Wishbone Runner's Build

The shit box is running again after a rocky start to summer. I finished the link and axle install as well as the gas tank, and had everything done except for the gas tank skid, and was working on the arduous process of breaking in the gears by literally driving in circles to get the miles in, and I picked a poor night to do so in late June. I headed out doing a loop on 470 at 9:30 or so at night putting the miles, it was storming everywhere in Denver but I figured it would be too bad, and I was headed back home when I ran into the worst storm I have ever encountered around Morrison. This was the same storm that sent people to the hospital at Red Rocks, I was pummeled by baseball size hail, cracking my windshield instantly and I feared that the whole thing was going to cave in. So now the hood and roof look like a golf ball and there are two huge impact cracks right at the rearview mirror

 

Then, I finished the 500 miles of gear break in and got an evap CEL, so I was changing the gear oil and doing a check over of things and noticed that I apparently had shifted the gas tank forward a bit and had started to melt the tank at the seam where the exhaust crosses in front of it around the Atlas, which was already a really close clearance

 

So, ordered a new used tank, which showed up with the evap vent cracked and unusable, as well as the URD fuel pump @NYCO recommended above since I had to drop the tank again, got another tank ordered, and finally got it all put back together this weekend, as well as finished the gas tank skid. I layered it with some adhesive thermal wrap, and pushed it as far back as I could, hopefully this takes care of the issue.

 

Made a few upgrades to the URD pump setup as well, used some SS zip ties to hold the pump in place, which for some reason is not specified in the kit for the 4Runner but is for the Tacoma tank. Also swapped out the high pressure line that come with the kit, which are 3/8 and 3/16 fuel line with a union in the middle, with a hard line similar to the OEM setup.

 

Something similar to this heat shield might be helpful as well -

$50 Design Engineering 010450 Titanium Pipe Shield 6" x 1' Exhaust Heat Shield

https://www.amazon.com/Design-Engineering-010450-Titanium-Shield/dp/B00CF2RGHQ

I have something like that on the header of my built Subie, since the header almost comes into contact with the plastic fan shroud on the radiator. No problems with melting plastic there in over 10k miles since the whole build with that heat shield in place.

 

I have one of those next to the Atlas and was going to add one in this spot as well, but there isn't really enough clearance. I had it wrapped with header wrap prior to moving the tank, and I added an extra layer before I melted it, so I was pretty surprised it happened. In testing it out last night on a test drive, the wrapped section is MUCH cooler than the downstream section, I am wondering if the initial bake off generated a bunch of heat.

edit: I am going to order one and shove it in there anyways lol, dont want to deal with this issue again.

 

Also sold the Lexus and added this guy to the shed, 2019 Platinum with 30k on the odo. Came with the TRD pro wheels, TRD rear sway, TRD exhaust, TRD CAI, TRD front skid and Linex. I bought it in Houston and drove it back to CO, 1000 miles straight through the night. The shitty BFGs almost killed me on the drive home, all 4 were separating and about to blow. Upsized to a 33” Cooper AT3 XLT. Also added a soft tonneau and built a 8020 rack to go over the tonneau.

Broke her in with a 2000 mile trip up to Montana and Wyoming.

 

Butt dyno says the throttle response with the new pump is better, but IDK.

 

Added another heat shield, it actually fit pretty perfectly, leaving a 1/4” gap to the tank, should be good now. Threw the gas tank skid on as well, ready to roll.





Here are the modified tank straps to pull the tank right to the raised mounts.



And here is where the fuel filter landed, kinda janky, but it will do for now. I’d like to find a spot to put it under the hood, a quick look around and it seems like the fuel lines are hard up there and I didn’t find an easy way to tap into them, for another day.

 

Took the truck out the past two weekends for a proper shakedown, the first one started off poorly after putting a pin hole in the fuel filter It shifted over and hit the tcase flange, rubbing a hole it it and spitting gas all over the hot exhaust. Luckily smelled it and pulled over right away, pulled the filter and finished out the weekend. Threw a new one in when I got back and secured it with a hose clamp even further away from the flange . . .

 

Took both trucks up to the flattops to explore, scratched the shit out of the Tundra on brush, which sucked, but had a great time exploring the area.

 

The following weekend really got to test out the new rear end, which performed flawlessly, the raised tank made a huge difference in several spots where I would have previously gotten hung up.

 

9 years sine my last fish out of the truck, photo credit @Squeaky Penguin

 

That shot you got before the sun came over the ridge!

 

Hells yeah! Good looking rigs! Thanks for sharing

 

In so many ways, FUCK

 

Winter refresh, blew up yet another set of rubber bumps last fall, so finally pulled the trigger on hydros. Pretty much copied Kings design for the mount, came out great. I added a 1” spacer to destroke them to 1” of travel, so they engage later in travel, 1.25 .120 wall DOM.

 

With brake lines in the stock spot, they rub on the bumps. I tried to make a set of SS lines I had lying around work, by they are too short. Need to take some measurements and order some custom ones from Crown.

 

Also pulled the rear shocks for a rebuild and new shafts, got 10 seasons out of them. While I had them off I cleaned them up and hit them with Steelit, not sure how well it is going to hold up though getting rock blasted.

 

I wanted to get some more shit done, but just had surgery on my right shoulder repairing a torn labrum, so anymore wrenching is going to have to wait for 6 months or so, but I should be able to get everything back together with the help of the Mrs and be ready for spring wheeling.