Blackdiamond (Gup-C build-up)

[blackdiamond]

I am extremely happy with how the cage turned out.  I have yet to hit my head on a bar and actually feel like there's plenty of room all things considered.  I have touched the bill of my cap a couple times, but nothing major.  I'll probably not do padding in the front and see how it goes.  I think it'll be like a hard hat where I would bump into the padding a lot more often than the naked bar, but if I do bump into the naked bar it could hurt.  We'll see.  I have also not had any issues getting in or out and have only brushed my toes on the front pillar.

The grab handle seems to be an ok fit for my wife and really helps climbing in.

The upper windshield bar has a slight peak in it to provide better visibility for the rearview mirror.

At first I thought that the rear roof diagonal should have gone the opposite direction to provide maximum headroom on the passenger side making it easier for adults to sit on that side, but I soon realized that it would have also been far more likely to be in the way climbing into the back so I think it's the better way.  The diagonal behind the rear seat is going the best way to maximize visibility out the back so I like that as well.  From a purely structural perspective the two diagonals going to the same joint would be a little bit stronger, but not a big difference.

There's a small area on the outside of the main hoop that couldn't be welded, it's physically too tight.  There's plenty of weld so I am not worries about it not being strong enough.  It's not visible, but having the structural inspection background that I do I immediately stuck my finger back behind to feel the welds on the backside.  It would take a miracle to weld it so that's the trade off between a super tight fit and a 100% complete weld.

It appears that the soft top frame just barely clears the cage which means that the kits wouldn't have been close.  The top of it is pretty low for an adult as I can stick my head up to the point that the roof bars are almost to the top of my ears, but it'll be perfect for the kids for many  years and can work for an adult.  These bars will all be padded for sure.

Super happy with it.  The rear diagonal the I added at the last minute cost 1.5 hours labor.

And the faceplate for my stereo was no where to be found.  Patrick did some looking and said if it doesn't turn up soon he'll get me a new radio.  It's a cheap unit, but I did miss my AM radio on the drive home.

[blackdiamond]

I should be able to get the soft top installed tonight for true test of how tight it fits.

[SqWADoosh]

I should be able to get the soft top installed tonight for true test of how tight it fits.

Lets roll that thing and really test it out. When you wheeling this summer? 

[H8PVMNT]

Looks good!

[blackdiamond]

Lets roll that thing and really test it out. When you wheeling this summer? 

It's hard to know. The 4Runner has been excluded this summer for the most part. Left in the garage for Moab and not invited to Colorado. Family stuff has been priority as well. I want get out at least once more this summer.

[blackdiamond]

Lets roll that thing and really test it out. When you wheeling this summer? 

You have to remember that before I met you I averaged one wheeling trip per summer outside of Moab and even took a 4 year break from that when the kids arrived.  I do very much appreciate you getting me more interested in the local wheeling scene, but it's always going to be a side salad on my plate of life.  The kids are getting the to the age where taking them wheeling will be fun for everyone.

I'm actually wanting to do a local family Tahuya day with RockcrawlinJK when he's built so that our families can meet.  I'll show up for the upcoming Tahuya run if the family plans get changed such that it's possible.  We're definitely not going way out to the northwest tip of Washington because it's way too far from any medical care for my father-in-law, but the revised plan has not been made yet.  It's mostly likely going to happen the same weekend because schedules have been blocked already.

[blackdiamond]

The soft top frame has a lot more clearance than I was expecting based on my quick check last night.  No issues. Just need to get the broken clip replaced.

[blackdiamond]

Here are a few pictures with the soft top frame installed and a few random ones inside.

[blackdiamond]

Here are some close up pictures of the two spots that he couldn't physically complete the welds 100%.  The passenger side is a little closer which I assume to be a dexterity advantage on one side over the other.  I had to get a little flashlight to even get an angle for a picture.

[blackdiamond]

And the faceplate for my stereo was no where to be found.  Patrick did some looking and said if it doesn't turn up soon he'll get me a new radio.  It's a cheap unit, but I did miss my AM radio on the drive home.

