06forerunner Build Thread

Picked up this 2006 4Runner SR5 V6 in January of this past year. (2015)



I'm no stranger to Toyota as my first vehicle was a 2001 4WD Tacoma as seen below.




I loved that truck and learned a lot building it up to an Overland quality vehicle. But as I grew up I needed something bigger and with a little more towing power so I got a 2008 F350 King Ranch. Talk about a change over the 2.7L Tacoma. I do all my own modifications and upgrades and with the tuner, exhaust, intake and injectors, I had almost 650 HP and 1100 ft/lbs of torque. It was an absolute beast.



Job situations changed and that big of a truck was no longer needed, which brings me to having bought the 2006 4Runner. As you can see, our family loves some 4th gen 4Runners. My mom and two of my sisters each have a 4th gen 4runner so I had been around them before and I loved them.





Can't find any pictures of it stock but everyone knows what a stock 4Runner looks like but here's where it sits as of today. Haven't done any extensive mods but plan on getting some as I see needed.

I added a 2" spacer lift to level out the drastic factory rake and it will do for now. By the end of the summer I plan on replacing the worn out factory shocks with some 5100's on all 4 corners.

Got a great deal on a set of 1st Gen Tacoma rims and decided to paint them the TRD Anthracite color and wrap them in a set of BFG A/T (265/75/16)
Just enough off-road capability but still handle well on-road. (I've had honestly most every name brand a/t and m/t on the market and the BFG A/T's are my personal favorite. Great tread life, great performance on and off-road and just a great quality tire.)



I have always likes the yellow fogs on vehicles with darker color body paint., so I ordered a set of yellow Lamin-X fog light lenses and love them. The contrast is perfect.
Around the same time I color matched the grill, mirrors, and rear trim piece on the back hatch because I simply hate chrome when in large amounts. I'm okay with it done subtly on a vehicle but the whole grill was a bit too much for me.



Being 6'1" I don't really need or use the running boards so I took them off one weekend in a matter of about 15 minutes. Simplest "mod" to date.



I had a storage system with drawers, second battery, on board water, recovery equipment, a small variety of tools, and a bunch of other various things I found a need for while out on the trail in my 01 Tacoma. So one weekend I decided to make a drawer system for the rear cargo area of my 4Runner as well. Not nearly to the same extent as the one in my Tacoma but allowed me to organize things much better without them rolling around in the cargo area. Here's what I came up with one Saturday afternoon.



Then I moved into the cab of the 4Runner. I had a back-up camera on my Ford and I simply swear by them. They make hitching up to trailers and normal every day backing up such a breeze so I ordered one for the 4Runner. You can see the screen mounted just below and to the left of the steering column. The other screen is my Ultra-Gauge. I had one in my Tacoma but sold when I got the Ford. I love the real-time data Ultra-Gauges provide so I got another one from a forum member on here (MTD. Thanks again !!)



I also had Sirius XM in my Ford and fell in love with it so I got the Sirius XM Onyx system for the 4Runner. One thing I hate seeing is wires. I try to hide them or avoid them if at all possible. With the Onyx system there are three separate wires (one for power, one for antenna, and one for audio out) It was just too busy so I removed part of the radio bezel and dash to hide all the wires going to and from the Onyx unit. I plan on using a 3D printer or something similar to make a sort of "trim piece" to better make the screen look factory, but for now this mount will do.
While on my "hide all the wires" kick I decided to add two more 12v outlets under the center console for power to the Onyx receiver and to my GPS. They are wired to only provide power when the key is in the ACC position so now there is no more powering on these devices separately every time I turn the truck on.
I also mounted my radar detector behind/under my rear view mirror and hardwired it into the fuse box under the dash, again to a source that only provided power when the truck was on. (no pics of that, but can get some if someone is interested.)



You may notice the switch in the middle and the AUX cord coming from the top of the console as opposed to inside the center console. Well I hated the fact that the AUX input was inside the console forcing the wire to have to come from inside and pinched between the lid and mold of the console and I also hated the fact that if I wanted to listen to my iPod I had to pull the cord from the Onyx unit and vise-versa. So I got a DPDT switch, wired it up to allow for two inputs and one out put and had my Onyx and iPod "permanently" wired in and I had the ability to switch between the two without unplugging anything. I love how this mod came out. Having the iPod input outside and just to the right of the blank switch plates was the best location I feel for it to be mounted. Out of the way of everything and still allows access to all areas of the cabin. Came out looking fairly factory which was the goal.

