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

[BigFishAllDay]

Continued...

Winterizing our cabin signifies the end of summer adventures/wheeling for me, and this year it came early... mid October. Normally I can stretch it out into November but we had some cold fronts come through, so it had to be done.

We made the most of it and did some light exploring. The best part was getting high up on the Brazos Ridge in northern NM and finding enough snow to make our first snowman of the season.

This scene was/is striking to me, because to me it captures the pure excitement and wonder of the mountains, and how good it feels to be out enjoying nature.

The pics below not only show our awesome snowman, but they show the final piece of retro vinyl that I added behind the rear wheel wells. The retro theme is now complete and I'm going to rock it as long as it feels good.

A not so fun part of this trip was having a deer hit the 4Runner. It was almost the other way around, but I got VERY lucky. I was doing about 65 down a rural highway and came up to a bend where the road crossed the river. Out of my peripheral vision to the right I saw a deer running full speed up the road embankment and had zero time to react. I put both hands on the wheel and braced for a full frontal impact, but much to my surprise I heard a loud bang as the deer ran right into the passenger side of the 4Runner.

My wife was unaware of what happened until she looked in the rearview and saw the deer spinning horizontally like a coke bottle down the road. The kids were sleeping and didn't even wake up. I pulled over to check out the rig and secure my now dangling fender flare, then went back to check on the animal, but it was gone.

Ultimately, he knocked my fender flare halfway off (I was able to get it temporarily re-attached) and left a large dent ahead of the tail light. I feel like I got off easy. Even with the Addicted bumper up front, a corner hit would have likely destroyed my hood/fender/headlight and possibly sent the deer up and over into the A-pillar. A close call, for sure.

BTW, I had only installed the rear vinyl on the DS at this point.

 

[BigFishAllDay]

Last post....

After the deer hit, I had a PDR pro come out and try to repair the damage. He did a great job, IMO. The dent was in a tough spot to begin with, not to mention on a curved surface, but he made it look much better. I also finished off the vinyl on the PS rear.

Most of the mounts on the fender flare had broken, along with the clips, so I bought new hardware and reinforced the mounts. 5 minute epoxy with embedded gauze for structural support. The flare mounted back up nicely.

Somewhere along the way, I replaced the fan clutch. In retrospect, I don't think the old one was bad. I compared them side by side and they felt the same both on the engine and off. The fan seemed to be louder than usual this summer at low speeds with the trans in 1st or 2nd, but I think it was because the A/C was on most of the time. As I understand it now, the fan clutch engages when the A/C is on, so what I was hearing was normal. Oh well... chalk it up to PM.

With the northern mountains snowed in, I usually explore south in the winter. The Tacoma got a workout exploring a new summit last month.

The trip was the maiden voyage for the newest member of my "pack". Meet Rocco, the American Bully. He should be 80-90lbs when he grows up, and all muscle. I wanted a male pup this time to change things up, and am looking forward to many adventures with this dude.

We took a drive up to northern NM for TG and got another snowman under our belts..

The pup is getting big already...

And walking him in the evenings, the light is just right for some nice shots of the 4Runner...

 

[habanero]

Always love your trip reports! The retro looks really good on the 4runner. Nice tip on the glass cleaner too.

 

[Road Bull]

Wow Nick! What an update. First I want to say that I am sorry to hear that you lost Luna. It is rough to have something we love taken without warning.

Besides that sour note, I am happy that you and the family had a chance to get out and and explore. Rocco looks like a a furry ball of energy. Your updates feel like equal parts, truck update, family album, National Geographic photos, and travel advertisement for NM. I dig it.

I'll have to check it out again when I get home to a real sized computer screen.

 

[thezentree]

Wow Nick! What an update. First I want to say that I am sorry to hear that you lost Luna. It is rough to have something we love taken without warning.

Besides that sour note, I am happy that you and the family had a chance to get out and and explore. Rocco looks like a a furry ball of energy. Your updates feel like equal parts, truck update, family album, National Geographic photos, and travel advertisement for NM. I dig it.

Pretty much this. I'm reading this with a little black cat named Luna curled up against my leg. So sorry about your pup. :sobbing:

I totally understand the need to get away from social media and get out and go do stuff. I should do the same. Glad you posted some pics though!

