The Smokey Build

[Rockdawg84]

Thanks for the insight. Such a sweet build.

You used to live in Foco!? Yup Kelly Flats is still open and I go up there at least once every year with a couple other guys on here it's a fun one.

If you ever find yourself headed up this way again I'd love to wheel with ya!

yep in the mid 90's I lived off of Harmony and Lemay and loved living there. Wheeled weekly and played a lot of Disc Golf at the CSU course. I still have family in Denver and hope to get the family out there to do some wheeling next year. I would love to wheel with you.

 

[BrandonF]

Brandon,

I followed the trails less traveled method of clearancing just like you did. Remove the coilover, tire back on, jack up, find where it rubs and then pound away, but then I also took a small crescent wrench and folded the lip of the finder back up and in and creased it with a block of wood and hammer. It took time but with some work it came out. now I did have to remove the interior kick panels and trim them because I moved the finderwell back so far. LOL In the rear I did the same thing, except I had to trim the lower rear corner of the finderwell. In the rear I am running SS 1.5" drop bracket. When I'm crossed up really hard I do get a little rubbing in the rear but I haven't taken the time to do a little more clearancing.

Thanks for the info. Do you know where your rear bump stops are at relative to stock? I was going to space mine down with some pieces of 2.5x2.5" tubing and then add additional 1/4" or 1/2" plates if necessary.

 

[Rockdawg84]

Thanks for the info. Do you know where your rear bump stops are at relative to stock? I was going to space mine down with some pieces of 2.5x2.5" tubing and then add additional 1/4" or 1/2" plates if necessary.

Brandon, Sorry I missed this and it has been so long. the SS rear bumps are about 3 inches. FYI I am about to take them back out as I am going to be reworking the rear shock mounts to get better up travel and so the lowered bumps have to go. :sadwave: HaHa.


On another note I am getting closer to having the rear full float ready to go on.

Painted and ready.

 

[jkeith.w]

Brandon, Sorry I missed this and it has been so long. the SS rear bumps are about 3 inches. FYI I am about to take them back out as I am going to be reworking the rear shock mounts to get better up travel and so the lowered bumps have to go.

Are you going to outboard them? (cause if so, I'd like to chat with you before you do).



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[Rockdawg84]

Are you going to outboard them? (cause if so, I'd like to chat with you before you do).



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I've already outboarded them but got lazy and didn't mount the upper mount correctly. I mounted it to low and so now I will cut them off and remove the springs so that I can set my upper mount where it really should be. I would love to talk to you and hear what you have in mind. :thumb:

 

[Rockdawg84]

So almost exactly 1 year ago I got my FRORF rear Full Float conversion. I finally had time this week on new years eve day to install it. LOL It is such a sweet set up.

I picked up a set of '06 rear 4Runner rotors to replace my Montero rotors since they are vented and will work with the mustang calipers but as I got them together I decided to go back to the Montero rotors. The Depth of the hat on the 4runner rotor is shallower and was going to make the spacing harder to deal with. So back to the store they go.

Because I am using Mustang Calipers instead of the front Calipers that the adapter was designed for I was forced to cut the mounting ears off of the adapter plates. Then the assembly began and it went really smooth until I slid the new axle shafts into the spindles, they just kept going and finally ended up inside the spindle. Unfortunately the shafts I was sent were the wrong ones. they are at least an inch to short. Of course no one was working on new years eve day so yesterday I called and sent pics to Front Range Off Road Fab and they are going to be looking into getting me the right shafts. Unfortunately it is going to take about a week to get it sorted out. I have to say that the guys at Front Range offroad Fab have been great and are taking good care of me. So here are the pics :lookout:

 

[Rockdawg84]

Even though Smokey is still on Jack stands as I wait for my rear axles from Moser, my birthday was yesterday and my wife surprised me with a great present. It has been on my list of mods but was way down on the list but I am super excited about it.



The insert is coming. She didn't know about that part. LOL.

 

[Rockdawg84]

So it's only been over a month and a half but I finally finished my rear full float conversion. Got done after everybody was in bed so I will have to bleed the brakes tomorrow. It rolls so true I can not wait to drive this again.

 

[Rockdawg84]

About a week ago I got a call from my cousin asking if I would be interested in buying his 2000 4Runner. It doesn't drive because it needs a clutch and has a lot of miles but he said that if I wanted it he wold sell it to me for $500.00. So I jumped on it. Drove the 1.5hrs with the trailer and picked it up. I was stoked to have another 3rd gen with a 5speed and 4x4. I got there and it turns out that it is a 2000, Desert Dune, SR5, 3.4, 5speed, 4x4, with E-Locker. I couldn't believe it. He has simply used it as a work truck for the last 5 years and it shows the need for some TLC.






