New Lift/Tires finally!
 

Well,
Finally my lift is completed! Here's my first pic: http://mikemillar.smugmug.com/photos/71375638-L.jpg I'll be posting some more soon.

It's now got Donahoes up front, Bilstien 7100s in the rear, with custom Deaver coils 20% firmer than stock and 2.5" longer. A 4 crawler 1" body lift, and some 285 Cooper STTs on Lexus GX470 rims with Spidertrax 1.25" spacers installed.

She rides great on road - now to get her off into the desert!

-Mike

Wow...one of the first 2006 4runners with a lift! Looks real nice! Now, i would definitely add rock sliders...and maybe bumpers down the road.

Sweet! :biggrin2:

I look forward to your impression of the new suspension once you get a chance to test it out.

Nice work :cool:

that looks great! The worst part about living in LA (besides the traffic and hish housing costs) is that there aren't too many places to get dirty.

Nice choices :D

Your joking right?

Re: New Lift/Tires finally!
 

Wow..you don't waste anytime! Very nice. Come wheeling with us soon. we have a calendar planned for every month from now till December. There are plans afoot for the 2007 claendar too:p

We are going to Hollister Hills in a couple of weeks if your interested. This is a great (safe) place to work out your and your truck's abilities. Also a trip to Big Bear the following month is a blast.

Hope to see ya on the trails with than nice truck.

Mark

front body mount modification?
 

I have read on TTORA and FJcruiser forums that the FJ and 05+ Taco have to cut the front body mounts a bit then weld the open section to brace it for strength. All this to accomodate the larger tires.

There was an article on this in the latest 4WD Toyota owner mag.

Do you need to do this as well on the 4th gen 4runner?

Thanks,

Re: New Lift/Tires finally!
 

Where have you installed it?

Re: Re: New Lift/Tires finally!
 

I would like to join you guys, if that's ok...

I'm not sure if I can make it to the one in a few weeks, but I would definitely like to join you guys for future trips.

Very nice !

Thanks all
 

Thanks everyone... yes I can't wait to take this out, I'll try to join you on your next trip.

As for where the work was done - everything was done by Demello Offroad.

-Mike

Anyone is welcome to wheel with us.

I will post some details later today.

Cheers
Mark

How much did you pay for the Lexus wheels? They look sweet - of course the whole thing is just SWEET.

I found some on ebay, but then lucked out and found an owner on Craigslist who didn't want them. So I got the set for $299 in perfect condition.


Here's some more pics:
http://mikemillar.smugmug.com/photos/71518197-L.jpg
http://mikemillar.smugmug.com/photos/71518474-L.jpg
http://mikemillar.smugmug.com/photos/71518898-L.jpg
http://mikemillar.smugmug.com/photos/71516743-L.jpg
http://mikemillar.smugmug.com/photos/71516377-L.jpg
http://mikemillar.smugmug.com/photos/71516444-M.jpg
http://mikemillar.smugmug.com/photos/71516411-L.jpg
http://mikemillar.smugmug.com/photos/71516125-L.jpg

-Mike

well accept about the traffic part.......great new pics!

New pics look great! :cool:

Now lose the running boards! :p

A few off road trip details around SoCal -

May 28-29 Barstow

June 10-11 Hollister Hills

June 24-25 Big Bear Braai

July 15-16 Mammoth Lakes

Aug ? Sierra's and Pismo Beach

Sept ? Mojave

Oct ? Sierra's and Surf N Turf Pismo Beach

Nov. ? desert run


Most of the details about these runs can be found HERE....1 or HERE....2

Cheers
Mark

Outstanding!

'06 SR5 V6
 

She's a month old today... please no singing. I bought her a new set of shoes and a set of Donahoes.

K6UK looks good. What are you doing for a spare tire? Did you just keep the stock tire size?

Yeah, for now I have the stock tire underneath - but I need to find a better solution for the long run.

I have spoken to Armorology about fabbing me a rear bumper/tire carrier. This is probably the way I am going to go... but I don't know how to get around the giant bumper of the 4runner.

I am still trying to picture how to fab one up that will look good. Lances is great, but it involved a bit more work/cutting than I am comfortable with.

-Mike

First Outing
 

By the way... got to take her out for the first time - met up with the FJ Cruiser Trail Team

http://mikemillar.smugmug.com/photos/72281951-L.jpg
http://mikemillar.smugmug.com/photos/72340240-L.jpg

More pictures (probably too many) at mikemillar.smugmug.com

The suspension was amazing off road!


-Mike

Wow the Coopers look really agressive. Very cool.

I expect them to be loud on the highway, how are they?

It also seems to have a wide footprint. I got Revos and they seem to have a smaller "foot print" It has a concave design by where the sidewall meets the tread.


