New steering worked out great! It doesn't feel any different from the TRE's that I could tell. I did have one TRE that was worn out and needed to be replaced after 2 years of wheeling and maybe 2000 miles.

I really like heim joints. They seem to be easier to work with compared to a tappered TRE. They are super easy to unbolt from the steering arms if you need to take the tie rod off. You don't have to use a pickle fork and screw up the rubber bolts like on a TRE.

Some people say that heims don't last long because they are exposed to the dirt and water being an open design. I'm not worried about it since it's not a DD and doesn't get a ton of miles put on it. If I were to DD a rig with heims, I suggest making some kind of small plastic shields to block the dirt / water from getting into them. That would make them last longer.

My brother has been running heims in his YJ for 5 years now with no issues. I think he is on his second round of heims, replacing them more as cheap insurance. They are now his spares.

I also liked that I got these heims for $8.50/each at Ballistic Fab compared to $30 FJ80 TRE's. I ran all last season without spare TRE's (not smart when running 40's and hydro assist). I now have extra heims in the tool box as spares.

I reamed out the holes on a vertical milling machine (Bridgeport). It took my uncle and I several hours to figure out the best way to hold the odd shaped steering arms down to the table. I'm not sure if it's possible to drill them using a drill press. I would suggest using a reamer over a drill bit. Most drill presses turn too fast to use a reamer. If you had access to a large drill press that could be turned down to 500-600 rpm and found the correct sized reamer, I bet you could.

Let me know if you have anymore questions about heims J!

Sorry I missed you and Cory at Chinamans, looked like you guys had a blast. Eagle Rock was fun, it was good getting the 4Runner back together and getting out in the mountains.

CUbuff4Runner and I were taking about snowbashing yesterday. Maybe Rollins Pass in a month? First week of May?

 

What did it take to make your square front driveshaft? cost wise? Did you adapt your front shaft for rear use as a double cardon?

 

I used a piece of 2" x 2" x 3/16" and a piece of receiver tubing. I cut up a stock DS for the yokes and just welded them in hot. It probably cost me $30.

Yes, I did use the stock front for the rear CV. I had it retubed with .120 wall. It cost me $120 locally here in Pueblo.

 

Thanks for the info, looks like it might be a project for this fall! If I sent my arms to you, could you mill them for me? I would pay for you and your uncles time, of course.

Chinamans was a blast! The new rig works great, we will have to make a trip there sometime before CO4J. I talked to Cory and he's also down with running Blanca sometime this summer too.

I'm in for some snowbashing whenever you guy's can make it up, so is Cory. If Rollins Pass doesn't work we can always break some trail up here, there are a bunch of trails around here that don't get a bunch of use (fresh tracks).

 

Yeah, I could mill them for you.

Yup, Chinamans is a must before August! This summer's Blanca trip will be awesome, we'll probably have 5-8 built rigs that'll walk right up the mountain

I'm down for some fresh tracks, I don't care where The first part of April is always busy (daughter's B-day) and now my Saturday's are busy for the next 8 weeks (3-4 year old's soccer ). But I might be able to squeeze a Sunday run in.

 

We are still getting hammered with snow so don't feel rushed. A sunday in May should work perfect. I'll let you know when things start to melt off. If you want to go earlier there is always stuff on the front range that melts off sooner.

 

Big thanks to CUbuff4Runner and his dad's sheetmetal shop & tools for a killer set of sheetmetal / LED taillights to replace the constantly broken stock taillights






And just a couple garage shots of the 4Runner

 

 

More cage pictures!


CU Buff 4Runner wire wheeling the welds before paint


We also cleaned up the floor with the wire wheel to get ready for some DIY Herculiner bed liner.


Dash speader bar just barely cuts off the bottom portion of the guages.


A pillar floor mount. All the floor mounts are .25" x 5" steel plate.


B pillar floor plate. We tucked the B pillar hoop back to maximize space to get into the rear seats.


C pillar mounts on top of the tubs to clear the big tires.


Dash speader bar and an awesome grab handle.


All the triangle tube gussets came out perfect!






Rear view of the cage and the D pillar floor mounts.


With the tailgate closed.

 

NICE Cage!!

I hope you never NEED it!

Keep up the Progress, I've been following your build for a while!
You've built a Nice Rig!

Grant

 

i cant wait to see how those new tail lights fit/look! very cool build up.

 

on your front spring hanger, I have two questions.

1. Are the original cross member and the new hanger just staggered to get the front axle forward?

2. How much lift did you get from that?

I need to move my axle forward, but do not want to get much lift. I am happy with the height I have now.

 

Thanks!

