RCCrawler Forums

Norcal crawler · 12-04-2007, 10:27 PM

Ok, i just got done finishing my bruiser a little bit ago but there are too many plain toyotas out there. So i want to try something that i havent seen done a whole lot before. I am going to turn my pickup into a 4runner. What i am going to do is to cut the top of the bruiser bed off, and make a floor extension to reach back to the back of that. I am going to cut the bruiser bench seat off of the front, and put that in the back like the real 4Runners. I made two bucket seats for the front already. I am going to make the roll bar and some bumpers and rock sliders soon. The plan is to narrow my bruiser axles and use those. If that wont work then ill just use the tlt's. I dont know how well that will go or if i will even do it. I also want to try doing an eliptical spring setup for the rear just like the one i am modeling this after. but if that doesnt flex good or anything i will go back to the 4 link. I want to run narrowed dirt hawgs on some wheels that look like the ones on the 4runner. Maybe like rpm revolvers or something? Here is the two bucket seats i made for the front. They might get some more detail later on but for now they are good enough for me.

Here is how i want to mount the leaf springs on the tlt axles. Make a little mount like this. it will stretch down to the two screws though for more support. then a hole on the top to mount the leaf spring. this is just a quick try.

And here is the inspiration for this. it is bill c's 4Runner. Its way cool. I dont know if i will do the half doors but it would turn out really cool.

And here is the original build thread.
Yota Trail Rig

Let me know what you think!

bill c · 12-04-2007, 11:14 PM

N.C.......cant wate to see it all done. we want lots of pic's.......

Brandon · 12-05-2007, 03:44 PM

Good start Brian! Looking foward to the build

Grizzly4x4 · 12-05-2007, 04:43 PM

Looking good. Those seats are killer.

Norcal crawler · 12-05-2007, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grizzly4x4

Looking good. Those seats are killer.

Thanks! I want to put a type of like vinyl or something over it like a seat cover. It will hide the small differences between them and it will give them a texture. And when i go to put them in, i want to raise them up a little bit from the floor to keep them from being right on the floor. I tried making them just like the real seats from a toyota. Hopefully i can get a tube bender this weekend to start on the bumpers and rock sliders too.

bill c · 12-05-2007, 07:01 PM

n.c.... if you need a bender let me know. i have one..

Norcal crawler · 12-05-2007, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bill c

n.c.... if you need a bender let me know. i have one..

Paul has one that he got for me already but i havent been able to meet him anywhere. i might be able to go to folsom on sunday and get it then.

Norcal crawler · 01-08-2008, 07:37 PM

Ok i have been working on it a little bit. I am going to do a full interior. I am going to make the drop floor, door panels, dual t-case shifters, and some other things i have seen from other builds. I have a wild willy parts tree and a scale dash coming from rpp too. I have a problem though. With the drop floor in the interior, i have to do it to the rear floor to get the floor even. That is a problem because i dont have any room from the pede tranny. And i decided not to use my seats because i had no way to attach the interior then because it mounts from the seat. I am still waiting to get some paint before i can put together all the stuff.

Trikster · 01-09-2008, 01:43 PM

Nice man, very nice! Over in the vendors section there is a guy selling leaf mounts for TLT axles... They look really good. Dinky RC i believe.

Norcal crawler · 01-09-2008, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trikster

Nice man, very nice! Over in the vendors section there is a guy selling leaf mounts for TLT axles... They look really good. Dinky RC i believe.

Yeah but the problem with the bruiser chassis is that its wider in the rear so i have to make the mounts further out on the axles.

Trikster · 01-09-2008, 08:40 PM

Hmm... I know the guy that makes these does custom work...he might be able to work with you. The problem you are describing is the reason I sold my Bruiser frame. I could not come up with a clean way to mount leafs on the rear of a Bruiser frame, with TLT axles. Had I used High Lift axles, then I would not have had a problem...

Have you thought of mounting the leafs inboard of the frame rails? Won't look as good, but won't have the problem.