Then again, yours are MT and the Revos are AT.

Either way, your 4runner looks really tough. :rocker:

Can you post a couple pics illustrating how much trimming you had to do, if any.

Thanks in advance.

I went and saw your other pics.

Did you get that awesome bumper?

If yes, who makes it, where did you buy it, how much?

Sorry about the questions. lol

The Coopers are definately much louder than stock tires... but I don't know how they compare with other MTs. I got used to it fast... but I am definately aware of the rolling resistance with these agressive tires, in that the truck slows much faster when coasting than it did with stock tires. Acceleration is still very nice.

The bumper is the new creation of Shrockworks - I just photoshopped it onto my truck, but if you want one check out the threads at Toyota120.com

I am sticking with my stock bumper for now, but eventually will either get an ARB or the Shrockworks (I want to see them both in person) also I want to figure out a rear bumper solution at some point and want them to match up.

I'll post some trimming pictures ASAP.

-Mike

Wow! You had me fooled. :D I thought they were real.

I heard ARB is supposed to come out with a new bumper also.

Maybe I could follow you to one of your off-road ventures, if you don't mind? Never been to one in CA

That looks really good.........I would just lose the dealer tag on the front.....unless they are paying you for the advertising......lol

Re: New Lift/Tires finally!
 

What are the Spidertrax 1.25" spacers for?

Spidertrax
 

Here's a pic of the spacers:

http://www.spidertrax.com/core/media...65b8f4acca.jpg

Their job is to space the wheels out 1.25" - otherwise the tires will rub on the A-Arms in the front. This could also be accomplished by using a wheel with the right backspacing - but I had my heart set on the Lexus OEM wheels

-Mike

Curious about the wheels.

Don't the Lexus wheels have the same center cap design/shape as the Toyotas?

I noticed that you had the Lexus wheel cap... Was it because the Toyotas didn't fit?

btw, I'm definitely getting the spidertrax spacers, but they are out of stock! I know that with bigger tires such us ours need fender trimming, but I'm sure the rubbing areas will change with the wheel spacers. Where did you do the trimming? Did you "have" to remove the mud flaps?

With the stock setting, I have to trim around the front triagular piece. I haven't cut mine yet, because the rubbing wasn't too bad. I might as well wait for the wheel spacers before I start trimming.

Thanks for the info.

I haven't had a chance to experiment with different wheel caps. I think there is a Tundra wheel that uses the same cap, but I haven't tried to find one yet. The caps off of my 18" wheels were WAY to small - and the wrong color.

The wheel spacers really doesn't help on the fender rubbing... but if you're hitting the A-Arms then they move the tires out and away.

The front mudflaps definately had to go - there is very little space between the tire and the body mount (to the rear of the wheel well) at full lock. If I agressively accelerate, or hit a bump at full lock I do rub a little on this mount.

The rear mudflap probably could have stuck around, but I would need to shave down the fasteners. I don't want any parts ripping off my truck - I rather remove them myself. :)

The trimming in the front was mostly the black fender liner, but also involved a slight amount of trimming at the edge of the fender (silver part on my truck).

I know people are a little shy about doing cutting - but I figure it's just the price of doing business and you might as well just do it.

You might as well wait for the spacers before you cut, because the areas you rub may very well change with the spacers.

-Mike

Functionally, the 4runner is just fine. I'm just doing it for a wider stance. Might help compensate for the height increase and provide stability for the gained top-heaviness.

What do you think?

Could you post some images of places you cut?

The wider stance won't hurt you any in that department - my truck feels pretty solid and I'm sure the spacers helped in that area.


Yes, I'll take some pictures of the trimming and post them up!


-Mike

Aren't you going to have problems with your tires hitting the fender lips if the wheels are pushed out 1.5" and under full compression - eg when off-roading?

When I re-read your suspension setup (including body lift), maybe you have enough room even under full compression.

I was concerned about that when I was setting it up, and that is what prompted me to go with a small body-lift. I didn't run into any problems my first time out - but I have by no means flexed every which way. I'm trying to get out to Hollister Hills on the 11th which should give me some better impressions.

So far though, I have run into no problems.


-Mike

Do you mind me asking how much you paid for the whole thing?

Demello supplied the parts too?

Thanks.

Well... to be quite honest I never really totalled the whole thing up... and I'm not sure I want to :)

Denial is way more fun.

I'll try to gain the courage...

-Mike

Just wanted to say your 4Runner is one of the best looking 06s I've seen so far. If I had more time and money to hit the trails and put the truck to the test, I'd run a similar setup to yours. As it stands, though, I've got the XREAS and am limited to a few inches. Oh well... nice truck!