4th Gen Baja inspired build

[4RunnerAquasport]

I added a little spal to the stock cooler on a manual switch for the same reason. I don't tow but romping around in thick sand will get the temps up there. Florida Summer time in the stop and go traffic is no joke either.

The trans work you did is commendable. Scares the crap outta me to go any further than dropping the pan and changing the filter out on any transmission.

Good to see an update, I pretty much copied you, Sam, and Jake with his bumper design and a few other things.

Have all the parts for a DK +3.5 w a CO and triple, 456 gears, a manual Tcase and some plans to refab the 4 link w a 14" triple bypass to gain more rear travel numbers. Hoping a shorter FJ gas tank will give me the clearance. Need to find the time and motivation to get started. Guess I'm getting old lol.

Your rig is looking great! Happy Holidays!

 

[Chad30]

Awesome ! sounds like you’re gonna have a wicked set up!


Off and on over last few years, contemplated the rear suspension but getting it near where Im content with it. I believe the Fox 2.5’s will get me the added dampening, rebound I need to be totally happy with the 4-link. It’s weird how every little detail matters and makes differences. Lol the added weight of the drawers and spare carrier combo with heavy Dual rate coils made a word of difference alone. i was actually concerned the heavy rate coils would have made the “bucking” sensation worse but in fact improved it a lot! the 2.5’s hopefully make more of a noticeable difference especially rebound & I’ll be happy and can finally let the thoughts of custom rear suspension go haha.

Yep the fans are awesome on them super hot traffic, and slow wheeling days. Yes sand is harsh on everything , I don’t get into much deep/thick stuff nowdays but very familiar with it and how it can wreak havoc on engine /trans temps.

Volant intake installed, ran it about a month and went back to the stock air box. It was too loud for my liking and didn’t improve in any aspect. At least not noticeably, also hurt my gas mileage which is already horrible haha.

Finally bit and tried the PCR chip, I removed it, did nothing at all and in fact caused me an issue I don’t remember exactly , kept throwing a code or something like that. Tossed that in the trash.

EBC Brakes GD ROtors performance was awesome however I was only getting around 17k or so through yellow stuff and orange stuff pads 5th Gen rear calipers , nearly exact same results.. put factory pads on rear and
Put on Wilwood fronts fairy recently , I wanted the Wilwoods for years but finally said why not let’s try em. Love em! We’ll see How it goes pad life etc wise.

Probably a bunch more things that in hindsight wished done differently but I believe I’m getting it to where I can almost say I’m done HAHAHA! . i mean of course it never ends but happy with all the mods in my means sorta speak


Regarding the valve body etc. yes it sounds scary initially. Even tho I did a shift kit on my Chevy Tahoe in the past I was initially weary because I thought the 750 trans would be way more complicated and yes it is as far as the multiple sections etc however it isn’t that bad at all. Just make sure you take your time, layout a piece of cardboard etc so you can keep the parts organized. Take pics just in case, triple check before you drill / modify. You can do it!
However when transmission shops was turning me down in was weary of doing it as well but I’m glad I did!

One thing you can do is purchase a reman Valve body , do the shift kit etc on it. Swap the entire valve body and you always have your original so you’re not left without your vehicle. And if it’s all good. You have an extra valve body that you can also modify and keep as a backup

I ended up having did that but not for that reason, I’ve had a small issue for a couple years that I couldn’t figure out. Intermittently , from a dead stop, upon acceleration there would be a delay going into gear. Sometimes I felt it while at stop, kick into heat. My keep my fluids freshened up so I started suspecting solenoids etc. i did the shift kit while I had the valve body out and changed a couple solenoids that it could have been. Etc. it still did it intermittently. I’m talking it could do it twice in one day and it could do it once in 3 months. I ended up changing all of the solenoids , checked the harness etc all looked fantastic , like new even.
I noticed one day it did it starting off with a hard turn and I could replicate it. Found out it was just fluid level related. The fluid would be forced one way leaving it low so it would simulate a neutral drop. So I basically noticed that even tho I always made sure vehicle was exactly level and the right temperature etc when I did my drain and fills , worried about over filling I’d stop as the fluid comes out the overflow and call it a day. I realized this leaves the trans a tiny bit low. Starting and running the vehicle through all the gears the turning it off. After confirming temps are still within the range. I could put in another nearly half a quart or more of fluid. I never noticed because it must have been slightly low from the get go. The amount I put back in always jived with what came out once it came out of the overflow. Never would I have suspected slightly low on fluid. Anyway it doesn’t do it anymore and the valve body I purchased to try before I found this out. I ended up putting in the same shift kit plus the Transgo line pressure boost and one day will try it to see if the shifts feel any different etc but it is nice to have a complete backup valve body.

