I used freebie perforated steel mesh scrap that my father in law had laying around. If I were to buy it, I'd Google perforated aluminum mesh. Local steel yards likely have the steel version, but it's hard to buy less than a full 4x8 sheet from them. I remember one of the satoshi mods I read (maybe bfad's) referenced where he got similar aluminum sheet.
1blink's build thread
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I used freebie perforated steel mesh scrap that my father in law had laying around. If I were to buy it, I'd Google perforated aluminum mesh. Local steel yards likely have the steel version, but it's hard to buy less than a full 4x8 sheet from them. I remember one of the satoshi mods I read (maybe bfad's) referenced where he got similar aluminum sheet.
Stopped at the local pull a part today. I was surprised when I rounded a corner and came face to face with the new residents.
Picked up some decent rear hatch struts, horns off a Mercedes e-class, and some Jimmy bump stops.
I brought a small 12 volt battery and some test leads so I could listen to the horn tones. These were the loudest, most authoritative sounding horns I tested.
Picked up some decent rear hatch struts, horns off a Mercedes e-class, and some Jimmy bump stops.
I brought a small 12 volt battery and some test leads so I could listen to the horn tones. These were the loudest, most authoritative sounding horns I tested.
The Mercedes horns went on easily. They use a 2 wire connection, so I put a ring terminal on the neutral wire, and ran the mounting bolt thru it. Had to put a slight bend in the mounting brackets to clear the grill on one side, ac lines on the other. Positive wire lead from the factory Toyota harness was directly compatible, just plugged it right in.
Here's a sound bite:
http://youtu.be/xWSAz5jQQ88
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/xWSAz5jQQ88?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Here's a sound bite:
http://youtu.be/xWSAz5jQQ88
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/xWSAz5jQQ88?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Last edited:
EatonKyleH
New member
I was good meeting you and your wife last night! Hope you guys wind up liking Northern CO. I hadn't seen your build thread until today surprisingly. Looking good man, we'll have to go wheeling before long.
Hey bud, just noticed your post here. Thanks for meeting up with us! We enjoyed ourselves too. We'll have to do some outdoor stuff when we get moved in. The Storm Mountain trail system is only 4.5 miles from the cabin! Moving day is set, November 7. I've been working non stop, 2 days off in the last month. Took today off and slept in, felt awesome. Making some extra $ to offset moving expenses. Dawna has been packing. Every day this week when I get home, the stacks of packed moving boxes get higher.
My 2 year old Die-hard platinum battery got drained to nothing somehow during our recent 16 day trip to Colorado. Left it on the trickle charger all night, but it never made it past 7.8 volts. 4 year full replacement warranty was hassle free. Took it to Sears and swapped it out. They let me get a different battery this time. I wanted one with side posts and top posts, to make the near future winch install easier.
I found these super handy side post conversion kits at AutoZone for $15 each. Gave me the extension I needed to make the positive cable reach.
I had to weld up a new battery tie down bracket, as this battery is a good bit shorter than stock. Used some 3/4" angle iron, and 3/4" x 1/4" bar stock I had lying around.
I found these super handy side post conversion kits at AutoZone for $15 each. Gave me the extension I needed to make the positive cable reach.
I had to weld up a new battery tie down bracket, as this battery is a good bit shorter than stock. Used some 3/4" angle iron, and 3/4" x 1/4" bar stock I had lying around.
So we moved! Now located above Drake, CO on a mountain. I've wanted to live higher as long as I can remember. The access road is a bit tough to navigate in the winter, but that just adds to the feeling of solitude that I was seeking.
A view from my back porch, elevation 7200':
<iframe src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/129658959@N08/15737712359/player/" width="1024" height="576" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe>
3 days after arrival, I got the trail bug and drove up to the forest roads a few miles away. My goal was the peak of Storm Mountain. Unfortunately, my fuel pump was tired and old, and gave out on me about 6 miles from home, and most of the way up the mountain. It was 14 degrees, 4:30pm, with sundown 25 minutes away. Crap! I backed the 4runner down about half a mile of steep narrow trail using the engine to brake it. I didn't want to block the trail, and I knew recovery would be much simpler with some room to maneuver. Here she sat for a few days, lonely and forlorn.
<iframe src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/129658959@N08/15710041899/player/" width="1024" height="576" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe>
We got it off the mountain at last, towed by a neighbor with a beast of a van.
<iframe src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/129658959@N08/15896069015/player/" width="1024" height="576" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe>
Yesterday I finally had the time and parts available. I put in a new Denso factory fuel pump and gasket. The weather was fair when I started, about 45 degrees. A freezing fog rolled in after an hour, making things harder on me. Temps dropped to 16 before I finished the job.