I found it under the driver's side seat.  Knew that they would take care of it, but much happier to not have to put in a new one.

[blackdiamond]

I installed roll bar padding in the back along with some padding on the bars over the door jamb and the center roof bar in the cab. I had to use padding on the center bar to get my grab handle to work but there isn't room over the passenger. I suspect the padding in the cab will be removed soon since I am sure I will bump into it way more than I want.  I ordered some ATV handles that don't need the padding to work.

[blackdiamond]

Today's adventure to church included the 4Runner.  With the padding there's not much extra room between the cage and soft top.

The padding in the back is just temporary.  It was what I had in the cab and figured I'd keep it along for a while in case I changed my mind.  Right now I have the three main bars in the back padded and ATV grab handles (don't require the padding to fit) in the front on the center and passenger side bars.

[Snoloco13]

Nice clean rig.

[SierraNevada4STR]

Looks good man! Really dig this rig

[blackdiamond]

What I learned on this weekends short outing with RockcrawlinJK is that I do bump my head on occasion off road on the roll cage so I moved some padding from the back to the front and will continue playing with it to see what the right/best combination is.  Also, my CB radio seems to not be working after the cage installation.  I'll have to check out the wiring and see if that's the issue or if a new one is in order.

[:)bestgen4runner]

Did I see a new smaller antenna also?

[blackdiamond]

Did I see a new smaller antenna also?

Yes.  It clears the garage and can be left installed all of the time.  I am certain that it's range will still be sufficient to reach Rob (he's the most likely to wheel a great distance from me) and still might even be long enough to physically reach Andrew if and when he gets a wheeling rig squared away and is behind me on the trail.  My dad sent me is SWR so I'll see how well it's tuned and compare to the longer one.

[blackdiamond]

I pulled the CB radio out tonight to check the wiring and it all appears to be in OK shape and both fuses seem to be ok.  When I turn it on it displays "88" only and doesn't respond to volume or squelch or channel changes.  I think it's time to order a new one.

[blackdiamond]

I finished replacing the CB radio today. I was able to just replace it using the break in the wires that the two fuses provide and only had to cut and put a new connector on the ground.  Nothing else changed so it must have been the radio itself that failed. I also was able to tune the little 3' antenna. It was touchy so settled for an SWR of about 1.5. The 4' antenna was under 2 so I left it alone.

[blackdiamond]

I picked up a Smittybuilt compressor this weekend. While I was airing up today with the engine running I noticed the tail pipe seemed to move more than it should and discovered the source of my exhaust rattle. The hanger near the tip was completely free and laying on the pipe. I had done a quick look a while back and must have not even realized that there was a hanger that far back. Rattle resolved 

I did a time trial airing down from about 35 psi to about 10 psi. It was about 90 seconds.  Reversing the process it took about 5 minutes to get back to 34 psi. I think 3 minutes would do plenty for getting home and possibly street driving. 35 psi is too much but I wanted to test it out.

[blackdiamond]

Today, I put in an order with Killer Toy Tops for a new top piece and cab hoop for my soft top. The Velcro is failing on the cab hoop and I have been unsuccessful retreating the top to resist water.  For $60 more the material will be upgraded from Sunbrella marine to supreme that adds another layer on the interior that'll increase the it ability to keep water out.  There is a 100% waterproof ereion that uses vinyl but it also doesn't breath making the supreme the best overall option. My current sides and back will still work well because they naturally allow water to run off.  This should resolve my issue with water leaking in the back.  I purchased the soft top in late 2008 or early 2009 and the fabric has an advertised life of 5-7 years so I am not complaining.  Great design and overall product.

