Im no great fabricator, but I love have the stuff to work with. besides tools of any kind are a good investment............... right?

 

anyway, i'll be working on the trailer for the most part. there's very little (steel) welding that needs to be done, and i already took care of half of it. i might make a battery tray for the truck

sorry to hi-jack, mark. all this talk of fabbing and roof racks makes me want to go weld something

 

Hey man! Hope you're well. Yeah, I wish I had stuff like that, but I don't.... SOOOOOOOOO, what you need to do is make one, right now, and then send it to me..... Don't worry, you have your truck to measure off, so it'll be perfect! hahahahaha


NO APOLOGIES! I hear ya... and I miss all the welding I used to do in School....but the equipment costs, time, etc., ...it's just not practical for me. Everything I need is ready to go for my rig... and the things I NEED to do, like my seats, will be done with the help of a welding buddy! lol. In his time, of course, no rush, but nonetheless, .....I'm good for now.

PS> RBX, THAT'S A GREAT idea! lol. "I have Time Share rights on the welder this week!" lol. ...That would work, indeed!

 

welder was $300 used, lincoln sp-125, so i paid $100, and as of recently am using it mare then the other partners, but any day now they could ask for it back for a project, luckily none of them have projects like i do!

 

Hey guys, .... on a side note, I got the Hi-Lift mounted(not a side note i guess....but a touch off of welding, etc., lol)..... Something I would LOVE to have right now, btw! A GOOD WELDER and a Next Door Older welding pro Neighbor who LOVES other peoples projects! hahaha. Hey, I can dream, right? lol.

Went with the Silicone Lube from Pyroil(Valvoline)... that stuff worked INSTANTLY and it's like a brand new jack again! lol..... I have a couple videos from today, but first, a couple pics.......







First video is an explanation of a couple things... some rambling, etc., lol..... The second video is of some driving today, both around 6 minutes. THANKS, GUYS, FOR ALWAYS giving me your two cents, time, etc.! VERY GRATEFUL!!!!!!! :woot:

 

Mark,
I just found a hi-lift on CL, used, is there anything i should look for in the way of issues, or are they pretty much...jack, handle, crank...i'll take it. Never owned a hi-lift before.

thanks

 

Man, there is a guy here on craigslist that has a lincoln 110 welder with a bottle and cart for $300...not exactly "pro", but its similar to what I have (mine is a Mac Tools i.e. Miller) and it does fine for around the garage kinda stuff. I picked mine up for $200 from a guy here locally, has the gauges and stuff for the bottle, but havent got the bottle yet. Im a big fan of the wire welders though, arc welders you can get more power for cheaper, but then again, they are arc welders...not knocking them, they do a great job, but its a ton easier (for me anyways) to use a mig. Pick up a $30 auto darkening helmet from harbour freight and away you go...weld to your hearts content. Sick, clean looking ride, as always chef...

P.S. ----> My truck is still running great, have an exhaust leak on the manifold gasket (missed tightening one bolt in all the excitement of having it running and burnt out the gasket), leak like a sieve when I first got it all built, but the leaks seem to have ceased somewhat now (think the seals and such finally set in). Once again, appreciate your help as always.

 

Jack turned out great. Like how you mounted it to the inside stud of the roll bar, always wondered what that was for.lol Never knew what went in between those bolt studs, but that will keep it in there nice and safe for you.

Liked your blackout idea. Where did you get the chair with the table attached? On your leak, do you think it could possibly be in a little puddle or spot on a crossmember or some thing like that and when you roll back it is just sloshing out of it? I will be getting to my transfer case hopefully soon and will try and take notes and possibly look for something that might be the culprit when I do mine.

I have pulled trannys and tcases before, but just doing clutch work, so I have a friend that knows what he is doing that will help me on mine since this is a weak area of mine.

 

Hey RBX, ... THANKS! lol. Hmmmmm, well, from what I KNOW, I would take a can of Silcone Lubricant(just to see what it's FULLY working like, when lubed) and then lay it on it's side and see if you can pull the pistons that ride in the holes in the main bar to pull in and out easily by hand. Then, on the side opposite of the HiLift Sticker, pull upward on the lock-unlock arm(it's arched, around 3.5" long, has a lil notch on it) and see if you can move it to locked position for uptravel, then down downtravel. When you swing it down, the jack body should slide downward smoothly, with no weight on the jack. Then, well, I might try to use it to jack up your truck! lol. Ya know, see if you like it. It's not something you can just slide under and jack up anywhere, ya know? You need to use the hitch carrier or sliders or something of the sort up front, to get the rig up for certain needs on diff sides. They're pretty hard to destroy, RB, ... You should be fine, but make sure it works. I have seen springs gone out on them, etc. You can basically rebuild them, but why should you have to, right?(depending on the price).

