RedRunner_87's aka "Operation Mall Crawler" Build Thread
03-07-2017, 10:41 AM
#66
Registered User
Thread Starter
03-22-2017, 02:53 PM
#70
Contributing Member
Yep, it is all good. Your build is just flying along and looking good. Easy to see because you know, all that light. 
03-25-2017, 10:03 AM
#71
Registered User
Thread Starter
Thanks
Thanks. Will be hopefully going into a stand still. Getting a new(used) transmission this weekend. Hopefully I can drop it off and get it installed here pretty quickly. Then it will be back to stuff I can do.
Thanks. Will be hopefully going into a stand still. Getting a new(used) transmission this weekend. Hopefully I can drop it off and get it installed here pretty quickly. Then it will be back to stuff I can do.
03-25-2017, 10:07 AM
#72
Registered User
Thread Starter
Switched up the ultragauge mount from the window down to where the shifter is. Window mount keep losing suction when it was cold. I get my new(used) transmission this weekend, hopefully I can get that installed here soon.
09-04-2017, 07:48 AM
#78
Registered User
Thread Starter
This trip started out featuring 3 vehicles; 17 DCB TRD OR Taco, 97 Limited 4Runner and a 01 Disco II. The Disco dropped out before the trip, so we started off by heading out to Black Canyon National, then off to Black Bear Pass and knocked out the Alpine Loop.
The Start
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
A few hours later we finally got to Black Canyon National Park where we would stay for the night.
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
It was at this point we lost my 97 4Runner. It for some reason stalled out and wouldn't restart. We tow strapped it up to the visiting center, and the Park Ranger allowed us to park it there for a few days. The next morning we left the 4Runner behind and started towards Black Bear Pass in the stock Taco.
Time to air down
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
Stopped to do some poser shots and get some drone footage
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
At the top- 12,840ft
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
Time to start heading towards the switchbacks. We did this trail in my 4Runner last year, and being lifted/locked made us spoiled. The trail is much more difficult being stock and having a longer wheel base.
My buddy let me take over driving duties, here is spotting me down
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
A nice view of Telluride down below
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
We hit the point of no return with the Taco. Right before this point a guy in a 2 door Wrangler Rubicon asked if we were going to take "that" down the switchbacks. Our response was "Hell yeah"!
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
Time to start
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
Down we go!
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
Made it!
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
A stock Tacoma will make it down Black Bear Pass. We did scrape the skid plates a few times, as well as hit the trailer hitch a few times. We had 2 kind of cringe worthy moments when the stock Goodyear Kevlar tires didn't quite grip the rocks like we wanted to.
The Start
A few hours later we finally got to Black Canyon National Park where we would stay for the night.
It was at this point we lost my 97 4Runner. It for some reason stalled out and wouldn't restart. We tow strapped it up to the visiting center, and the Park Ranger allowed us to park it there for a few days. The next morning we left the 4Runner behind and started towards Black Bear Pass in the stock Taco.
Time to air down
Stopped to do some poser shots and get some drone footage
At the top- 12,840ft
Time to start heading towards the switchbacks. We did this trail in my 4Runner last year, and being lifted/locked made us spoiled. The trail is much more difficult being stock and having a longer wheel base.
My buddy let me take over driving duties, here is spotting me down
A nice view of Telluride down below
We hit the point of no return with the Taco. Right before this point a guy in a 2 door Wrangler Rubicon asked if we were going to take "that" down the switchbacks. Our response was "Hell yeah"!
Time to start
Down we go!
Made it!
A stock Tacoma will make it down Black Bear Pass. We did scrape the skid plates a few times, as well as hit the trailer hitch a few times. We had 2 kind of cringe worthy moments when the stock Goodyear Kevlar tires didn't quite grip the rocks like we wanted to.
Last edited by RedRunner_87; 09-04-2017 at 08:07 AM.
09-04-2017, 07:48 AM
#79
Registered User
Thread Starter
Off to do the Alpine Loop. We started at Mineral Creek then to Engineer Pass to Cinnamon Pass/Wager Gulch to California Gulch to Corkscrew Gulch/Hurricane Pass
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
We didn't get any pictures of Mineral Creek. The trail was pretty brutal on the stock Tacoma, so we spent almost all our time spotting and rock crawling.
These pictures were past Mineral Creek and going up Engineer Pass
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
At the top of Engineer Pass
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
Once we were on Cinnamon Pass we took the side trail Wager Gulch and went to the Carson Ghost Town.
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152754316@N08/, on Flickr
We didn't get any pictures of Mineral Creek. The trail was pretty brutal on the stock Tacoma, so we spent almost all our time spotting and rock crawling.
These pictures were past Mineral Creek and going up Engineer Pass
At the top of Engineer Pass
Once we were on Cinnamon Pass we took the side trail Wager Gulch and went to the Carson Ghost Town.
09-04-2017, 12:41 PM
#80
Contributing Member
I liked your trip report so much I was seeing double! Love Mineral Creek. Saw a new stock GMC Suburban with an older couple sweating it out and a Jeep Compass with a flat tire coming down as we were going up. Some of that stuff had to be....interesting...in the Taco, simply because it's so long. 
