Oct 16, 2009
CLU 5 yr Homecoming
It is Claires 5 year Anniversary for Cal Lu! Most of the family is coming into town. It is also Cates 30th Anniv and Rachels 10th! What a family legacy we have! Unfortunatley we only had about 15 people show up for my class reunion but I saw many other classmates at the football game. It was great family time and fun to see old college friends.
Oct 8, 2009
The 4Runner
Posted by Tyler: (Claire doesn't want any part of this)
I figure the 4Runner and I are both getting up there in age, there won't be many more years before I have to load a car seat into my beloved off road vehicle. So, while the time is still there, and the bank account is calculating diaper purchases, it was time to make the 4Runner what it has always strived to be...ready for anything.
I had a set of Rock Sliders added to the 4Runner about 2 years ago. These are 2"x2" square tubes that were welded onto the frame under the doors. These are in place in case you slowly drive over a rock (or other obstacle) that is taller than the space between the ground and the bottom of the doors. If you don't have rock sliders, and you miscalculate the height of something, you can cause MAJOR damage to the rocker panels (the small area under the doors). The rock sliders were just there so I could go a few more places...and I have used them on more than one occasion.
Over the last two months, I continued with the "trail armor" by custom fabricating front and rear bumpers...with the help of my buddy Jared. We started with the front bumper, removed it, and then started fabricating! We started with a 20' stick of square tube, a 20' stick of round tube, and a sheet of metal....the bumpers in the photo are what we created.
The back bumper followed immediatly, including a new swing out spare tire carrier. I also had to make some more room for larger tires, so I added a 3" Daystar lift kit to the 4Runner. This made just enough room for 33" mud terrain tires. Actually it didn't make enough room in the front, I had to add 1.25" Billet Aluminum wheel spacers so the new tires wouldn't rub the a-arms.
With all that fabrication, painting, grinding, welding and stressing done...the lift was installed and then the new tires where installed.
This is where we are now. A 4Runner to beat all 4Runners.....a MAN'S TRUCK! :)
BEFORE!
This is where it all starts...
Half way through the front.
The front done.
The back done.
Lifted and DONE!
I figure the 4Runner and I are both getting up there in age, there won't be many more years before I have to load a car seat into my beloved off road vehicle. So, while the time is still there, and the bank account is calculating diaper purchases, it was time to make the 4Runner what it has always strived to be...ready for anything.
I had a set of Rock Sliders added to the 4Runner about 2 years ago. These are 2"x2" square tubes that were welded onto the frame under the doors. These are in place in case you slowly drive over a rock (or other obstacle) that is taller than the space between the ground and the bottom of the doors. If you don't have rock sliders, and you miscalculate the height of something, you can cause MAJOR damage to the rocker panels (the small area under the doors). The rock sliders were just there so I could go a few more places...and I have used them on more than one occasion.
Over the last two months, I continued with the "trail armor" by custom fabricating front and rear bumpers...with the help of my buddy Jared. We started with the front bumper, removed it, and then started fabricating! We started with a 20' stick of square tube, a 20' stick of round tube, and a sheet of metal....the bumpers in the photo are what we created.
The back bumper followed immediatly, including a new swing out spare tire carrier. I also had to make some more room for larger tires, so I added a 3" Daystar lift kit to the 4Runner. This made just enough room for 33" mud terrain tires. Actually it didn't make enough room in the front, I had to add 1.25" Billet Aluminum wheel spacers so the new tires wouldn't rub the a-arms.
With all that fabrication, painting, grinding, welding and stressing done...the lift was installed and then the new tires where installed.
This is where we are now. A 4Runner to beat all 4Runners.....a MAN'S TRUCK! :)
BEFORE!
This is where it all starts...
Half way through the front.
The front done.
The back done.
Lifted and DONE!
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