Build The DirtStyle Runna (1st gen 4Runner on tons)

I’ll take some pics when I get a chance. They’re basically mounted off a 1 5/8” .120 tube that’s welded between my b and c pillars and the shock mounts are behind the back seats close to the C pillar tube.
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I’m actually planning to add some gussets to tie the shock mounts in more before hammers as they’re going to see quite a bit more abuse in the whoops then they do here in Texas. I originally added that bar to help protect rear passengers from hard side rock impacts as otherwise the body could cave into the passenger compartment substantially. There’s also tube from C to the back cage to protect the propane bottles too. So it’s all tied in pretty well. And the cage is also tied into the frame front to back.
 
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That’s how I did it. Like I said still gonna do some tube gussets on top of the shock bracket to the C pillar.

This is what I’m thinking for the soft windows. I’m kind of thinking maybe like some magnetic strips on the sides and bottom. that I can bolt/epoxy into this soft window. And hard mounted at the top. Still needs to be trimmed down some more and then figure out the magnet solution but I think it’ll work. I don’t see me using this hard top hardly at all other than at Hammers when it’s cold like KoH can be so in theory it should last alright
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A guy on a FB group had a stupid easy solution. Hinge the sliding glass window at the top, use struts to hold it up. Have some type of latch on the inside bottom to keep it closed.
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Seems like it’ll work for sure. Heading to Cali for work and when I get back I’ll order these hinges and try this. The biggest thing to figure out will be the struts. I’m guessing something like what is used on truck tool boxes and stuff. I imagine there’ll be some finagling to get it to open right but dang… I think it’s gonna be super trick.
 
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Got my starlink mini mount figured out. It’s not fancy but it’ll honestly be hidden under the bikini top all the time. Wanted it to be below the roll cage just in case I do go all the way over. Should be pretty safe there. Wired in a 12V converter to my switch pro so i don’t have to deal with an inverter. Tested it out already and it’s all good. Tomorrow I’ll probably mess with some spring rates.
 
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Yup. The idea works. I’m going to bond the hinge to the window frame and top with some JB weld products, it’s in with screws right now but I think the screws will eventually waller out in the fiberglass. Pretty funny that it really does work. Now I just need to figure out a strut and latching mechanism that I can latch inside or out.
 
tribal4krawler said:
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Yup. The idea works. I’m going to bond the hinge to the window frame and top with some JB weld products, it’s in with screws right now but I think the screws will eventually waller out in the fiberglass. Pretty funny that it really does work. Now I just need to figure out a strut and latching mechanism that I can latch inside or out.
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Should have made them Lambo style!
 
Haha. I’m just pleased that the idea is gonna work. I didn’t want to invest a ton of time just in case I do FUBAR this top.
 
decided while the kiddos are all at their other parents it was a good day for fabricating.
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I do plan on adding a couple more tubes but y’all get the idea. Ran tube from the sliders bent to follow the front fenders to the front. Should help with side impacts to protect the engine bay
 
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I was gonna add some vertical support too but they’d block my headlights. Also mounted the lights to the tube instead of being zip tied to the front radiator support lol. So for now this is good enough. It’s still all temporary ish since eventually I plan on front halfing and all this will get cut off/redone.
 
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As I suspected the 2dr JK rear window fills up the hole pretty well behind the back seat. It’s not 100% air tight but I don’t want it to be anyway. This is good enough for my purposes. Keep most of the rain/cold/dust out. Still mulling over latching solutions but both windows are hinged and in.
 
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Front end done as much as I care to do. I didn’t like that there was nothing vertical connecting the fender tubes to rhe bottom so I added two tubes behind the headlights. Just need to paint em. Finished my RV water/power repairs, only thing left is to do the brake job which I’ll probably do tomorrow. We don’t leave for Hammers for another 22 days so still plenty of time. Also did pretty much confirm no codriving this year, so that’ll be pretty wild. 8 years I’ve been going to Hammers and have either raced or codriven every single year. I told all my 4800 Texas buds that I’ll try and get the 4Runner on every single rock trail in the EMC and share my notes/knowledge with them. My only major nemesis will be sand hills, if we have to do any of those lol. Hopefully this ol girl can do it all.
 
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Put the 175x16 uppers on. Already looks a lot better, but these are brand new 175s vs super old and tired 150x14s. I imagine they’re going to sag a little bit once they break in but still should be a bit better. The next level up I had for uppers is 225 and I think that’d be way too stiff. I haven’t even dialed in preload or anything (it’s currently all the way up) so it’s got a tiny bit of squat but not bad. I replaced the brake pads on the rv finally, they’d been squeaking for a couple years. Pretty close to being ready to go to Hammers.
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Picking up a 2010 Husaberg 390FE Monday and plan on bringing that out to Hammers too.


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It needs a little bit of work so I’ll be messing with that this week since I’m essentially ready to go with RV and 4Runner now.
 
Think my 4runner needs a slight diet, I'm running 200 over 250s and I'm basically sitting on the 250s at ride height. Granted mines a 97. Might have to play with spring rates some more myself think I have some 300s in the garage I can try out then adjust the slider stop up more. I do have some room left on the 200s to collapse a bit more. Things looking good I like the side window idea, I may have missed it but do they still slide?
 
Mines really not that light in the back with the two propane bottles and cage and big tool box and two batteries. I guess still lighter than a 2nd gen 💁

Yep, sliding windows still work exactly the same. They need to otherwise somebody inside couldn’t open it. That’s also why I put the buttons where I did
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Welp Hammers trip started out good


but went bad last night. Past couple days the starter started acting up and not cranking. Maybe once or twice a day, every other time totally fine. Just one tap on the starter and itd go. Then today getting ready to run spooners right at the entrance the clutch felt weird, so I looked underneath and saw the line going to the slave was leaking. Went to go try and tighten it and the flare end broke off. 😂🤦‍♂️ so I had to bump start it in gear and get it out of there and all the way back to camp. Made a new line and installed it. All good. It did feel like something was dragging but figured I’d look at it in the am. (Bled master well btw). Went to the Ranch, everybody wanted to go to backdoor so here we go. On the way there it started smelling like burning clutch but didn’t feel like clutch slipping. Got to backdoor, watched DC and Mark play for a bit. Go for my turn Won’t start again. Tappy…nothing. I can hear the solenoids clicking. The starter is super hot. Hmm maybe the starter got stuck and that was the “clutch smell”? They roll start me in reverse and I get turned around, and almost out of there before my power steering belt breaks and takes out my ignition coil on the distributor. WTH. Had to get towed back to Hammertown by a bronco raptor 😂😂 here’s some pics from before things went south
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Obviously my ridiculously bad KOH luck does not just apply to racing but luckily in this case should be a pretty simple repair. Just gotta find a ride into Yucca so I can get some new parts.
 
Terrible luck. Is Hammers the first official shake down run?
 
Chkn said:
Terrible luck. Is Hammers the first official shake down run?
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Nope. I’ve taken it wheeling 5 or 6 times already. And driven it a ton. I’ll get it fixed, just gay as **** that Hammers is literally the only place where things like flared end fittings break off, belts break and take out other ****, etc. this is exactly how my racing has always gone here, weird ass breakages that don’t happen anywhere else and usually don’t happen to anyone else. The normal **** like driveshafts, axleshafts etc that you’d expect im fine with but if i was gonna try and be prepared for the kind of **** I break at Hammers id pretty much need to wheel a box truck completely stocked like I’m O’Reilys 😂
 
Pro tip, you can buy a rear brake line for a toyota and replace that 5" hard line and the soft line straight up to the firewall, here's my buddy using a trail gear rear line on his slave, but it ended up being unwieldy with the extra length, so a stock rear line should work perfect in a pinch.
 

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I did actually I talked to them and they aren’t here yet. I’m in yucca now to pick up parts. I know it’ll be a pos reman starter but as long as it works for this trip whatever.
 
Finally got to try out my trail welder. Thing could weld 1/4 plate no problem. My dual battery setup had no problems with it either so that was cool. I’ve had the damn thing 3-4 years and had never even tried it lol.
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Met triple_fcked and bought some yotamasters merch
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Did Spooners and Outers today. No issues, took all the hardest lines and ol Pokey (that my wife started calling it) did bad ass. I almost took out my driver side rear window glass on the very last big obstacle at the top of outer limits, the normal lines are far right and middle and I went far left and I was sure I was breaking/damaging the top. Literally broke off the 4Runner sail panel right next to it but then was able to drive out of it from there lol
 
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Classic story of it was going good til it wasn’t. Said hello to an old friend and his memorial and drank a beer and sat with him a while. Then on the way back to Hammertown I hit a pretty vicious cross grain, twisting up the Runna awkwardly and broke one of the upper link mounts. Luckily my buddy came and brought some big ratchets from my trailer and we used my trail welder to stick the upper back on. Foa is well fawkered overall.


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Probably done with the Runna for this trip. It’s Also got some funky **** happening with the hydro so I’m not too sad.
 
made it back home and started looking things over. The “good” rear coilover leaked all over my trailer. The bent coilover - no leaky 😂😂. I think I’m just gonna go ahead and c notch the frame and run some 16” 2.5s in the back. I also debated running some 2.5 air shocks but I know they have some bad unloading characteristics. Other than that I’m just gonna wheel it this spring until it gets too hot and cut the front frame and front half it as planned in revision 2.0. The runner worked bad ass overall at Hammers. I went through 32 gallons of propane but even with running all the way out through spooners/outers/remote/aftershock/check me out and back around to Emerson ridge and around the lakebed back to Hammertown I only used like 10 gallons of propane doing that long stretch. So I was very pleased with that performance. It also surprisingly had plenty of power, I had no issues making it up Emerson ridge or that one sandy hill between RM 39 and 40. The only one that gave me hell was the super steep and loose hill between tackhammer and lasernut, but I heard there were several 4800 cars that couldn’t make that hill during the race either 😂😂
 
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