Reviving "Skelator"

[bh4rnnr]

Revivng "Skelator"

Plans are in the works to revive my 1987 Toyota 4runner. Currently, she rests at the cabin in Evergreen. Probably under a few feet of snow..... The 4runner was parked up there back in October, to save money on parking in Downtown Denver, and to Keep the vehicle. So as plans progress, and cabin fever sets in, I'm ready to get her on the road again.

The main thought I'm trying to keep with when building Skelator up again: "Keep it Toyota and keep it simple".

Some good words of advice from the Homegrown Crew.

My good friend TJ, of the Homegrown Crew has offered to help out. We currently plan on getting the 4runner into the shop sometime after Cruise Moab, as he will be spotting Ben in the "Raisin" in the western division XRRA Rock Races. So they have a lot going on getting the Raisin Ready, on top of a new buggy project. Current plans(over a few beers at the Wynkoop Brewing Co), call for choping off the current down tubes to make room to mount a roof top tent. My thought, is to keep the tubes a little lower than roof line to keep center of gravity low. I will be using a Series Three 1200 Eazi-Awn Roof Top Tent from Equipt1.com(no thanks to my tax return). It gets interesting from here, as thats as far as we have planned for Homegrown help. Beyond this, the 4runner will be left out in the streets so to speek, not that it's anything bad From TJ, it's just that's all the time they could give me(for right now)

From there, A dual battery set up(from Cruiser Outfitters) will be installed and probably Optimas for electrical power. From there, I'd like to get rid of the old and worn out e-z locker for a selectable unit, would rather not go through another set of gears.... Then it's just what time and $$ will allow till my clubs annual "Ghost Town Run" in July


So some pics to start with, as this build might be off to a slow start....

 

[Grim Reaper]

Well with the diamond rear I guess you have done a SAS already.

Its more of a rock crawler but it will work. Get some good shocks on it if it doesn't already have them. You may want to relocate the rear to stock locations. It will help reduce body roll at high speeds. The set up you have now is great for rocks but it lacks the leverage on the frame to help control sudden sway in faster turns. Maybe add a second set of shocks on quick disconnect pins for road travel.

Is it all tubed out now? I was wanting to build one with just enough cab to keep wipres, windsheild, heat and be able to get doors on it in the winter.

Other then that its setting it up to haul your camping gear. Maybe easily be done by just boxing in the rear to form a storage box.

Cool truck, can't wait to see more.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Nope, Grim, Skelator is still cranked IFS and 'glass fenders! And it goes just fine, thankyouverymuch. Perry's biggest issue I think is the way the tube work is done in the back. It used to be a 4Runner, which was chopped and tubed in. It is something of a crawler, no doubt about that. But I think he can modify the back end to be more like a pickup utility flat bed and get a couple of hoops in there to hold a RTT without too much issue. It's a pretty unique and cool truck, definitely well known around Denver in the mini truck circles because the two guys who have owned her are both knuckleheads. ;-)

 

[bh4rnnr]

Well with the diamond rear I guess you have done a SAS already.

Its more of a rock crawler but it will work. Get some good shocks on it if it doesn't already have them. You may want to relocate the rear to stock locations. It will help reduce body roll at high speeds. The set up you have now is great for rocks but it lacks the leverage on the frame to help control sudden sway in faster turns. Maybe add a second set of shocks on quick disconnect pins for road travel.

Is it all tubed out now? I was wanting to build one with just enough cab to keep wipres, windsheild, heat and be able to get doors on it in the winter.

Other then that its setting it up to haul your camping gear. Maybe easily be done by just boxing in the rear to form a storage box.

Cool truck, can't wait to see more.

Sorry, I forgot to post that the one pic(with Diamond axles) is the Raisin, not my 4runner.

As Dave Stated, it is tubed in the back. I'll post better pics tonight.

And sorry to say Dave, future plans call for a simple SAS setup.... Just not a fan of IFS

 

[DaveInDenver]

And sorry to say Dave, future plans call for a simple SAS setup.... Just not a fan of IFS

Your money. I'd spend it on a fridge and winch rather than an SAS, but I don't have the money for a fridge nor a winch and still have IFS, so what do I know? Let you know how Rubithon goes with 121" wheelbase and IFS... Like I've said before, the IFS is not what's holding me back, although in your case it might be since you are a much better driver than I'll ever be. I also like that my truck is not a hodge podge of this part or that. I can go to any Toyota dealer in the world and tell them the VIN and get every single part on there. Not trying to figure out which tie rod end, Pitman arm or brake pads I need in the boonies.

 

[Grim Reaper]

Sorry, I forgot to post that the one pic(with Diamond axles) is the Raisin, not my 4runner.

As Dave Stated, it is tubed in the back. I'll post better pics tonight.

And sorry to say Dave, future plans call for a simple SAS setup.... Just not a fan of IFS

There is not a solid axle truck in my club that can at all keep up with my stock IFS toy on wash board roads and still have any teeth left.

If you plan to rock crawl then go with the SAS. Most of the type stuff you would be doing with expedition travel the IFS will ride better and make for a more enjoyable ride.

For the record...my last truck http://coloradok5.com/stcreview.shtml was a Detroit at both ends K5 on 35's that ramped 800's on a 30degree ramp and could drive over cars (and has). Yeah I could pound the snot out of it but the better it got at the rocks the less I liked driving it on the road. The crawling also got old as it seemed like I would go wheeling one weekend and spend the next two fixing something or beating the fenders and doors back into usable shapes.

My runner with the E-locker got me back to the part of off roading I really liked. Back country travel , camping and the build.

Give the IFS a chance. Don't make it a priority to change it for a while. Work on the back end to make a storage set up and get a few trips under your belt.

 

[hojhauler]

very good points...

but the better it got at the rocks the less I liked driving it on the road. The crawling also got old as it seemed like I would go wheeling one weekend and spend the next two fixing something or beating the fenders and doors back into usable shapes.

This statement alone is why I have started lurking on this site which my wife likes to refer to as the "crack site" since I am looking at it sooo much.

 

[bh4rnnr]

There is not a solid axle truck in my club that can at all keep up with my stock IFS toy on wash board roads and still have any teeth left.

If you plan to rock crawl then go with the SAS. Most of the type stuff you would be doing with expedition travel the IFS will ride better and make for a more enjoyable ride.

For the record...my last truck http://coloradok5.com/stcreview.shtml was a Detroit at both ends K5 on 35's that ramped 800's on a 30degree ramp and could drive over cars (and has). Yeah I could pound the snot out of it but the better it got at the rocks the less I liked driving it on the road. The crawling also got old as it seemed like I would go wheeling one weekend and spend the next two fixing something or beating the fenders and doors back into usable shapes.

My runner with the E-locker got me back to the part of off roading I really liked. Back country travel , camping and the build.

Give the IFS a chance. Don't make it a priority to change it for a while. Work on the back end to make a storage set up and get a few trips under your belt.

I've wheeled the 4runner with the IFS setup for some time now. It's been good, and i've tried to learn as much as I could on it. It's worn out, I gues 260K will do that to a truck... I know there are a lot of good and bad to IFS, just like everything else we do here. Theres a lot that can go wrong on IFS setup, and working on it can be a pia( i've only had to do it in the shop). The same though can be said for a SAS setup.

I enjoy the old forgoten backroads, as much as a good wheeling trail. Figured with a good simple SAS setup, I could find a happy medium to each of them.

The build for the 4runner, is more and more looking to be done in phases as time and money will allow. Some of the bigger prioritys will be the engine/tranny/t-case. As mentioned, with 260k on the ticker, I figure it's time for some lovin. Currently planning on keeping with the 22re, though maybe upgrade to a DOA engine.. Install a new or re-built 5spd and a dual case setup from Marlin. That'll probably be done around this time next year.

The bed is the first step, since everything else works, for the most part. Want to get the Tent on while I have the $$. I do also plan on a fridge set up, along with another gas and possibly water tank if room allows.

Like I stated before, the build will be a little slow going, but figure it's always fun to here others input.