 

[smallfry]

Great photos.

 

[BigFishAllDay]

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?

I've been slacking on the fishing, LC. It has taken a back burner to exploring and spending time with the family. Lately, if I have a fishing rod out, I am usually teaching one of my daughters how to use it.

My oldest has landed several trout pushing 20" all by herself, and the little one is very interested. I tie on lures with no hooks and let them cast until they get bored. Get out and fish, my man. There is no time like today.

My wife loves her 4th gen. I think she wants a 5th deep down, though. She has even looked longingly at 2nd gen Sequoias. :nono:

Always love your trip reports! The retro looks really good on the 4runner. Nice tip on the glass cleaner too.

Hey, Hab! Thanks for checking in. I've always hoped you might have more of a presence on this forum because I enjoy your trip reports, too. I know that YT is your home, though. Thanks for the feedback on the retro vinyl, only my fellow 'Yota nuts can dig it. That glass cleaner is the cat's pajamas... I must have said to myself a dozen times while using it... "It really works!!"

Wow Nick! What an update. First I want to say that I am sorry to hear that you lost Luna. It is rough to have something we love taken without warning.

Besides that sour note, I am happy that you and the family had a chance to get out and and explore. Rocco looks like a a furry ball of energy. Your updates feel like equal parts, truck update, family album, National Geographic photos, and travel advertisement for NM. I dig it.

I'll have to check it out again when I get home to a real sized computer screen.

Thanks, Ryder. It was heartbreaking man... I cried like a baby. Sitting there with my daughter asking if she was going to wake up was absolutely stupefying. The new pup has been a welcome addition, though. He's a cool little dude and super smart... 11 weeks old, nearly potty trained, and doing great with obedience training.

I don't participate in any other form of social media... this it. I post to the local forum on TW, but otherwise this is the only place I exist online. I think that's why there's more than just truck stuff that goes into my updates. Also, my build is essentially complete at this point so all I have left to document is the experience.

Pretty much this. I'm reading this with a little black cat named Luna curled up against my leg. So sorry about your pup. :sobbing:

I totally understand the need to get away from social media and get out and go do stuff. I should do the same. Glad you posted some pics though!

Thanks for the condolences. This is the third one I've lost over the years and it never gets any easier. Unplug for sure, whenever you can. The internet has nothing on real life.

Great photos.

Thanks, man. I've been meaning to PM you about that light bar you had for sale. I cut the hoop off the front bumper on the Taco and now the PIAAs look a little out of place... that bar might fit the bill. Do you still have it? Send me a PM, maybe.

 

[gamefreakgc]

I've been slacking on the fishing, LC. It has taken a back burner to exploring and spending time with the family. Lately, if I have a fishing rod out, I am usually teaching one of my daughters how to use it.

That's what it's all about. Glad you are spending time with your kids, there's no substitute for quality time when they are young. My 2 year old caught her first trout back in spring and she couldn't stop talking about it for weeks.

 

[Volcom]

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.

Oh man Nick, I'm sorry to hear that :cry2::sorry:

I've got pics of your pups with steak on their noses sitting still during the Expo trip.

I'm back to making weekend trips to ABQ to see the girl. I have been meaning to hit you up one of these weekends when I'm down there.

 

[fourfive]

It was heartbreaking man... I cried like a baby. Sitting there with my daughter asking if she was going to wake up was absolutely stupefying. The new pup has been a welcome addition, though. He's a cool little dude and super smart... 11 weeks old, nearly potty trained, and doing great with obedience training.

Wow man that was heavy but new puppy looks awesome.

It's great hearing you spend time with your family but even cooler engaging them in the outdoors & involving them in your hobby's. I'm a new dad to my 9 month old daughter & I'm trying to learn this as I go. Something you wrote in a previous post has stuck with me ever since I read it & especially true since my daughter was born. You described time with your kids passing in a blink of an eye & holding onto those moments is like trying to hold onto sand as it slips through your fingers. That was some deep shi*. I always enjoy looking at your 4runner pics, it never gets old.
:cheers:

I don't participate in any other form of social media... this it.

Funny, t4r takes up enough of my time that I can't imagine trying to keep up on other forums or social media.