One last mod is under body lighting or puddle lights as I call them. Wired them into the dome light circuit so when I unlock and lock the vehicle, they fade in and fade out accordingly. Main reasons for this is safety and convenience. Allows me to see under the vehicle after being in a store for any given amount of time and also for my passengers to see what they might be stepping into or onto when exiting the vehicle. I get a lot of compliments and questions about them. They look more blue in the videos but they are a clear, crisp white LED.

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That's about it for mods as of now. Future plans include...

1. HID's in the lows
2. Bilstein 5100's
3. Hidden winch in bumper (similar to the one in my Tacoma)

What do you guys think so far ?
 
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Did a few little mods this weekend.

First up was the front window tint. Decided to redo it and make it better match the back. Pleased with how it came out too, matches the back perfectly.



And while I wait to save up more money for a proper retro-fit, I saw a thread on here about upgrading the stock headlight bulbs from H11 to H9. Extremely impressed with the significant upgrade in light output. Was slightly skeptical at first but at the end of the day it was only $30 if it didn't work. The cut off line from the projector housing is much sharper too.

Sorry I don't have any before pics, but the afters are below...

New H9 Low Beams:



New H9 High Beams:



New H9 Low Beams and Fogs with the Lamin-X lens cover:



Since my puddle lights were mounted to my running boards and I took the running boards off, I no longer had them. This weekend I got my new LED bolts from Oznium and decided to get them back on the truck, this time with a little something different in mind for the location.

I ordered two of their 16mm, cool white LED Bolts. (great customer service, quality product and super fast shipping! HIGHLY recommend to anyone)



Don't have any pics of the install but here's the finished product.



I will take some pics of the output tonight after dark. For a 16mm, 1watt LED bulb, the output is surprisingly impressive.





And finally, I decided to change my cabin filter and I'm glad I did. Replaced with a FRAM. I'm getting better air flow and I know I'm breathing better, cleaner air than before.
 
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Time for a little update:

Found a screaming deal on a set of 5100's with a Daystar 2.5 already installed. Got them all cleaned up and installed in about an hour and a half. Couldn't be happier with the end result and how much better the car handles.



Installed with the factory 265/65/17 tires.







Just a comparison between my moms stock 4Runner:



My tires were getting a little bald and one had a slow leak that needed to be addressed so I picked up a set of Bridgestone Dueler A/T's 265/70/17. I love them. Handle great, 50,000 mile warranty, and just enough of an aggressive look to set it out from the crowd.



Decided to redo my rear storage/drawer system. I really didn't carry enough stuff to justify the two drawers so I was able to consolidate it into the one and put my dog's kennel on the other side. I am lucky enough to be able to take my dog with my to work every day so having the kennel back there makes getting him to and from work much easier.



After having a SuperDuty and being able to tow just about anything without having to worry about sagging, I was fed up with the 4Runner squatting with even the lightest of loads. So after a lot of research I decided I didn't want to upgrade the springs themselves to something heavier duty primarily because I liked the smoothness of the ride. So that limited my options and was torn between the Firestone "Coil-rite" system or the Air Rite system. After some negative reviews on the quality of the Air Rite system I pulled the trigger on the Firestone "Coil-Rite" system. HIGHLY recommend this to anyone. Whether you tow heavy trailers, moderate trailers, or never even hook up to a trailer, these things are awesome !
The install was so straight forward, so simple and so quick (total time from start to finish, even without air tools, was just under 45 minutes)
Since I put them on Saturday night, I've towed all of our trailers with varying loads on them. They really do improve the handling of the truck. I could talk for hours about how much I like them.



This is where I decided to route the fill valves to, In hindsight I wish I would have put them lower or even up under the bumper but this will do for now. I wanted them easily accessible but out of the way in the event I ever off-road, that's how they ended up there.



And finally, after I was done doing test drives with the new airbags, I was shuffling all our trailers back behind the fence and the last trailer I was lazy and didn't latch the tongue. It's one of our heaviest tongue weight trailers and thought it was going to to fine... I thought wrong. The trailer jumped the ball and rammed into the back hatch. I was so pissed at myself for being so lazy not to latch it. Well because of my laziness it's going to be $1200 to get it fixed. :ybrick:



 
Small update:

Removed front Daystar 2.5 lift and bumped Billies up to 2.5 setting. Truck handles much better without the spacers in there. Was going to get an alignment today but ended up working on our barn instead. Got an appointment for Monday.

And for those concerned about ride height with 5100's at "0" setting on stock coils and 2.5" Daystar vs. no spacer and 5100's at "2.5" setting on stock coils... its EXACTLY the same. I was worried today but with the help of this forum, my question was answered and worries were put to bed. Thanks for the help guys !!

