Idaho Taco Build

[Idaho-Taco]

Let the build commence!

I ordered this truck two months ago and it finally arrived. A 2025 TRD Off Road Premium. I spent that time accumulating parts for this build. It’s been several years since my last build project where I tore down and built up a Jeep Wrangler TJ and Ive been wanting a new project for several years. Im not getting rid of my Jeep as Ill never part with it but Ive always wanted a Toyota truck - and the time seemed right to get my first after the 4th Gen came out. This won’t be a daily driver - and will be built primarily for the Mountains of Idaho and the Deserts of Arizona. It might also see a trip or two to Moab.

With that terrain variety in mind Ive tried to put together a build plan that suits my needs and yet is still something my wife can drive and will fit in my smallish garage in AZ. I went with the Off Road rather than a Pro or TH simply because I planned to upgrade the suspension and increase tire size. I didn’t care for the seats of the Pro nor feel the need of TH amenities so I saved the money and went with an OR. I did end up buying a Pro style hood and front bumper trim and I did buy an after market rear bumper so the savings might not be as big as I originally calculated but its the direction I went.

The list of mods is long. Most are simple bolt on mods so is this an amazing build that will impress anyone? No. Im not a mechanic, just a middle aged Architect who loves to turn a wrench every now and again. I’ll do all the work I can myself simply because I enjoy it. Feel free to ask questions, make comments and critique - I post this build thread here as it’s how we all learn and share. Ive learned a lot by reading through other build threads here and many other forums. This truck has 30 miles on it as I start this build.

Mod list:

Suspension
*King 2.5 Shocks/lift. I also looked at an Icon and Fox system. I have Fox on my Jeep and Truck and always wanted to try King - so this was the time. I upgraded the front springs from #500 to #600 springs.

*Total Chaos rear links. Spendy but I wanted to upgrade the rear links. These things are STOUT!
*Total Chaos Upper Control Arms. Looked at many. When I talked to King and others in the industry they all recommended Total Chaos UCAs.
*King Sway Bar links. Recommended as part of the King system. The stock links are silly compared to these.
*Eibach Rear springs. Wanted a spring that would account for the extra weight from sliders, rear bumper and full size spare.


Exterior paint
*Full Matte PPF wrap planned with black matte roof & front pillars. Black matte mirros and hood scoop. Clear PPF on fender flares.


Exterior body & trim
*OEM Pro & Trailhunter style front bumper cover trim. Provides better approach angle but the main reason I add this was so I could use the fender flares I wanted.
*Seibon Front and rear Carbon Fiber fender flares. Im going with 0 offset wheels and 12.5” wide tires. I wanted a little more protection than my stock flares would provide. That and they look cool.
*Pro & Trailhunter Grill front. Common mod - just like the look better than the Toyota sombrero.
*Expedition One Mule roof rack. I looked at many. This one fit the bill and worked well with the Diode Dynamics 7 Pod Light Bar I wanted.
*TRD Pro/Sport style OEM hood. Just prefer the look - no performance improvement.
*Ark Micro mud flaps. Won’t offer a ton of protection but prefer these over the large ones and over nothing.


Armor & Recovery
*Warn VR EVO 10 Winch. Synthetic rope. + Remote extension & Custom extension brackets for Clutch control (see build). Warn is all over ever owned - didn’t want to try anything else.
*Addictive Desert Designs stealth winch front bumper. Several available that I liked. Landed on this one because of reviews and because I liked the look the best. Added a 20” Cali Raised light bar.
*Addictive Desert Designs stealth rear bumper. Liked the look of this one and it looked really stout. Went with some DV8 spot lights to add lights for backing up.
*RCI Rock sliders @ 20 degrees with top tread plate. I looked at many and really liked the look of these and I really like a steeper angle. I have something similar on my Jeep.

Wheels & Tires
*Method 703 17x8.5 0 offset. Bronze. X5. I considered black or silver but I have black wheels on my Ram and Silver on my Jeep so thought Id try something new by matching body color. I wanted a wide stance and like a lot of Poke. I almost went with a negative offset.

*Toyo Open Country R/T Trail 35x12.50 R 17. Not as heavy as other 35s and is one of the larger “35s” at 34.5” actual size. I also didn’t want a MT nor a AT so the RT was perfect for me.

*Rough Country Bed Mount Spare Tire Carrier. I always want a full size spare when I go into the back country/Desert. I cary plugs etc. but a full size spare is a must in my mind. A 35” tire won’t fit under the bed and I need to keep my overall height under 6’-10”. So for me a vertical tire mount in the bed makes the most sense.


