Thursday, April 9, 2020

Long time without updates! New item for the Toyota Tundra guys!

Hey all. Its's been a busy few years, life getting in the way, adulting, etc. So a buddy of mine asked me to help him design a mount for his Switch-Pros 9100 Power Switch Panel in his 2014-2020 Tundra. A few iterations later and we have this lovely beauty.






The pod is made from chopped carbon fiber that is infused into nylon. It is very durable, has excellent heat resistance, surface finish, and chemical resistance. Purchasing link is below. Please be sure to choose the correct version of your Switch-Pros panel, as they have changed sizes a few years back. Any questions, please email me. These are made to order, and take about 9 hours to print. I can usually get it shipped out the next day but if there are delays, I will email the buyer. 

Hectordtruong@gmail.com

Click link below to purchase your applicable model:

Post 03-2017 Switch-Pros Version (3.91"x1.91")
Pre 03-2017 Switch-Pros Version (3.865" x 1.865")

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Subaru Racks still active!

I get emails from time to time asking if I am still selling. If you see the button working below, and parts are in stock, then it should be active. When I sell out, ordering is not possible. Thanks guys!

2021 UPDATE: STILL FOR SALE!!!


Shipping option

Info on install and applications:

GC (2.5 RS) applications!

http://www.rs25.com/forums/f138/190496-wagon-roof-rack-cross-bars-coupe-2.html#post3372537

2002 - 2007 applications!




2015+ applications!


Email me for questions! Thanks guys! Hectordtruong@gmail.com

*NOTE: Some of the threaded holes may feel gritty, please lube and clean up the holes prior to installation if that is the case. This is the result of the bead blasting. Thank you for understanding! 

Subaru Racks still active!

I get emails from time to time asking if I am still selling. If you see the button working below, and parts are in stock, then it should be active. When I sell out, ordering is not possible. Thanks guys!


Shipping option

Info on install and applications:

GC (2.5 RS) applications!

http://www.rs25.com/forums/f138/190496-wagon-roof-rack-cross-bars-coupe-2.html#post3372537

2002 - 2007 applications!




2015+ applications!


Email me for questions! Thanks guys! Hectordtruong@gmail.com

*NOTE: Some of the threaded holes may feel gritty, please lube and clean up the holes prior to installation if that is the case. This is the result of the bead blasting. Thank you for understanding! 

Monday, December 22, 2014

Order Subaru Impreza roof rack brackets HERE! 2002-2007 and 2015+



Shipping option

Info on install and applications:

GC (2.5 RS) applications!

http://www.rs25.com/forums/f138/190496-wagon-roof-rack-cross-bars-coupe-2.html#post3372537

2002 - 2007 applications!




2015+ applications!


Email me for questions! Thanks guys! Hectordtruong@gmail.com

*NOTE: Some of the threaded holes may feel gritty, please lube and clean up the holes prior to installation if that is the case. This is the result of the bead blasting. Thank you for understanding! 

Friday, January 3, 2014

Now accepting Bitcoin for Subaru Brackets!

I am now accepting Bitcoin for online transactions along with the usual Paypal!


 Please email me and provide the shipping address! Thank you!

Monday, July 1, 2013

Subaru roof rack brackets

Just got some more in. Purchase them before they run out again!  


Shipping option


Pay With Bitcoin 

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Long time since posting!

So a few months have gone by and I've just been busy with applying for school, working and just a few projects here and there. Still doing iPhone repairs, sold the classic mini project, but picked up something else. (pics below). Hopefully I can post some of the more recent repairs I've done, not iPhone related, but still in the realms of micro-soldering. Stay tuned!

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Help me raise some funds!!!

My company is at it again, we're raising money to help prevent and cure blindness! Please donate anything you can spare. There is no minimum really, you can enter your own value! 


Thank you!!!!

Also visit my customer's site, they have a fitness app where you can download and stay motivated to be healthy: http://slimkicker.com/

Hectordtruong@gmail.com

Friday, February 17, 2012

More Subaru Roof Rack Brackets made

I have a small batch that I made. These will ONLY include the brackets and the hardware. No silicone. If you want silicone, email me and I can include it for an extra fee (I have a few tubes left). These will be ready for shipment more than likely 2-18-12.

