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Yeah, I know I can paint them - I shouldn't have to though, not at less than a year of use.
JZiggy's "Grown Up" 4Runner Build
- Thread starter JZiggy
- Start date
Yeah, I know I can paint them - I shouldn't have to though, not at less than a year of use.
JZiggy
Senior Member
Suspension update time!
I've had my Dobinsons IMS lift for a bit over a year now and have been mostly happy with it. It certainly takes the big bounces waaaay better than OEM and the truck feels planted and stable even with a 2-3" lift. But it always felt a little stiff, though not overly so. I reached out to Dobsinsons and learned that they updated the valve stack on the IMS system shortly after I purchased my set to soften up the response. They were willing to revalve my set free of cost. The customer service of Dobinsons is really stellar and I didn't realize this benefit when purchasing this set originally, but I sure am happy that I went with them.
Freshly revalved shocks on the workbench with new bushings and stuff (I did pay for the new hardware, not a big deal)
While I had the suspension apart I took the opportunity to do some upgrades and maintenance
New OEM outer tie rod jam nuts, since my originals were nice and rounded from many years of alignments. I even splurged and grabbed a 27mm spanner wrench and a 28mm crows foot so that I don't have to use daggum adjustable wrenches on these parts anymore. A nice coating of anti-seize on the threads to pay it forward to future alignment techs that will round out these new nuts LOL
I also bought a set of Snowbound rear shock skids / protectors to cover the bottom of the shock mounts and the front of the shocks. I really like this design and concept.
A little black rustoleum gloss, because I like to keep it simple
Unfortunately there was not enough clearance on the front to allow the 17mm socket to drive the bolt in straight, so I had to file & dremel a bit to get it to work out properly
I contacted the owner and he got back to me within the hour, stating that he had already revised the design to allow a bit more clearance.
The skids certainly look cool and don't hang down much.
One of the air lines to my Air Lift 1000 airbags (which I have enjoyed greatly, especially when I was running 99 coils on a stock height suspension) was leaking so I decided to remove the airbags while I had the suspension apart. On a recent trip where I was loaded about as much as the poor 3RZ could handle anyway I realized that the Dobinsons coils really don't need the help of the airbags. This is with the bags deflated
I left the lines in place in case I want to reinstall them or a set of longer bags for lifted coils. The original bags were not leaking after 5 years of use and abuse so props to Air Lift for that!
The LBJs also got an update thanks to [MENTION=636945]Spiker Engineering[/MENTION] 's great research into the mechanics of the bolts. I decided to add the 01-02 dust boot for extra protection and upgrade to the black bolt-with-washer that provides higher and more consistent preload even at the spec'ed 37 ft-lb of install torque.
Back to the original purpose of the whole project: the revalved Dobinsons shocks. At this point all I've had the time to do it run it up and down the street and over some speed humps. From what I can tell the shocks are significantly softer and still take the whoops with class -- my passengers were amazed at the response when hitting the neighborhood bumps at 40 mph :scared:
Will report back once I've had more time urban offroading
I've had my Dobinsons IMS lift for a bit over a year now and have been mostly happy with it. It certainly takes the big bounces waaaay better than OEM and the truck feels planted and stable even with a 2-3" lift. But it always felt a little stiff, though not overly so. I reached out to Dobsinsons and learned that they updated the valve stack on the IMS system shortly after I purchased my set to soften up the response. They were willing to revalve my set free of cost. The customer service of Dobinsons is really stellar and I didn't realize this benefit when purchasing this set originally, but I sure am happy that I went with them.
Freshly revalved shocks on the workbench with new bushings and stuff (I did pay for the new hardware, not a big deal)
While I had the suspension apart I took the opportunity to do some upgrades and maintenance
New OEM outer tie rod jam nuts, since my originals were nice and rounded from many years of alignments. I even splurged and grabbed a 27mm spanner wrench and a 28mm crows foot so that I don't have to use daggum adjustable wrenches on these parts anymore. A nice coating of anti-seize on the threads to pay it forward to future alignment techs that will round out these new nuts LOL
I also bought a set of Snowbound rear shock skids / protectors to cover the bottom of the shock mounts and the front of the shocks. I really like this design and concept.
A little black rustoleum gloss, because I like to keep it simple
Unfortunately there was not enough clearance on the front to allow the 17mm socket to drive the bolt in straight, so I had to file & dremel a bit to get it to work out properly
I contacted the owner and he got back to me within the hour, stating that he had already revised the design to allow a bit more clearance.
