3rd Gen 4Runner on Rubicon

[Mr. Leary]

Nice pictures! Do you have a build thread?

x2. Wicked shots, man!

 

[AndrewP]

I looked at your build thread and had a few thoughts.

You have a clean and straight truck now. You will give that up if you run through the Rubicon. Really, it looks nice and dent free.

Your rear has good flex and articulation but your front does not. That would make a front locker even more helpful. I am assuming you would get better tires too. Those wheels are pretty bling, but not really appropriate for what you want to do. Unless you don't care about damage, I'd run some inexpensive steel wheels and save the $$ wheels for back home.

Your gearing does not sound adequate. At least regear to match tire size, and better yet some sort of a Crawler like an Inchworm or Lefty. You can't go too slow but you can easily go too fast.

The rear bumper is nicely done. Sliders look perfectly fine. With those and your skids, I think you are all set.

I would take off the roof rack. It will just get in your way and bang into trees and overhanging rocks.

Lighten your load. That alone will improve your capability. You mentioned you were in the 6500 pound range. That's really heavy to not have real gear reduction off-road.

At a minimum, gears and lockers, and be prepared for bent sheet metal. You'll have a blast. It's a great adventure.

Let me know what you decide to do.

 

[Mr. Leary]

I looked at your build thread and had a few thoughts.

You have a clean and straight truck now. You will give that up if you run through the Rubicon. Really, it looks nice and dent free.

Your rear has good flex and articulation but your front does not. That would make a front locker even more helpful. I am assuming you would get better tires too. Those wheels are pretty bling, but not really appropriate for what you want to do. Unless you don't care about damage, I'd run some inexpensive steel wheels and save the $$ wheels for back home.

Your gearing does not sound adequate. At least regear to match tire size, and better yet some sort of a Crawler like an Inchworm or Lefty. You can't go too slow but you can easily go too fast.

The rear bumper is nicely done. Sliders look perfectly fine. With those and your skids, I think you are all set.

I would take off the roof rack. It will just get in your way and bang into trees and overhanging rocks.

Lighten your load. That alone will improve your capability. You mentioned you were in the 6500 pound range. That's really heavy to not have real gear reduction off-road.

At a minimum, gears and lockers, and be prepared for bent sheet metal. You'll have a blast. It's a great adventure.

Let me know what you decide to do.

5500lbs loaded. Heavy, and not too much weight I can loose easily. The wheels I bought for the particular size, and couldn't care less how scratched up they get. Thanks for the advice. The Rubicon may have to wait a year or two. I hope it doesn't go anywhere!

 

[Green96D1]

I agree with the body damage about the rubicon. my father had a 1994 FJ-80 ARB lockers and full protection and beefier steering that is a must on the rubicon. He drove very slow and use his lockers and listened to his spotter very carefully and came out of the rubicon with a big grin on his face and no damage to his truck and the FJ-80 is a big vehicle. His good friend same line and almost same mods put a dent in his rear quarter panel. I do believe with some careful spotting and the right mods the 3rd gen 4runner will do good on the rubicon. it's all about how it's done.

I did the whole rubicon in a stock land rover freelander and all I came out with was a dent in the fuel tank and a very angry girlfriend hahaha

that was a joke!:victory:

 

[Mr. Leary]

I agree with the body damage about the rubicon. my father had a 1994 FJ-80 ARB lockers and full protection and beefier steering that is a must on the rubicon. He drove very slow and use his lockers and listened to his spotter very carefully and came out of the rubicon with a big grin on his face and no damage to his truck and the FJ-80 is a big vehicle. His good friend same line and almost same mods put a dent in his rear quarter panel. I do believe with some careful spotting and the right mods the 3rd gen 4runner will do good on the rubicon. it's all about how it's done.

I did the whole rubicon in a stock land rover freelander and all I came out with was a dent in the fuel tank and a very angry girlfriend hahaha

that was a joke!:victory:

It should have no problem... 'cuz its got 4wd and all, right? :coffeedrink:

 

[Green96D1]

It should have no problem... 'cuz its got 4wd and all, right? :coffeedrink:

:coffeedrink: well it's awd no low range! or Center diff lock

 

[Mr. Leary]

:coffeedrink: well it's awd no low range! or Center diff lock

Just slap a sticker on it that says "Trail Rated." Don't worry, it will be fine. :smiley_drive:

 

[AlexJet]

I lead the wagon run during Rubithon every year, and have a perspective on this.

You can do it, but with out a front locker it won't be pretty. You will need to be prepared to completely rebuild your front end on the trail as well. If you have spares, and can wrench on your truck, it's doable. Go in a small group of friends, so that when you are moving slowly and conservatively they won't get tired of stacking rocks, hauling winch cables and the like.

