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aioli is just mayo posted:I got really loving lucky. The guy already had a 100 series, bought this for his wife, put in a full set of weathertech mats and new Geolanders, and had the timing belt done. Congrats, that's a really good find. So will we see it at next year's Mid-Atlantic Overland Festival? To be fair the only reason that ad makes any sense to me is that a good friend owns a '99 LX470 so I know exactly what the seller is saying when he's talking about the AHC. When he got it the system mostly worked but labored to keep the truck level and the lines were beginning to show signs of failure. He spent quite some time removing it and restoring the underbody and frame. Then he put a complete Old Man Emu suspension on the truck. By comparison the Toytec kit plus upper control arms I just acquired is going to be child's play for us to install on my '15 4Runner. Well it will be if he doesn't kill me first for hitting him up with stupid newbie questions about wheels and tires because that's likely the next upgrade. Arishtat fucked around with this message at 06:34 on Dec 6, 2017 |
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Dec 6, 2017 06:29
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powderific posted:I’ve been looking at similar vehicles. The GX is really appealing cause around me at least they aren’t any more expensive than an equivalent 4Runner and generally seem to be in better shape. I like that it’s a little different too. The rear air spring delete looks pretty straightforward so i dunno that it’s too big of knock against it. Having owned a 4Runner for a year now here are my personal pros and cons for the vehicle. Pros: - the aftermarket is very strong, many good choices for parts - large and active owner’s community - while not fast the 4.0l V6 is dead reliable - 68x48 cargo area with rear seats folded down - 400w 120v power onboard in the trunk - reclining rear seats - the retractable rear window Cons: - there are too many drat 4Runners out there, particularly 5th gens - stock suspension is set up for a comfortable ride on the road and is therefore squishy and the vehicle nosedives under normal braking - upside down cartridge based oil filter, WTF Toyota? - factory radio is very dated - interior plastics are cheap and the paint wears off easily As you can see the cons are mostly nit picky stuff. Sorting out the front suspension can be done for <$1000 with a pair of coil overs.
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Jul 1, 2018 14:04
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Synthetic winch line isn't cheap, just look at the prices on this search at 4WheelParts.com: https://www.4wheelparts.com/b/winches/cable-synthetic-rope/_/N-clede That being said I opted for synthetic because it is: a) lighter b) doesn't kink c) 1000% less likely to tear your hands up (still you always wear leather gloves when handling winch lines, always!) d) if it parts under tension there is a lot less mass in that giant whip you just created  As you can see in the shot above my winch is well protected from the sun so my main concern is damage from road salt. This past winter was really mild so we only had 2-3 days of brine treatment. After each one I just spooled the thing out and gave it a good rinse in a bucket of mild soapy water and spooled it back up. I live in a very suburban neighborhood so my neighbors must all think I'm insane. :V OK enough yap, check this out:       Back when I first bought the truck I got a set of skid plates from CBI Offroad Fab in raw steel and had them bed linered. That seemed like a great idea at the time, but I have since learned that when you scrape a 5000+lb truck over a rock there ain't nothing that is going to ward that off. Also bed liner just adds yet more weight to the vehicle and when it's scratched up it looks like dead skin peeling so it had to go, at least from the bottom of the plates. My wife kindly did the chemical stripping with some Citrastrip, an overnight marination and then attacked it with a putty knife. She got a good 80% of the material off and I finished off the rest Saturday morning. Then yesterday I hit the plate with a flappy wheel, some rust converting primer, then some regular old self etching primer and a top coat of Glossy Bright Red farm implement paint. As an aside the paint was supposed to be Allis-Chalmers orange but someone at the warehouse messed up and I got red instead, but with an outing coming up Thursday I didn't have time to go do battle with Home Depot's customer service department and I guarantee that it would take a week or more to get the right color in so we're going with red. A side project that didn't turn out so well are these guys:   They're folding shelf brackets to get the awning up high enough to allow the tailgate to go all the way up. I thought I had the problem solved but the slider widget interferes with the bolts / nuts so I'm thinking I'll be needing to make a custom offset block so I can use machine screws on the bracket side (he said bracket!) and keep the bolts on the awning side. For now though I just dismounted the awning and will deal with it in two weeks when I'm back from the event. This post has been brought to you by Garage Cat, may she visit you and bring good fortune to all of your various projects: 
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Aug 5, 2019 12:13
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Ferremit posted:If they're stored clean and away from UV, not really. UV fucks em up and so does wear. That's a good rule of thumb, I'll save that one. One thing I picked up from a class where everyone kind of mixed and matched their recovery gear is that I need to clearly label weight ratings on straps in big bold letters because the manufacturers sometimes like to hide that data on a tiny tag. Also it wouldn't hurt to put my initials on it, perhaps a fabric name tape type thing around the loop would do? My personal practice is to pull out, inspect, and clean any bit of gear that I used on a trip or was exposed to the elements. This habit was introduced to me in the Boy Scouts way back when and then again (with feeling) by the US Army so now it's second nature. A side benefit is that I tend to build in an extra day to vacations to account for this which makes returning to work less painful.
