PValorum's 97 Limited Work Log - Pictures and Words

I'm a little late posting this thread. As of two months ago I've owned my 4Runner for 3 years and racked up 38k miles, rolling 200k last week.

I've already done a number of mods to increase the functionality and enjoyment of my truck, which I'll try to recount.

Goals:
- Reliable DD
- Capable for weekend off road camping trips to remote areas
- Overkill

Mods:

Suspension:
Front:
ICON 2.5 Extended travel remote reservoir coilovers w/adjustable damping and 600 lbs/in springs
ICON UCAs without Delta joint
Poly LCA bushings
Energy Suspension steering rack bushings
Wheeler's diff drop
Rear:
<strike>4th gen rear coils (used, 190k+ on them, lol)</strike>
Toytec Superflex 024RCB rear springs
ICON 2.5 LC80 rear shocks with remote reservoirs and adjustable damping
Custom F250 shock tower mounts welded outside of the frame
Sonoran Steel lower trailing arms
Sonoran Steel adjustable track bar

Tires/Brakes
235/85-16 Goodyear Duratracs
199mm Tundra brake upgrade
1.5" bolt on spacers
Braided stainless brake hoses

Exterior:
Gobi Stealth roof rack
30" Chinesium light bar
Dual LED reverse lights on a relay
ARB 6' awning
Amazon HitLights LED Strip Lights, 2700k on awning
ARB annex room w/screens
HID retrofit from A.Wilson013
3800k bulbs
Oil spray

Armor:
Shrockworks front bumper and winch fairlead
Warn M8000 Winch with Dyneema synthetic line
2" Trailer marker LED turn signals
Custom rear bumper with tire carrier swingout
4xInnovations weld on sliders w/kickout
Shrockworks 5 piece skidplate set

Electrical:
Optima dual battery setup
National Luna battery manager and controller
2k watt Hazard Fraught inverter
CS144 alt Quick Start high output 170 amp
Big 3 upgrade (actually 4)
2x Newapowa 30W solar panels in series
Victron SmartSolar MPPT 75/10 Solar Charge Controller

Engine:
Moroso oil filter relocation block with AN fittings to clear upgraded alternator

Interior:
Custom sleeping platform w/ soft close drawers, based heavily on Rickashay's build
Custom storage cubby where rear seats used to be
ARB 37qt fridge/freezer
Pioneer head unit w/ stock speakers
Infinity BassLink 200w active sub
Amazon 3000k LED interior lights
Ram Mounts GDS tablet mount, and X-Grip for phone

Comms:
Amateur Radio License - Technician
Yaesu FT-2900R
Larsen NMO 150 2m 5/8 whip
Baofeng UV-82
Uniden Pro520XL CB Radio
4' Firestick CB antenna w/spring mount

Drivetrain:
B&M trans cooler
Magnefine trans fluid filter
Torque converter replaced - 186k
Full rear diff master rebuild kit 186k
E-locker actuator motor replaced - works!



Trips:
GSMNP 2016
KAT - May 2017
Tar Hollow - May 2018
George Washington National Forest - April 2019

Sleeping platform and fridge, easily my favorite mods so far.


Camping in -9F weather


With my buddy's 4th gen


Cleaning out mud and rebuilding the drums


Radio setup


Trans cooler


Dual batteries


CS144 HO 170A Alt upgrade vs stock

KAT - Kentucky Adventure Trail - 2017

This trail is 800+ miles of mostly offroad trail, primarily aimed at dual sport motorcycles. My buddy and I took 3 days and did as much as we could, which was less than 150 miles if I remember correctly. We had to turn around a couple times: one river was flooded, and there was a crazy washed out gulch that we didn't feel confident in our abilities to traverse it without causing gratiutous cosmetic damage. Turns out that part was a bridle trail, and as we were turning around a group of riders passed us, giving us looks like we were crazy for being where we were in vehicles, lol.

