Operation Rebuild Chaos Edition

[Good Times]

During my last Death Valley trip back in April 2007, my 4runner sustained heavy damages to an accident caused by driver error on all parties. Unfortunately the accident resulted in an inoperable 4runner and a heated debate on whether or not to repair or total it. After many months of discussion the decision to rebuild has now been set in place.

With the help of many friends and vendors the 4runner will be rebuilt better than version 1.0. The goal is to remove the entire engine sheet metal and replace it with a tubed front end which will be stronger and lighter. A new bumper will be designed in conjunction with the tubed front end.

Parts that I'll need to replace:
Hood - one with hood scoop will be nice
Headlamps - 2006+ would be nice
Radiator
A/C Condenser
Tranny Cooler
Power Steering Cooler - aftermarket
HID bulbs - So it'll be the same as it used to be
Air Box and tubing to throttle body
Misc other crap

I will probably keep my stock fan and not use an electric fan. Not sure but that's the plan as I don't want to incur additional costs on the repairs. Trying to keep the $$ down to a minimum since this is all out of pocket :(

Now to the good stuff. Pictures!

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/DSC_4538.jpg

Here's what it looks like at home:

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/DSC_4750.jpg

The first phase is to remove all parts inside the engine bay. Here's a shot of the passenger side after a bit of work.

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/DSC_4756.jpg

Got most of the drivers side cleaned up as well as the front end but no pictures. I'll start to cut the sheet metal tomorrow and will keep all of ya posted on the ongoing results.

[Cebby]

This is going to be awesome!!

[amgraham]

Glad to see you're getting to work on it Lance! It'll be cool to see what you come up with on version 2.0 :D

[slosurfer]

:thumbup: Nice to see this, Lance. Wish you lived closer so I could help out. You guys need to work fast, Pismo will make for a great unvealing. :king:

[Good Times]

Pismo would be nice and I'll do my best to bring it then but it's gonna be a toughie!

[reggie 00]

Plenty of time. Its just a couple scratches.



Good luck and hope you have fun... Otherwise it wont be worth it.

[Seanz0rz]

it'll buff out.

[reggie 00]

it'll buff out.


Ya Chicks dig Body Damage.

[slosurfer]

Pismo would be nice and I'll do my best to bring it then but it's gonna be a toughie!


Wow, that would be cool! I was really just kidding, but dude if you guys could pull it off that would be cool. Plus you need to take version 2.0 pics at Pismo since thats where most of your modeling pics for 1.0 were taken.

[xonetruthcrewx]

Damn dude, congrats on rebuilding it. It really sucks what happened but hell, sh*t happens. Cant wait to see the outcome of it and that would be super cool if it was ready in time for Pismo. Dont forget, have fun with it. :thumbup:

[YotaFun]

Congrats on the rebuild.

My motto to myself comes to mind when I see this build...
If it needs to be fixed or replaced, why not just upgrade.

And since you will be changing to a tubed front end, its an upgrade.

Wish I could help, but my mechanical skills are still in the nill...
(I already have my own issues to deal with...)

Good luck, and gods speed on the recovery!

[Bob98SR5]

this should be fun :) today, i helped lance cut the sheet metal..well actually, i was holding, he was cutting. though lance let me take the sawzall to the front portion for kicks :D i'm going to have to do this to the veggie benz to cut out the rust and weld some panels in, so this is good practice.

lance showed me the designs. shoudl be cool and a good learning experience. i am sure it will look as good as this when it is all finished:

http://www.canadiandriver.com/testdrives/images/01aztek_awd1-1.jpg

:hillbill:

[Good Times]

har har bob! that's it, you're not gettin any of my scrap metal to practice welding on! :flipoff:

Here's some more pictures... the freaky stuff!

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/DSC_4764.jpg

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/DSC_4765.jpg

cuttin up the sheet metal was fun. didn't take much to really cut into the metal. now I just need to clean up the mess and start on the tubing work :)

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/DSC_4760.jpg

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/DSC_4762.jpg

thank you bob and sunny for dropping by to give me a hand :) tubing work will begin shortly. well as soon as I get all of the equipment/parts for em.

[MTL_4runner]

Lance, can I state the obvious and say now would be a good time to change your engine belts. :spit:

J/K

Keep those pics coming!

[slosurfer]

Lance, nice progress. Sometimes just getting started is the hardest part.

I have a broken ass shade popup you could borrow so that you aren't working in the sun.

[iceman601]

Wow that looks like a pretty big chunk you cut out. Were the inner fender aprons and wheel wells all bent up beyond repair? Are you going to replace all the needed parts with OEM ones or the taiwanese parts?

I took on a project similar to this about 2 weeks ago when my brother rear ended his camry. I hacked off all the damaged parts and replaced it with the taiwanese parts because I was on a tight budget. I finished the car in 3 days and I can tell you that the taiwanese parts need a lot of work and adjustment to fit properly.

How far are you from the San Gabriel/Alhambra area?...I think I can lend a helping hand during the weekends in hopes to it running for Pismo.

[Good Times]

Chris, you didn't return that canopy? man if you didn't my bad dude... tell me how much it was cuz i owe ya for the boo boo on my part. if you want, I can pick one up locally and just bring it up to pismo for ya.

Jamie, the first thing I did before cutting stuff up was making sure the engine runs smoothly. it started up like crap but did run (surprised though cuz many of the sensors were disconnected!). I checked the belt (actually removed it and checked for wear and tear) and it's still good. Well it only has 51k or so miles so it's not much. Though I am probably gonna do a major clean up while it's got plenty of room!

iceman, the only parts I'm going to get are a radiator/auto tranny cooler, a/c condenser and an air box (the box definitely ate it). The sheet metal will not be replaced as I'm just going to tube the front end. It'll look interesting as the front end should look like a race truck once it's done. guess it'll definitely one unique 4th gen. :chair: I'm minutes from KKD so if you ever want to drop by let me know. I probably won't need help for a few weeks until I get all of the parts and equipment sorted.

[slosurfer]

Chris, you didn't return that canopy? man if you didn't my bad dude... tell me how much it was cuz i owe ya for the boo boo on my part. if you want, I can pick one up locally and just bring it up to pismo for ya.


I just haven't had time to return it. I'm sure it won't be a problem. I was just kidding you, plus you only made it more broken, it was kind of broke right out of the box. The only thing that could happen, is the store doesn't take it back and they make me go through the company for the warranty. I don't think that will happen since it was broke right out of the box.

Seriously though, you may want to consider getting one to work under, so you are out of the heat.

Edit: I returned it today with no problems, other than needing three different employees to figure out how to put it in the computer. :spank:

[Seanz0rz]

i used mine to work on the vehicles as i cant fit 2 of them into the garage (mine and dads f250) until one of the legs broke at a weak spot. i still need to fix that...

ive had so many weird sunburn lines from working on one side of the vehicle all day and being burned in a line from the hood!

[Bob98SR5]

well, the project has taken a step in the positive direction. this weekend, i headed up to lance's place to help him install his tube bender. i rented a rotohammer for the job and we headed to home depot to pick up some red something or rather concrete sleeves for the 1/2 bolts.

ok, this was pretty fun! so here's some pics:

holes marked
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w177/bob98sr5/Tube%20bender/IMG_4392.jpg

poser!
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w177/bob98sr5/Tube%20bender/IMG_4393.jpg

and here's a little vid of the drilling:
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w177/bob98sr5/Tube%20bender/th_MVI_4394.jpg (http://s176.photobucket.com/albums/w177/bob98sr5/Tube%20bender/?action=view&current=MVI_4394.flv)

drilling the hole w/ that beast sure was fun! went thru 4" of concrete like butter. oh, think of the possibilties:

- my brother's ex-wife
- a former boss, that forked tongue beotch
- noam chomsky

:hillbill:

[neliconcept]

Bob you scare the hell out of me lol

[paddlenbike]

Too much fun!

[Good Times]

Thanks Bob for the manual labor :)

Man getting these tube bent and spot welding and attempting to level it is no fun. Now if I had the proper tools this would have been a piece of cake but what can I say, I love working hard on the easy stuff. With an extra set of hands the tubing was corrected. As for the bent tube for the passenger side, need not worry that was one of those "oops my bad" moments where I didn't calculate my bends correctly. Instead of starting with a new stick I just decided to use this one since the ends will get cut off. The ends will eventually be the point of reference for the top support on the bumper. This way the bumper is not only reinforced at the frame but also at the top to prevent snapping up like the last bumper.

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/DSC_4766.jpg

Scab plates welded to the frame and then the tubes on to the plates. This way it's on there and won't come off (unless my welds are crappy). Tied them into the existing tubing work on the long travel kit. I guess this kit is a permanent thing now since I have no plans on going back now.

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/DSC_4768.jpg

Test fit of the radiator to make sure it fits between the rails and also lining up the tabs for the mounts. The small tube across the front is for the condenser as they are mounted in the middle and top (strange that it's done this way and not at the top and bottom like the radiator.)

Thanks to Troy at Cal Mini Trucks (http://calminitruck.com/) who hooked me up with the new radiator and ac condenser. I was expected to pick up some used parts and he came thru with the new stuff :) LOVE IT! If any of ya guys are looking for any Toyota stuff, he's the guy to call. Very friendly and my gosh they got a ton of Toyota stuff! I was surprised to see so many Toyota parts there. It's Toyota heaven :)

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/DSC_4769.jpg


http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/DSC_4770.jpg

Ahh the condenser is now mounted. Didn't get a chance to get the top but that'll happen next. A test mock up of the top tube to protect the radiator.. In case I decide to belly flop or something (you never know). Also to reinforce the front and strengthen it.

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/DSC_4771.jpg


http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/DSC_4772.jpg

Some things to note: the frame ends has been cut off. It was so mangled that there was no hope in reusing it. Not that I would have anyway because I wanted to cut it so I have a better approach angle. The new bumper will be designed to wrap around the frame and also be supported by the upper tubes to box everything up. The front end will be very rigid and hopefully be able to survive anything that approaches :)

Design on the front bumper... tba.. but I'm running out of time. As for the hood/grill, headlamps and fenders, those will be mounted on a separate sub-tube frame that'll be attached to the body (by the firewall). The basic principal for this is because the body and the frame are two separate entities, if I were to make the front end rigid (fenders + frame) then something will give when the body flexes. So instead I'm going to have to setup a complex dual subframe setup in the engine area (one for the frame - as shown above) and another one just for the body panels. Should look slick when done but a whole heck of a lot of trail and errors!

