AlpineCoder's Build Thread / Intro

[BigFishAllDay]

Thanks. I actually moved here from Albuquerque a few years back... Where do you guys get up to most of your wheeling these days? I haven't been wheeling down there since South Eubank was a thing...

Looking good with the full Shrockworks setup! I've helped install one of their rear bumpers before, and there's definitely alot of hardware holding those things on a 4Runner.

Most guys do their wheeling locally out in the Rio Puerco, or at Cedro Peak. South Eubank has been shut down for a few years now. You can't even get out there these days. There's actually talk of a landowner trying to close off access to the main entrance to the Puerco due to some land/cattle abuse. Respect it, or lose it, right?

Speaking of wheeling, I think you're going to need some wheeling pics in this thread with all that armor you've installed.

 

[AlpineCoder]

Speaking of wheeling, I think you're going to need some wheeling pics in this thread with all that armor you've installed.

Good point!

Pics from yesterday at Coney Flats / MSV CO:

Probably have more action shots once I get some pictures from friends.

 

[AlpineCoder]

Got my 13WLs (Raybestos reman), Brembo rotors, Hawk LTS pads, and Toytec stainless lines installed:

Parts:

Old calipers / rotors removed:

Test fit of new calipers / rotors:

And everything complete and ready for bedding:

:guitar3:

 

[Holley]

Nice rig! It makes me wish I didn't have the limited flares.

The bumpers really set it off. :guitar3: I can't wait to order mine.


Would you ever consider going with 285s?

How was it getting the stock panhard bar to fit with the 890s? Do you plan on getting an adjustable bar anytime soon?

 

[TxBxSx]

Finally I decided I didn't like the plate mounted in the center of the spare tire, so I moved it over to the can carrier:

Your the second customer of ours that has relocated your plate to that spot on the rear bumper! Might have put it there myself if the can mounts weren't removable/optional.

Truck looks great!

 

[AlpineCoder]

Nice rig! It makes me wish I didn't have the limited flares.

The bumpers really set it off. :guitar3: I can't wait to order mine.

Thanks man! I really love the way truck came out with the ShrockWorks armor.

Would you ever consider going with 285s?

I considered it, but went with 265s instead for a couple of reasons. This is my DD, and one of my design goals for the build was to keep the center of gravity as low as possible (I run about 1.75 lift in the front and 2.25 in the rear). I'm really not building a dedicated wheeling rig, but more of a mountain access vehicle for camping, climbing, etc that I occasionally wheel as well.

Futher (IMHO), while 285s look really good on these trucks, I'm not convinced that these small trucks need a tire that big unless you want a crawler (in which case you may as well SAS and go bigger), and while more clearance is almost always a good thing, I think 285s push the gearing and suspension of these a bit further than I'm comfortable with. That said, if I was building a weekend toy for wheeling only, I'd have probably gone with the 285s.

How was it getting the stock panhard bar to fit with the 890s? Do you plan on getting an adjustable bar anytime soon?

I haven't noticed any issues with the rear being pushed out too far by the lift. Because of the weight of the rear bumper and gear I carry, the rear lift ended up being about 2.25" (instead of the 3" you'll normally get with 890s). I don't know if there's any firm consensus on this, but the majority opinion at least seems to be that you don't need to mess with the panhard length or a drop bracket until you get above 3" of lift (this was what I was told by Toytec anyhow), and my experience seems in line with that.

 

[AlpineCoder]

Your the second customer of ours that has relocated your plate to that spot on the rear bumper! Might have put it there myself if the can mounts weren't removable/optional.

Yeah, I didn't hate the mount in the center of the tire, but I wasn't a huge fan of the attachment bracket and how much the plate / bracket rattled around on bumps, plus having to remove the plate / unplug the light to pull the spare or jack was somewhat inconvenient. Also, from a purely aesthetic standpoint, I never could get the plate to look exactly "straight" with the rest of the bumper, and my OCD bothered me every time I looked at it.

I didn't have to drill any holes to fit the plate there (they were already in the can carrier with the correct spacing for the LP bolts), so I sort of figured you intended it as an alternate mounting location for people who opted for the can carrier option. Either way, I've been quite happy with the new location (though I still need to extend the wiring on the light just a bit so I can move the connector somewhere less visible).

Truck looks great!

Thanks man!

 

[Holley]

Why did you buy the Hawk brake pads when you bought the loaded calipers?

Are the hawks that much better than what came with the calipers?:hiding:

 

[AlpineCoder]

Why did you buy the Hawk brake pads when you bought the loaded calipers?

Are the hawks that much better than what came with the calipers?:hiding:

Heh, good eye. To answer your question, probably not, but who knows (I think they are regarded as a "premium" pad).

I bought the parts at different times (started with rotors / pads then got the calipers / lines later), and by the time I went to order the calipers Amazon had sold out of the semi-loaded calipers. The price difference only ended up being $20 total, and now I have a spare set of pads if / when I need them.

After all, who could possibly be expected to bear the cruel burden of waiting a couple of extra days to bolt on new toys to their truck? :rofl:

 

[Hepar]

Looks great! Can you feel the added weight of the rear bumper much?

 

[AlpineCoder]

Looks great! Can you feel the added weight of the rear bumper much?

Thanks! I didn't feel it very much in the performance of the truck (it doesn't seem any slower or heavier while driving), but it did change the loading on the rear suspension more than I expected. I swapped from OME 906s to OME 890s because it sagged some with the bumper weight, and I can feel the rear "swing" around a bit more on the springs due to the weight.

 

[AlpineCoder]

Got some more action shots from the last wheeling trip, so as promised I'm posting them up:

Unfortunately that's probably about it for our wheeling season here on the front range. Due to the recent flooding all the mountain access roads are still closed, and many of the trails have sustained severe damage. Probably be next summer before many of them open again. :crybaby:

 

[EatonKyleH]

Great pictures! What trail is that? Might have to make it over there everything up north here is pretty much closed.

 

[AlpineCoder]

Great pictures! What trail is that? Might have to make it over there everything up north here is pretty much closed.

Thanks! This is mostly from Coney Flats just south of Allenspark. This trail is probably closed now (not sure though), but even if it's open there's really no way to get to the Peak to Peak except going down to 70 and back up through Blackhawk right now. With the snow already flying above 10000, by the time the roads are mostly passable again I'm guessing the winter gates will be closed.