This was both of first real off road experiences, and of course we were instantly hooked. Both vehicles were essentially stock, save for matching 235/85-16 Duratracs. We learned a lot, and talked nearly the entire drive back about how impressed we were with the capability of this platform, to handle the terrain that we just did, allow us to sleep inside of our respective vehicles, and then drive a full highway speeds home with no discomfort.

Setup to eat lunch right on the trail, didn't pass anyone the entire day


Amazing overlook view camp site on the trail

I was looking forward to installing the new suspension this weekend with my buddy, who has a lift at his house and is a certified welder. I have a welder, but no 220v, and no lift.

Parts procured in anticipation for project Geriatric 4Runner Rejuvenation, or GRR:

• Icon Stage 5 coilover package w/ UCAs
• F250 Shock towers to use to mount rear shocks outside frame rails
• OEM Lower ball joints
• OEM Inner tie rod ends
• OEM Steering rack guide update package
• Energy Suspension poly swaybar bushings F/R
• Energy Suspension steering rack bushings
• Moog rear end links
• Sonoran Steel Adjustable Panhard bar
• Sonoran Steel HD Rear lower links
• OEM Rear upper link passenger side (driver side already broke and was replaced a while ago)
• Spidertrax 1.5" wheel spacers (or similar, can't remember, got off Craigslist)

I got a couple of these on sale when I could, Black Friday for the massive 20% off on Icon, or used, for the spacers.

My buddy said he's booked until late June to tackle this project.

I've had the suspension for a while, lol:

The other day I decided to finally replace my rear wiper with OEM parts. I balked before at the $25 price of admission and got some stuff off Rock Auto.

Even when brand new, the aftermarket wiper never wiped a clean pattern on the window. It only got worse from there.

New parts! Wiper and accessories, steering rack guide update kit, and LBJs


Aftermarket wiper. Can't see it too well, but since it doesn't have the little rubber tooth thing to ride into the stopper on the hatch panel, it sits on the sill and rusts it up....


That "extreme weather" protection boot didn't seem to help much. I think this is 2 years old.... Avoid at all costs...


This is amazing after using the other junk for far too long. Notice all the residual rust stains on the window ledge.

Well, this weekend didn't go quite as planned.


A couple years ago I went off roading with a Jeep club on a Novice Trail Ride day near Tar Hollow State Park. I thought it was actually pretty challenging for a novice event, but I essentially had a stock truck with half worn 12+ year old Michelin all terrains and a non-working e-locker, lol. I learned a lot, and had a blast, although I broke several smallish things, mainly due to rust.


I recorded that route as a GPX file and planned a trip with my buddy and his Tacoma. We checked in at the park campground and headed out to the trail. I remembered the trail starting off as pretty tame, but needing 4wd quickly. This time we turned down a gravel road and crossed a small stream. Skirting several very large puddles I was leery about the depth of, we made our way up to a frame twister section with a stream flowing between the moguls. One in and on two wheels, I quickly started sliding toward the driver's side and the bank threatened my wheel flare.


I engaged 4lo and the elocker and continued out of the section, and snagged some pics of my buddy traversing it. He makes it look easy, I must have taken a stupid line, I was teeter-tottering the whole way.











We stopped to discuss the section we just passed, and how we planned to approach what was ahead. He then noticed another 3rd gen coming down the trail behind us!


New trail buddy hamming it up









They were locals and familiar with the trail. They'd just bought the 3rd gen earlier that day and immediately headed out to baptize it in mud. They said the trail was tough, and that they'd just started logging it this year, which turned it from a "stock Jeep" trail into an "intermediate". They said there was a section of 150+ yards of knee-deep soupy clay ahead, and the driver said he'd gotten his Silverado stuck for 3 days. It took two Wranglers to pull him out, and one got stuck in the process.


Seriously reconsidering what I thought were well-laid plans, we decided to forge ahead. The locals happily offered to break trail for us and scope out the conditions. They seemed much more confident in their vehicle with street tires than I did of my own.


