2003 4Runner Limited 4wd V8 FJ tcased overlanding rockcrawling do-it-all build

Yeah, I specifically went to that site with you in mind!

 

Here are some good channels to watch of people who unearthed their Titan II complexes.

https://www.youtube.com/c/DeathWearsBunnySlippers

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_RPlY2xoUdNOnscUaOu3BA

This guy is in Arizona.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcuKvkhw-GdhgxT7XFEAlfg

 

Awesome! You should go visit the museum in Sahuarita. It’s on my bucket list.

 

If it ever opens again, you know it!

 

The guy in Arizona is here is Tucson. Well, just east of Tucson. Probably an hour or so from me since I'm on the North West end of town.

 

Completed a little project this morning. Relocating the washer bottle. Not going to post a bunch of details as it's all covered here - https://www.silverrhinomedia.com/blog/washer-tank-relocation

Bought the same bottle from Amazon that he used and followed his steps. Only difference being I didn't make the little bracket. Instead, I just put another rivnut in the fenderwell, made a spacer and used a longer bolt. Just as solid. All works great and now I have one less step when I do the front bumper.

 

I don’t like it

 

So last weekend, 10/15/20 thru 10/19/20, I was out at Moab, UT with a bunch of other hooligans from here on TacomaWorld. Had a great time camping and hanging out with a bunch of guys that I had only ever conversed with on the forums. We all had a blast, no one broke anything and we didn't get the 'rona.

I drove out Thursday, about a 9 hour drive to Moab from Tucson.







Stopped at Mexican Hat for a quick pic.



Got into Moab and the meeting point around 4:30pm Thursday.



Friday afternoon, we ran most of the M&M trail. Very tame trail, long and still fun. Gives some spectacular views too.



Seen here are, left to right, @eon_blue, @esxcli, yours truly and @Kwikvette .













Saturday, we ran the Fins N Things trail. Really fun trail, has some fun and challenging obstacles too. Rear locker would be helpful for some obstacles but by no means were they required. Got some new scrapes on the undercarriage, glad I had done the armor for the rear lower control arms because it did get used a little. Also scraped up the rear bumper pretty good on the last obstacle that we dubbed "Sean's Bad Decision". Unfortunately, I have no pics of me climbing that one.

Pics of climbs like this one are very deceiving. They don't look nearly as steep as they actually are. @eon_blue at the top.



@esxcli Coming down one of the steep descents.





@esxcli again, doing @esxcli things. He came down the same part he is climbing here. Everyone else came down on the less drop-offy left side, which is to the right in the pic where @Kwikvette and @eon_blue are standing. That's @JKO1998 at the top, running away.



Little video of me doing another obstacle we came upon. Again, The video doesn't really capture how intimidating this looked in person.

https://photos.smugmug.com/Tripping...tqHB/0/b148c955/1280/20201017_144727-1280.mp4

And then there was @Kwikvette going full send mode. He claims it was because he was used to having a prerunner and not knowing how much 4wd helps but I think he just wanted to get some air

https://photos.smugmug.com/Tripping...9s/0/b1d64de2/1280/20201017_145146_1-1280.mp4

Little timelaps of a small climb on the Fins N Things Trail. Courtesy of @eon_blue









Sunday, we took a much easier trail, mainly for the sites it provided. These are from the Gemini Bridges trail.





@esxcli doing things again.



@Kwikvette, @JKO1998, @esxcli, @Blue92



@eon_blue



https://photos.smugmug.com/Tripping...-nCGFM5q/0/aaa7213b/X4/20201018_120148-X4.jpg







@BartMaster1234, @esxcli, @JKO1998, Chris (he's a Camry guy but we forgave him) and @eon_blue













Face in the rocks.



Most people left Sunday after we got back to camp from the Gemini Bridges trail. @eon_blue, @Kwikvette and myself stayed one more night to try and avoid Sunday traffic going home and parted ways Monday morning.



Great trip, great people. Can't wait to do it again!

 

Why? It's functional and would have to be done when I put a new bumper on the truck anyhow.

 

Just because.

 

Working on hopefully fixing the broken plastic of the driver side plastic door moldings/flare. Was broken when I got it, either stuff getting closed in the door or people just tearing out of the passenger doors and catching the flare lip that sticks out.

Thought about maybe leaving them off but the doors look like shit without them and I can see the potential for mud and crap getting further into the door area.







New clips. Need to order some more. Yes, they are in different positions than original. I compared sixes to the holes on the flare and this is what works with the new clips. They are aftermarket, so...



Used JB Weld epoxy putty for plastic on the broken plastic tab at the top (white) Cut some sheet metal to remake the rivet part that had broken off as well and used plastic to metal JB Weld epoxy for those (black).





Letting it all cure overnight. Hopefully it's a strong enough bond to hold.

 

Coming soon.

 

Started working on the sliders this morning.





Had to trim the rear passenger door plastic cladding at the bottom so the door would clear. I'd pull it all off but the door looks like shit underneath with the way it's formed from the factory. Forget to get pics of that but it does clear the slider now.

Measured and test fit the frame legs and then burned those together.





And this is basically where I left off for today.



Hopefully finish up the driver side tomorrow and get that painted and then I can work on the passenger side.

 

My sliders have bent up a bit over time and every other year I need to trim that part back a bit further . . .

What brand are those?

 

These are 4xInnovations sliders. DOM with kickout, square main tube.

https://www.4xinnovations.com/1990--2020-4-Runner-Rock-Sliders_p_75.html

 

Guess I forgot to update on slider progress.

Got the driver side completed and painted Sunday morning and then started working on the passenger side.

Pre-painted the top half before final welding to the frame.





No pics of the final install work, I was too busy. But it lined up almost perfect. I had to use a couple ratchet straps to pull the legs flush to the frame but it was only like 1/8" gap, so it didn't have to go far. I was able to tuck it up nice and tight and still have about 1/2" between the slider and the bottom pinch seam.







This is the inside of the passenger side rear door cladding. Gives you a bit of an idea of how much I trimmed off the bottom to clear the sliders. I found the easiest way to do the trimming was using the same tin snips I cut the metal bracket with to cut the plastic and then clean and final trim with a box knife.









I also had to repair the same broken rivet tabs that I did on the driver side.



And this is where the passenger slider sits until I can finish welding and painting.



I reinstalled the passenger rear door classing after work tonight and checked fitment with the slider legs tacked in place. Need to make some adjustments to the middle and rear legs and also grind down some protruding factory welding of the LCA bracket on the frame. There's a weld that is right in the way of the leg, even with the plate chopped on the corner. I'll continue working on it during the week, after work. Hopefully have it fully installed before the weekend or by Saturday morning at the latest.

 

Finished up the passenger side this morning.



Now to start figuring out a rear bumper.

 

Oh shit, you finally finished your sliders

Looking good!

 

Yeah, ran outta time last weekend and wasn't motivated enough after being at work all day to do it during the week.