BrianSD_42 Photo Journal Build Maintenance Thread

Did you ever get another set of D-links?

If I had $450 to drop, I'd PM you in a heartbeat. But thanks to the pics postedby 4runningdaily, I am having to save up for a trip to the matterhorn next summer with the GF.

Hey LittleCaeser,

Sorry for the late response. Yes I am getting another set of D-Links; I just need to paint them.

I was able to sell the original retrofit (done by someone else) for the $450 + shipping that I requested. I used the cash to create a new retrofit which you seen above. It worked out great! The alignment on the first set was slightly better than the new one but everything else is tip top.
 
******** Trip Report - Coral Canyon San Diego ********


Things are pretty hectic right now since I am moving this weekend (closer to DT San Diego).

1) I went out to Coral Canyon just east of San Diego.

Great bunch of guys. Pretty strong trails though. We had 1 rig down due to blown transfer & locker, another out due to lack of ability (my buddy's 88 Tacoma) and plenty of paint and wheel damage to go around.

A couple of things:
* 33s would have been better than 31.5s LoL.
* Great news .. my eLocker works perfectly. It turns out it is only the sensor which normally makes the light switch from flashing to solid that is bad.
* Put a couple of good dents in my aluminum skid plate but it held up pretty well. If I do more of this rock crawling I will need to switch back to steel.
* WOW armor is a must for these trails. At least a front bumper and sliders.



Here is an awesome video created by one of the guys from Como Chingas Off Road group @ fjcforums.com

See my truck (with tiny 31.5" tires lol) at 2:25 & more in the Video.

<iframe width="1280" height="720" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/g1E4D4fUVD0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>



Pictures:















































































:biggrin1:
 
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Saturday conversation on the trail:


Me: Have you watched Season 1 of Archer yet?
Josh (coworker w/ Tacoma): No but I've started watching Downton Abbey, it's exciting.

:bash:


For those of you who don't know what Archer is .... GO WATCH IT! (also watch Breaking Bad) It is literally one of funniest adult (TV-MA) cartoons I have seen in forever.






:smashputer:
 
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If someone had told me out on the trail that they were watching "Downton Abbey", I would have left them there. Maybe your buddy had a copy of "Wuthering Heights" or "Brideshead Revisited" in the Tacoma.

Archer is a good show, but with my Tivo on the fritz, I only get to see it sparingly.
 
Yeah when I first made my user name I had physics on my brain, hence the emc2 and 42 (Hitchhikers Guide) but now it doesn't all fit me. After begging and pleading I had it changed.

Sorry for any confusion among followers. I will keep my avatar and Sig the same for several months so hopefully that helps.
 
Thanks for the clarification Brian. I didn't know if you had a twin brother lurking on the forum now.

Physics burned a permanent hole in my brain in high school.
 
You sell the 330i to a Wayland?

Hope you did. It went to a good home because he just joined BMW CCA.

B72B8645-0050-496E-ADB4-0BCE4751207C-1785-0000026D44053038_zps5b63170a.jpg~original
 
Its not the same buyer. I talked for a while to the buyer, I am confident he will take good care of it.

The problem with that 330i is its over engineered design. I don't think that exact one was bad at all but again the design is ridiculously over-engineered.
 
******* Update | Started The Big Three Upgrade *******

Well I haven't really commented in a few weeks so I thought I should do an update.

I'm finally going to be doing the Big-3 Upgrade. I bought the parts on Amazon and should have a chance to do it this Saturday. While I'm at it I will add a fuse box to the engine bay to handle all my electronics.



Install Pics coming Soon:

* Blue Sea Systems Fuse Block Ato 6 Circuit with Ground

* Monster ILJRY-1 F Single Female RCA to Dual Male RCA Y-Adapter

* Shoreline Marine Battery Marine Terminal Kit (Red/Black)

* DB Link CK4Z 4 Gauge Competition Series Amplifier Installation Kit-Blue

* Anytime Tools 48 pc HEAT SHRINK TUBING WRAP SLEEVES ASSORTED SIZES

* 3 of Allstar Performance ALL76118 5/16" Hole 4-Gauge Ring Terminal - Pair







:bat:
 
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No D links in the order?

Take some good pics.

Many German cars these days are over engineered. I'd give my left arm to require engineers who design the car/SUV to break it down into all its nuts and bolts, then put it back together. My GF's X5 is nice, nice when it isn't at the dealership but in the driveway.
 
Update - Big Three Upgrade Part I (with pics)


I first heard about the Big-3 from BigFishAllDay's thread back in 2012. Since then I have been stalking his rig and planning to do this mod.

Quick Source:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-g...wiring-ugrade-3rd-gen-toyota-4runner-how.html



This past Saturday I started working on the Big Three upgrade as well installing a new fuse box for all the electronics I've accumulated over the years.

Installing the fuse box made a huge difference in cable management plus safety.

As you can see from the first picture, the area around my battery was a total mess of wires. I still cringe just looking at the pictures.







Pictures - Setup & Tools
































// So ends part 1. I will install the final 2 cables tomorrow and post pics. //
 
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Optima Yellow Top - 1.5 Year Update

After sitting disconnected from the 4Runner for a few days the charge was only 62%. When I disconnected it for the Big-Three upgrade, it had been driven recently and was thus expected to have a full charge.

I really would prefer this standby % to have been above 80. About 20 mins after connecting to the charger on a 10A charge, it creeped back up 90% and finally leveled off at 100% after an hour.





:bat:
 
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Finished up the Big Three Upgrade today.

All I had left was connecting the 4g wires however I needed to change out a few of my end terminals. I had originally bought 5/16 and needed 3/8. A quick trip to West Marine and I had everything I needed.


* New connections on the alternator

* Overview of the engine bay featuring my new fuse block, new audio fuse, and new wires



















The voltage results are in ... at idle it now ranges from 13.8v to 14.2v (tested using a $9 tool I bought on Amazon).

Before this upgrade I would barely get 13.0v when at idle.

:bump2:
 
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Nice job Brian. Looks great. That "clean up" of the bird's nest at the battery was direly needed.


Agreed! Everything powered back up perfectly and no problems for about a week. Then today I started blowing the fuse for my HID lights. I'm not sure what that is about. I will find out tomorrow hopefully.
 
Headed to Anza-Borrego state park tomorrow with a coworker (Tacoma)

More pictures to follow but here is a preview.

These are the way points (trail intersections) I plan to hit :plane:





:cell:
 
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