The Tank ~ My Build

[ADK Explorer]

Engo 9000 S Winch on Pelfreybilt Hidden Winch Mount Install

The winch JUST clears the grill support. Everything works!

I have cut the holes in the valance and bumper cover for the fairlead but need to do some more trimming. It's raining for the next two days so should be able to finish up Tuesday.

A benefit of removing the solenoid pack bracket is being able to see the rope spooling on the drum through the grill. As far as accessing the clutch lever; I will just remove the shroud. It is not difficult to pop the pegs that hold it and I will probably only put in a few of them.

P.S. I did bend the AC line brackets back a bit and used zipties to hold the AC line up out of the way.

 

[ADK Explorer]

Engo 9000 S Winch on Pelfreybilt Hidden Winch Mount Install

I finished trimming the openings through the bumper cover and valence and bolted on the fairlead. Since a front license plate is required in New York I bought a Tuffy Flip-Up License Plate Holder. Seems to work well enough. I'll be damned if I'll pay $110 for one! I don't see the need for a hook or shackle mount since I use soft shackles. I cut a sock up as a cozy for the loop and tuck it into the winch plate opening. Im pretty happy with the way everything turned out.

 

[ADK Explorer]

Spring New Equipment Shakedown

Do you drive your 4Runner off road? Oh Yeah !

Took it into the hills to see how it handles with the added wieght, to test my TredPro strap setup and to break in the new skids. Fortunately (or unfortunately) I did not need to use my winch. This is a testament to the capability of the truck. Found plenty of mud and vernal pools but the Tank just rolled on through it all.

I do find the Multi-Terrain Select to be useful and functional. During the winter when driving through snow in 4 high I will select the Mud Sand mode and I find it really does tighten up handling. Today in 4 Low when driving through the lower muddy areas the Mud Sand mode did keep the truck from sliding around as much and when climbing into the dryer areas I selected Loose Rock mode and found it definitely improved traction over the boulders.

 

[ADK Explorer]

The 4Runner also provides tree removal service. You'll have to forgive the finger in the image, lol, on my old tablet the lens was in the center. I bet you can tell where it is located on my new one.

 

[ADK Explorer]

It was a fun day driving through the mud and over the rocks. I'm very happy with how the additions are working out. I did not dare push deeper into many of these trails before adding the armor and self recovery tools. Now I can explore with confidence knowing I have options for getting myself out of the deep shit I often get myself into. lol. The truck continues to impress me. It truly is a Tank! I'm so looking forward to the experiencing the places I'll be able to go with it.

 

[WasaTRDPro]

Sweet rig! I like that you do stuff yourself ��

 

[ADK Explorer]

Sweet rig! I like that you do stuff yourself ��

Thanks. I like the sense of accomplishment that comes from doing things myself and also learning about the workings of the truck so that if something breaks on the trail I'll have a better idea of how to fix it.

 

[ADK Explorer]

Post Off Road Inspection

I crawl under the truck after rough off roading to check for any possible damage. It is also an opportunity to look for rust. Overall there is no critical damage to anything but I did discover my elocker breather line running up to the engine bay had contacted the catalytic converter and melted in two. Considering there was still 9 foot of line attached to it I will assume it was still able to equalize pressure.

There were also a lot of leaves and muck on top of the skids, most of which I was able to pull out but I had to drop the front skid to get the worst. When reaching onto the trans skid I felt something soft and slimey. WTF?! Turns out it was a glob of tadpole eggs. Poor little squirmies were scooped up by the mother ship and transported to an alien world. I don't think they are going to make it.

 

[ADK Explorer]

Transfer Case Oil Seepage ?

I also noticed a thin coating of oil on the transfer case plug shown below. It is very light. There is no dripping or staining on the driveway. I spray the underside copiously with fluid film but that turns tacky and gets covered with grime. Maybe it is fluid film mixed with the water I went through. I'm not sure. Any ideas? I will post this in a separate thread to hopefully get some input.

It could also be spatter from the new grease I put in the U Joint and Slip Yoke ?!

 

[WasaTRDPro]

That is just an aluminum plug filling a hole that would be a speed sensor output when this transfer case is used in other models. As it is usually never removed or moved in anyway, it is un-likely that it is leaking. If it is, it just has an o-ring around the aluminum insert to seal it.