Engine & Exhaust
*Sxth Element Off Road Tail Pipe (Exhaust Dump). Wasn’t a must mod but that stock tail pipe wound’t last long on the ledges in Moab.
*Sxth Element CPLT Intake. Proven performance improvement.


Interior
*Screen protector. Just an Amazon one.
*DV8 Center console Molle panels. Place to mount flashlight, knife, pistol etc.
*Will likely tint front windows.

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[Idaho-Taco]

Day 1-2

Finally after a long wait the Tacoma has arrived. I was able to take some time away from the office and get started. Pulled it into the shop and started the tear down.

It's a little odd ripping apart a brand new truck with 30 miles on it. My jeep was used and about 8 years old when I did a re-build on it. At least its clean and nothing has rust!

Taking the front bumper, grille etc. off was fairly easy. Separating all the parts and transferring them to the new TRD Pro style bumper cover/trim wasn't as easy. Here you can see the TRD Pro bumper cover one one table with the original cover with the louver etc. on the other table.

The OEM TRD Pro style bumper cover was perfect - everything aligned and was a perfect match. But getting everything off the stock one was a chore. These clips are awful. The Sensor mounts are glued on so I removed them with heat and floss. I reinstalled with 3M tape. The process took longer than expected but I got it done. Dismantling was slow.

Finally! New Grille, upper trim, lower trim and the PRO bumper cover are together. (The white powder on the PRO bumper cover is baby powder they put on it prior to shipping so the bubble wrap doesn't stick to the newish paint).

Part of the process for the ADD bumper install is to cut out a portion of the OEM bumper cover. It was a bit nerve wracking as there is only one chance to do it right. Took my time and it came out fine.

 

[grizzlyoutlaw]

Awesome build. We have almost identical parts list so I’m excited to see it turn out. I have a Ram as well and was happy to have a smaller truck to wrench on. It also bugs me that these off roads have the big chin. Did you consider the Seibon hood? I’ve heard about the pro scoop cutting visibility.

 

[Idaho-Taco]

Awesome build. We have almost identical parts list so I’m excited to see it turn out. I have a Ram as well and was happy to have a smaller truck to wrench on. It also bugs me that these off roads have the big chin. Did you consider the Seibon hood? I’ve heard about the pro scoop cutting visibility.

Likewise - have you started a build thread?

Ive been a Ram/Dodge Cummins guy for 20+ years. Doubt I'll ever go a different direction. I have a 6" lift and 38s on mine... my wife hates it as it's a Mega Cab and fairly large. The tacoma is in part for her so she has access to a smaller truck that is easier to get in and out of.

Yes! I did consider a Seibon hood. Would've matched perfect with my fender flares but I went back and forth and decided it was just pushing things a little too far for me. I did like that the scoop could be functional. Just thought it would be to much carbon fiber for this build.

 

[Wanderlust]

Nice write up. Can't wait to see the final product. I wish I had deep enough pockets to do something like this!

 

[bemmster]

Watching! Very interested in the roof rack with the DD pods, lots of pics please!

 

[T4coTuesday]

Day 1-2

Finally after a long wait the Tacoma has arrived. I was able to take some time away from the office and get started. Pulled it into the shop and started the tear down.

It's a little odd ripping apart a brand new truck with 30 miles on it. My jeep was used and about 8 years old when I did a re-build on it. At least its clean and nothing has rust!

Taking the front bumper, grille etc. off was fairly easy. Separating all the parts and transferring them to the new TRD Pro style bumper cover/trim wasn't as easy. Here you can see the TRD Pro bumper cover one one table with the original cover with the louver etc. on the other table.

The OEM TRD Pro style bumper cover was perfect - everything aligned and was a perfect match. But getting everything off the stock one was a chore. These clips are awful. The Sensor mounts are glued on so I removed them with heat and floss. I reinstalled with 3M tape. The process took longer than expected but I got it done. Dismantling was slow.

Finally! New Grille, upper trim, lower trim and the PRO bumper cover are together. (The white powder on the PRO bumper cover is baby powder they put on it prior to shipping so the bubble wrap doesn't stick to the newish paint).

Part of the process for the ADD bumper install is to cut out a portion of the OEM bumper cover. It was a bit nerve wracking as there is only one chance to do it right. Took my time and it came out fine.

how are you tackling the front camera issue on the new grille?

