Sunpilot's 4Runner Official Build Thread

[SunPilot]

I had a hard time picking a winch. Looked at all the brands available. I don't expect to use it very much, I won't be doing any serious rock crawling, etc. so I feel that I will go with a less expensive winch. I did consider the Harbor Freight 12,000 pound unit, but I don't think it is waterproof and it seems the warranty is not the greatest, although the price is hard to beat. I also want a synthetic line, and the HF model didn't offer one that I could find. I ended up choosing the Smittybilt Gen 2 XRC Comp 9500 pound winch. I found it on sale for $359, I think it's a great price for a really decent winch with a solid warranty. I did consider the X20 Gen 2 Comp 10,000#, but for all that extra money over the XRC model ($190 more) I felt there wasn't enough value. The winch pulls are close, they both have a 6.6 hp motor, both are waterproof, although the X20 is slightly more waterproof, and both have the syn line. . I don't expect to spend hours with my winch submerged! The other feature of the more expensive X20 is the wireless remote. I don't really need it that badly. So, I will build my bumper around the XRC and call it a good!

 

[TheFauxFox]

The lift is on. The pics of the 4R in my driveway are after the lift installation. It will be more apparent when I get the new wheels and tires and finish the bumpers. Getting the winch on Monday, then the front bumper fabrication will start.

Damn I feel silly... Whoops Either way looks awesome and the wheels will definitely complete it :biggrin1:

 

[SunPilot]

Damn I feel silly... Whoops Either way looks awesome and the wheels will definitely complete it :biggrin1:

No problem, it's hard to tell unless you see before and after pics to compare. I didn't do a body lift, so the difference isn't that pronounced, but it is enough for my needs. I'll be doing mostly overland exploration on Jeep trails, back country dirt, gravel, etc. I don't know what is more fun...riding the truck, or building it! LOL

 

[SunPilot]

I've been traveling lately and the build has been on hold. Update:

I purchased a set of BFG KO2 tires today and a set of wheels to fit (had to take advantage of the Black Friday sales!). I should have the tires on by Monday. Can't wait to see what it looks like!

Also, my new welder has arrived, now I need to source some plate steel to fab the bumpers. I have the winch ready to go, so the next few weeks should see some nice changes.

 

[SunPilot]

Catching up a bit. I picked up my new wheels and tires today, and installed them.

Here is a comparison of the stock tires vs the new BFG's

The stock tires are 265/65R17, the BFG's are 285/70R17's They work out to about 33" tall tires

Here they are mounted... right side

And, the left side

I was worried they might stick out too far past the fender line, but I think they are just perfect

I used an 8.5" wheel with a -6mm offset, which gave me a 4.5" backspace... the original wheels were 5.4" backspace Here is a great wheel clearance link... Rim & Tire Size Calculator. Custom Offsets - Wheel-Size.com

 

[bdp1978]

Looks great with those tires!!!


Nice job so far on this!

 

[yotaguy674]

Nice!

Can I get those UCA's yet?! lol :banana:

 

[SunPilot]

Nice!

Can I get those UCA's yet?! lol :banana:

Sure, sorry, forgot all about them.

 

[SunPilot]

Starting the Front Bumper

I started making plans for my front bumper. I think I will fab a separate plate to hold the winch and keep the bumper a separate unit. That's because I may, at some point, need to remove the bumper for repair or alterations and I don't want to deal with the heavy load of the winch on top of the bumper weight. I just think it will make life easier down the road.
I bolted a couple brackets onto the front frame horns... these will place the winch at the proper height
20161129_120242 by sunpilot1, on Flickr
20161129_120256 by sunpilot1, on Flickr

Next, I placed a piece of angle and a board to simulate the plate that will hold the winch. The actual plate will probably be 1/4" steel, and the bumper will be 3/16". This gives me a nice platform to move the winch around and find a good location for it.
20161129_132129 by sunpilot1, on Flickr
20161129_132050 by sunpilot1, on Flickr

I centered the winch and moved it back toward the radiator as far as practical, leaving clearance for the lines behind it. I want a nice compact and close fitting bumper. I had to bend the lines behind the winch a little...I was very gentle, and they bent easily, leaving me plenty of room.
20161129_131942 by sunpilot1, on Flickr
20161129_132020 by sunpilot1, on Flickr
20161129_132031 by sunpilot1, on Flickr

