Battle Born Tacomas: A Community Truck Club

Being a Toyota Tacoma enthusiast has it's perks. One of these privileges is instantly being a part of an underlying community since the day you become a Tacoma owner. To some, a Toyota is just a daily driver or used as a work truck. To others, it is a lifestyle, a sense of belonging, and mostly a hobby. If you have been following my blog, you have read that I refer to my truck as the "Battle Born Tacoma". Not only is it the title of my blog, but "Battle Born Tacomas" is the name of the truck crew my prerunner was born into. This post will explain the club, our motives and how it all began.

Battle Born Tacomas is a truck club for Toyota Tacoma off-road enthusiasts based in Las Vegas, NV. It was founded roughly two years ago by a Tacoma owner named Austin Wood. Referred to as BBT for short, it is composed of members dedicated to camaraderie and sharing the enjoyment of owning a Toyota Tacoma truck. Just as any other club, our crew members share many of the same interests. It is amazing how something as simple as a vehicle brand can bring so many different people together. BBT started as a small crew of about 3 or 4 members. By using our skill sets and different traits, we were able to form social media accounts and vinyl stickers, and get our name known across the valley.

As of now, BBT has grown to roughly 20 members. Each member has a Battle Born Tacomas vinyl badge on the front and rear windows of their trucks. We all usually meet up at various parking lots around the city to grab food and hang out. Each week these meets take place and we have opportunities to meet new and old faces. To become a member, you must drive a Toyota Tacoma and have a positive attitude. You should also be able to represent the club in a positive light. Image comes first and if your truck and personality fit, you may just be a qualifying candidate. BBT has an organized executive board including the Founder, President, Vice President and Director of Marketing/Public Relations. The last position is where I fit in.

Our purpose is to foster an environment where other Tacoma enthusiasts can enjoy each others company, talk trucks and develop professional and/or friendly relationships. Each member has something to bring to the table. This helps us keep the club alive while we help each other modify our trucks. Many times we will organize off-road meets where we drive out as a convoy and hit trails together at high speeds. At sun down, we will find a spot to camp out at and start a bonfire. Everyone is invited to the fire provided that you find a way. These camping trips usually consist of grilling bratwursts and drinking beers. All in all, we just know how to have a great time! For more information about our club, you can follow us on Instagram @battleborntacomas or at facebook.com/battleborntacomas to keep up with our happenings. This is where I spend most of the time having fun with trucks and friends!

Ready, Set, Action: Race Truck Flyin' High!

So if you have been following my blog, it can be seen that the truck build is coming together! This post will demonstrate the trucks capabilities off-road and feature some action shots taken by a professional photographer.

One of the enjoyments of having a prerunner build is being able to take it to the limit and put its features to the test. This Battle Born Tacoma is a truck that never disappoints. It has endured the most adrenaline rushing situations. A few of the guys from the truck crew, a professional photographer and I went to the off-road trails near the Nevada/California border in Jean, NV. Here, we were able to test out some intense terrain at high speeds. Our photographer was there to catch the action!

With the suspension all tuned, the truck was ready for anything and everything. As we hit the trail, I was going about 40 miles per hour and came upon some uneven ground. With the crew spotting me ahead, I was directed to accelerate. Before I even expected it, the Tacoma was sent into a launch. Nothing extremely spectacular, but this was the very first time my prerunner had left the ground. All four tires were in the air and the suspension was extended to a full droop. The front end soon came back down and I successfully landed my first jump off-road. I'm no professional and it was only approximately 2 feet of air. Either way, I was still pretty excited about it.


With the crew in awe, it was a given that I needed to turn my truck around and hit the same jump again. This time the photographer was ready and I was determined to get some great footage. Most of the higher quality pictures were taken on my second and third attempts. The camera shots were not half bad, but for some reason, I was not able to hit the jump as well as I did the first time. The lower quality picture was the only one I had of my first attempt and it was only a screenshot from a cell phone video.

As the day came to an end, I was satisfied overall of the footage we captured. It was a good, safe run and nothing on my truck was broken. That being said, I figured it was a good idea to quit while I was ahead. As the truck advances and the build becomes more capable, one day I will be able to have an even better photoshoot. Until then, it's just good, clean fun with a bit of dirt on the windshield!

Tacoma Prerunner: Off-Road Suspension

One of the main reasons I made the Toyota Tacoma my truck of choice is its versatility. The Tacoma is the perfect truck to build into a highly capable off-road machine if done right. The term "prerunner" is derived from two-wheel drive trucks that would pre-run an off-road race course before the 4x4 vehicles. Having a 2-wheel drive truck test the course first ensures that the track is prepped and ready for racing. If a prerunner can get through it, then a 4x4 would have no problem. A prerunner is built to imitate the capabilities of a 4-wheel drive truck to its most extreme potential while keeping its two-wheel drivetrain. I will discuss the suspension components of my prerunner build and how they make my truck capable.

Many modifications can be done to make a 2-wheel drive truck worthy of trailing behind a 4x4 to an extent. Although there are many places a 4x4 can go, a well built prerunner can keep up for the most part. Both trucks have different purposes, but a prerunner is built for high speeds across mild to rough terrain. I chose to replace the stock suspension components with all aftermarket off-road racing parts.


FOX Racing Shox
The most prevalent suspension component consisted of a "Fox Racing Shox" kit. This kit included coil over shocks for the front and dual adjustable compression shocks for the rear. All shocks on the truck are equipped with remote reservoirs that improve suspension performance in situations of endurance. When shocks undergo heavy cycling, it causes them to heat up due to the amount of friction present. The remote reservoirs attached to the shock are filled with extra oil that allows the shock to endure high-speed compression rates while keeping it running cool. The extra shock oil helps avoid overheating which would cause equipment failure. The adjustable compression allows me to tune the ride stiffness with the simple turn of a dial. When using my truck as a daily driver on the road, I set the compression to the lowest setting. This ensures a softer ride on the street. When going off-road, I am able to adjust the shocks to a higher compression setting to help absorb impacts on rough terrain. These features alone make the truck highly capable in demanding off-road situations.

Total Chaos UCA
When upgrading to aftermarket shocks, it is necessary to upgrade other surrounding components to accommodate them. One of the parts I had to replace was the stock upper control arm. There are fabrication companies that make these custom replacement parts. I decided to go with Total Chaos upper control arms to pair with my new coilover kit. These aftermarket upper control arms enable the truck suspension to work at its fullest potential. They correct vehicle alignment, allow for extra ride height, and allow the wheel to droop down further providing extra extension for the shock. This extra extension is known as "suspension travel" and it is necessary for a smooth ride off-road. These Total Chaos control arms are stronger and beefier than the stock parts and are a necessity for an off-road build.

Maxtrac Spindles
The next component that I chose to complete the front end are the aftermarket MaxTrac spindles. Spindles are exclusive to two-wheel drive trucks because there are no 4x4 moving parts that interfere with the front end suspension. Spindles are great because they allow the truck to be lifted without changing the suspension geometry. Lifting the truck allows for more underside clearance; this helps avoid rocks and other objects from damaging the truck. It can drive over just about anything.

Deaver Leaf Springs
Last, but not least, are the rear leaf springs. I replaced the stock springs with a Deaver Suspension off-road custom leaf pack. This spring pack is custom and contains more springs than the old one. More springs allows for more ride height and a better ride. All of these components are the heart of the prerunner build and without this suspension, my truck would not be as capable as it is today.