Do us proud man! I was going to do what you are attempting, but chickened out.

TurnThePage · 01-09-2008, 08:50 PM

hey for those seats get some tire foam and upholster your seat, its real easy but ive never done it with styrene good luck on the build man it looks good so far

foodstamp · 01-09-2008, 09:39 PM

for the leaf mounts, ask obijuan about the swis cheese chassis, he got that from me, and i had bent the rear so that a tlt axle would fit under it, i never used it, so he would be the man to ask...if he still has it, or used it

muddauber7 · 01-09-2008, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Nice man, very nice! Over in the vendors section there is a guy selling leaf mounts for TLT axles... They look really good. Dinky RC i believe.
Yeah but the problem with the bruiser chassis is that its wider in the rear so i have to make the mounts further out on the axles.

Yes, the rear "Centre Lifts" are in development.
Should be a couple of weeks...

I'm planning on the same type of build
for my Hy-Brid...but it'll be a while yet...

Look forward to seeing more

.

Norcal crawler · 01-09-2008, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trikster

Have you thought of mounting the leafs inboard of the frame rails? Won't look as good, but won't have the problem.

Do us proud man! I was going to do what you are attempting, but chickened out.

I have thought about mounting them inward but with leaf springs making flex limited, mounting them more inboard would take away some leverage right? I want to get as much flex as i can with them, within reason. I am not counting on it to flex a whole lot. And ill try, but at least with what i am doing it will be completely reversible to make it back into a normal pickup.

I think i'll try to wait for the "Centre Lifts" to come out since they will probably be much nicer than what i can come up with. I just got done gluing the base of the drop interior done and am making the center shift box thing now. It is hard to find time to work on it because i am busy all during the day and only have a few hours to work on it at night.

Trikster · 01-09-2008, 10:29 PM

No, inboard will increase leverage on the springs. You have a longer arm to give more force to the springs.

miniwheeler · 01-09-2008, 10:37 PM

The further you mount the springs inboard the better they will flex

Trikster · 01-09-2008, 10:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by miniwheeler

The further you mount the springs inboard the better they will flex

Beat ya too it, neener... lol!

Norcal crawler · 01-09-2008, 10:49 PM

Oh well, i dont think im going to do that. i'm probably going to go back to the 4 link after a while if the leafs dont flex. but if i set up the quarter eliptical right it might flex pretty good, i dont know yet because i havent really seen it done before though. i was just going to do them for the "cool" factor and switch it back out unless they perform good. ive got a few options for mounting them on the rear axle.

Trikster · 01-09-2008, 10:53 PM

I think either Microgoat or 1BJB has done it, but I want to say it was a while ago. Might see if you can search it out.

12-04-2007, 10:27 PM	#1
Norcal crawler RCC Addict Join Date: May 2006 Location: California Posts: 1,361	Project: Sweet Leef Ok, i just got done finishing my bruiser a little bit ago but there are too many plain toyotas out there. So i want to try something that i havent seen done a whole lot before. I am going to turn my pickup into a 4runner. What i am going to do is to cut the top of the bruiser bed off, and make a floor extension to reach back to the back of that. I am going to cut the bruiser bench seat off of the front, and put that in the back like the real 4Runners. I made two bucket seats for the front already. I am going to make the roll bar and some bumpers and rock sliders soon. The plan is to narrow my bruiser axles and use those. If that wont work then ill just use the tlt's. I dont know how well that will go or if i will even do it. I also want to try doing an eliptical spring setup for the rear just like the one i am modeling this after. but if that doesnt flex good or anything i will go back to the 4 link. I want to run narrowed dirt hawgs on some wheels that look like the ones on the 4runner. Maybe like rpm revolvers or something? Here is the two bucket seats i made for the front. They might get some more detail later on but for now they are good enough for me. Here is how i want to mount the leaf springs on the tlt axles. Make a little mount like this. it will stretch down to the two screws though for more support. then a hole on the top to mount the leaf spring. this is just a quick try. And here is the inspiration for this. it is bill c's 4Runner. Its way cool. I dont know if i will do the half doors but it would turn out really cool. And here is the original build thread. Yota Trail Rig Let me know what you think! Last edited by Norcal crawler; 12-05-2007 at 08:18 PM.

