Cost of 5th gen brake upgrade, new shocks, coils, and diff oil change

[Posted 2 year update for 2020 at end of thread]

2008 Sport 4WD

Like an idiot, I decided to tax season is a great time to perform significant maintenance on my vehicle. :redbrick: But I wanted to get it done so I just kept ordering parts and piling up the costs. Thought I'd share everything in a nice format, in case anyone else looking to do the same. Thanks to the 100's of posters on here from many different threads I read through to gather all this info. I could not have done it without your research and guidance.

Brake calipers (from Rock Auto)

Centric 141.44287 (front right) - $128.79
Centric 141.44288 (front left) - $128.79
Centric 142.44587 (rear right) - $126.79
Centric 142.44588 (rear left) - $126.79

Shipping: $0
Tax: $19.98
Total: $531.24

141 series = unpainted calipers
142 series = painted calipers with new parts

Centric Parts Catalog
Online Catalog | APC Automotive Technologies

According to Centric's parts catalog website, there are no 142 series calipers available for the front. This means you will have to paint your front calipers if you want to prevent them from rusting within a few days of installing. Also note, the 142 series calipers have three different finishes from Centric, and as I understand it, it just depends on what caliper parts you order. The 142 series I received were not painted. Instead, they were zinc plated and already had a few small chipped areas where the zinc plating came off. Note, the 142 series calipers came with new brake pads. I threw these away as they are junk compared to the Akebono pads.

Replacing front brake pads, rotors, and calipers on 2004 4Runner
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltY8COH6tGI&feature=youtu.be

Replacing rear brake pads and rotors, and keep existing calipers on 2004 4Runner
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RO_IOXwZssM&feature=youtu.be

Servicing brakes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKpmBvfVYZg&feature=youtu.be

Core returns

How to recover core refund

141.xxxx +$75 (x2)
142.xxxx +$65 (x2)

Total refund: $280

Note, when doing a core return, Rock Auto is very specific about the following instructions.

1. Old parts be returned using the same product boxes they were shipped in.
2. Product boxes must be in good condition (not torn up, defaced, scraped up, or soaked in brake fluid, grease or anything else).
3. Rock Auto provides bar code tags which must be attached to each return part.
4. Pre-printed shipping note must be included in shipping box.

If these conditions are not met, you may not get your refund. I found my old brake calipers to be quite dirty, as expected. Stupidly, I placed them back in the original boxes and one of the calipers leaked. Make sure they are not leaking, wipe off the calipers to remove some grime, and also place a shop paper towel in the bottom of the return boxes to help keep them from getting dirty. Rock Auto is very clear they want to reuse the boxes and the boxes must not be damaged. Unfortunately, one of the boxes that came with the new calipers was damaged with a hole punched in the bottom. I hope Rock Auto doesn't think I did that. We shall see.

Although Rock Auto's website looks like it's from 1995 and is quite wonky, it's pretty easy to go on there and print return labels. I printed two labels, one for each pair of calipers and have two separate boxes to ship.

• Total weight of front calipers: 26.3 lbs
• Total weight of rear calipers: 18.8 lbs

If you use Rock Auto's pre-printed labels for shipping, you will get a significant discount on shipping cost. They offer FedEx, DHL, and some other carrier as an option. I chose FedEx, and then called FedEx to schedule a pick up from my house. It was quite easy. This shipping cost is taken out of your refund by Rock Auto.

• Total shipping costs for front calipers: $8.84
• Total Shipping costs for rear calipers: $6.82

Total shipping costs: $15.66

***

Brake Rotors (from TH Motorsports)

StopTech 126.44174SR (front right) - $80.42
StopTech 126.44174SL (front left) - $94.33
StopTech 126.44175SR (rear right) - $61.79
StopTech 126.44175SL (rear left) - $76.82

Shipping: $0
Tax: $0
Total: $354.61

Note about new rotors. Manufacturers apply a thin layer of grease on them to prevent rust during storage and shipping. You need to clean off this shipping oil before installing, otherwise the oil will contaminate your brake pads. Most people prefer to use brake cleaner or soap and warm water in the sink. If you wash them with soap and water, be sure to thoroughly dry them with a hair dryer or in the sun, if you're going to store them for a few days before install. If you put them back into their bags with water drops still in the cavities, water will seep out of the inside cavities and might bring some oil/grime back onto the surface and you'll have to clean them again right before install.

***

Brake Pads (from Amazon)

Akebono ACT976 (front) - $48.85
Akebono ASP606 (rear) - $53.66

Shipping: $0
Tax: $0
Total: $102.51

***

Stainless Steel Brake Lines (from TH Motorsports)

Stoptech 950.44007 (to front calipers) - $41.25

Shipping: $0
Tax: $0
Total: $41.25

Stainless Steel Brake Lines (from Amazon)

StopTech 950.44507 (to rear calipers) - $48.40

Shipping: $0
Tax: $0
Total: $48.40

Rubber Brake Lines (from Amazon)

Centric 150.44397 (rear axle) - $18.91 each (x2)

Shipping: $0
Tax: $3.12
Total: $41.00

Stainless steel lines from Stoptech are not available for rear axle, so I ordered rubber hoses instead. There are a total of six brake lines.

***

Misc. stuff for new brakes installation

(from Amazon)

3M 08946 Clear Silicone Paste - $19.55
Permatex 09128 Copper Anti-Seize Lubricant - $12.33
G2 Brake Caliper Paint System Kit - $48.96

Shipping: $0
Tax: $6.66
Total: $87.53

(from local Walmart)

Super Tech CA Compliant Brake Cleaner - $2.97

Tax: 0.25
Total: $3.22

If you care about this sort of thing, you might want to buy the brake cleaner locally, to ensure it's complaint with your state's regulations. California likes to regulate everything under the sun, so I wanted to make sure I bought CA compliant brake cleaner.

Painting Brake Calipers
https://youtu.be/xF0skQC8WyE

***

Shocks (from Amazon from Wheelers)

Bilstein 5100 24-239370 (front)
Bilstein 5100 33-187174 (rear)

Bilstein 5100 Shock Kit - $377.37

Shipping: $0
Tax: $31.13
Total: $408.50

***

Coils (from Wheelers)

Wheelers T1 (front) - $159.99
Wheelers T12 (rear) - $159.99

Shipping: $30.50
Tax: $0
Total: $349.49

I should have bought my shocks and coils at the same time from Wheelers. Instead, I ordered shocks through Amazon, and coils through Wheelers website. But if I did it all from Wheelers, then I could have gone with their strut-assembly service for an extra $95. It's a little expensive but worth it if don't want to deal with possibly having a spring compression tool come loose and break something on your body. Or if you don't want to deal with a local shop who might mess things up. You'll need to assemble the front struts which in include the struts, coils, and top hat / bushing kits from KYB.

***

KYB Top Hats and Bushings (from Amazon)

KYB SM5640 - Mount Kit - $25 (2x)

Shipping: $50.68
Tax: $4.18
Total: $54.86

Word of caution when getting your strut assemblies put together. I called a local tire and suspension shop and the guy on the phone quoted me a total of $75 to put together both strut assemblies. I took the new front shocks (24-239370), T1 springs (from Wheelers), and KYB mount kits (1 for each front shock) in and gave the mechanic a printed diagram (which I will upload later). Diagram is the from the factory manual and shows the exact orientation of bolt alignment to spring.

First, they got the alignment wrong. There is a specific alignment the bolt pattern must be. I called and they said to stick a large punch into the bottom hole during install and twist it. A bit annoyed but ok, it does seem like it will rotate on the lock ring.

Second, they over-tightened the lock nut on top and caused the top bushing to expand beyond the metal washer, so it's completely distorted. They did this on both assemblies, possibly damaging the top bushing. I called friends who are in the know. Half of them said don't sweat it, as when you install it, the weight of the vehicle will compress the shock and relieve the pressure on the top bushing that is smashed, and as long as they are damaged, they should be ok. The other half said it must be fixed. Unfortunately I didn't notice this problem until I got home. So I called Wheelers. Nice guys over there btw. They told me not to worry about it and said the same thing several friends stated in that the weight of the vehicle will relieve the pressure and it should be ok.

Also, there is no torque specification for the lock nut that holds the the assembly together. I was confused on this a bit as the manual states the torque should be 18ft lbs. However, the guys at the local ship did not torque it at all to spec. It's supposed to be tightened to a position that holds everything together nicely and that's it. Wheelers confirmed this also when I asked them on the phone, and they said there is no torque spec on this nut.

If I had to do this again, I would have gladly paid Wheelers for their $95 in-house strut assembly fee to save all this hassle with local shops.

***

Grip Replacement for Hatch (from Amazon)

4Runner Hatch Grip Replacement - $14.59

Shipping: $0
Tax: $1.71
Total: $16.30

A known problem with 4th gens are the back latch melting in hot climates. My turned into a gooey mess with the consistency of silly putty. Black started to come off on my finger when I'd lift my hatch open. A much worse problem is that it would keep depressing the actuator to open the hatch at random times while I was driving. This frustrated me for over a year as I never could figure out why it was happening. Then finally I realized the melted rubber was jammed into the hole where the actuator was and caused it to stick. I ordered this kit off ebay.

Before you install the new handle, take some wide painters tape and put some pieces on the paint around the immediate area of your latch. Place one piece above the hatch to keep black goo off when you're cleaning things up. Take a second piece and cover the area immediately below the screws. The screwed are angled as such that it's a pain in the ass to get them off, even with an angled screwdriver. As you remove the screws, the L bend in the screwdriver will start scrapping your paint on every turn. The tape will help protect from scratches. Double up the tape pieces for extra protection.

Remove the screws, and you can easily pop out the entire plastic casing that holds the button. It's shaped like a long narrow box, with a long narrow piece on top for the button cover. Be careful removing this button cover because there is a tiny spring behind it which will come flying out. Once you get it out, remove the button cover entirely, and also remove the bent wire (similar to paper clip) that it hinges on. Be careful with that little spring. I took it into the kitchen and removed all the good with goo off. It took over half an hour to get it completely clean and like new. Simply reassemble and pop the casing back into your rear door. Then put on the new latch and you're done. I love the new latch. Great design. Works perfectly.

***

Differential Oil (from local AutoZone)

Mobil 1 Synthetic Gear Oil SAE 75W-90 1 qt.
Part Number: 104361

Cost: 12.99 (x6)

Tax: $6.43
Total: $84.37

I use the same Mobil 1 75W-90 gear oil for differential and transfer case. Works great.

***

Fluid Transfer Pump (from local Oreilly's)

Performance Tool Fluid Pump - $9.99

Tax: $0.82
Total: $10.81

***

Various Washers (from local Toyota Dealership)

Toyota Part: 12157-10010 - $1.49 (3x)

Front differential fill gasket
Rear differential fill gasket
Rear differential drain gasket

Toyota Part: 90430-24003 - $1.95 (1x)

Front differential drain gasket

Toyota Part: 90430-18008 - $1.70 (2x)

Transfer case fill gasket
Transfer case drain gasket

Tax: $0.81
Total: $10.63

Changing Differential and Transfer Case Oil
Changing Differential & Transfer Case Fluids - Pics Included - Toyota 4Runner Forum - Largest 4Runner Forum

Changing your differential oil can be a bit of a challenge. The reason is you need to have your truck parked on flat ground. In the rear, once you remove the spare tire, there is plenty of room to work. In the front, once you remove the skid plate, you'll discover there is very little room to work. For the fill plug in the front differential, you're going to need a very short torque wrench. I would say a 14" model at the most. It's really tight in there if your vehicle is on the floor. There's just not enough room to crank a long handle wrench a single click. Also, it is vital you remove the fill plug first. The reason is if you can't remove the fill plug, but then you drain your differential oil, you're stuck. It helps to spray PB16 on the fill and drain plugs the day before. Let that stuff soak in overnight. It will help you break loose the plugs. The rear drain plug took a lot of convincing to break loose. See video above for torque specs and everything you need to know.

Be aware. Differential oil stinks like no other. It is a pretty sickening smell. And it's so strong, the drain pan I used still smells like it and it's been weeks since I changed it. I will probably have to throw it out or pour a bunch of odor eating sand into it. Nasty stuff. Wear a mask and definitely gloves and do everything you can to minimize splatter and spill.

***

Torque Wrenches (from Amazon)

Tekton 24330 3/8-Inch Drive (10-80 ft.-lb.) - $35.15
Tekton 24340 1/2-Inch Drive (25-250 ft.-lb.) - $52.59

Shipping: $0
Tax: $7.24
Total: $94.98

Tired of borrowing, so I bought a couple torque wrenches. They are both listed on Amazon as popular choices and have a ton of reviews. They worked great. For the price, I don't think they can be beat, unless you need absolute accuracy and want to pay hundreds of dollars. These are shipped and calibrated with accuracy of +- 4%.

***

Rear Window Wiper Blade Fix

SureWipe Universal: Add-on Wiper Arm Pressure Spring Set (pack of 2) - $13.50

Shipping: $4.99
Tax: $0
Total: $18.49

Thanks
Rear Wiper arm problem solved - Toyota 4Runner Forum - Largest 4Runner Forum

[emoji122][emoji122] bravo. Nicely done.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I changed the fluid in all 3 of my differentials with Mobil 1 synthetic and my mileage increased by 1 mpg on my 04 6 cyl. I had heard it could increase mileage, but didn't actually believe it. A nice benefit!

I appreciate the details and links in this thread. THANK YOU

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

Glad you like. I plan to install all this stuff tomorrow. I added some additional notes on strut assemblies and rotors.

Plan to add adittional photos, diagrams, and a zip file with all relevant factory manual pages next week when I get a chance, and I will reorganize the information a little to make it easier to digest.

A friend and I did the 5th gen brake upgrades and shocks today. Few quick notes before bed.

1. Could not have done it alone.

2. Could not have done it without air ratchet. Some bolts were rusted on incredibly tight. Still can't get part of my XREAS off because of one of the bolts that refuse to budge.

3. The stop tech stainless steel brake lines for the rear were a pain to install. In the wheel well area, the bend in the line is ridiculously tight for where the u-bolt and banjo go into the caliper. The stainless steal line for this area needs to be slightly longer. Had to take caliper off, just to be able to install the brake line, then put caliper back on. Tough to hold caliper and line up bolt and screw it in. Also, this banjo bolt can only be reached with a wrench. A ratcheting wrench was a life saver more than a few times today.

4. Did not even bother redoing the axle brake lines. They are difficult to reach, with the vehicle on four jack stands and completely off the ground and the existing lines looked absolutely fine.

5. One of the brakeline bolts on the front would not budge. Huge amount of torque to get it loose and when it did, brake fluid shot out all over me. Wear crappiest clothes you have. Brake line also drains out like crazy when you disconnect lines, if you don't pinch the lines off.

6. If I could do it all over, I would NOT have painted the calipers. Complete waste of money and time. It's also a ***** to paint them. Tons of angles, nooks, and crannies. Real pain not to get paint in the threaded areas. G2 kit did not impress despite using real paint brush, not the useless crap brush that comes with the kit. More on this process later. But yah, complete waste of time painting them. Also, brake cleaner will start to take off the paint when you spray everything down.

7. Brakes will have be bled by a professional. The pedal is nowhere as tight as I would expect, and we bled them a lot. Somewhere in the range of 50 pushes of the pedal in repeated slow bursts, following exactly what is shown on videos.

8. Shocks and coils are awesome.

Will do a more proper writeup in a week or two. Behind on work and this week I need to catch up.

r32 said:

A friend and I did the 5th gen brake upgrades and shocks today. Few quick notes before bed.

1. Could not have done it alone.

2. Could not have done it without air ratchet. Some bolts were rusted on incredibly tight. Still can't get part of my XREAS off because of one of the bolts that refuses to budge.

3. Brake lines were a ***** in the rear. The stop tech stainless steel in the back where a pain to install. The bend in the line is ridiculously tight for where the u-bolt and banjo go into the caliper. The stainless steal line for this area need to be slightly longer. Had to take caliper off, just to be able to install the brake line, then put caliper on. Also, this banjo bolt can only be reached with a wrench. A ratcheting wrench was a life saver more than a few times today.

4. Did not even bother redoing the axle brake lines. They were a ***** to reach, with the vehicle on four jack stands and completely off the ground and the lines looked absolutely fine.

5. One of the brakeline bolts on the front would not budge. Huge amount of torque to get it loose and when it did, brake fluid shot out all over me. Wear crappiest clothes you have. Brake line also drains out like crazy when you disconnect lines, if you don't pinch the lines off.

6. If I could do it all over, I would NOT have painted the calipers. Complete waste of money and time. It's also a ***** to paint them. Tons of angles, nooks, and crannies. Real pain not to get paint in the threaded areas. G2 kit did not impress despite using real paint brush, not the crap the provide. More on this process later. But yah, complete waste of time painting them. Also, brake cleaner will start to take off the paint when you spray everything down.

7. Brakes will have be bled by a professional. The pedal is nowhere as tight as I would expect, and we bled them a lot. Somewhere in the range of 50 pushes of the pedal in repeated slow bursts, following exactly what is shown on videos.

8. Shocks are coils are awesome.

Will do a more proper writeup in a week or two. Behind on work and this week I need to catch up.

Click to expand...

for the rears, leave the key in the on position to bleed.
i use a vacuum bleed method and it works for me with nothing on. some use pressure bleeding.

r32 said:

2008 Sport 4WD

Like an idiot, I decided to tax season is a great time to perform significant maintenance on my vehicle. :redbrick: But I wanted to get it done so I just kept ordering parts and piling up the costs. Thought I'd share everything in a nice format, in case anyone else looking to do the same. Thanks to the 100's of posters on here from many different threads I read through to gather all this info. I could not have done it without your research and guidance.

Brake calipers (from Rock Auto)

Centric 141.44287 (front right) - $128.79
Centric 141.44288 (front left) - $128.79
Centric 142.44587 (rear right) - $126.79
Centric 142.44588 (rear left) - $126.79

Shipping: $0
Tax: $19.98
Total: $531.24

Core returns (from Rock Auto, for returning old brake calipers)

141.xxxx +$75 (x2)
142.xxxx +$65 (x2)

Total refund: $280

141 series = unpainted calipers
142 series = painted calipers with new parts

Centric Parts Catalog
http://bit.ly/2pgH0AT

According to Centric's parts catalog website, there are no 142 series calipers available for the front. This means you will have to paint your front calipers if you want to prevent them from rusting within a few days of installing. Also note, the 142 series calipers have three different finishes from Centric, and as I understand it, it just depends on what caliper parts you order. The 142 series I received were not painted. Instead, they were zinc plated and already had a few small chipped areas where the zinc planting came off.

I have to pay shipping costs for sending my old calipers back to Rock Auto. Will update once I know what that is going to cost.

Recover core refund from Rock Auto
Help with Existing Orders

Replacing front brake pads, rotors, and calipers on 2004 4Runner
https://youtu.be/ltY8COH6tGI

Replacing rear brake pads and rotors, and keep existing calipers on 2004 4Runner
https://youtu.be/RO_IOXwZssM

Servicing brakes
https://youtu.be/cKpmBvfVYZg

***

Thanks
Rear Wiper arm problem solved - Toyota 4Runner Forum - Largest 4Runner Forum

Click to expand...

Bravo. This information must have taken a lot of time to compile. I speak from experience.

Centric is stupid for making anything that will knowingly rust in a matter of days just as I did. My suggestion to others is NOT to bother with painting anything yourself and get them properly powder coated.

So I wanna hear the happy music! :laugh:

What's the ride like? on what kind of surfaces? Any noise in the suspension?

I didn't catch the original goal... were you trying to raise if for some backroad adventures or just tighten up everything stem to stern or what?
Heckuva job :guitar3:

Instead of pulling the rear calipers off...seems like some one here on the site cut a notch out of the bracket, to get the brake line through, maybe I dreamed it up...who knows.

Something for the flash rusting...
https://www.corvettecentral.com/c3-...ch?currentsearchcategoryid=&q=manifold+polish

Used on old cast iron exhaust manifolds to make them all pretty.
Seems like it would work on calipers to...just a thought.
Don't get it on the disc. Its like wax.

Nice write up.
I wish I could be so helpful!

Added some more notes for core returns. Shipping them tomorrow.

Will add more notes about install when I get a chance.

So far, she rides great! I got it offroad this past weekend flying through some roads in the foothills and it handled great. I almost lost the backend when I hit washboard on a turn though. Probably should of had 4WD engaged. Avoided sliding off the edge and girl that was with it me thought it was a planned tail slide.

Brakes work great. Like new again, although I don't really feel a difference in a stopping power vs. the OEM when they were new. Haven't really slammed on the breaks yet though.

Appreciate the write up

r32 said:

2008 Sport 4WD

Brake calipers (from Rock Auto)

Centric 141.44287 (front right) - $128.79
Centric 141.44288 (front left) - $128.79
Centric 142.44587 (rear right) - $126.79
Centric 142.44588 (rear left) - $126.79

Shipping: $0
Tax: $19.98
Total: $531.24

141 series = unpainted calipers
142 series = painted calipers with new parts

Centric Parts Catalog
http://bit.ly/2pgH0AT

According to Centric's parts catalog website, there are no 142 series calipers available for the front. This means you will have to paint your front calipers if you want to prevent them from rusting within a few days of installing. Also note, the 142 series calipers have three different finishes from Centric, and as I understand it, it just depends on what caliper parts you order. The 142 series I received were not painted. Instead, they were zinc plated and already had a few small chipped areas where the zinc plating came off. Note, the 142 series calipers came with new brake pads. I threw these away as they are junk compared to the Akebono pads.

Click to expand...

I foolishly installed in 141.44287/8 for the 5th gen upgrade. I replaced them 10 months later when both inboard pistons in both calipers ceased.

Vancouver has a pretty moderate climate and roads are only salted for a few weeks of the winter. But 10 months is pretty sad.

Centric is cheap junk, 0/10 would not put that on my truck if someone paid me.

Hopefully they serve you better than they did me.

Keros said:

I foolishly installed in 141.44287/8 for the 5th gen upgrade. I replaced them 10 months later when both inboard pistons in both calipers ceased.

Vancouver has a pretty moderate climate and roads are only salted for a few weeks of the winter. But 10 months is pretty sad.

Centric is cheap junk, 0/10 would not put that on my truck if someone paid me.

Hopefully they serve you better than they did me.

Click to expand...

-------

this is so funny...I'm in N Van and just spent the afternoon checking out why my brakes were making noise. I did the same Centric 5th Gen "upgrade" (ordered from Rock Auto late 2015) and am now looking to replace all.

ralphwiggums said:

-------

this is so funny...I'm in N Van and just spent the afternoon checking out why my brakes were making noise. I did the same Centric 5th Gen "upgrade" (ordered from Rock Auto late 2015) and am now looking to replace all.

Click to expand...

Let me hope in here as well....did the centric calipers....lasted me all of a year and 2 months before both were seized shut.

Ended up finding some OEM 5th gen brake calipers on ebay, been about 2 months with that. If it happens again, i'm going to get the RRacing BBK designed for the lexus gx and our trucks and be done with it. I'm tired of having to do calipers again and again. Hope your centrics last you longer than mine did.

Appreciate all the detail in the OP.

I'll find out soon enough if these new calipers will last. So far the peformance has been really good. Probably not great, but good as factory which is all I hoped for.

I really hope I can sell the vehicle before they freeze, but, with only 135k on it, I'm nowhere near the end of life for the vehicle, and I do not want a new car payment. And she still runs as good as the day I bought it.

But winter is coming soon and that means snowboarding trips, hopefully some rain, and other driving trips I usually take in the winter. Let's see how this Centric junk holds up.

Update. The ride is really good. Better than XREAS I had on there, that's for sure. Truck sits a bit higher which is completely evident as to several shorter friends now having to do sort of hope up. That extra inch or so of lift feels makes more a difference than one might thing. Ride on bumpy dirt roads is solid. Had her up the Sierras several times already off roading around Swamp Trail area. Good grip, and good turning. For the relatively low cost I spent on the new coils and shocks, I'm really happy with the performance.

Brakes also continue to work good, although I"m a fairly conservative driver these days, with easy acceleration, easy braking, and easy turning. Oddly, I'm more wild once I get on dirt and find myself with a lead foot syndrome all of a sudden. So backwards. :biggrin2:

I will get my first chance to test everything in the snow very soon. It has dumped in California and we're off the best snow start in many years. Yewwww!

Next upgrades will be replacing the thermostat with a new one. Upgrading the roof rack to a heavier duty model that distributes load to the side rails rather than the cross bars. Might also replace some hoses under the bonnet.

Awesome write up

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

2 year update

Original upgrade: 3.17.2018
Today's date: 3.23.2020

I just discovered a problem that is potentially from the upgrade with the 5100 shocks. When I installed the shocks, it gave me a lift of about 0.75 - 1" from what it was with the worn factory stuff. Definitely noticeable, especially when shorter people have to get in the vehicle.

CV Boot Problem

Earlier this year, I got under my vehicle and noticed the CV boots leaking grease. Not sure how long this has been happening. It's not an explosion of grease, so I'm sure there is still some grease in the boots, but they definitely need to be replaced now.

I did some research, and it seems that the stock CV boots may not be good for a lifted vehicle. Apparently the added height from the new shocks creates too much articulation for the CV boots to handle, causing it to leak out of the end where the rubber boots are clamped, which is what is happening with my vehicle.

So now i'm looking at possible fixes for this problem. I've never taken my vehicle into a mechanic for anything except smog check and tire rotation. But I may have too for this. My lower back has been killing me lately for some reason.

Local mechanic looked it up on his computer and said it would be a 4 hour job. So figure (mechanic rate x 4hr) + cost of the CV boots and I'm looking at over $500. Ouch.

"Upgraded" brakes and other parts are still working fine, going on 2 years now. At this point, I hope to make the vehicle least until sixth gen 2023 4Runners hit the market in fall of 2022. It's been great so far, with no real problems, until now at 150k miles.