02 3rd Gen 4Runner (Slow build)

[llennium]

I have been a long term lurker and decided to start my build this year. I started documenting the build on Central Overland but decided I would copy the build here also since I have learned so much from everyone. Let me know what you think and throw out suggestions.

tchughes
Toyota 4Runner Limited 4x4
3.4L V6

Suspension
Front-OME881 with OME Gas shocks
Rear-OME891 with OME 60027 HD shocks

Electronics
Pioneer AppRadio 2 SPH-DA100
Linear Power 2202 sub amp
Bazooka 6.5" Sub
Cradle for Galaxy S3 (wired directly to head unit)
USB connector wired in dash for iPod
Navigation handle through Galaxy S3 and head unit
Wagan Tech 1250W Inverter W/4ga power to battery
Midland 75-822 portable CB W/Wilson fiberglass antenna and custom mount
Icom IC-208H Dual Band radio W/remote faceplate, Comet RS720 mount and Comet antenna
Hella 500FF mounted to front bumper

Wheels and Tires
Wheels-Stock Coke bottle wheels
Tires-265/75/16 Duratrac

Mods
DRL
VSC/TRAC
Constant 12V cig power
Deckplate

Accessories
On board air-Masterflow MF-1050 with connections at front and rear of Runner (needs work)



I have had my 4Runner for 3 years now and have completed very few mods due to work and staying busy with the family. I finally decided it was time to make the 4R stand out from the others and become more of an extension of myself. I have been a lurker on the T4R.org checking out builds and using it as a resource for any repairs I needed to perform. I was lucky enough to stumble across a very nice build by jsmarine and while looking through his posts he mentioned "overland". I was curious and had to find out what "overland" was and came across theFall Foilage trip planned by Mr. Leary and 6string which I fortunately got to tag along on. This set me on a course to build up the 4R for more Overland travel as opposed to simply crawlin a few rocks or balls out running through mud.

The base for the build is a 2002 4Runner Limited 4WD with a 3.4l V6. I have performed a few electrical modes such as the daytime running lights, VSC/TRAC control off and constant 12V power outlets. I'm going to use this post to throw out what I'm working on and hopefully gain suggestions from everyone here that has already worked through the plus's and minus's of each mod. Feel free to provide suggestions, I will need all the help I can get.

I don't have any pics from the day I purchased her but she needed a ton of work. I massaged the paint to get her looking good and removed the seats and center console to clean up the interior. This is the closest I can get to how she looked when I picked her up but this is after major cleaning.

As she sits today.

I was fortunate to talk with a great gentleman from Arkansas Crawlers and he took me on a tour of the 1,2 and easy 3 trails at the Superlift ORV park in Hot Springs, AR. Before heading out there I removed the running boards to add a little more ground clearance.

That pretty well brings us up to today. I stumbled across someone in mid build that purchased OME 891 rear springs and decided they were to stiff for his use and wanted to sell them. He had only installed them for a couple of days before removing. Of course, I grabbed these for $140 shipped which isn't bad. Looking through the forums here I found that Mr. Leary was replacing his front suspension and I grabbed his pull off's, which were OME 881 springs with OME gas shocks. Thanks Leary.

 

[llennium]

While I was lurking through the forums and trying to decide exactly what course I would take with the 4R I came across a few Mods that were being done to 3rd gens. I decided to give this one a go.

The TRAC/VSC or also knows as ATRAC on the 4R attempts to act like a limited slip diff. When the ECU senses a wheel starting to slip it applies the brakes to that wheel forcing power to the other wheels. I believe the 2WD models came with and override switch but this was not included on the 4WD models. This mod was originally performed under the hood and it would also override the ABS brakes, which could be dangerous. The new "Andy Mod 2.0" allows you to disable TRAC/VSC and the ABS brakes controls remain intact.

Since I spent a few years installing car stereos and alarms system it doesn't bother me to pull the dash apart and find the wires needed to perform these mods. I want as many mods as possible to appear OEM so that they blend well and don't interfere with the function of the 4R.

Since the mod only requires the momentary disconnect of a certain wire I decided to go with a Toyota factory switch. I wasn't able to find a rocker switch I liked so I decided to go with a TRAC button from a Toyota Avalon.This is a push and hold type switch, which when wired with a 12V relay allows me to momentarily disconnect the red wire with black tracer and turn off TRAC/VSC. The only drawback to this mod is that it will require a restart of the vehicle to re-enable TRAC/VSC.

In the last two months we have had a total of 14 inches of snow and this have given a real chance to play with this mod. During a recent snow I allowed my daughter to drive in a vacant parking lot with a minimum of 6 inches of snow. I started her off in 2WD with no TRAC/VSC and with her lack of experience she spun each time she applied the gas. Next, she tried 4WD with no TRAC/VSC and had better results but still was able to spin the tires. Finally, she went with 4WD and TRAC/VSC on, which allowed her to pull away with almost no tire spin. I also had her make extremely sharp turns and apply gas which resulted in slow easy turns. Of course we did put it back in 2WD with no TRAC/VSC and drift across the parking lot a few times so she could have fun.