Next up... tranny and power steering coolers. Instead of using the stock tranny cooler (which took a beating), I picked up the Hayden 678 cooler (the most commonly done mod). My aftermarket power steering cooler didn't survive either so the Hayden 678 will do too. Good thing the local shop had a few in stock. Looks like I've got a lot of work ahead of me.

This weekend will be building mounts for the tranny/steering coolers and also make a new dual battery tray. Somehow make some mounts to secure the big fuse box on the drivers side too. Once this is all completed I should be rocking and rolling. Just need to change out the belt and reconnect everything. Flush all fluids and do some maintenance. Hopefully it'll be up and running by mid next week.

Still pushing for the Pismo event but a lot of work to do. ugh!

[xonetruthcrewx]

Damn Lance, that is a lot of work. Tedious work at that. Gets really frustrating at times huh? Its gonna be dope when its finished though, a hell of a sense of accomplishment also. I hope you can get it done in time for Pismo. That would be sweet. Lots of work though. If i was closer i would cruise over and give you a hand. Good luck on getting her back up and running man.

[slosurfer]

:thumbup: Look what you can do with a little churro power!

Seriously though, it looks like you guys are making a ton of headway, keep it up! :clap:

[freejake3]

Might be a good idea to put a real cross-member between the frame horns
while she's open. JAT. Looking good so far.

[Robinhood4x4]

I see you're bringing order to chaos. :rofl:

That's a fricken huge radiator.

[YotaFun]

Looking Good Lance.

Any luck on sourcing the hood or the 06' Head lamps?

[Good Times]

Troy at Cal Mini Truck found me a brand spanking new hood (no paint just primer) for sale. Gotta love it when they go out of their way to find new stuff :) He's still looking for the pair of lamps though.

[97kurt]

Any thoughts on using a 05+ taco hood? They wont have grill attached which may be good (or not) for what your trying to do.

[Good Times]

I thought about the taco hood but that means using the taco headlamp assembly. I don't particularly like those because of the single bulb dual filament stuff. Much rather go with the 06+ headlamp which has the projector stuff so I can swap it out with HID's (like my last ones)

[cooldry]

Dude, I knew you got into an accident, but man, looking at the pics. Breaks my heart. Poor, poor runner. Oh yeah, you too Lance. :P I gotta say, I'm impressed with what you and Bob are doing. Can't wait to see the final result. As long as you're doing all this, why not just make me a rear bumper. If you do, I promise to take you and Bob our for dinner and one beer. Only one though, I don't want to spend too much on that bumper. :rofl:

[slosurfer]

What did you guys get done today? :flipoff:



why not just make me a rear bumper. If you do, I promise to take you and Bob our for dinner and one beer. Only one though, I don't want to spend too much on that bumper. :rofl:


:spit: :rofl: and don't try to be sneaky and get any of that microbrew either, that's too much $$$. :lol:

[wifesaysimadumbass]

lance im stoked to see you rebuilding it.... all that tube will be so much better then sheetmetal anyways

[Good Times]

David, how about I make you a cardboard bumper :D I can easily do that in no time!!

Chris, dude ya gotta give me some time to shower and take some pix! Just because of that I should just keep these pix and PM everyone else and keep you in suspense :tongueout:

Mikey, yeah I hear ya. Now my front is gonna be bullet proof :)

Things we got done today:


Got the Toyota factory hood "temporarily" installed - I didn't realize that it's a factory hood that Troy at Cal Mini Trucks got me. Damn that guy just keeps on surprising me with the cool stuff he finds :D
Mounted the tranny cooler - Hayden 678 Cooler (Can't go wrong with this one)
Mounted the power steering cooler - Hayden 678 Cooler (shoot if it works for the tranny then it should also work for the power steering)
Battery tray cut out (still have to bend some parts and make it so it'll hold the battery but it's a start).
Fuse box mounts made (still need to make one additional top plate w/ welded nut)
Cut off front body mount so I can relocate it
Hood liner removed from damaged hood

Things to do for tomorrow:


I need to fix the darn tranny and power steering coolers as they are sitting too high and I don't like it. So I need to take those tacks off and redo em.
Finish the battery tray
Finish the fuse box mount
Begin building the air compressor mount
Figure out if I can install the hood latch somehow.


Other pending items...


reinstall hood liner
remove and reinstall wiper washer lines
air box
reconnect all wiring
build power steering reservoir mount
build radiator fluid overflow container mount
build washer fluid mount
flush all fluids and do basic maintenance
install new belt
build sub frame for headlamp and fenders
build front bumper
charge a/c
paint hood?
prob some other stuff I'm forgetting

enjoy the pix :clap:

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/DSC_4773.jpg

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/DSC_4774.jpg

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/DSC_4775.jpg

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/DSC_4776.jpg

Things I found in my wreckage trash bag. lots of busted and trashed item but one of my Lightforce 240 XGT housing survived :) The mount was toast but the other Lightforce had a damaged housing and a good mount so now I've got one good 240 XGT!!! yay! Also one of the 170's survived too :) looks like I've got a lop sided lamp setup haha.

[slosurfer]

Chris, dude ya gotta give me some time to shower and take some pix! Just because of that I should just keep these pix and PM everyone else and keep you in suspense :tongueout:


:lol: I was getting tired of the "alphabet game" thread being the only one bumped today. :gay:

Wow, you guys are cookin' on that thing, way to go. As for the hood latch, I would suggest a racing hood latch and pin (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CNNFSE/ref=nosim/?tag=dealtime-auto-20&creative=380333&creativeASIN=B000CNNFSE&linkCode=asn) at the top of your fender bends or in that general area and maybe some hood struts in there.

struts at expo (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7675)

[slosurfer]

David, how about I make you a cardboard bumper :D I can easily do that in no time!!


A cardboard one would work for him, I don't think that LC goes anywhere. :tongueout: :flipoff:

[Good Times]

Chris, I still have my stock struts :) Just didn't want to connect em cuz the hood's coming off later on. As for the latch that's just an attempt to make it look stock but if I run out of time I'm just going to go with the hood pins. Just not sure if I want to though. we'll see.

I'm starting to make a daily list of stuff to do and man 3 more weekends... ugh gonna be a tight one at best.

[slosurfer]

I can't believe there are only 3 weekends left! I had a ton of things I was going to do to the 4runner, not sure if I can now. :tapedshut:

Glad to hear that some things made it through like your hood struts and light parts. I saw these when I googled "hood latch and pins"
http://www.deftracing.com/aerocatch_hood_pins/index.htm
I thought they were kind of cool, pricey, but cool. Just thought I would share them since I had never seen anything like that before.

Have fun working today. I may start installing my lights today, errr light harness I should say. Only the box with the combo lens covers and wiring harness showed up, lol.

[xonetruthcrewx]

Glad to hear that some things made it through like your hood struts and light parts. I saw these when I googled "hood latch and pins"
http://www.deftracing.com/aerocatch_hood_pins/index.htm
I thought they were kind of cool, pricey, but cool. Just thought I would share them since I had never seen anything like that before.


That is the exact style hood pins i was going to post. A few of my Audi friends are running those on their CF hoods. They are damn sweet. You should definitely go that route. They can easily be painted too.

[jrallan26]

Lance,

Glad to see you getting busy on the 4runner! Put Bob to work... Wish I could give you a hand, let me know if you need any advise/ help with any sheetmetal.

Lets all meet up and kidnap Fuster and make him work on Lance's truck... Im sure he wont mind... He probably bored in Utah....

[Good Times]

Thanks for the support guys :) The heat goes away and now we get rain, go figure.

Sorry no pics. Maybe tomorrow when I get some more support. Bob, Bruce and Sunny will be dropping by to lend a hand :) woo hoo!

Things I got done today:

* Remounted tranny and power steering cooler
* Welded up battery tray
* Air Compressor plate made and mounted to the engine tube frame
* Began rebuilding tire carrier for rear bumper.

Things to do for tomorrow:

* Weld fuse box mount
* Build mounts/tab for air box
* Mount battery tray
* reinstall hood liner
* remove and reinstall wiper washer lines
* build power steering reservoir mount
* build radiator fluid overflow container mount
* build washer fluid mount

Other pending items...

* build sub frame for headlamp and fenders
* build front bumper
* buy used air box
* buy used headlamps (06+)
* buy hood pin locks
* buy new belt
* buy fluids
* reconnect all wiring
* flush all fluids and do basic maintenance
* install new belt
* charge a/c
* paint hood?
* prob some other stuff I'm forgetting

Coming along nicely. Tomorrow will be big as we'll have most of the parts reinstalled back in the engine bay. It'll actually look more like something rather than a hunk of junk :chair: Hopefully we'll be able to fire her up next weekend after doing the basic maintenance stuff.

[slosurfer]

:popcorn: :thumbup:

[Good Times]

Chris you're gonna hate me but no pics again. It's too dark and I just finished cleaning up. Long day today but got some critical stuff done.

Bruce, thanks for dropping by and giving me some tips on the subframe for the fenders/headlamp assembly. Thanks also for inspecting the fan clutch and to notice that is was indeed bad :( guess I gotta find me one of these too now.

Things I got done today:

* Remounted tranny and power steering cooler (again - the damn hood was hitting it and definitely wasn't gonna look good lining up the fenders)
* Welded up battery tray (again - the dual tray was a no go as there was no room. So I ended up cutting it in half and making two.)
* Welded fuse box mount.
* Built tab mounts for air box but it sat too low so when the tire is at full compression would smack it. Cut it off and have to figure something else out. Really don't want to use an aftermarket air box but the darn factory one is pretty ginormous.
* Body mount relocated (tack welded)
* Driver side subframe tack welded to relocated body mount
* New subframe now features driver side headlamp!!!!
* Reinforced subframe (all tack welded for now)

Things to do for this week:

* Build passenger side subframe
* Reinforce fuse box by adding another "L" bracket
* add another mount for driver side headlamp
* Build mounts/tab for air box
* Mount battery tray
* reinstall hood liner
* remove and reinstall wiper washer lines
* build power steering reservoir mount (use big hose clamp style design somehow)
* build radiator fluid overflow container mount
* build washer fluid mount

Other pending items...

* build front bumper
* buy used fan clutch
* buy used air box
* buy used headlamps (06+)
* buy hood pin locks
* buy new belt
* buy fluids
* reconnect all wiring
* flush all fluids and do basic maintenance
* install new belt
* charge a/c
* paint hood?
* prob some other stuff I'm forgetting

When I get pics of the driver side subframe section that'll really look cool. Got the hood lined up with the fenders to make sure it lines up perfectly and also got to install the driver side headlamp!! So right now I have one side pretty much done. All I need to do is weld her up and then reinstall the fender and the driver side looks like it's back to normal. :) Pics in the morning :clap: Bruce said that I've got a lot of work to do and getting it done in 2 weekends may be a challenge :spank: Guess I'm gonna have to work double time now :confused:

In the process of moving the A/C lines I may have inadvertently kinked the high pressure line. Not sure but I'm hoping this is not the case. If not I guess I'll have to figure out a way to replace it cuz I definitely need my A/C :tapedshut: Good thing I really don't need it right now!