Might be selling the Daystar... we will see. It would be just the front however. I am keeping the rear 1.5
 
Time for a few updates. Nothing too major but some stuff that I've been tinkering with when I have a few hours downtime.

Lately, I've been trying to get my rear storage and dog box finalized to a level I'm pleased with. I think I'm finally there. I added "wings" to both the passenger and drivers side which complete the platform itself. On the passenger side "wing" I decided to add a power inverter for future usage.
I also was unhappy with the amount of visibility (or lack there of) with the pet porter in the back so I opted to shrink the height of the box by roughly 3.5". This kept the top of the kennel in line with the top of the back head rests. Was able to reuse the gate off the pet porter on the new plywood kennel. (ignore the boxes and wire loom, I had just wrapped up the inverter and snapped a quick pic)






I also got tired of taking up space in the back of the truck with my Yeti and since I rarely if ever have a passenger in the back seat, I removed the drivers side rear seat bottom and fabricated a small plywood platform that bolts into the mounting holes for the seat bottom. This allows me to strap the Yeti down to body of the truck and keeps everything in a secure manner while traveling around town or on the trails.



Had a good New Years Day at the farm shooting some skeet and practicing with the pistols and gave me a chance to enjoy the unusually warm weather we had been having and working my pup on water retrieves.





I ran across an incredible deal on a Viair On-Board-Air system for cheap and jumped on it. Was so excited about it that I had it express shipped and when it arrived this is what I immediately saw and feared the worst.



Unfortunately, my fears were a reality when I opened the box. The tank was severely damaged and its being processed for an exchange at this time. Once I receive the new one, I plan on fabricating a bracket and plate in the left rear of the engine compartment for both the tank and the compressor to sit permanently.

In the meantime I decided to put the "winter coat" on the 4Runner last night before the next cold snap hits. Hit it with a thorough wash, clay bar, and waxed with Mother's Carnauba wax. Ought be to good through the rest of the winter now.



These last three images are of some of my trailers and some of the loads I've towed since adding the Firestone Ride Rite air helper bags. I can't help but rant and rave about these things. They are so awesome and one of my favorite mods to date. Completely change the way the car handles with the heavy loads and obviously ride height is improved dramatically. The hope and end goal with the Viair On-Board-Air is to be able to adjust "on the fly" the pressure in my bags instead of depending on an air compressor at work or at the house. Will keep this thread updated as this project gets under way.





 
Awesome ride. And I love functional mods. No reason to add anything that isn't functional.

Thanks, much appreciated. I've done some over the top modding with that Tacoma and this time around, I've decided to mod only where I see necessary.

I noticed you're from Memphis. Very cool, I am from just outside Collierville in Fayette County. :guitar2:
 
Thanks, much appreciated. I've done some over the top modding with that Tacoma and this time around, I've decided to mod only where I see necessary.

I noticed you're from Memphis. Very cool, I am from just outside Collierville in Fayette County. :guitar2:

Saw that Tacoma. Very nice looking. Yep. Middle of Memphis here. :cheers:
 
Great looking ride and love your practicality with the mods. My question is what back up camera set did you get, and how does it handle inclement weather/car washes etc, or what really made you pick that one?
 
Great looking ride and love your practicality with the mods. My question is what back up camera set did you get, and how does it handle inclement weather/car washes etc, or what really made you pick that one?

Sorry for the late reply. Don't get online much anymore.

Thanks for the compliments ! I've always liked your rig as well wadle. The back up camera I went with was the Hopkins Smart Hitch system. I had bought it for my Super Duty when I was backing up to a different trailer every other hour. I picked this one primarily because of the ease of install on the Ford. Simply plugged into the 7-pin connector on the trailer hitch wire harness. It also had extremely good reviews on Northern Tool and Amazon. At the time Northern Tool had it discounted and I also was able to add a coupon on top of that so I got it for under $100 shipped to me. Now, if memory serves me right, I think it is close to $150 or so.

As far as installation on the 4Runner, it was a bit trickier. I thought it could simply plug into the 7-pin wire harness same as the Ford but for some reason I couldn't get the harness separated on the Toyota harness so I ended up just splicing into the reverse circuit on the drivers side tail light. Been that way since two days after I purchased the 4Runner. But the camera system itself is over 3 years old and haven't had any problems with it at all aside from routing the wiring through the rear hatch above the license plate. Was no fault of the system, just a very, very time consuming process.

The camera has seen it all. From mud, snow, rocks, dirt, being washed at least once a week religiously on the Ford. And very similar elements on the 4Runner. It has held up extremely well. I honestly have no complaints.
 

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