I have have been a long time viewer and short time participant. I have owned a 95 4runner that I have made some mods to but the bottom line was it was costing me more money than i wanted to spend on front end parts, head gaskets and valve cover gaskets. It was totally underpowered and a stiff ride. 2 yrs ago I bought my wife a 2000 4runner LTD - loaded with e locker. I bought it with the intent of making it my offroad rig when she got bored with it. This year I decided to sell the 95 4runner and build up the 2000. I bought the wife a Honda CRV "grocery getter." I started with a TJM-15 front bumper from Sonoran steel. I almost bought the Shrockworks but I was familiar with TJM since I had one on my 95. Talking to Steve sold me on the TJM. I had my welder weld me a receiver to the front frame rails inside the bumper so I could use my Warn 9.5 Ti on the cradle. I had a rear custom steel bumper fabricated by Rukznis welding. I liked the SS bumper but couldn't justify driving to AZ to have Steve do it. The custom rear bumper with receiver allows me to use the winch both back and front. I ran the winch cables down thru the frame rail so it doesn't get pinched on a rock. In order to hold up all that steel I decided to go with Sonoran Steel's 1.2 suspension system. I spent alot of time researching online and talking to Steve. I didn't have the time to do the install myself so I asked around and took the parts and 4runner to a local garage that supposedly had experience lifting trucks. 3days later and numerous calls to Steve I finally got the mechanic to call Steve and within 30 seconds Steve got him straightened out. I have not had much chance to get it offroad yet but the few times I have been out I have been impressed with the ride and flex.

Other mods include:

~New 265 75 R16 BFG AT's
~rear diff breather
~optima yellow top
~winch selenoid
~Satellite radio
~Husky rear cargo mat
~All synthetic fluids
~Budbuilt skid plate and belly plate
~complete asphualt under coat to protect it from the harsh ME winters
~Yakima roof rack with custom tire mount
~Warn 9.5ti on a cradle
~Tranny cooler
~bought a used fuel tank skid plate from Yotayard and had my welder weld several pieces of steel to the bottom to beef it up.
~Front bug shield
~GPS

Final mods this year will include 2nd set of rims wrapped with 285 75 R16 BFG KM2's once they are available this fall. I am thinking about the lx 450 rims. Still researching the backspace I will need.

Next year mod- sliders.

This will be my daily driver so it won't get beat on to bad until I'm ready to buy another one. I will use it alot offraod hunting and fishing.

Pics of my 95 and 2000 are on my gallery. too big to load here.

 

no pics and no links. meh.......

sounds like a nice build up. Looking forward to seeing it.

 

Sounds nice...

 

Sounds like someone built you a nice truck

 

http://photobucket.com/coreys4runner

I hope this works.

 

good looking rig mate.. the skid plates and belly plates are exellent.

 

very nice and I am intrigued by the winch possibilities at both ends-could you elaborate on that?

The cradle with winch is simply unplugged and moved from front to back?

nice pics- have me yearning to get away

 

Here ya go

 

They are called Multi-mount winches..they are wired for plugs front and back and then you can use the winch on the front or back in your reciever hitch...

http://truckstuffusa.com/warnportablewinches.html

 

thanks dirtoyboy

appreciate the link

I had never seen the picture of how the cradle mounted up to the hitch receiver-now I get it.

 

I live in ME and it wouldn;t take long to rust the cable with the winter salted roads we have. THis way I keep in the truck until I need it. What you can't see in the photos is a hitch approximately 1 foot long sticking out the back of the cradle. I use a pin and lock when I put it in the receiver. The receiver on front can be an issue if you get the wrong winch bumper. THe TJm works for me because the receiver (upside down) is in line with the fairlead slot. Sometimes you don't always want to go forward -you want to get the H-ll out of the hole your in, so that is why I set it up this way. It gives you options. In one of my pics you will see it mounted on the back of my 95. Had I not had that option I probablly would have rolled the truck. I used the winch to pull my rear down to earth. It was teeter tottering on 3 wheels.

If anyone has this set up I would urge you to weld the bolts on the bottom of the cradle that screw up into the winch so no one can steel your winch. I would always use a pin and lock as well. I have walked out of the woods from hunting and found a couple guys checking out the winch and I heard the comment "It ain't locked." Once they saw me they were trying to pretend they were just admiring it. I also use the front receiver to drive my camper into camp sites instead of backing. I use it for my bike rack as well. It adds weight to the front but the SS 1.2 system can handle it.

I will post some pics of the front receiver inside the bumper next week. I use the license plate to cover the hole when I'm not using the winch. I have a bolt thru the bumper and plate with a pin in the end so all I have to do is pull the pins and pop off the plate.

 

 

At some points in the project I was wishing someone else was building this and I could have just bought it from them. IT would have saved me a ton of time on the internet researching and many, many late nights in the garage. Not to mention the anguish and turmoil of making sure this all came together the way I wanted.

 

It makes it your rig, there are plenty of times i wish someone else was working having to deal with the small . (fixing an arb locker, fixing broken brake hard line, having to run oreilly shocks for a week), but it was a bonding experience for me and her, plus it was my time and i didnt have to pay someone else to do it. I think it would be harder to go through somebody else to get it the exact way you want.

 

Nice rig. Looks like you got your TJM rubber bumpers reversed. Swap sides and they will both face straight ahead.

 

Yeah- I know they are reversed. I had to put them that way to create the room I needed in between for my winch cradle. They look a little odd but it is is the only way they will work with the cradle.

 

Well- I have been doing more research on tires and rims. I think I have decided on 255/85/R16 on a stock 16x7 3rd gen. 4runner rims. These will be my offroad tire. I called BFG and they are going to release this size in September. From what I have read those who are running this size love them and have had very few issues with rubbing. The keys for me are- I can run stock rims with them, they will be lighter than the 285's, presumably decent for the gas mileage, rather minimal if any issue of rubbing, cheaper per tire, better in deep mud. Interested to hear if anyone has any reasons why I should not run this size tire?

 

I do believe that is a good size to go with for the 3rd gens.

That is a 32" equivalent correct? I believe it is Axle Ike that runs these and likes em.

 

Actually -depending on the brand tire I believe it is equivalent to a 33".

 

thanks -sorry, my bad. Eager to see those mounted on your ride.

Would those be in the neighborhood of $180-200 per tire or is pricing announced?