I found "The One", 2001 Sport Ed. TRD SC'd

[BigFishAllDay]

Prior to the trip, I also made some quick mods to the CBI. I'm slowly fine tuning things, and getting the bumper to a functional level that I'm satisfied with.

First, I finished up the tire carrier rebuild and got it painted.

Added gussets at both sides of the outside top corner..

Added a second vertical gusset along the face where the original welds from CBI failed...

Also, tack welded the wheel mounting bolts in place. I got sick of the bolts spinning when I tried to tighten them.

When I moved the tire inward, I lost my old CB antenna mount, so I added a new one near the swing arm pivot. The new mount puts the antenna in a better location for range/SWR.

Last, I added some rear mud flaps. They are marginally functional because they do not extend downward far enough, but they provide some visual balance front to rear, and should help the powdercoat on the bumper last a little longer.

 

[LittleCaesar]

Nice pics BFAD, though I always seem to enjoy those with fish in them just a little more. And the baby, or little lady as she is certainly now.

It can be hard to fathom until one sees a gutted forest how much damage fire can do. Wind here on the East Coast (from hurricanes) is close to laying down such degree of devastation, but not quite.

 

[gs300tt]

Do you have any pictures of the new tire position and does this help at all with the bouncing of the tire?

 

[BigFishAllDay]

Nice pics BFAD, though I always seem to enjoy those with fish in them just a little more. And the baby, or little lady as she is certainly now.

It can be hard to fathom until one sees a gutted forest how much damage fire can do. Wind here on the East Coast (from hurricanes) is close to laying down such degree of devastation, but not quite.

I'm slacking on the fishing lately. Leisure time comes down to three choices... wrenching, 'wheeling, or fishing. The first two have been winning out so far this spring. The kiddo is definitely getting big fast, it's pretty awesome to watch her grow.

RE the burn area, that is the first time I've explored a wildfire burn. I've seen plenty of evidence of spot fires over the years, and even driven through some wildfire burns on primary roads, but I've never seen destruction that compared with what we saw that day. It literally wiped the slate clean up there.

Do you have any pictures of the new tire position and does this help at all with the bouncing of the tire?

Yes, and yes. I posted all the details a few pages back:

Tire Carrier Before & After Pics

 

[TCMach]

First, I finished up the tire carrier rebuild and got it painted.

This is the definition of overkill....and I love it. That thing isn't going anywhere and looks twice as good! You've inspired me to chop up mine. I'd love to get it a little higher and a little tighter.

Random question, did you have any issues dragging the high-lift jack in moab? I was dragging the lifting horn all over the place. It looks like your plate version has it more protected by the shackle mounts and such.

 

[NateMob]

Random question, did you have any issues dragging the high-lift jack in moab? I was dragging the lifting horn all over the place. It looks like your plate version has it more protected by the shackle mounts and such.

Why not just flip the jack over? When i used to carry a hi-lift i ran it on my hybrid with the horn facing up to no ill effect. It was pointed up right next to the swingout handle.

 

[TCMach]

Why not just flip the jack over? When i used to carry a hi-lift i ran it on my hybrid with the horn facing up to no ill effect. It was pointed up right next to the swingout handle.

I have since flipped it over haha. I still think I may hit the baseplate. Which can come off aswell if I want to do that. More just a curiosity as I saw his was facing down aswell.

 

[NateMob]

I have since flipped it over haha. I still think I may hit the baseplate. Which can come off aswell if I want to do that. More just a curiosity as I saw his was facing down aswell.

great minds eh? haha. I removed the baseplate on mine to cut down on rattles and to keep it from walking off.

I cant view photos in this thread on a gov't computer but i remember looking over Nick's bumper in person and compared to mine(and yours) I seem to remember his entire swing arm sitting up higher than ours to begin with the way CBI built it. I'm almost positive of it because they raise it up to accomadate the screw closure since Nick's is a 3/4 swingout. Giving him the extra ground clearance over you and I.

 

[BigFishAllDay]

This is the definition of overkill....and I love it. That thing isn't going anywhere and looks twice as good! You've inspired me to chop up mine. I'd love to get it a little higher and a little tighter.

Random question, did you have any issues dragging the high-lift jack in moab? I was dragging the lifting horn all over the place. It looks like your plate version has it more protected by the shackle mounts and such.

Thanks. Looks are kind of irrelevant, considering that it is 100% obscured by the spare until the tire carrier is open, but I assure you that it is definitely twice as strong.

