StormRunner Build & Adventure Thread

[jdtaylor42]

***As She Currently Sits***

Upgrades:
Toytec Ultimate Lift
Light Racing Upper Control Arms
Goodyear Duratracs 285/70R17
SpiderTrax 1.25" Wheel Spacers
Eezi-Awn K9 2.2M Roof Rack
StormRunner Designs Custom Rock Sliders
Powder-Coated Trail Edition Wheels
RCI Aluminum Skid Plates
TRD Pro Grill
TREDPro Traction Boards
Ellis Precision Shift Knobs
StormRunner Designs Custom Drawer System
TRAIL Badges (Shapeways)
Odyssey Group 31 Battery
PelfreyBilt Battery Cage
Blue Sea 12-Circuit Auxiliary Fuse Block
PelfreyBilt Fuse Panel
ARB 50Q Fridge

Modifications:
Painted Bumper Valences
Grand General 77650 Grill Lights
Interior LED Light Conversion
Differential Breather Re-Locate
Fog Light Independent Control
Sharkfin Antenna Delete
Dipped Fender Flares
National Park Headliner Patch Collection

***Now back to your regularly scheduled broadcast***

A little backstory; have always been into building vehicles, both street and off-road, and I usually get a new project every few years and sell the old one.

As far as old stuff I have restored a 1969 Camaro and a 1969 Nova; new stuff I have built up a 2003 VW Passat Wagon W8; and off-road I have built up a 2001 Dodge Dakota, a 2005 Jeep KJ, and a 2003 Wrangler TJ.

Most recently it was the TJ which I loved but it was time to move to something new. That brings us to my newest project, a 2015 4Runner Trail Edition!

This is her right after picking up from the dealership:



I have always loved the black and white look which I had on both my Nova and my Passat W8 so I decided to go that way again. This truck will be a mix of a 4Runner and a Stormtrooper.

Right away I wanted to get rid of all the silver so I used plasti-dip to do the bumpers, emblems and roof rack.



I knew I wanted to lift it immediately so I started doing my research and decided on a Toytec lift. After talking to a tech at Toytec, I decided on the Ultimate kit over the BOSS kit. I also got some spider-trax spacers



After the lift install I got some Duratrac's in 285/70R17. Lot's of rubbing so I adjusted my LR UCA's and pulled the front fenders forward.



I actually really like the stock Trail wheels so today I plan to plasti-dip them black. In the future I would love to get some rock sliders and a GOBI rack but that will have to wait a while as I have dropped a lot into this truck right off the bat. Now it's time to go play!

 

[jdtaylor42]

I wanted to test the Crawl Control and Locker so I headed out to have a little fun on some local Flagstaff trails

 

[Diesel_Dog]

She looks mean! What did toytec say to convince you on the ultimate vs the boss?

 

[jdtaylor42]

She looks mean! What did toytec say to convince you on the ultimate vs the boss?

Thanks! They just said that the Ultimate kit will have a little better street manners. The BOSS kit is a little more rigid for off-road durability. They are both built very strong though so I highly doubt I will be breaking anything with the Ultimate kit.

 

[Mistaken]

Looks great! And looks like you've had some fun with it!

 

[PissAnt]

Very nice 4Runner! I have been debating to get a new 4Runner over Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited as the overall build quality is superior in the Yota. I am also from Arizona and was curious to what all trails you have run in the Yota. It would help me create a stand point on whether or not it will be able do as I need.

Planned mods would be lift kit, tires (hopefully 33s), and lockers front and rear.

 

[jdtaylor42]

Very nice 4Runner! I have been debating to get a new 4Runner over Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited as the overall build quality is superior in the Yota. I am also from Arizona and was curious to what all trails you have run in the Yota. It would help me create a stand point on whether or not it will be able do as I need.

Planned mods would be lift kit, tires (hopefully 33s), and lockers front and rear.

You know I had a TJ rather than a JK but after wheeling a bit I can say that the 4Runner (the Trail at least) can go everywhere the TJ could and probably more and it is MUCH more comfortable. The Wranglers are very utilitarian inside so not the most comfortable.

I think the only thing I will really miss from the Wrangler is the flex of a solid front axle but I was willing to trade that for the vastly improved on-road comfort of IFS. After off-roading in Flagstaff and Sedona I have to say I am VERY impressed with the capability of the 4Runner.

 

[phx4rnr]

nice, where are those trails specifically? I want to drive up to flag once my lift and wheels/tires get installed within the next 2 weeks.

 

[Doberdad]

I like the trails wheels also, how did the Duratracs compare to stock on pavement a far as noise and ride?

 

[PissAnt]

You know I had a TJ rather than a JK but after wheeling a bit I can say that the 4Runner (the Trail at least) can go everywhere the TJ could and probably more and it is MUCH more comfortable. The Wranglers are very utilitarian inside so not the most comfortable.

I think the only thing I will really miss from the Wrangler is the flex of a solid front axle but I was willing to trade that for the vastly improved on-road comfort of IFS. After off-roading in Flagstaff and Sedona I have to say I am VERY impressed with the capability of the 4Runner.

Right now I have a 2005 TJ Unlimited Rubicon with 4.5" lift which is able to go literally anywhere I can point the darn thing. Now the road manners leave some to be desired, specially for long distance. If I keep this Jeep I will be upgrading to coil overs front and rear with custom 3 link front and double triangulated rear on 5" stretch with off road sway bars. Right now my build budget whether it be a Jeep or 4Runner is about $12,000.

