Thanks! I will do a write up on it when it's fully done.

Yeah, I'm not real excited to have the spare out there but I need to get it out of the cargo area. The nice thing about my swingdown design is it will be easy to unbolt the entire thing and just leave it at home or camp if I don't want it on the back of the 4Runner.

Thanks!

 

It's not that bad, I got used to mine after just a couple drives. I can still see around the tire a little when I'm on the trail and in parking lots, on the highway I use my side view mirrors.

 

Wow...wow....,,,,,.....wow...!

 

Finally got some work done on the 4Runner.

If you remember, this is what my driver's side quarterpanel looked like with the 4Runner tailgate.


And what it looked like after converting to a truck tailgate




After quite a bit of welding, grinding, and laying my first body filler - here's what it looks like now



It still needs more sanding and some primer but it felt good to make it look somewhat better than it did before.


Also worked on the front bumper. After adding a winch, the front receiver hitch is blocked by the roller fairlead. I cut the Trail Gear winch mount reciever out and added a new piece of 2.5" x 2.5" under it. I now can use both the roller fairlead & front reciever hitch at the same time!








With the winch installed

Installed the winch Monday night and realized that warn doesn't supply the M8000 with a solenoid bracket to mount the solenoid control box to the winch


I had to cut off the forward facing light tabs to install the winch. I also had to cut down and pound out one of my front rock light tabs.


Here's the Warn bracket for $12


Here's mine for free (minus about half an hour of labor)


What it will look like installed. Still needs painted.

Also worked on the rear bumper on Monday. I decided to cut out the rear crossmember that I had tacked into place 4 years ago. I didn't feel it was beefy enough to mount a rear bumper to since it was only 1/8" thick 2" x 3" tubing. The rear tailgate support is now welded to that crossmember.


Tailgate supports welded back onto the 1/4" thick 2" x 3" rear crossmember. I used some 1/4" plate as spacers after having to cut & grind them off of the old crossmember.


Ready for a rear bumper


Rear crossmember isn't coming out any time soon


Adding some 2" x 2" .120 wall supports towards the middle of the crossmember to an existing crossmember. Should help with the heavy pulls from the planned middle reciever hitch in the rear bumper



Adding some corner gussets as well to help with those heavy tugs


Starting the tube work for the rear tube bumper. Took my dad & I quite awhile to figure out the bender to get these 2 pieces bent. Hopefully the rest will go faster.

 

Got some more work done on the rear bumper yesterday


Trying to get it sitting where we wanted it.


Reciever hitch for a rear tow point


Sometimes you just have to find the "right" combo of stuff to help hold your stuff level


Right side tacked, left side getting ready to be tacked


All tacked on


Trimmed the tube in the front to match the rear of the wheelwell.


Here's what the sides will look like.


Here's the rest of the bumper. I'll need to notch and cut them and they'll be ready to weld in.


Another rear bumper pic


Frame tie-in for the front part of the bumper


Used a 1/4" scab plate on the frame.


The hitch pin hole is close to the rear tube but should work


Bumper support tube to rear crossmember. No scab plate needed since the crossmember is 1/4" thick.


Rear reciever hitch tubing welded to crossmember. I'll add a gusset to the bottom.


Side profile of the bumper.

 

Nice man!!

 

Lookin good man. Gettin them little things done before the Jambo, sweetness!!

 

Nice work, it's alway best to do it right the first time.

I need to learn how to weld......my son never has the time......

 

Is it possible to get some pictures of what these sliders look like at the point where they are welded to the frame and the clearance around the body lip / pinchweld? I'm trying to figure out how to mount mine, and I can't see how I can mount them without using a hole saw on the body lip / pinchweld for clearance.

 

Subscribes, Sweet rig dude. Keep it up.

 

I hadn't checked out your thread for a bit...that new bumper is gonna be sweet.

saw the sign post pole stacked up and had a flash back to this:

had be worried for a second

 

I'll get you some pics in the daylight. I haven't forgotten

 

That was classic, I remember that pictures

 

I finally broke down and bought a truck! Got the go-ahead from the wife about a month ago after she drove my car around in 95 degree weather with no AC

I've been looking for a couple of months and finally pulled the trigger on a 2006 Dodge Ram 3500 Mega Cab 5.9 Cummins Turbo Diesel with 32k miles. I wanted the 5.9 because of all the emissions regulations placed on the 2007+ diesels. I also wanted somthing with low miles. Everything I found was high mileage. The engines don't mind the high mileage but I wanted a truck that would last me for years to come.

Onto the pics.

These were at the sellers house last Sunday





Wheelbase is the same as a longbed quad cab Dodge Ram












Back seat is huge! The kids will have a ton of space along with any adult that sits back there.



These were today after I picked it up





Next to my dad's 04 quad cab have I've borrowed for 4 years now


Kids wanted to play back there all night












The 4Runner needs to get out sometime.

 

Nice tow rig, Aaron.
Did you ever finish up the OBA system?

 

Nice find on that Dodge...That is exactly the truck I want, the kids (I have 3 teenage girls) could not whine about not having any leg room.
and I can relate to having the Toyota needing to get out more:

 

Im diggin the new truck! Is it going to be in on the bets, alongside Brian's Dodge, to see who can make it further into Carnage? LOL just kidding. It will definitly get the job done

 

Thanks! I haven't gotten it wired yet. I'm needed to pick up a couple of ammo cans to build a center console to house a stereo & cb radio. Once that is built, the guages and switches can go where the stereo originally was. Just gotta get out in the garage and finish it.

 

Depending on what kind of ammo cans you want, I have some that you can have. I have the skinny 30 cal ones and the fatter 50 cal ones.

 

Thanks! The Mega cab should work out great for my family for years and years to come. 3 teenage girls, I feel for ya

Thanks! Brian's a better driver Closest my Dodge will get to Carnage is the parking lot while dropping off my 4Runner

Thanks for the offer! I think my little brother picked me up a couple 50cal cans. I'd like a couple more cans for tool & parts storage for the back of the 4Runner. What would you want for a couple more cans?