Same here! I started dinking around with the taillights tonight. I should have them installed soon and I'll post some pics.

1. I just cut off the vertical spring hangers on the bottom of the original cross member and welded the aftermarket spring hanger to it. I did push the aftermarket spring hanger forward. I believe the front spring placement of the 4" TG springs has alot to do with the front axle placement. They really do push the axle forward. It's also decieving because I've tubed the front firewall all the way back to the body mount, giving the illusion of lots of space behind the tire.

2. I'm not certain on the amount of lift I gained from the spring hanger. I bet it was about an inch in the front. Gaining that inch helps with the caster as well.

Let me know if you need any close up pictures, I'll be happy to take some. You'll also see it in person in a month at the CO4RJ July 31, Aug 1 & 2nd!! Don't forget

 

Stock front cross member. 3 mounts on each side, super thin boxed tubing and some lightly tacked captured nuts from the factory 25 years ago.


I added 2 more supports on each side. I cut 45 degree cuts on a piece of 2"x2"x3/16" square tubing. Drilled a 1.2" hole and welded a nut to the back. I then welded them to the factory crossmember.


There was a dent in the frame on this side. Somebody filled the dent in the tubing with Bondo


The 4 extra supports.


1/4" plate that fits in front of the factory crossmember.


Welded in place.


It's not coming off anytime soon.


Addicted Off Road front bumper now bolts to the orginal 6 holes and my extra 4.


Still need to replace that headlight






Nice aproach angle!

 

that roll cage is sick!!!

 

nice job, great pictures give me some ideas on my truck.

Big thanks..............

 

that cage is alot of work very impressed. ive got the same helmet as you! keep up the good work

 

That helmet is actually mine. I really like that helmet. Had it for a few years now, and its definitely my favorite. I've used the Speedglas too, but I like the Miller better.

Aaron brought the rig up to my shop for the cage build. It is one of my favorite cages that I have done. We really maximized the head room and still allowed the top to go on/off. Its about as tight to the top as possible and actually makes putting it on and off easier. Aaron needed that cage badly. Especially since his kids were starting to want to go with him.

 

any pics of those tail lights in place yet?

 

First major trip of the summer, Mt. Blanca (14,000 ft mountain near the Sand Dunes National Park). It was by far the worst wheeling trip I've ever taken. Everything that could possibly go wrong, did

Let's start with the horrible rear end sound when I was leaving Pueblo. I was fully loaded with camping gear and I was getting terrible sounds out of the "rear diff" while acclerating in 1st & 2nd gear. I get talked into headed up anyways

We get to Medano Pass and while headed uphill, the noise is killer. I end up getting towed over the pass and to the campsite.





I decided to tear the rear end apart to inspect the rear diff.





I find some marks on the carrier from the pinion.





I then decide to swap 3rd members to put the "damaged" 3rd in the front and put the "good" 3rd in the rear. I then start to tear apart the front axle.



I start on the front @ midnight and finally button up the front & rear axles @ 5:45am. Best part, the front "good" 3rd has the same pinion to carrier damage

I get 45 minutes of sleep, take it for a test drive and no change, same nasty noise. Guess I'll wheel it until it breaks.

We head up Mt. Blanca




Jaws 1


Jaws 2



Jaws 2.5


Jaws 3



What the majority of the trail looks like!


CUbuff4Runner then proceeds to shear the 3 9/16's studs that hold his passenger side high steer arm to his knuckle near the top of the trail (12,500 ft)


We work on his rig for several hours and decide to leave it up there. We plan on driving my 4Runner back up on Sunday to fix his rig with my brother's D44 parts off of his Jeep back in Denver


Waiting for my brother and dad to bring the parts to head back up the mtn.

My brother drove up Blanca since I was tired of driving. The "rear diff" noise is horrible and I didn't think we were going to make it back up the mtn with 4 people in the rig and 300lbs of parts and tools in the back.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obioFSHT-BQ[/YOUTUBE]

The steering in my 4Runner is very very loose and I get to inspect. All 8 of my knuckle studs are loose and one is stripped in the knuckle. I tighten all of them and we're back up the mtn.

CUbuff figures out what the noise is, it's my CV on the rear driveshaft rubbing the horseshoe crossmember Scotty from Addicted Off Road told me that it was close to rubbing when we were installing the cage 2 months before the trip. Man, I'm a bonehead and realize I swapped diffs and worked on it for 8 hours was a complete waste of time.

We make it to CUbuff's rig and get it fixed. He then proceeds to roll his 4Runner down Jaws 2.5





Down Jaws 1 in the dark
After many more issues on the trail, we finally get off of the trail and home @ midnight, 48 hours after our trip started.