That looks clean! I have the same top, now that I found the one up near Boston. We get a lot of thumbs up driving the Commando around here. There is one I know of in Sommers but we haven't seen any at car shows or cruises. I was talking to a guy the other day who said he is really into Jeeps. He didn't even know what the Commando is😄 I guess he's into new Jeeps....

 

Then he definitely wouldn’t know this!

 

First beach trip with the 4runner of the season. I guess we were in Old truck parking, old leaf spring front suspension that is🤣

 

With yesterday's weather being better than today at only 30 percent chance of rain and cloudy we decided to do a little bit of wheeling in a place we haven't taken the 4runner yet. These have been some of the best trails I've be on in a long time. The crazy part is I've taken the FJ Cruiser out here first. It's a tight fit and we tested the skid plates a bit too. The 4runner thought not even close to hitting. One spot I had to take over because my wife got a little freaked out because we were leaning over a lot.

 

A few more from yesterday.

 

With the chance of rain all day we never had to put on the top. It sprinkled a little bit but nothing bad. We found a decent place for lunch that we've been by several times just didn't know much about it til now. It was good to have outside seating just incase the rain started we could put the top up. Deep Roots Street Food in Granby CT.

 

For the past year the bell crank has been giving issues again. If we use the e brake I would have to go under the truck and kick the bell crank back in or the shoe would drag. Today I took it back out cleaned it up again ( third time is a charm) but This time I Separated the Steel piece that is in between the aluminum and cleaned out all the corrosion in there. It was making it bind up because it was swelling due to the salt and water creating a reaction to the two dissimilar metals. I hit it with some heat and penetrating oil and then greased in between the two dissimilar metals this time . And apply brake grease on the lever and inside the boot itself too. Now we have a working we brake system again.

 

Ahh spring time, it's a great time to be running around town topless!

 

Out wheeling in the 4runner last weekend, no 4WD needed just some nice back roads around People's State Forrest.




2 bears spotted on the way not far from home.




it's still a good little truck. Today the wife took it to work and I'm out in the Comando after working on that all week. I rebuilt the front axle which is similar to the front axle of the 4runner. New wiper seals and king pin bearings. Thanks to the experience on the 4runner it was no problems.

 

We found a bit of mud out near Barkhampstead yesterday. I went in a little too deep and got the rear diff hung up on a rock. Had to pull out the recovery equipment. If you don't get stuck once in awhile your not trying hard enough 😅




Last time we were out here it was during the summer and we were in a bit of a drought then so it was nothing like the mud we saw yesterday.

The trail got a little too tight for our friends in a full sized pickup truck. We should have took everything out of the back of the 4runner except for recovery equipment and piled everyone in the 4runner. This thing pretty much goes where a UTV can go.

 

Nice mud covering! That's the kind of thing that will keep that little truck very happy, and 4Running well.

If you don't use the recovery equipment every so often, it will get bored, and refuse to work properly. And who can blame it?

Enjoy! Sure looks like you did
Pat☺

 

And where is the fun in not getting stuck once in awhile too! Of course if I was flapping my gums and Paying attention we would have never needed to break out the recovery equipment 😆

We went to a cars and coffee today that was happening locally and actually saw another first gen 4runner on the way. He searched for us and stopped by also.

 

Just a few random shots of summer fun with the 4runner. We've experienced a lot of rain for the month of June so it's been a roll of the dice running top off. That and a close eye on the radar app on my phone.

 

The 4runner was pressed into service for the past couple of weeks while I worked on the most challenging clutch job of my life. Toyota built the Echo around a clutch disk by just adding more parts to it. This was my first front wheel drive transaxle removal.





The whole front sub frame had to come out to drop the transaxle.

Now that this job is complete, only took 2 weeks. That's 2 and a half months faster than I expected 😅 we can keep the soft top off again. Just put the 4runner under the portable garage during the next deluge. We have been getting way too much rain this summer.

Just a quiet detour....

 

better late than never but we finally were able to get up to VT this year.




last night was the first time we've been back to the drive in since may 2022. Nothing has been playing that really interested us . last night they were playing Jaws for shark week.

 

What size tires and lift?

 

Yeah, Jaws… my parents took us to see Jaws at the drive-in on Cape Cod when i was 8. I never went back in the ocean till I was about 38. Ironically, my sister became a marine biologist.

 

the lift was done long before we got it so idk. I guess the front is 2 inches and rear may be 3 or 4 but front and back are sagging. 31 inche tires I do know though.

 

speaking of sharks and the beach, we took the 4runner to a different beach today. Sound View in Old Lime. The guy at the Carousel was really excited to see the old truck! He even set us up with a cool spot in the shade.

 

Also saw this cool od IH when out walking our way to Hawks Nest Beach today.