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Aug 7, 2019 12:50
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Tremek posted:Rear bumpers are nuts. The production version of the Slee dual swingout on my 200 is like $6k USD installed (mine is preproduction and was significantly cheaper.) And how! I keep looking at rear bumpers for the 4Runner and bumping that purchase farther and farther down the list because the cost/benefit ratio just isn’t there for me yet. I’m looking at a mere $3000-3500 in parts (installation will be on me) and those dollars could be much better spent going towards a camper trailer or a refrigerator plus secondary power system for the truck. I’ve been looking at the no swing out option as a way to save $$$ but even then we’re talking $2-2.5K. Ok that is enough first world whining from me.  Group photo with friends  Sweet XJ setup, OM606 motor swap, fridge, freezer, hot running water, roof tent, all the comforts of home  Spoiled dog doesn’t get her feets wet  A little custom bracketology mocked up in plywood for a mini awning over the tailgate
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Aug 20, 2019 19:42
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Bremma posted:Oh hey I'm in that shot! From another angle. Can confirm good times were had by all. Props to Bremma for jumping in with both feet and wheeling her FJ first before going all crazy on modifications.
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Aug 23, 2019 11:32
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IOwnCalculus posted:Finally hit dirt for the first time since getting the 8.8 and locker installed in April. Hey man it's better to test it *before* you really need it, right? I have to say I'm really digging the adventures of the Little Troopy That Could. Keep on keepin' on!
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Oct 21, 2020 12:34
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MomJeans420 posted:Calico looks pretty cool, my local bike shop just did a group ride there recently but I wasn't able to go. It's hard to tell from those photos but I'm not sure if even a built GX / 4runner could get through that, maybe the photos make it look tighter than it is. Based on the track width of the Jeep I think that the two videoed obstacles are fine for a properly built GX or 4Runner; the off camberness isn’t great but it’s nice and dry so the tires should stick and keep the vehicle from getting wedged in the ‘Vee’ but that’s just from watching the video, the situation on the ground might be totally different. However, the photo showing the Jeep’s front axle drooping and angle opposite the rear axle would make me look for a bypass, a flatter line or some rocks to stack if no alternative presented itself.
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Jun 26, 2021 05:38
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Trampus posted:I've been running SPC UCAs on my Sequoia for a year and a half and I don't have any complaints. I wouldn't worry about it. I’ve had my SPC upper control arms since Jan 2018 and they’re still going strong. Just in case I bought a spare upper ball joint as that was one of the most common failure points on SPC’s products, but regular re-greasing has kept those spares in the box. The only reason I would change now is if I threw caution (and money) to the wind and went long travel which is kind of a waste on a 4Runner because of other reasons (approach and departure angles are pretty low). I do need to do something about the front coils as the truck is awfully spongy with a full load of belly armor and a front slimline bumper plus winch on board *and* I’m probably adding a second battery to the engine bay in the next year to power accessories. I’ve waffled back and forth over committing to a permanently installed ‘hotel’ battery vs a removable box and I think that the deciding factor is keeping the trunk clutter to a minimum. Getting back to suspension I’m looking at going from what are essentially Billstein 2.0” with 650lbs progressive coils to some kind of 2.5” shock, preferably with adjustable valving and either same springs or 700lbs to account for the added weight up front. That should restore the factory rake (it’s down about an inch from the factory -1”) and cut down on the sponginess. What do you guys think?
