Octanejunkie's 4runner Journal - 2WD

[theesotericone]

You guys are getting me hungry. Fond memories of my Mt. Whitney climbs, 15+ years ago...

The secret to climbing Whitney is to be down to the Portal before 7PM. That's when the grill at the Portal Store closes. It's the best tasting burger you will ever have. There's something grand about eating a fat burger after getting off of Whitney. Plus Doug, the owner, is a virtual Whitney area climbing trivia machine.

 

[octanejunkie]

Burgers are out, sliders are in

First coat of paint done, install waiting on my next day off

 

[theesotericone]

Burgers are out, sliders are in

Are you welding those?

 

[Dezert4Runner]

Unless those holes are for rosette welds, my guess is bolt on.

 

[theesotericone]

Unless those holes are for rosette welds, my guess is bolt on.

Yeah. My question was kinda of a hint, hint, nudge, nudge. lol

 

[Dezert4Runner]

Yeah. My question was kinda of a hint, hint, nudge, nudge. lol

I think he’s making all his mods removable for when he’s ready to transfer them to a 4WD :behindsofa:


















J/k [MENTION=95183]octanejunkie[/MENTION] :lol:

 

[octanejunkie]

Are you welding those?

Unless those holes are for rosette welds, my guess is bolt on.

The mount plates came from XO Fab with those holes

 

[Scramble]

I will go out on a limb to say my truck is way more capable in 2WD than a 4WD with open diffs, in some circumstances because I have true 2 wheel drive lol

:flipoff:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSDTPPM9qsc

 

[octanejunkie]

:flipoff:

[MENTION=7105]Scramble[/MENTION]

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

 

[octanejunkie]

Leaking rear axle

Nothing new here, but after wheeling it hard a few times my driver side rear axle started leaking

I ordered an OEM bearing from Amazon, but they missed the delivery and I was all set to do the work so I went to O'Reilly and bought an aftermarket MasterPro axle seal for $7. To be honest, after comparing the two seals, I prefer the aftermarket; it's stronger in construction and has two sealing lips (but only one spring) so one lip is like a wiper and the other is the true seal. We will see how it holds up until I replace my rear axle bearings.

I replaced my brake shoes in the process, then sat there for 20 mins cranking my handbrake to adjust it properly.

One thing I noticed was the little pin poking through the ebrake lever adjusting arm, look at around 10:00 in the pic below. Driver side had the pin poking through the hole in the lever, passenger side did not. I found the arm to fit and function better with the pin reversed, pointing inboard, than outboard through the hole... I'm sure it was made with the pin and hole for a reason...

 

[BrianSD_42]

We will see how it holds up until I replace my rear axle bearings.

Should hold up fine for awhile. Definitely expect to do it again at some point since you didn't replace the bearings.

 

[octanejunkie]

Rear diff breather mod done @267,950

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[TonyB66]

Rear diff breather mod done @267,950

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Thanks for reminding me! I purchased this too, and it's on my "list"....

 

[octanejunkie]

Thanks for reminding me! I purchased this too, and it's on my "list"....

The hardest part was removing the shield and push-clips in the wheel well

 

[TonyB66]

The hardest part was removing the shield and push-clips in the wheel well

Did you consider other locations? I know this is the "standard" location, but curious what else you might have pondered...

 

[octanejunkie]

Did you consider other locations? I know this is the "standard" location, but curious what else you might have pondered...

I thought about where I might want gear oil fumes and it was easy to choose that location, but if water crossings are not a concern anywhere under the vehicle, like above the gas tank, would work as it's higher than on the axle itself.

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[phattyduck]

Did you consider other locations? I know this is the "standard" location, but curious what else you might have pondered...

I left mine about 6" short of the gas filler neck, but it is otherwise routed pretty much the same. If the water is up at mid-door level, I have other problems...

-Charlie

 

[habanero]

First I put it behind the filler gasket instead of poking through but it was getting mucked up there so I finally put it through the gasket as yours is and no more dirted up breather.

Nice clean undersides.

 

[phattyduck]

Nice clean undersides.

Mall crawlers unite! :banana:

-Charlie

 

[TonyB66]

I left mine about 6" short of the gas filler neck, but it is otherwise routed pretty much the same. If the water is up at mid-door level, I have other problems...

-Charlie

Yup, lol, that's my thinking too. Sounds like a little less work involved the way you did it. I'll scope that out at some point...

A slight change of topic, but while under Runner yesterday tightening-up control arms in the rear, I wondered, has anyone here shortened the exhaust to one cat then a small muffler like a Borla right after it, with the output pointing immediately downward? When not moving, maybe that might make for fumes inside?

If so, that would leave a huge open space right across from the fuel tank, a size space that looks to be identical to what houses our fuel tank... If so, one more fuel tank there would seem plausible.

Sorry Mike, just a spontaneous thought...