Road Bull's 2002 SR-5 timeline.

[derpiful]

Thanks brotha! SCS and Stubbs welding know what they are doing. That's for sure.

Yeah, I don't think the wheels were the issue at all. I think that someone at some point cranked the hell out of them and damaged a lot of the lug studs. I still dig that classic bullet hole design and your rig and [MENTION=107971]derpiful[/MENTION] 's rig steered me towards them when I was buying wheels the first go around.

Thanks Ryder. I really really like your new wheels though! I've been eyeing new wheels for a while but lack of funding is holding me back, haha.

 

[Road Bull]

Fun run in the Olympic National Forest with friends from 4Runners of Washin, 11/25/17

Had a BLAST today. I linked up at 0900 in Shelton, WA. with some cool guys I met through 4Runners of Washington FB group. We headed out and had fun exploring the Olympic National Forest. The weather was nice and chilly and rain was on the way. Here are some pics that a few of us took out on our adventure.

The recent changes to the rig worked out well. The front end was raised 1", the SPC Light Racing UCAs got set to the G setting, giving me PLENTY of room to clear the newish SCS 3.5" backspaced F5's, and rig did great. Hahaha... those F5's throw stuff everywhere. I don't care, it was made to get dirty.

 

[Road Bull]

Olympic National Forest Run, part 2.

Here are a few more pics.

 

[Road Bull]

Snow Run 12/23/2017. Plus, hit 222222 miles. Part one.

So I got together with another 4Runners of Washington group to go try to find some snow to play in. I had only done a limited amount of snow wheeling prior to this. It turned out to be a lot of fun.

I got to the meet location and had a little time to kill, so I went inside the Country Pride restaurant and had some pancakes, bacon and eggs waiting for others to show. In the meantime I got to watch birds have their breakfast at a bird feeder outside the window as the sun started to hint that it was going to be a glorious day.

The group initially consisted of three 4th gens, two 3rd gens, two 2nd gen Tacos, and... a Pinzgauer that looked totally bad ass. On our way to scout an open road into snowland, the Pinz blew a seal and was blowing a cloud of oil on the interstate and had to run back. That was too bad because I wanted to see it in action.

My little stuffed horse, Glue Stick, was my copilot for the day. My girl picked him up for me years ago and he has become a fixture on several of our adventures.

After a couple of unsuccessful attempts to find our in, we located a good route through Liberty, a small town consisting of a few buildings and about a handful of private residences. It was clear blue skies, bright sunshine and fairly fres h dry snow.

We stopped, took in the view from a clearing and aired down to continue our journey. The only other things on the mountain were snowmobiles. The snow itself was interesting. As near as I could tell, it was snow on top, then a layer of ice, then deeper snow. If you broke through, you lost momentum and had to chew your way out. Grooves in the path would grab your vehicle and take it for a ride.

 

[Road Bull]

Snow Run 12/23/2017. Part two.

We did pretty good getting up. The few times that someone hit some soft stuff and went off path, or broke through to deeper snow, they were able to free themselves by backing out or digging out under their own power.

We found a cool spot that overlooked the valley with a breathtaking views, and made a fire for cooking some hot dogs. It was about 12° at this point. We ended up staying there doing a but of sightseeing and shooting the shit till it got dark and we ran out of wood.

We decided that we would just try to punch through to Ellensburg Washington by going straight instead of turning around and going back the way we came. By the time we decided to leave it was around 8°. Hahaha...

It was interesting heading out because I was trying to find the right combination of speed and gearing that would work best 4 keeping up yet being able to power out of some of the deep stuff when I hit it. Mostly it was a mixture of 4hi and 4lo.

The most exciting part for me was it some point my wheels caught a Groove and threw me off the path a couple feet. At this point I was moving at a pretty decent clip for the snow to try to keep from breaking through the under ice. I came to a bit of a sinking stop as I realized there was a possibility if I just tried to correct through steering that I would continue straight into a big tree. I sunk fairly deep in the snow off the side of the path but was able to free Myself by going a few feet forward in a few feet back until I was able to clear the tree and get back on to the path. The only person who actually got stuck and had to use some traction pads to get out was the lead taco.

We all got off the side of the mountain safely and aired backup. I finally got to make use of my ARB twin air compressor. That thing rocks.

We broke up into our smaller groups and started heading for home pairing up a bit for most of the journey to make sure people got back home safely. Just as soon as the other 3rd gen and I broke off and made a turn onto another small side road, we both were reminded that the roads were super slick as we power slid rally style around the turn. The road was pretty much a solid sheet of ice till we got closer to the interstate. But we made it back without incident.

- The End

 

[Road Bull]

Snow Run 12/23/2017. Part three.

The rest of the snow pics.

As you can see... Santa still has not brought me a better camera...

I might be able to post some pics that were taken with a real camera if I copy them over from computerland.

 

[theesotericone]

Nice Ryder.

Looks like a fun trip. It's amazing you guys have snow and we don't this year. I spent all day wheeling at almost 9000'and didn't even see a patch of it. Not that I'm complaining. lol

 

[Road Bull]

Nice Ryder.

