Dirtco's 1999 4Runner Build

[quicksilvr]

Thanks! The rear suspension really works great now, and like you said, it has just the right amount of flex. I really need to come up with some quick and easy front sway bar disconnects that will let the 4Runner do it’s thing on the trail, while still being predictable on the street.

Yes, the 1st/2nd shift is the same, but I don’t think it has gotten any worse. I filled/drained a whole case of ATF through the transmission shortly after I bought it, so I know the fluid is good. I have an IPT valve body for it, but I have not had the time to install it, and I would like to know the transmission is still in good shape before I install it. As of now, my plan is to install it this winter or spring. How is your transmission holding up?

Mine is the same as well. The 1/2 shift isn't perfect, it slips a bit once it grabs second. But it hasn't changed, and in all other aspects the transmission is healthy. I was wondering if you'd done that valve body yet. To be honest, I think there is still a lot of life left in mine, and I'll just drive it until a more major symptom surfaces. At that point, I'll probably buy a fully built trans from IPT, and then have NO worries about running more boost and driving it harder. Or even doing a 5-speed swap is an option. I'd love a manual, and I don't do enough real wheeling to make the automatic any kind of bonus. I would guess that you'll want to stay with an auto.

 

[Dirtco]

thats one bada$$ station wagon LOL!! i feel the same way every time i look in my back seats and see my pink with zebra print car seat and camouflage booster seat!! LOL! But i guarantee YOU and BFAD have some of the safest station wagons around!! Congrats on the lil girl! Like i was telling BFAD be prepared for zebra print and pink! Lotus CVs?! I mean what else can you say??? Those things are sick, & the added safety of knowing your NOT going to have to change one of those on the trail, with your lil one strapped in the back will be a huge PLUS!!! ALL I Gotta say i wished i had your bank account and skills behind a welder!!!

Haha, Thanks man! Yeah, I'm sure there will be some pink stuff floating around in the 4Runner but I'm cool with that, I might have to draw the line at zebra though.

I budgeted out the Lotus axles when I first heard about them, I've just been waiting for them to be released and hear some feed back. If I didn't buy them now I knew they would be off limits in the future. When I go out wheeling I want to do just that, not replace broken CV's, especially with a little one in the back.

Mine is the same as well. The 1/2 shift isn't perfect, it slips a bit once it grabs second. But it hasn't changed, and in all other aspects the transmission is healthy. I was wondering if you'd done that valve body yet. To be honest, I think there is still a lot of life left in mine, and I'll just drive it until a more major symptom surfaces. At that point, I'll probably buy a fully built trans from IPT, and then have NO worries about running more boost and driving it harder. Or even doing a 5-speed swap is an option. I'd love a manual, and I don't do enough real wheeling to make the automatic any kind of bonus. I would guess that you'll want to stay with an auto.

Yep, I'm on the same page. I noticed my transmission also has a slight slip to it between 3rd and overdrive when I have the trailer behind it, but again it's not bad enough to warrant any serious work to the transmission. I would really like to get the IPT valve body installed, but I just haven't found the time. I also bought it second hand; it's never been installed and I'm pretty sure it will fit just fine, but there's always a chance of running into an issue. I need to give myself enough time to deal with any issue that might come up.

Your right, a 5 speed swap would be cool, but I do too much wheeling and I really love the auto on the trail. I've had several people ask me if I have crawler gears in the transfer case because it does so well (for what it is). I really like the idea of a fully built IPT transmission in the future, but this one will have to take a total crap first, and it will have to fit in the budget at the time (which might be a problem). I guess time will tell?

 

[rickashay]

Is there ANYTHING left for you to do to this truck??!? seriously, Lotus Axles.... epic. I also must say that I keep my truck pretty clean, most people think I'm over-the-top OCD about how often I clean it. Then I look at your undercarriage every time your truck is on the lift and think that I don't wash it enough. Do they have free car wash fridays in Colorado or something? hahaha

Congrats on the incoming baby girl! I wish my dad had a badass "station wagon" on 35's when I was a child...

...and I really love the auto on the trail.

I know, right?! I really like wheeling in an auto. Most people always say I should swap in a 5spd and I tell them I never will, I have no desire to do so really... I've wheeled both auto/manual in my days and I really like the auto offroad. You can simply 2-foot-brake to get the torque converter locked up and the auto can be very smooth over obstacles and technical stuff. I'd imagine it's even better with those low gears in your rig.

 

[BigFishAllDay]

Thanks Nick, and congratulations on the new addition to your family!

That’s actually why I’ve been pushing so hard to get all this stuff wrapped up on the 4Runner; the wife and I are expecting our first child at the end of December (it’s a girl too)! Not only is the 4Runner my daily driver, but it will be the main family vehicle (dare I say station wagon, on 35’s ). I know time and money will be limited once the baby is here, so it’s time to hammer down!

