89s - Yota No. 6

[89s rule]

I am fairly new on here, but have been on IH8MUD and Yotatech for many years. This is my 6th Toyota: '97 4runner, '89 FJ62, '83 FJ60, '93 FZJ80, '89 sr5 ext cab 4x4 Pickup, and now the '99 4runner. We still own the FZJ80 and my wife drives it daily. Story on it here: http://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/232531-another-80-thread-project-little-green-sprout.html I need to update the thread badly but family, kids, job change, etc have all held that up.

I've been stalling on posting up a build thread in hopes I would have more collected and done by now, but here he is:

'99 4runner Limited
187K miles
4wd/AWD
Few pics from the ad:

And..... it has the Magic button

We were up in Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg, TN the week after Christmas as a family. I sold my '89 pickup and we were sharing the 80 series cruiser as a family. Thankfully I had some time off over the holidays and with us heading up to the mountains it helped give me a little more time to find something.

I had been messaging and looking at several Tacomas and 4runners but they were either:
1. Too much $.
2. Rusty
3. Too far away.
After coming really close to buying a few I saw this one posted on CL in Knoxville. He posted it up New Years Eve and we were headed back home New Yrs day, so it was good we were able to work something out. I had already coordinated to go look at another one on the way home. It has more miles thatn I wanted to have, 187K but he had a stack of reciepts and was the 2nd owner who bought it as a CPO.

I had forgotten how nice these drove, especially compared to the last few vehicles we have had/have. Lori drove a '97 sr5 4wd that we had for around 7 years and I foolishly sold January '10. I actually emailed the guy that bought our old one and asked if we could buy it back.

Unfortunately he blew the rear main after he put another 40K on it and the engine blew. He sold it to a buddy who is supposedly putting a Land Cruiser V8 in it. I am begging him for pics.

After a trip back home and a few pit stops for the kiddos and myself we finally made it home after 200+ miles.
The guy was nice enough to let me keep his tag so I didnt get pulled who knows how many times on the way home.

It needs a few things and since I got it on New Years I have noticed a few more needed items.
I placed an order with Ralph Hayes Toyota and my wife went by and picked up the first round of parts.
New valve cover gaskets and associated parts, new plug wires, and new plugs.

I also picked up a B&M tranny cooler to avoid the strawberry milkshake that these have been know to produce when the radiator/internal cooler fail.

There is a clicking noise coming from the passanger front that started after I got home, there is also a hesitation when accelerating gradually at higher speeds (around 70), also need an 02 sensor and a coolant sensor, and some bulbs in the climate control as they are burnt out.

Other than the few little things I need to fix I am overly impressed. I also picked up a set of custom canvas seat covers of eBay, dug throught the garage to find the parts to swap the factory roof rack for some Yakima stuff, and ordered some LED bulbs for the interior and the climate control.
1/2 way installed rear:

Done:

Weekend after we got back from PF/GB with the 4runner I decided to make a parts run to VA. :bounce2: Since the stock rear bumper has a few little dents.

I had found a bumper on CL in Va Beach a few weeks before Christmas but did not want to buy any parts for a vehicle before I bought one. I emailed the guy and he still had this:

So, I drove up the Rocky Mount, NC and visited with my buddy who is moving to WA state next month, we then headed out Saturday morning to Va Beach and picked up the bumper, suprizingly it fit in the back of the 4runner without disasambly. I have to get some mounts made up as he was runing a 3" BL. I should have take a pic of his 4runner and the FJ62 they had in the garage. I am sure the guy who owns the 62 is on MUD, he wasnt working but the guy with the 4runner said he has at least 3. They worked on building up 2 LX470's and shipped them to Haiti to help after the earth quake. Nothing like a 1K + mile trip for friends and parts.

I actually had a front bumper lined up just before Christmas but it sold by the time I bought this rig. Found several other things but distance is a factor as shipping eats into any deal, especially on something as heavy as a bumper. I plan to get the rear bumper paint matched or powder coated, trying to research painting over powdercoat.

I will try to keep this updated as I add things and also get some pics up of the maint work as well as the Yakima rack. I have put over 2K miles on it in 3 weeks time and my wife wishes all the kids fit in it as she loves driving it as much as I do, it is so much smoother than the 80

 

[89s rule]

I havent been able to find time to do the tranny cooler and fluid flush, hope to get it done in the next few weeks as well as the valve cover gaskets and other misc maint stuff. I was able to get some new Bosch wiper blades and winter/bug RainX washer fluid, and a new air filter. Both very much needed items.