[Bob98SR5]

lance,

sorry i couldnt make it today. tell ya later ;)

see, i tollll youuu!! that shizzle was too high :) anyways, glad you got it taken care of.

man, that list is quite long. hey, as long as i dont have to sit and drill holes for 2 hrs, i'm game again this weekend :hillbill:

you wanna hit the junkyard that i was talking about to get the rest of that stuff?

painting hood: why dont you let yoko put another cat on it :rofl:

[callmej75]

Lookin' good man! You and Bob tearin' stuff up over there! Looking forward to the progress..

[Good Times]

Doesn't this look sexy! :tapedshut:

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/DSC_4780.jpg

Two tubes from the side are triangulated for strength and support. This these tubes will support the fenders, lights and hood I needed to make sure it's strong enough to support the weight.

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/DSC_4781.jpg

The next two photos show the use of the stock body mount. I ended up cutting it from the frame and relocating it higher by the lights. I made two mounts that holds two tubes to traiangulate the headlamp assembly. The top tube is a single bend to follow the lines of the headlamp and is attached at the back half of the firewall and the front body mount.

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/DSC_4783.jpg

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/DSC_4787.jpg

Doh the passenger side is bare! hopefully this side will look like the drivers side soon.

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/DSC_4788.jpg

the rain from a few days ago did a quick number :spank: Hopefully I'll have it up and running shortly.

[amgraham]

Excellent progress Lance! I can't wait to see how this thing can be more sweet than before :D

[SD4runner]

Im subscribed.

[YotaFun]

That is def looking sexy lance.

Lovin the progress.

[Good Times]

I got a bit of work done this morning. Or actually more like 10000 steps back. I ended up removing the mount for the air compressor. Steve (robinhood4x4) recommended that I mount it horizontally with two reinforced supports instead of the one shown above. He said over time the vibration will do a number on it so instead of waiting for it to fail I just got up early this morning to cut/grind/clean it all off. Guess I've got more work to do :tapedshut:

Also removed the clutch fan to get a replacement one. Man these things are a PITA to remove! Anyway I hit my usual junkyard guy (Toy @ Calif Mini) but he couldn't source a clutch fan or the headlamp so he referred me to K & P Auto Dismantlers in Fontana, CA. Picked up a clutch fan and a drivers side headlamp :)

All I need to do is pick up a passenger side headlamp that I have saved (later this week). Placed an order with Evan @ Northridge Toyota for some Toyota Red (coolant), belt and some misc smaller items and hope to reassemble everything this weekend :)

[Cheese]

If you can neatly skin a tube frame like that and have it look stockish, you are my hero!

I didn't know you had skills like this Lance, good work.

[Good Times]

Wish I got more done today but I ran out of gas and had to scramble to find someone local that was open late :( No pics but I'll make sure to take some tomorrow. Hopefully by tomorrow I'll have most of this done so I can start painting to tubes and begin reinstalling everything. (very optimistic but heck I'm running outta time!) :chair:

Things I bought this week:

* Belt
* Tranny oil
* Toyota red coolant
* Air filter
* Both headlamps
* Fan clutch

Things I got done today:

* Driver side battery tray mounts made and welded to the tray.
* Passenger side subframe tack welded - lights installed for inspection.
* Drive side subframe reinforced with gussets. (almost fully welded - a few places are still tacked on)
* Cut 35"x12" base plate for front bumper.

Things I need to do tomorrow:

* Reinforce fuse box by adding another "L" bracket
* Add another mount for driver side headlamp
* Add another mount for passenger side headlamp
* Weld driver side battery tray
* Weld top cross member (underside)
* Cut plates for front bumper
* Build mounts/tab for air box
* Build mounts for passenger side battery tray
* reinstall hood liner
* remove and reinstall wiper washer lines

Things to do for this week:

* Build mounts for air compressor
* build power steering reservoir mount (use big hose clamp style design somehow)
* build radiator fluid overflow container mount
* build washer fluid mount

Other pending items...

* make fastener mounts for fenders
* build front bumper (bend tubes)
* buy hood pin locks
* reconnect all wiring
* flush all fluids and do basic maintenance
* install new belt
* charge a/c
* paint hood?
* prob some other stuff I'm forgetting

gf's response so far on my quest to rebuild the 4runner. "either sell it or junk it!" :tapedshut:

Adrian, thanks :) I really don't have skills. This is all the beautiful work of a program called Photoshop :angel:

[DHC6twinotter]

Wow, I've never seen this thread till now. Really nice work! Looking forward to seeing the finished product.

You all be careful with the drill. We've drilled up through the ceilings and roofs more than once here at work. :laugh: :chair:

Bob, I'm not sure what the technical term for those red thingies are, but we allways call them "red heads" at my work. :hillbill:

[waskillywabbit]

gf's response so far on my quest to rebuild the 4runner. "either sell it or junk it!" :tapedshut:

No gf is much cheaper. :flipoff:

First time I've looked at this thread...making good progress. I did not see it mentioned but did you have any front suspension, steering linkage damage as your tires look like they are both pointed out. / \

:guitar:

[BruceTS]

no damage to the suspension or steering linkage, everything is straight....more like an optical illusion from the camera angle

[Good Times]

[quote=waskillywabbit]

No gf is much cheaper. :flipoff:

First time I've looked at this thread...making good progress. I did not see it mentioned but did you have any front suspension, steering ]

Brian, are you sure they're cheaper? :tapedshut: As for the front suspension, it's straight. Not sure why the pic says otherwise but I checked that out months ago in the midst of debating whether or not to fix/sell/junk it.

Bob, thanks for helping me out again :)

Ok now to the pictures cuz I'm sure you guys are sick and tired of reading my crap!

Here's the finished project of the headlamp assembly. I finished welding everything up and this is how it turned out. It's slightly angled on the ends up that's because it's being held by vice and c clamps until I finish welding it to the body. Once it's fully welded to the body it'll be straight.

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/DSC_4789.jpg

Another angle showing the lamps. You'll notice the front bumper in this pic. Hard to see but it's sleeved and plated (tacked on for now).

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/DSC_4790.jpg

The pain in the rear headlamp assembly. Not fun trying to make everything line up with the hood, lamp and fender.

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/DSC_4791.jpg

The body mount was used to support the sub structure for the hood, lamp and fenders.

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/DSC_4792.jpg

Last pic of the lamp subframe to give you an idea of what it looks like.

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/DSC_4793.jpg

Things I got done today:

* Reinforced fuse box by adding another "L" bracket
* Front bumper base plate and sidewalls bent/welded
* Welded top cross member (underside)
* Welded both driver and passenger side headlamp

Things to do for this week:

* Bend tubes for front bumper and weld bumper
* Strip rust build up on headlamp assembly, primer and paint prior to installation
* Add another mount for driver side headlamp
* Add another mount for passenger side headlamp
* Weld driver side battery tray
* Build mounts/tab for air box
* Build mounts for passenger side battery tray
* reinstall hood liner
* remove and reinstall wiper washer lines
* Build mounts for air compressor
* build power steering reservoir mount (use big hose clamp style design somehow)
* build radiator fluid overflow container mount
* build washer fluid mount

Other pending items...

* make fastener mounts for fenders
* buy hood pin locks
* reconnect all wiring
* flush all fluids and do basic maintenance
* install new belt
* charge a/c

A long way to go but I'm going to be trying to do some stuff in the morning before work so we'll see how this all works out. I have one full weekend left to get the misc stuff done so hopefully I'll be able to begin painting the tubes during the week.

[tacoclimber]

Amazing stuff, Lance. I'm stoked you're not only rebuilding the "Chaos Machine", but doing it in a very cool way. Best of luck, and I can't wait to see the finished result! :great:

[jrallan26]

Lance,

I have a possible stupid question and maybe Wabbit should chime in.... Is that tube support going to be strong enough to go through the "rigors" of offloading?

What are you going to do to help support it? Or are you?



My experience is in sheet metal, not structural.

[BruceTS]

the tubing is only holding the headlights and front fenders. It'll be designed to rip away in case of another accident, should be plenty strong enough.

BTW Lance already knows how I would have done the front, but this approach will work just fine. All the tubing is attached to plates, I seriously doubt it'll penetrate into the passenger compartment.

[Good Times]

Ok Bruce beat me to the punch line.

A lot of thought went into this design, with the help of Bruce and also the WWW. Gotta love finding others that have done something similar to give me a better vision of how to complete this job. I ultimately used two different tube frame configurations around the engine bay.

1. Using 1.5" tubing I reinforced the engine bay by having a very rigid system where the radiator, a/c condenser, tranny and power steering coolers, batteries and other engine related components are tied together. This way the vehicle can run as is without anything else such as the hood, fenders, etc. I also triangulated everything around the top as the front bumper will also be attached at the top. I did this by design so that if I were to get into another accident, the front bumper will not buckle and cave it like it did on the last design. (the concept is like a double sheer design for the most part) By having two rigid points (one at the top and one at the bottom) the bumper will definitely be more securely attached and distribute the forces. Now if I get into a really bad wreck I'm sure the frame will give cuz something will. (or my welds will crack if my welds were done crappy! :chair: )

2. Since the 4runner is a body on frame configuration, I didn't want to attach the fenders, hood and headlamps to the rigid 1.5" tubing frame. This is because the front will now become rigid and the rest of the cab will definitely get affected as the body will flex on and off the trails. So I had to get creative and designs a lighter duty subframe (0.75" tubing) around the engine bay to accommodate for the fenders, hood and headlamps. I cut off the bottom of the front body mount and used that mount along with the rubber bushing by relocating it higher where I wanted to place it. By having a secondary subframe for the body panel items this keeps the frame and the body separate and maintain the same rigid setup that comes from the factory. If you look closely at the smaller tube subframe with the lights, you'll notice that I incorporated a "L" bracket that will be welded to the firewall of the cab. I used a large piece to ensure that it is distributed so nothing will prematurely fail since the sheet metal is rather thin in comparison to the bracket.

