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

[Black798]

I like what you did here Nick. Basically a much cleaner version of the relocate I did on my truck. Unfortunately I need to redo mine because it still rubs under full compression and that will only get worse when I push the wheels further forward with SPC control arms

 

[BigFishAllDay]

Beyond the washer reservoir, I haven't been working on the rig at all, thankfully. We have been taking lots of family trips, and while there hasn't been any serious wheeling involved, we have done a lot of exploring and run some moderate trails.

Horned Lizard... these guys always seem to bring good luck.

Great Sand Dunes NP... this place has become a tradition for us in the spring, the water play is awesome. Flows were low this year, but I built a dam/pond for the kids and they had a blast. We ran the bottom half of Medano Pass and got a good laugh out of a 5th gen owner who buried his rig in the sand, blocking the trail, and was pulled out by a Jeep. I went back and forth in the same sand pit several times while they got him pulled out. The STT Pros did well, especially considering I didn't air down for the sand.

Lots of dandelions this time of year near our cabin...

S'mores with the kids is always fun...

Teaching my oldest how to climb things...

Showing off the new stripes...

Took a hike in the SSJ Wilderness...

Pioneer Creek near RR, NM. This trail tested the sidewalls on the Coopers pretty well. I wasn't aired down and they still conformed well to the rocks.

Views from Sawmill Pass, RR, NM

I've been purposely trying to take fewer pictures of the rig just for the sake of forum posts, and have missed some good wheeling shots as a result. I guess you'll have to take me at my word.

Next up on the rig will be the fan clutch. It is staring to seize, making the fan much noisier than normal... small potatoes.

 

[owyheerat]

Beyond the washer reservoir, I haven't been working on the rig at all, thankfully. We have been taking lots of family trips, and while there hasn't been any serious wheeling involved, we have done a lot of exploring and run some moderate trails.

Nick, I always look for your posts, and this one did not disappoint. Glad to hear you are getting out with your family and enjoying life and teaching your kiddos about nature. Good job being a good dad!

Much respect!

Durwin

 

[BigFishAllDay]

When I did my lights in my grill, I ended up putting two layers of amber and one layer of tint. But for me, I'm not trying to light up a trail or anything. More so people can see me in poor light conditions. But I found with that combo it's the perfect amber color. It matches the amber lights below my headlights very well.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I saw another thread where a guy applied two layers of lamin-x as well, to achieve a truer amber output.

Once I finally have an opportunity to run the lights in a decent rain/snow storm I'll see how they do and go from there. The reason I installed mine was for driving in heavy snowfall... I have had some white knuckle experiences (although very occasional) where the headlights were completely useless. Unfortunately we have had a terrible year for precipitation.

Man what an enjoyable thread this is to read! So much good information and dag on if it doesn't make me wish I had areas like you do to go 4wheeling! The new wheel/tire setup looks AMAZING.

Thanks, man. I'm glad your digging it, and thanks for taking the time to read and post. Those of us in western states are definitely lucky to have such an abundance of public land.

I like what you did here Nick. Basically a much cleaner version of the relocate I did on my truck. Unfortunately I need to redo mine because it still rubs under full compression and that will only get worse when I push the wheels further forward with SPC control arms

Thanks, Phoenix. As I said in your build, I had just finished installing the new setup when I came in and read your post regarding your install. This setup moves the point of the reservoir nearest the tire up by about 2 inches, and toward the frame by nearly 4 inches. I was barely rubbing the outside corner of the OE reservoir where the rear pump mounts, and only at full compression, so this should work.

This is yet another reason why I'll be sticking with 33s on my build. 35s sure look good, but they involve so much more work for what I see as only marginal gains. In turn, those gains are offset by compromised reliability and durability of front end components.

Nick, I always look for your posts, and this one did not disappoint. Glad to hear you are getting out with your family and enjoying life and teaching your kiddos about nature. Good job being a good dad!

Much respect!

Durwin

Thanks for checking in, Durwin.

