Bandit Runner
Senior Member
Do I see a little bandit design in that bumper? haha
Looks good!
Looks good!
Jerkydrewster's 99 4Runner Build Thread
- Thread starter JerkyDrewster
- Start date
infamousRNR
Senior Member
Build is looking great! Can't wait to see what this bumper looks like once completed
JerkyDrewster
Member
Well I don't know about that, but we will see haha. I have a grille hoop on the design now that I think looks pretty nice! I don't want to include headlight hoops though...I don't really like the way they look I guess.
There might be some small influences in there haha. Thanks for your help when I was starting out! It's been turning out to be a lot of fun. Now I can't wait to see how it all turns out.
Thanks dude! I can't wait either. I'm hoping to get a prototype cut out of cardboard pretty soon. I just need to double check where the cab sits over the frame and I should be good.
JerkyDrewster
Member
Put some new brakes on to replace the rusted ones I put on awhile ago. Nothing was wrong with them besides looking sub par, so I found a great deal on Amazon for these new calipers and I went for it! I also picked up some OEM Tundra rotors and some new pads for good measure as well.
I Also finished up the prototype bumper I am designing for my senior project! I'm hoping to check for fitment later today and trim the parts that are over-sized. It's looking like I will be making it over the summer due to time constraints right now, but I cannot wait! Here is a pic of the prototype.
I Also finished up the prototype bumper I am designing for my senior project! I'm hoping to check for fitment later today and trim the parts that are over-sized. It's looking like I will be making it over the summer due to time constraints right now, but I cannot wait! Here is a pic of the prototype.
JerkyDrewster
Member
Got the prototype all mounted up a couple of weeks ago. Everything lined up, but it looks like I measured the height of the car incorrectly. The bumper sat about a half inch below the bottom of the frame rail, but was touching the lower part of the grill. I would have to shorten my main vertical supports to get the correct height, but this wouldn't allow enough space to put the winch in, so the whole winch structure would have to be lowered as well. A couple of other design changes would have to happen too that I figured would be an issue such as the length of the sides or the angle of the plates to match the curve of the body. I would want to prototype this again before I decided to build the entire bumper, but I don't know if I would have enough time once I graduate from school to start work...especially with a new project I'll be getting soon!! (see below) :happy: While I might not see this bumper being completely built, it was a great senior project that I learned a ton from! If I end up not fully manufacturing it, I will just go ahead and purchase a bumper from one of the big companies.
Here are a few pics of it mounted up.
And here is the new project I will be getting in the next month or so! Now I know it isn't a Yota, but I can't wait to start restoring it and most likely upgrading it as well! It is going to require a lot of work, but it'll be a fun, new toy.
Here are a few pics of it mounted up.
And here is the new project I will be getting in the next month or so! Now I know it isn't a Yota, but I can't wait to start restoring it and most likely upgrading it as well! It is going to require a lot of work, but it'll be a fun, new toy.
JerkyDrewster
Member
It is going to be a fun project, but definitely a lot of work. Luckily I'll have a lot of help on it, and get a lot of replacements from the local yards :dancin:
Here's a couple more pics of it! Definitely some work... :biggrin2:
rossgoldie
New member
Does it run at all? What is left of the drivetrain?
JerkyDrewster
Member
Everything's there and it runs pretty well. The engine will probably need to be rebuilt, but it's alright for now while I start to figure out what needs to be done.
JerkyDrewster
Member
Just a quick update on what I have been doing!
I had some seepage out of the valve covers that was not remedied by tightening down the bolts, so I decided to replace the gaskets. Everything went alright except for one bolt on the passenger side. The steel bolt reacted with the aluminum block and caused the two to corrode together. After 45 minutes of working the bolt back and forth a little at a time, it finally snapped. I spent the next 2 hours or so carefully drilling out the center and re-tapping the hole with my neighbor. Luckily it was in the most accessible spot and I was able to keep the same size thread, so it was a best case scenario! After that the covers came off and I got to see how clean the engine is. The previous owner must have kept up with regular oil changes.
Some pictures from under the valve cover and the little bolt that couldn't hang on just a bit longer.
