Builds DRANGED's GX470 build/ownership thread (2 Viewers)
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- #102
braces "welded" with crap gear, super ghetto style!! Flip-flops, hand shield, soild core wire w/o gas on a 50' 14 ga cord to a Harbor Freight flux MIG machine!! It was awesome!!!
know this, this is really-truly temporary
NOT to be confused with the much more common temporary-permanent as quick jobs can be[come].
It securely holds the awning for shade deployment... With the clamp on, I may even mount the thing (cam strap it to the rail) and drive with it for the remainder of this road trip..... hmm
know this, this is really-truly temporary
NOT to be confused with the much more common temporary-permanent as quick jobs can be[come].
It securely holds the awning for shade deployment... With the clamp on, I may even mount the thing (cam strap it to the rail) and drive with it for the remainder of this road trip..... hmm
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- Thread starter
- #103
** Reserved for July's nearly 4900 mile summer vacation, midwest tour. **
(starting with routing, I'll slowly populate this vacation into the thread.)
Need the Moab to DNV leg, and technically the DNV to Limon, CO where the maps pick up
Silver Lake
pin @ sleeping Bear Dunes
The mighty Mac
I saw it, so I took it
(showing route from WI campground to Lincoln, NB)
**I need a better final leg, Lincoln, NB to Moab, UT...**
+110 from Moab to Grand Junction, CO not logged.
and the July we missed, thank goodness! It's deffinitely been worse, and these are Airport temps which aren't reflective of town, but... none the less, effing deserts.... ugh, I'm done!
(starting with routing, I'll slowly populate this vacation into the thread.)
Need the Moab to DNV leg, and technically the DNV to Limon, CO where the maps pick up
Silver Lake
pin @ sleeping Bear Dunes
The mighty Mac
I saw it, so I took it
(showing route from WI campground to Lincoln, NB)
**I need a better final leg, Lincoln, NB to Moab, UT...**
+110 from Moab to Grand Junction, CO not logged.
and the July we missed, thank goodness!
It's deffinitely been worse, and these are Airport temps which aren't reflective of town, but... none the less, effing deserts.... ugh, I'm done! 
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- Thread starter
- #104
This labor day weekend we pulled off a 2-night camping trip on Elk Ridge, west of the Abajo in S Utah.. First time there, it's amazing!!
went up Stevens canyon to our sweet camp at the feet of Chippean Rocks.
This came rolling in as the wives started their 8 mi hike. . . they had rain gear.
A bit of slop later and we pulled into camp:
Bears ears...
Blessed be the first signs of fall!!!!
and Maples in the Abajo!!!
then an accidental locking of the keys in the hatch, and a midnight 3 hour drive back home for the spare (luckily it was where wifey thought it might be).... driving back at 6 am...
and back to camp by 9...
then drove out over the causeway
with the little dude scouting elephant hill for next month's camping trip...
went up Stevens canyon to our sweet camp at the feet of Chippean Rocks.
This came rolling in as the wives started their 8 mi hike. . . they had rain gear.
A bit of slop later and we pulled into camp:
Bears ears...
Blessed be the first signs of fall!!!!
and Maples in the Abajo!!!
then an accidental locking of the keys in the hatch, and a midnight 3 hour drive back home for the spare (luckily it was where wifey thought it might be).... driving back at 6 am...
and back to camp by 9...
then drove out over the causeway
with the little dude scouting elephant hill for next month's camping trip...
- Thread starter
- #105
Did oil change and sheared a skid bolt 3 weeks ago... so had that fixed with the following last and this week, bookend repairs to the labor day weekend camping trip.
Re-greased inner cv joints, rebooted passenger inner, and re-clamped both and put a 3/4" leveling puck in...
Push that KDSS skid up to about 11.5 @ the bend under the FSB
Got alignment done AM:
Re-greased inner cv joints, rebooted passenger inner, and re-clamped both and put a 3/4" leveling puck in...
Push that KDSS skid up to about 11.5 @ the bend under the FSB
Got alignment done AM:
- Thread starter
- #107
cleaned up old axle grease to see if the repair holds.
passenger (new boot, bump stop off... pre-scouting for modding a bump stop drop)
driver old boot, re-clamped
passenger (new boot, bump stop off... pre-scouting for modding a bump stop drop)
driver old boot, re-clamped
- Thread starter
- #108
Kudos @teejnut for stimulating the my roof rack thoughts and getting the wheels turning on mods up there...
I like the extruded aluminum crossbars he chose (tnutz and 8020) and noting the factory side rails have slots I got to thinking about ways to make cross bars initially based on his plan.
I got into the rack today to see what's the what.
