Steel City Racing: King of the Hammers 2019 Toyota 4Runner IFS 4600 Build Thread

[aha2988]

I commented on your facebook photo's but wanted to follow up here as well encase your flooded with notifcations on the FB page.



you may want to consider having this diff support bracket reinforced, has been a common failure point during extreme bouncing/high torque yields. More-so in 2003-2005 year models. They thickened up the bracket in 06 but if I were running 35's I'd really want this as stout as possible.

Loving all the progress picks! Can't wait till race day!

 

[Charles4x4]

Updated renderings with ALL of our sponsors finally included!

Side View:

Rear View:

Hood:

Roof (for Aerial shots):

Hope everyone likes it. It's pretty close to being 100% locked in at this point.

Thanks again to all of our amazing sponsors!

 

[Charles4x4]

I commented on your facebook photo's but wanted to follow up here as well encase your flooded with notifcations on the FB page.

View attachment 321724

you may want to consider having this diff support bracket reinforced, has been a common failure point during extreme bouncing/high torque yields. More-so in 2003-2005 year models. They thickened up the bracket in 06 but if I were running 35's I'd really want this as stout as possible.

Loving all the progress picks! Can't wait till race day!

Hey, thanks again for the tip. We saw your post and within a couple hours had already reinforced the brackets per your suggestion.

Done! Thanks for helping us identify and eliminate a potential weak link!

 

[Charles4x4]

Someone on another forum asked "So, What's Left". Well, after the handoff this weekend, we still need to:

RockSolidToys:
1) Mount the Atlas II including a "flexible" crossmember

2) Install the Rear RockSolidToys 4-Link Suspension, Currie RockJoc 60, Rear Icon Suspension, and Currie AntiRock Sway Bar:
A) All rear suspension brackets, links, joints, shocks, air bumps, and sway bar are all in hand.
B) Cycle suspension and take measurements for Icon Rear Coils. Install Icon Rear Coils and Brake Lines.
C) Cut rear fenders as needed. Install U-Joint Shields, ARB Air Compressor for Lockers (F/R), and PowerTank. Reinstall the 4x4Labs Skid Plates. Run final exhaust routing out both sides of the 4x4Labs Rear Bumper.

3) Take final Front & Rear Suspension Measurements for High Angle Driveline Driveshafts. Install driveshafts later upon receipt.

RockSolidToys and Otwell Welding & Fabrication:
4) Remove the sunroof and replace with sheet metal. Remove all glass (windshield, doors, lift gate).

5) Build the cage! This is A Top Priority given it may be really time consuming and it ties together so many parts of the build. Otwell has a 3-page overview that Wyatt and I put together to make sure we don't miss something.

6) Once the cage is done, we'll re-mount the PRP Seats, PRP Harnesses, Navigation (iPad Pro 10.5 w/ Leadnav), Jaz Fuel Cell, Rugged Radios Air Pumper, mount the 35" STT Pro Spare in the Cargo Area, install Fire Extinguishers (3 in car), and possibly re-mount the Odyssey Extreme Battery in the Cargo Rear.

7) Add Fuel Cell Firewall behind the passenger seat, re-route Fuel Supply and Return lines, add Fuel Filler Hose and Locking Cap (filled from outside lift-gate - in hand today), and Fuel Splash Guard.

Me and RockSolidToys:
8) Install PRP Safety Nets (2), Wire Warn Winches (2 for Front and Rear), Install new Aeromotive Jet Siphon and re-pack Alletch Baffles, Mount final STT Pro Spare Tires to KMC Beadlock Wheels (all in hand today).

ALL in Johnson Valley:
9) Testing & Shock Tuning, Revise as needed!

Me and the Race/Pit Team On Site and just Days Before KOH:
10) Get all the small stuff ready:
A) On-Vehicle Spare Parts & Tools (list posted a few weeks back)
B) Driver/Co-Driver Water/Food/First Aid/Trash Bags/Break-Down Triangles, Rugged Radios Intercom Stuff, Co-Driver Handheld, etc
C) Pits Spare Parts, Spare Tires, Fuel, Fire Extinguishers, Tools, Tarps
D) Safety Equipment (helmets, gloves, fire suits, head & neck restraints)
E) Install 4602 Number Plates (I haven't even thought through this one yet)
F) Pick up my Co-Driver, get our Pits setup with [MENTION=3485]rustynailsjustin[/MENTION] and our Collective Pit Crew, get the RV and Rental Car setup, Attend Drivers Meetings, have fun, etc.

Pass Tech. Qualify (if we need to?). Race!

Then fix stuff from 4600 and get ready for 4400. Race Again (hopefully)!

Find a way to get back home... I'm sure I missed a few small items, but this is pretty much it. Per Wyatt, the Cage is definitely the most time consuming item left. 42-Days Left!