 

[ADK Explorer]

That is just an aluminum plug filling a hole that would be a speed sensor output when this transfer case is used in other models. As it is usually never removed or moved in anyway, it is un-likely that it is leaking. If it is, it just has an o-ring around the aluminum insert to seal it.

Thanks. Wasn't sure what the plug was. Considering all the grease spattered around it, it is probably that.

 

[ADK Explorer]

Keeping track of my weight. Mine and the trucks. Got it weighed the other day with full tank of gas. 5060 lbs. Don't know if I'd want to go much heavier.

RCI Rock Sliders ......................110 lbs
RCI Aluminum Integration Skid 10 lbs
RCI Transmission Skid ............. 30 lbs
RCI Transfer Case Skid ............ 30 lbs
C4 Fabrication Fuel Tank Skid . 65 lbs
Pelfrey Hidden Winch Mount ... 45 lbs
Engo 9000 S Winch .................. 55 lbs

Total Weight Mods .................. 345 lbs

 

[ADK Explorer]

Little Beaver Bastards

Drove 4.5 miles on a Jeep trail up a mountain to camp at a remote site only to find that .2 miles from the site little beaver bastards dropped a tree across the trail blocking me from getting there! Last time I was here the trail was flooded by their damn dam so I brought a shovel to dig a trench to drain it only to find this. You know, sometimes I think those furry varmints know more than we think. Little beaver bastards!

I gotta get a chainsaw.

 

[ADK Explorer]

And in trying to manuver the truck through the trees to see if I could winch the tree out of the way I got my first dent. Front passenger quarter panel. Brushed up against a tree backing up. I'll start a separate thread to see if anyone has any ideas on how easy or hard it will be to push or pull it out. I have a $500 deductible so doubt it would be worth an insurance claim. BTW I wasn't able to move the tree because it was still attached to the stump and my firewood saw wasn't up to the task.

 

[ADK Explorer]

DIY Window Screens

Made rear window screens. Got the idea from some folks on YouTube. Very easy. Bought fiberglass mesh and Gorilla Tape from Walmart and a couple of rolls of stick on magnet strips.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005HYDC68/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1&pldnSite=1

Cut the mesh to size and shape (definitely trial & error), tape edges with G tape folded over to reinforce, stick on lengths of magnets. I put books on the edges over night to make everything stick tight and not try to roll up.

For the plastic areas atop the hatch and along the door pillars I use painters tape to stick those edges down.

 

[WheelinGypsy]

Very cool!

 

[ADK Explorer]

Took out rear seats. (Four 14mm bolts) Threw in a cheap air mattress (75x39x8) Topped it with my expensive Neo Air XTherm Max backpacking mattress. (Five layers of heat reflective material for insulation.) Should be fairly comfortable. Going into the hills tonight to test it.

I gave up on tent camping years ago because laying on the ground, even with an expensive air mattress, was killing my back. I went backpacking one night and slept in the tent and woke up with my back in so much pain I packed up and hiked back out and thinking my camping days were over. I then watched a YouTube video of a guy winter camping and he was using an expedition hammock. That was when I discovered hammock camping and was able to continue backpacking and camping without any more back pain. I am hoping that this extra thick mattress combo will alleviate the back pain issue.

I always have my Warbonnet Outdoors Ridge Runner Expedition hammock with me and that is my preferred way of sleeping but being able to sleep in the back of the truck will come in handy during thunderstorms and bear stalkings.

 

[Cymon]

Made rear window screens. Got the idea from some folks on YouTube. Very easy. Bought fiberglass mesh and Gorilla Tape from Walmart and a couple of rolls of stick on magnet strips.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005HYDC68/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1&pldnSite=1

Cut the mesh to size and shape (definitely trial & error), tape edges with G tape folded over to reinforce, stick on lengths of magnets. I put books on the edges over night to make everything stick tight and not try to roll up.

For the plastic areas atop the hatch and along the door pillars I use painters tape to stick those edges down.

Very nice!


I made (I should say my Wife made) something similar with some Mosquito netting and roll magnets we found at Joann Fabrics and sewed into the edges. They work great!

 

[Vette Dad]

I enjoyed reading through your build thread. Thanks for sharing!

 

[ADK Explorer]

The mattress is comfortable. I had minimal back pain this morning. Having the rear windows open provided plenty of air circulation and allowed me to listen to the owls all night while keeping the skeeters out.

As a follow up to my dent repair, a local paintless dent repair guy quoted me $125 to fix it. I'll wait until after my trip to see if I can do it myself.