I've never had an issue dragging the hi-lift, even with the horn down. The shackle mounts on the plate bumper protrude just enough that they provide a protected zone for the hi-lift. The drag line on a production CBI plate bumper involves the shackle mounts and the bottom of the spare. Now that I've revised the format, the drag line will be the shackle mounts and the hi-lift horn, but at a much greater angle. I guess we'll see how it goes.

I have since flipped it over haha. I still think I may hit the baseplate. Which can come off aswell if I want to do that. More just a curiosity as I saw his was facing down aswell.

The ratcheting mechanism hits the swingout on the plate bumpers if you flip the jack "horn up". Not bad enough that you can't mount it that way, but enough that you will lose your powdercoat and get a rust spot.

great minds eh? haha. I removed the baseplate on mine to cut down on rattles and to keep it from walking off.

I cant view photos in this thread on a gov't computer but i remember looking over Nick's bumper in person and compared to mine(and yours) I seem to remember his entire swing arm sitting up higher than ours to begin with the way CBI built it. I'm almost positive of it because they raise it up to accomadate the screw closure since Nick's is a 3/4 swingout. Giving him the extra ground clearance over you and I.

I just pulled my baseplate as well, and carry it in the cargo box to cut down on rattles. We'll have to compare bumpers again in the future... I don't think the swingout sits higher, but I'm pretty sure that the hybrid bumper is designed with the swingout further from the back of the rig, contributing to the decrease in departure angle. On either bumper, as they are produced, the position of the spare tire/wheel is the limiting factor.

 

[BrianSD_42]

I just noticed the table of contents links are gone.

 

[smkd13]

Ha ha I noticed this was gone as well. Really mad finding what pulley he use for his dynamic tension "fun" lol

 

[TCMach]

*cough* Blanca *cough* haha. I've been watching to many youtube videos on it.

 

[BigFishAllDay]

I just noticed the table of contents links are gone.

Ha ha I noticed this was gone as well. Really mad finding what pulley he use for his dynamic tension "fun" lol

The T.o.C. is back. I removed it because I was re-working the first post in the build. That post was bumping the 10K characters/post forum limit. Anyway, I got distracted and forgot to put it back. Top of post #2 for future reference.

*cough* Blanca *cough* haha. I've been watching to many youtube videos on it.

[MENTION=67615]Dirtco[/MENTION]
[MENTION=94050]cdrewferd[/MENTION]
[MENTION=82211]TCMach[/MENTION]
[MENTION=95069]TBuzz[/MENTION]

PM incoming tonight with some proposed dates for a Blanca run.

PS... Moab pics will be up later tonight as well.

 

[BigFishAllDay]

This year, I decided to head to Moab with some guys from the "Classics" forum, and took a drive out there for a weekend not too long ago.

The planning/pics thread is here > http://www.toyota-4runner.org/classic-t4rs/150476-classics-go-moab-iii.html

I met up with TBuzz in Durango, and we caravaned to Moab from there. Got in on Thurs night (4/24), and I proceeded to get us lost looking for the campground.

It's always good to see this view...

On Friday, we hit 7 Mile Rim. I ran this trail last year, but I was up for doing it again. It's a mellow trail, with some fun play spots and the bigger challenge of Wipeout Hill. I tackled Wipeout hill last year, but took the easy line down and back out. This year I wanted to put the gas tank skid to the test and try the hard line out, which gave me another incentive to get back on 7MR.

We had a variety of rigs on this trip, and some of them had a tough day. Within the group we had a torn sidewall, a stuck throttle cable, and a blown clutch. Luckily the clutch happened near the end of the trail, requiring only a brief and mellow tow out.
[MENTION=95069]TBuzz[/MENTION] and I put the smack down on Wipeout's hard line, which made the day a success in my book.

Saw a group of about 30 of these guys heading up the trail at the start... didn't see them again though.

On to the action shots...

Some nice views out there...

Taking a break to repair the torn sidewall and eat lunch...

The end result... it held up all day.

Nice approach angle on that Addicted bumper...

On the rim...

Silver crack..

Between the buttes...

Heading onward, toward Wipeout...

THANKS!!! to [MENTION=86948]mikebontoft[/MENTION] [MENTION=75090]Footofgod[/MENTION] [MENTION=95069]TBuzz[/MENTION] [MENTION=54899]puppetz007[/MENTION] for many of these pics!!!!

 

[BigFishAllDay]

To Wipeout Hill.... and beyond!

Finally we got to wipeout, and TBuzz and I dived right in... down the easy line...

This is a good overall shot of the hard line up Wipeout hill. Doesn't look too bad, but I promise you it's nothing to sneeze at.

Chris, headed up (while I scramble up the rocks to spot him).

A little bit off the line, to the passenger side.

Me going up...

