Explore_More Build Thread (3rd Gen)

[ExploreMore4Runner]

More Work

Catching up on posting about some of the work I've finished up on the rig recently. The Warn XD9000 winch was in dire need of some Spydura Synthetic Rope. And the terrible old battery has been a known issue for too long.

The Winch Work...
Luckily I haven’t actually needed to use the steel line that came with the winch. For me, the added safety of using a rope and the weight savings (20lbs) are worth making the change.

The Battery
Had the 4Runner's battery die on us on one of our last camping trips while we were cooking lunch, with the stereo and dome lights on. Figured that should never be something that happens. Picked up an Odyssey 35-PC1400. Turns out these things have double (800) the CCA as what the previous owner had in the the 4Runner before hand. Pricey, but I have only ever heard good things about these. Never want to be in the situation of being dead in the water like that again.

The one issue is that the battery tie down isn't quite perfect. Need to fabricate something to take up the gap. It's only a half inch, but don't want it shifting.

Blue Sea Fuse Block
I’ve personally used these blocks on my previous builds and really liked how easy it made adding extra piece of gear without needing to turn the battery terminals into a rat’s nest. The Blue Sea block adds positive and negative hubs to the mix.

Had put off tackling this one project. Spent too much time determining where to actually mount the fuse block under the hood. I’ve seen other builds use the cap of the factory fuse block. I was going to do that, but thought if I needed to actually get into the factory fuses, it would be too difficult.

Using a random bracket and some flat sheetmetal, I built a little system to mount it up on the firewall. Ran the main power wire from the battery and around the firewall. Going to use that pathway for a few more wires in the future.

The clearance with the underside of the hood is VERY tight. Used a paint pen to see if there would be any transfer between the surfaces. Looks like the washer fluid line only barely brushes up against it. Lucked out on that one!

Getting anxious to get out on the trail! Too many weekends working on the rig and not enough dirt.

 

[ExploreMore4Runner]

Rear Upper Control Arm

Found a 'small' problem a few weeks back. Had been having an odd 'pop' when the rear suspension would compress and the handling under braking had become extra squirrelly.

Took a few days for the replacement to show up. Took a hell of a time to get the one in. Had to cycle the suspension several times an get aggressive with a drift. Bushing had to be quite be really flexed to get the bolt through.

 

[ExploreMore4Runner]

Rhino Rack - Pioneer Roof Rack

The Pioneer Rack has been on the wish list for awhile. I have been searching for a low profile, lightweight, and uses a modular accessory system. There aren’t too many options out on the market that check off those specifics.

After speaking with the team at Rhino Rack, they also showed me RLT600 the Quick Mount Leg System. The idea that I could un-clip the rack from the 4Runner and store it was another awesome option that I didn’t know I wanted.

The install went pretty smooth, for never having messed with one of these racks before. I had to refer to the instructions throughout it. Took 5 hours total this time, but if I had to again it would probably be half that. As typical with racks, the adjustments and tweaks to the legs to match the rig appropriately took the most time since I was doing it by myself.

Ended up with about 3” of space between the roof and lower edge of the rack. Also liked that the rack ends right behind the sunroof. Vent function is not affected AND you can not see it through the sunroof. Took it out on the highway last night and was really surprised by how little wind noise there was!

Next up for the roof is going to be installing an awning, LED light bar and MaxTrax . Few other projects to complete before Spring. One step at a time, right?