I finally got the winch mounted (temporarily) still need to make the frame reinforcement plate.







^^^The winch end cap was hitting the bracket that I made to bolt the smittybuilt bumper to the winch, so I had to drill new holes and move the winch to the right about an inch. Also the roller fairlead sits a about 1/4" too low, I can't slide my license plate back into the receiver tube, I'll probably have to drill some new holes in the fairlead and raise it up. It seems like something unforeseen always pops up!


^^^my helper gave me a hand today. the cable was wound really loosely, so I spooled out the cable and let him run the the remote so I could could wind it tighter. He got a kick out of running the winch. I also found out that the winch only winds in out won't unwind, just makes a clicking noise...I'll have to do some research, I've never had a winch before, I'm sure it can be torn apart and repaired. At least it free spools out and winds back up, lol.

 

Awesome job ED! Glad your boy could help out with it.

 

Thanks Mark! Yeah, he was really helpful today. I had the cable hooked to a cinder block to try to keep the line tight while I was winding the cable, he thought it was the coolest thing ever dragging that cinder block, lol.

 

Great job and your son getting to help getting it wound tighter. Little things like that add up for them in the long run. Looks great and I can hear you on when winter sets in that it does slow things down a lot. Seems like summer just started and now it is over.

 

Looks really good. It's always nice getting the kids involved. I took both of mine to a swap meet yesterday. They did a good job pointing out all the treasures lol.

 

Thanks Terry. Yeah I'm going to try to keep getting him involved with projects since he seems interested. he's only 6 and has a short attention span, so some of the little projects here and there seem to be the right size to keep his attention. Plus it keeps him busy enough that he doesn't walk off with my tools, lol.





Thanks! I'm kinda glad to be (mostly) finished with it. I probably leave the winch installed until I get the material to build the frame reinforcement plate. I need to go check the local metal scrap yard and see if I can score some 1/4" thick steel plate on the cheap.


Going to the swap meet is always fun, yeah I bet the kids were really good at finding lots of treasures!

 

Well I hit my first deer on the way to work this morning. I've dodged quite a few of them in the 2 years we've lived here, guess my luck ran out! I was driving my wife's Durango, I think if I would have been driving my 4runner it probably wouldn't have done any damage, especially with the new winch plate out front! Here's a pic of the carnage:





It busted the headlight, turn signal assembly, grill, bent the fender in, cracked the line to the AC and leaked all the coolant out, and the lights that illuminate the instrument cluster quite working. I don't plan on turning in a claim to the insurance company, our deductible is $500 and I know I can fix it for less than that!

 

Sorry to hear about the deer ED. It doesn't look too bad. I think you are right and can fix for less or close to that.

 

dang ed, that bumper looks really good, i like it a lot! well done and you get several points for originality too!

no good on the deer incident, i've had 2 or 3 close calls in my runner. at least it doesn't look too bad...

 

Thanks Mark. I've been looking on Craigslist and have already found 3 durango's that are getting parted out and they are the same color, I wish I had the money right now, I could probably score a replacement fender and not have to worry about painting it to match.

 

Thanks man, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, not to bad for a bunch of scrap metal, lol.

Yeah the deer incident sucks, I guess it could have been worse, my wife was pretty bummed out, I should've drove the 4 runner!

 

Ouch on the deer hit. They are getting over populated here and causing a lot of damage. We need a good deer kill this hunting season and just about like everywhere else, it is getting harder to find places to hunt. Something like that it would probably be better finding the parts versus dealing with the insurance.

 

Hi Terry. I agree on the over population, the day after I hit one, our on shift electrician at work hit one in his Tacoma. Wrecked up the front end worse than my wifes car, to bad it was a really nice truck'


I've been wanting to go hunting the last 2 years we've lived here, but like you said it's hard to know where to go, especially for me still learning the area, that and time/money always comes into play...and everyone at work takes vacation aroud this time of the year, so it's hard to get time off work...maybe next year, lol!


We're still going through the whole process on the Durango, not sure what we're going to do yet on it.

 

I was looking on top of the fridge for something, and found an older to-do list I had written awhile back. It got me to thinking it's probably time to make an updated one. This list is some things I plan to do as well as a "wish list" of things I hope to do some time in the future. I'll update this and add to it as I think of things.

Some of the things that were on the old list that I get to cross off:

***DONE***Replaced the passenger side exhaust manifold
***DONE***Installed new GlowShift gauges
***DONE***Built a new locking center console
***DONE***Installed new AllPro rear suspension
***DONE***Built a winch mount and installed winch
***DONE***Fixed the ground wire so my back window works
-Build frame reinforcement plate for winch mount
-Install power steering pump/fab up custom brackets to work with the 302
-Install a rear sump oil pan
-Install new aluminum radiator, shroud, 14" electric fan(already have most the parts)-modify core support and hood latch
-Grease U-joints, front and rear shackles
-Change oil & filter


NEW TO-DO LIST:

-Replace driverside window regulator
-New mufflers/run new exhaust pipes from the mufflers out the back
-Build rear bumper/tire carrier/hi-lift jack mount
-Build some 1/2 doors
-DIY soft topper
-Sliders
-Restore interior: recover seats (already have the canvas fabric), new carpet, repair or replace dashpad, repaint cargo area side panels, upgrade stereo/speakers, LED interior lights, replace dash lights with LEDs, install GlowShift Tach

WISH LIST

-Lockers
-New bigger winch, and build a front plate bumper
-Rear disc brake conversion
-T-case E-brake conversion
-Install 4.7 T-case gears & twin stick
-Hydro assist steering
...more stuff as I think of it!

 

That's great that you actually finished the last to do list. I seem to just keep adding and adding to mine.

 

Thanks Mark, but I had to go back and correct my list, there were a few things I put on the "new list" that were technically unfinished from the old list...felt like I was cheating, lol!

I hope to get my power steering hooked up before the cold weather really sets in, that will probably one of the last projects I take on before winter hits. I'd like to do the radiator swap, but I still need a cap and mounting brackets, just seems like I never have the extra cash to buy them!

 

SOOOOOO SICK! Wow, ....just wow! Love it! I can't wait to get fabricating! About to pick up my gear in a few days, but it might have to wait till after the holidays because I'm so busy! :-( :-(

 

What model of winch is that Ed??I know its a warn,but what model??looks awesome!!!you would of give that dear a bad headache with the runner!!!

 

Thanks Mark, good to hear from you! What kinda gear are you getting?

Thanks Chris! The winch is an older Warn M5000 that came on my 85' parts truck. The PO actually originally had it mounted to the same Smittybuilt bumper I have on my 4runner now, but he had the universal winch plate bolted to the bumper with 4 welded on tabs. I think the way he had it set up it probably would have pulled the bumper off the truck!

I plan to eventually get a better winch, I figured having this one is better than having none, lol.

 

Yesterday, I was toolin around and found my power steering pump and brackets I had packed away. So I bolted up that cradle looking bracket to the steering pump and was kinda mocking it into place to see what I can come up with for a mount. I think I can build a simple "L" bracket and weld it to the cradle bracket and bolt it to the driver side head. I'll have to relocate my coil, but that's no biggie. Hopefully I can work on it and get the power steering all hooked up this Tues/Wed!