 

[Dirtco]

I'm sorry to hear about Luna, she was an awesome dog the couple days I spent with her. :cry2:

It's good to see you getting out with the family, looking forward to the next time we can get together!

 

[BigFishAllDay]

That's what it's all about. Glad you are spending time with your kids, there's no substitute for quality time when they are young. My 2 year old caught her first trout back in spring and she couldn't stop talking about it for weeks.

Daughters need their dads. I've been very lucky with regard to the time I'm able to spend with them, and they grow so fast you have to enjoy that time before it's gone. You keep doing what you're doing as well. Sounds like you're doing it right.

Oh man Nick, I'm sorry to hear that :cry2::sorry:

I've got pics of your pups with steak on their noses sitting still during the Expo trip.

I'm back to making weekend trips to ABQ to see the girl. I have been meaning to hit you up one of these weekends when I'm down there.

Thanks, Aaron. It sucks to start over, but I've got a good feeling about this new little guy. I plan to teach him to hold steak on his nose, too.

We should definitely try to grab a beer and a bite sometime. Give me a heads up if you can, most times it's hard for me to get away at the last minute.

Wow man that was heavy but new puppy looks awesome.

It's great hearing you spend time with your family but even cooler engaging them in the outdoors & involving them in your hobby's. I'm a new dad to my 9 month old daughter & I'm trying to learn this as I go. Something you wrote in a previous post has stuck with me ever since I read it & especially true since my daughter was born. You described time with your kids passing in a blink of an eye & holding onto those moments is like trying to hold onto sand as it slips through your fingers. That was some deep shi*. I always enjoy looking at your 4runner pics, it never gets old.

Funny, t4r takes up enough of my time that I can't imagine trying to keep up on other forums or social media.

Kids will blow your mind. When the shock began to wear off, I found myself deeply worried about how it was going to affect my oldest. But then as I was filling in the grave she started collecting flowers and singing a goodbye song, making up lyrics as she went, in her soft little voice. Then she arranged them all on the mound while giggling about funny memories she had of Luna. All of a sudden she had made the moment so much more bearable, and I was really glad she was there.

I'm glad those words stuck with you, and have helped you to cherish the moments. I would encourage you to take your daughter out and immerse her in all the guy stuff you like to do. There's nothing a little girl can't do if you encourage them and build their confidence... and by bringing her into your world you'll have all kinds of ways to have fun with her for years to come. Don't forget to be a gentleman at tea parties, cut food into heart shapes, and dance with her like she's a princess. That's my method, anyway. Congrats on becoming a father, it is truly a privilege.

As always, thanks for checking out the update and taking the time to post.

I'm sorry to hear about Luna, she was an awesome dog the couple days I spent with her. :cry2:

It's good to see you getting out with the family, looking forward to the next time we can get together!

Thanks, Jeremiah. Aside from trying to bite people's hands off while she was IN the 4Runner, she made friends with everyone on that trip.

I'm already looking forward to next years expo trip, and hopefully we can take a drive somewhere in the meantime.

-Little Spoon

 

[fourfive]

Kids will blow your mind. When the shock began to wear off, I found myself deeply worried about how it was going to affect my oldest. But then as I was filling in the grave she started collecting flowers and singing a goodbye song, making up lyrics as she went, in her soft little voice. Then she arranged them all on the mound while giggling about funny memories she had of Luna. All of a sudden she had made the moment so much more bearable, and I was really glad she was there.

I'm glad those words stuck with you, and have helped you to cherish the moments. I would encourage you to take your daughter out and immerse her in all the guy stuff you like to do. There's nothing a little girl can't do if you encourage them and build their confidence... and by bringing her into your world you'll have all kinds of ways to have fun with her for years to come. Don't forget to be a gentleman at tea parties, cut food into heart shapes, and dance with her like she's a princess. That's my method, anyway. Congrats on becoming a father, it is truly a privilege.

As always, thanks for checking out the update and taking the time to post.

Powerful words man. Thank you.

 

[Charlene]

Nick, the 4Runner looks great! I love the retro vinyls. Those trips with the family sound very relaxing and fun. So sorry to hear about your pup, I remember meeting him when I went over to your place.

Also, I respect and think it's really cool about taking some time off the forums and focusing on marriage and the kiddos. Definitely something I'm sure we all should do!

