Thanks! It's taken alot of time and work but it's worth it.

 

I've been super busy and have not had a chance to update this in quite a while. I finally found some off road lights that fit the front bumper. I got them at Checker's, they are 4" HID off road lights. I have not had a chance to really try them out, but the few times I have turned them on they seem really bright. I can't wait to try them out on a night run.

 

I also got my CB antenna installed. It's nothing fancy, just something I picked up at a truck stop.

 

Then Cory and I ran Holy Cross, the truck did awesome going up the trail and I took all the same lines I took in the green 4Runner. It rained most the day but it was still a great time...

... Until we got to the end of the trail. At the end of the trail I noticed that I was leaking some gear oil out of the rear axle housing. When I looked at it closer I found that something had punched a hole through the housing from the inside.

Couple pictures on the trail



Random group in the Creek





Right before Cleveland Rock





Back at the river

 

I duct taped the hole shut and drove the thing home. A couple days later I tore the thing apart, and this is what I found.

I cut the vent line to prevent pressure from pushing off the duct tape



Tape removed



And diff pulled from housing

 

All the ring gear bolts backed out and that's what punched the hole in the housing. A buddy of mine set the diff up years ago, so I don't know if he forgot to use Locktite or if it was just some freak thing. Either way I think I got my money out of it, the way treated it for all these years.

 

I took a break from the diff and started repairing the housing. Instead of welding the holes shut, I installed a inspection plug and added another one to check the ring gear teeth. I used hardware store parts for the project and it was under $10.00.

 

What did you do about the R&P? Did you just order a new one up like you said the phone last week? Is it ready to make the trip to Blanca in a couple of weeks?? I like the new HID lights, I've heard good things about those lights from the expedition guys on some of the forums

 

For the time being, I used a Dremel tool to flaten out the high spots on the carrier and locktited in some new bolts. I also used the stock lock assembly to keep the bolts in place. This is just a temp fix and this 3rd will become my new spare; I ordered a complete ARB 3rd from Marlin and I'm just waiting for it to show up. My credit card is not to happy, but you have to do what you have to do.

I'm going to try my hardest to make it out to Blanca, but it's all in Marlin's hands. Marlin has great quality products but I've had issues in the past with the time it takes to get stuff (nothing too bad, it just sometimes takes longer than they say). If I can get the parts by next weekend then I hope to make it out there. If not, I don't think I will have the time to get everything dialed in.

I also have another top secret project that I just got and I am going to try to get ready for the Blanca trip (or worst case the Jambo). I just picked up this 1965 Bethany Chief pop up camper for the SUPER expensive price of... wait for it... $50.00 . I got it from the orignal owner, which still had all of the paper work (including the bill of sale from 1965). I'm going to keep it retro but it's going to get lifted and painted something other than pink. I don't want to spend more than a couple hundred dollars on the thing so we'll see how it goes. I will start a build thread on it when I get some time, it's going to be pretty cool.

 

Nice popup! Great buy for $50! It might get beat up pretty bad over Medano though. I've got a popup as well. I haven't gotten to use it much lately.

Didn't you have a set of regular off road lights on the 85? You can convert them to HID pretty easily with a kit like this
http://motors.shop.ebay.com/items/Pa...ashplus&_rdc=2

http://www.vvme.com/catalog/list-s-10145-10146.html

I've got a set of 5" cheap lights that I've been thinking about putting the HID H4 kit into them. The 35w HID's would be more than enough for a set of offroad lights.

If your 3rd doesn't show up, you should still try and make the trip with Cory. It's going to be one hell of a good trip!

 

Thanks, it was an awesome deal! I was looking at some pictures of Medano Pass on Traildamage.com and it does not look too bad. As long as there is no large diff hanger rocks in the middle of the trail, and the streams are not much deeper than 25" then I think I might be okay. I just lifted the thing 10 inches, so I have a little bit more clearance .

I thought about converting the lights I have to HID but they did not fit the bumper, they were just too big. Make sure you check housing clearance and the beam patterns of the housing too. My old lights used H3 bulbs and it seemed like all the HID conversion were bigger / longer, but I never saw one in person so who knows.

I REALLY want to make the Blanca trip if I can, I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens.

 

If you lifted it, you should have no problem getting your popup over the pass. The first stream crossing is the deepest and it's probably 18-24" deep, depending on if they have had any rain in the area. There isn't very many big rocks on the trail so you shouldn't have any diff grabbers. It's really an easy trail that can be ran in 2wd low. But it's an awesome place to camp!

I hope your diff comes in this week! I shot Cory a message on Facebook about the trip. I hope he can make it as well.

 

Here's a link to the camper build!!!

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f88/...-build-186107/

 

Did you ever get the rear end fixed?

Also, now that you have a few trail runs in, what do you think of the 4.7 gearset? Is it too low, or are you 100% happy with it? I need answers man!!!

Seriously though, I am trying to decide which route I want to go with my 4runner. Single 4.7, dual 2.28, crawler??? I need real world answers.

 

I got the new third installed this weekend (complete ARB 5.29 from Marlin), it's SO nice to have an open diff for driving on the street! I'm going to run it off my Co2 tank, the parts from Powertank should be here tommorrow.

The auto with the 4.7 gears is awesome, you would be 100% happy with the single 4.7 case. I really think that running dual cases with this set up is just too long for a 4Runner (an Extra cab truck would be a whole differant story). There have only been a couple times when I wish it was geared lower or higher.

 

any chance you'd wanna build me one of these bumpers???...it IS the MEANEST looking bumper i've EVER seen for our year of trucks/4runners..

i really need a new bumper..and i would obviously pay for it and the shipping..lol

i gots an '86 4x4 pickup..

 

Thanks!

I would love to build another bumper but it's not really possible. First, I have a lot of time in that bumper and there's no way I could really break even. Second, I would need another truck or a jig to build it off and I have neither. I'm glad that you like it so much but it's really not feasible, sorry.

 

So here's the sweet new rear 3rd member , I still need to hook up the air source and mount/wire the switch.

 

And here is my super Frankenstein gas tank skid plate.

The stock skid plates suck, the old green 4Runner would run out of gas at a little less than a 1/4 because the gas tank was so bashed to crap. After only a couple light hits to this 4Runner, the skid plate was cracked/bent up and the tank isn't flat any more on the under side. Since this has the gas light and digital gauge I figured I should do something, soon!

I wanted to build a new skid plate from scratch, but I'm pretty low on steel/materials, money and time with CO4RJ trip coming up. So I grabbed what steel I had left and started welding like a mad man. It's got to be better than stock and down the road I will build a new one. At least it has character.

 

well ill admit it aint the purdyest tank guard ive ever seen but as long as it works thats what matters

seeing what you have done with building bumpers and other things on this build up im sure when you get time and materials you will make a really kick a$$ one.