The skids certainly look cool and don't hang down much.
One of the air lines to my Air Lift 1000 airbags (which I have enjoyed greatly, especially when I was running 99 coils on a stock height suspension) was leaking so I decided to remove the airbags while I had the suspension apart. On a recent trip where I was loaded about as much as the poor 3RZ could handle anyway I realized that the Dobinsons coils really don't need the help of the airbags. This is with the bags deflated
I left the lines in place in case I want to reinstall them or a set of longer bags for lifted coils. The original bags were not leaking after 5 years of use and abuse so props to Air Lift for that!
The LBJs also got an update thanks to [MENTION=636945]Spiker Engineering[/MENTION] 's great research into the mechanics of the bolts. I decided to add the 01-02 dust boot for extra protection and upgrade to the black bolt-with-washer that provides higher and more consistent preload even at the spec'ed 37 ft-lb of install torque.
Back to the original purpose of the whole project: the revalved Dobinsons shocks. At this point all I've had the time to do it run it up and down the street and over some speed humps. From what I can tell the shocks are significantly softer and still take the whoops with class -- my passengers were amazed at the response when hitting the neighborhood bumps at 40 mph :scared:
Will report back once I've had more time urban offroading
Last edited:
JZiggy
Senior Member
I love my Savage front skids. One thing that has always bugged me about them though is that the rear plate doesn't sit flush with the center of the crossmember. I like to jack up the truck from this point but doing so has caused the skid to bow upward by 1/4". I know it's strong enough to use it this way but it could better.
So I took the skid off and banged it back flat. Then I superglued a 2"x6"x3/8" chunk of hard polyurethane rubber (similar to a hockey puck) onto the skid.
Now the skid plate has some support so that if I place the jack here it will spread the force out to the cross member gently.
So I took the skid off and banged it back flat. Then I superglued a 2"x6"x3/8" chunk of hard polyurethane rubber (similar to a hockey puck) onto the skid.
Now the skid plate has some support so that if I place the jack here it will spread the force out to the cross member gently.
octanejunkie
Elite Member
I like that the Savage skid is wide at the front to provide protection to the radiator corners. I wish my RCI skid was wider upfront.
However, what I really love about the RCI skid is the rib support that connects the skid to the LCA front hangers outboard of the front diff mounts via slots. Installing the front skid is super easy to simply slide it onto bolts and then button it up, but the rib also serves as a great jacking point, much closer than the crossmember the rear of the skid connects to.
Fun stuff these trucks and sharing how we mod, use and service them.
Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk
However, what I really love about the RCI skid is the rib support that connects the skid to the LCA front hangers outboard of the front diff mounts via slots. Installing the front skid is super easy to simply slide it onto bolts and then button it up, but the rib also serves as a great jacking point, much closer than the crossmember the rear of the skid connects to.
Fun stuff these trucks and sharing how we mod, use and service them.
Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk
mtbtim
Elite Member
I love my Savage front skids. One thing that has always bugged me about them though is that the rear plate doesn't sit flush with the center of the crossmember. I like to jack up the truck from this point but doing so has caused the skid to bow upward by 1/4". I know it's strong enough to use it this way but it could better.
So I took the skid off and banged it back flat. Then I superglued a 2"x6"x3/8" chunk of hard polyurethane rubber (similar to a hockey puck) onto the skid.
Now the skid plate has some support so that if I place the jack here it will spread the force out to the cross member gently.
I think I'm going to copy you on this Jordan. I have the same issue with my CBI skid plates. I like to lift the front end by jacking under the center of the front cross member and it bows in skid plate because there's a gap between the skid plate and the cross member. It's obvious to me they built the skid plates that way so you wouldn't get an annoying vibration but the rubber pad shouldn't transmit a vibration to the skid plate.
JZiggy
Senior Member
BTW, I had to buy a 12"x12" plate of this PU material. If you want any just tell me and I'll send you some.
Chuckles89
New member
Don't look at my beat up skid! I'm not sure how it still bolts up...
I wish I had that idea years ago LOL
I wish I had that idea years ago LOL
JZiggy
Senior Member
The door lock actuator on my front passenger was starting to get sluggish, especially after sitting in the sun. I decided to attempt to replace the motor like I did on the driver's door some time ago.
Started by reviewing the [MENTION=120071]mtbtim[/MENTION] Timmy the Toolman video on the door lock actuator repair
Door panel off
Peel part of the vapor barrier back
The little nylon clip that hold the rod onto the door handle had a broken retaining clip, so I'll replace it with an OEM one
Pull out the robo-squid
The actuator!