The main tube configuration is setup to go through the "rigors" of offroading. If you look at some of the extreme offroading vehicles, their entire setup is tubed (with hardly any sheet metal) so the concept is the same. The only difference is that I've just added tubing to the existing frame. Basically reinforced it and made it stronger for the most part. I highly doubt the engine tubing/frame will get damaged now that it's really boxed up. Of course anything is possible so I won't say it's 100% bullet proof but it's much stronger than it was before.

Didn't get to work on it this morning (had an all nighter project to get done for work :( ). Maybe tomorrow morning if I can get up early enough!

[Bob98SR5]

(for the record, i just cut metal and drill holes for lance. i am not contributing much except my time and my oft-ignored opinions) :hillbill:

[Good Times]

you're too modest bob :spank:

[Cheese]

But help like that is hard to find.

I had forgotten the isolation part of things. Body mounts jiggle, frames don't, or at least they don't jiggle at the same speed.

Good work gents.

[Good Times]

this weekend has been a really frustrating weekend. in the hopes of getting both fenders reattached I ran into some serious issues as nothing really wanted to line up. This forced me to cut and start over on a lot of the parts :( Anyway finally got some progress today and man I'm serious running out of time!

Things I got done this week/weekend:

* Purchased hood pin locks
* Purchased fasteners for fenders
* Purchased shackle hangers for recovery point - front bumper
* Welded driver side battery tray
* Built mounts and welded air box
* Built mounts and welded air compressor tray
* Built and welded modified second battery tray
* Welded fasteners for passenger side fender
* Passenger side fender reattached
* Redid mounts for condenser as the connection hose hit the radiator mount - serves me right for now checking the lines when attaching these suckers.

Things to do for this week:

* Build fender mounts for driver side fender
* Reattach driver side fender
* Build power steering reservoir mount (use big hose clamp style design somehow)
* Build radiator fluid overflow container mount
* Build washer fluid mount
* Add another mount for driver side headlamp
* Add another mount for passenger side headlamp
* Bend tubes for front bumper and weld bumper
* Reinstall hood liner
* Remove and reinstall wiper washer lines
* PAINT!
* Reconnect all wiring
* Flush all fluids and do basic maintenance
* Install new belt
* Charge a/c (maybe if I have time)
* Reattach rear bumper and modify the tire carrier if I have time.

Sorry no pictures. Maybe tomorrow. Just a bit pissed and frustrated because I didn't get as much done as I wanted to. Bob, thanks for helping me out with building the fasteners tabs and with the second set of hands holding the fender.

Note: the passenger side is complete and looks nice but some areas has some severe gaps on the fender. Going to have to redo the fiberglass after the Pismo event to make it cleaner and flow with the lines better. It works for now but it's definitely ugly :(

[Seanz0rz]

lance, you need anything this week, you let me know. ill be down there asap.

[Good Times]

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/DSC_4809.jpg

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/DSC_4810.jpg

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/DSC_4811.jpg

As of yesterday this is how it looked. As of today it still looks the same. Work got in the way of my personal "work on the 4runner" time so zero productivity for me :(

The driver side was a piece of cake getting on once I knew what the heck I was doing. Too bad the passenger side is all jacked up :( Looks like I'm going to have to do some heavy fiberglass work to repair some damages sustained while testing it out to make sure it fits. I am happy at the "current finished" look. Now I can really do the rest of the work and be super productive!

o yeah Pismo in 3 days and still no front bumper :tapedshut: I'm taking tomorrow off (well will be on call w/ lappy in the garage) but i'll be sweating it out outside getting things done.

MUST DO ITEMS BEFORE PISMO:

* Weld power steering reservoir mount (use big hose clamp style design somehow) - Mounts already fabricated :)
* Build radiator fluid overflow container mount (will most likely be just zip ties for now)
* Build washer fluid mount (will most likely be just zip ties for now)
* Bend tubes for front bumper and weld bumper
* Reinstall hood liner
* Remove and reinstall wiper washer lines
* PAINT all exposed metal.. Pismo is no place to get rust!
* Reconnect all wiring (this is not gonna be FUN!)
* Flush all fluids and do basic maintenance
* Charge a/c (maybe if I have time)
* Reattach rear bumper and modify the tire carrier if I have time.
* Buy some bolts/nuts to secure front bumper
* Silicon for the air box/internal snorkel

Other items to do after the trip:

* Add another mount for driver side headlamp
* Add another mount for passenger side headlamp
* Redo fender mounts for passenger side... the gap between the hood/fender/lights just doesn't work for me in comparison to the drivers side.

ahh all in a days work. my goal for tomorrow is to get the 4runner up and running. I want to be able to fire her up for the first time since I dunno when. Months? tomorrow is gonna be an ugly day for me :confused:

[04 Rocko Taco]

Wow, keep it up Lance, your getting close buddy!

[ADH8796]

Looks good Lance

[xonetruthcrewx]

Its was good to finally meet you Lance. Bummer you weren't able to finish the rebuild for Pismo. Maybe you can get it finished within the next 2 weeks and come out for the Nightmare/Last Chance run. That would be sweet. Cant wait to see your rig back in action.

[xonetruthcrewx]

So whats the latest? Have you been able to finish it off. Nightmare is right around the corner. Hope to see you and your rig out there. :thumbup:

[Good Times]

Haven't done much in the last 2 weeks. Got the front bumper done for the most part (still have to grind down and clean the edges) but it's done. Just have to bolt, paint and reinstall everything. I don't think I'm going to have time to do this Sunday's trip :( we'll see.

[Good Times]

haha nice avatar! yeah been doing the usual wrench-a-thon for awhile but just got busy w/ work so I didn't have time to work on it as much as wanted to. Was hoping to take the last 2 days off to work on it but had some projects to finish for some clients and unfortunately getting paid comes first so the 4runner got left in the dust.

[BruceTS]

:pics:


dang and I had the last 3 days off, I could have came over and helped....oh well back to work tomorrow for me.....

[Good Times]

lol bruce, if you came over it would have just been you there since I haven't been home in the last 2 days. I will say that wearing contacts for over 48 hrs is no fun. I took a brief moment to take em out earlier today but dang it still hurts. I should be able to go home tonight and figure out if I can squeeze in a few hours tomorrow but we'll see. Want to catch up on some sleep and working on the 4runner is definitely not on the top of the list.

[joel]

Any updates Lance?

[Good Times]

Nope. I've drained all of the fluids and began reinstalling everything but I still have to drill out a few more holes (4 to be exact) on the frame and reinforce it so I can install the front bumper. I was hoping to be done last weekend but got sidetracked as usual. Gotta get it done soon though as I need to take it out on the trails. Just been way too long without driving it I really miss it.

[MTL_4runner]

Just been way too long without driving it I really miss it.


Lance, I know all too well how that feels.
Looking forward to some more progress pics soon.

[YotaFun]

Just been way too long without driving it I really miss it.


Lance, I know all too well how that feels.
Looking forward to some more progress pics soon.


x3

[DHC6twinotter]

Hey, at least you are getting your entire front end rebuilt quicker than I'm tracking down my coolant leak. And you are even doing a custom job there! :D

[turbodiesel]

wow mate looks bad at first but geeze you have cut alot out how many man hours do u reacon its gonna take you to tub the front end ??

[Seanz0rz]

cold spell? thats no excuse!!! i just worked for 4 hours under my truck in the dark and cold!!!

[expatoz]

Been a while since I checked in and first thing was to check up on the TCE. Any more progress since last report Lance?

[freejake3]

i just worked for 4 hours under my truck in the dark and cold!!!


WAAAAAAAAAAA That's because your gas tank is on the SIDE of the vehicle. LOL

Sit Rep Please

[YotaFun]

Okay I read in another thread that you should be able to move your truck soon.
Want to update us? :D

[Bob98SR5]

lance and i are gonna work on it this saturday. he's got some bumper work to do as well as fluids to add. not sure which ones. hopefully the phoenix will rise...or at least, i hope the engine turns over :hillbill:

[Good Times]

Radiator fluids done.
Motor Oil (ran out so I did a run and will add em tomorrow).
Tranny Oil
Power Steering Oil

Sorted out all of the wiring the last two days. Things I learned from all of this. If you disconnect lines, make sure you document and tag the lines. Make sure the tags are waterproof cuz if not you won't know after the darn rain!

I'm working on it tomorrow in the morning so I'll post my results on how the motor sounds in the afternoon :)

[BruceTS]

Lance.......:pics:

[Good Times]

pix on sat. camera full of photos from a recent wedding :) too lazy to upload right now! hehe.

[Good Times]

The monster is ALIVE*!!!!

* Finally got the engine running at around 5pm.

Tomorrow I'm going to work on the aesthetics:

Front bumper
headlights
steering
driveshafts

Should be able to drive it once I get the steering and driveshafts connected :) Pix tomorrow as it still looks like the previous pix from I dunno last year?

big props to bob for helping me out. couldn't have done a lot of this without ya!

[YotaFun]

Finally Nice

[slosurfer]

:thumbup: I bet if felt good to hear her running again.

[neliconcept]

sweet Lance, cant wait to see it back on the road again.

[Good Times]

Honestly I was expecting it to sound like crap considering it hasn't been run since May 2007. Also all fluids have been drained back in November so I figured that didn't help the cause either. The primary battery was dead but a quick jump from Bob's 4runner helped get her started.

Usual white smoke but I suspect it's the cobwebs that formed over the long duration. The smoke was pretty severe that Bob and I thought the truck was on fire! haha a quick scare for a bit there but after a quick assessment of "oops maybe not" we fired her right back and things purring just fine. The power steering had it's usual whine at first (cuz I didn't know how much fluids to add but after it cycled through the larger cooler it's all good.

Tomorrow will be a great day (so long as the rain doesn't stop me). As soon as the steering and driveshafts are connected I'll be able to move her inside the garage so that'll be awesome :)

[Bob98SR5]

bisch, if you axe me to check the tranny fluid again, i'm cuttin' wires! :hillbill:

hey lance, i was all smiles when your truck fired up. a couple of coughs and sputters when you cranked it, but it was nice to see your 4runner running again. big props to you for your dedication to reviving chaos edition.

to the rest of you guys: i must say, the engine sounds brand new. you guys would be shocked how well the engine is running. we kept filling up the fluids after letting it run. we repeated the process a few times. after about the 5th or 6th time, we just let it run. it was purring quite nicely.

lance: its 90% rain tomorrow, so you better get the driveshaft and steering done asap and move it into the garage, holmes.

bob

[Good Times]

(!Q*&#*&@*^#!*&@%@(*#!(@*&# the rain!!!

Guess I can just work on the bumper in the garage in the meantime. :)

Thanks again bob! you rock!

