08 V8 4x4 - El Camaleon Azul

Oooooh yis. I really like this build. You are doing some real quality work here, very nice! Looking forwad to seeing you jump the damn thing though! Haha.

So, just wondering... How did you find out this information about the updated LCAs? I plan on replacing mine in the near future, and would like to do at least a little bit of an upgrade. Bigger bolts and some extra gusseting would be great! A really good find, good job!

Jumping!! Not so certain this is a jumping machine at this point. But I'm not done. It is now at the stage i like to consider wheelable. I wish Toyota put this level of suspension and size tires on showroom 4runners. Now its ready to play!
Now- i have some big ideas, but that may be down the trail a ways. First i need to get busy on full skids, sliders, bumpers, roof rack, lighting, and some trail amenities. Damn, that sounds expensive- i better pick up some overtime shifts :cheers:

The 5th gen LCAs-
i started out planning to clean up my OEM arms, replace the rubber bushings with Urethane Daystars- which should let the suspension cycle much better than bonded rubber bushings. Done. The Cam Adjuster tabs on the frame were blown out, so i picked up a set of Total Chaos Tab Gussets- super beefy. These are great for keeping your alignment in spec even when your bouncing thru rutted roads.
When i pulled the arms, the cam bolts were seized and i had to cut them out. They are expensive, and i then needed to replace one of the LCA bushings, more $$. I knew the 5th/4th gen runners and FJCs had the same frames and suspension components. A guy on TFJC had just rolled his FJ and was parting it out, so i picked up his arms and all the hardware from him. Little did i know the Cam bolt hardware was upgraded in '10 to larger diameter- very small difference, but def. thicker hardware and a heavier "feel". Aside from the bushings/hardware at the frame, everything else on the +'10 arms fits right up. The spindles are identical as well as the mount. The ball joint pivot assembly is larger but mounts the same. There are small differences in gussets along the arm itself.

I don't think it would be worth "upgrading" to the later arms unless the 4th gen arms have damage or some other issue that leads you to believe they need replacement. If you had to replace them, and you were going to add the Total Chaos Cam Gusset Kit- then i would certainly upgrade at the same time. Rather than buying some Ebay arm, find a set of later OEM Toyota arms with all the hardware included(cam bolts and ball joint) and fit them up to your frame with the larger dis. TC Gusset Kit.

One of my favorite things about Toyotas is the ability to blend parts form generations and models. Brake upgrades, third members, bearings, engines, transmissions, etc... always amazes me what will bolt up and work together- almost like the yota engineers planned it.
Sometimes i like to do it just for the sake of it- so long as its always an UPGRADE!!!! :cheers:

Hell yeah man! I have a couple of questions. How do you find all of these parts? I'm constantly looking on this forum and one other forum but can never find anything worth anything. Also, those fenders. What's the mm of the flare?

Ha, know what you mean. Can get frustrating mulling thru the junk.
I am usually in no real hurry, but looking for particular things. Ready to jump on them when i see them come up. I started piling parts up before i even bought the Runner :artist2:
Most i found on T4R or TFJC forums. Tacomaworld is a good one too.
The 120 platforms are the same- LexusGX, 07+FJC, 4th/5th gen T4R, front suspension on the 05+Tacos. Only minor differences if any. Can be inconvenient surprises if your not aware of the differences :whipping2
 
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That thing looks a LOT different now than when it was in my driveway. :thumb:

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Hey, how were you able to get those Fox Resi's mounted with the right angle elbow oriented inward towards the frame? (pic below)

Did you bend out the mounting bracket to gain some clearance between the resi and the frame rail?

IMG_4203_zpsvcvopgcr.jpg~original
 
Sweet build, maybe someday mine can look like that. I dig the color :) but anyways i have a question. In this picture is that the wiring for the running boards that you have zip tied to the frame? If so could you please post a pic of what color the wires for it are and what they look like? I have an sr5 that came with non lit running boards and am trying to see if i already have the wires in my wiring harness somewhere, they just weren't poked through the floorboard, or if I'm going to have to find a different source to wire them to. Im trying to tap into the wires to install some rock lights. I haven't been able to find this info anywhere. Thanks!

http://i609.photobucket.com/albums/...NER4X4 CamaleonAzul/DSC_2018_zpsgfvgeegv.jpg
 
Sweet build, maybe someday mine can look like that. I dig the color :) but anyways i have a question. In this picture is that the wiring for the running boards that you have zip tied to the frame? If so could you please post a pic of what color the wires for it are and what they look like? I have an sr5 that came with non lit running boards and am trying to see if i already have the wires in my wiring harness somewhere, they just weren't poked through the floorboard, or if I'm going to have to find a different source to wire them to. Im trying to tap into the wires to install some rock lights. I haven't been able to find this info anywhere. Thanks!