I picked up a set of OME 883 and Bilstein 5100 fronts already assembled from yotatech and am working on figuring out my rear setup. Have a line on a 1" BL to help with clearance on the rear bumper and any other issues if I ever move up in tire size. I dont want to get huge tires b/c as $out said its hits MPG and drivability. I dont want to regear and my old pickup was a dog with the 22re and 32s. I think I have narrowed down my tire size to 235/85r16, 265/75r16, or 255/85r16. I checked with a local tire shop yesterday and she can get a good deal on the Cooper ST Maxx in the 32's. I have seen great reviews and negative reviews on these so not sure if I want to go with them or not, they are very similar to the GY Duratacs. AT/MT mix with a stout sidewall with protection. $825 for a set of 5 in the 235's seems reasonable to me? 265's were $885 for 5. Those are mounted and balaced prices.
I am going to call another shop that was recomended to me. Will see what they have in a AT or MT. Any advice on those Coopers or others would be great.

I got a quote for some 255/85r16s as well $925 mounted and balanced for a set of 4 Cooper ST. BFG KM2s were even more although I have founf a set of them used somewhat local. I really want a more AT type tire though.

Also trying to get someone to help me out with the mounting of the rear bumper, needs some basic mounts but I cannot weld and my friend just picked up an extra job so he has 0 free time to help me. I also want to paint it silver to match the 4runner, so I have to figure out what I am going to do about that. It is powder coated black now and is in fairly good shape with only a few little rusty spots. From what I can tell you can paint over the PC if it is preped correctly. $ is the issue with this part, as I want it done correctly but I also dont want to break the bank. Hopefully I can get it all worked out soon as well. I want to get a set of 5 tires so mounting everything up should come at a reasonable time frame. (AKA: SOON!)

 

[89s rule]

Took some time Saturday to get a few things done on the 4runner. I purchased a 3rd row for my FJ62 when I had it and never got it installed. It is tan vinyl and has been sitting in the shed for years. I had seen a few guys post up of using a jeep rear seat in a 4runner for a third rom as well as the littlepeopleseats brand? Addicted offroad was one of the main ones and since we have 4 kids I figured why not, let me see if it will work.

Like a glove! I would have been done before lunch but Scout, the new puppy was "helping" and I stripped 2 bolts and had to make a run up to the hardware store. It removes and installs in a matter of minuets with spring loaded pins on the front legs. I had to shim it up a little so the knobs would still moves because of the groves on the floor. The kids love it and now we can save some gas $ and use the 4runner if we need to for a family ride.

I patched up my Yakima fairing and put it on the 4runner, I had it on the 80 for awhile but one of the clips broke after one of my kids sat on it or something like that. Noise levels over 55mph are greatly reduced.

I also got in my LED overhead bulbs. I was going to order a set from a vendor here on MUD, but after doing some research I decided to just order some from eBay. $5 later I had both overhead lights replaced. Makes a huge difference.

Lori was asking when she was getting a set for the 80. They are on there way from Hong Kong :bounce:

I picked up my 1" BL from a guy at Clemson this afternoon, not a bad deal for $65.

I am hoping this will help with clearance for my bumper and mounting points as the guy I bought the bumper from had a 3", I did not want to go that high though. This should give me enough space to get mounts fabed up.

 

[fightman80]

Nice rig man! She's really coming along! I like the 3rd Row of seats too!

 

[89s rule]

Thanks,

I got out last night and tried to changed out the bulbs in my climate control, but still no lights? I am going to check fuses tonight as my ECT, rear defrost and rear window lights have do not been light up either??

Looks like I have some LC coils that I can hopefully pickup this weekend. I should find out tonight how many wraps they are. I also checked with the auto program at the school I work for and they can do my front end alignment and BJ / TRE swap, just need to get the parts and give them a week lead time. Stoked about that as the last BJ I changed took me a good bit of muscle and time. Any advice to give them to not mess up the BJ? I know to get the OEM or 555 brand.

I also touched base with another friend who can help me with the mounts for the rear bumper. I have to get the BL installed and make some templates of what we need. I also need to figure out what I am going to do in regard to getting the bumper paint matched the Millennium Silver. Now it is powder coated black, sounds like I can paint over the PC, but not sure if that is my best option or not?? Trying to consider durability and costs.

Also working on a local deal for some steel to make sliders and possibly modify the swing out to handle some jerry cans.

 

[Nervo19]

So that third row seat is from a Jeep? What model is it from and can you show some detail on how it's mounted. The company that makes third row seats is Little Passenger Seats - your source for custom SUV third row seating
They are pretty expensive! $695 and up. Your seats look great. :bravo:


Come to think of it, I've had five Toyotas myself. I still have two of them: an 89 4Runner and a 2000 4Runner.