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Jun 28, 2021 08:53
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Vampire Panties posted:Thanks, but I already ordered JBA UCAs. I think I can flip the SPC on Facebook to offset most of the cost. The SPCs just look too thin on the truck. I’m on the road this weekend so expect a reply by Wednesday once I’ve gotten to a device with a real keyboard.
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Jul 4, 2021 03:14
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Vampire Panties posted:Thanks, but I already ordered JBA UCAs. I think I can flip the SPC on Facebook to offset most of the cost. The SPCs just look too thin on the truck. Yeeeeah so about that 'I'll reply by Wednesday July somethingorotherth' that obviously didn't happen. I'm 90% satisfied with my current setup which are Toytec BOSS 2.0s (Bilstein 5100s with badge engineering) paired with 700lbs progressive springs + SPC UCAs. Overall I'm very happy with the solution, but they're getting towards the end of their service life and I'm exploring my options for what is next. For reference this is what I have which was purchased and installed at the very end of 2017:  I'm East Coast so any wheeling happens after a 2-4 hour road trip so I'm looking at a progressive setup. My wheeling time is 70% mild trails and 30% moderate off road park technical trails. No washboards to speak of and even if there were that wouldn't be a thing, the only 'racing' I might end up doing is something like rally sweep on well groomed dirt roads which the current setup excels at. I'm also not looking for a set of racing shocks that needs to be rebuilt every 20k miles so stuff like Icon is out the window. Makes / models in consideration at this time: OME BP51s, Fox Factory Race 2.5s, Toytec 2.5s (which look suspiciously like Fox OEMed them for Toytec)
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Sep 9, 2021 12:16
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Splinter posted:Might want to do some research into whether a diff drop even makes sense. I know at least on some Toytoa 120/150 platform vehicles, they do more harm than good: significant reduction in ground clearance for not much change in CV axle angle (which generally aren't even that bad in the first place after a moderate lift). The diff drop is already installed and besides the skid plate is the lowest hanging bit (as it should be) under the nose. Whether or not it is truly necessary is an open debate, but it isn’t hurting anything so I’ll leave well enough alone. Icons and Kings are off the table for precisely the reason you cited, they have a relatively short service life before needing a rebuild which means dealing with swapping them out and shipping them, etc. As for the Dobinsons I have plenty of friends that went with them and results have been very mixed so I’m wary of them in general. None of this is particularly pressing as the wheeling season is winding down but I do want my ducks in a row to take advantage of the coming holiday sales.
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Sep 10, 2021 04:58
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Splinter posted:So far so good with 20k on MRAs on my GX That would have been an issue for 2018 me, but 2021 me has no problem solving the remote reservoir mounting problem if that is even a thing. Splinter posted:But did the diff drop kit not also lower the skid plates in the middle via longer bolts? The issue is since diff drops on these trucks drop the front of the diff, but the axles go in toward the rear of the diff, you only get a fraction of the drop @ the axle (e.g. a 1" drop only drops the axle 0.25" or something like that). Diagram for reference. In other words, if you want to correct CV angle, you actually lose less ground clearance for the same correction just by running less lift in the front. That combined with GXs, 4th gen+ 4Runners and 2nd gen+ Tacos being able to handle a decent amount of lift without making the CV angles too bad is why some say they do more harm than good. Ultimately probably not a huge difference either way if you're not banging rocks a ton. If I were using the OE Toyota or certain model aftermarket skid plates then yes there could be some clearance regained by removing the differential drop, but the way that my skid plates from CBI are mounted (bottom of the core support in the front, the factory skid plate mid mounts, and the transmission crossmember in the rear) means that it fits right around the sway bar and the front diff just barely kisses the top of the plate. These pics that I took to help someone interested in the insert bumper are the closet I have to showing how it's mounted: https://imgur.com/a/nHS8wPk I'm not going to lie it would be nice to get back that inch, but that only really comes into play at the off-road park and only on the more technical trails. My main problem is that when I do go to the park it's usually with a bunch of FJ owners and I occasionally bite off more than I can really chew so to speak:  ...unplanned winch testing due to high centeredness. Splinter posted:FWIW I believe Elka is more of a racing brand too (not that familiar w/ them), though I have to imagine Toytec would ask them to make something more biased to daily driving/longevity. Thank you for bringing that to my attention. I have an open email thread with Toytec regarding my options and will ask them who OEMs that model. Splinter posted:With the Doibs, do you know if they were they nitros, IMS or MRR/MRAs? They've been fine thus far on my end, but friends with bad experiences is an understandable reason to go with something else. Unfortunately not but I can query around. My information may also be out of date as I was paying far more attention to other people's suspension when I was shopping for my own back in late 2017.  Out of curiosity what do you tend to use your GX for and do you have any pics handy? Arishtat fucked around with this message at 11:53 on Sep 10, 2021 |
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Sep 10, 2021 11:48
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. Definitely would've been fine with the IMS (as performance wise they are essentially the same as MRAs if you don't need the extra cooling capacity of the remote reservoirs), but I wanted to be able to swap in stiffer springs as I build out the truck without having to re-valve (and also wanted to be able to dial in the ride, but the default settings were good so I haven't really messed with that much yet). They were also only $2k w/ springs with the black friday sale (though I believe equivalent IMS setup was only around $1100, so really I just hate money). One note about the MRAs is (at least at the time) they didn't have 100% GX specific mounting brackets (e.g. washer fluid reservoir blocks where one of the brackets is supposed to mount -- might have something to do with the differences between US and international Toyota models), so I had to get a bit creative during install (which was annoying and ultimately made the job take a couple hours longer than it otherwise would've). Not sure if that's still the case or if it also applies to Tacos/4runners/FJs.
