Wisconsin 4Runners - Cheese Heads Unite!

ya i'm skipping it too

 

Just came back from a second trip the Chequamegon Nicolet national forest with the Dobinsons. I didnt abuse the 4runner but, I did not go easy on it either. It was at least another 200 miles of trails and varied off road terrain, loaded with camping equipment and tools for two people. The Dobs proved themselves again…no regerts so far.

 

How was the trip?

 

Awesome, thanks for posting. Can’t wait to get mine, just need to get my 4Runner first!

 

It was awesome! Good mix of very scenic driving with the occasional exciting/concerning moments.

We finally got to do the pipeline climb (my buddy decided to skip the rock garden section). He did do some of the harder bypasses though.



I did some as well, but not the nasty one above where you dropped on your skidplate.

The nights were colder than a witch’s extremities though. Very hard to stay warm.

Always feel like I should have take more pictures, but I was driving. My other buddy that rode with me has more though.

 

A few more pics from my friend:

 

I'm curious where the picture of the Jeep blasting through the water is from? I still need to check out Cathedral Pines! Maybe in November.

I'm glad you had another good trip up there! I feel like I'll never get bored of that area.

Did you check out any of the stuff just north and west from the trailhead on Buck's Ranch?

 

Also, @McSpazatron , if you're ever looking for a good breakfast up there, this place had been good to me so far:

4 Seasons Family Diner
(715) 276-6020
https://maps.app.goo.gl/han4FTDY7WMgnQue8

 

You know… I actually did want to explore west north west of the pipeline but forgot! There are a lot of neat looking squiggles on the map in that area.

Instead we explored more north of Freedom, staying to the west of Laona. Very beautiful kettle moraine terrain up there. Lot of logging too, so probably not the best during the week. I can send you a pic of my tracks if you want

 

Sounds awesome! I think I would spend a month up there if I won the lottery. So much to explore! I'll have to check your notes over a soda the next time we find an excuse to hang out.

At least we know there's always going to be something we haven't seen yet, or something we haven't seen in awhile up there.

 

Stock 2 door wrangler can go places too huh @McSpazatron nice rig u have a winch / front bumper , sliders and lift kit too ?

 

Yeah. A 2 door wrangler will school pretty much any newer Toyota off-road.

 

Wrangler is not comfortable reminds me of my cj7

 

That's the appeal of a 4Runner. It's a badass 4×4 that's comfortable for road trips as well. A Wrangler will go further off-road, but not be as nice to drive home.

 

Jeep is still an FCA product right ? I ll get a sleeping setup for the 4Runner !

 

This jeep has front and rear lockers. And a disconnecting swaybar from the factory, which is pretty cool. Ive been on long road trips in it, and honestly found it to be comfortable. The tradeoff is the cargo room. My buddy bought it in 2017, and hasnt had any reliability issues, knock wood.

I will also say this, with me being new to off-roading, a rubicon complements a 4runner very nicely on the trail…. If something looks sketchy, I can always just say “you go first” lol

 

Yeah, the Rubicon will definitely outclass us on the trails. If anyone is building a rock crawler, it's definitely a better platform. But, a 4Runner will make it further than most Rubicon owners will ever attempt.

It's matter of buying whichever one suits your needs better.

I haven't been in a situation where a front locker was needed, but I wouldn't mind having one. Toyota probably doesn't offer them because they know people will use them in situations where they're not needed and break stuff.

And, it looks like the next generation of KDSS will function basically as a complete sway bar disconnect. The current version is still pretty nice. And, most hardcore off-roaders will delete the sway bars, anyway.

That said; If I was towing around a pure trail toy, it would almost certainly be a 2-door Wrangler. That's pretty much the ultimate go anywhere vehicle.

 

My List : Sliders , Front Bumper w/ winch, Roof Rack see ya in 2 years cha ching ching

 

We cant forget about A-trac…if you lock the rear, and switch on a-trac, it’s pretty near close to having the benefit of a front locker. And you avoid the side-effect of your steering going to crap with an actually locked front.

Ive read about some dicey situations where drivers forgot about the reduced steering, and gotten real close to disaster on mountain trail obstacles. Front lockers can bite you if you are not careful!

 

Yeah, I like where it’s at right now. I think Im done with the mods for a bit lol.

 

@Thatbassguy ( Our 4Runner Ambassador ) what local shop does outfitting ?

 

For sure! 4lo, locked + A-trac and it's a beast!

There's Performance Off-road in Waukesha. They specialize in Jeeps, but they've done a few Toyotas. They built me a custom skid plate that I'm pretty happy with.

 

Didn't dust from the pipeline trails disable a new jeep that tagged along with us earlier this year?

 

No. It just made the owner upset. As far as I know, it's still fine.

 

I switched out the rear oil at around 14,000 miles, but it was because I was hearing a very faint whine under light throttle. I think it helped. I dont think you need to change it out that often. Probably every 30k would be overkill I would think.

 

I wonder, but I think he actually might have been enjoying it lol. He had plenty of opportunities to put the top up. Instead he just wiped things down between stops. I even joked with him he would be seeing dust in there for the next ten years lol.

Im so far behind the times, I had no idea jeeps were coming out as plug-in hybrids. It was kinda surreal to see that jeep climb up rocks in electric mode…complete silence lol. The guy said it has about a 35 mile range in electric only mode, which is enough for him to drive to and from work without gas!

Im a bit tech averse for cars (that’s why I prefer the “ancient” design of the 4runner), but that jeep was pretty cool to see

 

Just a question to all, I am looking into purchasing a roof rack. I’ve come down to the final decision of either Westcott Built vs the Uptop Alpha. I wanted to see if anyone had one and what their opinions are on them? Or what other people may have?

 

I figured I’d post up a warning for fluid film or woolwax users. I rotated my tires yesterday and while I had the wheels off I touched up a few areas with the fluid film…including the lower spring seats on the rear axles.

Yeah, dont do that. It got lubed up enough for the spring to move the tiniest amount when the suspension flexes, so I was hearing popping and creaking all day today, every time off a stop light or stopping at one.

I actually only found this out later tonight whenI crawled under it and had my son bounce up and down on the slider lol. I decided to spray the seat down with some brake cleaner and it seems the noise went away. If the comes back, I’ll probably have to take the spring out and clean the spring seat until it’s dry and shiny.

 

I’ve kinda being eyeing up the K9 Ez Awn. Not cheap at 1500 bucks for the full length, but it looks really well thought out.


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0NYh50vekFY&feature=emb_title


And yes…..I was just watching Expedition overland lol