Some care with a sharp box knife, and it's open
Boy, look at that weird rust on the old motor. No wonder it's acting up! Time to put a fresh one in there
And here's the replacement clip
I was reminded that it is super helpful to have another set of hands when repositioning the robo-squid into the door. The tentacles like to get hung up on everything.
Another successful repair! At this point I have no issues with the actuators in the rear doors but I want to be prepared to tackle that job when it comes up. I'm not sure if anyone has done that particular repair, perhaps [MENTION=5345]habanero[/MENTION] has?
Started by reviewing the [MENTION=120071]mtbtim[/MENTION] Timmy the Toolman video on the door lock actuator repair
Door panel off
Peel part of the vapor barrier back
The little nylon clip that hold the rod onto the door handle had a broken retaining clip, so I'll replace it with an OEM one
Pull out the robo-squid
The actuator!
Some care with a sharp box knife, and it's open
Boy, look at that weird rust on the old motor. No wonder it's acting up! Time to put a fresh one in there
And here's the replacement clip
I was reminded that it is super helpful to have another set of hands when repositioning the robo-squid into the door. The tentacles like to get hung up on everything.
Another successful repair! At this point I have no issues with the actuators in the rear doors but I want to be prepared to tackle that job when it comes up. I'm not sure if anyone has done that particular repair, perhaps [MENTION=5345]habanero[/MENTION] has?
TonyB66
New member
The door lock actuator on my front passenger was starting to get sluggish, especially after sitting in the sun. I decided to attempt to replace the motor like I did on the driver's door some time ago.
Started by reviewing the [MENTION=120071]mtbtim[/MENTION] Timmy the Toolman video on the door lock actuator repair
Door panel off
Peel part of the vapor barrier back
The little nylon clip that hold the rod onto the door handle had a broken retaining clip, so I'll replace it with an OEM one
Pull out the robo-squid
The actuator!
Some care with a sharp box knife, and it's open
Boy, look at that weird rust on the old motor. No wonder it's acting up! Time to put a fresh one in there
And here's the replacement clip
I was reminded that it is super helpful to have another set of hands when repositioning the robo-squid into the door. The tentacles like to get hung up on everything.
Another successful repair! At this point I have no issues with the actuators in the rear doors but I want to be prepared to tackle that job when it comes up. I'm not sure if anyone has done that particular repair, perhaps [MENTION=5345]habanero[/MENTION] has?
As always, good stuff Jordan. Brings back memories when I had those panels off before. Hopefully you didn't break any of those dang panel clips...
I am reminded of why I prefer manual, like for everything: locks, windows, seats, climate, etc. A buddy always jokes that I need a Fred Flintstone "car", lol.
Hope life is treating you well!
JZiggy
Senior Member
More stuff!
Got some nifty Rokmen rear LCAs. No reason why other than that they are very cool and seemed like a worthy upgrade. I was previously running OEMs with poly bushings.
Stock arms weigh about 4lb, these weigh over 9!
B4 and aft
I did these with the vehicle on the ground, one side at a time. On one side I had a bit of trouble getting the last bolt to line up even when using a drift to pull it. So I put a prybar under the front wheel and pushed it in the direction I wanted and put a tire chalk under it. Alignment problem solved!
These things are almost as thick as my sliders!!
Got some nifty Rokmen rear LCAs. No reason why other than that they are very cool and seemed like a worthy upgrade. I was previously running OEMs with poly bushings.
Stock arms weigh about 4lb, these weigh over 9!
B4 and aft
I did these with the vehicle on the ground, one side at a time. On one side I had a bit of trouble getting the last bolt to line up even when using a drift to pull it. So I put a prybar under the front wheel and pushed it in the direction I wanted and put a tire chalk under it. Alignment problem solved!
These things are almost as thick as my sliders!!
octanejunkie
Elite Member
I have a set of those to install, too!More stuff!
Got some nifty Rokmen rear LCAs. No reason why other than that they are very cool and seemed like a worthy upgrade. I was previously running OEMs with poly bushings.
Stock arms weigh about 4lb, these weigh over 9!
B4 and aft
I did these with the vehicle on the ground, one side at a time. On one side I had a bit of trouble getting the last bolt to line up even when using a drift to pull it. So I put a prybar under the front wheel and pushed it in the direction I wanted and put a tire chalk under it. Alignment problem solved!
These things are almost as thick as my sliders!!
Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk
habanero
Senior Member
I did it 9 years ago, it's still working great. I thought the rear to be easier than the front. A fairly detailed write up to pull it out is in the build thread....keep in mind I was learning as I go-
start post 1467 habanero's 1996 4Runner Build-Up Thread - Page 74 - YotaTech Forums
Also: Robo-squid :tongue1:
Last edited:
162435
New member
Jordan,
I have to admit that I read through this entire thread, as time allowed, over the last few days. You've done an amazing job documenting your well thought out changes/mods/fixes.
I'm relatively new here, but was quite active on YotaTech & 4x4Wire over the 21+ years of owning my '01 4Runner. Reading through your thread brought back many memories of things I've repaired or changed on my truck over the 517,000+ miles it's logged. Apart from tire changes, alignments, and one A/C system evacuation & refill, I've done all of my own maintenance & repair work.
Lastly, thank you for your assistance regarding Dobinsons and having the IMS shocks revalved. I shipped my shocks to David yesterday and am crossing every available finger that the revalving softens up the ride during daily use. As I stated to David, they simply feel too 'restrictive' for a stock-weight (4,580 lbs) 4Runner.
Andreas
I have to admit that I read through this entire thread, as time allowed, over the last few days. You've done an amazing job documenting your well thought out changes/mods/fixes.
I'm relatively new here, but was quite active on YotaTech & 4x4Wire over the 21+ years of owning my '01 4Runner. Reading through your thread brought back many memories of things I've repaired or changed on my truck over the 517,000+ miles it's logged. Apart from tire changes, alignments, and one A/C system evacuation & refill, I've done all of my own maintenance & repair work.
Lastly, thank you for your assistance regarding Dobinsons and having the IMS shocks revalved. I shipped my shocks to David yesterday and am crossing every available finger that the revalving softens up the ride during daily use. As I stated to David, they simply feel too 'restrictive' for a stock-weight (4,580 lbs) 4Runner.
Andreas
JZiggy
Senior Member
JZiggy attempts paint repair! :loco:
At some point in this 4Runner's well-loved existence the rear passenger door was replaced and repainted. The sheet metal inside of the seams and under the panels is a bit corroded in small places and looks different than the rest of the body. Fortunately the cute trim stripe was repainted well and matches the rest of the truck. The paint is also a slightly different shade and the clear coat has been slowly peeling from some areas. Back in 2017 a friend helped me repair the top of the door where there was a significant peeled area. Since that time the clear coat on the small horizontal area under the window has been slowly bubbling up. I put some clear protective tape on it a while back to try to help it but it eventually bubbled past the tape so I decided it was time to do something about it.
My goal is simply to prevent the clear from peeling and made the issue less obvious, it doesn't have to be perfect. Unfortunately I failed to get a good before picture but here goes anyway
Tape peeled off, area masked up for sanding. You can see all the clear has pulled up.
Wet sand with 800 until its pretty flat
Wet sand with 1500 and cover the rest of the surrounding area
I had a can of color-matched Sunfire Red Pearl paint. A light dusting to start with
Now a heavier top coat. Let it sit for 30 minutes or so
I used the 2k clear that is super toxic -- respirator mask, goggles, and long sleeves are worn and the painting was done outside the garage in the shade. A light coat, wait 10 minutes, and then a nice heavy coat. A bit of orange peel but no running or drips, yay!
Let it sit in the sun for 45 minutes before removing the masking. Just enough time for neighbors to start getting curious.
The finished product! I'm pleased with how it turned out.
Of course the fresh paint is brighter and shinier than the old paint on the rest of the panels. I'm not going to bother to blend the paint but plan to come back later with some 3000 grit wet paper and some polishing compound to smooth things out a bit.
At some point in this 4Runner's well-loved existence the rear passenger door was replaced and repainted. The sheet metal inside of the seams and under the panels is a bit corroded in small places and looks different than the rest of the body. Fortunately the cute trim stripe was repainted well and matches the rest of the truck. The paint is also a slightly different shade and the clear coat has been slowly peeling from some areas. Back in 2017 a friend helped me repair the top of the door where there was a significant peeled area. Since that time the clear coat on the small horizontal area under the window has been slowly bubbling up. I put some clear protective tape on it a while back to try to help it but it eventually bubbled past the tape so I decided it was time to do something about it.
My goal is simply to prevent the clear from peeling and made the issue less obvious, it doesn't have to be perfect. Unfortunately I failed to get a good before picture but here goes anyway
Tape peeled off, area masked up for sanding. You can see all the clear has pulled up.