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ryanrs posted:I have never been on a group 4x4 trip. I only off road solo. So I've always wondered, when you're driving in a group, isn't it just one horrible, insane dust cloud? How does that work? Especially with Jeeps, who seem to make a point about taking off the roof and doors. It does not sound like a fun time, unless you're the lead vehicle. Group trips are fun and easy with anywhere from two to about six vehicles. For every additional vehicle beyond that square the time required for the group as a whole to negotiate obstacles and the amount of general cat herding required as well. Also if you plan to run around on public (non BLM) land especially on the East Coast smaller is better because sometimes the forest rangers take exception to an elephant train of 4x4s fifteen deep trundling down their roads sans group ride permit (yes that's a thing in PA, not it isn't always enforced, but it can be, ask me how I know). Some of my all-time favorite wheeling is rolling around the Class IV roads of Vermont with a small group of friends in search of fun, adventure, and really good food.  We're probably discussing where to grab lunch  Abandoned Dorset marble quarry  Road signs for snowmobilers and four wheelers  Lunch stop @ Long Trail Brewing Company, Bridgewater Corners, VT
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Sep 21, 2021 09:52
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chrisgt posted:That's a real fun place to explore: Heck yeah it is! I’m sorry we didn’t get to meet up but my plans to come to NEFR got scuttled so maybe next year we can form a Toyota based sweep squad? Motronic and his Porsche need some more backup.
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Oct 9, 2021 10:10
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wesleywillis posted:Whats yall's opinions on soft shackles? I got to use mine recently and was very pleased with the results. I will still carry bow shackles for attaching to the recovery points on my vehicle but plan to use soft shackles whenever possible especially in the middle of a rig where there is a potential for lines to part and snap back.
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Oct 30, 2021 01:59
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FogHelmut posted:Anyone ever go far enough that you need to carry extra fuel? In my current vehicle? No, the east coast US has a gas station at least once every 50 miles and even if you’re on some class III or IV road you’re never far from somewhere. Now going out west to the desert or into the wide open spaces of Nevada, Wyoming, Utah, etc? Yeah I’ll pack a five gallon can because on a good day I get 300 miles out of the 4Runner’s tank at 15.3 miles per gallon. The last time I made real use of Jerry cans was crossing the Iraq border in March 2003. My unit rolled with 20 gallons of extra fuel, an equivalent amount of water and food for a month. The nominal range on a Humvee is ~300 miles, but that is on the road so I was constantly topping off the tank and watching for unsuspecting fuel trucks to top off from.
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Dec 30, 2021 19:43
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Splinter posted:Yeah the wife of one of the fab guys supposedly is posting in that thread and said her husband hadn't even finished the Tacoma bumper design and didn't want to even have it released under EO branding. Sounds like they weren't happy either. I'm in the same boat, ordered a bumper last fall with an estimated lead time of 10-12 weeks. At the time I was like, "cool, so we'll set up an installation appointment in like Mar/Apr." Then I kinda forgot about it until my calendar reminded me to contact them and...nothing. It's lovely because I chose them not only for the price but because I grew up in that area and want to support a local business and when I visited their shop they seemed to have their poo poo together. Now I'm just going to let PayPal deal with them and if PayPal can't I'll sic my CC issuer on the case. FYI NE Overlanders is (was?) run by Derek as a means to generate interest and therefore business.