That's great news, man! Congratulations! You and I are having a similar year it seems. Thanks for the congrats you sent my way, too. I wasn't thinking about the 4Runner too much when our due date was getting close, I was just trying to get as much fishing in as possible. There's always a way to sneak a few hours of work in here and there, but the all day wrench days definitely get put on hold.

Just curious on that IPT valve body, did you buy the one that was FS in the classifieds over on YT?

 

[ar1five]

Sweet mother of mary this is a work of art man... Your attention to detail is amazing.

 

[Hepar]

Sweet mother of mary this is a work of art man... Your attention to detail is amazing.

Agreed.

 

[ar1five]

What kind of lights would you recommend mounting on a rack or basket for forward down light? I want something flush/clean looking thats not round or bulky. Would the hybrid Srms be ideal?

 

[J i m s t e r]

If I was going to do it again I would use these for the hatch LED Marine & Boat Products : Waterproof Marine LED Flood Light . I just ordered a few for rock lights and they are awesome; small, super bright (for the size), and only one watt!

I am going to do this mod (downlights in the tailgate) and so bought myself 2 of these Marine lights as above. They haven't shipped yet, but as you have them already, can you say if the body of the lamp can be mounted inside the tailgate or is it going to be a goofy-looking surface mount?

I intend to take the power from the rear glass motor, and have them on a switch, as it looks like a ballache to take a clean feed from the trunk light down through the cable duct into the tailgate.

Cheers for any advice.

 

[T4Rex.]

Haha, Thanks man! Yeah, I'm sure there will be some pink stuff floating around in the 4Runner but I'm cool with that, I might have to draw the line at zebra though.

I budgeted out the Lotus axles when I first heard about them, I've just been waiting for them to be released and hear some feed back. If I didn't buy them now I knew they would be off limits in the future. When I go out wheeling I want to do just that, not replace broken CV's, especially with a little one in the back.

we will see about the zebra print...:lmao:! My lil girl gets everything she wants lol i bet urs will too!

 

[Dirtco]

Let's see more shots from the trail!

Here’s a short video of the last obstacle, my buddy finally got around to posting it.

http://youtu.be/1isD7k6WzBA

Is there ANYTHING left for you to do to this truck??!? seriously, Lotus Axles.... epic. I also must say that I keep my truck pretty clean, most people think I'm over-the-top OCD about how often I clean it. Then I look at your undercarriage every time your truck is on the lift and think that I don't wash it enough. Do they have free car wash fridays in Colorado or something? hahaha

Congrats on the incoming baby girl! I wish my dad had a badass "station wagon" on 35's when I was a child...

There’s still stuff, but most of the big stuff has been taken care of. I was really excited to get the Lotus axles, I finally feel I can wheel my 4Runner the way I want and not worry about breaking CV’s all the time. It just takes that thought out of the back of my head, and I can focus on having fun and getting away from the stress of life. There will still be issues and breakage on the trail, but I feel that I have minimized it quite a bit.

Free car wash Fridays! Yep, better come on down, I’ll show you around! Actually I have a free car wash at work, so technically it’s free car washes everyday of the week! (Until it gets busy)

Thanks, it’s very exciting! Not only will she have a “Station Wagon” on 35’s to roll around in, but she will also have a “tree house” on 35’s (the trailer) to play in!

That's great news, man! Congratulations! You and I are having a similar year it seems. Thanks for the congrats you sent my way, too. I wasn't thinking about the 4Runner too much when our due date was getting close, I was just trying to get as much fishing in as possible. There's always a way to sneak a few hours of work in here and there, but the all day wrench days definitely get put on hold.

Just curious on that IPT valve body, did you buy the one that was FS in the classifieds over on YT?

Thanks Nick! I just wanted to get the bigger projects out of the way, there will always be little stuff that needs to be done and I should be able to squeeze it in here or there. I’m plenty busy with baby and house related stuff too!

I bought it a good year and a half ago from Scotty (Addicted Off-Road), he bought it for his old SAS black 3rd Gen but he had a 2wd transmission and it would not fit. I meant to install it sooner, but all the issues with the supercharger, front suspension, and rear axle have taken up that time. It’s also hard to get motivated to drop the valve body; I’ve done it before on the Turbo 4Runner and it went fine, but it’s still messy and tedious, not to mention the fact that the transmission is slipping a little right now so it might be a lost cause. I really like the idea of a full IPT transmission, but I’m sure that’s some serious money!

Sweet mother of mary this is a work of art man... Your attention to detail is amazing.

Thanks man!

