03 4Runner Rally Sweep Build

[Michael Mayfarth]

I guess I should start a thread before I get too far down the rabbit hole...

It all started with trading in our 03 Jeep Wrangler, lifted and very capable, for something more family friendly, a 4Runner.

we bought it with about 123K miles on it and it has been running strong.
First on the list of modifications was a more agressive set of tires. Through Search and Rescue I came across a set of JK tires that had a bit more than half tread left and snagged them for 100 bucks. I had them mounted and put them on the rig, what a difference a bit of tire can make...

Next came a light bar tucked in the front bumper and some other jiblets for rally sweep. For those that are interested in what exactly Rally Sweep does, below are a few photos of recoveries of rally cars. One of the recoveries involved almost our entire crew and took 3 winches to get it up the hill. This was a rental WRC car and cost 50k per race, it came with it's own crew and spare parts...

This is what the car looked like after it was recovered...

Other times we just guide cars where to go or pull them out of a ditch and get them back in action...

Here is the real fun...

As I did more with the 4Runner, the more i found the little things that needed to be "enhanced." This also led the 4Runner to being a better family exploration vehicle. The master plan started to take more shape and the build was starting off on a shoe string budget. I picked up a spacer lift for the front and cranked up the factory rear air suspension to get a bit more out of the back end.
We were able to get out a bit more with the whole family and really use the rig to it's current potential.

When our third kiddo came along the 4Runner kept it's ability to transport the family and keep exploring, but it now needed some more beef to be able to hold a winch and some more sturdy recovery points as we were now more adventurous than before... Enter the NW Trail Innovations DIY front bumper kit... more build on the shoe string budget.

After watching a few friends shred their tires on the sharp rocks of the trails, we opted to look at a better set of tires and I picked up a set of 285/75/17 KM2s that were at 50% or less... I also had by this time committed to a set of Old Man Emu 886 coils for the front and Toytec HD superflex rear coils. The factory XREAS shocks bit the dust and were replaced by Bilstein shocks on all 4 corners. I even got to add some nice Upper Control Arms from Camburg Racing.

To make the tires a bit more grippy I picked up a tire groover on Amazon and got to work.

Due to all of the dust from several rallies, i decided to add a snorkel...

The first hole is the hardest...

 

[Michael Mayfarth]

July 2017 was our big family vacation towing a 19ft Travel Trailer... I know it is not a RTT or camping inside the back of the rig... but we all need some creature comforts with little kiddos...

Our plans included heading down the west coat from WA through OR to CA and camping at amazing spots along the way. Once we were to Anaheim, we would spend a day at Disney Land and then break east for the Grand Canyon and Moab. Spend a day in Moab and go see some of the amazing sights of the red rocks. We then headed north towards the Grand Tetons and Yellow Stone, then turning back west, headed for home. The trip was 2 weeks and 4100 miles. The 4Runner did great and the trailer was a nice escape from the heat and the rain.

One of the trails we went on in Moab was called the Onion Creek Trail, it has 27 water crossings!

After our trip we camped a few more times and had to start winding down for the school term to start.
But that meant more time for modifications.

 

[Michael Mayfarth]

The relationship I built with the owner of NW Trail Innovations became one of the coolest benefits that I could have ever received. I bought my DIY front bumper after welding together a friend of mine's for his Tacoma. He was the guinea pig and the result was great. I then posted every time someone asked about a front bumper for the 4th gen 4runner that wouldnt break the bank... this lead to two other friends buying one and having me help weld them up. each was a little different and unique but still a NWTI bumper.

In January of 2017 I was contacted by the Marketing guy for NWTI ( it is now two guys, not just the one owner... ) with an opportunity to get a 4th gen rear bumper. Anyone who knows the brands CBI or Metaltech or 4x4Innovations, they know the hefty price tag that these stout well built and designed bumpers carry. Dont get me wrong, you definitely get what you pay for, they are amazing bumpers. But they were well out of my budget for several years to come... which is why the offer from NWTI was so awesome. This would be the first real DIY rear bumper kit for the 4th gen 4Runner, and I was in on the ground floor! We went back and forth on ideas and the look I was trying to achieve and what made the most sense for mounting and bracing. The owner/designer of the bumper put in a TON of hours getting it fabbed up. When it was to a stopping point I made arrangements to drive to Vancouver to pick it up.

For the ride down I brought along a buddy of mine that I had helped with the front bumper build, who was also interested in the rear bumper as a DIY kit. He and I were drooling when we got to the shop and started to talk with Corey about the development of the bumper and what was left to do. Corey hit his limit as to borrowing a near by 4th gen to base the design off of. there was a bit of expansion from the finish welding and it would require a bit of fab to bring it back in. We loaded it up and headed for home, stopping by a Caffeine and Gasoline meet up in Portland for Overlanding rigs.

Once the bumper was home I set to getting the measurements on how far out the wings were sprung.

With some back yard engineering I came up with a way to pull each side in independently.

Here is how much I had to cut out to be able to flex the wings in and keep them in place.

Here it is all painted and mounted.

If you are in the market for a front or rear bumper for a 4th gen 4runner and have the ability to weld, this is a great solution to keep your budget alive!

 

[Michael Mayfarth]

This last Friday was our third annual Xmas Tree Run. This year we had 8 rigs, all Toyota and most of them were 4runners. We started off by meeting at the Enumclaw Safeway and gathering the group. We all headed over to the ranger station to get our Tree Passes and maps for the cutting areas.

After everyone was re-situated we hit the road and headed east towards Greenwater. The route starts on the FS 70 road just east of the Greenwater Fire Station.

The next turn was onto FS 7030. Our normal spot to stop is near a small lake/pond that is down in a bowl and usually leads to some fun sledding and a nice place to stop and have a fire.

Once we got there we set up for a fire and roasting hot dogs for lunch. we didnt plan much, just a simple bring what you want lunch...

After we got our trees, we loaded back up and started the trek towards the pass.

As it was starting to get dark and the snow got deeper and less forward progress was made, the decision was to turn back and head for home. so we found a safe place to spin the group and make our way back down the road.

We made it back down the mountain and on to pavement around 530pm. On the highway our group was witness to a crash from the driver falling asleep at the wheel. No one was seriously injured and the tree will probably survive the impact, the car... not so much...

Although we were disappointed to not make it across the pass this year, it was a great trip. Our kiddos had fun and the adults did too.

 

[noah.wass]

I love your build and am glad to hear that you are supporting 'local'. :-) Corey at NWTI is well known in the Vancouver area. I just found out a couple weekends ago that a good friend of mine is friends with him, too! I would love to be a better welder and then I would jump all over their kits.

Thanks for sharing your adventures, too. It's fun to see areas that you've explored and adventures that you've had on this side of the US.