gaterose build thread

[gaterose]

What do your brackets look like? As you said the standard brackets don't quite line up with the brand x rack. I want to mount my lights so they lineup like yours.

I picked up a 48" long piece of aluminum 2" angle from home depot and also a 24"x2" or 3" wide bar. I cut the 48" down to fit in the rack then then cut the shorter bar into 3 or 4 pieces (can't remember right now) and drilled 4 holes in each of those and used the pieces to bolt my angle iron to the stock brand x mount. So essentially now instead of having the horizontal piece for light mounts, I have an L shaped piece and the LEDs are mounted so that the feet face rearward.

I will try to remember to snap some better pictures soon if you don't understand.
PM me if I forget. The aluminum is painted black so it's hard to see, but in the first picture you copied you can see that the aluminum L extends a few inches past where the brand x mount stops.

Love your truck man. Question for you tho. Why did you choose to use stock FJ springs in the back instead of using MOOG like you did for the fronts? Thanks in advance.

I had stock FJ springs all around and when I added the bumper I put the moog springs up front because they're much stiffer than the OEM FJ springs are (660# vs like 590 or 600#).

 

[marecco]

ahh makes sense now. I think I am going to go with the MOOGs all around. You aren't running any spacers correct? Just the FJ springs and the 5100s set higher up?

 

[IronManKansas]

Thanks. That helps a lot, what is the length of your long side? I am now thinking about using a 3" by 4" L angle so that I may be able to fab the bracket out of one piece of metal.

 

[gaterose]

ahh makes sense now. I think I am going to go with the MOOGs all around. You aren't running any spacers correct? Just the FJ springs and the 5100s set higher up?

Nope, no spacers. Just the 5100s set to .85" (the 2nd notch).

Thanks. That helps a lot, what is the length of your long side? I am now thinking about using a 3" by 4" L angle so that I may be able to fab the bracket out of one piece of metal.

The aluminum that I used is 2" on both sides, that was the biggest Home Depot or Lowe's had. Butted up to the brand x plate, it ended up being perfectly offset for the lights. If you use 3" on one side, you could probably bolt the aluminum on the bottom or top of the brand x plate and raise or lower the mount holes for the bars.


edit- in the top picture you can see where the aluminum butts up to the brand x plate, as well as how far it extends past the brand x plate. The second picture is from the top and lets you see where it's butted and one of the plates I used to attached the two.

 

[johnathanng]

[MENTION=50591]gaterose[/MENTION] Still a 2wd right? Or have you done the conversion?
if not, do you ever have problems of getting stuck or anything?

im still debating on whether i should trade my runner in for a 4wd, or if i should just start modding it and convert it sometime in the future

 

[gaterose]

[MENTION=50591]gaterose[/MENTION] Still a 2wd right? Or have you done the conversion?
if not, do you ever have problems of getting stuck or anything?

im still debating on whether i should trade my runner in for a 4wd, or if i should just start modding it and convert it sometime in the future

Yep still 2wd, fortunately I've only gotten stuck once or twice but I knew my limits and never really pushed them. If you're at a point where trading for 4wd is an option and you think you need a 4wd, I would go ahead an trade.

The conversion for mine is going to be a long ways off since my fiancé is now driving the 4Runner. We'll have to wait until we can get her something else and the 4R can be a purely trail vehicle. I traded her car in for this and it's my DD now.

and yes it's 4x4

 

[jtloko]

Truck looks great! I'm thinking about replacing shocks with 5100s but would like less squat when I tow. Is the only way to do this with HD coilovers?

 

[gaterose]

Truck looks great! I'm thinking about replacing shocks with 5100s but would like less squat when I tow. Is the only way to do this with HD coilovers?

Stiffer coils would keep it from squatting so much but if you don't replace the front coils then it will feel uneven when unloaded.

I'd try FJ coils all around since you're already replacing the shocks, you can get em pretty cheap and they're a great ride improvement in addition to minor lift.

You could also try the airlift 1000 airbags if the suspension is fine when unloaded right now. Inflate em when you tow and deflate otherwise. I put some of the 2500#s on my Silverado and they're a tremendous improvement with a heavy load, levels it back out and the stiffness makes the trailer ride better as well.

 

[gaterose]

Sold my grille, cut the bumper a little and upgraded to an 06 grille.

Also let Jessie put a front plate on since I stole the winch

 

[S p a r k y]

Congrats on the T4r of the month!

 

[97BlackAckCL]

Congrats buddy! Have been waiting for them to update the winner for like 10 days :cheers:

 

[gaterose]

Congrats on the T4r of the month!

Congrats buddy! Have been waiting for them to update the winner for like 10 days :cheers:

Thanks a lot guys! Excited to finally win after all the nominations, I was starting to think I'd be forever a nominee.

 

[superman3043]

Congratulations brother! No longer a bridesmaid. Took buying a Chevy and turning her over to a woman to be a bride, but you're finally here. Much deserved my friend!

 

[gaterose]

Congratulations brother! No longer a bridesmaid. Took buying a Chevy and turning her over to a woman to be a bride, but you're finally here. Much deserved my friend!

Thanks! That's exactly what she said when I told her about it. Except calling me the bride since she'll be a bride next month.

 

[t-man]

Congrats man!!

 

[Bonyfattony]

I hope to join you one of these days! Congrats on T4ROTM!

 

[NiteCrawler]

Really sweet pics.. That's a nice rig...

 

[velasquez.huaa]

Saw you headed down i59/20

just wanna give you a shout out and saw your runner going down the interstate and thats a gorgeous rig

 

[AleksV]

Nice upgrades since I've last visited, looking real good.

 

[gaterose]

My wife loves me this much..

My groom's cake