Wet sand with 800 until its pretty flat
Wet sand with 1500 and cover the rest of the surrounding area
I had a can of color-matched Sunfire Red Pearl paint. A light dusting to start with
Now a heavier top coat. Let it sit for 30 minutes or so
I used the 2k clear that is super toxic -- respirator mask, goggles, and long sleeves are worn and the painting was done outside the garage in the shade. A light coat, wait 10 minutes, and then a nice heavy coat. A bit of orange peel but no running or drips, yay!
Let it sit in the sun for 45 minutes before removing the masking. Just enough time for neighbors to start getting curious.
The finished product! I'm pleased with how it turned out.
Of course the fresh paint is brighter and shinier than the old paint on the rest of the panels. I'm not going to bother to blend the paint but plan to come back later with some 3000 grit wet paper and some polishing compound to smooth things out a bit.
JZiggy
Senior Member
The weather stripping on my drivers door was getting a bit frayed and I wanted to get a nice OEM replacement (while Toyota still makes it!) so I grabbed a set for both front doors.
Took me a minute to figure out how to align the new ones. I discovered there is a short bit of stuffing in the part that goes up into the top rear corner and a longer piece of stuffing toward the front. Starting with that corner it all went in really nicely.
The doors have to be closed a bit harder now but I expect the rubber will set a bit and chill out pretty soon. Also note my nifty chalk bag mod hanging off the shifter console. I found a writeup about that on Tacomaworld and it was real easy to do.
Took me a minute to figure out how to align the new ones. I discovered there is a short bit of stuffing in the part that goes up into the top rear corner and a longer piece of stuffing toward the front. Starting with that corner it all went in really nicely.
The doors have to be closed a bit harder now but I expect the rubber will set a bit and chill out pretty soon. Also note my nifty chalk bag mod hanging off the shifter console. I found a writeup about that on Tacomaworld and it was real easy to do.
octanejunkie
Elite Member
PNs please and chalk bag cause shooting pool on the trails?The weather stripping on my drivers door was getting a bit frayed and I wanted to get a nice OEM replacement (while Toyota still makes it!) so I grabbed a set for both front doors.
Took me a minute to figure out how to align the new ones. I discovered there is a short bit of stuffing in the part that goes up into the top rear corner and a longer piece of stuffing toward the front. Starting with that corner it all went in really nicely.
The doors have to be closed a bit harder now but I expect the rubber will set a bit and chill out pretty soon. Also note my nifty chalk bag mod hanging off the shifter console. I found a writeup about that on Tacomaworld and it was real easy to do.
Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk
JZiggy
Senior Member
Toyota 62311-35013 - RUBBER SEAL
Toyota 62312-35013 - RUBBER SEAL
Whenever I can. It does fit those jumbo Nalgene bottles nicely.
JZiggy
Senior Member
More mini-mods. When I first bought the truck I had to address the squeaky clutch pedal. I did a torsion spring-ectomy and replaced the pivot bushings. But that was 6 years ago, wow!
This time I did the bushings on both the clutch and brake pedal (which I had never done). Regreased all the sliding components and replaced the plunger pad that looked old and crispy.
Clutch pedal
Brake pedal
This time I did the bushings on both the clutch and brake pedal (which I had never done). Regreased all the sliding components and replaced the plunger pad that looked old and crispy.
Clutch pedal
Brake pedal
phattyduck
Elite Member
Does your clutch pedal have the rubber isolator in the clevis end piece? On my Camry, it wore out so bad it was causing clutch engagement issues:Clutch pedal
I had it welded up to repair it and so it could stand up to the stiff pressure plate forces:
Something to consider...
-Charlie
JoeT4R
Senior Member
Very nicely done! Just looked up the p/n's you listed and Jesus, I wasn't expecting to see that price for some rubber, lol. All in all it looks great though. I'd like to knock mine out too but I'm not ready to pay that kinda dough for them. Only when they start to leak will I then have to bite the bullet and make it happen.The weather stripping on my drivers door was getting a bit frayed and I wanted to get a nice OEM replacement (while Toyota still makes it!) so I grabbed a set for both front doors.
Took me a minute to figure out how to align the new ones. I discovered there is a short bit of stuffing in the part that goes up into the top rear corner and a longer piece of stuffing toward the front. Starting with that corner it all went in really nicely.
The doors have to be closed a bit harder now but I expect the rubber will set a bit and chill out pretty soon. Also note my nifty chalk bag mod hanging off the shifter console. I found a writeup about that on Tacomaworld and it was real easy to do.
Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk
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