Plastic Surgery Saved Our Relationship

[OffTrac]

A nose job to be exact.

The normal rolling around underneath her is always still fun and the synthetic fluids still make her happy but it's been a long time since anything drastic has changed in our relationship. I had a real day off today and didn't even have to work my part time job so I spent some quality time with her (laid at the pool for a few minutes with my wife, too). Well, nobody ever cares about the back story, just the dirty pictures, so here ya go.

The chalk line is where I started with the intention of bending it up and bending the plastic under to screw into it. The extra reinforcement is not necessary and this plastic doesn't bend with a heat gun, it just melts and gets all over your welding gloves. Anyway, I ended up just cutting at the two creases about an inch higher than the chalk line. Used a sawzall.

Used an angle grinder for the plastic for more control. Left nice clean lines and allowed for easy precise shaving. The above picture is before the clean up cuts but you get the idea. The passenger side is also still a 1/2 longer than the driver's at the point of this picture.

I initially intended to remove the lower portion of the plastic, too but realized it would tuck up nice and neat if I just cut it off at the side of the "skid plate" and the factory bolts pull it up nice and tight so there's no flapping.

I may end up cutting off straight across from the rounded part left from the fog light across to the fender line but haven't decided yet. I liked it more in person than seeing it now in pictures. Going to leave it a few days before I decide. What do y'all think?

I know this isn't for everyone but the tire was rubbing just a tiny bit up front on compression at full lock and it was getting annoying. I didn't have that problem with the KM2s but I got those with about 50% tread. Plus, I was repainting the bottom rounded part after every off road adventure and that was getting old knowing that it was limiting my approach and causing an unnecessary cosmetic repair. I still intend to have a steel bumper made but this will do in the meantime. Plus, I just needed to do something other than general maintenance and I wasn't quite ready to do the body bushings today.

 

[obie]

Hah! It does look a little off with the foglight curves still there, but being able to put your wheels anywhere without rubbing sounds worth it.

 

[OffTrac]

I can lose the curves. I think I will.

 

[obie]

You might want to look at getting a skid plate for your front end now. It's always kinda vulnerable, but without the bumper there to give it at least a bit of protection, you can have a lot of stuff kick up and hit your coolers and rack.

If you don't wanna get one custom made, look up RCI Metalworks. I got that one on my Trac, and it already saved my front end from some damage when my jack slipped in the gravel and the whole weight of the front end slammed the skid plate into the jack saddle. Not even a scratch or dent.

You'll probably have to drill one hole on each side of the frame for half of the mounting bolts, but that only took me about five minutes to do, and the screws he sends are self tapping.

That would help your front end survive all the stuff you can now do with your increased approach

 

[OffTrac]

I do intend to make one but I might buy one in August. It does have the factory guard, whatever it's called, so that does protect against debris. Not much for dropping onto things but I won't be needing that in the near future. The rack has always been exposed.

Do you have a picture from underneath of yours? Also how you mounted it?

 

[obie]

Sure, doesn't show the mounting points but two of the bolts go right where the factory air dam is mounted to on the frame (the front ones, I believe) and the rear mounting bolts are just five minutes worth of drilling.

If you want, I can run out and take a picture of the mounting section to give you an idea. The only thing is that you'll have to do some slight grinding of the inboard reinforcement section on the factory tow hooks to clear the top of the skid plate. I haven't gotten around to it yet until the grille guard brackets for the body lift are done, but from how they looked mocked up it should be just a small amount of shaving.

If you call to place your order, he can even custom cut the initials into it. OFF maybe?

Not trying to hijack your thread, but I figured you'll be needing some more armor now, haha

 

[OffTrac]

No need to go out for a picture. Thanks.

The mounting near the tow hooks were my main concern with the RCI one since my brush guard brackets are sandwiched between the tow hooks and the frame. The brush guard is not permanent so I wouldn't be overly concerned with that but I'd like to keep it until I get a bumper built. I would trade a skid plate for a brush guard any day, though. (Great idea! Anybody want to trade a legit skid plate for a Westin brushguard) I suppose I could also make some new brackets.

No worries about hijacking. Cutting the bumper was in the hopes to get me pushed back into working on this truck and armor is the next few projects.

 

[Blue91Ex]

i say cut it off at the top of the fog light curves, strait back. The downcurve after the fog light holes makes it look odd, kinda frowny i guess lol. looks cool either way though!

 

[MidnightRebel07]

There's no turning back now buddy. LOL. Once you cut you cut some more. Go find an ARB bumper from a Tacoma, Ranger or Cherokee and do a little modifying to the brackets. From what I can tell they're damn close in width and the dimensions of our Trac's. I used the ARB bumper from a '95 Land Rover and slightly modded the brackets, it's definetly alot shorter, smaller and flatter then the other rigs I mentioned but I like it and for the price I got it for I couldn't pass it up. As for the foglight curves, I'd just cut right along the bumper body line straight across, atleast over to the brush guard on each side.

 

[ncranchero]

OMG, Jerry is rubbing off on you......................

 

[MidnightRebel07]

John started it.

 

[OffTrac]

I will for sure be cutting off straight across to lose the curved "something's missing look."

I will also be getting the PIAA driving lights back on the brush guard as well as adding those PIAA fogs that have been in the garage for years to replace the factory fogs. It'll be nice to just tap into the factory fog wiring.

And due to Obie's influence I went ahead and ordered the RCI skid plate last night.

 

[OffTrac]

Made those cuts. Pictures aren't the best quality.

 

[01STrunner]

Good to see you back to work on the Trac man. I think these last cuts make it look a lot better. I kept Going back and forth on this for the same reason as you with rubbing and repainting, but I can't lose my fog lights. The skid plate's going to look nice under there too.

 

[OffTrac]

Thanks. I've got a plan with my PIAA fogs so I don't lose lighting. We'll see how that pans out.

 

[MidnightRebel07]

Looks good. So have you pushed off the SAS build for now I guess? I'm still stockpiling up parts and saving money for my high dollars parts.

 

[obie]

Looks way better. And ooh, where there's still a slight curve would be a great spot to put some front exiting dual exhaust tips! Or flamethrowers!

 

[OffTrac]

Looks good. So have you pushed off the SAS build for now I guess? I'm still stockpiling up parts and saving money for my high dollars parts.

Yeah, right now every spare dollar is going toward building our house.

If I can get some days off I'll start back tearing down the axles. I've been working 7 days/week 65+ hours since March.

 

[OffTrac]

Looks way better. And ooh, where there's still a slight curve would be a great spot to put some front exiting dual exhaust tips! Or flamethrowers!

I'll accept your skid plate recommendation. I'm going to log these in the back files. Lol

 

[Blue91Ex]

that looks much better, cleaner. cant wait to see it with the skid plate as well!