It turned out that the soup had cleared up due to a lack of recent rain, and we walked right through that section with no spinning from the Duratracs.


Pulling out of the previously soupy section



Not what I signed up for -- looking back the way we'd come. There's plenty more beyond the bend out of sight

Yumm



We were up against the end of the trail, which I remembered. It was a steep ascent up to the road, and there were large sections of shale sticking out of the trail at different points. It was also rutted from larger trucks. The trail blazers recommended hanging back to avoid being pelted with rocks and risking a windshield or headlight.


With them out of sight, and not having seen the line they took, I started up the hill. There was plenty to keep an eye on while climbing, and my new friend was urgently reminding me to keep my speed up. I prefer to slowly traverse obstacles instead of going balls to the wall. I stopped to talk to him about the next rock outcropping, and when I looked back ahead, all of the lights on my dash were on, and I noticed my truck wasn't running. I turned the key, and it just cranked. I looked back at him and asked him if he smelled gas as well. He did, and my stomach sank. We took a quick look underneath, and my gas tank was hanging down and pouring fuel out in a hurry.


I feel confident this was due to my own inexperience. I think going slower and having a spotter would have made all the difference.


After further inspection, we determined that my fuels lines broke off as well, so there was really no hope for a field repair. My buddy following in the Tacoma grabbed a 60' strap and we hooked it from the leading 3rd gen to mine. I didn't think it was going to work with his tires, especially since I was up against a small rock wall I needed to climb. He tried a couple gentle tugs, and it wasn't nearly enough. There was no way to get the Taco around my truck, the trail was cut down about 4 feet lower than the edges due to use, and only just wider than one truck.


I was starting to worry we were going to be spending a considerable amount of time here when a pack of 6-8 Rzr/Utvs/side by sides pulls up at the top of the road. One of them hooks up to the 3rd gen and pulls both of us out in a train. I thanked all of the involved parties multiple times.


We determined the best course of action was to drag my truck over to the church next to the trail and leave it there while we tried to get cell service/a tow. Fifteen minutes away in the closest town I got that orchestrated and we headed back to my truck.








You shouldn't be able to see the tank like this....



33's and more ground clearance help



I'm disappointed that I hurt my truck, but it's something we all know will happen at some point. I felt like I let my friends down and cut the trip short. At the same time, these trails were far more aggressive than they were previously. We noticed while waiting for the tow truck that the Rzrs were only going down that trail, not up. That local knowledge really pays! At the same time, I felt really thankful to make some new friends on the trail, and meet so many people who were so willing to help a stranger.

Got my truck back the other day from my buddy's shop. The service manager was really impressed with the whole thing, as he ended up saying, "damn, those are some strong fuel lines on that Toyota! They held that gas tank on the whole way back on the flatbed!"

The damage was the rear tank hanger broke due to how rusty it was, and the only reason the truck wasn't running was the connector to the fuel pump got unplugged....

Unbelievable, imo. I'm thrilled it wasn't worse; I didn't even anticipate the tank being salvageable.

Unfortunately it failed 2 of my 3 goals for the truck:


As such I placed an order for full skid plates, including the gas tank. :boxer:

On the truck front, I haven't uploaded pics yet, but there are updates:

-After what feels like a year on the healing bench, I started putting my used Warn winch back together. I'm not sure which way to clock it just yet for the bumper, gotta sort that out yet.

-Got used front lower control arms to upgrade to poly bushings. I was unable to remove them with a ball joint press and propane torch, so they're at the shop right now.

-Ordered plenty more parts for the suspension project, which feels completely overwhelming at this point, hopefully tackling that this weekend with my buddy.

-Going to pick up the skid plates tomorrow at the UPS depot. They didn't seem too keen on delivering a 200lb pallet on a dead end street.

PrinceValorum said:

I haven't made much progress recently. My girlfriend of 2.5 years broke up with me a couple weeks ago.

On the truck front, I haven't uploaded pics yet, but there are updates:

-After what feels like a year on the healing bench, I started putting my used Warn winch back together. I'm not sure which way to clock it just yet for the bumper, gotta sort that out yet.

-Got used front lower control arms to upgrade to poly bushings. I was unable to remove them with a ball joint press and propane torch, so they're at the shop right now.

-Ordered plenty more parts for the suspension project, which feels completely overwhelming at this point, hopefully tackling that this weekend with my buddy.

-Going to pick up the skid plates tomorrow at the UPS depot. They didn't seem too keen on delivering a 200lb pallet on a dead end street.

Click to expand...

I'm sorry bud. That sucks.

Sounds like you're off on the right foot to building out what you want, thought!

I'm still here. I've done a terrible job of keeping this thread up to date.

A ton has happened since I last updated:
-Quit my job, went back to school full time to finish up my mech eng degree. With any luck I've got a year or so left.
-Finished the full suspension upgrades
-Designed and built (aka I watched and got in the way while my buddy welded) a fully custom rear bumper based on the CBI plate bumper, with an integrated swingout
-Got the front bumper properly mounted and installed the winch
-Finished rebuilding the winch
-Full skids
-Weld on sliders
-Solar panels
-Took the truck out and actually used it a couple of times on trips
-Rolled 226k miles
-Lots more I'm forgetting

Hope everyone's been well!

In the spring of 2019 my best buddy and I hit the George Washington National Forest on the way back from a work event. There isn't a whole lot of awesome overlanding stuff in Ohio, as a surprise to no one.

Packed up and ready to head out


By the time we got there it was wet, overcast, pitch dark, and foggy, which made things quite eerie. Plus all the trees looked evil.


The sounds of nature were quite loud at night, especially with the limited visibility, and more than we found a spot, we just gave in and pulled off the trail for the night. We had no idea what the spot even looked like that night, as shining flashlights around just illuminated the moisture in the air.

Upon waking up


Evil trees


My first piece of trail treasure I found!!


Sleeping arrangement. My buddy was able to fit his entire tent cot inside the ARB annex, though it was a tight fit


As I was trying to fall asleep, there was this dull "tinging" noise I kept hearing. Part of me said I should get out and look, but the smarter part of me said that's a really good way to get murdered by a crazy musical killer. I noticed the next day that it was the zipper pull tapping against my fuel door as the wind moved the annex. Haunted by the ghost of ARB himself.


Testing out the new tablet mount for the GPS


Of course we discovered that had we just continued up the trail 5 more mins we could have camped on top of this really cool bluff up on top


Guess I need to clean my camera sensor


ETA: spaced out the other night and forgot the second half of the pics...

The trail forked, and the GPX file we were following continued down the trail ahead. The trail ahead started descending and had several steep (it's relative, lol) descents that we collectively agreed we didn't feel comfortable tackling alone. We just had one truck, were hundreds of miles from home, didn't know the area, and we didn't feel confident that if we did head down the descent and then came upon an even more challenging obstacle that we for sure couldn't cross, that we would be able to climb back up later. A lot of excuses, but we both thought it was better to play it safe. Taking pictures from the beginning of the descent, of course it looks very flat in the picture, lol


After we had made up our minds, moved the truck, and started back for the other fork, a group of locals came through in four Jeeps and made it look easy. They also seemed far more experienced than us.

Heading down the alternate route we decided to take, based on the topography on the GPS it seemed like a more mild choice.


Pulling over to take some pictures






A bit further down the trail it was snack time



As the trail ended we came across this neat lake, and hiked down to take some pictures. One or two people had kayaks and were fishing.


We pulled over a few times to take pictures of the Appalachian Mountains at the scenic overlooks before we got on the highway home.

Suspension upgrade time!

Days after my last post in 2018, I completed the front suspension with one of my offroad buddies. We met at HamFest, and never really did anything with Ham after that, lol.

