BogusBlake
2006 Expedition Trophy Champion
Sweet!
How about a picture of your wooden drawer slide mechanism?
How about a picture of your wooden drawer slide mechanism?
2001 4Runner ... let the mods begin
- Thread starter jeffryscott
- Start date
jeffryscott
2006 Rally Course Champion: Expedition Trophy
BogusBlake said:
It isn't much, 1x2 on the drawer bottom, one offset to put pressure on the 1x2 support I have on the box, and the other one sits flush against the side. I'll snap a pic tomorrow. Sounds fancier than it is though.
Not really supportive, but it keeps the side to side movement down. We'll see how it works when loaded and over time ...
Mlachica
TheRAMadaINN on Instagram
The drawers look great Jeff! Do you plan on gluing the carpet on or just stapling? How much time did this take you? You'll have to give us the details :lurk:
If you haven't heard I'm planning on selling my truck and getting an 80 series and I'm having fun brainstorming for the drawers/table/fridge slide in the back.
If you haven't heard I'm planning on selling my truck and getting an 80 series and I'm having fun brainstorming for the drawers/table/fridge slide in the back.
LexusAllTerrain
Expedition Leader
Mlachica said:
Wow! why do you want to sell your truck, it looks very nice!
articulate
Expedition Leader
Mmmm, yeah the wood will "fluctuate" a little with the weather. If you find that the drawers "stick" during humid or rainy times, it's the wood fibers expanding to match the climate. Otherwise, you can also put a layer of pastewax on the contacting surfaces to help them slide. It's an antique furniture restoration "trick."jeffryscott said:
I know you've made the carcass and drawers already, but you could have also used a little strip of high-density polyethelene (plastic-like stuff) on the sliding surfaces. That would make the drawers slide nicely.
Enough of that. You did a nice job, and I like the handles.
unk03:
Scott Brady
Founder
Mlachica said:
:smileeek:
jeffryscott
2006 Rally Course Champion: Expedition Trophy
Mlachica said:
If you do go with an 80, there are pre-built solutions which are very nice, as well as many more do-it-yourself creations that I've seen. I have looked at some of those to get ideas for this one. I did go as simple and inexpensive as I could for now ...
The storage system is quite simple: two 39-inch square pieces of plywood (ripped at Home Depot) and the height is nine inches (leftover from the 39-inch rip). Thirty nine is perfectly snug between the wheel wells and at 9 inches tall, perfect length front to back.
I put one rib down the middle for support then built the two drawers. Very simple, but it turned out fairly nice. Each iteration of rear storage gets better: first the Land Rover was primitive, the Suzuki was a bit nicer with the built in fridge, but certainly locked storage space and now this one.
As for carpet, I will probably screw it in on the sides. I may just herculine the drawers and leave the box raw, but don't know.
Time wasn't really calculated. Maybe 8 to 10 hours at this point. I'm not a woodworker and I tend to make things up as I go along (which is why drawer B is much better than drawer A), but that is also how I learn, trial and error. Without a lot of experience, I need to kind of see how the pieces fall into place.
I still plan to put d-rings down on top as tie-downs, and plan to secure the whole box to the back end to the factory tie-downs. I want to get a cargo net (should have one floating around in the shed) for loading things up and I should be good to go. This would be easy enough to adapt to a sleeping platform if I desired, but until kids are out of car seats, it doesn't make any sense.
So far I am happy with the results and it sure cleans up the rear end of clutter. Once I actually spend more time organizing things I think it will be very functional.
FourByLand
Expedition Leader
Jeff,
You are putting together a well thought out project...
:lurk:
You are putting together a well thought out project...
:lurk:
jeffryscott
2006 Rally Course Champion: Expedition Trophy
Had a few hours this last week and finally put on my OME N86 shocks to replace the original factory Tokico's.
Ride is a bit softer than I expected, but the shocks themselves have about 3-inches of longer travel which will be a huge benefit offroad. These will soon be paired with a set of 891 springs to provide approximately 2.5 inches of lift in the rear (buying a slightly used pair, should get them this week) and my Tundra coilovers which I still need to install.
Did take it on an easy trail yesterday and offroad the ride is improved and that extra bit of travel makes a big difference. Once I get all the suspension components on, I'll be ready for those 255/85/16 tires ...
Here's a pic of the OME vs. OEM rear shock:
Ride is a bit softer than I expected, but the shocks themselves have about 3-inches of longer travel which will be a huge benefit offroad. These will soon be paired with a set of 891 springs to provide approximately 2.5 inches of lift in the rear (buying a slightly used pair, should get them this week) and my Tundra coilovers which I still need to install.
Did take it on an easy trail yesterday and offroad the ride is improved and that extra bit of travel makes a big difference. Once I get all the suspension components on, I'll be ready for those 255/85/16 tires ...
Here's a pic of the OME vs. OEM rear shock:
jeffryscott
2006 Rally Course Champion: Expedition Trophy
This has been a good week of work on the truck:
Herculined the rear drawer system Monday and Tuesday.
Today, Tundra front coils/struts and OME 891s (Thanks Goodtimes) and fitted the 255/85/16 BFG MT's.
The suspension lift gave me approximately 3-inches of lift, and the tires add another inch or two of height (stockers are 265/70/16).Front Tundra shocks are approximately 1.5 inches longer and the springs gave about 3-inches of lift over stock, so I should have more travel with the IFS. The CV angles look great and to level out the vehicle I will probably add a 3/8-inch spacer.