[blackdiamond]

This thread has been very quiet in recent weeks/months.  I might be able to make the 3rd annual birthday wheeling event (only time will tell), but my sights are set on the upcoming Moab 2018 trip.  I'm going back to the small group style that I've done on most of my trips.  At this point the list includes me, CrankyCrawler, and a local Jeep owner that's not part of this forum.  I will be taking my 6 year old son on this trip so I suspect over the 2,200 miles of highway driving I will be answering more questions than anyone should ever have to do.  I plan to have him ride in the front (the only place he can legally ride in his booster) for the highway part of the trip so conversation shouldn't be too difficult.  Once in Moab I'll put his old five point car seat in the middle of the back for max visibility and protection under the cage.  My dad will be riding shotgun in Moab.  The name of this trip will be something like, "Daddy, <insert random question>"

[Gnarly4X]

blackdiamond,

If you pull that trip off... a photo documentary, posted here, will be totally cool... with video clips of your son asking his best questions... and of course Dad's best answers.

Gnarls.

[blackdiamond]

I got a PM inquiring about my comment that the safest place for my son being in the front. Car seats are a bit of a complicated topic and my 4Runner is little outside the normal box. Because it's a 1989 it has the removable fiberglass top and for the Moab trip I will have the soft top installed. It only has lap belts in the back which eliminates the use of a booster seat. Instruction manuals for booster seats are clear that they must be used with a shoulder belt. My son is a little to tall for his old five point harness meaning that the shoulder straps at the highest top adjustment are below the level of his shoulder.  Because there isn't an air bag in the front and a shoulder belt I feel that it's the best option for the highway trip because he will be under the steel hard top and have a properly fitting booster seat with shoulder belt. When we will be off road I think the old car seat fits well enough to work and it can be properly anchored with a top tether to the roll cage in the back. The five point harness is by far the safest setup for him in the unlikely event of a rollover off road.

If I had a shoulder belt option in the back I might make a different choice. If I had a hard top in the back I would likely make a different choice. If I had an air bag in the front I would have to make a different choice.

[Gnarly4X]

.... The five point harness is by far the safest setup for him in the unlikely event of a rollover off road....

It reads like you have analyzed this well.

I'm sure there is intensive research and testing for body safety in a vehicle, seat, and child car seats.  NASCAR has probably done more (for adults in a race car) than any Federal agency like the NHTSA. 

I think there are three safety features I'd be concerned with.  1 - the fasteners/straps from the seat to the vehicle, 2 – the 5-point harness that will prevent submarining (the crotch strap or anti-sub belt), and 3 - the padded area around the head to avoid extreme movement of the head, preventing neck and head injury. 

The amount of energy and forces applied to the body during a crash, roll-over, or the unexpected extreme vehicle movement, is way more than most of us would imagine.  I've been in the driver's seat in 3 roll-overs, and one head-on collision.

Gnarls.

[blackdiamond]

It reads like you have analyzed this well.

I'm sure there is intensive research and testing for body safety in a vehicle, seat, and child car seats.  NASCAR has probably done more (for adults in a race car) than any Federal agency like the NHTSA. 

I think there are three safety features I'd be concerned with.  1 - the fasteners/straps from the seat to the vehicle, 2 – the 5-point harness that will prevent submarining (the crotch strap or anti-sub belt), and 3 - the padded area around the head to avoid extreme movement of the head, preventing neck and head injury. 

The amount of energy and forces applied to the body during a crash, roll-over, or the unexpected extreme vehicle movement, is way more than most of us would imagine.  I've been in the driver's seat in 3 roll-overs, and one head-on collision.

Gnarls.

The main reason for the 5 point harness car seat being the safest is that in Moab he will be in the back seat and the only two legal options are the car seat or just sitting on the seat with the lap belt like I would have as a kid.  The five point harness is also preferred over the booster in the front because it's impossible for him to not be properly seated.  With the booster he has a lot more freedom to move out from behind the shoulder belt, lean forward, etc.  There's a reason that car seat are safer than booster seats, but at some point you have to make the transition.

[mudmaster]

I thought you had a cage now??

[blackdiamond]

I thought you had a cage now??

I do.

[mudmaster]

Good that metal roof isn't much protection in a rollover.

[:)bestgen4runner]

Give us a sample of the trail list planned for this years Moab trip.