12-04-2007, 11:14 PM	#2
bill c Quarry Creeper Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: nor cal Posts: 265	N.C.......cant wate to see it all done. we want lots of pic's.......

12-05-2007, 03:44 PM	#3
Brandon Im Brandon Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Colfax, CA Posts: 8,156	Good start Brian! Looking foward to the build

12-05-2007, 04:43 PM	#4
Grizzly4x4 PapaGriz Yo Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: In the garage building the wife a crawler Posts: 13,137	Looking good. Those seats are killer.

12-05-2007, 07:01 PM	#6
bill c Quarry Creeper Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: nor cal Posts: 265	n.c.... if you need a bender let me know. i have one..

01-08-2008, 07:37 PM	#8
Norcal crawler RCC Addict Join Date: May 2006 Location: California Posts: 1,361	Ok i have been working on it a little bit. I am going to do a full interior. I am going to make the drop floor, door panels, dual t-case shifters, and some other things i have seen from other builds. I have a wild willy parts tree and a scale dash coming from rpp too. I have a problem though. With the drop floor in the interior, i have to do it to the rear floor to get the floor even. That is a problem because i dont have any room from the pede tranny. And i decided not to use my seats because i had no way to attach the interior then because it mounts from the seat. I am still waiting to get some paint before i can put together all the stuff.

01-09-2008, 01:43 PM	#9
Trikster RCC Addict Join Date: May 2006 Location: Roseville Posts: 1,469	Nice man, very nice! Over in the vendors section there is a guy selling leaf mounts for TLT axles... They look really good. Dinky RC i believe.

01-09-2008, 08:40 PM	#11
Trikster RCC Addict Join Date: May 2006 Location: Roseville Posts: 1,469	Hmm... I know the guy that makes these does custom work...he might be able to work with you. The problem you are describing is the reason I sold my Bruiser frame. I could not come up with a clean way to mount leafs on the rear of a Bruiser frame, with TLT axles. Had I used High Lift axles, then I would not have had a problem... Have you thought of mounting the leafs inboard of the frame rails? Won't look as good, but won't have the problem. Do us proud man! I was going to do what you are attempting, but chickened out.

01-09-2008, 08:50 PM	#12
TurnThePage Newbie Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Waynesville, OH Posts: 32	hey for those seats get some tire foam and upholster your seat, its real easy but ive never done it with styrene good luck on the build man it looks good so far

01-09-2008, 09:39 PM	#13
foodstamp Rock Crawler Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: woodpile aka HELL Posts: 702	for the leaf mounts, ask obijuan about the swis cheese chassis, he got that from me, and i had bent the rear so that a tlt axle would fit under it, i never used it, so he would be the man to ask...if he still has it, or used it

01-09-2008, 10:29 PM	#16
Trikster RCC Addict Join Date: May 2006 Location: Roseville Posts: 1,469	No, inboard will increase leverage on the springs. You have a longer arm to give more force to the springs.

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01-09-2008, 10:37 PM	#17
miniwheeler Rock Crawler Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: dallas Posts: 866	The further you mount the springs inboard the better they will flex

01-09-2008, 10:49 PM	#19
Norcal crawler RCC Addict Join Date: May 2006 Location: California Posts: 1,361	Oh well, i dont think im going to do that. i'm probably going to go back to the 4 link after a while if the leafs dont flex. but if i set up the quarter eliptical right it might flex pretty good, i dont know yet because i havent really seen it done before though. i was just going to do them for the "cool" factor and switch it back out unless they perform good. ive got a few options for mounting them on the rear axle.

01-09-2008, 10:53 PM	#20
Trikster RCC Addict Join Date: May 2006 Location: Roseville Posts: 1,469	I think either Microgoat or 1BJB has done it, but I want to say it was a while ago. Might see if you can search it out.

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