I have had some experiences in the past two years that have totally changed my perspective, especially with regard to priorities in life. I used to spend a lot of time on solo fishing/wheeling trips, working in the garage, etc., and placed a high value on time to myself. These days I can't get enough time with my wife and children. Every day is a gift, and being their father/husband is a privilege.

Conquering the hard trails, taking the epic road trips, and going big never gets old. However, nothing compares to sharing with my wife the experience of watching our kids look upon the world with awe, guiding them through it, and celebrating their triumphs and successes with them as they grow.

 

[Black798]

Thanks, Phoenix. As I said in your build, I had just finished installing the new setup when I came in and read your post regarding your install. This setup moves the point of the reservoir nearest the tire up by about 2 inches, and toward the frame by nearly 4 inches. I was barely rubbing the outside corner of the OE reservoir where the rear pump mounts, and only at full compression, so this should work.

This is yet another reason why I'll be sticking with 33s on my build. 35s sure look good, but they involve so much more work for what I see as only marginal gains. In turn, those gains are offset by compromised reliability and durability of front end components.

I agree with your thoughts on 35s 100%. I've heavily considered 35s or even going all in and doing 37s because they look so freaking good and the size would be awesome for snow wheeling. But I just can't justify the cost, amount of work cutting and clearancing, and most importantly the increased repair costs. Because when I add a front locker in addition to the size of a 35 it's not a matter of if but when I will start breaking things pretty regularly. [MENTION=67615]Dirtco[/MENTION]s truck is a perfect example of that. It worked awesome and looked even better but he did break a lot of things.

IMO 33s are really the perfect balance between reliability and offroadability and I don't see myself going to 35s. Maybe 305s for the added width but that is even unlikely.

 

[thezentree]

I agree with your thoughts on 35s 100%. I've heavily considered 35s or even going all in and doing 37s because they look so freaking good and the size would be awesome for snow wheeling. But I just can't justify the cost, amount of work cutting and clearancing, and most importantly the increased repair costs. Because when I add a front locker in addition to the size of a 35 it's not a matter of if but when I will start breaking things pretty regularly. [MENTION=67615]Dirtco[/MENTION]s truck is a perfect example of that. It worked awesome and looked even better but he did break a lot of things.

IMO 33s are really the perfect balance between reliability and offroadability and I don't see myself going to 35s. Maybe 305s for the added width but that is even unlikely.

I struggle with this regularly, haha. Some days I want to just stuff 35s (they look so good!) but then I remember how slow mine is already. I need gears ...and probably a tune-up badly, but if I'm doing anything deeper than 4:30, I might as well do an ARB while I'm in there, and if I'm doing an ARB I might as well go for deeeeep gears for 35s but if I'm doing 35s, gears, and a locker, maybe I ought to just put that money aside for an SAS...



32s it is. #responsibleadult

 

[Bijan]

Armor & things made of steel:

Addicted Off Road Front Plate Bumper (modified by ME!)


Recovery:

Warn M8000s w/synthetic line

Question....did you have to modify the Addicted Offroad front bumper to be able to make the Warn M8000s fit?

 

[BigFishAllDay]

Question....did you have to modify the Addicted Offroad front bumper to be able to make the Warn M8000s fit?

No, both winches fit just fine (the M8000s and my old XRC-8). I did mount the contactor/solenoid box on each winch remotely, though, instead of directly to the winch. I'm not sure if they would fit with the contactor/solenoid attached directly to the winch.

The modifications I made to the bumper were mainly for appearance.

 

[Road Bull]

Question....did you have to modify the Addicted Offroad front bumper to be able to make the Warn M8000s fit?

It really comes down to how you want to mount the control box. It might be easier if you have a BL, but if you don't, you will probably need to modify your grill to fit the box mounted on the winch. I think that there is an optional attachment that offsets the box and angles it forward. I just opted to cut a space big enough for mine to sit flat. But if you look at @GVL 's 4Runner, it looks like his is clocked and not interfering with his grill.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/so-cal/214341-gvl-snow-run-sat-13th-not-easy.html

Nick's whole bumper / front end look super clean though. I think we need to see some more shots of the new graphics though. I think it looks like a cool throw back to the first gen era. And I would argue that 1st gen 4Runners and early trucks had the best graphics, hands down. They were subtle, but bold.