On my current valve body I have Level 10 shift kit , (if you end up doing it remind me I’ll tell you how to get the exact same shift kit for like 1/3 of the price ) I put a Transgo Shift kit and Sonnax Line pressure boost (Transgo didn’t have one at the time). Sonnax is billet aluminum and the Transgo one is steel. Not sure if it matters etc. I also put in one of the kit springs at a click higher rate in my other valve body so I’m curious if the shifts will be any different. One day I’ll swap it to see. Probably after holidays cause weekends tied up with other projects and chores. I’ll definitely post if any significant differences. If I get even firmer shifts I’d be stoked!

However as I have it now it’s awesome. Waaay better than the stock mushy shifts. Crispy shifts throughout all the gears Downshifts when heavily accelerating is satisfying haha. And less wear and tear on your trans clutches too. win win ….

Doing the shift kit & line pressure booster valve will be the best sub $200 give or take and a few hours of a day give or take spent!!

grab a little container of “assembly goo” if you do it, it was the best advice that nobody ever told me that I found from someone who mentioned it online. worth Its weight in gold when you’re trying to reassemble and need springs , valves and tiny check balls to stay put as you’re turning things upside down etc!

Anyways Can’t wait to see you start your long travel mod etc!!

 

[4RunnerAquasport]

Great tips on the trans work!! Now my eyes are gonna be bleeding doing the research lol. I'm glad I have one of the few with a dipstick. Did the fluid exchange when I first bought it and it's still full w a nice clean color.

I have a 10" Tacoma spec 2.5 King in the back with the CaliFab 4 link and I'm getting some pretty good travel numbers (9+ inches) with my Super Bumps. Almost need to strap it lol. You may want to see about getting the Fox equivalent. I copied Sam's set up with the modified Metal tech bump extensions. Take the mounting plate off the Rear Super bumps, drill a hole in the MT extensions, then mount it that way. You can just buy the Front Super Bumps and it would be the same thing with out having to take the bracket off that comes with the rears. Worked out great! Video is below.

The Camburg and Fox front suspension looks freaking great on yours!

I never really wanted to try a chip with the negatives I've read about these Toyota ECUs and not responding to mods.

The OEM intake boxes are pretty damn good from the factory.

I did change over to the plastic intake plenum/larger throttle body like you have on your 05', did Headers w a Y pipe and performance muffler, along with Dirty Deeds 270cc injectors. Have been pretty happy with what I've done there and it seems to be the only way to get any power gains with out Boost.

Gadget over at URD in Maryland can put a tune on it with his Universal MAF calibration and maybe get some more out of it, but that won't be for awhile if at all.
He says I can try it myself with a wideband o2 sensor, laptop and using Torque Pro to log the fuel trims, but you have to solder it into the main harness and that learning curve might be more than I want to tackle on top of all the mods I've chosen to do with this thing.

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[Chad30]

I thought I posted pic of the fans, I guess I did not, Spal 9” fans

 

[Chad30]

Wow , have my Thorley Long Tubes and mid but have to find time or $ to put em in hha! Can’t wait! So the injectors, what differences did you get? how did it affect fuel mileage ?

My fuel mileage is horrendous , around 10.5-10.8
Mpg average.