 

[Charles4x4]

I'm also proud to announce that we'll be running an Odyssey Extreme Battery in our 4602 Steel City Racing car.

The guys on my team who truly know batteries have said all along that the Odyssey Extreme Series is the best battery out there. Here's what we'll be using from Odyssey:

Odyssey Extreme 34R-PC1500T Battery:

Odyssey Hold-Down Kit:

Odyssey 12amp Battery Charger:

We're proud that Odyssey has agreed to partner with our team on this King of the Hammers build. Thanks again to all our sponsors!

 

[Charles4x4]

Small Update:
- We ran into a few more 1-2 day delays over the past 2-weeks, but pushed through all of them - not without a good dose of stress and a few team problem-solving calls.
- The team worked on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve, and plans to do some work tomorrow on New Years Day - they are Dedicated!
- Yes, we are now even tighter on the timeline, but our team is 100% confident we'll get everything done.
- The pressure is now on for both Robert Otwell and Wyatt Scott, who both fortunately seem to enjoy that position and are excited to be the "Closers" on this project!
- We also made a change on the rear axle that we'll discuss later on.

New Timeline:
- Right now we're targeting having all fab work completed by 1/25
- We'll then spend that next weekend (1/26-1/27) doing the final small stuff
- We'll plan to do some on-site testing the week of 1/28 (Otwell's shop is 30-mins from the lakebed). Note that our Icon Front Coilovers and Rear Shocks all have CDCV equipped for quick external tunability of the shocks.
- If testing all goes well, we'll get the wrap done later that week (takes 3-days).
- We aim to be on the lakebed by 2/2 or 2/3 if at all possible!

I hope to be allowed to post more pics soon!

 

[Charles4x4]

It's a privilege to have a legend, Marlin himself, dropping off our 4Runner at Otwell Welding and Fabrication. Here is Marlin with Robert Otwell in the Lucerne Valley.

A huge thanks to Big Mike and Marlin himself at Marlin Crawler and to Wyatt at RockSolidToys for partnering with us on this adventure and for introducing us to Robert Otwell who is leading the charge on our Cage build!

We have some HUGE 2" DOM is going into the 4Runner as we speak! I also heard that Robert and Wyatt had a blast kicking out the windshield this morning!

Also, we had a few more sponsors join the build (Welcome!), so a new side rendering with revised logos is warranted. Hopefully this is the final version that we'll use for the wrap!

Given our timeline, our #1 priority is simply getting the work done right. Snagging in-process build pics is far down the list, so please continue to be patient with us and I'll try my best to post anything the team has time to send.

 

[Charles4x4]

Proud to have two of the best closers in the business - Wyatt with RockSolidToys and Robert with Otwell Welding and Fabrication - closing out the fabrication part of our build over the next few weeks.

Robert and Wyatt, thanks for being a huge part of our SteelCityRacing team!

 

[Charles4x4]

So far I've been 100% focused on making sure the team and I have everything we need to complete the build and get us to the starting line. As of today, the only logistical item I have left is how we get the 4Runner back home to AL once the race is done.

We have no idea what condition it'll be in after we race 4600 AND hopefully 4400. And I'm also a bit torn about even bringing it back to AL since I'd love to run the Mint 400 and Baja 1000 in it this year, if by some miracle those opportunities present themselves...!

For now, if YOU know of anyone racing KOH 2019 from the Southeast who will have a trailer big enough to carry another vehicle, please PM me. I'd love to split gas/travel costs with someone and lock in a way to get it home.

Once we get somewhere within the Southeastern US, I have family with a trailer that can help me get it the last leg of the journey. Someone racing from GA/TN/MS would be ideal as our house is only 10-mins from I-20.

The rig is idle today - the day of rest! Otwell felt great about his progress on the cage when he finally stopped late last night. We'll have more to share early next week.

 

[Charles4x4]

Quick Update: We're busy building our cage. A, B, and D pillars are now set and we've mostly locked in our seat placement.

Once Otwell gives me the green light that he likes how it's all coming together, I'll begin posting some pics. Right now the only pics I have are rough ones where we were debating placement options. He's working on the Dash/Windshield bars now. The cargo area will come later and is going to be "complex" with the spare tire, spare parts, fuel cell, fuel cell firewall, filler hose setup, etc.

Wyatt and his team are back in the Lucerne Valley at Otwell's shop later this week working on the Atlas II and getting everything ready for the Rear Suspension. I hinted at this earlier, but we decided to make a change on the rear axle. We're now going with a Dynatrac ProRock 60 - Dynatrac has been really great to work with on this build and Wyatt has developed a great relationship with them. The PR60 will be completed and at Otwell's shop early to mid next week so we can finalize the rear 4-link.

I'll feel much better when final welding on the cage, small stuff (including Wrap/Exhaust/Etc), and testing is all we have left! Right now there's still a lot of work to do!