Heading out on the last part of the trail toward Tusher Tunnel...

At the end of the trail we all took a ride to see Tusher Tunnel. Half the group stopped short to help with the blown clutch, but there's only so much help you can provide on that kind of break. So, TBuzz and I checked out the tunnel and then took off to run the south loop of Fins & Things.

We also checked out Baby Lion's Back for a quick thrill...

After that it was back to town, where we caught up with the group in time to have dinner at Moab Brewery.

Check out these videos from 7 Mile, Fins, and Baby Lion's Back....

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<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/p5Nh-d_q2vg?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[BigFishAllDay]

Kane Creek... round two!

For Saturday, the group had already planned to run Kane Creek. Since I kind of piggy backed on their trip at the last minute, I went along with the established plan and ran Kane again (for the second year in a row). I figured a second time on the trail would be fun, too, because I knew the lines and could play around a little bit.

But mother nature decided to throw us a curveball, and on Saturday morning we woke to strong winds, and storms blowing in from the east. As a result, we got to run Kanes in the rain. That spiced things up nicely.

Moab is some big country, and there's nothing like those red rocks...

The big dip...

After that, there are several obstacles that put you right on the edge...

Every one of us in a 3rd gen scraped our passenger rear door flare on this rock....

The awesome power of moving water is a thing to behold. We all stood around for a few minutes guessing at how far this thing had washed downstream before getting hung up on a tree.

Lunch break, and the sun comes out. Good thing, too... it was getting cold.

Through the water crossings we went...

Stopped at the big hills to look around...

Up the worst part... the steep, rocky shelf road near the end.

Looking down into the canyon bottom..

It was right about then that things got a little more interesting....

 

[BigFishAllDay]

Videos and fish pics....

Oops... broke my front driveshaft!

Andrew says, "Don't worry, I've got you buddy!"

After that, we all took turns pulling Mike's ZJ to the end of the trail. The big XJ on 37's did most of the work, getting him up the majority of the tough stuff at the end.

At the end...

The broken driveshaft made for a long, slow end to the day. By the time we got off Kane, everyone was pretty worn out. We talked about hitting another trail when we got back to camp, but settled on some pizza instead.

After dinner, the weather started to turn and it began to rain again. After talking with the group, it didn't seem like there would be a run on Sunday morning that would be completed before I had to hit the road. I debated staying the night, but Chris (TBuzz) was packed and ready to head back to Durango, so I decided to join him. We planned to find some fishing the next day, and sleeping on a couch sounded better than a cold wet tent.

As it turned out, we hit a pretty nasty snow storm on the way back to Durango, which made for an interesting trip. The storm had caught the DOT by surprise and there wasn't a plow in sight. It gave us a chance to compare thoughts on our Duratracs and their level of traction on the snow.

The next day we hit the road down to the San Juan River in NM, and spent the morning ripping lips...

There was a variety of birds out and about...

The early departure ended up working out great, and I was home by 5pm and showered and unpacked by 6, when my Wife and Daughter got home. It was a quick trip, but a fun one. Every trip to Moab teaches you a little something... whether it be about driving, about your rig, or about how to prepare and plan for the next trip. This trip was no different, and although I ran two trails that I'd been on before, they felt different the second time around with more experience under my belt.

 

[cdrewferd]

Awesome pictures. Looks like a great time. I'll make it out there one of these years.

 

[smallfry]

The T.o.C. is back. I removed it because I was re-working the first post in the build. That post was bumping the 10K characters/post forum limit. Anyway, I got distracted and forgot to put it back. Top of post #2 for future reference.



[MENTION=67615]Dirtco[/MENTION]
[MENTION=94050]cdrewferd[/MENTION]
[MENTION=82211]TCMach[/MENTION]
[MENTION=95069]TBuzz[/MENTION]

PM incoming tonight with some proposed dates for a Blanca run.

Don't forget this freeloader looking to ride along with you all. :madgrin:


Kane Creek looks a little sketchy in the rain.

 

[BigFishAllDay]

Awesome pictures. Looks like a great time. I'll make it out there one of these years.

Moab is definitely a "must-do", but be careful because once you've been you'll definitely want to return. There are so many trails, you'd need a whole summer to run everything.

Don't forget this freeloader looking to ride along with you all.

Kane Creek looks a little sketchy in the rain.

Definitely not forgotten. We're ironing out some details, and once we come up with a date I'll send you a PM. It looks like we'll probably be shooting for July/Aug. And Kane in the rain was definitely sketchy... I had some second thoughts after I stepped out of my rig into that greasy mud for the first time. Off camber + edge of an embankment + slick mud = no bueno.