A friend with a lift is the best kind of friend. Especially if he wrenches for a living, and is a certified welder.

Parts installed:
ICON Stage 5 front suspension kit:
Coilovers with remote reservoirs and adjustable damping
UCAs with heim/ball joint (Iirc the delta joint wasn't out when I initially ordered the suspension)
Diff drop
Braided stainless hoses
Used OEM LCAs with new poly bushings and Wheeler's Superbumps (they are compressed a little even while stationary)
OEM LBJs
New OEM alignment hardware where needed

Lessons learned:
This was a way bigger project than I anticipated. Especially when you have to contend with rust. We had over 8 hours in on that day, and were both completely whipped at the end of it.
If you plan on swapping out to heavier front springs, order them from Icon this way. It will make your life way easier, as a normal widowmaker spring compressor is too big for the small diameter coilover springs.
I had originally intended to do the rear suspension the same day. HAH!

New (to me) LCAs with the new poly bushings pressed in. I had to take them to a shop, as I wasn't able to remove them with a ball joint press from the parts store. He said they just about maxed out his 30 ton shop press.


Wire wheeled and coated with POR15


All loaded up to head to my buddy's shop


So many parts....


First snag, the spring compressor doesn't fit. You can get one on one side, but can't get two on at the same time. I just left the stock springs in.


Diff drop installed


Original front shocks were absolute toast


After a long fricken day, the front was done.

Wait, what about the rear?

I think how I originally got sidetracked from updating was I intended to wait until I got the rear finished, and then post everything at once. But then I decided to return the 4runner rear shocks to Icon and go with Land Cruiser length shocks for extra travel. And then it took like 9 months to get them from Icon because they were a custom order, and they were incredibly busy. Soooo...

I owe credit for the extended travel rear shock mount to Ripcord, A.Wilson013, and maybe a few others. The factory rear shock mounts on my truck looked questionable at best, so going with new beefy AF mounts outside the frame seemed like the way to go. I got 1.5" wheel spacers to clear the mounts, just to be safe.

New Parts:
Icon 2.5 LC80 rear shocks with remote resis and adjustable damping
Sonoran Steel lower trailing arms
Sonoran Steel adjustable track bar with poly bushings
Stainless braided brake hose
New OEM F250 front strut towers (repurposed for my rears)
Toytec Superflex rear springs (super impressed with how these are handling my in-excess-of-factory-GVWR load)

My buddy's handiwork adapting the F250 shock towers to the style needed by the LC80 shocks




Cleaning off the frame to hang the new towers


Clamped in place


Glued on


It cannot be overstated just how beefy the 2.5 shocks are. Optimally the hose would have been routed out the top. I hadn't considered that, and decided to run them as-is, as we didn't have access to nitrogen to re-pressurize them if we disassembled them to flip them. So far I haven't had any issues with rubbing, but I realize this is not the optimal config.


Toytec Superflex springs vs the 4th gen 4Runner springs I had been running


I asked him if he was going to measure, but he just eyeballed it. To his credit he absolutely nailed the first one on the passenger side, but the driver's side was 3.5 degrees off, so he had to cut off the tacks and measure, lol


Everything on!


Full droop, keep in mind this is with the stock sway bar end links hanging on for dear life. I really need to get those swapped out....

Also, has anyone had luck finding a larger master cylinder that works with the 3rd gen? After doing the Tundra BBK I intended to upgrade my MC, but haven't found a good solution. I'd prefer not to have to upgrade the booster as well, but there don't seem to be many options.

I read this thread, but there didn't seem to be much consensus.
Master Cylinder upgrade options

This page also has this spreadsheet, but the conclusion seems to be that there is no upgrade path due to our brake booster only having 2 studs, instead of 4 like the pickups and Land Cruisers.
Toyota 4x4 Brake Master Cylinder and Brake Booster Specs - Roundforge

Rear bump stop measurements

After the install of the rear suspension I'd intended to get extended rear bump stops, and then forgot until now.