http://i609.photobucket.com/albums/...NER4X4 CamaleonAzul/DSC_2018_zpsgfvgeegv.jpg

you bet. Not sure the wiring would be effective for rock lights as they are switched on with door opening. Id say they could be a quick scene light if you ran a bright led to them. But for trail lighting might be easier to just run it off a fuse block and switch.
It'll have to wait till after the weekend. Gotta work a couple days, then enjoy a few :dancin:
 
Jumping!! Not so certain this is a jumping machine at this point. But I'm not done. It is now at the stage i like to consider wheelable. I wish Toyota put this level of suspension and size tires on showroom 4runners. Now its ready to play!
Now- i have some big ideas, but that may be down the trail a ways. First i need to get busy on full skids, sliders, bumpers, roof rack, lighting, and some trail amenities. Damn, that sounds expensive- i better pick up some overtime shifts :cheers:

The 5th gen LCAs-
i started out planning to clean up my OEM arms, replace the rubber bushings with Urethane Daystars- which should let the suspension cycle much better than bonded rubber bushings. Done. The Cam Adjuster tabs on the frame were blown out, so i picked up a set of Total Chaos Tab Gussets- super beefy. These are great for keeping your alignment in spec even when your bouncing thru rutted roads.
When i pulled the arms, the cam bolts were seized and i had to cut them out. They are expensive, and i then needed to replace one of the LCA bushings, more $$. I knew the 5th/4th gen runners and FJCs had the same frames and suspension components. A guy on TFJC had just rolled his FJ and was parting it out, so i picked up his arms and all the hardware from him. Little did i know the Cam bolt hardware was upgraded in '10 to larger diameter- very small difference, but def. thicker hardware and a heavier "feel". Aside from the bushings/hardware at the frame, everything else on the +'10 arms fits right up. The spindles are identical as well as the mount. The ball joint pivot assembly is larger but mounts the same. There are small differences in gussets along the arm itself.

I don't think it would be worth "upgrading" to the later arms unless the 4th gen arms have damage or some other issue that leads you to believe they need replacement. If you had to replace them, and you were going to add the Total Chaos Cam Gusset Kit- then i would certainly upgrade at the same time. Rather than buying some Ebay arm, find a set of later OEM Toyota arms with all the hardware included(cam bolts and ball joint) and fit them up to your frame with the larger dis. TC Gusset Kit.

One of my favorite things about Toyotas is the ability to blend parts form generations and models. Brake upgrades, third members, bearings, engines, transmissions, etc... always amazes me what will bolt up and work together- almost like the yota engineers planned it.
Sometimes i like to do it just for the sake of it- so long as its always an UPGRADE!!!! :cheers:



Ha, know what you mean. Can get frustrating mulling thru the junk.
I am usually in no real hurry, but looking for particular things. Ready to jump on them when i see them come up. I started piling parts up before i even bought the Runner :artist2:
Most i found on T4R or TFJC forums. Tacomaworld is a good one too.
The 120 platforms are the same- LexusGX, 07+FJC, 4th/5th gen T4R, front suspension on the 05+Tacos. Only minor differences if any. Can be inconvenient surprises if your not aware of the differences :whipping2
I'm not talking big jumps! Just get it off the ground a few inches! It's fun. You've got more than the setup to do it. I do it with Bilsteins and eBay UCAs and I don't break shit nearly as much as T-Man does!

I think that you're going to start to recognize what your rig is actually capable of. Mine still blows me away with what it can do.

I appreciate your reply regarding the LCAs. I have been plagued with issues with mine ever since attempting to align after lifting. We discovered seized bolts, so replacing them and the bushings was in order. I believe too much heat and force was used in the process, and some things may have gotten bent outta whack in the process. In fact, I just got an alignment done a couple days ago, and tonight i decided to tack weld my adjustment cams in place. I made sure to tack them in such a way that they won't cause too much trouble when I do have to remove them further on in my build.

Keep up the good work, and don't be afraid to push your truck! Just start slow, learn to utilize ATRAC and there isn't much your truck won't be able to get through!
 
