4th gen expedition 4runner A.K.A ExpoTR4

[XWAZ]

Well as it seems that I am in need of starting a build thread. The base rig is a 2007 4Runner dubbed ExpoT4R (quick Google search says the name is open) I got the rig around a month ago from the stealership with 117k on the 4.7 v8 and with it being the sport package it also included black interior and Xreas suspension (soon to go). This was to replace my beloved 97 Grand Cherokee also built as an overland travel vehicle. It had been on many trip including moab and all around Colorado there was not a county this had not been in, it had also been in almost 20 different states.

Enough about the Jeep, this is about ExpoT4R so here are the plans
*#* Suspension
3" front lift 2" rear using bilstein 5100 coil overs and Eibach coil in the rear.
Toyotec front diff drop 1"
LR25480 light racing spec front upper control arms and a little more to be revealed later.
*#* Armor shrockworks bolt on sliders
Possible arb or shrockworks front bumper
*#* traction adds arb or elocker in rear diff front to rely on atrac for now.
*#* Tires and wheels
Both still to be decided
*#* Miscellaneous.
CB likely to be a cobra with 4' firestick.
Lights Kc Apollo pro 6" mounted in front of the A pillars.

 

[XWAZ]

With in 24 hours of owning the vehicle I already knee what the first things to do were.
Get rid of the chrome on the grill. While keeping the Toyota badge and v8 badge clean became the Colors of this vehicle are gonna be mostly black but with white accents around on certain parts/ sections of the vehicle.
Second thing was to test how much suspension articulation it has with that sport suspension.

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Not to impressive compared to my old vehicle.

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But non the less a good start. Then with in 48 hours took in off into the mountains to test how well it does on the same trail I took my Jeep on when I first got that.

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No picture of the rig but a bit of scenery from Colorado's rocky mountains. (Foothills area). Did very well did everything I asked it to and even made it out of my tests for it including finding the deepest ditch from past rains and trying to get 2 diagonal tires off the ground to test atrac. Sadly it was late enough at night that pics really weren't an option for the back 4runner.

 

[XWAZ]

Alright 2 weeks later trim for the first real trip some slightly overlanding and wheeling. Location for this trip the Laramie river in Colorado. Basis for the trip: just get out at explore an area I haven't been in for a long time the places we visited included some amazing campsite only access able by 4wd get some fishing in at the very very very head waters of the Colorado river. And when I mean head waters I mean we went to the trip of the continental divide and hiked down to the spring that starts the Colorado river and then hike farther down to where the main feed water flow in and the fish are unpressured.
Also on the location was the northern Colorado sand dunes which unlike the southern ones you can drive on. While they are tiny in comparison they are still very cool to see. To access them there are two ways. Take the main highway to the entry road, or the way I went.

Which turned into being a 50 mile off road detour over these \/ mountains and then around the back of them then over them again and doing a complete circle around the dunes on ATV a 4x4 trails before finally ending up a 1/4 of a mile away on the entry road.

I did in the end make it to the dunes and drove on them. ExpoTR4 did great nice wide tires and lots of power in 4hi with the center diff locker it blasted the Dunes and never dug in. And with a trip total of 411 miles and refueling half way the overall average was around 19-20 MPG and there was around 300 miles of sort and 4x4 roads in all. With no major highways/interstates. Have to say very impressed and with the black paint I managed to nail this awesome photo

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[XWAZ]

Well it time for update #1 on the build of ExpoT4R. The pictures from above were as it sat when I brought it home as for the current changes, these include a 3'' front lift using Bilstein 5100 front coil overs and toyotec 3" front lift coils.

A 1" front differential Drop kit, to keep the cv shafts at a good angle. Then to correct the alignment issues that these 4th Gen 4runner get when lifted more than 2.5" I also used Light racing mid-long travel upper control arms.

In the back was a similar case with the Bilstein 5100 shocks and toyotec 2.0 2" lift coils to try to get rid of the front end "rake"/ being lower than the back.

Pictures from a recent trail run to come in the next post.

 

[XWAZ]

First real trail day. Was a trip down Gordon gulch in nederland and some small in maintained forest service trails along the top of sugar loaf mountain road.

 

[XWAZ]

Well I thought that I should do my little trip report from 8/30/15. I went up 2 days in a row. (Lucky Me! )
Day one was a quick little trip up to the Nederland Area and to do Gordon Gulch again because I have started using this trail as a good base measurement of the ExpoT4R's build capabilities in which I failed to take many pictures of. But i did get pictures of my friends 05 Lj on 35" Mud Terrains finally finding a obstacle that would stop it dead in its track.

Pic Insert

little back tire lifting .

What had happened is due to the amount of lift on the Jeep he has a 8" drop hitch to be able to tow a trailer... He left it on for the trip thinking that it's an easy enough trail he wont be hitting it on ant rocks. Well turns out the climb out of the mud hole was at such a steep grade that after winching up his from tires up even the Lj didn't have enough clearance to clear the top of the hill so as he was trying to back up out of the obstacle. Bang!!! he hear his hitch smack a rock under the rock, and its not planning on going anywhere soon. Luckily I brought my trusting LifeLine recovery shovel.
Let the Digging commence

Then on Sunday I went back up to Nederland but this time to try out an all new trail that I thought might give me a new challenge to overcome.
Jenny Creek is a short 6 mile trail system that crosses you guest it Jenny Creek. This trail is rated a 4/10 due to the steep climb with loose dry dirt and loose large rocks to the top of the main hill that ends at Yankee doodle lake, which sadly for time restriction I was not able to make it to so I turned around 1/4 from the top and headed back down.
The first "obstacle" is just crossing the creek its self and climbing the rocky wet bank on the other side.
Then you can take 502/502a for a mile or so in which they dead end after a mostly easy drive apart from the ledge climb on 502a (by passable) and the small rock garden 502 non by passable. You can also take fs 808 to the top and Yankee Doodle lake where the most challenging climb is.
With out thorougher delay here are the pictures from that trail.

Old mining equipment is scattered around the area on most trail.

Looks to be a old wood shove for the cabin.

Poser shots of course

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Note: don't be like me the information is correct this trail can be a bit tight for a full-size vehicle like ExpoT4R. A tree was a little close for comfort while climbing a rock ledge, rolled back, and dent the bumper (easy fix) but also broke the taillight. Should be getting the new one in Tuesday ( Fedex may shine through), will be posting about the change and doing a small update then.

Last edited: Sep 3, 2015

 

[bagelsjustbagels]

Awesome thread so far! I also bought a 4th gen for overlanding. :nicethread::wave::driving:

 

[XWAZ]

Awesome thread so far! I also bought a 4th gen for overlanding. :nicethread::wave::driving:

Thank you. The build will pick up and go very fast once I sell my Jeep. Then more trips will start.

 

[XWAZ]

Update time!
Got my order from Cbi off road on Friday (9/4/15) afternoon and due to it becoming alter and a little to windy to paint I decided to tackle the CB radio in the mean time.

A cobra 29ltd chrome fullsize CB was in store and installed with in a couple of hours.
Saturday. Had to take a drive down to Colorado spring to help fix my old Jeep that I sold to a friend.

New skid plate spacers and bolt were in order to keep the skid plate from rattling against the transmission cross nemeber because I was running a 1" cross member drop.
Then of course taking highways all the way down was too much pavement for me. So my dad and i decided to see how far we can make it back on dirt. We took a connection road to rampart range road to took that as far as possible. Of course stopping on one of the many 4x4 roads down in the area.

A little wheel lift action but nothing to difficult.
More updates to come later today.