Clutch’s deep thoughts thread...

[Clutch]

I think those 4Runner wheels are the best looking ones Toyota has offered in an alloy. I would be getting myself a set of them if my new 1st Gen didn’t have 90% BFG ATs in a 15” size. With your green truck they would even look good in factory silver. I do love the Duplicolor graphite though.

As for cougars/mtn lions, there used to be one that followed me around for hours in my Pisten Bully. It must have been in love with the big cat!? You could see the glowing eyes in the rear facing work lights, and then their tracks would freeze into the corduroy. Wolves are becoming a big problem again in BC. I had one walk past me about 30’ away while I was white tail hunting last month. I’d hate to meet one in a dark alley... check out the size of its paws in the pic below next to my size 9 winter boot!

View attachment 488020

I had them on for a bit, before I threw my snow tires on, liked them "ok" but not sure about the silver...might be the 265/70 street treads it cam with too...looked a little wimpy...did like the 2-3 gain in gas mileage though.

Was up in the Sawtooths, Idaho area this past fall. Was about 30 miles back in...and what I am guessing were tracks from wolves...just appeared out of nowhere...no bicycle or hiking shoe tracks...which had me thinking it was wolves and not dogs. Looked to be 5-6 of of them. There were also deer tracks...asssuming they were tracking...was waiting to come around a bend and see them feeding on a carcass. Next day I was in the same area, and there were tracks over my tire marks. Riding by myself...nervous for sure!

 

[Buddha.]

I just picked up some stock 17" aluminum chevy wheels for winter use. I showed up to buy them(craigslist) and it was some teenage girls who were put in charge of the exchange. First they tried to sell me some wheels with giant 37" or bigger mud tires on them, I'm like nope keep looking. They came back with some sweet 16*10 Micky Thompson wheels, nope try again. After the third try they finally found the cheap stockers i was looking for. I wonder what the old man would have thought if he came home and learned the girls sold the wrong wheels for 200$.

Finding the the tires to go on those wheels has taken me three hours. I tried getting 235/80r17 pizza cutters but they are *only* rated at 3000# pounds each and they wouldn't sell them to me for my 2500(it's under 10,000# gvwr ******). I then tried 245's and no one could get them for over a week. I eventually ended up with 265's because I found someone who had one set of them in stock. Why is it so hard to find snow tires in MN in December!?

 

[redthies]

Was up in the Sawtooths, Idaho area this past fall. Was about 30 miles back in...and what I am guessing was tracks from wolves...just appeared out of nowhere...no bicycle or hiking shoe tracks...which had me thinking it was wolves and not dogs. Looked to be 5-6 of of them. There were also deer tracks...asssuming they were tracking...was waiting to come around a bend and see them feeding on a carcass.

Yeah, there are big wolf issues now up in B.C. It’s really changing the deer behaviour and habitat. They are super adaptable, but numbers of every ungulate are in decline. I’m not exactly an expert but most of the guys I know that spend a lot of time in the bush are saying prey animals are few and far between.

 

[Clutch]

Yeah, there are big wolf issues now up in B.C. It’s really changing the deer behaviour and habitat. They are super adaptable, but numbers of every ungulate are in decline. I’m not exactly an expert but most of the guys I know that spend a lot of time in the bush are saying prey animals are few and far between.

Yeah the whole wolf debate is a big thing here too, people are pretty divided on it.


Different area, this was in Idaho City this past spring...looked to be only a few hours old. Bear cub, right?...that made me a little nervous. Didn't see anything though. They were along with deer tracks too.

 

[Clutch]

I just picked up some stock 17" aluminum chevy wheels for winter use. I showed up to buy them(craigslist) and it was some teenage girls who were put in charge of the exchange. First they tried to sell me some wheels with giant 37" or bigger mud tires on them, I'm like nope keep looking. They came back with some sweet 16*10 Micky Thompson wheels, nope try again. After the third try they finally found the cheap stockers i was looking for. I wonder what the old man would have thought if he came home and learned the girls sold the wrong wheels for 200$.

Oh man, bet he would of been pissed!

Finding the the tires to go on those wheels has taken me three hours. I tried getting 235/80r17 pizza cutters but they are *only* rated at 3000# pounds each and they wouldn't sell them to me for my 2500(it's under 10,000# gvwr ******). I then tried 245's and no one could get them for over a week. I eventually ended up with 265's because I found someone who had one set of them in stock. Why is it so hard to find snow tires in MN in December!?

Found a set of 16" stock 6 spoke aluminum wheels for $50 on CL for my snow tires, score! and then found those 5 spokes with tires on them already for $300. Not the size I like at 265/70...but at that price, run them until they are bald. Great for commuting. Still have the stock 15" 6 spoke...which have AT's on them...which are about worn out. So I may either toss on some AT's or even MT's and only use them for camping/exploring.

 

[Clutch]

Did see a big ol black bear this year by the road side...but by the time I backed up and got my camera out...he was up the hillside. Damn, they can hustle.

