{"id":6471,"date":"2023-10-04T14:01:02","date_gmt":"2023-10-04T22:01:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.chaosfab.com\/lifestyle\/?p=6471"},"modified":"2023-10-09T07:58:16","modified_gmt":"2023-10-09T15:58:16","slug":"desk-to-glory-tundra-house-on-wheels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chaosfab.com\/lifestyle\/blog\/desk-to-glory-tundra-house-on-wheels\/","title":{"rendered":"Desk To Glory Tundra House On Wheels"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Text and images by Richard Giordano of Desk to Glory.<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

There are many reasons why long term international travelers generally shy away from aftermarket parts, but over the years we have found that there are just as many reasons to select a few high-quality components that will help us stay out longer, increase the overall durability of our vehicle, and allow us to maintain or repair our vehicle in the field – all with fewer spare parts on hand. In our case, we\u2019re shipping our North American designed and built Tundra to Europe. From there we expect to find ourselves in Northern Africa and beyond. Sure, this Second Gen Tundra shares a plethora of parts with the venerable 200 Series Land Cruiser, but it does have plenty of proprietary components that may be harder to find overseas. Using a selection of TOTAL CHAOS Fabrication parts we\u2019ve increased overall strength and performance of our suspension and made it easier to service worldwide at the same time.<\/p>\n

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Reinforcing Known Weak Links<\/h3>\n

When the factory suspension was removed we installed cam tab gussets and spindle gussets to increase the strength of the weak OEM pieces. The tall and skinny Tundra spindle is prone to bending under stress, so reinforcing them with TOTAL CHAOS spindle gussets <\/a><\/strong>was a no-brainer. As noted in Toyota Cam Tab Gussets: Do I Need Them?<\/a>, <\/strong>cam tab gussets replace the weak factory plates that are vulnerable to deflection or shearing under high impacts. This can throw the alignment off and wear out tires prematurely.<\/p>\n

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TOTAL CHAOS cam tab gussets help ensure your vehicle retains its alignment specifications.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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TOTAL CHAOS Cam Tab Gussets replace the weak factory alignment cam tab plates that bend during bottom outs or hard front impacts.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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The intention when installing these pieces was not because we regularly abuse our home-on-wheels when traveling, but for those unforeseen instances when inadvertently hit a Mexican top\u00e9, monstrous pothole in Houston, or G-out in Morocco. If these instances occur, and all that\u2019s necessary is to rearrange some things in the camper or field-align the truck, that\u2019s a lot better than having to deal with a sheared off cam tab, or a bent spindle.<\/p>\n

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TOTAL CHAOS Serviceable Control Arms<\/h3>\n

The second generation Tundra\u2019s control arms are unique to the truck, so adding stronger and rebuildable TOTAL CHAOS upper and lower control arms made perfect sense instead of sourcing complete replacement OEM control arms. Urethane bushings reduce deflection, lower control arms retain sway bar mounts, and the upper control arm\u2019s inherent design provides an additional one-inch of wheel travel when paired with longer shocks. This, combined with the ability to retain factory alignment specs when lifted, means that our heavily laden Tundra continues to perform well on and off-pavement.<\/p>\n

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TOTAL CHAOS Upper Control Arms are one of the first upgrades we recommend to any Toyota owner.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Factory lower control arms are not rebuildable. Why replace when you can upgrade?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Regular lubrication keeps the noise down, and the zerk fittings make this process super simple.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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After installation and an alignment we marked each cam bolt with a paint pen. At a glance we can now see if anything has moved. There is still the potential for these bolts to rotate under very hard impacts, but with gussets and paint marks in place we can reset the alignment in the field.<\/p>\n

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TOTAL CHAOS UCAs can be paired with any brand coilover, assuming they have the appropriate amount of travel.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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The sway bar provision on TOTAL CHAOS LCAs means you don’t have to make any compromises.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Replacement Parts and Tools<\/h3>\n

To ensure that we have the parts necessary to maintain the control arms when abroad we packed the following items in the truck:<\/p>\n