[Good Times]

It kinda looks like this still (old photo from a few pages back)

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/DSC_4809.jpg

but imagine a fan, radiator, condenser, power steering cooler, tranny cooler, in the front :)

O yeah but no fenders! They had to go for now as they got in the way of me doing the reinstallation of everything.

[Seanz0rz]

... then that is the least useful picture ever!

[YotaFun]

... then that is the least useful picture ever!


x2 LOL!!!

[Good Times]

I'll have photos this weekend as I'll be attending the Mojave run with a few UY guys here.

Here's the last minute stuff I still need to finish:

Front bumper end caps (gotta cut up two 1.75" round plates and weld)
Rear bumper end caps (gotta cut up two 2" square plates and weld)
Weld 3 tabs on the rear bumper (2 for license plate and 1 for rear fog light)
paint bumpers
wash outside/inside (a few times cuz I'm sure it's pretty UGLY inside)

Actually pretty happy with what I've done so far. Definitely underestimated my job list but I'm happy regardless.

A few things that will not happen until next week:
Windshield wiper fluid containers(2)
Rear yellow fog light (the most important one too... go figure)
Paint hood (eh we'll see)

[slosurfer]

:thumbup: Wow, you've done a bunch already, your punch list is getting smaller. :D

[joel]

I'll have photos this weekend as I'll be attending the Mojave run with a few UY guys here.

Pics? :D

[Good Times]

A few photos from the trip to show that it really did make it off my driveway :) It's back on the driveway though for more changes based on the shakedown this past weekend. (doh!)

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m141/hamiltoncomputers/Mojave%20Road/DSC02305.jpg

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m141/hamiltoncomputers/Mojave%20Road/DSC02327.jpg

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m141/hamiltoncomputers/Mojave%20Road/DSC02358.jpg

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/Mojave%20Trail/2008-02-15/DSC_5214.jpg

Stupid me, I didn't take any shots of the front or much of the truck at all. I will note that the 4runner does look similar except it's missing a winch and added an extra 240 XGT to make it 3 biggies to open up the night runs. The front bumper is a copy of Robinhood4x4's design so once completed it'll feature the same "removable" winch setup (once I get a new winch one of these days).

[Seanz0rz]

not to mention a missing rear coil...

[joel]

Awesome Lance! Must feel nice to get some dirt under her tires again!

[Good Times]

It's definitely nice to be back on the dirt again :) It's going to go through another round of operations right now so I hope to be back on the dirt again in no time. The shakedown helped to diagnose areas that I need to work on so the trip out to Mojave was a learning trip.

[jrallan26]

Good job Lance...

[all_terrain17]

That's incredible.

[Good Times]

Funny you say that cuz that was one of the items on the list of to do's even before the Operation Rebuild began. I just never got around to set them up. Sadly it was a little too late.

At any rate, I'm going to be doing something different on the rear as I've thought up some other ideas. Just trying to figure out the finances and the better half to approve. And we all can agree that that in itself is an impossible path! doh

[Good Times]

slow poke! actually losing the rear coil is a really good excuse for me to go extreme on the rears now :) since I've gone this far on the rebuild I might as well just take it to the next level. Working out logistics with a few vendors right now on some good pricing or the deal is dead in the water. The better half wasn't happy when I got home all sagged like I had a flat. She automatically knew the more $$ was gonna be poured into the truck so I know she's gonna say no asap.. grrr

Hopefully with some figures on the spreadsheet to show the roi on the truck, I hope I'll get the two thumbs up.

Either that or I'll be living alone for a long time! :tapedshut:

[Seanz0rz]

well im sure you can sell that bump stop for a few bucks. that should help.

when do you want that btw? its just sitting in my truck.

[Good Times]

I'll give you a call to pick up the part sometime next week.

Thanks!

[bamachem]

Nice to see the progress paying off Lance!

[cooldry]

...The better half wasn't happy when I got home all sagged like I had a flat. She automatically knew the more $$ was gonna be poured into the truck so I know she's gonna say no asap.. grrr


Hey Lance,

I didn't know you were married? :rofl:

[slosurfer]

Lance, it was nice being out on the trail with you and your 4runner. Can't wait for the next one. :thumbup: The three xgt's look bitchin' :D

[BruceTS]

The original plan was to set-up Lance's rear similar to mine, but we never got a chance to finish the job....

[cooldry]

Hey Lance,

Question for you. How is the load on your battery with 3 XGT's hooked up? Did you ever feel like you needed more juice?

[Good Times]

I actually only have 2 connected. The middle one will get a HID once I get the time to cut it open and experiment. I'm going to do a trial on the damaged XGT first and if it works out nicely like Chris' (slosurfer) setup then I'll be converting all of them to HID so the draw won't be an issue anymore :)

I would imagine 3 XGT's shouldn't be a big issue though. But if you're worried about power consumption just do the math and find out if your alternator is strong enough for it. I don't know what your output is on your alternator so you'll need to find that out first.

[cooldry]

I was thinking about the HID conversion also. I'm sure I'll be asking you questions when I'm ready to do it. I'm sure you've already seen this, but here is a sight where you can get instructions.

http://www.angelfire.com/on4/bushy5551/xgt.html

[Good Times]

Yup that's the link I'll follow for the most part. Not gonna spend $10 for the instructions cuz now that I've got one busted XGT I can definitely see how to do it for the most part :) When I start this part of the project I'll call you up so we can do it together! awwww lol

[expatoz]

Congrats for being up and running Lance.

[joel]

Bump! Hows the truck Lance??

[Seanz0rz]

going to be ready for pismo i hope, unlike last year... haha.

[Good Times]

I got new coils/shocks last week (finally after waiting nearly 2 months - a whole diff topic) but haven't had any time to begin the repairs. I am running it close for pismo but that is still my target date to get her up and running. Playing it by ear at this point. :)

[Seanz0rz]

lance, you need help, just let me know. im not far from you when im back at school, and not that far from you here at home for the summer. let me know if you need anything. i really want to see it at pismo this year!

[YotaFun]

LANCE!
DON'T MAKE ME COME OUT THERE 2 WEEKS EARLY!

I better see this thing at Pismo or your going to see a grow boy cry....

Get off your lazy booty and get crackin!

[2ndGen]

Lance, let me know if you need an extra pair of hands, any time.

[Good Times]

Finally got a chance to start rebuilding the rear suspension.

First I had to remove the axle so I can perform some necessary repairs...

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/Misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/IMG_6218.jpg

Oops, I think I got carried away and ended up removing a few other items. doh!

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/Misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/IMG_6219.jpg

Ghetto pic of the shafts. bleh!

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/Misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/IMG_6220.jpg

Hold on a sec. Wasn't I just performing repairs on the rear suspension? Damn working in the heat definitely makes you go crazy and do stupid things like this!

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/Misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/IMG_6221.jpg

I blame Bob for this mistake :chair:


axle
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w177/bob98sr5/lance/IMG_6221.jpg

1/2 shafts
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w177/bob98sr5/lance/IMG_6220.jpg

undercarriage
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w177/bob98sr5/lance/IMG_6219.jpg

sideview
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w177/bob98sr5/lance/IMG_6218.jpg

[Bob98SR5]

always blaming the korean guy :) it was a pleasure mangling your axle. but wait, what's all those boxes i saw in your garage?





(bam bam baaaaaaa!)

oh the suspense!

[4Runner202020]

the pictures are not working for me.

[Seanz0rz]

nope, no pictures over here either.

[slosurfer]

:loser: Nice red X's :tongueout:

[YotaFun]

Yeah whats with the no pics?

[2ndGen]

:loser:

wrong hand, dude! it's Loser not Joser, LoL.

[Bob98SR5]

lance, i fixed one of your pics for you. click on the "IMG CODE" thing under your pic and cut/paste that into this page. Or just look at the pic i fixed and fix the url for the other 3

[4x4mike]

:tongueout: noob :tongueout:

Just kidding.
You can go to the link at the bottom of the page and see his album.

[Good Times]

Thanks Bob,

Somehow it's not working if I link it from my site. I'll have to look into this cuz it appears all of my images from my site won't work in the uy environment :/

Images are temp back up :)

[xonetruthcrewx]

Well I see the pics. I though you were trying to get the rig back running Lance? Haha. Alright dude, What the hell is going on now? I would take a guess, but I would probably be wrong. Ha!

[DHC6twinotter]

Wow...nice. Lot of work to do before Pismo. :D

[cooldry]

Okay everyone, just in case Lance is able to get it ready for Pismo, we should all bring extra straps so whoever he's behind can tow him. If we all work together, we might be able to see it go down a sand dune. :rofl: :thumbup:

[slosurfer]

:loser:

wrong hand, dude! it's Loser not Joser, LoL.


:lol: So true!



Alright dude, What the hell is going on now? I would take a guess, but I would probably be wrong. Ha!


He's going IRS and putting in a long travel Honda Ridgeline Rearend. :tapedshut:

[Good Times]

yeah I'm not sure why the pix were all red X's but I moved my site to another server I have so all of the images should now be working. bah!

Originally I was just going to repair the "missing" coil that's prob still out in the sun in Mojave but that was only going to be a temp fix. I knew that the problem will come back so instead of it being a stupid cycle I decided to take a different route in the rebuilding of the rear suspension.

See the biggest problem I have right now is that the rear suspension is a big limitation in comparison to the front. I knew this was going to be an issue and I was okay with it at first but it was only going to be a matter of time when it was time to really take it to the next level. Since the accident last year in Death Valley, I really don't mind "cutting" and really "bastardizing" my truck since I know that there's no way I would be able to sell it at any reasonable return so I figure might as well just enjoy it and have fun. Plus the truck has been fully paid off for some time now I don't see why not. The truck just sits at home most of the time anyway so I might as well take advantage of the downtime to really do some serious damage.

I'm in the process of optimizing the rear by complimenting the front. It won't be one of those crazy 28" of travel (although that would be ideal) but it'll be better than stock for sure. I'll see if I can take some pictures tonight to show you some of the goodies I've been collecting for some time now.

I'm sure people will start asking why I'm still using the stock axle.... Welp if you've got $ to support my "stupid ideas" then I'd be happy to buy a bigger / badder axle but for now this will have to do. Funds are not as abundant as it used to be back in the day (obviously we're all feeling the pinch on our hobbies) so I'm making it the best of the situation. Plus I don't have to worry about new gears/locker/electronics stuff. The rear axle is plenty strong for what I do (for now - we'll see how long that last! lol) so until it breaks and someone is willing to donate the good stuff I'm stuck with what I have.