 

[Bijan]

I dropped off my Addicted bumper at Lil B's to have it notched / gusseted to fit my ComeUp winch.

22" is my winch plate length
23.8" is the winch length

VERY slight modification being done. Will post results.

 

[BigFishAllDay]

I think we need to see some more shots of the new graphics though.

Here's one to whet your appetite...

I dropped off my Addicted bumper at Lil B's to have it notched / gusseted to fit my ComeUp winch.

I hope it works out the way you envisioned.

 

[Road Bull]

Nice. Those came out great. I have thought about splashing some old school Toyota racing colors somewhere, but I will have to give it some more though. I have always been a fan of the more subdued sort of color spectrum. Those black graphics work really well with silver though. I am biased though.

 

[BigFishAllDay]

I think so too. I have wanted to try this since around 2012, I think. There is a post way back in this thread where I was playing with the idea.

 

[TonyB66]

How the heck did I miss this thread?! Just packed with really cool info, photos, constructive conversations with thoughtful replies. It's so well-organized too, with a "Table of Contents" as well. Damn.

BFAD - Kudos to you on your 4Runner and your ventures, but also on this thread that is a treasure for so many on the forum; and now for me too (subscribed).

I plan to read through every single page. Until then, and I used search here, with respect to your "Things I carry because I might need 'em someday", might you have an idea as to weight for these items? As an EDC type of guy, I found your inclusion of this information especially unique and helpful. Thanks!

EDIT/ADD: As another Cadillac A,C,D & F horn owner, did you make the time re-locate these behind the front bumper as stated earlier?

 

[BigFishAllDay]

IMO 33s are really the perfect balance between reliability and offroadability and I don't see myself going to 35s. Maybe 305s for the added width but that is even unlikely.

Just looking at the last page of posts, this was funny to re-read. My, my, it is a slippery slope isn't it.

How the heck did I miss this thread?! Just packed with really cool info, photos, constructive conversations with thoughtful replies. It's so well-organized too, with a "Table of Contents" as well. Damn.

BFAD - Kudos to you on your 4Runner and your ventures, but also on this thread that is a treasure for so many on the forum; and now for me too (subscribed).

I plan to read through every single page. Until then, and I used search here, with respect to your "Things I carry because I might need 'em someday", might you have an idea as to weight for these items? As an EDC type of guy, I found your inclusion of this information especially unique and helpful. Thanks!

EDIT/ADD: As another Cadillac A,C,D & F horn owner, did you make the time re-locate these behind the front bumper as stated earlier?

I don't post as often these days, so it tends to get buried for months at a time. That can make it easy to miss. The TOC hasn't been updated for about 3 years, but it's still useful for the front end of the build.

Thanks for the compliments on the rig and the build thread.

RE the weight of my emergency stuff... I'm not sure. The CV box, recovery gear, and tools are the bulk of it. I'm sure my 4Runner is at/above the GVWR when fully loaded these days. I started that list to keep track of what I carry and identify additional needs and excesses over time.

All four of the caddy horns are still in the engine bay. They are loud enough there, and things are packed in so tightly behind the bumper/grille I have no place for them up front.

 

[BigFishAllDay]

I made a decision earlier this year to distance myself from forums, mainly to make sure that I am engaging my wife and children to the fullest during my free time, rather than spending time on the computer. As a result I have not posted any real updates or trip reports in almost six months.

It has been business as usual. Lots of trips, lots of sights, and lots of wheeling. I'll never catch up properly, but now and in the future, I think I'll just post some of the better pics and highlights.

All of the National Forests in NM were closed during June due to drought/fire danger, and many of our usual spots in southern CO were busier than normal, but we found ways to escape the crowds...

We spent some time at our family cabin for the 4th.

Notice that my daughter is hand feeding this fish a worm (which she dug up herself) pre-release... to make sure he wasn't hungry after we let him go.

