Dec 09 / Jan 10 / Feb 10 T4ROTM - darkie3495

[darkie3495]

Thanks

Much Better!! I was surprised it's better than I thought it would be off road and on road. Only problem is some of my friends find it harder getting into the vehicle. For me I find it easier lifted

Ha...that's why i keep this in my truck for my vertically challenged passengers:

 

[Aceverette]

How much did your gas mileage alter when u lifted it? and how much of a lift

 

[darkie3495]

How much did your gas mileage alter when u lifted it? and how much of a lift

It didn't impact it very much...probably less than 1 mpg. The roof rack and lights up top had more of an impact.

approx +3" of lift (sorry didn't take before and after measurements).

 

[darkie3495]

I haven't been updating this thread very much so here are a few updates I've made over the past few months.

Removed:
both sets of PIAAs
Defiant light bar

Added:
Scanguage II
black sport rims
Goodyear Duratrac LT285/70/17
Billet cross bars
Medic End Links
Kurtfab HD diff bracket

Equipment waiting to be installed:
Wheeler's offroad front bump stops
Dual battery (sure power isolator/ballistic fab tray/optima battery)
(4) Lightforce 170 to replace 140's or placed on defiant bar
Lightforce HID conversion (DDM tuning/custom holders)

Coming this summer:
Communications (CB/HAM)
Front and Rear bumpers
rear drawer system
Budbuilt skids

 

[gaterose]

Lookin' good as always, maybe better actually.

Did you have to do any extra trimming to clear the 285s?

Also, why'd you decide to remove the light bar?

 

[darkie3495]

Lookin' good as always, maybe better actually.

Did you have to do any extra trimming to clear the 285s?

Also, why'd you decide to remove the light bar?

Thanks Matt!!

Yeah, i trimmed my front bumper even more and cut my front mud flaps in half to minimize the rubbing. i've rubbed against my body mount a few times offroading so that's going on my to do list.

At first i was going to replace the piaa's i sold with four LF 170's but time to work on the truck usually slows down during the winter so i just took the bar off in the meantime. Now i'm considering a front bumper so my 170's will replace the 140's on the rack and I'll be selling the defiant once i get the bumper.

 

[darkie3495]

Mini update....

I was doing maintenance on my truck one afternoon and decided to put my defiant light bar back on and mounted some LF 170's.

We are still getting snow up here so last saturday I headed up to Crystal mountain for some spring snowboarding. On my way home, I decided to hit a few mild trails.

Start of one of the trails

Then it started lightly snowing

Next up: Budget LF HID conversion and rewiring my fuse blocks/relays

I designed some HID bulb holders to fit in the LF base

This might take a while since I don't have a dedicated garage I can fit into so it all depends on the weather.

 

[HB 4X4]

I love how clean and sleek your mods are. Can't wait to see your future plans unfold.

I have to ask, what's on your rear side window?

 

[darkie3495]

I love how clean and sleek your mods are. Can't wait to see your future plans unfold.

Thanks man...really appreciated. The evolution of your truck has given me really good insight on what I want to do with mine. Especially your feedback on suspensions and tires. Looking forward to your impression of your mid-travel setup once you take it offroad. Not that i can afford it right now, just curious.

I have to ask, what's on your rear side window?

It's a list of all the mountains I've been to. The reason i bought the truck in the first place was to have a capable vehicle to get me to the mountains for snowboarding.

Haven't updated the list lately but here's a close up:

 

[J-money$$$]

Thanks man...really appreciated. The evolution of your truck has given me really good insight on what I want to do with mine. Especially your feedback on suspensions and tires. Looking forward to your impression of your mid-travel setup once you take it offroad. Not that i can afford it right now, just curious.



It's a list of all the mountains I've been to. The reason i bought the truck in the first place was to have a capable vehicle to get me to the mountains for snowboarding.

Haven't updated the list lately but here's a close up:

I take it you like good Powder resorts. I only ride Bear Mtn and Mt high, but then again i only ride park.

Sweet Truck

 

[darkie3495]

I take it you like good Powder resorts. I only ride Bear Mtn and Mt high, but then again i only ride park.

Sweet Truck

Thanks man. I love riding powder but usually do a few laps through the park when i have a chance.

 

[K.C.]

It's a list of all the mountains I've been to. The reason i bought the truck in the first place was to have a capable vehicle to get me to the mountains for snowboarding.

Haven't updated the list lately but here's a close up:

I like that!!

• Where did you get the stickers done at?
• I may need to head North to your neck of the woods for Powder next Season. Here is WAY TOO CROWDED. I'm never going on a Weekend ever again...unless I don't have to drive. So I can just sleep haha I'll pay for gas!!

 

[darkie3495]

I like that!!

• Where did you get the stickers done at?
• I may need to head North to your neck of the woods for Powder next Season. Here is WAY TOO CROWDED. I'm never going on a Weekend ever again...unless I don't have to drive. So I can just sleep haha I'll pay for gas!!

Thanks Kenny...

• I got it done at greatlettering.com
• Best time to come up is Jan-Feb. If you pay for gas, I'll drive.

From Seattle:
Whistler approx. 4 hours
Mt Baker approx. 3 hours
Stevens approx. 2 hours
Crystal approx. 2 hours

 

[K.C.]

Thanks Kenny...

• I got it done at greatlettering.com
• Best time to come up is Jan-Feb. If you pay for gas, I'll drive.

From Seattle:
Whistler approx. 4 hours
Mt Baker approx. 3 hours
Stevens approx. 2 hours
Crystal approx. 2 hours

However...I still have to drive to your neck of the woods first haha

Great website!!
What font did you use?

...back on topic...this is darkie3495's Build Thread...

 

[darkie3495]

However...I still have to drive to your neck of the woods first haha

Details....ha

What font did you use?

Font Category: Fancy
Font: Baveuse

 

[darkie3495]

Quick update:

Budbuilt skid installed

The lights are off the front once again to start a small project that i've been sitting on for a while....LF HID retrofit (custom bulb holders and DDM HID kit).

Once the lights are done, i'm planning to build custom mounts for the ballasts and upgrade to a thicker gauge wire.

The defiant bar has served me well but with the upcoming body lift and other mods it will have to go. There are a couple of people in line to purchase the bar. If they decide not to get it, i'll be putting it up for sale in the classified section.

 

[Doctor Subie]

hey Darkie, just stumbled onto your build thread, and have got to say your Runner is a beautifully functional truck, one day I hope to be there!

I have a set of fog lights coming in, and was deciding on just keeping my Westin Bull Bar, or going with a Defiant light bar (long or short?)...I'll probably order up the switches that you've got...

I noticed your in Seattle--whereabouts? I'm in Kirkland, and have a garage with a 2 post lift--if you ever need to get your truck up in the air, let me know...maybe you can help me with wiring my fogs at the same time

 

[darkie3495]

hey Darkie, just stumbled onto your build thread, and have got to say your Runner is a beautifully functional truck, one day I hope to be there!

I have a set of fog lights coming in, and was deciding on just keeping my Westin Bull Bar, or going with a Defiant light bar (long or short?)...I'll probably order up the switches that you've got...

I noticed your in Seattle--whereabouts? I'm in Kirkland, and have a garage with a 2 post lift--if you ever need to get your truck up in the air, let me know...maybe you can help me with wiring my fogs at the same time

Thanks for the compliments. From your signature, you have a pretty functional truck yourself. I'm a little biased towards the defiant short just because you don't lose any clearance up front. If you get the defiant, it only looks good with 4 lights :thumb3:

I'm in the UW/Wallingford area. Thanks for the offer, I'll definitely need the lift in the coming months.

I have a bunch of projects to do before then so whenever you get your switches and decide on a bar, let me know and we can do a mini mod day and install your fogs. Oh, saw your post in the 5th gen section.....you can hook up 4 lights to one switch if you want. Did the same setup for my buddy's tundra on sunday.

 

[Doctor Subie]

that'd be awesome, looking forward to checking out your rig! I'll probably be getting the rest of my setup in the next month (I plan to upgrade the stereo while I'm at it)--I'll give you a shout then!

byz

 

[darkie3495]

So I added a few things in the past week or so.

Shrockworks front bumper without turn signals or branding
Warn M8000 winch
3/8" Synthetic Viking Offroad winchline w/ thimble and Isolator
Piaa 510 ATP with ion bulbs
(4) - HID retrofitted Lightforce 170's - Roof
(2) - HID retrofitted Lightforce 240's - Bumper
(3) - Pairs of H3 DDMtuning.com 5000k HID kits
Fiamm El grande horns
Blue Sea System 6 Fuse block

Waiting for spare time to install/mod:
1/2" 4Crawler body lift (additional clearance needed for the bumper)
Body mount chop (rubbing like crazy)
Wheeler's Offroad Super bump stops
Custom brackets for lights

Work has been picking up lately so no real time to take proper pictures or finish up all the little projects on my to do list. Roof rack is currently off the truck and on my patio being rewired to handle the increased power draw and new mounting system for ballasts. Hopefully I'll be able to take it out on some trails in a couple of weeks.

The night I installed the bumper, winch and lights (cell phone pic):

This past sat at Fry's looking for a new camera to replace the one I lost (cell phone pic):