Again more pix tonight. Bob I hope you brought your camera! If not I'll make sure to have mine handy.

[slosurfer]

Soooo... you're not going IRS?!!! :laugh:

[YotaFun]

All I can say is your insane and that if this truck is not ready by Pismo I am going to cry....

Lol

[Marc P]

Are you doing a leaf spring swap??

[Seanz0rz]

nah marc... leaf springs are for covered wagons...

i know what hes doing!!! go lance!

[corax]

Since the accident last year in Death Valley, I really don't mind "cutting" and really "bastardizing" my truck since I know that there's no way I would be able to sell it at any reasonable return so I figure might as well just enjoy it and have fun. Plus the truck has been fully paid off for some time now I don't see why not. The truck just sits at home most of the time anyway so I might as well take advantage of the downtime to really do some serious damage.


I like your logic. :wrenchin: :thumbup:

[corax]

We don't need no photoshop . . . I gots mad Paint skillz

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/470/11yw7.jpg

[Seanz0rz]

HAHAHAH w00t! keith wins!

[slosurfer]

:spit: Taking the skinny vs wide wheel debate to the extreme. :D Keith you gave it some nice flex. :wrenchin:

[cabbage]

Bump! Only less than a month left till Pismo!! Get on it!! :wrenchin:

[slosurfer]

Bump! Only less than a month left till Pismo!! Get on it!! :wrenchin:


Haha, Milton, I think you have less than a month to get your 4wd working again. Looks like you may have someone wanting to challenge you guys on ttora. :wrenchin:

[Good Times]

Here's a few more sneak peaks of the progress. It took a lot of swearing, complaining and bishing just to get this far. It also took lots of welding, cutting, rewelding, recutting, rewelding and recutting action. After several days of grunting like a little boy I finally got something I can live with.

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/Misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/DSC_5439.jpg

I moved the axle back a bit so now the stock bump stops don't line up. Not that I was going to use it but for now it serves me as a guide for other stuff. I also need to get a 90 degree fitting for the shock as this isn't going to work well in the configuration it's in right now.

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/Misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/DSC_5440.jpg

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/Misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/DSC_5441.jpg

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/Misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/DSC_5442.jpg

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/Misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/DSC_5443.jpg

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/Misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/DSC_5444.jpg

I never thought the axle would get as heavy as it did after everything was connected. Talk about a pain in the rear to just cycle test everything.

Some problems: two cross members got in the way so it had to be cut. that was no fun. I did the quick and ugly cut job so I'll have to do the detailed clean job when the axle comes off again. Everything is tacked on temporarily so it'll come off shortly.

Still have to test with the tires to make sure the shock/coil doesn't hit the tire. That'll be a fun test to perform. bah! :chair:

I won't even go into the fuel issue I'm facing... :tapedshut:

Pismo here I come! :wrenchin:

[slosurfer]

ARe those two new diehard batteries (the ones that are the same as oddysey)?

[YotaFun]

Great so now my entire time I am out there I am going to be helping you get this thing ready?

Come on man!
Don't make me cry!

[Good Times]

ARe those two new diehard batteries (the ones that are the same as oddysey)?


you sly dog! you have a great eye :)

[Good Times]

Great so now my entire time I am out there I am going to be helping you get this thing ready?

Come on man!
Don't make me cry!


nah I'll manage :)

[slosurfer]

ARe those two new diehard batteries (the ones that are the same as oddysey)?


you sly dog! you have a great eye :)


Haha, I'm waiting for my battery to die so I can get one. I did get my dad to get one for his disco. :D

[Good Times]

yeah definitely cheaper but still an expensive purchase. so far this build has been more $$ than originally anticipated :( then again aren't all projects (small or big)? haha :chair:

I hope to have the rear tires back on for test fitment. Monday I need to visit Sway-A-Way to pick up some other goodies :) Hopefully I'll have the rear completed by mid week.

Sorting out fuel stuff right now. reading service manuals for a way to work around the charcoal canister etc is such a pita... :confused:

[Bob98SR5]

lance,

please send measurements for the fuel lines and brake lines

[Good Times]

i'll get that for ya tomorrow. need to go to the junkyard to get a diff fuel tank (the one I got doesn't work). if I go early enough wanna do lunch? If you get a call by 11 then game on :) otherwise doh!

[Mossyrocks]

Hell yea Lance, this is gonna be one hell of a 4th gen.

Lookin good man.

[wifesaysimadumbass]

is this thing freaking done yet ?

[97kurt]

Looking good, how long did you make the lowers?

[Good Times]

The lowers are 47.5" long and the uppers are 36" along the x axis (front-rear pane).

[wifesaysimadumbass]

when your done with this you can tell me how to link fartruk when i get my 60s

[Good Times]

mikey, I don't think I can tell ya how to do it but can help ya out with the research I did for my links. Once this is all done and it's in driving condition I'll be back on the trails testing out the new configuration so I'll make sure to make my way down your way so we can chat :)

[wifesaysimadumbass]

no hurry i'm still looking for my 60s for a good prize

[neliconcept]

can i have a "explain it to the dumbass that is neliconcept version" of what you are doing again?

[Good Times]

Blake,

Here's the cliff notes version:

Cut all factory rear mounts removing the existing 4 link + panhard bar setup and shock/coil mounts.
Replacing it with 4 link setup with coilover configuration.
Removed stock fuel tank due to links getting in the way.

[4x4mike]

ARe those two new diehard batteries (the ones that are the same as oddysey)?


you sly dog! you have a great eye :)


Haha, I'm waiting for my battery to die so I can get one. I did get my dad to get one for his disco. :D


I had one of those in my truck. They were expensive but nice. Tried to get it into the 4runner when I sold the truck but couldn't get it to fit.

[Good Times]

Yup it won't fit in the factory battery base cuz it's too long (length).

[4x4mike]

Not to mention the 4runner battery only had top post mounts and the truck needed side post. It was raining and a buyer was picking the truck up that night. I didn't want to be running around buying cables and changing things if I didn't have to.

Now that I have moved the battery for the York compressor I'd have to do some "clearancing" to fit a larger battery.

[neliconcept]

Blake,

Here's the cliff notes version:

Cut all factory rear mounts removing the existing 4 link + panhard bar setup and shock/coil mounts.
Replacing it with 4 link setup with coilover configuration.
Removed stock fuel tank due to links getting in the way.


ok thanks, that saves me some confusion.

looking good

[joel]

Very cool Lance! What are the specs on the coilovers you're going to be using? Goal for travel?

[4runnerchevy]

Street legalities any issue if it intrudes into the "cabin"?
Cut into, and recess up, with the floor modified to retain "cabin" enclosure, just less room for stuff?


No legal stuff in Cali that prevents this. I am living proof.

[Good Times]

Today's update: started to paint the frame mounts and the upper shock hoop. Going to primer/paint the axle tomorrow and have everything bolted back up by the end of the week. I've been busy trying to figure out a way to sort the fuel issue. Damn charcoal canister/filter/carb crap! I wish there was an easier way to do this and still pass smog.

bah!

Joel, since I'm not cutting into the cabin at this moment I'm stuck with some 12" coilovers. I was going to squeeze in some 14" coilovers cuz I think it'll fit but I don't have time to swap and get everything ready for Pismo so I'm just going to pimp the 12"s for now. Still sorting out the configuration on the coilovers. I won't have anything set in stone for a few months while I test/tune various combinations.

[4runnerchevy]

I feel your pain. Good news is the budget got passed, and the BAR will soon be open.

[Bob98SR5]

lance: not a bad idea to create space in the back. i can help u weld sheet metal. you konw, im the expert at that shizzle :lol: but you really need to relocate that freakin' canister. thats like the big cyclops zit that you need to pop to get this tank in there

[Good Times]

The charcoal canister and filter are both being relocated right now to the side of the truck on the drivers side rear bumper wing. That'll free up the fuel tank space greatly :)

All of this relocating crap is really gettin old :wrenchin:

[4x4mike]

All of this relocating crap is really gettin old :wrenchin:


Tell me about it. I think my moving things around caused problems with my charcoal canister.

[Good Times]

nah no worries it's all taken care of. it'll just take me approx 1 week to sort out the fuel issue but it's all under control now :)

[Good Times]

Joel,

I don't have a set spec on the coilovers at this moment. Going to be fine tuning the coilovers over the next few trips. It'll take me some time before I find something I really like.

I haven't had time to post photos guys... sorry :(

been busy just trying to get everything finished for next week. All suspension components finally arrived early this week so I've been busy putting everything back together.

Axle has been painted, most of the frame has been primered. Upper links are painted, lower links are in the process of getting sleeved tomorrow and will paint right after. Fuel tank is done along with all of the mounts. I picked up the union fittings as well as the hose fittings for the tank so hopefully everything fits according to plan.

I need to cut the rear bumper (skids) and then reinforce the frame, add new skids and install the fuel mounts. Should be running to the end but I hope to have the truck sitting on its own with no jack stands by Monday afternoon :)

If all goes to plan I should have the 4runner out on the road for a test drive on Tuesday, with Wednesday as last minute touches.

I'll try to get some pix when I can tomorrow since Bob will be over to help me out.

[wifesaysimadumbass]

are we done yet?

[Good Times]

mikey,

is anything ever done? :)

fuel is plumbed just need to bolt everything back up and hopefully do a trial startup tuesday. crossing fingers!

[iceman601]

Up and running for Pismo??

[MasterWIII]

Every time I click on this thread, my hopes are dashed, as no pics are posted yet... :P

[Good Times]

I've seriously been slacking off on updating this thread. Been busy just trying to get the 4runner ready for Pismo but I'm running into problems after problems. It's never fun :)

So here's what I've been waiting for... coils... sadly they don't match. O well.. No time to get another set. Plus I'm not sure if I'll go with these at the end of the day after trying a few different set so no biggie I guess.

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/DSC_5445.jpg

My original goal was to use a factory Toyota fuel tank for convenience reasons as well as making sure all of the fittings were plug and play and ensuring that the emissions will pass too. After researching all of the available tanks I sourced an 07 Camry fuel tank. It was an 18.5 gal tank which is 3 gals less than factory but everything else fits perfectly. Oddly this fuel tank didn't have a return fuel line (no clue why). Anyway my lack in researching thoroughly proved to be costly as the tank ended up being a bit too wide. The tank itself is a trapezoid shape in which the narrow end was fine (by 3 inches) but the fat end was definitely too wide for my frame. I had a few options: Cut the tank and modify it or cut the frame or just scrap the fuel tank. Since I already paid for it I figured I might as well make the best of the situation and build a new tank loosely based on the camry tank. By using all of the same fittings everything should be fine... Mistake #2, (insert lots of painful words here)... If I'm going to build a f'in custom fuel tank I should have used my 4runner pump instead of the camry pump. The mistake initially isn't really a big deal until you look at the pump. The camry tank has 5 lines going to the pump whereas the 4runner has only 4. So far I'm researching what that last lead is but I'm suspecting it's some trigger to reverse pump the excess fuel? Since the camry tank doesn't have a return fuel line I'm "guessing" that's the case.