 

[thezentree]

Those look good, thanks for the advice. That is what I was going to do with wheel prep, have stripped stuff in the past it is a pain in the butt. My truck is Jade Mica Green, found this picture of one with Tundra wheels, think it will look good.

I love that color. The 4Runner got repainted before I got it with some awful non-millenium silver maaco junk and it's flaking off. I'm strongly considering JGM whenever I get around to repainting it.

 

[Clutch]

There was another guy who claimed he was a victim of trail sabotage in Alberta but there were tons of holes in his story. It wound up being investigated by the RCMP and last I heard, he'd fled Canada before his trial date (link)

Always two sides of coin, eh?

Found that article. I have personally encountered his cables strung across trails. Damn lucky I saw it in time. All I did was report it to the Forest Service, and nothing really came of it.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/azdail...4f09385d-5562-5fe4-90f6-46979c0a4927.amp.html

 

[Clutch]

I love that color. The 4Runner got repainted before I got it with some awful non-millenium silver maaco junk and it's flaking off. I'm strongly considering JGM whenever I get around to repainting it.

I originally wanted silver, but my buddy was selling this one. Didn’t like it at first but have grown to love it.

Mine needs repainted too, the clear coat is baked off from living most of its life in AZ. Debating whether or not though. If I do...think I might restore my Wildernest at the same time and color match it. Amazingly saw another guy in town with a JMG Tacoma and colored matched Wildernest, looked pretty sharp.

Like bronze wheels on them too, not sure if the 5 Spokes will look good in that color though. Might be a little much.

 

[redthies]

They would look cool in bronze! Our 4 door Gen 1 Taco was silver, but I always liked the green and red colours from around the 2001 era.

I’m debating color for the ‘89 4Runner I just picked up. It’s red from the factory, but I need to do a bit of rust repair on pretty much every panel, so I may as well change color while I am at it as the wife doesn’t like the red. I’d go dune beige, but it’s got a gray interior so that won’t work. I’m thinking maybe something close to the new Taco cement gray, but not sure. It’ll probably wind up ExPo white.

Those are bear tracks for sure, but without seeing the 5th toe it’s hard to tell if it was a black or griz.

 

[Buddha.]

Yeah, there are big wolf issues now up in B.C. It’s really changing the deer behaviour and habitat. They are super adaptable, but numbers of every ungulate are in decline. I’m not exactly an expert but most of the guys I know that spend a lot of time in the bush are saying prey animals are few and far between.

There's a place we like to go in northern Minnesota, on the border. They had a friendly golden retriever that would greet guests. Wolves ate it one night, too bad. Apparently wolves were not a problem in recent history.

 

[DaveInDenver]

There's a place we like to go in northern Minnesota, on the border. They had a friendly golden retriever that would greet guests. Wolves ate it one night, too bad. Apparently wolves were not a problem in recent history.

I was just reading something about this. Wolves definitely thin herds but our perception of how common deer and elk are is probably distorted in the first place. Thriving herds seems to be bad for lots of other species of plants and animals. The thing is aspen, beaver and raptors aren't important to human hunters so the benefit of having wolves in the ecosystem is understated. That's not to say wolf vs elk & deer populations are ideal but they do seem to be very important.

https://www.yellowstonepark.com/things-to-do/wolf-reintroduction-changes-ecosystem

https://www.esa.org/esa/are-wolves-saving-yellowstones-aspen-trees-from-elk/

 

[Clutch]

They would look cool in bronze! Our 4 door Gen 1 Taco was silver, but I always liked the green and red colours from around the 2001 era.

I’m debating color for the ‘89 4Runner I just picked up. It’s red from the factory, but I need to do a bit of rust repair on pretty much every panel, so I may as well change color while I am at it as the wife doesn’t like the red. I’d go dune beige, but it’s got a gray interior so that won’t work. I’m thinking maybe something close to the new Taco cement gray, but not sure. It’ll probably wind up ExPo white.

Those are bear tracks for sure, but without seeing the 5th toe it’s hard to tell if it was a black or griz.

Ignore your wife! I vote for red.

 

[Wallygator]

I was just reading something about this. Wolves definitely thin herds but our perception of how common deer and elk are is probably distorted in the first place. Thriving herds seems to be bad for lots of other species of plants and animals. The thing is aspen, beaver and raptors aren't important to human hunters so the benefit of having wolves in the ecosystem is understated. That's not to say wolf vs elk & deer populations are ideal but they do seem to be very important.

https://www.yellowstonepark.com/things-to-do/wolf-reintroduction-changes-ecosystem

https://www.esa.org/esa/are-wolves-saving-yellowstones-aspen-trees-from-elk/

Man always thinks he can manage things better than mother nature can. He can't. I would equate wolves to sharks, I believe both are extremely important for the balance of things.

 

[redthies]

Man always thinks he can manage things better than mother nature can. He can't. I would equate wolves to sharks, I believe both are extremely important for the balance of things.

Oops we killed off all the wolves... better bring them back and protect them... oops, now there are too many... damn, better have a cull...

Stupid humans!