Dirtco's 1999 4Runner Build

[CaliCal]

keep this 4runner away from me. my paint gun is itching too :girl:

 

[Dirtco]

Looks like a blast, J. You can tell from the texture and the way it sticks to the back of the rig that the snow was the super cold powdery type, rather than warm wet and heavy. It looks like some great snow for skiing.

Sorry to hear about your spots getting shut down. Do you think people were abusing the areas, or was it just due to a policy change?

It was a blast! The snow could have been a little deeper, but I'm not going to complain with the season we've had so far. You know your snow, spot on!

It really sucks! It's policy change, the Forest Service issued new travel management rules and closed a bunch of trails, and now all the trails are listed as seasonal with clear closure dates. With that change they have installed gates on all the trails, they get closed early and don't open until the snow melts. I heard you lost a lot of trails in your area too, it seems that they closed a bunch of trails in the Sante Fe National Forest?

Great pictures as usual, thanks for sharing your outings with us! Total bummer on the trail/area closures, seems like it is a constant vice that we'll never get away from.

Your rig looks like it belongs in the snow and I'm super jealous of the amount you have. We've got nothin' up here yet!! I though Canada was supposed to get tons of snow??!!

Thanks buddy! Your right, it's a never ending battle.

No snow in Canada, that's not right! I hope you get some soon, we've had a horrible season too and this was the first real snow we have got. Hopefully we get a little more this weekend.

Looks just like BC....Might be hitting some snow up here this weekend too! Nice pics!

Thanks man!

 

[Dirtco]

Awesome pics! What head unit do you have? I'm looking to get a nice double din, my old stereo is freezing up and breaking.

Thanks! I have the Pioneer AVH-P3400BH head unit. I've had it for around six months now and so far I really like it. There are better units out there; but for the price, and features, you can't go wrong with this one.

 

[Dirtco]

How do you like the KM2s? Any complains yet? How are they in the snow? I have been debating on tires for when I go to 35.

So far I really like them and have no complaints, but every tire has it's advantages and downfall's. These ride great on the street, and work awesome on the trail (Colorado style rocks, no mud). They also hooked up like crazy out in Moab!

I do feel my MTR's w/Kevlar were slightly better in the packed snow/ice, and for deep snow wheeling. But, the KM2's still do really good in the deep snow, I had no issue's this last trip. I'm sure part of that is due to the wider section width of the MTR tread.

I'm actually leaning towards grooving the KM2's for a little better packed snow and ice traction, nothing crazy, but enough to give the tires a little more bite. I thought about siping them but I don't trust anyone around here cutting my tires, and I'm concerned about chunking. Something like this...

Before

After???

 

[The4kbeast]

So far I really like them and have no complaints, but every tire has it's advantages and downfall's. These ride great on the street, and work awesome on the trail (Colorado style rocks, no mud). They also hooked up like crazy out in Moab!

I do feel my MTR's w/Kevlar were slightly better in the packed snow/ice, and for deep snow wheeling. But, the KM2's still do really good in the deep snow, I had no issue's this last trip. I'm sure part of that is due to the wider section width of the MTR tread.

I'm actually leaning towards grooving the KM2's for a little better packed snow and ice traction, nothing crazy, but enough to give the tires a little more bite. I thought about siping them but I don't trust anyone around here cutting my tires, and I'm concerned about chunking. Something like this...

Before

After???

I'd say it's a good idea. Might be quieter on the highway, too. Have you looked into how much siping equipment is? Might be worth doing yourself!

 

[Dirtco]

The light bar looks good mounted on the winch. Have you had a chance to fire it up yet?

Thanks, you make a very quality product!

Yes, I took the 4Runner out night wheeling a couple weeks ago and I was very impressed with the light output. I really like the light pattern and color, the two light bars together is very bright! I plan on taking some pictures the next time I’m out, if I remember.

 

[Dirtco]

I took the 4Runner out for some more snow wheeling! Same spot, just a little more snow.

 

[ADH8796]

I love Colorado! Great pics

 

[rideexileex]

I love seeing rigs used properly!

 

[Dirtco]

I love Colorado! Great pics

Thanks man! I really don't know if I could live anywhere else.

I love seeing rigs used properly!

Hell yeah, that's what I built it for!

 

[Dirtco]

Nothing too exciting to report about the 4Runner. I did some awesome snow wheeling the weekend before Christmas, but I'm still editing the footage. It will be good once it's all done!

When I ran Holy Cross in the snow I got pinned on a large boulder that was hiding under the snow in French Creek, it caught my inner tie rod boot and tore it a little. I siliconed and taped the hole shut to get home, and went to Napa a couple days later and ordered a new steering rack bellow. They didn't have it in stock, but I had it the next day.

I tore into it a few days later, after tearing it apart I realized the inner tie rod took a pretty good hit.

It was still tight, and it didn't snap the necked down section (I was really concerned about the strength of the ITR when I installed the new ones, but they seem to be okay. Knock on wood ) So I cleaned it up and installed the new bellow.