Anyway enough venting... here's the tank.

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/DSC_5446.jpg

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/DSC_5447.jpg

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/DSC_5448.jpg

It's a pretty setup that holds a whoppin 27.25 gals! Now we're talking :) All this is nice and dandy but I need to make sure the stupid mistake I made by using the Camry pump works. Last minute soldering will commence tomorrow morning so long as I can figure out the right lines to match with the pump. (Since the tank is sitting at the spare tire location, all lines (electrical/fuel) needs to be pushed back a good 4-5 feet or so.

Here's one of the last shot of the 4runner.

http://chaosedition.com/photogallery/images/misc/Operation%20Rebuild%20Chaos%20Edition/DSC_5449.jpg

Everything all bolted up for the most part. The tank goes in last after the lines are extended. All fuel/vent lines are done but just hanging until I can finish the soldering. Hopefully everything works :chair:

I'm a :loser:.... I understand mistakes happens but damn these are costly ones.. :tapedshut:

On a better note, the axle appears to be centered and straight. I did a string test by taking sample measurements using a bit of geometry from various points on the frame. I double checked to a few times in disbelief but I guess things are looking good. I really won't know until I drive the 4runner and I know that'll be pretty interesting :)

[slosurfer]

Good luck getting that wired up today. :thumbup: Thanks for the update.

That is a sweet tank!

[corax]

the extra wire might be for a low fuel warning light? figure you need 2 for the pump and 2 for the gauge, the last wire might be for a low fuel warning light?

there is no purging of fuel lines or anything like that, we always want fuel in the lines for quick start-up. The Camry just uses a "returnless fuel system" with the fuel pressure regulator built into the fuel pump "module" inside the tank. it makes for a simpler set-up with less plumbing. you might be able to use that type of system with your engine, by simply clamping off/plugging the return line, as long as both engines use the same fuel pressure. the only problem might be that in a "fuel return" type system the regulator increases fuel pressure under low vacuum conditions (heavy engine load, usually only 5-10psi anyway) - a returnless system does not have this ability. the ECU might be able to "learn" its way around that though as there should be separate fuel maps for part throttle and wide open throttle . . .

[YotaFun]

Finally and update!
Glad to see its almost done....
So help me if we have to tow that sucker to Pismo and finish it there! lol

[Seanz0rz]

id be more than happy to have that thing towed behind my vehicle, just not sure my lil 3.4 could make it!

[Good Times]

the extra wire might be for a low fuel warning light? figure you need 2 for the pump and 2 for the gauge, the last wire might be for a low fuel warning light?

there is no purging of fuel lines or anything like that, we always want fuel in the lines for quick start-up. The Camry just uses a "returnless fuel system" with the fuel pressure regulator built into the fuel pump "module" inside the tank. it makes for a simpler set-up with less plumbing. you might be able to use that type of system with your engine, by simply clamping off/plugging the return line, as long as both engines use the same fuel pressure. the only problem might be that in a "fuel return" type system the regulator increases fuel pressure under low vacuum conditions (heavy engine load, usually only 5-10psi anyway) - a returnless system does not have this ability. the ECU might be able to "learn" its way around that though as there should be separate fuel maps for part throttle and wide open throttle . . .


Good info. Thanks! I know which lines are the gauge and which lines are the pump so I guess I'm in good shape. I don't think that extral lead is the low light indicator cuz I have one for my 4runner (must be built into the gauge?). Anyway I'll just wire up the 4 leads and give it a try.

thanks!

[YotaFun]

id be more than happy to have that thing towed behind my vehicle, just not sure my lil 3.4 could make it!


I think flat towing it you will be just fine :D

[Good Times]

Good news that extra lead isn't used! Go figure. Looks like I'll be reinstalling everything in a few hours. :)

Sean if ur at school and want to come by give me a buzz.

[joel]

Awesome Lance! That 27gal tank is going to be a nice addition also.

[Cheese]

Good work Lance.

When building a cell, you can never have too much volume.

Do you have baffles, a bowl or moving pick ups? Especially with a tank of that size, slosh is killer.

After chasing fuel issues for a yearish post cell, I would use my stock sender/pickup/gauge, at all costs. Eliminating unnecessary surprises is good on projects of this magnitude. At least you kept it Toyota, that hosed me for almost a year too.

[Seanz0rz]

ive seen it with my own two eyes, its AMAZING!!!! the coilovers are HUGE. the gastank is amazing (and yes it does have baffles). im very very impressed by lance's hard work.

[YotaFun]

So jealous of you sean!
I can't wait to see this bad boy!

[Bob98SR5]

gents,

i just went over there from 9 to midnite to help w/ the finishing touches. we put on the tires and stood back. its a little high in the back, but as you know, lance is like the Army's 2nd Division's logistic arm when he goes off roading, so it'll be weighted down :) but yeah, its been fun helping him with the project. I've learned a ton, esp about expensive parts :D

[Good Times]

Thanks bob! Without that extra hand I dunno if all of this would have been possible in the time constraint.

One thing I realized after getting to the point where I feel good knowing that the 4runner is actually not sitting on jack stands.... Damn project was too expensive for me :( I researching for a good 2 years on what parts I would need (including bolts/nuts and smaller misc items) but to date I've pretty much surpassed my original estimate by a factor of 2. Seriously, this is not for the faint of heart. Of course I made my fair share of mistakes that probably contributed to some of it but I never expected it to be this much.

Now for some tech stuff :)

The tank is baffled and followed the stock style in-tank (bowl around the pump) so it'll have ample fuel on off-camber (left/right/front/back). Should not have any problems with fuel running low (of course unless I'm belly up :hillbill: ). I did quite a bit of research on fuel tanks on pirate and found that using stock parts limited issues. It doesn't guarantee that you won't have any problems but it'll help to eliminate some of the unknowns.

I didn't get to test the pump to make sure it had enough umph but I'm just gonna cross my fingers. I figure it's 2 wires for the pump and 2 for the gauge so I really can't screw it up that badly ;)

Here's a short list of to-do's:
- brake fluid
- gear oil for third member
- wire batteries
- replace abs line
- replace power steering hose
- reinstall interior
- Fuel up and drive around the block
- add latch for rear tailgate (bumper)
- exhaust... borla here I come!
- wash!
- add limit straps

Still crossin fingers for Pismo. As long as I don't have any problems when I test drive :wrenchin:

Pictures as soon as the 4runner is out of the garage :D

[xonetruthcrewx]

Damn Lance, good work. Im a bit skeptical on the fuel pump though. Being that it is a returnless fuel pump and its out of a vehicle with a different motor, I would have to say that the fuel pressures will be different. I hope im wrong, but I dont think so. I know you can make everything work, but you might have to spring for another fuel pump. Im sure there is an aftermarket one out there that would work perfectly. But then maybe you might have to run an adjustable fuel pressure regulator. I dont know dude. You should definitely find the specs on each pump, or what would be even better, get a gauge and test the pressures. Either way, good luck and I hope it all works out without any problems. I got my fingers crossed for you.

[Good Times]

Colin, I had the same concern too!

Welp good news! IT RUNS!! So I guess the fuel issue works flawlessly. We'll see how it all pans out. I took it for a test drive 10 min ago and boy did it feel good driving that pos! ;)

LOoks like I just gotta wash her and pack for pismo :D I'll get pictures this weekend.

[Bob98SR5]

Colin, I had the same concern too!

Welp good news! IT RUNS!! So I guess the fuel issue works flawlessly. We'll see how it all pans out. I took it for a test drive 10 min ago and boy did it feel good driving that pos! ;)


Great news lance. I'd defintely caravan though just in case.



LOoks like I just gotta wash her and pack for pismo :D I'll get pictures this weekend.


Who do you think you are, Corky?!?! :shake: :gay: Dude, just pack up and go, holmes! You know how it is out there

[slosurfer]

:clap: That's great news! I'll see you tomorrow!

[joel]

Congrats Lance! Looking forward to the finished/action pictures. Have a fun trip guys!

[2ndGen]

lance, what's your ETD, there are few guys are from SGV, at least me and Iceman are leaving tomorrow morning, maybe we can bundle up just to be on the safe side.

[paddlenbike]

Great news and I'm sure Bob will enjoy seeing you pull motorhomes out of the sand with your own rig. ;)

[xonetruthcrewx]

Right On Lance! Bummer im not there to finally see the beast in action. Youd better have a crap ton of gnar action shots once you get back. Haha.

[Scuba]

Didnt even realize this much hard work and fab went into that beast or I would have drooled over it a bit more this weekend.

[Cebby]

Lance - what are the dims on your tank?

[Good Times]

Mike the tank is 36x25x7 and uses a 2007 Toyota Camry pump. One thing I did notice is that the fuel gauge doesn't really work. Not sure why but I need to fine tune that sucker. If I can sort out the kinks on this tank I'm definitely going to go back to the shop that made the tank to market it out as I know others will appreciate a really large tank behind the axle instead of hanging off the side of the truck below the frame rail.

A lot of kinks I need to sort out after driving out the Pismo Beach. It drove smoothly but I experienced some lurching/buckling kinda feel between 60-65 (or was it 65-70 I forget). Not sure if it was the freeway but it only happened once in awhile so I'll have to figure out what's going on. I suspect it's either the tires or the rear axle is not truly aligned perfectly.

The steering is somewhat tight when I am easy on the throttle. I suspect the pump is either going bad or perhaps either too much oil or not enough. The front limit straps got loose at Pismo so I need to tighten those (heard a lot of clicking but at least I know what it was).

As for the meat of the stuff, I think the coils I have right now are great but the valving on the shocks are horrible. I need to test out various valving over the next year and hopefully have it all dialed in.

[johnny utah]

damn, that is a insane 4runner. What kinda wreck did you get into? Any new pics of it finished?

[Good Times]

Shane, the bumper was made that way so I can add the winch about that plate but I debating whether or not to change the bumper design entirely by making a plate bumper. Just haven't decide which way I want to go.

