Looks way good, dude.

 

Sweet paint job!

 

Thanks guys! I'll add some more (better) pics, after I finish it up tomorrow.

 

Nice work!

 

I got up early this morning, and finished up the paint, before going to work. I really like the way it turned out.

More pics...

 

Sweet!! Rusto?

 

Yeah, Rustoleum for the green, Krylon for the black. I'm not happy with the Krylon, so next time around I'll try another brand. This will do 'til next year.

 

I got started on my HID's today. I ran all the wiring, mounted the ballasts, installed the bulbs into the Hella housings, and was able to fire them up. Wow are they bright! Hopefully tomorrow I can get the mounts for the lights figured out. Also, since I had the grille out, I removed the A/C condenser and receiver dryer. They are useless since the compressor is being used for OBA, and I wanted to clean up the clutter a bit.

Another pile of parts. The second switch will be used for another project in the future...



I mounted the relay near the battery...



Hella's drilled for the HID wiring...



I read somewhere that the newer 500's wouldn't work for the HID retrofit. I guess because these have different retaining clips for the bulbs. I removed them completely, and modified the tabs on the light housings to hold the bulbs in place. The wiring harness is so snug when the lights are reassembled, that the bulbs really don't have anywhere to go.



The switch is right next to my OBA switch. I'm going to have some decals made for the switch cover for identification...



I mounted the ballasts on the lower core support, behind my winch. Out of harms' way, and plenty of fresh air to keep them cool...



I got the HID kit from DDM Tuning, and I'm very impressed with the quality of the parts. Big thanks to elblako91 for his write up on these lights. I can't wait to try them out at Pismo next month.


More to come later today....

 

I didn't have time to make the mounts for the lights today, but I got some other things done. I forgot to take my camera to the shop, so no pics of today's work, sorry.

I need to have an IFS brace made, since my rear LCA brackets are pushed in a bit, so I went to a friends' shop for some help. We got the 4Runner on the rack to see what needed to be done, and found the damage to be worse than expected. The driver side LCA is bent, as well as the front and rear LCA mounts on that side. We decided not to attempt to straighten it out at this time. I'll be taking the 4Runner to another friends' shop next week, to straighten it up on his frame rack, and replace the LCA. If I can get the alignment right after that, then we'll get the IFS brace welded in.

Whew! If all that doesn't work out, I'll be gathering parts for an SAS. I really want to keep the IFS, but I wont shed a tear if I can't.

So, since the suspension is on hold 'til next week, we decided to reinforce my front cross member. I didn't do this before, because I was curious about how much abuse the stock cross member could take. The answer is...not too much. We made a 1/4" plate to laminate the front of the frame, and used 3/8" gussets on top. I am also going to upgrade the hardware, and add two more bolts through the winch plate and frame. It should now stand up to all the abuse I can throw at it.

Thanks to Dbcfr for all his help today.

 

I got the lights mounted up. They are very bright, but the beam pattern isn't that great. I'm going to get some regular 500's, since they have better lenses than the 500ff's.

 

Nice work, love the paint & radiator/fan set up.

 

paint looks great .. i like it ..

 

Just curious. Did you ever build your bumpers for re-sale? I just bought a real nice 87 SR5 for 500. and it has a 3 inch body lift. holler back and let me know.

 

Thanks for the compliments, guys. Dueler, I'm still not selling the bumpers, for now. Bummer, I know. Thanks for keeping me in mind though.




Updates on my build....I got the storage box installed in the cargo area, and my 130A alternator is in the mail. We're going out on a little trip Monday, so I'll have some new pics to post.

 

sounds like fun. I was thinking of going somewhere monday also, or go up to courtright on sunday stay till monday. where you guys headed?

 

Going up to Clover Meadow. Just supposed to be a casual trip up there, but I'm going to try to hit some trails throughout the day. We've got 4 or 5 rigs going so far, but more are always welcome.

 

Here are a few pics of my cargo area. I got the ammo can from ArmySurplusWarehouse.com for $15 plus shipping. It measures 23 1/2" L x 13 1/2" W x 7 3/4" T, which is just right for my tools and recovery gear. I mounted the box on 2" x 4" tubing so the spare would sit level on top of the box and air tank. My air hose fits perfectly under the box too.



My tools are in a new tankers bag, also from ArmySurplusWarehouse.com, next to my Warn recovery bag. The air tools and electrical diagnostic tools just fit at the end of the box.



Spare back on top.

 

you must pack vary lightly when wheeling.

 

Would u be interested in sellin me just the pre-bent tubes? I have a trail gear winch mount I bought because i was gonna try to build my own. but i dont have a way to bend the pipes as cleanly as you. plus i just like your bumper a ton..lol

 

I pretty much always carry everything I need, as far as tools and recovery gear goes. My camping gear, food and drink, all have their own place when we go on our trips. I'm pretty good at packing it all in. In the future, I will be restoring an M416 or M100 1/4 ton trailer to haul all the camping gear and trail spares to our destinations.

I'd be happy to, if I had a bender and notcher. The bender/notcher I used is now in So Cal where Savage Off-Road is building their bumpers and armor. If I ever get a bender again, I'll be making my bumpers for sale, on the side.