 

[Idaho-Taco]

Now with the front grille, bumper cover etc. completed I worked on the bumper and winch. Because this is a “stealth” style bumper the winch is very hidden to the point it isn’t even accessible. The winch & bumper install wasn’t terrible but it was a bit of a challenge with only two arms. Some of the hardware required Houdini like contortions to install. The front Grille/bumper cover has to go on first and then the winch & bumper. Would have been A LOT easier if it were the other way around and the bumper/winch went on before the grille/bumper cover trim.

This winch has wireless remote so I can power out the line but I really wanted to be able to free spool the winch. I found a couple install threads where guys created an extension to the top of the shroud under the hood which looked promising. This allows the winch to be disengaged and put into free spool. I did some searching and found a company that provides a flexible hydraulic hose with metal fittings that work with the winch and with the handle. It was a bit of a chore to figure it out how to run it, but it works great. I pulled the sticker off the winch and added it to the shroud - actually looks somewhat professional. I also installed a remote connection for the wired controller incase the wireless remote should ever fail.

Then I turned my attention to the skid Plates. They are stout. This mounts to the bottom of the bumper and runs back past the flimsy fiberglass(ish?) stock skid plate. It covers up the access to the oil filter from below unfortunately. It appears that it can be accessed from the side but Im guessing I will have to remove this thing every oil change.

Next I needed to get the winch cables back to the battery. I bought 25’ long cables off Amazon along with cable end terminals and a crimper tool. The cables run over from the winch into the area behind the bumper cover on the drivers side. I coiled up a couple feet there incase I ever need to remove the winch I’ll have some slack. From there the cables go up and I tucked them in behind the plastic trim at the top of the fender. After that they run down the firewall and into the big grommet that is right above the foot rest inside the cab. Once inside, they tuck in behind plastic trim and run under the door threshold trim back to the battery. Obviously with this being a hybrid its a much longer ways to go.

 

[Idaho-Taco]

how are you tackling the front camera issue on the new grille?

Issue? If you mean the mounting bracket for the camera - I ordered one from Rave when I ordered the new grille. Everything went in without problem. If there is another issue Im not aware of it.

 

[T4coTuesday]

Issue? If you mean the mounting bracket for the camera - I ordered one from Rave when I ordered the new grille. Everything went in without problem. If there is another issue Im not aware of it.

I was interested in getting the pro/th grille too so i did a bit of reading into it and decided that it was too much effort, for me anyways. But as I'm sure you know, the camera is mounted upside down compared to the orientation of the standard grilles. One option is to just get the bracket like you did, but IIRC it doesnt fully fix the issue and the pictures are skewed and misaligned on the display for both the front camera view and the 360 view. The other solution i saw was a lot more in depth and involved going deep into the settings of the infotainment to adjust the camera there. Mind you, i say "settings" but it was beyond any of the regular settings that are easily available in the system. Anyways, the thread i was reading through about it, the guy that was doing the install wanted an exact OEM setup but said he wasnt able to achieve it with any of the currently available options. Its close, but angles and skews are a little off, which ultimately turned me away from it.

 

[Idaho-Taco]

I was interested in getting the pro/th grille too so i did a bit of reading into it and decided that it was too much effort, for me anyways. But as I'm sure you know, the camera is mounted upside down compared to the orientation of the standard grilles. One option is to just get the bracket like you did, but IIRC it doesnt fully fix the issue and the pictures are skewed and misaligned on the display for both the front camera view and the 360 view. The other solution i saw was a lot more in depth and involved going deep into the settings of the infotainment to adjust the camera there. Mind you, i say "settings" but it was beyond any of the regular settings that are easily available in the system. Anyways, the thread i was reading through about it, the guy that was doing the install wanted an exact OEM setup but said he wasnt able to achieve it with any of the currently available options. Its close, but angles and skews are a little off, which ultimately turned me away from it.

Interesting! I wasn’t aware of this. I’ve since looked at the camera screen and didn’t notice a difference. Could be I only have a few miles on the truck and wasn’t used to the “usual” image thus don’t pick up on the difference.

 

[T4coTuesday]

Interesting! I wasn’t aware of this. I’ve since looked at the camera screen and didn’t notice a difference. Could be I only have a few miles on the truck and wasn’t used to the “usual” image thus don’t pick up on the difference.

i found the thread, everything should be in the initial post i think. But youre right, i think the difference is so minimal it will only matter to the purists. Which the guy in that post definitely is lol

https://www.tacoma4g.com/forum/threads/heritage-grill-camera-swap-observations.6132/

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