While I'm in AL, my 4600 Co-Driver and I have also been working on Pit Crew Logistics with our Crew Chief (shared with [MENTION=3485]rusty[/MENTION]NailsJustin). Brittain knows his stuff and I'm glad to have him double checking everything to make sure we don't have any last minute surprises.

Lastly, I worked with Roxy and our Tech Inspection is now set for one of the earliest spots - 8am on Monday. I grabbed this early slot so we can have plenty of time to fix anything Tech throws at us before 4600 on Wed. Given I've literally memorized the rule book at this point, we expect it to go smoothly.

 

[Offcamber]

I lost track of it in the thread, but what are you doing for the front suspension?

 

[Inv4drZm]

I lost track of it in the thread, but what are you doing for the front suspension?

:tape2::gossip:

Maybe something to do with this: BigMike's Big Journey: A 2016 Tacoma Build Thread - Page 28

 

[Rocky Runner]

Just came across your build and love what you guys are doing. I am on the media team out at Hammers and would love to meet up with you guys. I reached out through Instagram. Good luck with the build and Ill see you guys out on the course!

 

[Charles4x4]

Just came across your build and love what you guys are doing. I am on the media team out at Hammers and would love to meet up with you guys. I reached out through Instagram. Good luck with the build and Ill see you guys out on the course!

Thanks, I'll PM you. I tried to find your post on IG, but no luck. Looking forward to meeting you on the lakebed!

 

[Offcamber]

:tape2::gossip:

Maybe something to do with this: BigMike's Big Journey: A 2016 Tacoma Build Thread - Page 28

IFS portal boxes! I knew it!!!!

 

[Inv4drZm]

IFS portal boxes! I knew it!!!!

I was guessing something else, but we'll see.

You don't really need portals on IFS lots of center clearance already so I'd be surprised if it was.

 

[Offcamber]

I was guessing something else, but we'll see.

You don't really need portals on IFS lots of center clearance already so I'd be surprised if it was.

I was kidding. I figured with less than a month to go there might be additional details emerging. As much as I like "people and parts" pics, I'd really like to read (or see) more about how the rig is being built to race at KOH. I'll try to remain patient, though. I certainly don't want to turn this into another Pirate thread! LOL

 

[Charles4x4]

I was kidding. I figured with less than a month to go there might be additional details emerging. As much as I like "people and parts" pics, I'd really like to read (or see) more about how the rig is being built to race at KOH. I'll try to remain patient, though. I certainly don't want to turn this into another Pirate thread! LOL

I certainly appreciate this response. In reality, the last truly technical post from me was 5-6 weeks ago. However, the work on the truck has been constant since then (with all it's ups and downs ). Patience is key - for all of us.

I promise, you'll know much more soon! And I also can't wait to show and describe Current State pics soon!

 

[Charles4x4]

I first want to get everyone caught up on some recent sponsors:

1) I'm excited to announce that we're partnering with PowerTank for our Onboard Air System at King of the Hammers. We'll be running their 10lb Comp Package setup with Extra HD Clamps to attach the system to our 2" Roll Cage. With our PowerTank system and plugs, we hope to avoid changing tires wherever possible!

2) I believe I touched on this earlier in the thread, but we're partnering with Bubba Rope on our Full Synthetic Recovery Gear. Our team will be carrying a Bubba Rope 7/8” x 30’ Power Stretch Recovery Rope, Gator-Jaw Pro Synthetic Shackles, and their Black Opp 3” x 20’ Nylon Tow Strap. With Bubba Rope, combined with our Warn winches, we’re now running the best recovery products in the industry.

Bubba Rope Products are High Strength, Low Weight, and Ultra Safe!

3) We also got in our 4602 Vinyl Race Numbers. Given the specs in the Ultra4 Rules (7" Tall, Black, Arial Narrow), I got a local shop to make 4 sets for me. We'll cut out 4 "Shark Fin" number plates from Lexan or sheet metal and paint them Light Blue background. We'll then simpy apply these on top before the race:

I'm still working on one final sponsor that I hope comes through for us later this week!

On the fabrication front:
1) The cage is moving along really well. We got the windshield bar set yesterday and Otwell is working his magic again today!

2) The Dynatrac ProRock 60 should arrive early next week.

3) Wyatt is picking up our Custom Icon Vehicle Dynamics 2.5" Rear Shocks with Remote Reservoirs and CDCV and our Icon Rear Coils Later Today. Icon has been a true pleasure to work with - they are bending over backwards for this build! We hope to have these installed next week!

Special thanks again to PowerTank, Bubba Rope, Dynatrac, and Icon Vehicle Dynamics for partnering with us on our 2019 King of the Hammers build!

 

[Inv4drZm]

Will the Dynatrac axle be Toyota electronic compatible like the Currie? Retaining ABS, ATRAC, etc with the wheel speed sensors?