c/4x4-builds

Spent 3 hours trying to get a seized brake caliper bolt out of my '98 Land Cruiser before realizing the bracket was cracked.

What's the best way to source a replacement bracket for an 80 series without paying dealership prices?

I thought those cheap Chinese winches were junk, but mine pulled my rig out of a mud hole in Moab.

Bought a $250 winch off a sketchy website last year as a backup. It's been through three hard pulls now and hasn't quit once. What's the most surprising piece of gear that's held up for you?

A friend in Flagstaff said my winch setup was a 'trip hazard' waiting to happen, so I moved the control box inside the cab.

Has anyone else found a better spot for a Warn VR EVO 10-S's solenoid pack on a 3rd gen Tacoma without drilling new holes?

Got stuck in a dry creek bed near Moab and learned the hard way about approach angles

I was out near Moab last fall, just messing around on some easy trails in my mostly stock 4Runner. I came up to a dry creek crossing that looked flat and simple, so I just rolled right into it. Big mistake. The entry was way steeper than it looked from the driver's seat. I heard that awful scraping sound as my front bumper and skid plate dug right into the dirt on the way down. I was high-centered, all four tires off the ground. It took my buddy winching me out from his rig, and I spent the next hour checking for damage. That one dumb move made me realize I had no real clue what my truck's limits were. I got home and the first thing I did was measure my actual approach angle, which was a sad 24 degrees. Has anyone else had a moment that made them actually measure their rig's geometry instead of just guessing?

I finally gave in and got a proper winch mount for my old Land Cruiser

For the longest time I thought I could just weld some plate to the front bumper and call it good. That was until I got stuck in some deep mud near the river crossing last fall and the whole thing started to bend. I spent about $450 on a specific bolt-on mount from a company called Trail Gear. It felt like a lot for some metal, but the difference is night and day. The pull is straight and the frame doesn't groan at all. Has anyone else put off buying a real mount and regretted it? What did you end up going with?

Why does nobody talk about the real cost of a 4 inch lift kit?

Last week I finally finished installing a 4 inch Rough Country lift on my 2005 Tacoma. I bought the kit for $1200, but that was just the start. I needed new UCAs, a longer brake line, and a front driveshaft spacer, which added another $900. Three years ago I would have just slapped the springs on and called it good. Now I know you have to budget for all the little things that keep the geometry right. Has anyone else been surprised by the hidden parts list on a 'complete' lift?

Pro tip: a buddy told me my winch line was spooled wrong after a tough pull in Moab.

He said the loose wraps would cause a core shot. I re-spooled it under load with a snatch block, like he showed me. Anyone else have a small tip that saved you from a big problem later?

My transfer case decided to retire on the I-5 near Bakersfield last Tuesday.

Had to limp it home in front-wheel drive for 60 miles. Anyone know a good shop in the Central Valley that won't just tell me to buy a whole new unit?

I've been mounting my recovery gear all wrong for years

Last month in Moab, I watched a guy pull his entire recovery bag out from under his seat in about 10 seconds while I was fumbling with bungee cords in my cargo area. My setup was a mess of loose gear that shifted and rattled on every trail. I realized I'd been treating it like storage, not like tools I might need in a hurry. How do you guys keep your recovery gear organized and ready to grab?

Just realized how much my old Land Cruiser build missed the point

I was talking to a guy at a gas station in Flagstaff last week about his clean 80 Series. He said he built it for a specific trip to the Maze District, and every single part had a job to do. I spent years just bolting on cool stuff I saw in magazines, never really going anywhere tough. It made me think my whole build was more about looks than use. Anyone else start a project without a clear goal and regret it later?

I was looking at old truck specs and the weight difference blew my mind

I was digging through some old factory manuals for my 1990 Bronco build. I found out the curb weight is just over 4,500 pounds. For fun, I looked up a new 2024 Bronco with similar options. The new one is almost 5,800 pounds! That's a whole extra small car's worth of weight. It really makes you think about how much more stress we're putting on modern frames and components. I wonder how much of that is from safety gear and tech. Has anyone else compared old vs new truck weights and been surprised?

Serious question, why did I think I needed a 6 inch lift and 37s for a truck that just sees dirt roads?

After a year of dealing with a rough ride and terrible gas mileage, I finally swapped my old setup for a simple 2 inch lift and 33s, and now I actually enjoy driving it again.

