Rising Sun 4×4 Club – Page 9 – Not Your Average Engineer

September 13, 2015September 14, 2015

Swapping an 80 Series Land Cruiser front axle in a driveway

On Friday I heard that there might be a high pinion differential coming available from a guy in the Rising Sun 4×4 Club. I sent Dave K. a message and soon I was on my way to Grand Junction, CO in my buddy Matt’s truck as he headed west to Boise. I rolled into Grand Junction at about 2am and crashed in a rooftop tent that Dave had setup on his truck for me. The next morning I got out of the tent and found an 80 Series Land Cruiser with a broken axle from the previous weekend’s fun in Ouray that needed to be swapped for a freshly built axle that Dave happened to have on hand.

We spent most of the morning disassembling and removing the broken axle from his 80 series in the driveway of one of his friends. Dave lives out in Evergreen near me.

The newly rebuilt axle waiting to go into the truck. Complete with E-locker!

The old broken axle waiting to go into the pickup truck for the ride home to Denver.

It took us a day and a half but we finally got the new axle in and, after battling with an unruly E-locker, we hit the road back to Denver. In a few months once Dave finishes a few more axle swaps between vehicles, I will have a shiny new-to-me high pinion differential for the planned solid axle suspension swap that I have planned for my 4runner this winter.

August 23, 2015

Bill Moore Lake 4×4 Run

Today I headed up to Bill Moore Lake with members of the Rising Sun 4×4 Club. We had a great collection of Land Cruisers (40 series and 60 series) and 4runners (1st gen, 2nd gen, and 3rd gen). Aside from me, everyone had great built rigs. My 4runner will someday be better built for such trails but aside from one sidewall blowout on my 4runner today, I managed the whole trail.

Thanks again, everyone, for helping me change my flat tire. I’ll be better prepared next run for sure!

The Alaskan 4runner coming up behind me.

Old mine site below the road.

Coming up to a big mine site along the trail. A yellow 40 series Land Cruiser and a 3rd gen 4runner in front.

Heading up the hill with a 60 series Land Cruiser in the lead, a built 1st gen 4runner, a well-appointed 3rd gen 4runner, and a beautiful 40 series Land Cruiser.

Looking out to the south.

My little plucky 4runner with its tube doors.

Beautiful day to be up in the mountains!

Heading down toward the lake.

All lined up at the top of the lake.

There were a few other rigs hanging out at the top.

Down by the lake.

Big tailing pile on a side slope above the lake.

Up at the tailing pile. The entrance collapsed long ago.

High up on the mountain, it appears that there is an adit that pops out from the mine under the mountain.

Looking down on the lake.

A beautiful view from the old mine site.

A little building near the trail to the old mine.

Some of the old buildings melting into the ground by the parking area at the top of the road.

All of our beautiful rigs lined up.

Heading back down toward Empire.

Up and over!

What a gorgeous day to be in the mountains.

August 22, 2015

Rising Sun 4×4 Rally

It was a great day out at the annual Rising Sun 4×4 Club Rally today. Everyone brought their cool rigs and a bunch of goodies to sell at the swap meet.