Made it out and back from lay'd out at the park 2014!!! Awsome show as always, first show I took the truck too. Didn't win anything but didn't expect to either. Met a ton of people and grabbed as much info and reference pics as I could haha. V6 sr5 is rare build truck, only 1 other one out there. Anyways 1 little pic of my wife and myself with the truck before leaving yesterday. Just proud to say I brought something out

 

lookin good, wish i could have made it out. Any plans for showfest?

 

Still around, just working a lot and never have time to work on the mini. I've been driving her daily with out the bed for a few months now and finally got a weekend to put in a little bit of work. Not much but hey it's progress:











Been collecting parts for the front and hope to be able to start the front the beginning of the winter season.
Still looking for the right rear shocks to get if anyone has part numbers for what they run let me know. So far the measurements I think I need are 8" compressed and 15-16" extended, not sure if that is possible or if I'll have to find another place to mount the shocks.

 

Getting the parts in to start the front now so while I'm waiting for them to come in and waiting on funds to buy the rest I figured I'd start on body work.

Going to shave the antenna hole on this fender and fix where someone hit my truck in a parking lot.



Cut out my filler piece.




Tacked it in one tack at a time as not to warp the panel on such a small piece.


I found even with an expensive auto darkening helmet it's hard to see your pin holes you need to fill. A free harbor freight light works perfect.



Grind it out.


Put it in primer



Mist it with black to sand out to show high and lows for filler.



Sand and fill



Antenna hole filled sanded and ready for a last sand when the panel will be fully primed out. Will finish the corner light dent removal and have the panel ready for after the bags go on..

 

Here is the start of the corner light body work. It's been beat on, massaged, finessed back to its original form.

 

Nice work.

 

Thanks.

 

Good job so far man...sorry I been MIA.

--Mike

 

MIA is an understatement lol. I've tried calling and texting you on the two numbers I have and.....nothing lol. Get at me brotha!

 

Truck is coming along great man. Going to follow this one as close as I can and update my build thread as well since you and I are the only two building v6 SR5s that I know of. Maybe we can meet up at Layd Out this coming up year.

 

Yah man for sure, if you hit any snags let me know. It is def a PITA with very little room to work with but there aren't many 3vze builds out there.

 

Alright guys I'll post alittle update since its been a while, I get into the build and everything else slips my mind. Although I do take photos of progress and for those who follow my Instagram have seen some of these already. And on to the photos:

First cuts on the front, just grab ya balls and start cutting!!!




Inners cut out:




Arched them alittle more so I know where to cut the fire wall out at:




Test fit with suspension out and wheel wells cut out. I need about 2" rubbed in the firewall I think:


The rest is going to be all cuts reference points for other people and fabing up my bag brackets, not sure I'm going to keep this concept but if it changes then I'll pots the photos of the changes I make.

















This here was a test fit, I don't like the fit so I'm going to cut out the tack weld and move the brackets alittle and change some angle to help keep the geometry of the suspension correct.



Bag isn't laying flat enough so this is the main reason I didn't like the placement.


I think that's it for the most part up until now. I more a lot and now with the time change its dark out early and winter is closing in so I need to hurry so I can move her into the garage and work on her when it's freezing outside.

 

Good stuff bro.

 

That will definitely limit lift. I do remember on mine I mimicked the cando anti hack build and I angled my upper plate up 3 degrees. Helps with bag position laid out.

 

I would have to agree. Mine are 2.5 degrees up from the angle of the frame. Also, I know you are probably trying to limit expenses, maybe but consider the CanDo, now KBS Fabrication arms. Read over so many builds and met lots of people at shows that told me if you can afford it tubular arms are the way to go.

 

Otherwise I would consider modifying you lower arms like these...

 

P.S. Great start. Always exciting to see a new build!

 

Would love to buy some cando's, buuut, here's the deal. When I told my wife I was going to BUILD a mini she said "ok, but you have to build it. No buying parts other than the parts that can't be fabricated, I.e. Bags, lines, valves things of that nature.) so hoping this next year as my mini shop is slowly filling up with tools and other crazy fabricating things I'll be getting a tubing bender and I'll make a set but for now stock lowers and uppers it is...

I did the angle on the bottom so I can have room to put shocks, with the lower bag bracket right on the LCA it doesn't leave enough room. I got the idea from the build in minitruckin, although they did cut the upper and lower control arm mount and move them up this will work for now. Like I said before later I plan to do my own uppers and lowers.

 

Few photos from today:













I didn't get any photos of the setup compressed but when it's compressed it is flat.