Stretch's 87 4Runner - Easy E
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Went over the whole rig and hit all the major bolts to make sure everything is snug. Just need to check my knuckle studs and I'm ready to load up for next weekend's trip to Harlan. Got some LED rock lights on the way as a last minute addition. We like to night ride so I figured it would be a smart move.
Picked up a stick of tube from a buddy nearby and am going to start the rest of the cage work once I get back from Harlan, provided I don't break a bunch of stuff. I'll have a my spare third, a rear shaft and drive flanges in case I break a hub, but I am taking the dirtbike as a backup plan. :rockon:
Picked up a stick of tube from a buddy nearby and am going to start the rest of the cage work once I get back from Harlan, provided I don't break a bunch of stuff. I'll have a my spare third, a rear shaft and drive flanges in case I break a hub, but I am taking the dirtbike as a backup plan. :rockon:
Back from Harlan and will update with pictures soon. Awesome trip despite me ending the day on Friday by breaking a Nitro 30 spline chromo front shaft. Rig performed flawlessly and went right up just about anything I pointed it at. Railbed, Fish Fossil, Killin Time, Middle Rock Garden, Crawfords Cry, Lower Rock Garden and it was going right up Lower Damnation til the shaft let go. I had run that trail many times in the past so I'm sure it would have just kept on truckin.
I have some work to do before it goes back out but overall I am happy with how it works. Some personal tweaks and I think it should do fine.
I have some work to do before it goes back out but overall I am happy with how it works. Some personal tweaks and I think it should do fine.
I was too. I wasn't even really beating on it when it let go and I didn't even hear it. One of our guys walked down and told me that the left front wasn't pulling. On the winch out I could barely steer. Same symptoms last time I broke a shaft. I'll get it pulled apart this week. These same shafts were the ones I originally put in my Xtra Cab when it was still on Toy axles so they are maybe 5 years old. I'll warranty them since I bought them from ECGS and theyre minutes from my office and apartment.
Pictures and video is still trickling in of our group. I'll get them uploaded to my Photobucket and post the link.
Chain bolted to the end of the axle, roll a 38" tire and wheel across the yard and pop...axle comes out.
Carnage
Link to our trip photos and videos that have come in so far:
Harlan, KY March 2015 Trip Photos
Carnage
Link to our trip photos and videos that have come in so far:
Harlan, KY March 2015 Trip Photos
Finally put this old turd back together. ECGS Hooked it up on warrantying the shaft for me with the quickness. Been spending a ton of time on the dirtbike and started racing hare scrambles so this thing kind of took a backseat. After sitting for 2.5 months it fired right up with some fresh fuel.
- Installed the new Nitro shaft and some FJ80 drive flanges that came with the rig.
- Finally got the broken bolt out of the caliper that was holding me up. I was being too cheap to just go buy a new caliper.
- Fixed the crack in the gas tank and am working on a new skid plate.
I have a laundry list of want to do's but nothing that needs to happen immediately. No trips planned any time soon with hare scramble season here so I'll just tinker when I'm not messing with the bike.
- Re hang the exhaust from the tcase crossmember back and a new muffler.
- Need to do a front main and oil pump seal it looks like still, going to do some more troubleshooting first.
- Front winch plate and bumper of some sort
- Finish the tube work in the bed area and run some door bars and a dash bar
- A buddy of mine has some harnesses that he took out of his buggy so I'll put one in the passenger seat and then get a nice new padded set from Crow for me with the ratcheting shoulder straps.
- Get some tunes going in this thing. Probably a set of wakeboard speakers and a 2 channel amp to plug my phone into.
- Installed the new Nitro shaft and some FJ80 drive flanges that came with the rig.
- Finally got the broken bolt out of the caliper that was holding me up. I was being too cheap to just go buy a new caliper.
- Fixed the crack in the gas tank and am working on a new skid plate.
I have a laundry list of want to do's but nothing that needs to happen immediately. No trips planned any time soon with hare scramble season here so I'll just tinker when I'm not messing with the bike.
- Re hang the exhaust from the tcase crossmember back and a new muffler.
- Need to do a front main and oil pump seal it looks like still, going to do some more troubleshooting first.
- Front winch plate and bumper of some sort
- Finish the tube work in the bed area and run some door bars and a dash bar
- A buddy of mine has some harnesses that he took out of his buggy so I'll put one in the passenger seat and then get a nice new padded set from Crow for me with the ratcheting shoulder straps.
- Get some tunes going in this thing. Probably a set of wakeboard speakers and a 2 channel amp to plug my phone into.
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Bringing this back from the dead.
Changed jobs, moved, got busy, raced dirtbikes and just haven't had time to work on this thing.
Got it moved to my buddy's shop in Granite Falls and started working on it last weekend to get it ready for fall wheelin' season. Have trips planned to Dixie Run at GMP in two weeks, the Rock Corps open ride at their new property The S.H.O.P over Halloween weekend and then RBD in Alabama in November.
Going back tomorrow and maybe Sunday to burn in the rest of the winch plate, gusset the sh&%t out of it and then wire it all in. After that I've just got to nut and bolt the truck and check fluids.