I do have some decent weight on It. The drawer system , spare carrier and daily gear probably around 450Lbs-500lbs Maybe? not too bad but does affect fuel haha. power feels fantastic so it is what It is. I’ve read the headers etc
Will make a substantial mpg difference as well as power! I can’t wait!!

Tell me about how the injectors helped . Maybe I gotta order those up too???

 

[Chad30]

Yah man you’ll like the valve body mods. Crispy shifting. blows my mind trans with over 220k and feels and shifts better than new!!

I didn’t see that vid last time for some reason! That was some serious action on the rear!

It’ll be awhile before I am able to do anything major in the rear but I am happy / content with it now after I swapped to icons dial rate rear coils and the 2.5’s. It made a massive difference vs my 2.0/resi race series and OME medium coils

Massive difference over whoops etc, I also changed out my Super Bumps to Durabumps , They are more predictable when hitting Especially in the rear. I like them a lot.

Front I didn’t notice a big difference , my bypass shocks handles majority of the effect so it’s a little tougher to tell but the Rear is a very noticeable difference! Then again , I didn’t really get a lot of whoop time in with the 2.5’s , dual rate coils and super bump combo so yah it could be an unfair assessment in my case but all I know is the combo right now is the best ive ever gotten it thus far. I wanted to one hydraulic bumps in rear in the past but not anymore. I think it would be a waste of $$ and I could use that $ for something else. I think who knows haha. i should actually put limiting straps as well. My shocks are the limiting factor right now. I admit I am a lot less gung-ho after fixing my fiberglass and stuff after some carnage haha. Still not afraid to catch some air and hit some stuff 50-60mph. A lot more cautious of potential “blind” whoops and yah not so much real bad rut / crawling stuff for me nowdays. Real nasty stuff I’ll go around and avoid if I can , I hope to not rip my exhaust and or fiberglass up again if I can. Hahaa

fast stuff of course is what it’s all about .

Great tips on the trans work!! Now my eyes are gonna be bleeding doing the research lol. I'm glad I have one of the few with a dipstick. Did the fluid exchange when I first bought it and it's still full w a nice clean color.

I have a 10" Tacoma spec 2.5 King in the back with the CaliFab 4 link and I'm getting some pretty good travel numbers (9+ inches) with my Super Bumps. Almost need to strap it lol. You may want to see about getting the Fox equivalent. I copied Sam's set up with the modified Metal tech bump extensions. Take the mounting plate off the Rear Super bumps, drill a hole in the MT extensions, then mount it that way. You can just buy the Front Super Bumps and it would be the same thing with out having to take the bracket off that comes with the rears. Worked out great! Video is below.

The Camburg and Fox front suspension looks freaking great on yours!

I never really wanted to try a chip with the negatives I've read about these Toyota ECUs and not responding to mods.

The OEM intake boxes are pretty damn good from the factory.

I did change over to the plastic intake plenum/larger throttle body like you have on your 05', did Headers w a Y pipe and performance muffler, along with Dirty Deeds 270cc injectors. Have been pretty happy with what I've done there and it seems to be the only way to get any power gains with out Boost.

Gadget over at URD in Maryland can put a tune on it with his Universal MAF calibration and maybe get some more out of it, but that won't be for awhile if at all.
He says I can try it myself with a wideband o2 sensor, laptop and using Torque Pro to log the fuel trims, but you have to solder it into the main harness and that learning curve might be more than I want to tackle on top of all the mods I've chosen to do with this thing.

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[4RunnerAquasport]

Wow , have my Thorley Long Tubes and mid but have to find time or $ to put em in hha! Can’t wait! So the injectors, what differences did you get? how did it affect fuel mileage ?

My fuel mileage is horrendous , around 10.5-10.8
Mpg average.

I do have some decent weight on It. The drawer system , spare carrier and daily gear probably around 450Lbs-500lbs Maybe? not too bad but does affect fuel haha. power feels fantastic so it is what It is. I’ve read the headers etc
Will make a substantial mpg difference as well as power! I can’t wait!!

Tell me about how the injectors helped . Maybe I gotta order those up too???

