Well im startin to do more and more to my yota lil by lil so i think its time for a build up thread. So here it goes.

My names john im 18 and got my 4runner right after i got my perment. Its a 1995 3.0 5 speed and paid $2500 for it. i never really drove a stick befor but always wanted one. picked it up with my dad and drove it home. I leared to drive in it lol staled at least 20 times on the way home. When my parents were gone i would take it out around the block to practice shifting.

The first week i got my licence i suck it in a friends field. This was the very first time out in 4wd. man it was a blast.


A few days later went to a local spot and did a lil trail riding with some friends.

My 4runner was pretty much stock.

After finding this site i did my first mod.


after that i just did alot of playin around in some mud holes and not many more mods really sep a cb for my lil group lol. and added some cheap baja lights from wally world.

i wore out the 31s so i found a pair of 33s 12.50s from a old man for 100 bucks and swaped them on.not really much went on for about a year just beatin it alot.


blew my 4.30s in the rear and plan on goin to 35s sometime so i put 5.29s and a spool in the rear.

 

with the subs in the back i dont got alot of room for stuff when goin campin and goin on trips. im in weldin now so i decied to make me a basket. went to the local pull a part and got the rails off a 4runner and got to put them on mine. im waitin on the rev nut tool from fastenal now.

on to the rack. used 1" thin wall square tube.




still workin on it, might get done with it monday.
dynasty 300 i used to tig it.


and the bender


its turnin out really nice i think

 

after many spills and soakings the rear carpet was alomost shot. finaly i left my tailgate window down durin a huge rain storm and it smelt so bad in there so yesterday and got some rustoleum truck bed liner and pulled the cargo area carpet. im goin to do the whole inside sometime but the rear had to be down now.

removed the sound pad and was left with tar like goop.


it took a while but finally got it ready to paint.
I used 50 grit sands paper to prep and rubing alcohal.



i put on a good 3 to 4 coats and it turned out good for the price. time will tell if it holds up




thats all for now i will post updateds when i get more done with the rack and make the new 6"x9" boxes in the storage compartments. old ones went to hell after the rain storm.

 

go some work down on the boxs today. didnt fell like makin whole new boxs so i used the storge as a box and just cut a piece of wood for the top. goraila glue works really good.


driverside done.


pass side almost done. still got to paint. its turnin out great


will finsh tommorow and work on the rack

 

Man thats looking great so far. Im diggin the rack, looks better than most on the market.

And yesterday i was thinking about stripping out the carpet like that, it looks good, so i will definatly be doing it

 

rack so close to done just got to make the light mounts and the feet then paint. heres a test fit and what its goin to look like.




i like it alot.

 

got some rails form pull-a-part for the new basket and mounted them up today.
i used 1/4 20s revnuts and 1/4 20 flat heads. turned out perfect.

The first hole was the hardest. it was painful drillin into the roof but got easier after a few.
first hole

right side

done

 

got some more work done today.
weldin the feet on.



so close to bein done just got to make the light tabs then paint.


the lights also came in today after school for the rack. cant beat 200 bucks
shipped for 4 from costco. i just put in the 100 watt bulbs. it was really ez.


might go to pops work tommorow to make the light tabs.

 

about to run my wires to the lights on the rack. where have other people ran their wires at? i was thinkin though my third brake light or the side of the door.

 

finlly had time to update.
i got all my wires ran and made a sweet switch board that fit perfect under the radio.





switchs

 

baskets all done.




i think it looks really good and the lights really light up the night.

 

Awesome sauce.

 

looks sick dude. really good looking 4runner 35"s will be badass on that thing

 

nice tig work, cant ask for a better machine to work with.

 

Man this thread is really inspiring! thats some good fab work with the rack! i actually want to build myself one as well.

how much do you think the rack weighed overall? thats the one thing im worried about throwin a rack up there.

 

Question on the bedliner prep work. Did you scrape the glue up or just sand?

 

thanks man i would say it weighs maybe 45-50 pounds at the most.... its been holdin up really good.

 

i scraped most of it of the best i could and the rest i used this degresser cleaner to get the rest of it. Its still lookin good.

 

more updates coming... just had to rebuild the tranny, and diff. and a few seals in the transfer case.

also got some new shoes

 

after a long drive to Va on the way back the trans, 3rd, and drive shaft all went to hell... had to replace a few seals, and bearings and get a new gear set for the 3rd.
put a new flywheel and clucth on too.
working