Edit:
To make this thread easier to follow and so that you can bypass my rambling, I decided to post an index up at the front for you to link to completed major projects on the truck. Also I have the original and a recent picture of the truck so you can see the changes that have been made.
Rubber Air Dam:
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...tml#post454423
Initial Half-Aeroshell Construction:
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...tml#post473102
Finished Half-Aeroshell:
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...tml#post480010
HVAC Air Intake Pest Screen:
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...tml#post481678
Electric Fan Construction/Swap:
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...tml#post483654
Fender Flare Removal:
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...tml#post494844
Full Aeroshell:
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...tml#post511880
Back to the regularly scheduled post:
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Hello all,
Figured it was time to start my own build thread for this truck. Truck is a 2005 Toyota Tacoma Access Cab, 2.7L 4 Cylinder, 5 Speed Manual, 4x4. The truck is my daily driver, which includes long commutes to work, trips hauling construction materials, and driving off road. I engage 4x4 an average of 3 times a day to navigate unpaved roads. My current baseline from my fuel log is 26.7 MPG, based on 23 fill ups.
My first goal is to consistently exceed 30 MPG, while maintaining or improving the truck’s capabilities. I plan on achieving most of this through aerodynamics, as the truck has a factory Cd of Cd 0.394.
Mods that I have already done are: First mod was switching all long term fluids to Amsoil synthetic, including front diff, rear diff, transmission, and transfer case, and changing engine oil to Mobil 1 synthetic. Second mod was changing the tires, went to Michelin LTX M/S2 LT 235/85R16 mounted on factory Toyota 16” alloys. (Note factory was P 245/75R16 on steel wheels.) This nets about 0.5” ground clearance, 4% gearing reduction, and corrects the speedometer to within 1MPH at 55MPH. Going from P rated tires and steel wheels to LT rated tires and alloys only netted a 5lb increase in weight, but it increased the rotational inertia of the wheel tire combo by 15% due to the weight being farther from the center.
The next step for this truck is an aerodynamic bed cover.