[pedmonds0219]

Hey y'all, I have been lurking around this site for quite a while learning about 4runners, and I finally went out and bought one! I bought a 97 Limited with push button 4wd, and the elocker with 190k on it. It has a K&N cool air intake installed as well a Borla exhaust that was installed from the headers back. It has a 3" lift in the front and a 2.5" in the back but the shocks need replaced bad. It also came with 18" Dick Cepek rims and 33" BFG M/T's that need replaced bad as well. It definitely needs work; the guy I bought it from put some money into it but neglect some of the preventative maintenance that it needed. As a result the shocks, and tires need replaced, and the front brake calipers lock up. Also rear axle seals are shot and so it is leaking gear oil all over the left rear rim and brake. All pictures are as I bought it. As I said it needs some TLC, which I am looking forward to putting into it. I am looking forward to getting ideas and input from anyone who has it. I will post more pictures as I do work to it. Can't wait to make this baby mine!!!

[PitbullRescuer]

Looks like a great starting point. Good luck with it.

[chimpy]

Yes indeed, a very good starting point. After I bought my 2001, I just looked at a lot of build threads on here and used the search function for particular issues. You will find that this is an awesome site full of useful information. Good luck!

[txbonds]

Looks like a really good starting platform. I like the color.

[pedmonds0219]

Yeah, thanks! I was pretty set on the 96-98 range because of the style of the front end, and when I saw this one with the e-locker, I fell in love. I will be spending quite a bit of time on here getting ideas from other people's builds.

[pedmonds0219]

Since the brakes needed done anyway, I decided to do the Tundra 231mm brake swap this past weekend...let's just say that it took a lot longer than I thought it would. I started on Friday night, and didn't finish until Saturday evening. The rims were a pain in the ass, the calipers were a pain in the ass, bleeding the lines was a pain in the ass. I had barely gotten one caliper done after 2.5 hours and then went to bleed the line and no fluid at all came out. We spent another hour try to get it to bleed out, and ended up chasing what we though was a clogged line about half way to the master cylinder. Finally we gave up for the night, put the wheel back on, and rolled it into the garage for the night. We started again the next day, and after about an 2 hours of bleeding the lines and vacuum pumping them as well, I was able to get fluid to run through so that I could get the car to a buddy's house so that we could finish over there.

When we got to his house, I swapped out the driver's side rotor and then had to re-bleed for another 2 hours and yada yada yada until I was able to pull solid fluid through. These guys were both mechanics and it still took us that long. I don't know that I have every done anything to a car that took so long or that big of a pain in the ass. I didn't think that those brakes could be that stubborn, but lesson learned. We conquered in the end and my reward is some sweet new brakes. I have some pics that I will post in the next few days.

Also sold the old car and am gonna use that money to put on some new tires next weekend. I am up in the air between BFG A/T and Goodyear Wrangle Duratracs. Guess I will figure it out next weekend.

[pedmonds0219]

Today I get new tires on my rig!!! Throwing some Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac 285/75r16's on that sucker! I will post some pictures after they are on later today. Shout out to @CenCalifoothill15 because how sick they looked on his rig sold me on them over the BFG AT's.

[txbonds]

Congrats. Looking awesome. I'll be watching your progress.

When you put the tundra brakes on, you did put on tundra rotors, correct? Saw your post about changing out one of the rotors after driving it. I ended up paying to have my brakes put on for the very reasons you described. I didn't want to get it part way through the project and have problems and then not be able to drive it. My buddy works for Nissan here in town, so they have been helping me out with my service work.

Can't wait to see it with the new shoes. Keep up the good work! Regards.

[pedmonds0219]

Originally Posted by txbonds

When you put the tundra brakes on, you did put on tundra rotors, correct? Saw your post about changing out one of the rotors after driving it.

Yeah I changed the rotors as well. What I meant was that we had one wheel completely done when I drove it over to his house. So the front passenger had the complete swap, and the front driver still had the original 4runner setup on it. I didn't see any reason that this would be detrimental to the vehicle by driving it 4 miles...so I did...very slowly. The sticky about the Tundra brake swap on here said that the autozone parts he used weren't good but I upgraded to their gold rotors and they are really nice. Used the reman'd calipers and then OEM pads and shims.

Honestly bleeding the lines is what almost made me want to give up. I'm a newb so my buddies who are both mechanics made me do all the grunt work, and I vacuum pumped the lines for a total of almost 4 hours I think. A HUGE pain in the butt.

[CenCalifoothill15]

Nice job on the Tundra brake swap man! I really need to do that eventually! Good looking Rig BTW, it's going to be fun making it your own...
What do you plan on doing with your D.Cepek's? Are you going to use the Stock wheels with the new Tires?

post some pics when you get ur new meats on

[pedmonds0219]

Originally Posted by CenCalifoothill15

Nice job on the Tundra brake swap man! I really need to do that eventually! Good looking Rig BTW, it's going to be fun making it your own...
What do you plan on doing with your D.Cepek's? Are you going to use the Stock wheels with the new Tires?

post some pics when you get ur new meats on

The braking power difference with the new brakes and tires is awesome!!! I'm so glad that I did it. One thing is bugging me after driving it tonight though. It is pulling to the right when I brake. I don't know if its the tires or the brakes, but either way it needs an alignment.

I DO NOT like the DC's. I almost got rid of them today when I put the new tires on, but I decided not to. Shocks gotta be first. Plus I already owed the fiance a date for the money I spent today.

Other than that there I think that I just need to maintenance the engine and get rid of the squeeks, rattles and clunks I hear rolling down the road. I throw some pics up in the morning.

[pedmonds0219]

Here are some pics of the brakes on the front. The other pictures that I took were on someone else's Ipad and I don't have access to them right now so these are the after pics.



Driver side rear drum. There is a lot of rear differential oil leaking all over it, so add a rear dif breather and new axle seals to the ever growing list.

[pedmonds0219]

I went on my first wheeling trip this weekend up the back road to Crown King, AZ with a couple of jeep buddies and a fellow Toyota buddy who's 4runner is out of commision. Not the hardest trail; most AZ guides rate it at about 2.5-3.0 out of 5, but it was a blast for sure. There are a good number or obstacles that have bypasses, but I tried everything except "The Nemesis." Nobody I was with did it, actually my buddy had to drive his jeep around to the top and winch a guy out who thought he could make it in his jeep on 35's. Definitely hooked now.

[Skidmarcx]

Sup there ball sack! I can't believe I missed your thread! Had lots of fun going to CK you did awesome! Next time bring a parachute for the little guy LOL!! Let's get those LBJs taken care of ASAP... Looking forward to rollin by your side next time hopefully my truck will be functional by the weekend

[pedmonds0219]

@Skidmarcx Yeah man I had a blast with you guys. Something is acting up under the hood I have to figure out this weekend...I'm going to see if Craig has time to run over and take it for a test drive to troubleshoot it this weekend...