Sweet build, maybe someday mine can look like that. I dig the color :) but anyways i have a question. In this picture is that the wiring for the running boards that you have zip tied to the frame? If so could you please post a pic of what color the wires for it are and what they look like? I have an sr5 that came with non lit running boards and am trying to see if i already have the wires in my wiring harness somewhere, they just weren't poked through the floorboard, or if I'm going to have to find a different source to wire them to. Im trying to tap into the wires to install some rock lights. I haven't been able to find this info anywhere. Thanks!

http://i609.photobucket.com/albums/...NER4X4 CamaleonAzul/DSC_2018_zpsgfvgeegv.jpg

The only issue I see with wiring your rock lights like the OEM running boards is that they will only come on when you open a door or hit the unlock button on the remote. If you want them on while you are driving, you will need a separate switched circuit to make that happen.
 
you bet. Not sure the wiring would be effective for rock lights as they are switched on with door opening. Id say they could be a quick scene light if you ran a bright led to them. But for trail lighting might be easier to just run it off a fuse block and switch.
It'll have to wait till after the weekend. Gotta work a couple days, then enjoy a few :dancin:

I appreciate it! And yes I want them to come on like the running board lights when the car is unlocked or something but then i also want to be able to switch them on if needed. Thanks again!
 
Do me a favor man. Slide your sunroof back and see if there is any rust there. If not let me know how you would deal with this.
fbbf3f8bf6e279134e9b3f09dd7b4d06.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Do me a favor man. Slide your sunroof back and see if there is any rust there. If not let me know how you would deal with this.
fbbf3f8bf6e279134e9b3f09dd7b4d06.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I don't have any rust like that in the sunroof. There is a tiny amount of rust forming on the front edge just under the rubber seal. Tiny. Ill grab a shot of it today.

I would start by taking the seal off, hit it with a wire wheel on an angle grinder to remove as much surface rust as possible without damaging the integrity of the frame, then spray on your favorite rust converter (i like the vht, as pictured somewhere in here), then scuff the surface and add a topcoat to seal it.

Hopefully that would contain the problem, and get the shape back to normal on the frame.
 
^^^^ sorry to took so long for me to check my thread/respond :)

i actually plan to hit my sunroof rust in this way in the near, before Winter sets in, future!
Ill post up my results


a shot of my alignment specs post suspension/wheels/brake replacements, for my personal future reference :)

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Todays wrap-up!
Finally with everything clean, prepped, welded, and painted. Put it together! Was only able to get the driverside finished today

LCA bolted up, CV beat in, spindle on at the LCA, UCA attached at the frameside. Then the coilover gets installed.
IMG_4198_zpspdgf2ils.jpg~original


Once the coils in, attach the steering joint, the upper spindle taper, the rotor and caliper, torque the hub bolt and all others, finish it off with the uniball cover on the UCA!

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gotta wrap up the passenger side, weld on the frame side brake line tabs, bleed the brakes, add some gear oil and go break in the pads!! Finish it off with an alignment.
At work for a couple days then back at it, hope to have it on the road again by next weekend.
Where'd you find those brake lines?? I need some longer ones for sure and was hoping to get em in blue

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Never mind.. Just found it in the thread.. Sorry bout that Sick 4R btw man

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Took a sweet and much needed shakedown run with a buddy. Test out all the crap i did recently.
Local trail that reaches up into the Highcountry of sierras, Fall colors are peaking right now up high so timing was great. Trail has plenty of firewood whoops, ruts and loose rock down low, then gets somewhat flexy with set boulders and steps up near the crest. Trail reaches up to almost 11,000'

Heres a link to some trail writeup. Anyone with a capable wheeler that is traveling to E. Sierras should- first contact me, then get on this trail for some real adventure.
Wheeler Ridge Trail - | TAP into Adventure!

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klik for a flik




Lil fun wheeling trip, no photo shoot but we did take a few pics.
Rig handled exceptionally well, I'm pretty happy with the results in basic suspension improvements.
Coopers aired down to 12psi have great compliance and grip on dry sandy rock.
My cheapass Viair 80P kicks ass for simple airups- simple compressor - took about 20min. to air 4 tires from 12-38psi.
First time playing with DAC! Damn cool how well it works. Need only small amounts of driver foot input on brakes on the steepest of decent or ledges.
First time really using Toyota traction control on boulder covered terrain- Im used to having my 1st gen. T4R with lockers/dual t-cases/super flex. I was really surprised at how well it handles lack of traction or a tire in the air. It bobbles a bit, then takes control and puts traction to the wheel that has it. Really quite remarkable how well it works without having a true locker. I was pleasantly shocked! (still getting lockers :) )
Issues-
Rear tire rub on rear inner fender at the top part of mudflap- it'll self clearance if it needs to, barely rubbing at full flex and i don't see playing with it too much if at all.
Slammed a few bowling ball size rocks and ruts at speed and it tossed my alignment a bit- need to realign.
Need/want real skids and sliders. Simple peace of mind!
 
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