12V 5pin SPDT Relay

Andy Mod 2.0

 

[fightman80]

Looking good! You should add this to the build thread sticky near the top of the forum.....

 

[llennium]

Looking good! You should add this to the build thread sticky near the top of the forum.....

fightman, thanks, but I have no idea how to move the thread, so that may be a no go for me.

 

[4-Ripcord]

Great looking 4runner! Love that color.

BTW, If you need the rear shocks to go along with those 891's, I have them for sale.
Here

 

[llennium]

I didn't take many pics since most people here have completed this type of lift before or have read through the tons of build threads documenting this. I do wish I had measured the distance from the axle to the fender well so I could see exactly how much lift I gained.

I started around 8:30AM and wrapped up about 1:30PM. I have to admit it was nice getting out turn the wrench's today but I was under a tad crunch since I had to pick up my kids and it was a sons B-day. The front springs and shock kicked my butt for 3 - 4 hours, I don't want to see another spring compressor anytime soon. The rear OME891's were a breeze but I haven't purchased rear shocks yet so not as much to do back there. Overall this was well worth the money and time spent. I also pulled the skids while I was under the Runner and sprayed a little Simple Green to clean things up a tad so I could identify where the oil leak is coming from. The ride is unreal compared to the stock springs and shocks which I have no doubts will improve once I replace the rear shocks. I read several posts while researching lifts that the OME 891's had a rough ride and many swapped to 890's due to this (which is where I got mine) but I can't imagine the ride being better. Admittedly the Runner has a different feel but this is my first vehicle with a lift and I'm sure I will need a little time to adjust.

This is immediately after installing the lift so the suspension hadn't settled yet after being jacked up for the work. The Runner sits pretty level if not with a little rake. I will get some measurements tomorrow and see where it sits, and yes I realize the tires look like doughnut spares but the 285's will have to wait a bit.

 

[llennium]

Great looking 4runner! Love that color.

BTW, If you need the rear shocks to go along with those 891's, I have them for sale.
Here

Thanks Ripcord and yea I have been watching the thread for the sale of the shocks. I don't have the extra cash right now or I would have already contacted you.

 

[llennium]

Its been a week since I put the lift on and I must admit that I wasn't crazy with all the body roll and the over all feel of the Runner on the road. After installing the lift I didn't have time to get the front aligned due to work and taking care of the family. My great wife volunteered to let me drive her ride to work and she dropped off the Runner today to get the front end aligned. All I can say is "WOW" what a difference. The ride is still a huge improvement over stock but more solid than prior to the alignment. I'm much more satisfied with the lift now. :-bd

I'm trying to get ready for spring so I can hit the trails with no worries. So, this weekend I will be doing an oil change along with changing the fluids in the front/rear diffs and the transfer case. A couple months back I ordered the parts needed for the diff breather mod and will be taking care of this also. To wrap things up I'm going to put a new PCV valve on since I'm sure it hasn't ever been replaced.

Hoping for a smooth day of wrenching.

 

[llennium]

I was sick most of this week and didn't get out of the house much. Today I decided I needed to get out and get some fresh air. When I built the storage box in the back I pulled my amplifier and little 6.5" Bazooka tube and hadn't put it back in. I spent a little time and got that reinstalled.

The bigger project I decided to work on was improving the appearance of rear bumper cover. The plastic cover was originally a dark gray color but had faded over the years and was looking really bad. I have also decided I want to get rid of as much chrome as possible and make it black (I think). So, making the bumper cover black would fit into my plans (should fit with original black pearl emblems). On a few other forums I read that people were using Plasti-Dip or Plasti Kote to cover their wheels and wheel flares to make everything black and thought this would work perfectly. I even found a post where a guy panted his Lexus emblems black with this stuff and it looked pretty sweet.

This afternoon I pulled the cover off which was pretty simple. I popped one corner out and reached behind the bumper and squeezed the tab together and pushed it through the metal, once started it came off pretty easily.

You can tell from this photo how faded the cover was. The darker section is under the rear hatch when closed so it never see's the sun. From what I have read applying Plasti Dip is a simple wash with soap and water, dry and apply. I thought I would try this and see how well it works and if its really that simple. If not I will just order a new cover from Jacque at toyotapartsales.com.

I sprayed a good covering coat the first go, probably a little heavier than I would have with regular paint but covered all the gray. As you can see it looked pretty good with only one coat.

I figured if one coat looks that good then more is better. Right? The can says 3-4 coats and I only got two coats out of the first can so I figured I would go with 4 and just use both cans. Once 4 coats are on you will loose the original texture of the cover but it looks really good. Once sprayed it has to sit for a minimum of 4 hours before using so I'm letting it chill over night in the garage and will put it back on tomorrow. I'll throw up more pics tomorrow once complete.

 

[xskydivingdudex]

4runner looks good and seems like uve got quite a few mods on it already and im sure the list is never ending just like the rest of us on here.

 

[llennium]

The upper plate cover looks great, I wish I had done this much earlier. I'm curious how well the Plasti Dip will hold up.

Final product:

 

[llennium]

4runner looks good and seems like uve got quite a few mods on it already and im sure the list is never ending just like the rest of us on here.