I went and took some measurements on the truck. Just for general reference, here is how it currently sits with a full tank of gas, gas tank skid plate and recovery tools, but without the swingout, radiator through transfer case skids, repair tools, camping gear, fridge, etc.

Hub to fender (Limited fender flare) at ride height:
Front:
Driver 20 1/4"
Pass 20 1/2"

Rear:
Driver 22 3/8"
Pass 22 7/8"

Full droop:
Front:
25 1/4" both sides

Rear:
Didn't measure

Length of rear shaft exposed at ride height:
Driver 4 13/16"
Pass 5"

Distance from axle tube to bump mount:
Driver 8"
Pass 8.5"

Length of rear shaft exposed at full droop on one side (don't have an easy way to measure with both sides at full droop at home):
10"

That leaves me with approx 5" of travel in both up and down on the rear axle. It doesn't seem like much compared to some of the really crazy builds, but I intend to do trails vs rock crawling.

I used this post in this thread to figure out what I needed to measure to determine my bump stop length needed.
Bumpstop Length?? | Page 2 | Tacoma World

So on the passenger side since I have 8.5" between the axle housing and the bump stop mount, and 5" of shaft travel, 8.5 - 5 = 3.5" of bump stop length at maximum bump stop compression. The driver side is roughly the same (I realize some of the numbers don't quite add up, these were just rough measurements with a tape measure).

I decided to go with the 5.25" DuroBumps.

Since I apparently spaced out and forgot, I added the rest of the pictures to the George Washington NF trip in post 12:
https://www.toyota-4runner.org/3646652-post12.html

I'm preparing for a big trip out to Colorado with my buddy to visit another close friend who just moved out there recently for his dream job.

I have a list of maintenance I want to tackle before the trip, so it's going to be a busy 1.5 months until then between summer class and working on the truck. I got the truck back from the shop today where I had them to a multipoint inspection in prep for the trip. I try to keep an eye on everything, but this was cheap peace of mind that I hadn't overlooked anything, or to remind myself of something I knew about and forgot to put on the to-do list.

The last major mod I have planned for the truck was also supposed to happen before this trip. Since the range of these trucks is so abysmal, I just bit the bullet and ordered a Long Range America aux fuel tank. I ordered it back in March, but there was a 3 month lead time from Australia. It was originally scheduled for delivery in early July, and still is, but when I checked with the sales guy the other day, he said it might be delayed, as their last cargo ship had to wait for 3 weeks before it could dock in Seattle. I really hope things work out and I can get that installed before this trip. But, nothing I can do about it in the meantime.

Planned maint. before trip:

-<strike>Remove skids in prep for minor surgery</strike> done
-Timing belt and water pump, OEM parts ordered and arrived
-Replace radiator as preventive maint while I have the system apart
-Change over to red Toyota coolant at that time
-Motor mounts (figured now was as good a time as any while I have things apart about as much as they'll ever be)
-Trans mount
-Paint frame rail end caps while I have the bumper off for the timing belt
-Remove front coilovers and swap stock coils for heavier 700lb coils to account for added front weight
-Swap out driver side inner tie rod end (a friend had helped me diagnose this, and the shop also found it in the inspection), and also swap the outer TREs to OEM units since I had to grab them from OReilly's when I did the front end suspension and then the 'temporary' fix became permanent..
-Trim front fender liners and line with rubber/mudflaps to try to weather seal them. Super over-due, the tires have been rubbing for ages after the spacers. It's taking much longer to wear down than I anticipated, lol
-Install extended rear bump stops, ordered
-I'd like to get the Anderson disconnect installed for the winch while I have the bumper off. Another project that got put off
-Two more new Duratracs to match. Two are at 8/32 (after 50k miles) and aren't what they used to be in the snow, two are at 16/32 (had to replace two last year, one had an un-repairable puncture and decided to do a pair, since they were so worn. Had them throw the one that was still good on a spare wheel for the swingout.)
-Install fuel tank (hopefully!!)
-Reinstall skid plates
-Alignment after all of that work

Nothing to it but to do it, I guess.