No matter what anyone says, the c/v half shafts are not that strong, and not nearly as strong as a mini-truck solid axle, so just accept that you might break, and that you need to be conservative. Be willing to winch or strap early and often. To me this is the most common error that first timers make. They bring a nice winch, that can save them a ton of pain, and then they don't want to use it.

I can almost promise you that you will have some body damage. If that would ruin your day, don't go. A long time Rubicon veteran told me my first trip to expect 1 new good dent each trip through. That's about right, and if your truck slips around more than average because of no front locker, you can expect more dents. I've been though there about 20 times, and my FJ40 has the dents to prove it, especially from the early years.

True story...We went through one time with one of our guys who had a 4 runner like yours. Rear locker, moderate lift, moderate tires, generally driven well. We were all patient and careful. At the end the only straight body panel was the hood, and the truck went home on a trailer due to some major suspension damage to the IFS-It wouldn't drive right on the road even though it was mobile.

Another true story...The Colorado club came for Rubithon 2 years ago and one of their guys (he posts here too) had an IFS truck. He did quite well and really didn't have major problems. I think just a rear spring broke. Again, he drove well and conservatively. DOn't know if he has a front locker. There is an element of luck to all of this, and not all breakage can be predicted.

Another...I've seen a bunch of FJCs do well at Rubithon and they have a similar suspension to yours. I've also seen several with spectacular breakage and damage. One poor soul last year was dragged into Rubicon SPrings and had broken both front half shafts. I do not have a clue how he got up Cadillac Hill after that, especially since I don't think he had parts with him.

Anyway, good luck. One thing I can predict....If you do Rubicon, you will come home plotting a SAS. That's normal/expected.

When do you plan on doing it?

Send me a PM if you want to talk specifically about it.

I know a person who done it on his 4th Gen without sliders and moderate lift. His damage was to broker rear sway-bar. He has posts in Toyota120 about his trip.

 

[zidaro]

Nice pictures! Do you have a build thread?

Off topic. But no, i dont on this rig at all- lots o pics though. But have an 87runner that is about to hit the heavy knife for a crawler/expo/go everywhere family rig and will be sure to post up my progress/ideas if there is interest. Also have a thread going on our newest toy:
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=38557
really the wifes rig that i will inherit in a few. Plan on adding the important stuff along the way.

TOPIC RUBICON- DO IT!!!!!:wings:

Its a blast, pm me when your on your way and i'll meet you there.
BTW- a moderate rig (read: mine) can easily cruz the 'con twice in 1 day w/o trouble. A 3 day trip is the BEST though as there is great camping to be had and a margi or 2 :sombrero: campfire style is a great way to spend an afternoon in the Sierras .

 

[LaOutbackTrail]

I'll come along and video the carnage.

 

[97kurt]

Im glad you started this thread. I am piecing together a ton of spare parts and doing all of my maintenance in the next few months to prep for this trail.

I went through your build thread but did not see if you had skid and belly protection. Also do you have upgraded rear lower links?

 

[CA-RJ]

Just when I thought I had rockcrawling out of my system, you have to go and post this thread. Thanks a lot!!! :sombrero: If you are handy with a wrench, willing to take it slow and okay with the possability of putting a dent or two in your 4Runner, you should do it. I would definetely regear to at least 4.88 and be locked at both ends though.

 

[ldivinag]

boy... if you want suffering without the body damage (well not as much), do the DUSY ERSHIM trail.

BTDT...

 

[zidaro]

NICE! Sorry to hear about the spring failure, that can put a kink in a trip. what kind of springs and how old?
Rest of the experience sounds straight up fun, and yes, Marlin is a very nice guy and will jump at the chance to talk or wrench Toyota.
Sweet truck.

 

[AndrewP]

Dave-Glad you posted up. It was your truck I was thinking of when I originally posted to this thread.

Funny, you actually had more damage than I thought, which just goes to show you the serious nature of that trail. Most Rubicon veterans bring extra main leafs for just the reason you needed them. I keep a front and a rear main with bushings bungied to the front bumper. It looks ghetto but I always know I can repair spring damage.

Your line at the top of big sluice was all wrong. That wasn't anything to do with the truck itself. It's usually best to line up a little straighter with the drop. Was that one of our guys spotting you? I can't tell who that was. Is that where your topper tent thing got damaged?

And just for the record, that isn't Volkswagon rock. Volkswagon rock is the "plug" at the bottom of Old Sluice which you bypassed by going over the slabs to Buck Island. I know that rock well after a broken axle at the end of a very long day several years ago. Mine is just one of hundreds of axles that rock has claimed. It's best to take the slabs and avoid unless you are set up for that kind of a challenge.