I already clocked the clutch side of the winch and still need to clock the motor side so I can have better access to the cable hook-ups. I will be mounting the solenoid away from the winch, that will save space in the front and let me move the winch higher.
20161129_132050 by sunpilot1, on Flickr
After getting the winch in the proper place I made measurements on the board for reference. I also drew a nice sketch for use when I am cutting the plates. As you probably see, I had to alter the location a few times to get proper clearance, but I am satisfied now.
20161129_132116 by sunpilot1, on Flickr
20161129_132119 by sunpilot1, on Flickr

I think this will be a good location, nicely tucked in under the front of the hood line, high enough to give me a nice angle down to the skid plates, the bumper will extend under the hood, but I will have plenty of room to operate the winch control when the hood is raised.
20161129_133335 by sunpilot1, on Flickr
The fairlead will sit in this approximate location and be bolted to the bumper. You can see how much clearance I have between the winch and the bottom of the hood.
20161129_135306 by sunpilot1, on Flickr
Tomorrow I will work on the brackets that will hold the winch plate and the bumper. Now that I have the winch sitting where it will live I can mock the bumper around it out of foam poster board until I get my desired shape. I might be over planning, but I have time, and I believe in doing things once.

 

[SunPilot]

Front bumper brackets and winch plate

I finally got my shop organized and started making brackets for the front bumper...the original bumper mount brackets are too flimsy to hold under winching loads, so they need beefed up
20161215_122948 by sunpilot1, on Flickr

I am adding beefier brackets behind the original plate and my winch plate and bumper will then mount securely.
Here is the left inner bracket installed behind the factory plate
20161215_122938 by sunpilot1, on Flickr
20161215_122932 by sunpilot1, on Flickr
20161215_123830 by sunpilot1, on Flickr

The right side is the same...the bolts are there just to line up the holes until I fab the front plate that will carry the winch
These are made of 1/4" plate and bolted to the frame with 1/2" grade 8 bolts.
20161215_123814 by sunpilot1, on Flickr


Here's one of the brackets before installation

20161215_123009 by sunpilot1, on Flickr

Tomorrow I will start the outer brackets which will be carrying the bulk of the weight and the winch load.

 

[sportsbriefcase]

Very methodical build with good taste. Thanks for sharing.

 

[SunPilot]

My pleasure. I learn a lot on this forum, and feel I should give back when I can.

 

[SunPilot]

Timing Belt Parts

I received my timing belt repair parts. I know my belt was replaced about 65,000 miles ago, but since I am upgrading my 4Runner to an overland expedition vehicle, I figured I might as well do the timing belt and spark plugs at the same time. That way I know everything was done at the same mileage, and I will be able to explore for quite a while without too many maintenance worries.

I will install the belt and water pump, etc. right after I finish the winch mount next week and before I finish making the bumper. Since the front end is torn apart for the bumper build it will be a piece of cake to remove the radiator and do the belt installation with a lot of room to work. I'm debating an electric fan set-up for the cooling system. They have their good and bad points, so I will give it consideration.

Here are a few pics of the kit I bought...
20161222_112832 by sunpilot1, on Flickr
20161222_112815 by sunpilot1, on Flickr

 

[SunPilot]

Making and installing the front bumper outer brackets

I fabricated inner brackets and installed them on the 4R already. Their purpose is to beef up the flimsy bumper brackets that Toyota provides on the stock vehicles. I'm doing the brackets out of 1/4" plate and the winch mounting plate will also be 1/4" plate. After I finish the winch plate I will build the actual bumper from 3/16" plate.