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Jun 9, 2022 13:41
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FogHelmut posted:Hidden winch bumper or front hitch receiver? So I have a low profile bumper with a winch installed and I'll add the following: Hidden winch bumper Pros - like you said winch is there and ready to go Cons - can be a PITA to get at the clutch and winch spool - more weight up front so suspension needs to be adjusted to compensate Front hitch receiver Pros - winch and winch spool easily accessible Cons - generally not as strong a mounting point as a bumper or dedicated winch plate When I installed it I cut two 5" diameter holes in the plastic air dam under the hood so I can get at the winch's relay box (where the wired control hooks up) and the clutch handle. It's also a way to force me to open the hood prior to putting the winch into operation. The whole assembly weighs about ~150lbs and does make the truck a little nose happy when braking. Since installing it in 2019 I've used it...three times I think, twice in one day at an off-road park (once to help a friend and once for my own dumb self) and once another day at the same off-road park (helping a friend out). It bears mentioning that if you do buy a winch with synthetic winch line it's necessary to clean and inspect it periodically for fraying. I do this about twice a year and after any trip to the off-road park whether or not I use it because it invariably gets a dunking in a disgusting PA coal/oil/water mix. Then I rewind it with some tension on the line to ensure that it spools properly. Cleaning is accomplished by dunking the line in a bucket of soapy water and then rinsing it off with the garden hose to evict any remaining mud or other particles. The whole process takes ~15-20 minutes so it's not too painful to do as part of a normal washing of the vehicle.
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Aug 15, 2022 14:56
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FogHelmut posted:Cleaning and maintaining a winch sounds difficult if it's hidden inside a bumper. Cleaning and maintenance isn't a big deal because it's the same thing you'd do for any winch; however, with a hidden winch you want to be super cognizant of making straight pulls and not loading up the line all on one side of the spool because un-loving it will not be a fun job to do.
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Aug 15, 2022 18:27
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FogHelmut posted:It's going to also be a daily driver so I need modern technology and a limited amount of previous owner boogers on everything, and I don't want to spend every weekend fixing something or wondering if X will break/leak soon. I don't mind suspension work, I put Bilstein 6112/5160 on the Colorado which improved everything so much that I don't mind the occasional harshness. I do hate the Icon UCAs that creak no matter how much grease I add and how properly I torque them. Honestly though, I'd prefer to spend more for it to be great from the factory. GX460 all day. It’s the 4Runner’s uptown cousin, but don’t let that fool you; it is still a Toyota truck that does truck things just fine when asked to. What is your definition of ‘modern technology’? Driver aids, infotainment, on board coffee maker, something else?
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Feb 2, 2023 21:01
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To add to the pile I have SPC upper control arms and have not experienced any issues in four years and ~40,000 miles of ownership. I do make sure to stay on top of cleaning the suspension after wheeling and topping off the grease for the upper ball joint but that is the extent of maintenance for me. I should also point out that I live in the mid-Atlantic region so maybe environmental factors are at play as well. Around here the enemy is mostly mod and clay, not sand or fine dust. I will say that anecdotally owner experience with SPC upper control arms varies greatly and the most common complaint i have heard is ball joint failure, especially on earlier models which lacked the grease fitting. Around here at least I haven’t heard of any complaints of bushings acting up, but that might be more common in a drier, dustier environment. The people I hang out with seem to prefer JBA or Camburgs for simple 2-3” lift setups and then I don’t pay too much attention to what the people running 35” and and long travel use because that is above my pay grade and level of interest as far as wheeling goes.
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Feb 6, 2023 07:21
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Vampire Panties posted:
You can try asking Accutune if they'll do an advanced parts replacement in exchange for a refundable deposit. I have no idea if they'll go for that, but it never hurts to ask.
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May 22, 2023 20:19
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I called Accutune this morning (the OG vendor on the shocks + valving) and spoke with them. They ran their calculator and said yeah, I need to go from the Fox 13" 600lb springs to the 14" 650lb springs. Springs are 110 a piece (
) but I guess I have a one-time free revalving as well 