The injectors definitely bring more consistent fuel trims. Haven't noticed any gains in mileage. Butt dyno likes the power.
The mist the 12 hole injectors spray combined w the 05' - 09' oem plastic intake and headers are working well together. So it feels like its making more power.

 

[momo.75]

Interesting test on the 12 hole injectors

Is the 12-Hole Injector Upgrade Real? We Tested It on a 2007 Lexus LX470 (Land Cruiser) - YouTube

 

[4RunnerAquasport]

Interesting test on the 12 hole injectors

Is the 12-Hole Injector Upgrade Real? We Tested It on a 2007 Lexus LX470 (Land Cruiser) - YouTube

Good test. 12 hole sounds good in theory lol. They might work better for boosted engines. But in an N/A I guess not so much.
I would say to make any noticeable gains, you would have to basically make it a race engine (headers, exhaust, engine upgrades, etc.) and then with a good tune you could maybe squeeze more out of it.

After reading about Charles and the tuning of the Steel City car,
I had been watching fuel trims on my Torque Pro for awhile with the OEM injectors, trying to get a grasp on how it's done.

After I put in the 12 holes, I noticed instantly the short and long term fuel trims putting out more consistent graph patterns and the numbers were staying with in a couple points of each other, and matching up a lot more often between the left and right banks. 18 yrs/150k miles on the old injectors, so that probably has something to do with the inconsistent numbers they were putting out.


I bought the 270cc as opposed to the 250cc, in the hopes of maximizing my Thorley headers and Y pipe, paired with a performance muffler and the 05' plastic intake plenum I swapped in there. I would love to take this thing to Gadget up at URD and see what he could gain out of it.

I have no complaints, but is the juice worth the squeeze? Probably not...but my truck is running really good, if only in my head lol.

 

[Chad30]

You guys giving me lots to think about.

I guess We’ll see how it runs after the headers and middies are in. I dare to say if it runs good with no issues I might leave it alone. I think I said that a few times and lied. I’m not sure though if I’m more excited to feel the power gains , hearing the new flavors of ear candy as well as eye candy or seeing the MPG difference!
I’ve read about people boasting substantial power gains as well as mpg gains. I’m hoping for the best but I’d be extremely stoked with 13mpg average (+2.5 ish) Still be stoked with 12mpg (+1.5) & happy with 11.5mpg I guess I’d be bummed if I was sub 11mpg But if I get really noticeable mid/high end power I’d still be stoked! 13mpg plus really noticeable power gains. Exstatic! Can’t wait!

 

[Chad30]

Freshened up the Resivoir decals , diggin on the orange I had to get some ordered up with Fox

After getting a good amount of time in with the RIG’D spare carrier , I like it as much if not more than I did when I first got it. It is very solid and well engineered. I added their “sidehack” which allows adding a Rotopax mount as well as some steel molle to mount some small things of your choice. The FrontRunner folding table comes in handy a lot as well.

A small mod I added a few months ago was the Solar Battery tender. A female connector for the solar panel in the fender well so I can easily plug in one of my solar panels to trickle , condition the battery if needed. I have solar controllers and
Alligator clips etc when I need to hook up my bigger panels for more “juice” but the tender is nice to have when I want to just plug in a small panel to trickle condition battery once in a while without having to plug one in or may come in handy in emergency situations *

 

[Combustion8]

Added RCI engine skid….

Also
Changed my front bumper , added a winch , spare tire carrier , roof rack ..

LILBFAB bumper
Rugged Ridge Trekker 12s winch
Just very recently changed wheels and tires as well.


lots of weight was added , I changed to the Icon dual rate coils in rear and not only did I get the height back, it made a huge difference on whoopy terrain OffRoad.

Still have the factory series 2.0 resi in rear , waiting on my 2.5’s. And that should also make a difference and finally get the rear handling up to par.

Holy crap this thing looks MEAN! Thanks for all your updates on your build thread, keep em coming!

 

[Chad30]

Thanks, much appreciated! This thread is pretty old & I wasn’t sure if should keep it going or not but I’m more than happy to.