Shipping option

7-02-12: More made! Order before they run out again!

Price reduction due to the elimination of the silicone. 

Info for these brackets can be read here: http://hectordtruong.blogspot.com/2011/02/okay-time-for-some-car-stuff.html

NASIOC thread: http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2165823

Email me any questions or start a NASIOC thread and point me to it if you want me to answer anything specific. The current one was locked since I am not a vendor, so keep it purely informational. No discussion about costs, etc. Thanks!

Hectordtruong@gmail.com

Thursday, January 26, 2012

First blog post from the phone!

Just a pic of the whip with my custom rack set up and yakima basket.

Monday, December 5, 2011

Iphone 4 antenna connector smashed?

This was a strange repair, pretty rare but a repair nonetheless. Customer complained of bad reception after a screen repair, and they kind of mushed their antenna connector. For those of you that do iPhone repairs, this is similar to the #6, and #7 connector on the 3G and/or 3GS. Fairly straight forward repair. Customer was happy in the end to say the least :)


Email me for inquiries! Hectordtruong@gmail.com

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

(Regarding the #3 connector) There are a lot of unqualified repair "shops" out there....

So it's been awhile since I've posted anything. Very busy for the last few weeks/months. I have also received quite a bit of emails from people regarding the infamous #3 connector and had to turn people away. NOT because I can't do it, but because someone else, or some other "shop" has tried and then went and totally fucked shit up. I say this in the most professional way I can, because some of these boards are FUBAR'd. Anyhow, I would like to tell anyone that is reading this, PLEASE DON'T LET ANYONE experiment with your phone!!!

I have done probably thousands of these repairs now, and I pretty much started this movement! Haha. Google me (hectordtruong or krazy) and you will see a lot of activity regarding this connector, and myself. I will post an example of a failed repair attempt... from a full blown "repair shop."

Typical "repair shop" quality.

So please, if you don't wan't your phone to look like this, don't send it to anyone else. 

Contact me to save your phone from looking like that! Hectordtruong@gmail.com

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Iphone 4 battery connector pulled off? Here's the fix!

So you went to change your battery in your iPhone 4, or you opened it up to change out the housing, and you made a big mistake and used to much force. The connector comes up with the battery, you rip out one or two of the solder pads, then you realized that you need to put this down and give it to a professional.

Look familiar?

Here are the repair pics, during and done.

 The solder pad was repaired, and trace recovered. Even if completely torn out, I believe this can be fixed as the circuitry is nearby and not very difficult to do if you know what you're doing. I have ordered a few of these connectors, and will be offering this service very soon. Questions, please email me! Thanks!

Hectordtruong@gmail.com

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Help me raise some funds!!!

The company I work for is in Ophthalmology, and we deal greatly with diseases relating to blindness. I am trying to raise money for the Orange County VisionWalk, and would greatly appreciate it if you could contribute anything. Whether it be $5 or $500, all donations will be greatly appreciated and will go towards continual efforts at finding a cure for blindness. You can make donations directly on the site:

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Compare, OLD versus NEW. Which looks more sturdy?

At left is the stock bracket, at right is mine. Which one would you depend on more to hold hundreds of dollars on the roof of your car? :)



This is what you will get in the package:
SEE ABOVE POSTS FOR ORDERING.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Subaru Impreza WRX Roof Rack Brackets made and ready for ordering!





The brackets are made, and ready for sale! Each purchase will consist of 4 brackets made from 303 Stainless Steel, with a threaded hole to accommodate the M6x1.0 Socket Head Cap Screws that come with the Yakima Landing Pad #11 kit. Also included will be 8pcs of 18-8 SS Socket Head Cap Screws, and some clear OR black silicone/RTV for sealing. You will reuse your M6 nuts from the car. Shipping is flat rate of $5usd for those in the US (international shipping is like $10usd more), and total package price of $85usd shipped. 

Contact me if you want to purchase more than one set and I can give you a combined shipping total.  Thanks for the interest!

PS: As I've stated on the forums, the first 10 people to do a write-up/DIY and review with pics will receive $10usd cash back incentives.
Hectordtruong@gmail.com




SEE POSTS UP ABOVE FOR ORDERING


Installed on my car. Installation post will be up SOON!

