1995 4Runner 2wd/A340 Auto to 4wd/R-150 Build

[NorCalBorn]

I get enough people asking so I might as well do the post set here also. My hope is this inspires others to go ahead with their builds.

Quick Build List.

1995 4Runner 2wd Automatic (A340E) 3.0L 3-VZE to 4wd (5spd-R150) Manual Front Locking Hubs

Body
~2-1/2” Lift Kit Via FJ-Cruiser Coil Springs and 4Crawler (SDORI) Ball Joint Spacers
~1” Body Lift 1” Radiator Drop Brackets Via 4Crawler
~Frame Sliders / Nerf Bars Via BentUp Fabrication
~Marlin Front and Rear Armor Bumpers
~1990 Corolla Turn/Marker Lights
~Partial LED Conversion, Marker Lights, Rear Lights, Interior Cargo Overhead(s)
~JDM Driver’s Seat 6th Grab Handle
~NOS Floor and Cargo Mats
~JDM Baby Seat Tethers
~31” Tire Option w/ Full Size Spare
~Alpine Stereo Option w/ Integrated iPod Interface
~Optional Subwoofer
~Optional Roof Rack System
~Deleted Rear Heat Option
~Full Limo Tint
~Tacoma Whip Antenna
~Rigid Industry’s D-2 Flood / Driving Lights w/ Amber and Black Out Filters

Drivetrain/Electrical
~Replaced Headgaskets+Top End Rebuild
~Recently Baselined including full tune-up w/ timing belt, water pump, pulley system, all fluids less than 500 miles ago.
~Doug Thorley (TRD Producer) Ceramic Headers *2-1/4” Full Flow CA SMOG LEGAL w/ SMOG ID PLATE
~High Flow Catalytic Converter to match 2-1/4” Headers CA SMOG LEGAL
~Full 2-1/4” CatBack Exhaust System CA SMOG LEGAL
~2wd Automatic w/ 3.90 gearing to Selectable 4wd 5-Speed R150 w/ Manual Hubs Swap w/ 4.56 gearing
*Specifics*
~IFS Differential Frame Horns
~Rebuilt AISIN Hubs
~Non-ADD (Automatic Lockers) IFS Drive-side Front Differential Output Assembly and Shaft
~4.56 3rd’s Front and Rear
~Factory SR-5 Alloy Rims
~31” Tire Option w/ Full Size Spare
~Factory Automatic ECU and Cruise Control Assembly Via JDM Wiring Mod CA SMOG LEGAL
~Functioning Factory Cruise Control
~Integrated Electronic Transmission Module and Cruise Control into Clutch Start/Cancel Switch
~NOTE: **Clutch Start Bypass Switch Not-Used.**
~Again, as stated above all is 100% CA SMOG (CARB) Legal, Passes Clean



2wd 4Runner=VZN120L-GKPGEA and mine's #260 from July 1995, by then they (Toyota Motors, Japan) were in rundown mode for the U.S. market and already making the 3rd Gen 4Runners, but the lady who bought this specific one hated the look of the newer ones so she called in a favor and ordered this up directly from Japan since they were still being carried over on the international market (South America, Africa, Middle East, Japan) for a few more years. (IIRC they finally ceased production of this version of the Hilux Surf around mid-1997.)

So what I started out with was this sweet little unassuming number that was literally used as a transport for dog and pony shows. :bigok: Seriously, she raised show dogs. ~Yes, my right rear bumper got bent the first week I had the 4Runner while out playing and getting stupid. *A little later I did the ECT Switch Mod to move it closer to the driver, it's usually where the coin slot is. I also have the wiring mod to move it into the dash using one of the newer 1st-Gen Tacoma Switches. (Yes, I do wiring harnesses, etc., but only for friends, not a business of any sort.)

"Stage 1"..I planned this build out in 4-5 stages.
Sweet!! LOL..factory installed Daytons on steelies! greengrin A340E 2wd Auto running 3.90 gearing..

Took it over to the local tire shop (American Tire) to swap out the scrawny 28's for a spare set of 30's I had in the garage from another build. Basically, even though it was a grocery getter when I first got it I had to do something so I could at least use it in the snow.

That stripe, chrome and silver have got to go!

Pure horse play at the backlot at work since the office was closed due to the flood controls going bad.

"Hey Boss, I can clear that out for you no problem."

Shaved and cleaned but still needs a tint to cut down the interior heat as well as some sliders at the very least.

Slider's and tint done as well as installing one of the black wire wrapped Tacoma antenna's to cut out the wind noise the smooth one made.

 

[NorCalBorn]

Got a set of replacement coils and killed the rear end sag these are known to have. this is where I found out and shared with the class you can also just use a set from a newer FJ-Cruiser, countless one's have now been done this way along with a 1-1/4" balljoint spacer. It net's just slightly under the lift you get with the Land Cruiser coils and was perfect for what i had planned for Stage 2. A body lift to clear some headers.

Also wanting to have a better power curve w/ the A340E I swapped in a 4.56 3rd and grabbed a 4.56 front to setup parts for stage 2.
*Note with this year's 2wd A340 you'll need to run a .9137 reduction box for the speedometer and cruise so the system doesn't go haywire trying to correct things. If you're lucky you can re-rder the 18t automatic speedo drive gear, IIRC they're being produced again.

Took a trip and hung out w/ Corax (Keith) at Lake Emigrant in Ashland, Oregon.