 

[89s rule]

So that third row seat is from a Jeep? What model is it from and can you show some detail on how it's mounted. The company that makes third row seats is Little Passenger Seats - your source for custom SUV third row seating
They are pretty expensive! $695 and up. Your seats look great. :bravo:

Come to think of it, I've had five Toyotas myself. I still have two of them: an 89 4Runner and a 2000 4Runner.

I think this one might be from littlepassengerseats.com I am not sure, I bought it for an FJ62 that I had a few years back. It was in another FJ60 or 62 and a guy shipped it to me. It fits just between the wheel wells and works great, we took a family trip over to Columbia last weekend. It was around a 3-4 hour round trip. I need to get a hitch basket soon as interior space is at a premium with the seat and kids in the car.

Here is another thread where a guy used a Jeep fold and tumble seat.
Support Groups for Toyotaholics - Addicted Offroad's Project "Intervention"
Apparently they came as an option in some countries. I saw a thread of a guy in Brazil that posted some pics of his factory 3rd row. Looked a lot like mine from what I can remember.

I got off work at 2pm today so I took the opportunity to try and get some work done on the 4runner as the weather was nice and they are caling for rain much of the rest of the weekend.

I changed plugs, plug wires, coolant temp sensor, passenger side valve cover gasket and all associated parts (alot more parts than you would think), and finally got my headlight harness with relay so I could install my 6K HIDs. Not bad in an afternoons work.

191K miles passenger side with VC off. I was excited to see very little buildup.

Some of the passenger side plugs Gaped way out and electrode worn way down, they obviously did not change plugs at 170K when the TB was supposedly done. Wires had an '08 date on them, at least they were OEM. Replaced everything with OEM.

Cleaned up the VC with some brake cleaner and then started swapping the spark plug tube seals.

One out:

One new one in:

Obviously these things get brittle after 13 yrs and 191K miles:

The good news is that what I thought was a possible transmission or coil pack issue must have been worn plugs and/or wires. I took it out for a cruise tonight after some of the FIPG set up good. I could not get it to shudder, buck or anything, I hope it was not a fluke, but I am super excited.

I ordered these this week:

Front Sway bar quick discos. $25 shipped, not bad.
This came in today:

Kenwood Excelon x993 it is a few years old, but for less than $150, bluetooth, HD ready, and some other cool features I thought it would be a good fit. I haven't had a Kenwood in a few years but last one I had I loved.

Headed out in the morning to get these:

255/85/16 KM2s

Im really excited about getting them as my current tires are getting slick in the centers except for one and the original spare. And this is the exact size I finally decided to get, I wanted the Cooper S/T's but found these from a guy on ExpoPortal, gotta go with what works for the budget. I haven't had KM2s yet, but have had 3 different sets of KM1s through the years.

If I feel like it when I get home tomorrow I may go ahead and install the BL, I want to get the stereo in, but I want to order a few more components before I pull everything apart to instal it. I have a few other components out in the garage that I have been saving for some time. I hope to get one of them checked out on Sunday. Hopefully its good to go so I have one less thing to buy.

Need to get Taco BJs, and TREs ordered so they will be ready to go for the Automotive program at school to install and align after I get my lift put on. Maybe next weekend?? :banana:

 

[combatmedic]

Awesome thread, If I ever have a question I'm gonna ask you LOL, you must know these things inside and out by now

 

[Tucson4runner]

Looks good so far can't wait to see what else is in store.

 

[89s rule]

I ordered a few parts this week for the stereo install, hoping ot have both antennas working so I ordered a splitter and andapter from eBay, a total of $12 shipped. Finally dropped off my Orion HCCA 225 amp with a friend yesterday to let him check it. I also hope to trade him a JL 12w3D4 for a Sundown Ev8, I hope to build a box like this, but I have to be careful of how far over the box comes because of the 3rd row I installed before. If I have space I may incorperate a storage space as well as this sub only requires ~ .3 cu. ft.

Disregard the song, thats one thing that drives me nuts about YouTube, everyone thinks they need to play a song, just not sure why they choose what they do. Anyways rant over.

I got 8 or 10" sub because of space savings and I dont want some crazy thump, just something to give the song some depth.

I ordered an amp for my door speakers (MB Quart DSC480 4x80watts RMS):

and also ordered one set of door speakers, still looking for 1 more set, hard to find compontents for a good price, really want to run 6.5" in the front doors and let these be for the rear. (Hertz DSK130 5.25" Compontents)

I need to get some sound deadening and I should be set on my stereo install. This system seems to be coming together nicely, just hope I can get my cabinet making skills together.

