My 2004 4Runner

[SinCity4r]

2004 Toyota 4Runner Limited V8 4wd

http://www.kurtandnichole.com/gallery2/d/7206-2/IMG_1385.JPG

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a111/05sport4x4/Red%20Rock%202006/RedRock-20060029.jpg

Offroad/Suspension

Shrockworks Winch Bumper
4x4Labs Rear Bumper
Warn M8000 Winch
Winchline.com Synthetic Line
Piaa 520 SMR Driving Lights
Hanna Quality Sliders
Donahoe Front Coilovers
2wd Front Sway Bar
Custom Rear Coils (16.25", 280lbs)
Donahoe Rear Shocks
Kurt-Fab Lower Links
Slee SS Brakelines
285/70/17 Goodyear MTRs
17x9 American Racing Mojave Teflons
Custom HDPE Skidplate
CBI Tire Carrier


Outfitting

Dual Battery
Autohome Maggiolina Rooftop Tent
Engel 45 Fridge
Custom Cargo Drawer
Source 10lb CO2
Dension Ipod connect
Cobra 75wx-st CB

[SinCity4r]

http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/9890-2/DSC_8468.jpg

http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/9893-2/DSC_8471.jpg

http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/9895-2/DSC_8474.jpg

http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/9897-2/DSC_8475.jpg

http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/9899-2/DSC_8477.jpg

[Scott Brady]

Awesome machine Joel. We need to see you on a trail event, so we can check it out!

[Mlachica]

What's up Joel?

This is one clean 4Runner! I wish I could have seen it in action.

Your runner has been an inspiration. I'm trying to get my brother to buy one and I've been using your site as persuasion.

[SinCity4r]

Thanks for the props guys.

Hey, Mark, thanks for that shot of Cazadores!

[SinCity4r]

http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/25054-1/DSC_4385.jpg

http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/25058-1/DSC_4386.jpg

http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/25061-1/DSC_4387.jpg

[SinCity4r]

http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/25064-1/DSC_4390.jpg

http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/25067-1/DSC_4393.jpg

http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/25070-1/DSC_4394.jpg

[Motorvated]

Looks awsome man! The one thing IDE do..is paint behind the bars on the rera bumper. Where it shows through to the stock silver sheet metal. Ide paint that black. I think it would look awsome

Amazing truck though!

[SinCity4r]

Thanks!

Ya, I'm planning on painting the exposed areas when/if I take the bumper off.

[taco chaser]

use some duraback or herculiner.

[Mlachica]

Wow, Luke's got the sickest bumper....I want one.

[p1michaud]

Very nice bumper!

[ckkone]

Very nice!

[DenCo40]

Coolest bumper ever!!! maybe Santa will bring me one!

Uh...Whats up with that tailpipe?

[SinCity4r]

Coolest bumper ever!!! maybe Santa will bring me one!

Uh...Whats up with that tailpipe?

Thanks!

Stock it comes out the back. It cut it off before it got smashed closed.

[4Rescue]

Cool rig, I love the rear drawer. The Bumpers great too, and unique.

[SinCity4r]

It got even worse:
http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/25402-1/IMG_0107.jpg

Nice fit on the spindle gusset:
http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/25407-1/IMG_0108.jpg

Just hangin in there:
http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/25410-1/IMG_0110.jpg

[SinCity4r]

New stuff:
http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/25413-1/IMG_0111.jpg

Pressing in the bushings (that teflon grease is some sticky stuff!!)
http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/25416-1/IMG_0112.jpg

Cutting a perfectly good cv in half:
http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/25419-1/IMG_0113.jpg

[SinCity4r]

Damnit! Doesn't fit!
http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/25422-1/IMG_0115.jpg

Stopping point last weekend:
http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/25425-1/IMG_0116.jpg

[SinCity4r]

More progress....

http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/25442-2/DSC_4418.jpg

http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/25438-1/DSC_4423.jpg

http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/25440-1/DSC_4430.jpg

[SinCity4r]

http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/25443-1/DSC_4432.jpg

http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/25445-1/DSC_4433.jpg

http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/25447-1/DSC_4434.jpg


The truck is at the body shop now. After I get it back I can get the bumper back on and start breaking it in!