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/129658959@N08/15728339578" title="20141130_113626 by Micaiah White, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7555/15728339578_d7c68e9aa4_b.jpg" width="1024" height="576" alt="20141130_113626"></a>
A view from my back porch, elevation 7200':
<iframe src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/129658959@N08/15737712359/player/" width="1024" height="576" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe>
3 days after arrival, I got the trail bug and drove up to the forest roads a few miles away. My goal was the peak of Storm Mountain. Unfortunately, my fuel pump was tired and old, and gave out on me about 6 miles from home, and most of the way up the mountain. It was 14 degrees, 4:30pm, with sundown 25 minutes away. Crap! I backed the 4runner down about half a mile of steep narrow trail using the engine to brake it. I didn't want to block the trail, and I knew recovery would be much simpler with some room to maneuver. Here she sat for a few days, lonely and forlorn.
<iframe src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/129658959@N08/15710041899/player/" width="1024" height="576" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe>
We got it off the mountain at last, towed by a neighbor with a beast of a van.
<iframe src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/129658959@N08/15896069015/player/" width="1024" height="576" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe>
Yesterday I finally had the time and parts available. I put in a new Denso factory fuel pump and gasket. The weather was fair when I started, about 45 degrees. A freezing fog rolled in after an hour, making things harder on me. Temps dropped to 16 before I finished the job.
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/129658959@N08/15728339578" title="20141130_113626 by Micaiah White, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7555/15728339578_d7c68e9aa4_b.jpg" width="1024" height="576" alt="20141130_113626"></a>
With the 4runner trail worthy again, and a bit of fresh snow on the ground last night, it was time to head up Storm Mountain again this morning for some pre-breakfast photos and 4wd.
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/129658959@N08/15735943898" title="20141201_075420 by Micaiah White, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7531/15735943898_8c94d26595_b.jpg" width="576" height="1024" alt="20141201_075420"></a>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/129658959@N08/15923463995" title="20141201_081118 by Micaiah White, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7525/15923463995_3e6eb15b60_b.jpg" width="1024" height="576" alt="20141201_081118"></a>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/129658959@N08/15737728037" title="20141201_081108 by Micaiah White, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7563/15737728037_bba3962b09_b.jpg" width="1024" height="576" alt="20141201_081108"></a>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/129658959@N08/15923436775" title="20141201_080532 by Micaiah White, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8643/15923436775_d2847618f2_b.jpg" width="1024" height="576" alt="20141201_080532"></a>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/129658959@N08/15897637696" title="20141201_080452 by Micaiah White, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7482/15897637696_4261d3db95_b.jpg" width="1024" height="576" alt="20141201_080452"></a>
My house is below Palisade Mountain, just left of center in this photo. Too small to see, but at the top of the far side of the bowl, right at the base where things get steep and craggy.
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/129658959@N08/15735943898" title="20141201_075420 by Micaiah White, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7531/15735943898_8c94d26595_b.jpg" width="576" height="1024" alt="20141201_075420"></a>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/129658959@N08/15923463995" title="20141201_081118 by Micaiah White, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7525/15923463995_3e6eb15b60_b.jpg" width="1024" height="576" alt="20141201_081118"></a>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/129658959@N08/15737728037" title="20141201_081108 by Micaiah White, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7563/15737728037_bba3962b09_b.jpg" width="1024" height="576" alt="20141201_081108"></a>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/129658959@N08/15923436775" title="20141201_080532 by Micaiah White, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8643/15923436775_d2847618f2_b.jpg" width="1024" height="576" alt="20141201_080532"></a>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/129658959@N08/15897637696" title="20141201_080452 by Micaiah White, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7482/15897637696_4261d3db95_b.jpg" width="1024" height="576" alt="20141201_080452"></a>
My house is below Palisade Mountain, just left of center in this photo. Too small to see, but at the top of the far side of the bowl, right at the base where things get steep and craggy.
With the 4runner ready to go again, it was time to put her, and the 4runner, to work. Met a super cool neighbor with lots of dead trees that need to be cleared. Wouldn't you know it, I need firewood, and I have an itchy chain saw finger. Hard to beat free! The first of what should be several loads to feed the winter fire.
Side note, my new Fiskars spitting axe is the tits.
Side note, my new Fiskars spitting axe is the tits.
I just did this yesterday - thanks for the pics - i was totally messing up the connectors and your pics helped a ton. I went from 1 horn (the other was disconnected) sounding VERY anemic and wimpy to two horns that sounds like a freaking MACK truck. I highly recommend this swap with some Mercedes Benz horns from a pull a part. Cost me less than $10.