************************************************** ***************

Hey 87, I'd love to start doing some welding, soon! Just have a list of priorities based upon available time, etc., etc., etc., ya know? GREAT to hear the rig is running well! Thanks for the kind words on the Roja! lol.... and Glad I could help in any way, man!

************************************************** ***********

Hey Terry, thanks! lol....

** On the threaded holes in the roll bar, ... I think they were for......I have no idea, to be honest.lol.

** The blackout thing works GREAT! I camp, at times, where it's over 100*F, .....BY 11AM! lol. So, even though I try to find shade to park in, over night/into the morn, ....the black out shades assure me that it will stay MUCH cooler much longer than without them in the morn....and throughout the day, if I'm parked for a day or two without going in the rig anywhere.

** The chair I got was from Big5 Sporting Goods(you can find them on line, big5sportinggoods.com . DO NOT just grab a cheapo, or even the average ones from Big Lots, etc. . Coleman and I believe Cabella make the best quality ones I've seen and sat on. This one is a Coleman, and it's REALLY comfy, and the table/arms are strong! It will not fall apart, and others might, ya know? I will get you a picture of this one opened up, so you can see the padding on the back and seat, the pattern, etc.... it's not like some knock offs you'll see.

** Far as the leak ,..... seriously, it's wierd! lol.

I'm really sorry for the video quality, guys... I wish I could just go buy a PRO-GO or whatever they're called, ..but there's no way! lol. Can't afford it and don't really NEEEEEED it right now, ya know? But if you couldn't hear, it's really weird how the leak only happens when I roll the truck backward, by hand, not running, in neutral. If I start the rig, it's NOT A DROP TIME! lol.

 

is the threaded hole in the roll bar not for an optional shoulder belt for the rear seat? thought I read that once maybe not.
watched your vids and I have to ask where were you and what time of day was it becouse THERE WAS NO FREAKIN TRAFFIC lol.

 

Hahahaha, Jason! Yeah, it was around 11am, yesterday, on the Vincent St. Thomas Bridge and the 110Fwy South near the end...> it's never really bad, to be honest. But yes, THAT WAS LIGHT! lol. There are actually 2 bridges, but I didn't wanna take too much of peoples time watching a long driving video... it was long enough, hahaha.

 

its just strange to me that those roads look familiar, I think I have spent to much time in the LA area LOL. Looks like your getting ready for a trip.

 

Yep, ...I'm planning at LEAST a day or maybe two trip during the week in the near future. I'll get plenty of pics, don't worry! lol.

 

Hey guys, ..... I think the Con-Ferr guy's just not at all worried about selling it. He called me back(about the rack), today, and he sounds VERY overwhelmed right now.... We spoke a bit about life, in general(I'm shocked at how many strangers will just talk to me about most anything! lol).... and he said, "Ok, bud, thanks for understanding... Call me tomorrow night?" ....... And I will.

See, I know that, like with almost ANY 4WD company I've researched(including Downey, which I never had problems with, once, in 15 years),... some just didn't like Con-Ferr/don't like their products still, lol. But I did. I had an 85 that got a lift by them, trusses, armor, couple other things(before I did ANYTHING on these myself! lol).... and I really wanted one of those racks on my white 4runner...but that got totaled and then, ......Con-Ferr was no more! lol.

I found this company, who seems to be saying they took over for Con-Ferr, and they really make a nice looking product... IMHO, of course, lol.... http://www.diamondrax.com/ ......... Have a look see, and let me know. I just LOVE the simple yet tough look of their stuff! lol....... ooh, AND LOOK AT THIS>> http://www.diamondrax.com/62-x-66-x-...ftop-tent.html

I found a Yakima Load Warrior on CL that's 44"L x 39W? x 6.5"Tall with 2 round rails and 4 locking(whatever they are) for the ends, with keys, for 175$... I kinda have my heart set on the Con-Ferr... but is a newer Load Warrior with all that stuff just too good of a deal to pass up?(it looks brand new, and the guy said he's used it like 3 times. Not even the surface you lay stuff is scuffed).............He said he paid 499$ for all the stuff he has, complete.(I think the Baskets are 279$ or so by themselves, new)

See, the Con-Ferr Rack, from what I remember him saying, is 60"L x 48 or 50"W x 6" Tall..... and unlike most Con-Ferr Racks, this was made by the owner, custom for him, with 4 Rails and 4mounting feet on each side. It was also made for his 86 4Runner, and he said, "Oh no problem, Mark, we can try it on and yank on it, etc., just so you feel comfy that it's made for your rig. It will pop RIGHT INTO PLACE, I have no doubt, cuz it's made for your vehicle, exactly." The yakima is nice, and I love the Locking tabs, but it's not even close to as big, and while I know Yakima is a well know and respected name... it just doesn't seem as tough looking as the Con-Ferr racks I'd seen(I see Yakima's all the time around town). He is asking 300$ for the Con-Ferr with all the hardware, ready to go... but I might be able to talk him down. The Yakima is almost twice as far(1.5hrs drive each way, most likely. In traffic, more), and I just wanna be sure before I waste gas!

I KNOW, ..... i have to make the decision, myself, lol. But, I'm just not really up to the knowledge level I wish I was when it comes to racks, ya know?>>>

I WOULD REALLY appreciate your opinions on this......PLEASE? Lol

PS> I thought this was some interesting reading......... http://forum.ih8mud.com/fj25-owners-...-con-ferr.html

I knew some of the stuff on that thread, ...but GEEESH! lol. Quite the dudes! lol. I also didn't know that "Defender" bought out their rack design? Maybe I misread that. But anyway, if that's so, I guess my buddy Andy who went with me to 4wheelparts the other day would know why I like the Defender racks we looked at(HOLY CRAPOLI they're expensive, too! lol)

 

Well Mark, ive got a biased opinion, but I say get the conn-ferr...reason I say im biased is because I would just as soon build my own or get a custom one than buy from a large company (for the most part) when it comes to hardware on any of my vehicles...I had plans of building my own rack for mine along with bumpers and sliders and such...but then again, thats just me. Im in it more for the experience as im curious as to how much I could do on my own...pics would be nice...but im sure they arent readily available...in the end though, its your rig, so you'll have to get what suits your needs/wants and what you think looks best (you know EVERYBODY always has their own likes/dislikes, just like I would never put 10" dayton wires on anything I ever owned, but some people would). If it were me, I'd go for the bigger one (which i think is the conn-ferr one), mostly for usefulness sake.

 

The conn-ferr is only a buck and a quarter more than the yakima, I'd go with the bigger conn-ferr and it's closer and with the added cost of going 1.5 hours each way in gas and time to get the yakima one would make it almost even in price...But it's your decision :}

 

Conn-ferr all the way man the only down side seems like the Guy is hard to communicate with.

 

Hey guys, thanks for the input! Yotatech Homies are the best! lol.

Well, the Yakima wont be an issue.... someone called her last night at 11PM and was crying and begged her to keep it until 7am(Someone living in their car, apparently).... this morning... 10 hours after the listing had been posted! The lady who owned the Yakima felt bad for her and agreed, and sold it this morning. She even helped her put some of her stuff on top, cuz she was old AND INDEED living in her car due to losing her job. I was glad to hear this story, and grateful that the woman even emailed me, let alone with an explanation, lol.

So, looks to be the con-ferr is still the front runner. Not sure if you guys checked those links, but on the Diamond Racks, HOLY CRAP, I love that site, been there twice! lol. Just don't wanna spend HUNDREDS more if I don't have to, ya know? lol.

 

I cant really suggest anything, but price does have a big part in it. That is where it would be nice to be able to weld. Welders could whip up something great in no time.

 

Hey Guys, ......

I went out to Tustin, CA yesterday evening, ..... took around an hour in rush hour(was amazing luck, if you knew how far it is, lol).... to look at the Con-Ferr Rack. Mike, the owner, was a REALLY nice guy, former owner of an 86 Runner, and when I pulled up, he immediately said, "Ok, that does it, I'm really gonna look harder for one of these again.... I just loved mine!"..... To which I responded, ..."Wait a minute... are you telling me you're wanting to keep the rack?", ....he laughed and said, "No, I'm too old and have a broken back now, so I can't get one on and off nor get stuff up on and off of it...Plus, these are a lil heavy which solidifies that being a problem for me"... He's a cement truck owner operator, and almost 60... GREAT dude, we spoke for over an hour before I even decided.

Eventually, I asked him, "Mike, can we deal here? I'm really hurting, which isn't your problem, but I don't think I can pay 300$ for this"... "What would you offer?", he asked.... "200$, I responded"..... LONG PAUSE, then he said, "I'll let you have it for 225$, which I SHOULDN'T, ...these are VERY hard to come by and it's in great shape, even with a custom Stained Wood Platform... But You'll put it to good use. I don't need the money, but I'd like it to have a good home, it's just taking space here, now".

225$ it is. I need to do some touch up on it and refinish the wood, ...but it's not warped, in any way, so just strip it and refinish it, paint some spots on the cage, etc, after a lil sanding... but NO major rust at all, all the mounting hardware was in perfect shape, and it's 4 mounting tabs on each side, unlike all his other ones that were 3 on each side. Con-Ferr Owners made it custom for him. This thing is INDESTRUCTIBLE! lol...

Sorry for rambling, just was an interesting experience, just like when I met Jim, the owner of Downey.

Pics>>>