It was unexpected and fun development. It has given me a lot to think about. My 84 crawler has been out of commission for almost 5 years. And Smokey is now set up with dual cases, front and rear lockers and so I've been thinking that I may part out my crawler and make the new 2000 my daily driver and use smokey as my dedicated crawler. With that in mind tonight I test fitted my 39.5 pittbull Rockers on the rear of Smokey.





I flexed it with the floor jack as high as it would go and got the axle within about 3 inches of the bumpstop and it looks like with a little cutting I could be on the bumpstops and not have a problem.



So with a little work and a SAS Smokey may one day become the new Rockdawg. :doh:

 

[Rockdawg84]

She's back on the road with all the same tires. LOL



I gotta say I love seeing that hub stick out of the back.:cheer2:



On a side note I began this whole mess because I had a bent rear axle flange and the Truck would hula going down the road. It is now better but not gone. Apparently driving on a bent rear axle for a year will do wonders on the rear control arm bushing. So I could replace them with some whiteline or energy suspension bushings but they would eventually die as well with the amount of wheeling I do. So a quick call to Front Range offroad fab and I have some heavy duty upper and lower control arms with 1.25" heims at each end. Not cheap but only about a $125 more than I could build them myself. So that was a no brainer. Will post up pics when they are in.

 

[Rockdawg84]

Here they are!! These things are pure Beef!!:dancin: Thank you [MENTION=125440]FrontRangeOffRoad[/MENTION] this is a great product.



So of course I had to get them painted up and ready to go in.



All Reassembled and ready to go in. Tomorrow

 

[Co4Fun]

Even though Smokey is still on Jack stands as I wait for my rear axles from Moser, my birthday was yesterday and my wife surprised me with a great present. It has been on my list of mods but was way down on the list but I am super excited about it.



The insert is coming. She didn't know about that part. LOL.

Learning a lot from your build. So was this off another of the same color or aftermarket that you painted?

 

[Rockdawg84]

Learning a lot from your build. So was this off another of the same color or aftermarket that you painted?

Glad your learning and enjoying. Aftermarket and painted. It helps to have a friend who owns a paint shop. I have all the inserts and will paint them soon. The whole truck it going to get a fresh coat soon.

 

[KidVermicious]

Here they are!! These things are pure Beef!!:dancin: Thank you [MENTION=125440]FrontRangeOffRoad[/MENTION] this is a great product.



So of course I had to get them painted up and ready to go in.



All Reassembled and ready to go in. Tomorrow

I'm KidV and I approve of these links. Pure beefcake.

 

[Tucson4runner]

Glad your learning and enjoying. Aftermarket and painted. It helps to have a friend who owns a paint shop. I have all the inserts and will paint them soon. The whole truck it going to get a fresh coat soon.

Hey Sam does your guy also do body work? Found a bumper to cover the front of the runner finally but I need the fenders pulled out a bit

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[Rockdawg84]

Hey Sam does your guy also do body work? Found a bumper to cover the front of the runner finally but I need the fenders pulled out a bit

His family owns Maaco here in town so I don't know if they do any custom work but I'm sure that there might be someone there who could do that for you.

 

[Rockdawg84]

Got them installed and Love them!!!!! The rear of the Runner is so much more solid and drives great.

 

[Rockdawg84]

Stupid Photobucket!

 

[jkeith.w]

I picked up a set of '06 rear 4Runner rotors to replace my Montero rotors since they are vented and will work with the mustang calipers but as I got them together I decided to go back to the Montero rotors. The Depth of the hat on the 4runner rotor is shallower and was going to make the spacing harder to deal with. . .

Because I am using Mustang Calipers instead of the front Calipers that the adapter was designed for I was forced to cut the mounting ears off of the adapter plates

Can you elaborate on the spacing issue? Is the hat short enough on the 4Runner rotor to move the caliper back onto the adapter plate (or close enough to make an adapter plate with the correct ears for the Mustang caliper?

 

[Rockdawg84]

Can you elaborate on the spacing issue? Is the hat short enough on the 4Runner rotor to move the caliper back onto the adapter plate (or close enough to make an adapter plate with the correct ears for the Mustang caliper?

When I said that it was hitting the adapter plate I was referring to the adapter from FROR for the Full Float rear setup and it didn't matter which rotor I was using it was going to hit the ears on the adapter. The Adapter is designed to use a front solid axle caliper and disk which is not a hat but bolted to the hub. But both the Montaro and the 4th gen disks are hats and sit much deeper over the hub.

Now, all that said I could have made a new mounting plate to work with the 4th gen rotor and I may at some point do that but I was just done dealing with the rear setup and so I left my original caliper mount and stayed with the Montaro hats.

And now I need to pull it all back apart because I have a rear axle seal (pressed into the FF adapter) is leaking. But hey it made it almost a year. LOL. I still love the FF rear though!