Johnny, take a look at the first post on this thread as it'll tell a small story but not the details. Basically you don't want to crash into a race truck (fully tubed) that's not moving while you are rolling pretty fast on dirt :) Lets just say factory sheetmetal has no chance in winning that battle lol

[Good Times]

yeah the bumper build is definitely the last thing on my mind. i have sketches on paper so that's a start but until i have some time to get some cardboard to mock something up it won't happen :)

well the rear is still attached. that's a big plus! the dual coil rates seem to be good but until i can dial in the valving i won't know for sure. for starters i'm using 450/350 12" coils. i may change it up but i want to first set the valving up w/ these coils to see if they work. it's really a crap shoot for now :)

[Good Times]

I thought about a hybrid but I don't have the tube bender anymore. I was "borrowing" it from Total Chaos to get my 4runner up and running. As for CAD stuff I thought about using the google sw but I'm too lazy ;) Sharing is caring but pictures are the only fun around here :hillbill:

Got other stuff to do like maintenance (clean cv's cuz the boot came apart at pismo) etc. Sand in your cv's are definitely no fun. I have one more to clean but too lazy to clean em out :confused:

Steel prices always goes up. That's why you gotta stock up. I got a double of sticks of 1.5 and 1.75 rounds along with a few square tubing in various sizes. I should get more sheet metal plates but I don't have a truck to get the full plates so I won't be picking any up until I have access to either a flat bed or something.

[Good Times]

I'm not worried about the cv's as they're partially removed and ready to be cleaned. just too lazy to put on a pair of gloves and work on em lol talk about being "super" lazy! haha. someone should smack me or something ;)

having a bender would be awesome but it's not a real breaker. I can always visit Jason @ Demello Offroad to bend my tubes so it's no biggie as long as I drive the pos to his shop to work on it. Helps to have great vendor support that just lets me walk in and use all of their toys :D that's partly the reason why I don't bother to go crazy and set something permanent in my garage. I do have a 220 welder to work on the stuff I need to do though so that helps :)

I have considered picking up a trailer for getting parts and what not but we'll see. I like the idea of the rtt but the sheer cost really pushes me away. Also I'm not big on the ladder and sleeping up there idea. I don't like the sleep on the floor w/ the bugs either but for now I'm not a really tight budget so tent camping it is. Worst case scenario, I can always sleep in the cabin (4runner) and call it a day.

I have some great ideas on some other directions but I'm not sure if I'll do it. Unless I have $$ or someone is willing to give me some $$ I won't be doing anything "crazy" or "chaotic" haha.

At this point it's all about just dialing in the coilovers for the rear and just going out and traveling while I'm still young and stupid ;)

[DHC6twinotter]

Lance, if you want me to whip up some 3D CAD models of a bumper for you, let me know. I play around on AutoCAD for the fun of it, so just email me some dimensions and sketches or something, and I can do that for you. :thumbup:

[04 Rocko Taco]

Lance, if you want me to whip up some 3D CAD models of a bumper for you, let me know. I play around on AutoCAD for the fun of it, so just email me some dimensions and sketches or something, and I can do that for you for one million dollars!



Fixed it for you Dan. :tongueout:

[DHC6twinotter]

:lol:

[johnny utah]

Shane, the bumper was made that way so I can add the winch about that plate but I debating whether or not to change the bumper design entirely by making a plate bumper. Just haven't decide which way I want to go.

Johnny, take a look at the first post on this thread as it'll tell a small story but not the details. Basically you don't want to crash into a race truck (fully tubed) that's not moving while you are rolling pretty fast on dirt :) Lets just say factory sheetmetal has no chance in winning that battle lol


I read the entire thread, I must of missed the actual explanation of what happened. That really sux, but it seems kinda worth it now. You have a badass 4runner for sure.

[Good Times]

Shane, you gotta make sure to get out to some of the events then ;) hehehehe

Speaking of which I should take pix of the finished goods but I gotta clean up the camera body (got dust so the pix has nice halos!)

[johnny utah]

definetly take some more pics, To give us something to drool over

[johnny utah]

I still think Lance is b.s.ing us...I've yet to see any pics of the rear links. :loser: :wrenchin: :D :flipoff:
You figure a guy that has a SouthPark Avatar, specifically w/ a camera could get a pic done already. :angel:

..and Johnny, sorry 'bout that, it was in another thread he had mentioned it, since you're a newb, you wouldn't have been privvy to that part. My bad for flaming you/telling you to read, but glad you did. Hit up the files as time permits, there's a good history of all of us, and our vehicles and activities in here.





I didnt take it as you flaming me so all is good. This is a cool site, I've been checking out some of the rides and there are so many sick yotas here.

[Seanz0rz]

haha i can vouch for his links. (in best white-trash-guy-to-TV-news-reporter voice) i saws them with my own twos eyes!

he did quite a nice job with them too! well except for the lower coilover bolt... hahahaha.

[Seanz0rz]

nah, this is me

NSFW
http://www.rottenpotty.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/redneck-toilet.jpg

[Robinhood4x4]

Dude, that's not something I want to see. :chair:

[Good Times]

Ok I'm having some fuel related issues now.

Created a separate thread on it:

http://www.ultimateyota.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=26&topic=6192

[Good Times]

Fuel issue has been resolved. Problem was the computer had to be recalibrated due to the computer resetting and losing it's baseline numbers.

Now that I can drive the 4runner, I noticed that the power steering pump is going out. Steering is smooth under load but when under coasting it gets tight. I've ordered a rebuild kit so hopefully I'll be able to perform this repair this weekend.

After the power steering pump is rebuilt, I still have to build a skid plate for the fuel tank in the rear. Looks like it'll be trail worthy soon!

[YotaFun]

Have you dialed in the rear yet?

[slosurfer]

He's been busy doing my shopping for me. His shakedown run was to go pick up a fender for me. :D

Thanks Lance :thumbup:

[Good Times]

Chris, your fender is still sitting in the 4runner. I think I'll keep in there while I work on building some skid plates for the fuel tank.

The shake down run on the freeway was good. Had a few new rattles and shakes that I've never felt before (i.e. from the last Pismo run) so I'll have to look into what those rattles were.

The power steering pump indeed looks to be going out because once I'm on the surface street and attempt to make any turns from idle it's almost impossible to turn. Ordered the rebuild kit for the pump from NTP and it's expected to arrive at my doors by Friday so I'll have my hands full rebuilding that sucker this weekend.

At this point, though it may not be trail worthy I'm just glad it's road worthy :D

Shane, the happy dance and smirk on my face happened right after I resolve my throttle response/sluggish behavior :D

Working on getting the truck trail worthy by Feb 22 for a quick day trip run out somewhere. Crossin fingers that I don't find any other gremlins in the meantime!

[Good Times]

Welp, I didn't make that 2/22 deadline but the day trip got cancelled anyway due to the rain. So instead of having fun in the mud I rebuilt the power steering pump. Hopefully that'll cure my intermittent power steering. Going to reinstall sometime during the week (prob wed?). Stupid 4 bolts that hold it in place is a pita to get to so I'm reluctant to work on it tonight.

Made a thread here: How to rebuild a 4.7L V8 Power Steering Pump thread (http://www.ultimateyota.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=26&topic=7374.new#new)

Got the rear coilovers off so it's gonna get revalved sometime this week when I get to it. Hopefully I can get that reinstalled over next weekend.

[YotaFun]

So how does the power steering feel now that you have rebuilt it?
Did that solve the noise issue, or part of the noise issue that you were having?

Is the truck going to be ready and dialed in for the 09 Pismo event so if I bring my truck I can kind of keep up with you? lol

[Good Times]

I just rebuilt the pump, haven't reinstalled it yet. Plus I'm missing a few coilovers for the rear so it's on jack stands right now. I'm hopin the sounds were from the pump but I won't know until I reinstall everything.

I'm probably gonna re-valve the coilovers a few times between now and then so I should all set by then. As for you keeping up with me.... ummm ok you can try? ;)

[YotaFun]

lol Exactly, I have never hit the dunes in my own truck, so you will have to show me a few pointers

[Good Times]

Pedal to the metal and don't quit until you see smoke!

[YotaFun]

Pedal to the metal and don't quit until you see smoke!


Lol but i would have to make it back to the east coast :p

[Good Times]

two words:

U-Haul rental




(been there done that!) :)

Anyway back on topic, I'll keep you posted on the progress. Hopefully rebuilding the power steering will resolve the intermittent power steering issue and the cool whining sounds :D

[YotaFun]

yeah hopefully.

[2ndGen]

lance,

any update on the progress?

[slosurfer]

lance,

any update on the progress?


:laugh: Read the latest Big Bear trip report, and you'll see what he will be working on next.

It was looking good for the Kings Cyn trip though. :thumbup:

[Good Times]

stupid 4runner is on vacation. I kinda hurt my ankle last week and still recovering from it so no wrenching until I can walk. damn crutches!!!

Here's a short list of items to fix now from my recent Big Bear trip:

* Add an exhaust (so I can pass smog this fall)
* Repair my downpipe and crossover pipe (exhaust) cuz it decided to crinkle. Make sure my O2 sensor line didn't get ripped out cuz right now it's not connected and I have that infamous CEL. (due to the stupid O2 sensor not plugged in)
* Make some new lower links cuz apparently the ones I made were junk. Guess I didn't calculate my weight figures correctly cuz one side decided to "bow" a bit. (not crazy bent but enough that I'm not happy about the results).
* rebuild front passenger coilover to make sure it doesn't come apart. Guess I need to use some red locktite to perm keep the rod and the rod end connected.
* power steering reservoir is leaking. I guess I have a crack in the plastic! (bah)

O yeah and also work on my trailer so I can pimp it at Pismo! woo hoo!

Outside of the headaches I had in BB the 4runner has been great! Too bad I don't drive it enough before things break to enjoy it. I'm sure many of ya can relate! :flipoff:

[Crinale]

definitely can relate... why does stuff have to break so easy? parts should be able to take more than one hard hit on a rock :-P

[Bob98SR5]

lance, send me the picture of the Y pipe

[jrock]

any vidz of ur rig? whoop sections etc

[slosurfer]

His driveway doesn't have whoops in it, so no vids. :laugh:

[Obi..]

^ROFL..Chris>PWND>Lance! ;) Get the thing running, or do I have to visit Pismo?

[jrock]

ah shucks, still down huh..get her done!

[Good Times]

get her done? dude it's never done! there's always something else to work on ;P

the truck is running and I'll be driving it around the OC area next week just to make sure it doesn't get too lazy sitting in my garage. I've got a small trip I'm taking next weekend with Chris so hopefully I'll have some "action" shots or at least some "boring" stills.

Truck ain't pretty anymore :( now it's just a beater!