Looks like a fun trip. It's amazing you guys have snow and we don't this year. I spent all day wheeling at almost 9000'and didn't even see a patch of it. Not that I'm complaining. lol

Thanks man. It was pretty fun. I had not had a chance to get up in elevation for a while, so this was the first snow of the season for me. In fact, it just started snowing tonight even where I live, at most about 500 feet elevation. Might snow tomorrow too. You got to enjoy what you got, when you got it brother. I was thinking about your rear bumper when I was breaking through the ice. lol. Not sure that it would have really mattered, but that's part of the reason that I am not in a rush to build storage drawers / sleep platform. I mean, I don't snow wheel all the time, so it's not a primary concern. In fact, being behind a trail of vehicles might have created a situation where the ice underneath the grooves got broken ahead of me, and I was just pushing on through down to deeper snow by the time my rig hit it.

It was fun and a good snow driving experience. But I hear pure powder and or wet snow is a totally different animal.

 

[Road Bull]

Better pics from a real camera.

A few more pics from a different perspective, and other rigs. Mostly, clearer pics too. lol

 

[Unner]

Looks like a good time! I love the horse's name, Glue Stick...

 

[Road Bull]

Looks like a good time! I love the horse's name, Glue Stick...

Yeah, it was a blast. It was fin to get some snow wheeling in this season. I look forward to more of the same.

That little horse is like a traveling garden gnome. It's fun to throw him into pics. And the name, just kind of stuck.:drum:

 

[jstnmac787]

I like it

 

[BigFishAllDay]

Your recent trips look like a lot of fun, Ryder. You guys were treated to some amazing views out there. I wish I had a bigger group of active Toyota owners in my area. Only a few locals ever want to go out and run trails, so I'm almost always solo.

At first, I thought Glue Stick was the horse from Toy Story (bullseye?), so I had to look him up. He's definitely a different horse.

 

[Road Bull]

I like it

Thanks man.

Your recent trips look like a lot of fun, Ryder. You guys were treated to some amazing views out there. I wish I had a bigger group of active Toyota owners in my area. Only a few locals ever want to go out and run trails, so I'm almost always solo.

At first, I thought Glue Stick was the horse from Toy Story (bullseye?), so I had to look him up. He's definitely a different horse.

Thanks Nick! This is my third outing with the 4runners of Washington FB group. My first trip was over the summer. I have met some cool people and plan to try to keep it up and do what I can to keep getting out there. So, maybe that's ONE redeeming point for FB. Do you have anything like that out in your neck of the woods?

I think going out with a group gives you a bit more confidence doing something like snow wheeling out of cell service range. Plus it can be fun running with a pack.

I plan on fitting in some more solo stuff when spring rolls around. A lot of the trails out here are pretty tame compared to some of the stuff you have out that way. I plan on getting a HAM set up too after I get certified. That will make me feel a bit more prepared to explore.

 

[BigFishAllDay]

There is a facebook group called Toyota Tacoma Enthusiasts (TTE) NM, but I have only seen one trip out of them in over a year, and it was a meager turnout. A lot of people around here just want their Toyotas to look the part.

My friend Tom and I used to put the big trips together, but some of our guys moved away and things have slowed down. It seems like CO, CA, and the NW have the best success putting together group trips.

I agree 100% about going out with a group, especially in the snow or on technical trails where you might break. I have gotten myself into trouble a couple of times when riding solo, but with the right equipment on board it has never been a big deal. My only advice would be don't get too focused on comms and relying on your ability to call for help (lots of failure scenarios there). If you start getting out on your own more often focus on recovery gear/skills, food, water, and shelter.

 

[theesotericone]

My only advice would be don't get too focused on comms and relying on your ability to call for help (lots of failure scenarios there). If you start getting out on your own more often focus on recovery gear/skills, food, water, and shelter.

That is solid, solid advice.

I wheel alone all the time on hard trails. I have the recovery gear and skills to use them. I have tools to fix things that break. Most importantly, I have what I call a go bag. When the shit hits the fan I can grab it and go, on foot. It a backpack that contains lightweight warm clothing, a small bivi sack, my 20 degree down bag, a lighter and enough Pro-bars to live off for a few days.

I don't care if the engine blows on me solo 30 miles in. I know I can make the hike out. Way to many people have died from exposure waiting for help to arrive. Be prepared. I've never actually needed to use my go bag but I know it's there if I ever need it.

 

[MattJakobs]

Adventures look fun! I’m crossing my fingers for snow. We haven’t had anything yet and I really want to get some snow wheeling in.

Those wheels keep looking better and better too. Makes me really want a set.

Glue Stick makes me think of this bobble head we have of my best friends dad, Bald-O. It looks just like my friends dad, but in bobble head form. So far, it’s been to 5 countries with us and plenty more with just their family. Glad to see we aren’t the only ones with “toys” anymore.

 

[BigFishAllDay]

That is solid, solid advice.