Some 17" Soft8 wheels are on the way from Summit. The 38" TSL's and beadlocks are going to a buddy of mine in Durham for his CJ project and I'm swapping out to a used set of 40" Goodyear MTR stickies. They're well worn but some time with the grooving iron should give me a little more life out of them.
After Dixie Run I'll be installing the fuel cell. Bicknell racing sells blank cells without everything cut into them so I am going to get one of those, a filler neck and then cut a hole in the top to accommodate the stock sending unit and pump. Should work better than having to deal with wiring in an E2000 pump or any other inline aftermarket pump.
Changed jobs, moved, got busy, raced dirtbikes and just haven't had time to work on this thing.
Got it moved to my buddy's shop in Granite Falls and started working on it last weekend to get it ready for fall wheelin' season. Have trips planned to Dixie Run at GMP in two weeks, the Rock Corps open ride at their new property The S.H.O.P over Halloween weekend and then RBD in Alabama in November.
Going back tomorrow and maybe Sunday to burn in the rest of the winch plate, gusset the sh&%t out of it and then wire it all in. After that I've just got to nut and bolt the truck and check fluids.
Some 17" Soft8 wheels are on the way from Summit. The 38" TSL's and beadlocks are going to a buddy of mine in Durham for his CJ project and I'm swapping out to a used set of 40" Goodyear MTR stickies. They're well worn but some time with the grooving iron should give me a little more life out of them.
After Dixie Run I'll be installing the fuel cell. Bicknell racing sells blank cells without everything cut into them so I am going to get one of those, a filler neck and then cut a hole in the top to accommodate the stock sending unit and pump. Should work better than having to deal with wiring in an E2000 pump or any other inline aftermarket pump.
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Minus the wheel/tire swap if I have time, it's ready for Dixie Run. Hit the shop early yesterday and cranked out a lot of work.
Finished up the winch mount and gusseted the bottom and sides with 1/4" plate. I kept as much clearance as possible without sacrificing strength. A switch to a hawse fair lead will help too once I change out for synthetic line.
I had one more 6pod LED work light left over from when I did the rock lights. Some hose clamps and a few minutes of staring at the front of the rig and I found a home for it. It's hooked into the headlight circuit so it comes on with the Hellas.
Painted up the back tube.
While I was wiring in the winch, Justin got the rear diff armor welded on...then autographed it with his initials and a dick. Haha. What are friends for.
The final thing to address was the sloppy steering. I know the FJ ends are shot. But I could see the whole steering box moving. Found two cracks in the frame in front of the box at the spring hanger so I welded those up then hit all the mounting bolts and then the rest of the rig with the impact.
Out in the barn waiting for next weekend's trip.
Finished up the winch mount and gusseted the bottom and sides with 1/4" plate. I kept as much clearance as possible without sacrificing strength. A switch to a hawse fair lead will help too once I change out for synthetic line.
I had one more 6pod LED work light left over from when I did the rock lights. Some hose clamps and a few minutes of staring at the front of the rig and I found a home for it. It's hooked into the headlight circuit so it comes on with the Hellas.
Painted up the back tube.
While I was wiring in the winch, Justin got the rear diff armor welded on...then autographed it with his initials and a dick. Haha. What are friends for.
The final thing to address was the sloppy steering. I know the FJ ends are shot. But I could see the whole steering box moving. Found two cracks in the frame in front of the box at the spring hanger so I welded those up then hit all the mounting bolts and then the rest of the rig with the impact.
Out in the barn waiting for next weekend's trip.
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Yeah man. We have wheeled together and built rigs together for years. He bought it from our buddy who built it back when it was in CRAWL years ago. The "Blue Ridge Cruiser" Issue IIRC.
Its a pretty awesome rig. Kind of big and dumb but it makes up for it in sheer ability to beat on it. 6.0Vortec/TH350/203-205 Doubler and the Rockwells are stuffed with the big Ouverson shafts. And the entire frame doubles as an air tank.
Wheels should be here today and once my Cummins is back from getting an alternator, I'll go get these mounted up. Won't have time to go put them on the rig until we leave for Dixie Run
BigRyan1986
New member
Nice rig man Im super jelly. Ill be there someday. And seeing is how im from Tacoma WA (also been refered to as Tacompton) I love the eazy-e sticker
Thanks! I'm gonna have to find another one soon as this one is getting pretty rough. lol
These are sticky 40's so I am really pushing the limits of these Toy axles. They were just a good deal and my buddy in Steele Creek had them sitting in his barn from when he went to 42 Sticky MTR's on his buggy.
My logic was either a new 38 TSL SX or 39 Irok and have to wail on it sometimes or run a sticky and hopefully not have to beat the rig as hard. Either way I run the risk of breaking so I chose the cheater tires.
If I start to have regular issues of ring gears or shafts, I'll step down to a 37" Red Label Krawler. 37-38" Tire is just about perfect on a toy axled rig with our wheelbase. I just always noticed ground clearance issues because my 38" TSL's when aired down only measured about 35".
Got all 4 mounted up on the wheels last night. Its actually pretty darn easy with two tire spoons and some soapy water once you figure it out. Just ignore the fact that I happened to take a picture of the one tire that has the most rounded off side lugs.
ound: 
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