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

#3 ribbon replacement DIY

Just giving back to the community. Please comment if you were able to use this guide and it helped.


Contact me if you still can't do it, and I can do it for you. 

Hectordtruong@gmail.com

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

#6 and #7 connector damaged? I can repair it!!

So do you have no service issues, or even wifi issues? Although this may not be the root cause, sometimes it can actually help to have a proper, secure connection to these antenna grounding points. The dreaded #6 and #7 (3GS) connections are radio antenna  points. Many of times people put their phones back together and they rush things, don't have proper lighting, have poor eyesight, or even just being careless, they can damage this little, fragile connector. 

Before panic and throw your phone out the window, read on. THIS CAN BE FIXED! I found someone selling the connectors and I bought a few. I have done a few of these repairs, and they are pretty straight forward with the right equipment and expertise. Below are the pictures of the surgery!

Old connector removed
At the top of the post, you see the original connector in pretty bad shape. No longer did it accept the ribbon side, it can also damage a new ribbon as well. Be careful trying to force anything, these things shouldn't be forced. Onto the next step!

Tada! The new one on, secure and pristine!
There you go folks, another happy customer!

Contact me for this service!  
Hectordtruong@gmail.com

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Okay time for some car stuff, specifically SUBARU stuff

This is something I have been working on for awhile. I have a 2004 Subaru WRX Impreza STi, it is my daily driver, and dependable ride. I frequent the mountains, like to ride bikes here and there, and like to just use my car to its fully capability. So this brings me to the purpose of this post.

I like to run a roof rack on my car. Personal preference is function over form, but after awhile things start to look hokey and just not refined. Originally, I had the EDM Subaru rack for my car, which was specifically made for the European Subaru Imprezas.

A little known fact about Imprezas (2001-2007), is that they are all made with hidden brackets that allow for the provisions of the EDM roof rack. The EDM rack was tall, ugly, and noisy, although it fit perfectly without damaging my roof, I hated it. I then went to a different route, by modifying a Yakima rack that uses Q-clips, so that the clips attach to the existing "hidden" brackets, and not the window sill edge of the car. Here you see the typical set up and mine, modified.

















So this brings us to my idea, which was to be able to use the newer style Yakima Landing Pad and Control Towers with the older type Imprezas. These are the same type of racks used on the 2008+ Subarus, as well as BMW and Mercedes. The newer cars have a threaded hole in the roof frame which allow for the Yakima Landing Pads to attach to. My idea then came to fruition by way of a DIY I helped collaborate. The original was intended for a Thule set up, but I did all the research I needed for a Yakima set up. Here is the DIY post topic for that on my local forum:

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showpost.php?p=29282963&postcount=35

After realizing the pitfalls of drilling and tapping a fairly thin piece of mild steel, I went ahead and used Solidworks to CAD up a simple bracket. The bracket basically replaced the stock bracket and allows for a secure and strong alternative to other options. Which leads me to this, stock bracket on the car, and the CAD model bracket:

























http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2100812

I decided to enlist in some people I know to manufacture them for me on a limited run to see how they will do. They are strictly vehicle specific, but if you're me, and you love your Subaru, these are perfect for a strong alternative to typical roof rack set ups. SOOOOO... here are the prototypes! They are in raw form. The final ones should be made from 7075 Aluminum for strength, and probably anodized black or clear. They will include hardware, silicone, and you just reuse the nuts on your brackets. To get to them, you have to pull down portions of the headliner but it shouldn't be too difficult. These are specifically made for Yakima Landing Pads, using M8 bolts they provide in the kit. Thule kits have a different set up that isn't as robust, and don't look as streamlined. Final production versions will probably have only 1-2 threaded holes for to be able to vary the distance between towers, this minimizes cost of tapping an additional hole as well. Here are the pics of the brackets alongside the OEM flimsy one.




Please contact me via email if you're definitely interested. I cannot technically sell these on my forum since I am not a vendor, but we can work something out. My email is posted all over the place in this blog. Once I test fit these on my car, I will give the word to get them made, and it will be done in no time. I am thinking end of February. The car is currently in the shop, so I cannot test-fit them. These are going to probably cost around the same as 2 sets of Yakima Q-clips, so they are definitely affordable. Thanks for reading!

Hectordtruong@gmail.com