Oh! And I'm always jealous of the trout you pull out of those mystery high mountain lakes!

 

[Black798]

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

A very slippery slope indeed haha. It went from "33s are great and I only need the rear locker to dammit my tires are just a tiny bit too small for that ledge and if that one stupid tire would spin I wouldn't be getting the winch out" very quickly. Breaking the same parts multiple times only made it worse. :bash:

What I ended up needing to do was take a step back and reevaluate what I really wanted to be able to do with this rig and what was the best thing to do from there. And after doing that I really feel as I have a solid finishing point established and having a plan of what needs to happen will end up being better in the long run than just throwing mods at it. 35s, front locker, beef up the ifs a little more, and add some safety things in the cab and the Im DONE. If I still find myself wanting more capability Ill build a rocklizard or something.

Great pictures as always Nick and I really am liking those retro graphics. I was skeptical at first but they fit very well with the theme of your truck, a nice subtle touch.

 

[The Drake]

Some of you may have noticed that all my photo links are dead. Well, for the first time in all my years using photobucket, I exceeded my allotted bandwidth. The bandwidth meter resets on the 7th, so the pictures will be back soon for anybody who cares.

I went ahead and opened a second photobucket account to (hopefully) prevent this problem in the future.

Today was a productive day for the '01. First, I got the 861's installed.

Notice the difference in the height of the two coils. The "A" coil is the shorter one on the left, and the "B" coil is the taller one on the right. I installed the "B" coil on the driver's side to help compensate for the additional weight of the gas tank, cargo box, and my fat ass.

OME 861 vs. LC 7.5 wrap that came out. (P.S. Amening, check out the jack technique! It worked great, thanks!)

Installed! Notice that I re-installed the factory "Cone Bumpstops". I did this to net the extra bit of lift height and to keep metal off metal to prevent any noise, wear of the finishes, and corrosion.

I also took the rubber sheaths off the bottoms of the LC coils and installed them on the 861's for a "factory look" and some protection against metal on metal wear.

Ride heights before the CBI w/LC coils (ground to fender)

P/S Rear: 39 5/8"
D/S Rear: 39 5/8"

Ride heights w/the CBI w/LC coils (ground to fender)

P/S Rear: 39 3/16"
D/S Rear: 39 1/4"

Ride heights w/the CBI w/OME 861's (ground to fender)*

P/S Rear: 40 1/4"
D/S Rear: 40 1/2"

*Note that these measurements would be about 1/4" lower if I had not installed the cone bumpstops.

After the 861's were in I started working on a long standing issue: the coil/spindle interference I've been fighting with. I bought a Limit Strap setup, but (still) being without a welder, I have not been able to install them.

I decided to try another solution to get me by in the meantime, and that was to rotate the coils 180 degrees. Others who are running the Tundra coils up front have reported no contact between the spindle and the coil. Rickashay comes to mind, so I checked out his OME/Tundra-LC review, and sure enough, his coils were installed exactly 180 degrees from how mine were.

I started with this (bottom terminal end of the coil oriented toward the frame):

And after rotating the coil 180 degrees, I ended up with this:

A close up of the clearance I gained:

The driver's side came out a little differently, even though I rotated the coil exactly the same way as the passenger side. It is still a huge improvement though, because only one corner of the spindle hits and only at MAX droop (shock @ maximum extension).

I was excited to see if the problem was solved, so I buttoned it up and took it on a short drive around the neighborhood. There are big speed bumps in my neighborhood that always produced the "CLUNK" at speeds above 20 mph. I rallied over the same speed bumps at up to 30 mph and what do you know.... NO MORE CLUNK!!!!

I still plan to install the limit straps, but in the meantime, I don't have to put up w/that annoying noise, or worry about the interference stressing my UBJ's. The limit straps should be helpful in extending the lives of the CV's though, because I actually gained about 2" of droop @ the tire by removing the spindle/coil interference from the equation.

That's it for now... More parts are on the UPS truck as I type.

[MENTION=44220]BigFishAllDay[/MENTION] When you were having coil/spindle interference, do you remember how much droop you'd have to have in order for it to interfere? I just installed some Tundra coils on mine and I'm hearing a clunk on the passenger's side, but it's over smaller potholes and small ruts in the road.