[Photog]

Joel,
It is coming together nicely. Let us know how you dial in the suspension, when you get it back on the trail.

Cheers:beer:

[dennisuello]

How much track width do the TC arms add?

[SinCity4r]

3.5" each side, total of 7"

[Motorvated]

O...MY...GOD lol. sick runner:smiley_drive:

[Photog]

Dude, your BudBuilt is hanging out!:Wow1:
Is that the gas tank skid plate?
http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/25447-1/DSC_4434.jpg


You are now 7" wider than stock in the front. Are you going to use a set of Spider Trax spacers in the rear, to bring the front & rear track width closer to the same?

[SinCity4r]

Dude, your BudBuilt is hanging out!:Wow1:
Is that the gas tank skid plate?
http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/25447-1/DSC_4434.jpg


You are now 7" wider than stock in the front. Are you going to use a set of Spider Trax spacers in the rear, to bring the front & rear track width closer tothe same?

Yep, thats the gas tank skid. Very nice piece of metal.

Not planning on widening the rear at all. If I did, I'd rub the tires on the upper lip of the wheel well on flex/compression.

[Photog]

That was going to be my next question; "fender rubbing".

When I had a Baja Bug, I widened the front end 6". No more sway bar needed after that. In the sandy washes of Arizona, the rear end was always jumping back and forth, trying to ride in the track laid down by the front tires. On the pavement and hard-dirt roads, it was GREAT.

[Photog]

Most of the folks here don't know this; but that grill is not stock either. I want one that has the TOYOTA lettering, like a Land Cruiser.
http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/25443-1/DSC_4432.jpg

[kcowyo]

Mmmm.... the Satoshi grill mod.... Very popular with the 'Runner crowd. :bowdown:

I've been tempted to try that one myself sometime. The 4runner is looking great Joel. I was a fan when you added just the fridge and Maggiolina. Now I see you have big, big plans for it.

:lurk:

[DaveInDenver]

The 4runner is looking great Joel. I was a fan when you added just the fridge and Maggiolina. Now I see you have big, big plans for it.
That is a sweet 4Runner. In these build threads I think we need to have owners add what they do for a living so that I know what career path I need to follow to have that kind of time and money!

[SinCity4r]

Thanks for the compliments guys,

Dave, I'm a 50% owner of No-IP.com :wavey:

[Jacket]

Wow! That's the first LT setup I've seen on one of those new runners. Very sweet.

So how does the wheel travel front versus rear compare now? Maybe I need to go back and re-read your entire thread, but what's your goal with the truck? High speed desert travel, or just better front end flex for 'wheelin?

[p1michaud]

Wow, looks like you have come along nicely. I bet cutting perfectly good pieces in half is a bit like committing to putting a 3 1/4" hole in your fender!

Cool rig :safari-rig:

[tacollie]

That is to cool. Nice job.:drool:

[Overland Hadley]

Crazy cool truck.

Can't wait to see it painted and with a front bumper.

How is the handling with the track width differance?

[DaveInDenver]

Dave, I'm a 50% owner of No-IP.com :wavey:
Are you hiring? ;-)

[SinCity4r]

Wow! That's the first LT setup I've seen on one of those new runners. Very sweet.

So how does the wheel travel front versus rear compare now? Maybe I need to go back and re-read your entire thread, but what's your goal with the truck? High speed desert travel, or just better front end flex for 'wheelin?

The back still needs to be addressed. It currently only has 10 inch travel Donahoe shocks, but I'm going to do my best to gets some 12" Fox resi's back there.

The long travel kit should help on both high-speed desert travel as well as in the rocks. The stock front suspension setup doesn't allow for much travel. So my goals are both, better hi-speed desert and better flex for wheeling.

[SinCity4r]

How is the handling with the track width differance?

I haven't driven it much, and when I did drive it down to the body shop it was a bit gusty around here. I do notice the sway bar being gone, but the truck was still very controllable with the added track width.