The rear cover pulls off with 4 friction clips easily popped by pressing down and using a plastic pry bar to leverage the clips out
With cover removed you gain access to the side rails' channels where the crossbars slide, there should be a rubber stopper preventing the aft crossbar from going too far back gainst the rear cover, or maybe from loads being too far back over the rear door...not sure.
I found (from hardware store) unistrut springed cam nuts are a good fit. I'm going to go back and look for a larger size,, these fit but the hole is for 1/4" bolts and I'd like something a little thicker with a larger hole (like the cam nut that came with my awning, also shown in pix).
I like the extruded aluminum crossbars he chose (tnutz and 8020) and noting the factory side rails have slots I got to thinking about ways to make cross bars initially based on his plan.
I got into the rack today to see what's the what.
The rear cover pulls off with 4 friction clips easily popped by pressing down and using a plastic pry bar to leverage the clips out
With cover removed you gain access to the side rails' channels where the crossbars slide, there should be a rubber stopper preventing the aft crossbar from going too far back gainst the rear cover, or maybe from loads being too far back over the rear door...not sure.
I found (from hardware store) unistrut springed cam nuts are a good fit. I'm going to go back and look for a larger size,, these fit but the hole is for 1/4" bolts and I'd like something a little thicker with a larger hole (like the cam nut that came with my awning, also shown in pix).
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- Thread starter
- #109
[GALLERY]
In 100 series cruisers, these will just drop right in as the channel is full width of the side rail, but in our 120s, the channel isn't very deep, there's a verticle support defining the channel as shallow.
Thus we need to pull the rear cover off and access the channel from the back of the rail.
with the this cam nut (unistrut spring nut) I cut off all but 1.5 coils
which allows the spring to function holding the nut firmly
But, as I said, I'm going to look for the next size up (5/16), which is a close match from the hardware store to the sunseeker awning hardware (M8 1.25)
The slotted, square-bolt is too small and just spins so I'm going to try the cam nuts and see if I can fab my awning hardware to work with the factory rack, despite the warning, ...
In 100 series cruisers, these will just drop right in as the channel is full width of the side rail, but in our 120s, the channel isn't very deep, there's a verticle support defining the channel as shallow.
Thus we need to pull the rear cover off and access the channel from the back of the rail.
with the this cam nut (unistrut spring nut) I cut off all but 1.5 coils
which allows the spring to function holding the nut firmly
But, as I said, I'm going to look for the next size up (5/16), which is a close match from the hardware store to the sunseeker awning hardware (M8 1.25)
The slotted, square-bolt is too small and just spins so I'm going to try the cam nuts and see if I can fab my awning hardware to work with the factory rack, despite the warning, ...
- Fits all Rhino-Rack and Thule roof racks with specific fitting kits
- Included is a bracket that will work on the Pioneer systems
Motto #4: Things come okay, but we can make them better!!
(EDIT: some pix would copy others I had to use the media gallery...
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know this, this is really-truly temporary
NOT to be confused with the much more common temporary-permanent as quick jobs can be[come].
That is so funny and true.
As for the welds, I am not trying to be critical but some of those look like you did not get good penetration. The spatter will just be there with flux core. I started on one of those and a grinder can take care of those if you want to clean them up a bit. One trick a fabricator taught me was to turn your work vertically when you can and gravity will help your bead puddle and result in better looking welds. Get a helmet as two hands makes a huge difference. As you alluded to, a shorter heavier extension cord may help a bit.
The scary thing here is that looks like galvanized steel. Be careful about breathing in that nasty stuff, even outside make sure those fumes drift away from your face. Consider grinding off that coating before welding. Another thing is that some people use brake cleaner to prep surfaces; don’t be one. I think most new stuff is non-chlorinated but the arc can cause a very nasty chemical reaction and make toxic fumes. Point is be careful of your solvent choices. Maybe you know all this but I am not trying to come off as an expert just sharing things I have learned over the years as a hobbiest
One last thought on the flip flops. One day you will get a nice bounce of spatter on your foot that will burrow into your flesh. Good thing is it won’t bleed much as it will self cauterize.
Find some scrap steel and keep practicing. Once you start welding the projects and things you can do are endless and fun.
- Thread starter
- #113
@CO_Hunter,
That's awesome, I appreciate all that beta! Yeah, this job was a total joke-fest, and was just to get the awning mounted to get it home. I've pulled all that craptastic bracketry off now and am going about it in a better way.
RE: The welds, yes, those are s***E!!
You're not being critical, you're being too kind, while probably wincing with sorrow that someone would post that . It was a cheap flux core MIG on a way too long 14 ga cord, with no gas and solid wire, not even flux core. Wire speed was too fast, the welds were too cold, penitration was like rice and a doughnut hole.
Crap tools, crap job for sure. Didn't even have a flap wheel available... Yeah galvi is poison and I usually grind/sand that off. Surface prep on this job was...nonexistent haha.
Here, for your amusement, I dug up more of the $#!+ show fo .
The basic plan...
the sticking metal together part haha
I got an eastwood MIG like 4 years ago and have been dabbling with it on scrap I get from a local shop.. I've made some fun stuff with it (look back in the build, you'll see a rack I made for the hatch of the GX...). I tried flux core for a while and JUST couldn't get it at all, then the first couple tacks and beads with solid core and gas was like a revelation! Like the sound and seeing the pudle all made sense. i just couldn't hear or see any of it with spattery flux core. My regular welds are much better than the above examples!! Self-taought and ust dabbling, nothing critical, just fun stuff. I made lamps for my kids when they learned to read...I made a 3rd hand, and some simple repairs, a couple fire pits for the yard from wheels, one open one like a wheel stove...just fun dabbling
I appreciate the tips and tricks. Sometimes I use the anti-spatter spray, but often forget I have a can.
welding is rad and I like hobbying with it.. As I lay awake getting to sleep coming up with projects and ideas, it's fun!
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- Thread starter
- #114
updates on the awning rack per learning how the side rail slots work...
I removed those crap brackets I stitched together on the road in July
And copying @gahi 's fiddling with his 100, I'll copy this
There's a simple way to use the factory rack (despite Rhino Rack's warning that you can't use the factory rails ;P to mount the the awning) with the hardware it came with.
then vise and bend the bracket up as above
The cam-nut's fit in the side rail slots (this is a hardware store one, but the Rhino ones fit too)
I slotted a couple more per side for....whatever
I removed those crap brackets I stitched together on the road in July
And copying @gahi 's fiddling with his 100, I'll copy this
There's a simple way to use the factory rack (despite Rhino Rack's warning that you can't use the factory rails ;P to mount the the awning) with the hardware it came with.
then vise and bend the bracket up as above
The cam-nut's fit in the side rail slots (this is a hardware store one, but the Rhino ones fit too)
I slotted a couple more per side for....whatever
- Thread starter
- #115
I've seen similar on a 4R thread, but I didn't want to drill the crossbars. Fear of clamping too strongly and collapsing the hollow bar w/o a sleeve inside. Plus are they just plastic or is it an aluminum tube covered in plastic? I dunno....
- Thread starter
- #116
@"half k cruiser
Yes, pass inner was replaced. But aftermerket boot doesn't account for the concaveture of the axle.. So know that going in.. There is a yota PN for the correct boot (427-60141)
Sadly I didn't do the work, no time, I had a shop do it and a short laundry list of other concerns I wanted dialed before a Canyonlands Needles trip in 3 weeks.
He said it was fine and straight forward, save the concavity in the CV where the boot clamps...
There's always the golden allignment of the trifecta, and I lacked the time and energy/proper tools to do it solo.... plus I effed the strut bolt when I was gettin in to doing the leveller so I backed out with my cowering tail lest I "do no [more] harm"
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- Thread starter
- #117
side-by-side to stock 06 KDSS GX on street tires.
running board line (and same line w/o RB)
front center of engine skid
So that's all pretty impressive, BUT here's the crux I need to address.
dropping the front bump stop, I think 5/8" is about right...
So that's a trick when the stock bump stop's thread is @ 5/8"... hmm
running board line (and same line w/o RB)
front center of engine skid
So that's all pretty impressive, BUT here's the crux I need to address.
dropping the front bump stop, I think 5/8" is about right...
So that's a trick when the stock bump stop's thread is @ 5/8"... hmm
You could get the wheelers extended length bump stops too....
Wheeler's Front SuperBump Bumpstop Set for 2005+ Tacoma, 2003+ 4Runner, 2007+ FJ Cruiser, 2007+ Tundra (01SUPERBUMPKIT)
Wheeler's Front SuperBump Bumpstop Set for 2005+ Tacoma, 2003+ 4Runner, 2007+ FJ Cruiser, 2007+ Tundra (01SUPERBUMPKIT)
- Thread starter
- #119
HAHA, coincidentally that's the first place I went (mentioned those stops in this post)... I emailed them even, but another comment suggested that while they're taller, their progressive/soft and at full stuff they probably wouldn't be at the most compressed, therefore not fully functional ...
These are interesting but A: not availble for GX, BUT spec'd for 4th gen 4R, so they'd fit, but they'd still be stock height, just better material.
http://timbren.com/blog/products-page/abstof/
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- Thread starter
- #120
hmm, i guess the question is: are the stock bump stops component construction (Can the thing be taken apart and a longer bolt be threaded in?), or is the stud embedded in the rubber, and therefore it's all one piece?
