021 and i havent had any issues with the X-axis or ball joint that I know of. everything seems tight and good

 

Yeah man, I'm not really sure how broad the production batch was that used these under performing/poor quality bushings, but I'm happy you're not having any issues! Mine have a noticeable clunk when going over bumpy roads & off-roading especially when going slow (<10 mph). The shop I take my truck to here in Denver also confirmed that they have play and that they are no longer recommending and installing SPC's control arms. I guess SPC will replace the control arm for you if you send it back to them, but they will not pay for labor given the size of the issue (this is according the the shop Manager at RSG Offroad, so I trust that this is true). Hopefully you don't have any issues, but I'm going to be switching to another brand at some point in the near future. Still tbd on what I swap them with.

 

Just purchased some JBA UCAs to replace my SPCs. I went with the HD high caster version JBA offers. I decided to go with the JBAs bc they use ball joints, which require less maintenance than a uniball and are more protected from the Colorado winter elements. I have also heard overall great things about JBAs quality and customer service.

I’ll post some pics of the install process and any thoughts once installed!

 

I run Alcan's and they are the only way to go. Even with all of my weight the truck handles better than when it was OEM.

Figure out your numbers and call them to get the exact leaf pack you need.

 

Fitting that large of tires is not as easy as just installing the portals, from what I have heard.

The scrub radius becomes massive, so you definitely still need to do a cab mount relocate as well as being prepared to cut things.

You already have gears, and lockers, why even contemplate this upgrade? My friends and I all get by with ~2 inches of lift, and our trucks are not slouches. The massive ground clearance from portals seems like it looks cool in a video, but ultimately of low practicality in the real world.

Just my thoughts.

 

Appreciate the input! How many miles have you put on your Alcans? I have heard some mixed reviews related to their product quality and customer service - some people love theirs & have had no issues and others have had poor quality & bad customer service. Would love to hear more about your experience w/ the brand from the quality and customer service perspective.