Do you know how much travel the 4Runner has front and rear? I could do with 10" as a good base with upgrades, definitely not as much as a Jeep but non the less very respectable.

Have you ran Crown King or any trails in Florence Junction?

The wife is voting for a 2016 Tundra TRD Pro as tow vehicle and mild trail runs.

 

[jdtaylor42]

nice, where are those trails specifically? I want to drive up to flag once my lift and wheels/tires get installed within the next 2 weeks.

The trails pictured are actually kind of spread out a bit. That day I rode a trail over A-1 Mountain which is just of the west edge of Flagstaff. Starts off I-40 and then comes out at Hwy-180 just northwest of Flagstaff.

I also rode a trail that starts halfway up SnowBowl road and comes out on Shultz Creek Pass road. It used to be VERY rough and a lot of fun but looks like the Forest Service has been in there with their dozers trying to improve the road so not nearly as much fun.

Lastly I hopped on TransWestern's Pipeline road which they do not maintain so it can get gnarly in spots and is very steep. That was probably the most fun to ride.

I like the trails wheels also, how did the Duratracs compare to stock on pavement a far as noise and ride?

I have had quite a few different AT and Mud tires over the years and IMO the Duratracs are the best tires on the market by a wide margin. They are very aggressive but still way more quiet than mud tires. They grab very well off-road and also handle snow excellently which is important in Flagstaff. I will always run Duratracs moving forward.

Right now I have a 2005 TJ Unlimited Rubicon with 4.5" lift which is able to go literally anywhere I can point the darn thing. Now the road manners leave some to be desired, specially for long distance. If I keep this Jeep I will be upgrading to coil overs front and rear with custom 3 link front and double triangulated rear on 5" stretch with off road sway bars. Right now my build budget whether it be a Jeep or 4Runner is about $12,000.

Do you know how much travel the 4Runner has front and rear? I could do with 10" as a good base with upgrades, definitely not as much as a Jeep but non the less very respectable.

Have you ran Crown King or any trails in Florence Junction?

The wife is voting for a 2016 Tundra TRD Pro as tow vehicle and mild trail runs.

You know I don't know the travel numbers with this setup but I was pretty darn impressed with it given the IFS. I have not ridden anything south of Sedona yet. The TJ was not much fun to drive on the interstate so I stuck to mostly local trails. Now that I have the 4R I plan to extend my adventures further.

 

[jdtaylor42]

Headed out to do some mountain biking. Unfortunately I ended up blowing out my rear tire so I called it quits for the evening a little earlier than I hoped.

This weekend I headed to Albuquerque to see some friends and I decided to wheel a bit. Why is it so hard to show steepness in photo's? Parked on this berm I could hardly lift my drivers door open to get out and snap a photo!

Oh I also finished up plasti-dipping the wheels black. I think the Trail wheels look more rugged without the center caps so left them off and painted the rear hubs black.

I am really hoping to find some TRD wheels though. I really, really like the look of those wheels. What are people selling those for when they do come up for sale? Is it worth it to just order them new or can you occasionally find a good deal on a set?

 

[jdtaylor42]

So today I headed out with my buddy who owns Adventure Driven and is a professional photographer. We had a blast wheeling around Flagstaff and he got some awesome shots. MUCH better than I could ever take.

And here is me trying to take some shots with my Nikon D7100

 

[Unner]

Truck looks great, your buddy takes great pictures too! I get jealous seeing all the pictures from members out west, we just don't have trails or scenery like that on this side of the country.

 

[Gilbert C]

Headed out to do some mountain biking. Unfortunately I ended up blowing out my rear tire so I called it quits for the evening a little earlier than I hoped.

This weekend we headed to Albuquerque to see some friends and I decided to wheel a bit. Why is it so hard to show steepness in photo's? Parked on this berm I could hardly lift my drivers door open to get out and snap a photo!

Oh I also finished up plasti-dipping the wheels black. I think the Trail wheels look more rugged without the center caps so left them off and painted the rear hubs black.

I am really hoping to find some TRD wheels though. I really, really like the look of those wheels. What are people selling those for when they do come up for sale? Is it worth it to just order them new or can you occasionally find a good deal on a set?

definitely looks more rugged with the caps off. all that territory to open her up in, thats gotta rock. seriously jealous, shes a beaut!

 

[jdtaylor42]

So after quite a bit of research I decided on the Eezi-Awn K9 2.2M Flat Roof Rack. I think it looks great, can hold a ton of weight, has a competitive price, and most importantly from the time I ordered to me having it in my garage was like five days. Fantastic and looking forward to loading it up for my trip to Death Valley.

Got to head out for a bit more off-roading this weekend. Here are a few shots I took while out:

 

[kingofZroad]

Nice pics!!!

 

[ST1FLER]

Nice Rack

 

[Veet Skeet]

Beautiful truck! You're making me regret not getting super white instead of my MGM...

Loving the pictures too! Super awesome quality. The trail edition wheels powder coated black without the center caps and with bigger tires definitely makes a huge difference and makes it look more rugged.

 

[jdtaylor42]

Nice pics!!!

Thanks!

Nice Rack

Thanks I bench 275

Beautiful truck! You're making me regret not getting super white instead of my MGM...

Loving the pictures too! Super awesome quality. The trail edition wheels powder coated black without the center caps and with bigger tires definitely makes a huge difference and makes it look more rugged.

Thanks! I was actually bouncing between white and MGM but decided on white. I think they both look great.

I actually really like the Trail wheels black but I think when we buy a new Tacoma for my wife I might through these wheels on it and buy some TRD wheels for the Runner. I like them both