I wheel alone all the time on hard trails. I have the recovery gear and skills to use them. I have tools to fix things that break. Most importantly, I have what I call a go bag. When the shit hits the fan I can grab it and go, on foot. It a backpack that contains lightweight warm clothing, a small bivi sack, my 20 degree down bag, a lighter and enough Pro-bars to live off for a few days.

I don't care if the engine blows on me solo 30 miles in. I know I can make the hike out. Way to many people have died from exposure waiting for help to arrive. Be prepared. I've never actually needed to use my go bag but I know it's there if I ever need it.

That is also a solid expansion of the advice I was giving. I treat solo wheeling like going into the backcountry on foot. You have to rely only upon your own knowledge, skills, and equipment to get you out safely.

Adventures look fun! I’m crossing my fingers for snow. We haven’t had anything yet and I really want to get some snow wheeling in.

Those wheels keep looking better and better too. Makes me really want a set.

Glue Stick makes me think of this bobble head we have of my best friends dad, Bald-O. It looks just like my friends dad, but in bobble head form. So far, it’s been to 5 countries with us and plenty more with just their family. Glad to see we aren’t the only ones with “toys” anymore.

My wife keeps a little plastic toy soldier stuck to her steering column... to "protect" her 4Runner.

 

[Road Bull]

There is a facebook group called Toyota Tacoma Enthusiasts (TTE) NM, but I have only seen one trip out of them in over a year, and it was a meager turnout. A lot of people around here just want their Toyotas to look the part.

My friend Tom and I used to put the big trips together, but some of our guys moved away and things have slowed down. It seems like CO, CA, and the NW have the best success putting together group trips.

I agree 100% about going out with a group, especially in the snow or on technical trails where you might break. I have gotten myself into trouble a couple of times when riding solo, but with the right equipment on board it has never been a big deal. My only advice would be don't get too focused on comms and relying on your ability to call for help (lots of failure scenarios there). If you start getting out on your own more often focus on recovery gear/skills, food, water, and shelter.

Yeah, I agree. Equipment can fail, or you could have an accident, or any number of scenarios where even the best comms won't save your bacon. If possible, I would prefer to go with at least one or two other vehicles. Of course, it is important to take weather conditions into account. A bad scenario can get serious pretty quickly. I have been upping my recovery equipment and been fleshing my options out as funds allow.

That is solid, solid advice.

I wheel alone all the time on hard trails. I have the recovery gear and skills to use them. I have tools to fix things that break. Most importantly, I have what I call a go bag. When the shit hits the fan I can grab it and go, on foot. It a backpack that contains lightweight warm clothing, a small bivi sack, my 20 degree down bag, a lighter and enough Pro-bars to live off for a few days.

I don't care if the engine blows on me solo 30 miles in. I know I can make the hike out. Way to many people have died from exposure waiting for help to arrive. Be prepared. I've never actually needed to use my go bag but I know it's there if I ever need it.

Try to cover my bases when heading out. I am usually bringing extra food and water, my 0* sleeping bag, fire extinguisher, basic med kit, tools, recovery gear. But I could always improve what I have. I want to pick up one of those lithium self jump battery packs to throw in the back just in case.

Adventures look fun! I’m crossing my fingers for snow. We haven’t had anything yet and I really want to get some snow wheeling in.

Those wheels keep looking better and better too. Makes me really want a set.

Glue Stick makes me think of this bobble head we have of my best friends dad, Bald-O. It looks just like my friends dad, but in bobble head form. So far, it’s been to 5 countries with us and plenty more with just their family. Glad to see we aren’t the only ones with “toys” anymore.

It has been a weird weather year so far. I figure, at this point, anything is possible. Thanks for the compliment on the wheels. I dig em. If I was getting tires at the same time, I might have gone with 17". This opens up a few tire selections that are only available in 17". I don't need to now, but maybe one day I will change over. Yeah, Glue Stick is just a funny little guy. Those spaghetti rear legs and a Hershey Kiss shaped body make him a perfect mascot for photo bombing good pics.

That is also a solid expansion of the advice I was giving. I treat solo wheeling like going into the backcountry on foot. You have to rely only upon your own knowledge, skills, and equipment to get you out safely.

My wife keeps a little plastic toy soldier stuck to her steering column... to "protect" her 4Runner.

You really have to expect and respect the unexpected while trying to minimize risk as much as possible. And after reading about a couple local Toyotas getting stolen, more protection, toy soldier or otherwise, is always welcome.

 

[theesotericone]

want to pick up one of those lithium self jump battery packs to throw in the back just in case.

I've had this for just under a year now. I've never needed to jump the runner with it but it's nice to have on camping trips. I have jumped my van more then a few times with it and it worked perfectly each time.

https://www.amazon.com/14000mAh-Portable-Emergency-Flashlight-Protected/dp/B072BLJF49/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1514739120&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=Beatit%2B600A%2BPeak%2B14000mAh%2B12-Volt%2BPortable%2BCar%2BJump%2Bstarter%2BBooster%2BBattery%2BCharger%2BPower%2BPack%2BVehicle%2BEmergency%2BKit%2C%2BCompass%2B%26%2BBuilt-in%2BLED%2BFlashligh&th=1