 

[NorCalBorn]

So at this point I was about at the end of Stage 1 of the build and the budget I put for it. I then went out and basically started having as much fun playing around wheeling light stuff and traveling anywhere it would take us.

Local's run out to Hollister SVRA for some weekend time away from the wives.

Oops!

Note to self, don't do Jackrabbit backwards if the ground's still wet and slippery from the rains, or at least don't do it in 2wd. (Meh, "it'll buff right out".)

Decided to go and goof-off in the playground for a bit.

 

[NorCalBorn]

Picture from the recent "Your Yotas" Section of 4wdToyotaOwner.

Short trip out to Muir Woods.

Just made it back home by Sunset and missed the rainstorm.

Trip out to Surf@ Steamers Lane.

Another trip, this time to Kings Beach, Lake Tahoe.

Another back home by Sunset.

Trip back up to Oregon and the Northern California Coast.

 

[NorCalBorn]

Lake Shasta.

How do you know you're back in the S.F. Bay Area?

Trip out to the Sierra Foothills, New Melones Lake as seen from the Tower Climb mountain bike trail.

Note, here's a neat little trick and works way better than the normal funnels.

Learned the trick while at a business meeting at Toyota's San Rafael location.

Won a set of Rigid Industries D-2 Floods while at the Tracy Toyota Meet-n-Greet.
~Shot of the Runner that day.

Pictures from the event are here:TracyToyotaMeet-n-Greet 2011.

 

[NorCalBorn]

reserved post7 (Wiring Diagrams - Etc.)

New lighting inside too.

Drive it, break it, repeat.
**Undisclosed dirt location somewhere in the middle of nowhere.**My poor friend could barely hold the camera.

 

[SV_Dude]

Reserved post 8 :flipoff:

 

[NorCalBorn]

:hatsoff: Yeah yeah yeah, cut-n-paste takes time.

Here's a temporary shortcut.

I don't know what it is with me and Sunsets, so here's a Sunrise instead, headed to Mexico.

Results of said trip, 1635 miles more.

Scrubbed up nicely.

 

[NorCalBorn]

reserved

Shot Darrell Vaughn took while at the ValleyHybrids Swap Meet, me goofing off in work attaire and playing with the iPhone "Cut The Rope" App, addicting game.

Dash Upper Swap.

Wife shakes her head here and promptly walks back into the house.

Weird little cutouts in main support.

I wonder if they're intended for gauges?

 

[NorCalBorn]

Drive it, break it, repeat.

Just a little old and worn out is all.

Cool parts guy got me a set of new Tokico's since OME and Bilstein were outed.

What a pain in the @$$ to do in a driveway without a lift nearby.

Completely separated from the sleeve, maybe that was the "CLUNK" we kept hearing?

 

[NorCalBorn]

Decided to head up to the Sierras again, Huntington Lake.

Storm rolling in.

Mind you, this is at 1pm in the afternoon and we're out on the water hearing thunder and lightening.

"The weather started getting rough, the tiny ship was tossed...":guitar3:

Better yet, "How to see how stupid you can be and risk a $500 camera."?

 

[NorCalBorn]

Storms and rain are good, they bring the water which is needed to take a mud bath with.

Started getting sick from the altitude and cold so I had to head home.

Not too far from the entrance to Dusy.

Yes, another sunset.

Most current shot.

A Sunrise over Murphy's, Ca I played with.

 

[spunkysandoval]

Awesome build man! Did you get all of the 4x4 stuff working on it?

 

[NorCalBorn]

Awesome build man! Did you get all of the 4x4 stuff working on it?

Thanks. Yep. Had to take a set of IFS-Diff frame horns from a donor wreck and used an older style non-add left side diff output and manual hubs. To tell the truth the hardest part (had help w/ the parts and labor/welding) was figuring out how to fool the electronics systems into letting me keep the clutch as a part of the neutral safety system and at the same time make the cruise control functional for freeway time during trips.

 

[combatmedic]

Awesome! Love all the high res pics. Rig looks great.

 

[92-SR5]

Nice Rig man!
What crossbars are you using to support the basket? I broke my stock roof rack and now my basket is held down by zip ties. I need something like what you have so I can fix my problem.

 

[NorCalBorn]

Nice Rig man!
What crossbars are you using to support the basket? I broke my stock roof rack and now my basket is held down by zip ties. I need something like what you have so I can fix my problem.

The crossbars are the one's that go with the kit, standard Thule load bars on 400XT towers. The trick was I modded the towers and the basket mounts for a direct fit style setup I call a "Slam Kit". Initially it used hose clamps until I could finish fabricating better ones to spread out the clamp force across a wider area. (The basket clamps themselves are plate steel and custom u-bolts I had to have cut, sized, and pressed.) The bars go through the base of the basket and are near enough to the inner cross tubes to make it very sturdy and very low on wind noise. It was my short-term answer instead of drilling the roof for factory rails and grabbing a Gobi or Baja-Rack. I'm still not sure how much I like using it b/c honestly I always end up having to take it off and stash it if going where there's tree limbs on the trail.

 

[Devwon]

Nice work! Great pics as well. What year FJ Cruiser coils did you use and how much lift did they provide? I'm about to get the OME 900's but am interested in comparing the two. Thanks!

 

[NorCalBorn]

*These were a pre-production version, any year's will work, people all over have done the same, it'll net you about 2-1/2" of lift.

 

[vipergrhd]

Your such a show off,you know that right?i love all the nature pics Shane.there should be some pics thread just for your rig,i think you haven't posted half of it yet.:lol: