4Runner Exo done, powdercoating is next!
 

Well guys, I had some time to work in the garage this weekend. I picked up some brake line tubing and a bender and opened up my box of supplys from Ram welding supply... the goal is to do an outer exo cage like on Ryan's courier.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...r/PDRM3760.jpg

Heres how it started, I looked around on the internet at some 1:1 yotas and this is what I came up with.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...1-30-06002.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...1-30-06003.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...1-30-06004.jpg

You can see the original rock sliders I had on it next to the new ones I built.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...1-30-06005.jpg

Tonight I am going to have my step dather help me bend up the front part which is going to be the hardest part. Its going to attach to the front of the frame under the front bumper and its going to come out behind the bumper by the front wheel wells.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...6005edited.jpg

This is a rough idea of what it will look like.

I also got some body armor from gardening and trucking, wait to you see that;-) its going to cover that crack I got in the body :roll: you will barely notice it after thats installed ;-)

I also have an extra JR servo which I am going to mount in the stock steering servo location of the truck and make a winch out of it (got some cool hooks from gardening and trucking too:) )

After the exo is done I am going to work on a rear swing out tire carrier using a narrowed mountaineer wheel and a original 4runner tire.

after all the exterior work is done I have a NEW unpainted hilux interior from Unimoger that I am going to do up really scale with carpeting, shifters, guages and an interior cage.

I must say the brazing thing its hard ...its the beding the tube all the same thats a pain in the azz :roll:

well thats it for now..check back later for more updates

Mike

gonna look sick as **** dude, cant wait to see it done

Looks good, any thoughts on wrapping it over the top and w/s, maybe tie into a con-ferr roof rack?

Hmmmm... I didnt think of that :) I was thinking about a roof rack of some sort...I guess ill see how the rest comes out 1st, if I do a good job again like on the rock sliders then ill go from there :D

Mike

oohhhhhh a con-ferr roof rack would look sa weet cant wait to see the finished product:mrgreen:

Looks awsome. Can't wait to see the finished product.

Your 4-Runner just keeps getting cooler all the time.

that thing is so sweet:mrgreen: , just wish i could find an unpainted

body for mine. by the way, how much for a couple o' belts?

Looks great so far. Looking forward to see how this turns out. Good luck with it!

Here is an update guys, I built the front peice last night with the help of my step father. It came out good I think, the bends are almost identical. One thing for sure it there has to be easier way to get this stuff bent up:roll: . The brake line tuber just isnt cutting it.

My step father help me with the basic shape and the tabs for mounting it, I then added 2 support bars for some strength. I mounted it using excisting holes that were in the front of the frame :mrgreen:


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...1-30-06013.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...1-30-06014.jpg

Not sure if Ill get to work on it tonight, I have to run by the bike I work at on the weekends and take some pictures for the boss to list some stuff on ebay.

O yea and I know the tube on the left is longer :flipoff: I snapped the pic b4 I cut it.

later
Mike

Looks good! Have you tried heating it up in the area you want to bend, then bending it? Thats how my bro does all his bends, and thats with 3/16 or 1/4 solid rod, then bend it with a couple pairs of pliers, or a vice grip and pliers... He has had alot of practice though :)

i really like what you are doing here! im not sure if you are already using it, but to build the frame on my scale chevy i used a brake line tubing bender. i bought the slightly more expensive one that is kinda like a pair of pliers; for a lack of a better term. it works great. keep up the good work man!

Scoot

edit: nevermind, i see that you are using the same one i am.

Actually my step father explained the whole heating to bend it technique, I had always figured that heating it would weaken it but he said on a small scale like this the structural integridy of it wont really be affected. We started the bends with the bender and then stuck it in the vise and heated and formed it better to the shape we needed.

Mike

Looks sweet I have loved your 4runner since you built it now its gonna be outrageous....

The tube work is pretty hard isnt it, but well worth all the hard work...

Ahhhhhh, looks like crap. I say you scrap the whole truck and send it to me. I will get rid of it for you.


Just kidding man, nice job. I have a couple hard wood dowels I use to form tubing around. Like you said I start with the hand bender. Then work it around the dowel to get a tighter radius.

ive used a brakeline bender but i gave up and just used my hands and the table i was working at.

that was bending 3/16" brakeline to replace my friends rear brakelines. i had to get the bends at the correct angles and such that even the bender couldnt bend them (either to small or to big of an angle)

those are some sweet trucks

how strong are the joints ?will it take a good hit in like a roll over?

when we are finished, we are going to roll it off the roof of the garage to test the strength!!! stay tuned for that video!! and the one of 1BADJEEPBRUISER jumping off the roof after it!!:mrgreen:

Smartass :flipoff: LOL

homzaracing: the joints very strong, it will actually protect it when it comes up against rocks.

Mike