[riskyricky]

Decided to finally start chopping up my 4runner and redo the exo cage.

Originally started wheeling with a Taco and then moved onto the 4runner. Thus, the build thread on the runner thus far was on ttora. Check it out if your interested.

Richard's 89 Turbo Runner -The Creep- - TTORA Forum

Anyways on to the updates.

After wheeling my 4rnr for some time with the exo, have always seemed to get hung up on my B pillar and after smashing my tailgate in and ripping the bob at the welds decided to start cutting.

Before shot

Smashed tailgate at Nazi rock in Farmington, NM. Ran out of propane climbing and just fell back into the boulder. Patched it back up for the time being to make it to Chile Challenge.

Started cutting at the beginning of winter and hoping to have it back together for spring time wheeling. Plan so far is to dove the rear, but only keep the panel skins. So basically the rear will all be tube. Going to have to figure out a way to mount the tanks again and some room for tools and a cooler.

 

[Mr Stubs]

All that jungle gym and you still managed to dent it...:flipoff2:

Mount those pane tanks like I did in Krunch. It will give you lots more room.

 

[Provience]

it looks way better without the exo :smokin:

 

[riskyricky]

All that jungle gym and you still managed to dent it...:flipoff2:

Mount those pane tanks like I did in Krunch. It will give you lots more room.

Bahaha yea just my luck. I like the pane mount Mr Stubs, definitively be doing something of the sort.

 

[riskyricky]

Updates,

Started cutting and got the dove pretty much outlined and dropped a good amount of weight. Cut the fender wheels higher up for some clearance, will need to go back and patch those up later.

New rear bumper in place and plated in. Was going to put a hitch right in the center but leaning towards some weld on D rings.

 

[dfowlkes]

Why did you remove the tops of the rear quarters?

 

[pennsylvaniaboy]

all that and stock rear hoop?!

 

[riskyricky]

Why did you remove the tops of the rear quarters?

The rear is going to be all tube, and only wanted to keep the inner panel as a color matched skin. Not your conventional dove tail.

all that and stock rear hoop?!

Yea keeping the stock rear hoop, it serves its purpose and didnt see the need to redo the upper bars.

 

[sherm$]

Thats a lot of work to just leave all that boo boo in there. Youve gone that far, id bet it would be easier to start from scratch and do it right.

 

[Mr Stubs]

Are you going to fix the shock angle?

 

[riskyricky]

That is the plan Mr Stubs, rear shock mounts will be getting redone along with tank mounts. I do like the way you mounted your tanks recessed, but in my case that would place the tank mount straight down from the bumper rather than the nice angled approach you got. So leaning towards raising them up flush mount with the frame.

Got my bender in and all set up. Finally able to start working on the cage. Never was to happy with the way my old B pillar came out, in theory the hump it had before was suppose to help push off or around rocks, but I occasionally would get anchored by it. So this time wanted to keep it as tight as possible to the body.

 

[riskyricky]

Got the sides bars top and bottom all bent and in place. Should give you a better idea of how the dove looks. Will be mounting the doved panels to the tube from the inside. Mocked up the rear cross tubes, but getting tanks in and out looks like it is going to be a pain. Do like the idea of adding a tailgate but would need to figure out a solid latching system.

 

[riskyricky]

Was going to have the harness bar intersect the node that leads to back of the cage but there was going to be no way to fully weld backside. Ended up raising it a few inches. Should be plenty strong with the cross supports. Tied single bar from the harness to the horseshoe cross member that is directly above the driveshaft. This leaves plenty of leg room for rear passengers, and I can still fold the seats up.

Finally got around to patching up the fenders. Lots of pie cuts and a BFH then some seam sealer to patch it all up. Will paint with undercoating to finish it. Both sides at some point.

 

[1990GT50]

Jesus- this thing got ugly.

 

[Provience]

Jesus- this thing got ugly.

It's an exo, the only options are various degrees of ugly :flipoff2:

i'm impressed you are taking the time to clean up the inner fenders and what-not, seems to be coming along just dandy :smokin:

 

[sherm$]

Did you fill the gaps in the fender pie cuts with seam sealer?

 

[riskyricky]

Did you fill the gaps in the fender pie cuts with seam sealer?

Yea its 3M dynatron seam sealer you can find at local autoparts stores. Works well to fill the large gaps with less effort than welding it all back together.

 

[riskyricky]

I like to think its less than ugly than before but do agree Exo's come with some varying degree of ugliness.

With the fenders all patched up, welded on the lower bar. You can kinda see the support pieces going through the panel to the c pillar. Followed similar idea to Mr Stubs on the propane mount. Single strap on each tank.

 

[riskyricky]

Wrapping the cage up. Decided to finish out the top of the cage and add cross tubes above the rear section. Put a slight bend in them to give plenty of head room for the back seats. Pretty exciting to finally drive the 4rnr again even if it was just outside the garage.

Getting tanks in out was looking to be a pain, so I went with a T for the rear bar rather than the /\ angled pieces I had mocked up. This lets me slide the tanks right out from the rear. Plan is to make a panel that will cover it up but easily removable with some quarter turn fasteners.

Ended up using some scrap tube that already had a bend in it for the shock mounts. Think the lines flow pretty good with the support bars not that it really matters.

 

[riskyricky]

Had a few ideas for the back panel but liked the idea of keeping the 4runner tailgate look. Ended up cutting out a piece of the original tailgate. It has a recessed section in it for the license plate that was not going to work with the cage, needed it to sit flat. Ended up cutting out the recess and folding it flat and added some round led taillights.