Vent: Saw a guy in Moab almost roll because he didn't check his sway bar links

I was on the Fins and Things trail last weekend and watched a built JK nearly tip over on a side hill. His front sway bar was still connected, and it lifted the inside tire way too high. He had a full lift kit but didn't get the right disconnects for it. A lot of people think a lift is just springs and shocks, but you have to plan for the whole system. Anyone have a good brand for quick disconnects on a 3 inch lift?

Appreciation post: The park ranger at Canyonlands showed me a trick with a ratchet strap that saved my weekend.

Can we talk about what happens when you ignore a small coolant leak on the trail?

Last Tuesday on the Dusy Ershim trail, my temp gauge started climbing after I brushed a rock and heard a tiny hiss. I figured it was just steam from a puddle and kept going for another hour until the engine started knocking and I had to get towed out. How do you guys check for small leaks before they turn into a big problem on a long trip?

Finally swapped my old 2" spacer lift for a proper 3" coilover kit on my Tacoma and the difference is night and day.

My rear axle decided to take a vacation in the middle of nowhere

I was driving on a muddy forest road about 30 miles outside of Bend last month, just a simple trail run. Heard a loud pop and the whole back end of my rig dropped. Got out and saw the passenger side axle shaft had snapped clean in half, leaving the wheel just flopping around. I had to use my winch to drag the truck sideways off the trail so someone could get by. Ended up calling a buddy who brought a trailer, and we spent the whole next day putting in a new shaft. Anyone else had an axle just give up without any warning like that?

Remember when you had to pick between a solid axle swap or just lifting the IFS?

Back in 2010, my Tacoma's front end was shot and I had to choose between a full SAS kit for $4,000 or just rebuilding the independent front suspension for half that. I went with the SAS, and it turned my truck into a tank on the Rubicon Trail, but man, the road manners are rough. Anyone still running a built IFS that can keep up on the tough stuff?

The simple bracket that cost me a whole weekend

I was putting a new set of rock sliders on my Tacoma last month. The main install went fine, but the final step was a small bracket that mounts to the pinch weld. The instructions said 'align and bolt on,' but they didn't mention the factory seam sealer. The bracket wouldn't sit flat because of a big glob of it right where the bolt hole needed to be. I spent about six hours total, over two days, trying to figure out why it wouldn't line up. I almost stripped a bolt forcing it. Finally, I just scraped the seam sealer out of the way with a pocket knife, and it bolted right up in two minutes. Has anyone else had a tiny detail like that throw off a whole project?

Serious question, what's the best way to mount a winch controller box on a 3rd gen Tacoma without drilling the bumper?

Last week in my garage, I finally got my Warn Zeon 10-S installed but spent two hours trying to find a spot for the control box that wasn't in the way of the grille or headlights, so I ended up using heavy-duty zip ties through the frame horns and a piece of scrap aluminum as a heat shield, but has anyone found a cleaner bracket solution?

My winch cable snapped on a trail near Moab last fall

I was trying to pull a buddy's Jeep out of a sandy wash and the steel cable just gave way with a loud crack... it frayed right near the hook. I had a spare synthetic rope in my kit, so I spent about an hour swapping it out right there. Has anyone else had to do a trailside winch line change?

Hit 200,000 miles on my '98 Land Cruiser build last weekend

I was driving back from Moab and the odometer rolled over right as I hit the highway. It's the original engine, just with a 3-inch lift and 33s. What's the highest mileage you've seen on a built 4x4 that still runs strong?

Running 35s on a stock Dana 30 axle is asking for trouble, not a budget build

I keep seeing guys in the Colorado groups slap 35 inch tires on their Jeeps with the factory Dana 30 and call it a day. That axle is just not built for that size tire, especially if you ever use 4WD off pavement. I snapped an axle shaft on my old TJ near Buena Vista the first time I got it in a bind, and that was on 33s. Has anyone actually run 35s on a stock D30 long term without breaking something?

Hot take: Spending $800 on a full set of rock sliders was the smartest move I made before my Moab trip.

I watched a guy in a shiny new Gladiator with just side steps rip his entire rocker panel off on a trail I drove right over, so what's your take on armor versus just hoping you don't hit anything?

Unpopular opinion: people are way too scared of cutting their fenders

I was helping my buddy with his 2001 Tacoma build in Flagstaff last month, and he was dead set on a body lift to clear 35s without trimming. We spent like $400 on the kit and a whole weekend installing it, only for it to still rub on tight turns. I finally just took an angle grinder to the plastic fender liner, problem solved in 20 minutes. The cut is clean, you can't even see it unless you're under the truck, and it saved a ton of cash and hassle. Anyone else just bite the bullet and cut instead of doing all these other workarounds?