Wheelerkr2's Build

Looks good! My fiance and I are both Hokies (she's class of '12 and I'm '13). I think that White Rubicon in your pictures from Harlan used to live a few houses down from me in Maple Ridge. haha if not there was a guy who had one pretty much identical.

Either way, truck looks good! I'm jealous I didn't have mine when I lived down there. It's not much, but there's a mildy intereting (read: I drove it in my camry, it's probably boring as hell in a Taco) that goes out the backside of Mountain Lake past the Biological research lake and will end up in WV on a paved road in the middle of a Buffalo farm. I think it's technically still 613, but it turns into a barely one-lane dirt road and there are some offshoot fireroads that I never went on but I've been told there are some good camping spots and hiking trails back there too. I believe theres a fire road that will take you west and wrap around the back side of the cascades up to the top of the mountain there.

There may be a gate there, but when you first come up to the lodge at Mountain Lake there is a really steep half dirt/half gravel road to the right that's pretty cool. It's really short but it takes you up to the overlook up top where the radio tower is. Really cool views of Blacksburg and Christiansburg from there. :thumbusp:

 

Thats Chris, its very possible that he did, he lives out in Christiansburg now with his girlfriend.

We used to go back onto the fire roads up at Mtn Lake all the time back when i was stock, the fire tower/overlook is awesome.

If y'all come back for a football game or anything let me know and we'll tailgate or hit some trails

 

Yea man, I watched a meteor shower up there one night and it was pretty badass.

and definitely, will do!

 

After joining the offroad club at school, me and my current roommate are moving into a house with 3 other guys who all have pretty built rigs. Throughout the year I've been helping with some fab projects and even fabled up my own skid and cab mount chop plates. As a house we are planning to go in on a tube bender for next year and one of the other guys moving in has a larger welder than what we've been using.

So the future plans for my truck are:
- build a hybrid tube and plate front bumper
- build either a hybrid rear or all plate rear bumper
- New leaf packs
- build transfer case skid
- Ditch aluminum camper shell for fiberglass

 

Sold the camper shell, liked how the truck looked with it off better.

Changed lower ball joints, not a terrible job if you have a press.

Got around to making a satoshi grill, not perfect but unless you're right on it you can't see the imperfections.



Didn't take any pics of bondo/paint


Planning on getting a lightbar to go behind it.

 

Installed an Amazon special lighter behind the grill, also painted my toyota emblem white and stuck it on the mesh

 

Where do you go to school. Also a vermonter

 

Sorry VT for Virginia Tech

 

Wheelin Potts on friday

 

Went to Potts Jeep trail yesterday, left blacksburg about 7:45 and everything was going well until after the first obstacle when a 4 runner in the group decided to shit a brick.


Driver side lower ball joint failed, we ratchet strapped the upper and lower together so we could limp to a clearing a couple yards ahead and move the 4runner off the trail. The owner of the 4runner and another guy in our group had to get back for previous obligations. We called o'reilys to see if they had the ball joints and they said they did so another guy in the group who was just riding said he would ride back in the 4 door jk in the group who had to be back and get the parts and then ride back on his dual sport. They left about 12:45

Myself and 2 others were going to wait at the 4 runner until the guy came back with the parts.

4 hours later... we here the dual sport in the distance and start to take apart the front end to replace the ball joint. We unpack the new ball joints and quickly realize O'Rielys had fucked up... They gave us the lowers to a 2wd tacoma, clearly not the same part.
SO we call a buddy with a jeep and he says he will go get the correct part and meet us on the trail. He doesn't show up until around 9:30.

On the other hand, we got an awesome view of the sunset from the overlook right after the washout

We get the ball joint changed and head on to do the rest of the trail and get the hell of this mountain.

Half a mile down the trail... passenger ball joint failure

By this time all parts stores were closed, only option was to ratchet strap the lower and upper together with as many straps as we could and limp the rest of the trail.


Called a buddy with a diesel and a trailer to meet us in newcastle to give us a tow back.

the 4 runner actually made it to the trailer with no problems with the ratchet strapped suspension.


Finally made it back to Blacksburg around 3AM... Long day on the trail.

Long story short, change your damn ball joints

Only took a few pics of actual wheeling because half the trail was done in the dark

 

FIFY "Long story short, get rid of all ball joints".

 

apparently his gen 4runner aftermarket lowers don't use uniballs, at least thats what he said. Something like because the tie rod connects to the ball joint instead of the knuckle like on our trucks.

 

What gen 4R?

 

3rd gen

 

Got a tool box for the bed from a friend who got a camper shell, mounted my hi lift to it tonight.

 

Got some 3rd gen 4runner wheels from my friend because they have better backspacing and i won't care if they get rock rash

for sale thread here: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/fs-rugged-trail-edition-rims.393180/

asking 450 obo since they're limited edition for rugged trails.
Wont ship but willing to drive an hour to meet

 

Finally got a break in the rain so i could snap a quick pic of the 4runner wheels on my truck, need to touch up the black paint a little but other than that i like how they look better than my old wheels

 

Updated OP

 

Started building a front bumper, really like the hybrid style so I'm gonna use tube for the sides. Still need to make some filler plates for the sides and some gussets for a few places, trim the mounting bracket and cut the holes for winch and weight reduction. Ordered a hoop from trail gear that ill weld up when it comes.

Buddy of mine has a bender so next time he goes home from school he's gonna bring it back and i'll bend up some tube sides