Historically my other build threads have gotten pretty off topic, whatever that even means in the context of a build thread. I know it really bothered some followers, to the point they actually complained about it. I'm trying to keep this one more about the truck, but sometimes I do like to have an aside post with stuff I find neat, things that are tangentially related, etc.

Last weekend my buddy came over and gave me a hand removing my skids in prep for the maintenance. It was a major pain installing them by myself, but removal was way, way easier, especially with help.

I got a little baby pressure washer a month ago or so, and have actually started washing things. I'm a little embarrassed to say that I think my truck has been washed like 3-4 times in the 6 years I've had it. I'll try to make a future post about my detailing learnings, as I went pretty far down the rabbit hole. Needless to say the truck looks better now than it probably has since new.

While I had the skids off, I figured it would be a perfect time to wash them. I foamed them with the Ryobi detergent and then blasted them off, and it didn't touch the oil spray on them.

To contend with the salt on the roads around here I've had the truck oil sprayed several winters. It has made a major difference, both in how dirty the truck gets and stays, and also in slowing down the rust. The place I go uses clean hydraulic oil in the doors and panels, and clean heavy gear oil on the undercarriage. The Ryobi detergent didn't touch the gear oil.

Skid plate after the Ryobi detergent.


I got this Ryobi stuff when I got the pressure washer, and tbh didn't know jack diddly about cleaning products. I figured I'd test it out for this to see what it can do, since I don't want to use it on any vehicle I actually care about, after learning a bit more about cleaning products and detailing. A more recent purchase was the Optimum Power Clean. I haven't tried it diluted yet (some people report using it cut 10:1 with water and still having results cleaning the interior), but I'm impressed with how well it cuts grease, especially given the relatively tame health warnings on the label compared to some other all purpose cleaners.


I sprayed the skid plates with an even coverage of the OPC, just one pass of full surface coverage, no overlapping, and let it sit for 5-10 mins. Came back and blasted it off, and then they looked like this.


Safely stored in the romantic garden of weeds




On a completely different topic, another friend had me over to his house last weekend for some smoked meat. I'm a recluse, so the pandemic was a relief for me, and it feels kinda weird to be around people again, but it wasn't too bad. His future brother in law is in the process of turning his hobby smoking into a business, and I got to sample his work. I gotta be honest, normally I don't really care about ribs. I know some people just go nuts over them, but I never have. But these... these were the best ribs I've had.


He put brown sugar and maple syrup in the foil before laying the ribs on top and baking them in the oven at 225. Then they got a coating of BBQ and returned to the oven


Yellow and green squash with onions and his custom seasoning blend


Full plate, complete with ribs, squash, mac and cheese with bacon cooked in a cast iron skillet over the fire (sweet jesus, this is the way to do it), and little cornbreads. The discussion was started that these were mini cornbreads, then micro, nano, and finally it was settled that they were in fact femto cornbreads.



And on another note, I pulled out the majority of the hardware for my bumper and rigged it up in prep to pull it tomorrow for the maintenance. I swore I was never removing this bumper again after how blasted difficult it was to get installed. Once the winch was installed in the bumper it went from 'difficult' to 'why do I do this to myself' even with another person helping. I have a secret weapon now, though.

Enjoyed reading through your thread. The fact that all the trail details, maintenance, mods coupled with BBQ and character details read like a story makes it interesting. Nice work.

spartacus said:

Enjoyed reading through your thread. The fact that all the trail details, maintenance, mods coupled with BBQ and character details read like a story makes it interesting. Nice work.

Click to expand...

Appreciate that, and I'm glad you enjoyed it. The threads that read like a story are my favorite to read.