 

[Unner]

Nice pictures and updates Nick. Sorry to hear about Luna, it's always hard to lose a pet. They're so innocent. The new pup looks like he'll be a good fit though.

I'm digging the graphics, and it's good to know the rear quarter panel of a 3rd gen is deer proof haha, I was expecting much worse damage. And the Tacoma is still looking good, I thought you'd have gotten rid of it by now, but I'd have a hard time selling it too.

Congrats on the new job, and good for you prioritizing family and fun over forums and social media, that's the way it should be.

 

[BigFishAllDay]

Nick, the 4Runner looks great! I love the retro vinyls. Those trips with the family sound very relaxing and fun. So sorry to hear about your pup, I remember meeting him when I went over to your place.

Also, I respect and think it's really cool about taking some time off the forums and focusing on marriage and the kiddos. Definitely something I'm sure we all should do!

Oh! And I'm always jealous of the trout you pull out of those mystery high mountain lakes!

Hey, Andrew. Thanks for checking in, and I hope all is well with you and your family. The trout in the last few posts were little guys, but they had some nice colors. I might have to change my username to "BigFishOccasionally".

A very slippery slope indeed haha. It went from "33s are great and I only need the rear locker to dammit my tires are just a tiny bit too small for that ledge and if that one stupid tire would spin I wouldn't be getting the winch out" very quickly. Breaking the same parts multiple times only made it worse. :bash:

What I ended up needing to do was take a step back and reevaluate what I really wanted to be able to do with this rig and what was the best thing to do from there. And after doing that I really feel as I have a solid finishing point established and having a plan of what needs to happen will end up being better in the long run than just throwing mods at it. 35s, front locker, beef up the ifs a little more, and add some safety things in the cab and the Im DONE. If I still find myself wanting more capability Ill build a rocklizard or something.

Great pictures as always Nick and I really am liking those retro graphics. I was skeptical at first but they fit very well with the theme of your truck, a nice subtle touch.

I still follow your thread, so I've been reading up on all the fun. Good luck with 35's. I maintain that I'm right in the sweet spot for capability/reliability, and that is where I'll stay. I've yet to see anyone on 315's do something I couldn't with 285's.

Thanks for the feedback on the graphics. If I can find the right vinyl, I will probably make some improvements in the future... maybe change the color scheme from all black to a grayscale transition from stripe to stripe. I think that would add some refinement.

BigFishAllDay, when you were having coil/spindle interference, do you remember how much droop you'd have to have in order for it to interfere? I just installed some Tundra coils on mine and I'm hearing a clunk on the passenger's side, but it's over smaller potholes and small ruts in the road.

I have no idea what the droop measurements were at that time. I can tell you it would only happen near the end of the downward front suspension travel.

Nice pictures and updates Nick. Sorry to hear about Luna, it's always hard to lose a pet. They're so innocent. The new pup looks like he'll be a good fit though.

I'm digging the graphics, and it's good to know the rear quarter panel of a 3rd gen is deer proof haha, I was expecting much worse damage. And the Tacoma is still looking good, I thought you'd have gotten rid of it by now, but I'd have a hard time selling it too.

Congrats on the new job, and good for you prioritizing family and fun over forums and social media, that's the way it should be.

Thanks, Unner. The new doggy is sharp as a tack. He's only 3 months old and coming along nicely with obedience training.

I'm not sure about deer PROOF... more like deer resistant.

I can't find a solid reason to sell the Tacoma and move to a Tundra. The only upside would be to have more room in the cabin and four doors. Otherwise it's all downside. Until the 4Runner stops cutting it for family trips and we NEED more room, the Tacoma will probably stay in the fleet. Plus 05-06' Tundras seem impossible to find with decent mileage/excellent condition. The only other way it might go is if I find a great deal on a new platform... 100 series maybe, or another Supra.

Thanks for the note about the job! That was another move that took place to maximize family time.

 

[BigFishAllDay]

Some big storms have rolled through recently, so naturally it was time for some snow wheeling. The conditions were perfect, and we got to lay a ton of fresh track.

 

[Rockdawg84]

Love the snow pics! looking good Nick :bigok: