Well, now that the excitement of Mark's body swap is over(mostly) I guess it's time to get back after my build...but not really.

Life gets in the way once more, though it darn well better turn out for the better. I have received and accepted a job in Ogden, UT, and if scheduling goes as they would like it to, I start work there April 7th. I bring it up now in my thread hoping anybody with knowledge of the area can tell me where there's good wheeling nearby and some good people to go do it with. I know there's Moab, of course, about 4 hours away, but hoping somebody knows about something closer. I'm researching some now, but will be spending most of my free time between then and now packing, assembling the Subie motor, and ensuring maintenance items are up to par on the Runner to make the trip, possibly a couple times.

A little scared, but very excited!

 

Hey, nice meeting you over at Chefs last weekend! I go through Lone Pine on my way to Mammoth, seems like a nice town. Awesome mountaineering and such. Good luck with the new job!

 

Likewise Nate. Lone Pine is a nice town, and I like the people I work with here and all, it's just too expensive. Next time you're passing through get lunch at Alabama Hills Cafe. Best food in town.

 

So a few things have transpired, may as well post it up...

Snow melted off enough that I could park my Forester at my cabin, so I rented myself a uhaul car hauler and loaded it up with the help of a coworker



I'm sure it was over the towing capacity of the Runner, but it had it's own surge brakes and I didn't have far to go, really...but here's proof I probably shouldn't have done it



Looks worse cause of the dirt caked on the underside, but it's still not pretty



Mostly just pivoted where the bumper bolts to the frame brackets, but it's bent a little, still. Loosened the bolts and made it pretty close to parallel with the body lines and tightened it up again, I figure the next rock ledge I drop onto will fix it the rest of the way for me.

Next issue was my shocks...the road up to the cabin is pretty rough, deep potholes and springs popping up under the paved parts, so I ended up breaking a stud off the top of the right rear OME shock. Got stock replacements, thinking since I'm not lifted that much it'd be ok, shouldn't limit the droop that much...wrong! This is full droop on right rear!



So the best price I could find on something that would work is Doetsch Tech 8250's from LowRange. Comparison to the OME's extended



Compressed(sorta, the OME's are nitrogen charged and the DT's are oil shocks, so I had to hold the OME compressed)



Now it's much better. They ride quite a lot like the OME's did, and this isn't full droop by a long shot. At least 4 more inches of droop at the tire if the other side is fully compressed





Other bit of information I recently got from Toyotech over on Andrew's(Red Wagon) build thread is that I'm 30k miles overdue for spark plug change, so I pulled mine to check their condition



So a tuneup will be in order soon. Finally changed my trans gear oil awhile back, though, and I can't recommend something synthetic enough! I'm averaging almost 2 mpg better and the trans stays cooler, I got a deal on Royal Purple cause the parts place was out of the Valvoline stuff the guy behind the counter recommended.

Doesn't happen often, so I got proof that she got a bath, too

 

Don't worry that bumper angle will fix itself next time you bang that fat ass off a rock. Mine is bent the other direction. It flexed so much it crushed the rear corner sheet metal.

 

WTF your in ogden Huh. Did you get the lead?

Say hi to parker for me!!

 

Hey Josh, how's it goin? I actually just took a lateral, but Timmy got the 8 spot here, too. I'll tell Charlie, he just started today.

That's pretty much what I'm counting on Andrew. It's still firmly attached.

 

Awesome update, and I'm really really really happy for you man! Sounds like you're very glad about the move!

 

What move? What did I miss?

 

Ha! Andrew I'm no longer in California, took a job in Utah. Ogden area, which is about 4 hours north of Moab as best as I can tell. It's a little bit more of a setback on the sas, but shouldn't be too bad. Might even make it sooner, went to a coworkers house in SLC for a BBQ and got a look at his roommate's shop out in the garage...220 welder, tube bender, a press he's gonna fabricate jigs to make it a press brake for sheet metal...all he's missing is a plasma, and he said to hit him up when it comes time to start chopping.

 

Oh sweet bro. I'll be heading back to Moab. It's so bad ass for wheeling it's as close to a guarantee as anyone can make in life.


I'll give you advanced warning~

 

That'd be sweet! Hoping I can get out there this fall for a bit, kind of found some cool stuff closer, but nothing too extreme. It'd be nice to run Moab ifs then soon after the sas, but we'll just have to see.

 

Don't worry bro. Tons of trails IFS can get through no worries in Moab.

 

Updates?

 

Rattlewagon, unfortunately no updates to speak of, except for maintenance. Fortunately, that's because I've been busy at work, though, and not as much that I'm strapped for cash. I have been talking to one of my neighbors who has built a couple Toyotas with sas and such, and he suggested an interesting idea for the rear suspension. I'll post a link to the setup he suggested that Ruffstuff sells, and it does seem like it'll be simpler and faster to set up for me, but basically it's the same thing as a Rubicon Express long arm/radius arm for a Jeep. I think I'd basically just have to weld a link bracket to the frame and align the upper part of the arm to work with the stock upper link mount on the rear axle, then set up some limit straps. Then it's a matter of selecting the right LC 80 series lift springs to match the height of the front. Eventually I'll have to plate/reinforce the link mount, as I've heard of them tearing away from the housing.

He also said he'd kick me in the nuts if I replaced the coil suspension with leafs, so that factors into the decision some...

 

This kit here is what I was thinking of getting
http://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/catalog/R1667.html

 

There are many practical advantages to leave though. However, you are already set up, so why not just move things around and stretch it out a bit. Looks like pretty good stuff. One good thing though, regarding something like 63's... Dime a dozen of the yards in the last forever for super cheap! But then, if you don't mind doing the Himes once in a while, etc.... I think you will do sick with it either way!

 

I fully agree, and until my buddy brought up the idea that's what I was gonna do. I just had to figure out which set of leafs to run. Instead, with just a couple brackets welded to the frame and making my panhard rod level again, I can probably just use 2" spacers over the coils to lift the rear, or maybe OME 80 series coils. Probably try the spacers first, since I know what it'll ride like and exactly how much lift I'll get as opposed to guessing and watching new springs for settling and such. As for the heims, when this gets done this thing shouldn't be my daily driver anymore, so I don't think I'll be replacing them after every winter due to UT salting the roads or anything.

 

My fabricator pointed out the possible legal issues of a coil over SAS. If you ever get an inspection they may pull it off the road. If you ever get in an accident........ yer f'd.

 

Why is this?