Old boot, you can see all the rock dust

I also noticed that the Budbuilt skidplate is starting to conform around the front differential. I guess there's not much I can do about that, I'll be lucky if I can get them reinstalled after the next time I pull them off.

 

[rideexileex]

I've had the same thing happen with my skid... It has two dent shapes from the front diff mounts, with the diff drop. While removing my front diff for the arb and gears, the diff mount bushings are shot too :/ . I think I'll be cutting, bending and welding the skid back to shape, and adding some ridges in that section, and gussets along the front main bend. I can't get the skid to even mount with the center Allen bolts at the moment.

 

[gotopless]

Dude I have looked at so many builds but I have to say this one is my all time favorite. Best looking rig hands down.

 

[Dirtco]

I've had the same thing happen with my skid... It has two dent shapes from the front diff mounts, with the diff drop. While removing my front diff for the arb and gears, the diff mount bushings are shot too :/ . I think I'll be cutting, bending and welding the skid back to shape, and adding some ridges in that section, and gussets along the front main bend. I can't get the skid to even mount with the center Allen bolts at the moment.

I think it's pretty common. I barely got it back on the last time I took it off, and I've given it a couple good hits since then. I'm going to keep it on for as long as I can, then like you said, I think I'm going to have to make some relieve cuts, or completely cut it apart and weld it back together with extra support. Hopefully I don't have to worry about that for a while though, we'll see how bad it gets. I wish I would have braced it up before I bent and dented it, but oh well.

On a brighter note (since we are talking skid plates), my Lil' Skip gas tank skid plate is holding up like a champ!

Dude I have looked at so many builds but I have to say this one is my all time favorite. Best looking rig hands down.

Thanks man! That's a hell of a compliment, there's some really nice rigs around here! :thumb:

 

[Gerdo]

I think it's pretty common. I barely got it back on the last time I took it off, and I've given it a couple good hits since then. I'm going to keep it on for as long as I can, then like you said, I think I'm going to have to make some relieve cuts, or completely cut it apart and weld it back together with extra support. Hopefully I don't have to worry about that for a while though, we'll see how bad it gets. I wish I would have braced it up before I bent and dented it, but oh well.

On a brighter note (since we are talking skid plates), my Lil' Skip gas tank skid plate is holding up like a champ!
:

If you remember the stock IFS skid, it has 3 braces (2 of them bolted) to the frame crossmember. If you add them back in, it'll hold it's shape better.

I glad to hear that about my skid. I know that the guys I wheel with and I have beat on ours and they are holding up great too. It's always good to hear from others too.

 

[Dirtco]

If you remember the stock IFS skid, it has 3 braces (2 of them bolted) to the frame crossmember. If you add them back in, it'll hold it's shape better.

I glad to hear that about my skid. I know that the guys I wheel with and I have beat on ours and they are holding up great too. It's always good to hear from others too.

Yeah, when it comes time to tear into the skid plate I'll be adding a good amount of bracing. It has a good dent right at the steering rack (and through the supplied crossmember), but I'll work around it.

The skid plate is holding up great! I don't see how guys wheel without it, my tank would be trashed without it; by design the fuel tank hangs so low that it's always dragging on something.

 

[Dirtco]

The latest snow wheeling video is finally done!

http://www.volcom.rockfrogs.org/DIRTCO/Sleepy-Hollow-II.mov

583 MB, Right click and save as please

 

[BigFishAllDay]

It really sucks! It's policy change, the Forest Service issued new travel management rules and closed a bunch of trails, and now all the trails are listed as seasonal with clear closure dates. With that change they have installed gates on all the trails, they get closed early and don't open until the snow melts. I heard you lost a lot of trails in your area too, it seems that they closed a bunch of trails in the Sante Fe National Forest?

Yeah, a few that I didn't even get to try. There was one called Tank Trap that I was planning to check out in the spring, and from what I understand it's now closed.

I need to take some time and download that video here soon. It will be cool to see your rig in motion rather than just still shots. The snow wheeling pics are killer as always, and it looked like a close call on the tie rod end.

So, I haven't seen you post anything......

Are you a Daddy yet? reggers:

 

[Dirtco]

So, I haven't seen you post anything......

Are you a Daddy yet? reggers:

Yep!

The wife's water broke about two hours after getting home from the above snow wheeling trip! When I left I asked her, "Are you sure it's okay if I go?" And she said "Yeah, have fun! I feel great and I'm not going to have the baby today." Well, she was wrong...

We drove the 4Runner to the hospital with the wheels and undercarriage packed full of snow and ice!

Meet the newest snow fighter in the family, Anneliese! Born December 23rd, both Mom and baby doing good.

 

[Dirtco]

I also pieced together a little of the Moab footage from Moab Rim. My buddy is still working on the full-length movie, but it’s a lot of footage and might take a while to complete. I could not wait to see the footage, so he sent me a few clips to tie me over, can’t wait to see the whole thing!