First impressions: the ride is great. Swallows speed humps well, and an extremely limited test on dirt gave me a really good impression. Brian and I took it on a dirt patch near his home - there is slight rubbing of front and rear tires at compression or full turn, but not too much to worry about. The more agresive stance and tires certainly gives me greater confidence in the offroad prowess of this truck.
Checking the speedometer against the GPS finds it is slightly slow (whereas before it was about 4-percent fast before) Now it reads approximately 1-2 percent slow from the GPS.
I can't say I notice too much difference with acceleration (I thought I would) but do notice a difference braking - the bigger, heavier tires take a lot more to stop.
I am planning to hit a trail Sunday, so pics of the new and improved 4Runner will follow.
Meanwhile, here is the mostly completed rear storage system, the stock vs. Tundra front shock/strut, one side lifted vs. stock (no jacks, just suspension), and a bit of articulation sans swaybar:
Herculined the rear drawer system Monday and Tuesday.
Today, Tundra front coils/struts and OME 891s (Thanks Goodtimes) and fitted the 255/85/16 BFG MT's.
The suspension lift gave me approximately 3-inches of lift, and the tires add another inch or two of height (stockers are 265/70/16).Front Tundra shocks are approximately 1.5 inches longer and the springs gave about 3-inches of lift over stock, so I should have more travel with the IFS. The CV angles look great and to level out the vehicle I will probably add a 3/8-inch spacer.
First impressions: the ride is great. Swallows speed humps well, and an extremely limited test on dirt gave me a really good impression. Brian and I took it on a dirt patch near his home - there is slight rubbing of front and rear tires at compression or full turn, but not too much to worry about. The more agresive stance and tires certainly gives me greater confidence in the offroad prowess of this truck.
Checking the speedometer against the GPS finds it is slightly slow (whereas before it was about 4-percent fast before) Now it reads approximately 1-2 percent slow from the GPS.
I can't say I notice too much difference with acceleration (I thought I would) but do notice a difference braking - the bigger, heavier tires take a lot more to stop.
I am planning to hit a trail Sunday, so pics of the new and improved 4Runner will follow.
Meanwhile, here is the mostly completed rear storage system, the stock vs. Tundra front shock/strut, one side lifted vs. stock (no jacks, just suspension), and a bit of articulation sans swaybar:
Last edited:
SOAZ
Tim and Kelsey get lost..
Looks great! I love my runner too!
Drawers are really cool. I maxed out my carpentry skills doing what I did. I would have loved to have made them like yours!
(I would cute the lower black part off of the rear mud flaps. Flyingwil pointed out to me on a trail that everytime I went down a rock they would fold up. All of this yanking cause one of my boles holding the main plastic mud flap to pull loose. I cut the flap up to the painted part and now no problems.)
4Runner looks great. WHATS NEXT for it?!? :Mechanic:
Drawers are really cool. I maxed out my carpentry skills doing what I did. I would have loved to have made them like yours!
(I would cute the lower black part off of the rear mud flaps. Flyingwil pointed out to me on a trail that everytime I went down a rock they would fold up. All of this yanking cause one of my boles holding the main plastic mud flap to pull loose. I cut the flap up to the painted part and now no problems.)
4Runner looks great. WHATS NEXT for it?!? :Mechanic:
p1michaud
Expedition Leader
Coming together!
Wow, it's looking great! :bowdown:
I'm currious to hear how the tundra lift holds up for you. I believe you have a TJM with Warn M8000 up front correct?
I'm going to be forced to go with coilovers due to all the additional weight (TJM T-17, Warn M8000, dual battery, 1/2 the weight of sliders, 100 lbs of skid plate, etc...). I originally had 1.75" of lift with a set of OME 881 but now I'm back to stock height due to the additional weight.
Cheers :beer:,
P
jeffryscott said:
Wow, it's looking great! :bowdown:
I'm currious to hear how the tundra lift holds up for you. I believe you have a TJM with Warn M8000 up front correct?
I'm going to be forced to go with coilovers due to all the additional weight (TJM T-17, Warn M8000, dual battery, 1/2 the weight of sliders, 100 lbs of skid plate, etc...). I originally had 1.75" of lift with a set of OME 881 but now I'm back to stock height due to the additional weight.
Cheers :beer:,
P
xcmountain80
Expedition Leader
p1michaud said:
Coilovers? I run the tundra coils and probably have the heaviest or one of them. Tjm-17, 9k T-max winch, Budbuilt full skids.
Aaron
jeffryscott
2006 Rally Course Champion: Expedition Trophy
xcmountain80 said:
Aaron,
Are you running any spacers with the Tundras? What kind if you do?
I've got quite a rake to my vehicle so need to add front spacers to help even it out. Feel like I'm in a 70s muscle car, until I step on the gas.
BTW, those budbuilts look tough - they are on my list of things I would like to do.
jeffryscott
2006 Rally Course Champion: Expedition Trophy
SOAZ said:
Next will be to even out the rake (adding a spacer up front), get the winch up and running, clean up the rat's nest of wiring I've got going on under the hood with a fuse block ... and at some point I'd like to add a fridge (my drawer fridge for the Suzuki just doesn't fit in this), roof rack and another roof-top-tent (of better quality).
Also need to get my HAM license (I've passed the practice tests, now to actually take the real one).