Doing the outer brackets were time consuming because I had to figure a way to make a three point attachment for adequate strength. I drilled out the top nut, which is welded to the inside of the frame. I made the hole 1/2" to accept 1/2" bolts. I am using the lower hole and nut (which is already welded to the frame) also. The lower bolt is a M12 so it didn't need drilled out and enlarged. For the third bolt I was going to use the hole in the frame to the rear of the body mount, but it was way too large for a 1/2" bolt. I opted to shorten my bracket and drill a new hole the proper size.
Then I aligned the two bracket pieces while on the vehicle and held them in place with magnets so I could tack weld them. After they were tacked, I simply took them to my work bench and finished welding the brackets. They came out a perfect fit! After I got the bolts through the holes, I simply untwisted the tie wire and pulled it off the bolts and out of the frame.
20161220_121912 by sunpilot1, on Flickr
20161220_131248 by sunpilot1, on Flickr

Here are a few photos of the brackets I made...my welding is getting better, but still not pretty. I cut a few pieces apart to see how strong they were, and I am satisfied the welds are adequate, but as I said...not pretty!
20161222_112441 by sunpilot1, on Flickr
20161222_112452 by sunpilot1, on Flickr

Here are the brackets installed...
20161222_121913 by sunpilot1, on Flickr
20161222_132718 by sunpilot1, on Flickr

The dilemma then became, how do I get the bolt through the hole from inside the frame.
You can see the rear bolt behind the body mounts. This is my solution for getting those bolts through the frame. Using the brackets as a template, I drilled the holes. Then I used some construction tie wire twisted around the bolts as a way to fish them through the frame.
20161220_105640 by sunpilot1, on Flickr
20161220_105643 by sunpilot1, on Flickr
20161220_110218 by sunpilot1, on Flickr

I made sure the wire was long enough to reach the holes. I couldn't see inside the frame, so I needed some way to shine a light in there to help me fish the bolts through...I came up with this idea:
20161220_121859 by sunpilot1, on Flickr

I used an interior light bulb and wired it to the battery, then slid the bulb in the lower hole in the front of the frame...it lit up the whole inside of the frame allowing me to see what I was doing.
20161220_121904 by sunpilot1, on Flickr
20161220_121850 by sunpilot1, on Flickr
20161220_121826 by sunpilot1, on Flickr

With light to see by, the bolts were easily fished through the frame and out their holes. It took only a half minute to get the bolts in once I figured out how to do it! After the bolts were through the frame, I simply untwisted the tie-wire and pulled it off the bolts and out of the frame.
20161220_110232 by sunpilot1, on Flickr
I also had to put spacers between the brackets and the frame in two places because the frame is thicker in one spot, so I cut spacers from 1/8th steel that was lying around. It was thicker than using washers, just right!
20161220_121909 by sunpilot1, on Flickr

 

[SunPilot]

Next job... making the winch plate and bumper

Now that I have brackets that are adequate for carrying the bumper and winch loads I will make the winch mounting plate next. Then, after the winch is installed, I will fab the bumper around it, and hopefully I will get a nice streamlined look and the front ground clearance I desire.

 

[SunPilot]

Starting the winch mounting plate

Now that the frame/brackets have been beefed up it's time to make the tray that will carry the winch and act as an attachment point for the bumper. I elected to build the tray and bumper as separate units so I can remove the bumper without disturbing the winch. I felt that if the two were combined into one unit they would be too heavy to remove and work on if need be. Just a convenience for myself down the road.

Before I could proceed with the tray I had to relocate a couple lines that are in the way.
This photo shows that the lines would be too close to the winch... the mounting plate is in position here.
Tubing 1 by sunpilot1, on Flickr

I loosened the brackets holding the lines and loosened the trans cooler brackets and center bracket so I could bend the lines behind those units.
Tubing 2 by sunpilot1, on Flickr

20161224_113911 by sunpilot1, on Flickr

It wasn't hard getting clearance. I simply reversed the clamps holding the lines and that was enough to move the lines behind the center support and the trans cooler...they are safely out of the way.
Tubing relocate 1 by sunpilot1, on Flickr
Tubing Relocate 2 by sunpilot1, on Flickr
Tubing Relocate 3 by sunpilot1, on Flickr
Tubing Relocate 4 by sunpilot1, on Flickr
Tubing Relocate 5 by sunpilot1, on Flickr

The steel line was tough to bend, but it was manageable, and the a/c line (which is aluminum) was very easy to bend by hand. Just be gentle so you don't kink the line. After I did the bending and had the lines in position and supported by their clamps I started the truck and ran the a/c to make sure there were no leaks or problems. All is well! BTW, I did not need to disassemble any lines at all... once the trans cooler brackets and the center bracket were removed, the lines were easy to get into position.

