First 4×4 Foray with the 4runner

2015-05-17

Today I took my new-to-me 1988 Toyota 4runner DLX up to Dumont, Colorado to meet up with Dan from the Rising Sun 4×4 Club to do a little 4x4ing and compare between my integrated front suspension and his solid front axle.  This was my first time driving my 4runner on anything more than a gravel road or pavement.  Huge thanks to Dan for taking me out and showing me the ropes.


20150517_101956

We headed up the north side of the canyon to check out the 4×4 trails.

20150517_104050

Dan took the lead in his 1985 4runner.

20150517_104057

I gingerly followed behind.  If it weren’t for Dan leading, I would not have thought that my 4runner could go over some of the terrain we did today.  Especially since both of our 4runners are basically stock.

20150517_104253

It looks much more mild in the photos than it felt when we were driving over everything.

20150517_104459

We took a wrong turn onto a tight trail.  This was probably a quad trail rather than a 4×4 jeep trail.  Whoops!  Good thing our 4runners are small vehicles and can squeeze through tight spaces.

It got a wee bit tight.

20150517_104937

Back on the main road heading up the hill.

20150517_105458

Looking out at all of the tailing piles across the hills.  There was some snow/rain/mist falling a bit further to the west.

20150517_110137

We walked down to an abandoned mine site.  This area is full of old collapsed mine shafts and adits.  Lots of equipment is scattered all over the place

20150517_110735

The old compressor building was still partially standing.

20150517_110801 20150517_110825

Neat old compressor engine.

20150517_110954

The old compressor tank.

20150517_111014

This must have been the Big Horn Mine.

20150517_111041

There’s an aspen tree growing through the roof of the compressor building.

20150517_112603

Back on the trail.  We went through a creek.  My first water crossing in my 4runner!  So exciting!  (Even if it was only a couple inches deep)

2015-05-17(1)

And then Dan got stuck.  Crossing over an area where a deeply rutted trail intersects two other trails, Dan took a fun line that ended up with his wheels spinning.  He could have chosen a much easier line (that I later took uneventfully) but this path was way more fun.

20150517_113839

 

A couple families in Cherokees came over to watch Dan and me try to shove rocks under Dan’s tires.

2015-05-17(5)

We ended up using the hi-lift jack that I had brought along to pick up the various corners of Dan’s 4runner to stuff rocks underneath.  I’ve had that Hi-lift jack since the mid 2000s when someone in the mechanical engineering program at Oregon State University left it behind after a class project.  The jack amazingly functioned fairly well.

20150517_115714

Dan gets to get his wife a new bumper for her 4runner (he was borrowing her 4runner).  I’m pretty sure this is a good thing 🙂  It’s a good excuse to make a nice sturdy tube bumper!

It took a little bit of effort but Dan got out of the hole.

2015-05-17(4)

Our two 4runners on the other side all safe and sound!  We spent a little time practicing hi-lift jacking techniques since I had never done it before.  During this time, the jack stopped functioning properly (it locked in place and wouldn’t move).  I need to disassemble the jack, clean it out, and make sure that everything is as it should be before the next time I go 4x4ing.

20150517_122625 Heading down the trail back toward Dumont.

20150517_122936

On this section I couldn’t figure out why I was being bounced around so much compared to Dan.  I figured it must be because he has a solid front axle while I have IFS.  Nope.  Turns out that I had the truck in 2nd gear by mistake.  It’s MUCH easier to go down something like this in 1st gear and 4×4 low than 2nd gear 4×4 low.  Whoops!

20150517_123043

Sun’s out, top’s down!

20150517_123140

This is such a gorgeous area.

20150517_123238

2015-05-17(2)2015-05-17(3)

After we got down off the hill, we went down to Idaho Springs for lunch and to review what I learned about solid front axles versus integrated front suspension.  I’m pretty sold on getting a solid front axle someday.  For now though the IFS will be just fine to get me through a fun summer of wheeling.  I already have sliders, tube doors, and a tube front bumper with winch mounting point on order.  Next will be a winch and dual batteries for the truck.

Thanks a bunch for all the pointers today, Dan!  I’m really looking forward to the next time out on the trail.