Hey X, I have to admit that I have been watching your build for sometime and really dig all the mods you have done. My goal is to make the Runner more capable for Overland trips. I'm really not into rock crawling but love checking out areas that most don't frequent or are simply unable to get to.

 

[llennium]

After installing the lift the rear springs have had a really annoying squeak. I had some time today so I pulled the springs and found a small spot where the springs have been rubbing the metal they sit in. The OME springs are made from a larger diameter than the stock and they rub in on the side of the very bottom coil a tad. I noticed that the original springs had a small piece of plastic on the top of them so I pulled it and used it to stop the squeak. So far so good.

Also, It didn't take long to fix the spring issue so I grabbed some new belts and replaced them. I can say that I would rather replaced the rear springs again before replacing the belts. The 4Runner has had an annoying squeal since I purchased it and I thought it was the pulley instead of the belts, so I never got around to it. While out with Wes on the recent Recon we were discussing it and he was pretty sure it was a belt so I felt a little better about just replacing the belts to stop the noise. This was a pain to tackle but simply because I need to purchase some select tools. Specifically some ratcheting wrenches in 10,12 and 14MM sizes. I'm finding these are a must when working on a Toyota.

Its done and so quiet now, very nice. :ymapplause:

UPDATE: I still have the squeaking and have been unable to stop it. I have a post here asking for suggestions but so far no takers.

 

[llennium]

Woo Hoo, We have Ham in the house and not the kind you eat.

Oh and CB too.

 

[llennium]

All the electronics for the communications system were delivered but I'm still waiting on the antenna and mount for the Ham and a mount for the CB antenna.

I originally thought of going all out and pulling from my car stereo days and using some ABS plastic or some fiberglass and bondo to create a custom holder in the small overhead console between the visors. I remembered reading through RSB's build and remembered him mentioning that he wasn't crazy about the controls for the dual band radio being up high and it needed to be more line of sight when driving. This convinced me to get all comms close to the factory location of the radio and the climate controls.

Since the ICON 208H has the ability to relocate the controls from the actual radio and they are extremely compact I decided to build a custom mount and place the controls above A/C vents in the center of the dash. I had a piece of 26 gauge sheet metal laying around and started cutting. I also have plans to do something similar on the opposite side for the CB mount.

It started as this.

I cut a strip about 2" wide and 4" long. I slide this between the A/C vent blades and the actual vent to get the basic shape needed.

I put a small bend on what will be the top to strengthen the mount and before it got to late I put a quick coat of paint on it to dry tomorrow. This will also keep the mount from marring the plastic while test fitting. The plan is to attach the mount to the vent with several bolts to hold in place. The controls are so light weight it wont take much to hold in place. I plan on using a thin velcro to attach so the controls can be pulled and reattached to the main radio if needed.

Test fit.

Temp install to see if I still like this area after driving into work tomorrow.

 

[llennium]

I took the wife and a couple that are really good friends out to the Ouachita's today since they have been asking about Overland. We covered some really nice area, especially south of Lake Wynona. Here are a couple pics of the trip. I didn't take many but of course wish I had. I still need to pull the rest from the camera. These are from my phone.

UPDATE: Link to my post for the trip

 

[llennium]

I finally got my custom mount for the CB antenna. I also got my antenna and mount for the dual band Icom. The Ham mount is a little more bulky than I wanted but it was reasonably priced so I will live with it. I bought a basic antenna for the dual band but I'm sure it will need to be upgraded once I have a better understanding of how this all works. Here are a few pics of the antennas. I still need to finish the mounts for the dash for the dual band handset and the CB.

You can see from this photo that the limbs have already taken the black plastic cap on the CB antenna. My plans are to go with a 90 degree PL289 mount and possibly a firestick with the spring instead of the Wilson. I like the Wilson because its thin and flexible but the firestick with a spring would be comparable.

I'm not sure this is where I want the Ham antenna mounted but if I go with a taller antenna it will need to be this low so not to get hung on the low limbs.

 

[xskydivingdudex]

Thnx dude, i started out building only a mudding 4runner but also capable of some rock crawling but im just adding a few things so i can use if for overland/expedition/camping trips and to make it have a nice luxurious feel.

 

[llennium]

Looking good! You should add this to the build thread sticky near the top of the forum.....

Done :

 

[llennium]

The family and I headed the to the Ouachitas this morning to check out a couple of camping areas we came across on our last trip. Unfortunately, my daughter started feeling ill on the way (read:didn't want to go) so we made a large loop around Little Rock and headed to the house. Since I had plans to be out of the house all day and those were shot I did a little work on the 4Runner.

I have plans to rebuild the storage box in the back with something similar to Roadtripcrazed's design on ExPo so I'm slowly moving everything out of the current box. Today I moved my Superflow MF-1050 to the engine compartment and we will see how well it holds up. I moved a couple of factory pieces on the passenger fender well to make room and need to finish securing them down. I was able to use a factory bolt that is welded into the fender-well which helped make the mount solid. After a quick Lowe's run I got started. I haven't plumbed it yet but here are a few pics.

The two pieces I moved.

Mounting bolts in place.

Close up of the mounts.

Test fit.

Installed.