 

[SunPilot]

Next job is fabing the winch tray. This tray is made out of 1/4" plate...that's what the winch instructions suggested.
Winch pshelf 1 by sunpilot1, on Flickr
Winch mount 1 by sunpilot1, on Flickr
Winch mount 2 by sunpilot1, on Flickr
Winch mount 3 by sunpilot1, on Flickr
Winch mount 4 by sunpilot1, on Flickr
Winch mount 5 by sunpilot1, on Flickr
Winch mount 6 by sunpilot1, on Flickr

Here's how the tray will look with the winch on it...the winch isn't bolted on yet...I still have to put tabs on that will secure the bumper.

Winch Shelf 2 by sunpilot1, on Flickr
Winch Shelf 3 by sunpilot1, on Flickr
Winch Shelf 4 by sunpilot1, on Flickr

I know there are a lot of pictures in this thread, but I am posting them in case anyone wants to try and build their own bumpers. I know it is faster to buy ready made bumpers, but I am not in a hurry, and for the cost of one bumper, I will build both the front and rear, and pay for the welder and drill press and other tools I bought, and save a bunch of money on top! Pretty good deal in my book.

 

[alia176]

Next job is fabing the winch tray. This tray is made out of 1/4" plate...that's what the winch instructions suggested.







Here's how the tray will look with the winch on it...the winch isn't bolted on yet...I still have to put tabs on that will secure the bumper.



I know there are a lot of pictures in this thread, but I am posting them in case anyone wants to try and build their own bumpers. I know it is faster to buy ready made bumpers, but I am not in a hurry, and for the cost of one bumper, I will build both the front and rear, and pay for the welder and drill press and other tools I bought, and save a bunch of money on top! Pretty good deal in my book.

Excellent work amigo! Ill be doing my own hidden winch mount so the timing is spot on and the pics will be invaluable. Thank you for documenting all the details. Did you use a tubing bender to bend the steel tubes?

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

 

[SunPilot]

Excellent work amigo! Ill be doing my own hidden winch mount so the timing is spot on and the pics will be invaluable. Thank you for documenting all the details. Did you use a tubing bender to bend the steel tubes?

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

I think you are referring to the small tube I moved. The answer is no. I didn't want to disconnect the tube from it's hoses. It only needed a small bend to get it out of the way and was done by hand. Hope that is what you are talking about.

 

[SunPilot]

Mocking up the front bumper

I finished welding the winch tray today, except for the front piece that the winch fairlead will bolt to. I bolted the winch tray to the truck so I can make a good template for fabing the bumper. The first thing I did was cut two small brackets out of aluminum and clamped them to the tray. They are assisting me in holding the fairlead in place. I can easily bend the tabs to get the proper angle I need to make the bumper look nice.
20161227_145406 by sunpilot1, on Flickr
20161227_145418 by sunpilot1, on Flickr

Once I get the bumper mocked up I will cut the pieces out of steel. I am using cheap foam board I got at WalMart for about $1.75 a sheet...pretty cheap and does a great job.
20161227_145424 by sunpilot1, on Flickr
20161227_145425 by sunpilot1, on Flickr

I am using a hot glue gun to secure the pieces...had to make them longer than the board, so I spliced them together. The top pieces will fit on the factory mounting tabs the original bumper hooked to...they will allow me to move the piece in and out. I need to make sure I leave enough room between the winch and the front bumper to fit an led light bar. The bar will be recessed into the bumper.
20161227_145444 by sunpilot1, on Flickr
The yellow piece I glued on the foam board is where the led light bar will sit.
20161227_145913 by sunpilot1, on Flickr

I need a little over 3" for the depth of the light bar, so I am going with a 4" space.
20161227_145923 by sunpilot1, on Flickr

here is a top view.
20161227_145929 by sunpilot1, on Flickr
20161227_150104 by sunpilot1, on Flickr

Next I will start cutting pieces to fill in the gaps and then use those pieces as templates to cut the steel. I have to order my light bar and a high lift jack before I do any steel cutting, just to verify I have enough clearances and good lift point designed into the bumper.
20161227_150113 by sunpilot1, on Flickr

The skid plates will come lastly...they will be easy to make after I know where everything else will end up.
20161227_150117 by sunpilot1, on Flickr