What kind of lights would you recommend mounting on a rack or basket for forward down light? I want something flush/clean looking thats not round or bulky. Would the hybrid Srms be ideal?

Are you talking close range, right up against truck for camping, etc? The SRM’s are awesome, you just want to get the right light pattern for what your doing.

I am going to do this mod (downlights in the tailgate) and so bought myself 2 of these Marine lights as above. They haven't shipped yet, but as you have them already, can you say if the body of the lamp can be mounted inside the tailgate or is it going to be a goofy-looking surface mount?

I intend to take the power from the rear glass motor, and have them on a switch, as it looks like a ballache to take a clean feed from the trunk light down through the cable duct into the tailgate.

Cheers for any advice.

They are stepped in shape, you might be able to recess the larger lower section, but there’s no way to flush mount them. It will take some planning, and tearing the interior panel out, but once you get them in your hands you should find a way to make them work to your liking.

we will see about the zebra print...:lmao:! My lil girl gets everything she wants lol i bet urs will too!

Haha, touché!

 

[Dirtco]

I’ve been trying to make it out to Moab for years now, yet something always comes up. I’ve only been out there once, in the old Green 4Runner many years ago, and I really wanted to make a trip out there before the baby comes. So, I went out there with my buddys Aaron (1st Gen 4Runner on 40’s, locked, dual cases, etc) and Cory (buggy on sticky 40’s, skinny right pedal ); with that kind of company I was bound to have a good time!

I drove out last Wednesday morning with the trailer in tow, we missed the snowstorm that hit central Colorado, but I had a nasty head wind the whole way out. I made it though, and that’s all that counts! We had some rain and wind when we pulled into camp but it cleared out.

Then we ran Kane Creek that night in the dark, talk about a great way to start the trip! I didn’t take any pictures but I almost flopped the 4Runner dropping the largest ledge on the way back to camp at 1am (on the side of a cliff!). I did a 4’ rear wheel stand and I started to go over, so I floored it and drove out. That’s one way to get rid of the early trip jitter’s!

 

[Dirtco]

The following day I ran Hell’s Revenge (along with Hell’s Gate). Hell’s Revenge is an awesome trail, and a must if you’re in Moab! It’s pretty much all slickrock.

Here’s a short little sequence up a ledge on the trail, I hit my front bumper pretty hard but I was able to drive through it.

 

[Dirtco]

Cory decided to give the Devil’s Highway Hot Tub a shot! This hot tub is no joke, especially when it’s full of water. Trust me, you want to watch this video!

 

[Dirtco]

I drove through one of the smaller hot tubs, but after watching Cory in the above video, it didn’t seem too special.



And a picture at the top of Mickey’s Hot Tub.

It's crazy how well the 4Runner blends in with desert!

Camp with the moon coming up

 

[Dirtco]

The next day we ran Moab Rim; I heard all kinds of things about this trail and I was a little intimidated, but once I started running it all those fears went away. The first section of the trail is worst, but if you keep a clear head, and not think about the cliff, you’re golden! I have to say that it's one of my new favorites!

At Z-turn some younger guys came up on us in a UTV, they looked at the 4Runner and said “Are you really going to try to take your stock ass Toyota up that? I laughed and said “Don’t worry I have leather and heated mirrors!” I then proceeded to make it up in less than half the time of them, it’s pretty awesome what my “Stock Ass Toyota” will do!

Overlooking Moab

 

[Dirtco]

The last full day in Moab we ran the Poison Spider Mesa loop, Golden Spike, and Gold Bar Rim (also known as the Trifecta). This makes for a very long day, but it’s non-stop action and well worth the extra time behind the wheel! This has to be one of my favorite trails, non-stop action and amazing views!

“Little Arch” off of Poison Spider

A short video on Poison Spider



View from the Golden Spike overlook

I feel like somebody’s watching me…

Aaron crossing the Golden Crack

By this time the 4Runner was starting to show three days of hard wheeling

Sunset on Gold Bar Rim

 

[JWaldz]

It's crazy how well the 4Runner blends in with desert!

I'm confused... I don't see any 4Runner ????































Looking forward to the rest of the photos man!

 

[4ever4running]

Looks like an awesome trip! Now let see some more pics/videos :snacker:

 

[GSPRunner]

I hate looking at this thread. Makes me so stinkin jealous.

 

[rickashay]

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff278/dirtco/Moab%202012/DSCN1622.jpg~original[/IMG]

It's crazy how well the 4Runner blends in with desert!

Thanks for sharing your adventure man, your pretty fortunate to live in Colorado and be relatively close to epic Moab.

I must say the two photos above are two of my favorites in your whole build thread - good framing and composition. I look forward to the rest and to see the footage from that GoPro!:thumb3: