Recent content by DiracSea

My 4runner just died (lower ball joint, just too many other problems to sink more money into it) so I am out of the group...until I get another one. Probably getting another 3rd or 4th gen. My despair is infinite :(

The Lower Ball Joint Failure club:

Tragic news friends. Probably the end for this 4runner. Over the chicago winter I fell in love with my cars 4WD, I truly grew to love the car. When I bought the car for 4k out the door, I planned on getting an external transmission cooler, replacing the balljoints, and derusting and...

It means people are using the almighty search bar! On topic, I can live with my current NA 4runner, but I would be significantly happier if it had a bit more punch. Lots of preventative maintenance and proactive mods to do beforehand to get my car into a condition where a supercharger would be...

Jiffy Lube decided not to try and get the bolt off for the same concern of not being able to put it back in. So they sucked the oil out instead to replace it. Since I did crack the bolt loose (no leaks yet after driving it around), I'm going to put on some silicone sealant just to be safe...

I too have a 1 hr commute both ways in my 98 with cloth seats. Make sure that lumbar support is cranked all the way forward, maybe get some sort of additional lumbar support to go on top of it and at work. I'll eventually get more modern seats but I can tolerate it for now. Now on the topic...

Okay so here's an update of where I'm at. I got the car with 183k miles in May and now it's at 185.2k Business and work related expenses (clothes), etc have been sucking up all my paychecks so I'm seriously delayed on my car work. About 3 weeks ago, I finally got the skid plate off but I...

I dream of having been old enough to buy a 4runner new in 2002 and taking care of it myself out of the rust belt. Would likely have owned it forever and it would be in immaculate condition. But that's not my reality. I am very happy with my 98 4runner sr5 as the 6th owner in the rust belt. Wish...

Mission Failed, We'll Get'em Next Time My oil is perfectly fine, but I wanted to be a father figure to my cousin and teach him how to change the oil and oil filter. I studied how to do it over and over again all week. I know my tools and have built things in the past but never worked on a car...

Hey everyone, I bought a 98 3rd gen about 2 weeks ago knowing I'd have to do some preventative maintenance. Can any of you share a 3rd party toyota mechanic/shop you trust in the area? I live on the border of bartlett, carol stream, and hanover park. Don't feel like getting overcharged at the...

Was not expecting this response, you guys are the best. My M.S. and B.S. are in Biomedical Engineering, which is what my 12 month contract will be about. Biomedical is like Mechanical Engineering Lite + Electrical Engineering Lite + Extra biology courses. I know enough about a lot of...

Hey everyone, I'd like to give a huge thank you to everyone helped me in my search for a 4runner here: https://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/272305-car-listing-fishy-can-i-turn-into-fantasy-4runner-build.html I saw a ton of neglected 4runners out there, both 3rd and 4th gen, and was so...

Final update Okay, I need everyone's help for one final update. Saw the 98 4runner today and all it needs is an alignment and the e-brake gets stuck/doesn't work. I can live with that. -Exterior condition is very good; couple rock chips, tiny amount of rust on rear bumper. -Engine runs fine...

Wanted to give you guys an update, all the 3rd gens I looked at fell through. But I found this one, it doesn't have the multi-mode I wanted but I can live without it. Wasted a 3 hour round trip on a 4th gen that was nowhere near the quality it was pictured as. It was v8 4th gen for only 5495...

Thank you for your input! You are correct I am looking at that one for 5495 but definitely planning on negotiating it down (you'll see why below). I spent a whole hour looking at it today and wasn't able to test drive because of other time commitments, but depending on what this forum says, I...