And in other news, I will not be making the bumper that I designed because of some complications in the prototype that I just do not have time or resources to re-do, so I bought a CBI Hybrid Bumper that will be here in a couple of weeks or so! I'm bummed that it will not be my own, but am still very excited about the CBI. It was the one I originally wanted when I was first tossing around the bumper idea, so it won't be that bad of an alternate...
I'll be sure to post some pictures once I get it and everything is all mounted up!
I had some seepage out of the valve covers that was not remedied by tightening down the bolts, so I decided to replace the gaskets. Everything went alright except for one bolt on the passenger side. The steel bolt reacted with the aluminum block and caused the two to corrode together. After 45 minutes of working the bolt back and forth a little at a time, it finally snapped. I spent the next 2 hours or so carefully drilling out the center and re-tapping the hole with my neighbor. Luckily it was in the most accessible spot and I was able to keep the same size thread, so it was a best case scenario! After that the covers came off and I got to see how clean the engine is. The previous owner must have kept up with regular oil changes.
Some pictures from under the valve cover and the little bolt that couldn't hang on just a bit longer.
And in other news, I will not be making the bumper that I designed because of some complications in the prototype that I just do not have time or resources to re-do, so I bought a CBI Hybrid Bumper that will be here in a couple of weeks or so! I'm bummed that it will not be my own, but am still very excited about the CBI. It was the one I originally wanted when I was first tossing around the bumper idea, so it won't be that bad of an alternate...
I'll be sure to post some pictures once I get it and everything is all mounted up!
JerkyDrewster
Member
It's been a pretty eventful week for me! Last Saturday I was able to get the CBI front bumper on, and it went without a hitch. I had a buddy come over to weld the new front plates on after I removed the old ones from the frame. Here are some pictures from the install. I think it looks great and I'll be getting so much more ground clearance compared to before.
I also went to Hollister Hills with a buddy of mine the day before. All in all it was a good trip where I got to try some trails that I hadn't been on before and it was extremely dusty! I did mess up my inner tie rods from the trip and they make a clunking sound... I'm also leaking ATF from the rack guide area. This weekend I plan on replacing the entire rack with the AAE one from Rock Auto. This should definitely fix the problem!
Yesterday I decided to relocate my aux fuse block. I was tired of trying to reach under it to push new wires through the firewall, so I moved it onto the existing fuse block cover. I also cleaned up all of my wiring to have heatshrink and the proper connectors instead of bare wires and electrical tape. No pictures of that right now, but it looks great and should help keep things clean in the future!
I also went to Hollister Hills with a buddy of mine the day before. All in all it was a good trip where I got to try some trails that I hadn't been on before and it was extremely dusty! I did mess up my inner tie rods from the trip and they make a clunking sound... I'm also leaking ATF from the rack guide area. This weekend I plan on replacing the entire rack with the AAE one from Rock Auto. This should definitely fix the problem!
Yesterday I decided to relocate my aux fuse block. I was tired of trying to reach under it to push new wires through the firewall, so I moved it onto the existing fuse block cover. I also cleaned up all of my wiring to have heatshrink and the proper connectors instead of bare wires and electrical tape. No pictures of that right now, but it looks great and should help keep things clean in the future!
JerkyDrewster
Member
Thanks! I'm really stoked about it and can't wait to have it for trail use. The install was extremely simple with it bolting up to the stock side locations and their front plate. We tacked the plate in with the bumper lined up on the sides, then finished the weld with the bumper taken off. It was nice have an extra set of hands to hold it in place when I was bolting it down!
I do not have a body lift on the rig though. That is one thing I will probably not be doing. :thumb3:
JerkyDrewster
Member
So after going to Hollister a couple of weekends ago, I noticed a nice clicking sound from under the car. I'm guessing this was a problem that was being built up over time and the little trip just pushed them over the edge. I thought it was the inner tie rods since it usually happened after turning, and after jacking up the wheel and moving it back and forth the other day, that was confirmed.
I decided I might as well change the entire rack since I had some seepage where the rack guide was as well. I went with the AAE 3273N from RockAuto after reading a few threads on here instead of getting the pricey stock version. I could have replaced the inner tie rods and rack guide for the same price, but the entire rack has a 2 year warranty which I thought was a pretty good deal. I'm hoping to remove the current rack this Saturday before it comes in later that night and put it in Sunday morning.
I decided I might as well change the entire rack since I had some seepage where the rack guide was as well. I went with the AAE 3273N from RockAuto after reading a few threads on here instead of getting the pricey stock version. I could have replaced the inner tie rods and rack guide for the same price, but the entire rack has a 2 year warranty which I thought was a pretty good deal. I'm hoping to remove the current rack this Saturday before it comes in later that night and put it in Sunday morning.
JerkyDrewster
Member
My steering rack was leaking and I had a ton of play in the wheel due to the tie rods, so I decided to just buy a whole new rack from RockAuto! I went with the AAE 3273N which came with new ITRE and couldn't be happier with it after a whole 800 miles. The steering is definitely tighter, and there is no more clicking sounds. Ran into a few issues along the way, like not being able to remove the send or return steering lines and have a hell of a time getting the rag joint off the rack. I ended up replacing both of the lines, but at least I have piece of mind that they will probably outlast the life of the vehicle.
The rag joint was a PITA to get off though. It took over an hour of wedging a chisel into the part the bolt goes in and hitting each side with another chisel and hammer. The rust holding the two sets of splines together eventually gave way and it came off unbroken! We tried everything including an air chisel, heat, and kroil to get it off. When I reinstalled it, I put a bunch of anti-seize on just in case I had to ever take it off again.
The next weekend my battery decided to give out on me too, so I went to the store to pick up a 24f Interstate Mega-tron Plus. So far, everything has been good!
Here are some pictures of everything besides the installed rack.
"Toyoda"
The infamous rag joint
The rag joint was a PITA to get off though. It took over an hour of wedging a chisel into the part the bolt goes in and hitting each side with another chisel and hammer. The rust holding the two sets of splines together eventually gave way and it came off unbroken! We tried everything including an air chisel, heat, and kroil to get it off. When I reinstalled it, I put a bunch of anti-seize on just in case I had to ever take it off again.
The next weekend my battery decided to give out on me too, so I went to the store to pick up a 24f Interstate Mega-tron Plus. So far, everything has been good!
Here are some pictures of everything besides the installed rack.
"Toyoda"
The infamous rag joint
JerkyDrewster
Member
Well I finally decided to fix my parking brake. I got under the car and saw that the passenger bellcrank was frozen up as well as the swing-arm the distributes the load between both sides. I took apart both sets of brakes and got to work. each side came off fairly easy which was a relief. I removed all of the rusted components and replaced them with a Dorman kit I got off of Amazon. Once everything was replaced, I adjusted the shoes to apply the correct pressure on the wheel. With the help of some kroil, I was able to free up the bolt and bushings. I wire-wheeled the bolt until it was clean and added some grease to the bushings. I reinstalled the bolt and everything worked like a charm!
All said and done, it took about an hour and a half to finish this job.
Here are a few before and after pictures from the installation!
The swing-arm
All said and done, it took about an hour and a half to finish this job.
Here are a few before and after pictures from the installation!
The swing-arm
JerkyDrewster
Member
Today, I just wanted to make it look a little better. I painted the roof rack rails and crossbars with satin black. I didn't take any before pictures of the rack, but it was pretty weathered and beat up. The new paint definitely gives it a nice face lift and I am happy with the result of it! I also put some non-slip tape on the rock sliders to prevent myself and others from slipping off of them when it is wet or icy.
I also got a small electric fan for the transmission cooler. The plan is to increase the flow of air to it since I don't think it gets enough from the mechanical fan when I'm offroading. I don't know how well it is going to fit yet once the winch is in place, so I am going to wait to install it until after that goes in.
Some pictures:
I also got a small electric fan for the transmission cooler. The plan is to increase the flow of air to it since I don't think it gets enough from the mechanical fan when I'm offroading. I don't know how well it is going to fit yet once the winch is in place, so I am going to wait to install it until after that goes in.
Some pictures:
