Dirtco's 1999 4Runner Build

[smkd13]

Thanks! The Sonoran Steel panhard bar does not have heim joints, it uses a rubber or urethane bushing. Here is the best picture I could find.

ok sweet thank you bud. I am making mine out of hiems but it is tempting to make one side with a poly bushing to reduce vibrations but i don't think i should get too much from the hiems. have till monday to decide :bluejump:

 

[Yonkers4runner]

2000 4runner

Dirtco,

I recently purchased a 2000 4runner Ltd. 5 speed (black/tan - low miles) from my parents (only owners), no modifications great conditon.

Your '99 4runner Ltd looks fantastic. Minus the lift kit, can you recommend some brands on following parts I will be replacing: Clutch, timing belt, shocks, springs, brake assemblies, sway bars, rims, skid plates, light bars, front and rear bumpers (like Marlin Crawler)? The truck will be used on NYC's rough streets, in heavy traffic, and occaisionaly light off road upstate. Thank you.

 

[Dirtco]

We got a little snow today and I had the day off, so I went to my snow wheeling spot. The snow was deeper than I expected and I pretty much got my ass handed to me, but it was still fun! What should have been a 20 minute trip to the good stuff took over two hours, I really didn’t think I was going to make it.

Once I got in the trees the snow got even deeper and I struggled to make progress. I got stuck a couple times, and once I got off my old tracks to hook up the winch line the snow was chest deep! Needless to say snow wheeling season is over until spring when the snow gets hard and wet, another month or two and I’ll be back.

A sign of things to come, this is on top of my old tracks from around a month ago.

This is what happened when I got off my old tracks!

Some of the snow drifts were as tall as my window opening

 

[ADH8796]

Always jealous of your snow wheeling pics. Runner looks good as normal.

 

[Arn24]

First post, thought you should have it. Hands down, baddest rig on here! Love it, especially that color!

One question for you; no spare tire? It seems like you wheel solo, often without your trailer.

Thanks.

Aaron

 

[Dirtco]

My buddy Aaron finally finished the full-length Moab video, and I think it turned out awesome! Just a heads up, the music lyrics might not be suited for younger viewers. Enjoy!

 

[gs300tt]

"I’ve also decided that I’m changing the wheels. The whole point of having 35’s on the trailer is so I can run one (or two) on the 4Runner in an emergency. Since the new 4Runner doesn’t have a spare, and I have no intensions of running one; this is important. The first problem is that 15” wheels will not clear the front brakes on a Limited 4Runner, especially once I upgrade to the Tundra calipers and rotors. The second problem is that the 2” backspace wheels I had on the Turbo 4Runner will tear the rear fender flares off the new 4Runner the first time I hit a bump. I’m not going to buy two new 35x12.20x17 MTR’s with 17” wheels, so there’s not much I can do about the first problem, but by changing the backspace of the wheels I could run them on the back of the 4Runner if I need to (If I get a front flat I’ll have to swap a rear tire to the front, then use a trailer tire). I needed a wheel with 3.5” of backspace; the Mickey Thompson Classic Lock had that, and also looked very close to the Trail Ready beadlock wheels I have on the 4Runner.

Where did you find the Classic Lock with a 3.5" backspace. I can only find 4.5"

Thanks

 

[TCMach]

Man your Moab video is sick! Looks like you had a blast out there. You have officially rekindled my interest in making a trip out there.

 

[4-Ripcord]

Awesome video Jeremiah! I could watch your truck in moab all day long.

 

[smkd13]

yep and now i am just more impatient for moab weekend to be here!!!

 

[LINY4Runner]

Awesome vids man...I gotta get out there one day soon...

 

[nihkon]

Great video! Thanks for sharing. :snacker:

 

[BigFishAllDay]

Very cool video man. Your buddy did some good work putting that all together, and I enjoyed seeing all the rigs in action. You guys made all of those lines look effortless.

 

[Dirtco]

Always jealous of your snow wheeling pics. Runner looks good as normal.

Thanks man! If you like snow wheeling you will love those beadlocks you have, I had to air down to 3psi to make any progress. I know you don’t get much where you live, but for future reference...

First post, thought you should have it. Hands down, baddest rig on here! Love it, especially that color!

One question for you; no spare tire? It seems like you wheel solo, often without your trailer.

Thanks.

Aaron

Thanks Aaron! Good question, I think I need to knock on wood before I even start this reply... Here we go!

I’ve had two flats in the last 12 years of actual 4wheeling. I lost a bead in the old Green 4Runner on Left Hand Carnage (RIP), and I lost a bead in the Turbo 4Runner while snow wheeling (crossing a frozen iceberg in a creek). I was able to re-seat the first tire, the second I just changed because I was alone. Now that I have beadlocks both of those issue’s would have been eliminated. I also have two sources of air, along with tire plugs, glue, bailing wire, etc.

This 4Runner is my daily driver (and the family station wagon) so I need to be able to run to the store and pick up groceries, along with everything else you do on daily basis. I had a spare tire on the Turbo 4Runner and it was a nightmare to deal with everyday, I hated it!

I’ve had way more birfield, hub and driveshaft breakage than tire issues. You can only carry so many spare parts and at this point I feel that the advantages of not having a spare out weight dealing with it everyday. I also hate the extra weight it adds to the 4Runner. It might come back to bite me, but I could also blow up a front diff, transfer case, starter, alternator, etc. You can only carry so much and you have to choose your battles, I feel that I carry what I need for my driving style. I might decide to install a spare in the future, but I’m going to hold off until I feel that it’s necessary.

Also, if I’m more than an hour or two away from home I usually have the camping trailer, which has two full size spares.

 

[Dirtco]

Where did you find the Classic Lock with a 3.5" backspace. I can only find 4.5"

Thanks

The trailer has 15" wheels, in that size you can get close to 3.5" (I think it's 3 5/8"?). Once you get to the larger wheels (16, 17, etc) the backspacing increases.

 

[gs300tt]

The trailer has 15" wheels, in that size you can get close to 3.5" (I think it's 3 5/8"?). Once you get to the larger wheels (16, 17, etc) the backspacing increases.

So then your 17"s on front are 4.5" backspacing did you have any issues with that?

 

[Volcom]

Very cool video man. Your buddy did some good work putting that all together, and I enjoyed seeing all the rigs in action. You guys made all of those lines look effortless.

Thanks! Video took longer to edit than most of them but I thought it turned out pretty good! Dirtco's 4Runner was amazing in Moab and always does well snow wheeling!

 

[Dirtco]

Man your Moab video is sick! Looks like you had a blast out there. You have officially rekindled my interest in making a trip out there.

It was an awesome trip! Well worth the drive if your in Colorado.

Awesome video Jeremiah! I could watch your truck in moab all day long.

Thanks Jim! Hopefully one day we'll be able to get out there at the same time and run some trails together!

yep and now i am just more impatient for moab weekend to be here!!!

I know, every time I watch it I wonder when I could sneak out there for a couple days.

Awesome vids man...I gotta get out there one day soon...

You would love it! You need to test out that new front end some how, right?

 

[smkd13]

I know, every time I watch it I wonder when I could sneak out there for a couple days.

sadly for me it is a once a year thing lol but this will be my first year driving. i was a ride along last time.

 

[Dirtco]

So then your 17"s on front are 4.5" backspacing did you have any issues with that?

I have Trail Ready 17x9 HD beadlocks on the 4Runner with 3.5" backspacing, they are not the Classic Locks. The trailer has 15" MT Classic Locks because they are light, and kind of match the 4Runner (I already had the tires). You might have to run the Spidertrax wheel spacers to get the back spacing you want in a 17" wheel.