87 4 Runner Build

[SV_Dude]

So I built some rock sliders using 1 3/4 HREW square tubing. Total length is 66 inches so they are pretty much flush with each fender. They stick out about 4 inches from the body so they're flush with the edge of each fender.

Front view:

Rear:

Welds: (not the best but I'm no pro at welding... good penetration and definitely strong welds)

I also added some 35x12.5x15 Mickey Thompson Baja Claws on some 15x10 steelies:

 

[hrt4me]

your '87 T4R looks good; what are your plans for a front bumper?

also, in which part of the country are you located?

 

[SV_Dude]

Plans for a front bumper... I haven't really came up with any solid ones yet. I want a tube bumper but haven't decided if I'm going to buy one from an online vendor or build one. I don't have a tube bender and that's the main thing stopping me from building one. I would like to build a air/hydro tube bender but the materials and supplies will cost me around $600, then another couple hundred in materials and supplies to build the bumper... Stuff adds up!!

I'm located at Clarksville, TN.

 

[KidVermicious]

So I built some rock sliders using 1 3/4 HREW square tubing. Total length is 66 inches so they are pretty much flush with each fender. They stick out about 4 inches from the body so they're flush with the edge of each fender.

How much did the tubing run you?

 

[SV_Dude]

I bought 2 sticks of 12ft 1.75" square 1/8" wall tubing, along with a 4 ft stretch of 4"x3/16" flat stock to use as pads against the frame and capping the end of the tubing. I used all but 3 feet or so of the tubing and used about half of the flat stock. Total between the tubing, cutting discs and paint I spent right around $100. The steel alond was about $70 or so.

 

[SV_Dude]

I recently added an SR5 cluster... nothing special, but it's nice having a tach and an oil psi gauge instead of just an idiot light.

 

[Hyde802]

Nice job on the cluster swap. Having a tach is defiantly nice.

 

[SV_Dude]

Nice job on the cluster swap. Having a tach is defiantly nice.

Thanks! I agree on the tach, that was my motivation to do the swap. Having the tach is also what led me to realise that my motor was bogging down at 4k rpm. I thought before that I was just hitting fuel cut due to redline.

 

[s2kpuddydad]

Verry nice:hatsoff: the blue engine block is pretty sweet
Did you add a double roller chain?

 

[SV_Dude]

Verry nice:hatsoff: the blue engine block is pretty sweet
Did you add a double roller chain?

Thanks! I'm slowly making the engine bay a mix between blue and black. I think it looks good with the gray paint on the body panels.

I didn't see a need for a double row chain. Well, at least I couldn't justify the expense of it. If I was going to use a forced induction setup then I would use the double row chain.

Hows your sons truck coming? I love seeing your projects! Your 4runner is a part of what inspired me to get mine!!! That thing was amazing!

 

[s2kpuddydad]

We too went with a single row chain from Toyota in my Son's 86 eXtra cab.
The 22r in the 87 we have (that smokes) had a double row chain and we used a single in it because I had one on hand.
We are working on the 87 pickup so it can be sold. Once the 87 is fixed and ready to be sold we will start back up on my Son's truck:bravo:

 

[SV_Dude]

A few updates:
First, I replaced the knock sensor, o2 sensor, water temp sensor and got another AFM and painted it to match the engine bay. I also got an awesome deal on a cone filter so I replaced it as well.

The new AFM and filter setup, the idle is much more consistent and no more fluctuation.

I was also running steel wheels and I switched to some aluminum ones. I thought the steelies were robbing too much power for rotating mass. I got some polished aluminum rims and sanded them down to nothing. Then I used some self etching primer and hit them with a metallic charcoal top coat.

I also needed to more the rear axle forward a bit to get rid of a rubbing issue while flexed. So, like a photo whore that I am... I took a few poser pics. The flex isn't too impressive in this picture but it still gives a decent perspective of what it can do

 

[SV_Dude]

I also have a bit of an oil leak coming from the oil pump front main seal where the harmonic balancer goes in. The balancer has a groove worn in and the seal can no longer do its job. So... I ordered an under drive pulley kit from LCE. I'm also going to delete the AC system. Between the light weight balancer and no more AC condenser, that should free up a bit of power. More pics to come once installed

 

[SV_Dude]

Time for an update... I installed my LCE under drive pulley kit, deleted the A/C system and the belt driven fan, and installed an electric fan using a permacool unit and a 16" hayden fan.

Pics of the under drive kit:

Buh-bye air conditioner:

Here's the fan with all the wiring cut to length.

All connections soldered and heat shrink wrapped.

Built some quick brackets to hold the fan to the backside of the radiator. And of course, they had to be painted blue

Fan installed:

All wiring wrapped in split loom tubing:

For now the permacool unit is attached to the radiator using velcro. I'll keep an eye on it and if it seems as if it doesn't hold up then I'll build a permanent mount that will screw to the core support.

It's a little tight but everything fits well

So far everything works very well. The radiator hasn't gotten hot enough to turn the fan on (thermostat is set at 180*) but I used my heat gun on the sensor to get it hot enough to turn the fan on.

Between the under drive pulley taking nearly 10 lbs of rotating mass off of the crank shaft, deleting the a/c and belt driven fan, and all my previous motor mods and performance parts, the 4.10 gears ALMOST seem like they're supposed to be there for the 35" tires. I don't know what I'm at for power at the crank or the wheels but I would love to get it on a dyno and see what I'm getting for actual hp and tq numbers.

 

[SV_Dude]

Time for another update... :reddance:

I bought a soft top in the classifieds about a week and a half ago. I just needed some dry weather to install it. Here it is

 

[SV_Dude]

The hood is open because it's getting a set of flow matched fuel injectors... Thank you LCE Engineering! My other injectors were leaking pretty bad so they had to go!

 

[nashville67]

so with all that power under the hood will it turn the tires on dry pavement

 

[SV_Dude]

so with all that power under the hood will it turn the tires on dry pavement

Not sure. I haven't tried and I don't really care to. I would be willing to bet that it would at least chirp them. But with 35" tires, it's a lot of mean to burn!

One day I'll get it on a dyno. Maybe I'll build a stroker motor for it some day and run a mega squirt ecu on it. But that's a LOT of $$$$ down the road. Now that my drive train is solid I can actually start building it for what I bought it for... off road fun!

 

[nashville67]

well get some stock sized tires and see that way you dont ruin them spenive i think that would be sweet to see smoke show from a 1st gen

 

[T?@\7]

What a smooth truck, someday when I repaint ill prob go to silver... really looking good, how is the softop in rain?