Nice tire upgrade and progress on some maintenance. Question about your Hi-Lift mount. What are you using? Is it lockable? I have yet to look into locking mounts, but it seems like a good thing to have to make sure my Hi-Lift doesn't walk off if I am away. I don't usually DD with it on there, but I would rather be able to lock things and not have to worry about it as much.

We will be, Im guessing we wont be there around the same time. We are going to be there late July, not sure on the exact dates but @4-Ripcord may be able to clarify off the top of his head. It would be cool to bump into each other though!

It just mounts via two bolts coming off the swing out and threaded knobs. I run a cable lock through that and my spare. Slow them down a little.

I thought Yukons were the one's everyone didn't like..? G2 or literal gear busting is also something I've read. Dunno if that's true though

You're Welcome

Finally another actual camping trip!

We went to Glenwood, CO to explore the Flat Tops Wilderness Area and White River National Forrest.

We started midday Saturday due to sending out some Racks that morning and some other setbacks. We left for Dotsero, CO around 3 in the afternoon and got there around 6pm. We headed up CR301 (Colorado River Road) and then turned left onto CR600 (Coffee Pot Road). After about 5 miles we found a sweet spot to camp.






Here was our camp, and then our gorgeous view from camp





The next day we headed for a trail called Grizzly Jeep Trail which is rated difficult in the fun treks books. To get there you take Coffee Pot Road to Transfer Trail (CR140) and then that leads into Grizzly (CR632).
We found early that we were a bit to early in the season to run the route we wanted to which was ok, I love the challenge and the change in plans. First patch of snow we came accross about another 6 miles up Coffee Pot Road.



We could have tried to push through it but it sluffed off the trail onto a really off camber spot and I am a strong believer in stay the trail and not rolling my truck. Time to find a bypass.

We found a two-track leading up the hill to the south of the snowdrift so we followed that. Took us through the woods and around the snowdrift. I felt good about it being well traveled and had fun breaking through some snow drifts that only ATV's and UTV's had gone through.





Ended up back onto Coffee Pot Rd. and kept pushing for Grizzly.
Made it to the trail head and started pushing through.



Really put the 35's to the test breaking trail for everyone.



Also got to test out this fancy thing.


Right here is as far as we made it down grizzly. The drift got really deep, 3-4ft plus and on the other side was a water crossing that got to be a little over 5ft deep. No thanks, not with my open airbox. We turned around their and headed back to find another route.



TBC...

Flat Tops Wilderness Area

Contineud....

So we headed back out to Coffee Pot Road to see if we could find an alternative Route out to Glenwood without backtracking to I70. Long story short we found another massive snow drift and had to turn back.

Headed back out of Coffee Pot.



Played on a snow drift to test the articulation/stuffing of these 35's...
I'm impressed.




A little trimming/hammering left to do in the rear and tubing happens tonight and tomorrow morning.

This is the top of the two-track we took, the road in the distance is Coffee Pot Road and if you look even further you can see Beaver Creek, Vail, and all the surrounding mountains as well as I-70 to all to the East of us.



So we drove all the way out and into Glenwood and then up Transfer Trail (CR602) to the North of Glenwood.



This is where we setup camp for the night.





The next day we were planning on just heading home but I talked everyone into driving as far as we could on this road till we hit impassible snow being we knew there would be some. We found this immaculate view.




Not long after we hit snow.
Turned back and headed for home.

Firewall Tub
Honestly this kinda wasn't that bad but also kinda was terrible.

Total Time - 10 hours
Things you need.
-Tall Jack Stands
-Floor Jack
-Wrench and Socket Set
-Pliers/Vice Grips
-Welder
-Grinder
-8-10 Cutoff wheels (I went through 8)
-Flap Disk
-Marker
-Gasket Maker (I used the ultra black stuff that comes in a pressurized can)
-Self Etching Primer
-Rubberized Undercoating
-BFH (Big F*Cking Hammer)
-Some Will Power

Also read this amazing write up by Brandon at Coastal Offroad
Clearnencing 35's at Ride Height

First thing is to jack it up, I placed tall jack stands on the cross member and then pulled my coilovers. Then using a floor jack you can jack up your tire and check for where you rub at full bump.


This was sitting at full bump no turning.


While turning. See where I trimmed out the firewall.


Here are both cuts.



I did not have to cut much with the SPC uppers and the alignment I have.

Now to patch it up. I used the worst possible thing to do this with but I used a flux core with .35 wire... not great. It was not easy.
I used cardboard to make the shape and cut it out of 16 Guage steel. Patched it up

Done and flap disked my popcorn

Same process on the otherside

I really failed to take pictures being it was 90 degress and we had been spending so much time cutting welding and repeating.

Next step is to seal it up using the gasket maker.
Do all the welds

Inside and out

Once dry to touch paint with primer inside and out


Then paint on undercoating



I wish I took more pictures but I sucked and it sucked. I proceeded to go wheeling literally 30 min after finishing and not front end rubbing to report.


I also hammered my pinch weld A LOT, most of it was done by hammering and the chop was just the extra mile I needed. I resealed the entire pinch weld because I split it with the hammer. Overall not a terrible job just really takes it out of you and if you use a nice welder it would be so much easier.

Thanks for the help @derpiful and @TCMach your moral support/help welding the holes I couldn't fill was much needed. Hayden I also apprciate your reasurrance that anything that got messed up could be fixed with gasket maker XD
Now to wheel the piss out of it and replace everything constantaly!

Well done!

Not even cutting the truck apart can get in the way of you and your adventures.

If had not just tubbed Kelly Flats would have thrown me for a loop. It was Flexing full bump everywhere constantly. It was a great test to see how well I did. Rear end needs some more love before I rip off my rear flares

The Fort Collins crew got out for a quick night of camping and a quick run of Kelly Flats in reverse.
I put my last coat of paint on my firewall chop and threw in my floor mats and left for this one. Did not even put back together the interior trim.

Nick(5th gen) and Noah(Taco) had already gone up the Poudre earlier that day to run a trail but we left Foco around 7ish to hopefully make it to camp before dark.

@derpiful finally picked up an RTT from an REI sale and our buddy Cameron finally lifted his jeep after wheeling the hell out of it stock. All of us on fresh meat too!


Hayden and I are looking very similar these days hehe. Great minds think alike.

We found Noah about 14 Miles into Pingree Park Road.


We drove in another 5 miles and went off a side road for a while in the dark, found a great spot and set up camp.
Woke up to this.

After our coffee and Bfast we headed for Kelly Flats, everyone had already run Kelly but I somehow had never been. We decided to run it in reverse and go down heart attack hill instead of up.

Also look at Nicks tent from the 80's or 90's badass




If you look closely you can see a a.fabster custome lightbar mount/cutout in noahs front bumper for that extremebar. Been borrowing a flux core weld for a while and that was practice for my firewall chop.


Cameron gave the chutes a run for its money. Chutes won. Couldnt get up it without body damage so we called it.


Now we headed down Heart Attack Hill.
My fender is popped out but thats because I never got around to remounting it after cutting everything.... SHHHH

Noah sending it in the Taco

Time for a flex test!




@derpiful




Nick straight 3 wheeeling


Overall really fun trail, I see what all the hype is about. Things I need to fix now as per usual. Over the past 4 years of straight abuse to my roof tracks has taken its toll through product testing for Rockymtnracks.com and me jumping/bashing my truck, they need to be replaced and the roof needs to be reinforced from the underside. So that will happen before Canada. My gas tank skid needs to be remounted to the mount closest to the driver rear tire. Been broken for a while and the rattle drives me insane. Front right CV is popping even though its like sorta brand new. Front left lower shock bolt is too small and slides around in the mount. Rear diff needs to be sealed, front axle seals need to be replaced, and rear upper control arm bushings are beyond toast. O and timing belt and water pump. yea..... fun stuff. And I'm sure there is soooo much more.

Here is a pup to leave you off.

I thought that was you that I exchanged waves with as I was pulling away from the curb at Toytec today.

Love the camping trips and fun you are having, keep it up

Trying my hardest to keep the Yota Wave alive! The runner is looking good man!

Thanks man! I try my hardest ;)

Just stay on top of the repairs. Trust me, there is nothing worse then breaking down on trail because of something you knew needed attention. Not only do you have to make the repair is a harder place but you also get to kick yourself in the ass for being lazy. lol

I saw you've been posting more on Instagram lately. I've been seen more posts on the 4Runner reddit or Instagram 4Runner versus forum's it seems. I try to direct a lot of them to this website for information/help/advice as much as I can. Surprises me the amount of people who use reddit or instagram only and no forum's or even the toyota forums..