This is her stash of nature items beside the seat... every trip there is a collection of stuff here.

Learning to identify venomous vs. non-venomous snakes... and how to catch the non-v versions.

Can you spot the bird?

I found some really strange formations on some rocks along an exposed ridge…

In late July, it was back to the cabin again.

We drove up a 4WD road one evening to an outcropping along a cliff and watched the sunset pictured above. In the same spot, I found several more strange formations on the rocks. They almost look like calcium deposits that you might find where plumbing or a natural spring has been slowly dripping for years, but that was not the case. I'm not sure how these were deposited, but I have found them in only two places along ridges where there is evidence of frequent lightning strikes... I have been wondering if the rock is somehow being altered by the heat of the strikes.

Bucks in velvet in the Valle Vidal, NM.

Trying out a new hood ornament. Decided against it due to aerodynamics.

 

[BigFishAllDay]

Continued....

Out solo for an evening of fishing, I watched a big black bear root around a hillside looking for food prior to catching wicked sunset at 10k feet.

Also got my youngsters back into some real wilderness a few times.

In August I was finally able to join [MENTION=67615]Dirtco[/MENTION] and the crew for the annual expo trip. I had missed out on the '16 and '17 trips due to "unforeseen circumstances"... :cry2:

Antero Reservoir... had to stop and wet a line.

Fourmile Creek on the west side of South Park... nice camping spot, but a lot of traffic due to peakbaggers accessing surrounding 14ers. Not to be confused with the Fourmile OHV area near BV.

 

[LittleCaesar]

Love those fish pics BFAD. Looks like you may have some young anglers in the making. My lack of fishing this year has made me a little edgy.

Wife still enjoying the 4th gen?

 

[BigFishAllDay]

Continued...

Mosquito Pass...

Fourmile OHV area near BV... lots of fun was had on this network of trails. If you need to test your suspension in any way you can imagine, this is a great place to do it.

Bonanza (Otto Mears) Toll Road and Bonanza mining district...

Camping spot near Creede, CO, way up on a ridge. This spot was picked due to a (cough) Jeep trail fail that required immediate attention, but ended up being a great spot.

Making our way into Wheeler Geologic Area... this was a stunning place, but a chore to reach. The motocross race might have slowed us down a little bit. I'm not sure I'll ever go back.

Somewhere along the way, I decided to take the next step with the retro vinyl...

The trip to the lake yielded one fish that day...

In preparation for the fall, I hauled some wood to our cabin in the Taco...

 

[BigFishAllDay]

Continued...

For Labor Day we took a family trip to the cabin... this trip was nice, but unfortunately brought about tragedy when our beloved pup, Luna, was hit and killed instantly by a logging truck.

She was an incredible dog and will be sorely missed. The event was one of the more difficult things I've had to deal with as a parent as it introduced my oldest daughter to the concept of death in a very abrupt fashion.

R.I.P. Luna, you'll always be my girl!

I wrapped up summer with the annual trip to the top of NM. I have missed this trip for the last two years as well, so it was good to be back on top.

With the trips winding down, and me starting a new job, I found myself home with time to spare so I knocked out a few items on the 4Runner.

First, I was tired of looking at the water spots on my glass. I am a faithful patron of DIY car washes and even though I use the spot free rinse, I rarely take the time to dry the 4Runner with a chamois cloth when I am done. As a result, the glass had accumulated some serious hard water stains.

I tried several options to remove them, but none were efficient. Finally a glass shop pointed me toward this product... it worked AMAZ-ing. No, really, my glass looks like new and I can see much better out of the side and rear windows.

Next up, I refinished my grille. The old coat of paint was going on 6 years and it the clear coat had yellowed and cracked, with tons of paint chips from bugs, rocks, etc. It was starting to really stand out and look nasty, so I freshened it up.

The color matched paint came from NAPA, custom mixed by VIN, and of course a better, high end clear coat.

Next up, I broke out my trusty "Forever Black" and touched up the roof rack rails and end caps. They were faded to a dark grey and stood out against the rack, but now they look good as new.

Before...

After...