[SinCity4r]

http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/25449-1/lt-finish-1.jpg

http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/25452-1/lt-finish-2.jpg

[kcowyo]

:clapsmile :clapsmile :clapsmile

[Mlachica]

Sexy...

[Overland Hadley]

Oh Yeah!

[SinCity4r]

Thanks guys! :sombrero:

[SinCity4r]

I wanted to match the handling of the front long travel kit I installed on the back, so I went to the best fab shop in town, Samco Fabrication, and this is what we came up with. First off, we removed the shocks, springs, and sway bar and found out what the stock links would travel. We found that 12" was the most we were going to get out of it without a total redesign. Next we got some 12" 3 tube bypass shocks from Fox and figured out where they'd fit. The solution was behind the axle. I did loose a chunk of clearance under the shock mounts, but they're stout and it's a fair trade for what I ended up with. Also added were variable rate coils that are 18.25 free length and some new upper links. All mounts were tig welded and made from chromoly.

Anyway, on to the pictures..

Upper Mount
http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/26155-1/IMG_0889.jpg

Lower Mount
http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/26157-1/IMG_0890.jpg

Exhaust Mod
http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/26159-1/IMG_0892.jpg

Droop, strapped
http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/26161-1/IMG_0898.jpg

Rear view
http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/26163-1/IMG_0899.jpg
http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/26165-1/IMG_0900.jpg

Lower mount, with strap
http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/26167-1/IMG_0903.jpg

Flex (I hit the wall, there was more left..)
http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/26169-1/IMG_0904.jpg
http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/26171-1/IMG_0905.jpg

[SinCity4r]

Front bypass shocks..

http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/26724-1/IMG_0991.jpg

http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/26726-1/IMG_0994.jpg

http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/26728-1/IMG_0996.jpg

[SinCity4r]

Did a photoshoot with Harry Wagner of harrysituations.com out near Moonrocks. Here are some throw-aways he shot:

http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/35005-2/m_D6FS9114.jpg

http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/35011-2/m_D6FS9160.jpg

http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/d/35023-2/m_D6FS9188.jpg


More (http://joelrasmus.com/gallery/v/rides/t4r/outings/photoshoot/)

And here's a video that Kurt shot. Not super exciting, but you can see the suspension working anyway:

1789087
select HD if you want to watch it in HD

[SinCity4r]

http://www.4wdtoyotaowner.com/images/JanFeb08cover.jpg

[SinCity4r]

http://www.4wdtoyotaowner.com/images/JF08TOC.jpg

[Jacket]

So nice!

What kind of terrain do you drive on (primarily)? High speed stuff only? Rocks? Trails? Everything? Just wondering what your overall impression is of the LT, particularly for situations other than high speed desert. Strengths? Weaknesses?

[SinCity4r]

So nice!

What kind of terrain do you drive on (primarily)? High speed stuff only? Rocks? Trails? Everything? Just wondering what your overall impression is of the LT, particularly for situations other than high speed desert. Strengths? Weaknesses?

Primarily desert trails/washes, but I also run in the rocks.

Strengths: very plush at speed, more flexability in the rocks (tires stay on the ground more often), the added width also feels more stable in off camber situations (tho that maybe just in my head). also the ability to tune the shocks quickly is nice, I'm still tuning here and there trying to find the perfect setup.

Weaknesses: added width in the front can make for tight situations and the rear doesn't follow the front like stock - just takes getting used to, clearance under the rear lower shock mounts.

[Jacket]

Yea - I'm not a big fan of the location of those lower shock mounts, but based on everything else you've done I assume this was out of necessity and was the best compromise you could come up with.

Thanks for the synopsis.

[SinCity4r]

Yea - I'm not a big fan of the location of those lower shock mounts, but based on everything else you've done I assume this was out of necessity and was the best compromise you could come up with.

Thanks for the synopsis.

I wasn't ready to go into the passenger area to have the shocks mounted higher, and I was stuck on getting a) the full travel the rear geometry would allow and b) 3 way bypass shocks.

I've done the Niagara Rim Trail (pretty rocky) and didn't really have any issues with the mounts (just getting used to putting rocks between the mounts), so for me the positives outweigh the negatives.