Called Ralph Hayes Toyota today to get price quotes on the BJs and TREs I was planning on ordering them but may wait. $303 for Upper and Lower BJs, and Outter TREs, that hurts. I need the TREs but if I am going to upgrade I need to do the lowers and TRE now as the Tacoma upgrade requires you to do both at the same time. (I dont need upper BJ that I can tell, but I am getting a really good rate on labor, so I figured I would get those done too since them are only ~ $60 of the total.)
I really need to get these tires on and to do that I have to get the lift on, I may go ahead and get it on and then do the TRE and BJ later.

 

[89s rule]

Lift is on, no pics of it finished and I forgot to take pics before I got the 255s mounted, it is in for an alignment now. It looks much better with the 255s than it did with the stock tires, stink bug all the way! Have to get my rear bumper and other things mounted up now so that the rear will hopefully come down.

Running 883 and Bilsteins on the front and 8 wraps and LC shocks on the rear.

Progress of front pic:

 

[sportscarfan]

That's some progress for only a few weeks!

Did the steering spacer at the rag joint come with the body lift? I don't see it through the bag...

 

[89s rule]

That's some progress for only a few weeks!

Did the steering spacer at the rag joint come with the body lift? I don't see it through the bag...

Thanks, its been fun though, nice to work on something that isnt rusted up and/or leaking fluids everywhere. I still have a few more goodies in the garage and stereo stuff is starting to build up in the house.

The steering extension did not come with the kit. I have to order it as well as a diff drop kit and I need fab a parking brake extension. Will probably figure out something with the panhard bar when I get the bumper mounted up.

Automotive class did not get around to the alignment today, hopefully they will get to it tonight. I did get to take a pic of it with the tires mounted.

I will try to get a write up of the install and a few other pics in the next few days.

Pics of LED side marker bulbs and DDM 6K HIDs

I love the light output may start saving for a projector retrofit after I get all this other stuff done. Speaking of which...I need to make a todo and want list for the 4runner.

 

[89s rule]

Thursday evening I installed the headunit I had bought a few weeks back. Trying to figure out all the adjustments and bluetooth for my iphone.

I got out yesterday morning and made a sample box out of cardboard to see what will work.

You can see the brackets I installed for the 3rd row. The seat comes to the edge of the hump so I will have to see what thickness of wood will work. The Sub will not fit facing up like the one in the video, because of the 3rd row I cannot make it come out that far past the hump toward the center. I think I am going to mount it facing towards the center behind where the seat sits. Looks like I will probably install an amp in the portion under the window, at an angle. There is a thread over on DIYmobileaudio.com of a 100 series with a similar set-up: 2000 Land Cruise SQ install completed Pics - DIYMA.com - Scientific Car Audio - Truth in Sound Quality

I am mainly trying to get ideas from everyone and making it work for me.

I think I may end up with an amp in the cubby too, but I am not 100% sold on it, mainly because I want to keep some storage for random stuff.

Still probably going to trade for one of the Sundown e8 as it keeps me from having to sell my JL 12w3d4 and then trying to find something else. Several people have mentioned the new Alpine 8" sub as a great sub for what I want.

Still need to do a write up on the lift, but I think several have already done a good job of that. Its doing great, and averaging 17mpg with the lift and tires on. I expect to hit around 19 on a full tank on the highway.

Need to either install the BL or start trimming some as I have rubbing just driving around town on the front bumper, the running board is really close in the rear as well, but they will be coming off when I get some sliders.

Still having a little noise from what I think is the driver front. Not sure if its a wheel bearing, CVs or auto hubs.

 

[89s rule]

It has been awhile since i updated this thread. Few changes for the use of the 4runner over the last few months. I hope to get some pictures up soon.

I did end up building a box, although it is a different style. It fits just behind the 3rd row and the rear hatch. I have not gotten it installed because my wife has started using it as her DD for the kids. With the better MPG and ease of driving it it has worked out OK.

With her driving the 4runner I have been driving the 80 and decided to put it up for sale. I have a solid offer at this point and it looks like I will have it gone in the next few weeks or months. So I plan to get what I have been considering for awhile. A diesel full size van, which I plan to make into a Sportsmobile style. I can use it as a DD and a roadtrip vehicle for the family. I had hoped to be able to afford to buy a van this spring, but it just did not work out. I wanted to get it this spring so I could use it for our roadtrip this summer.

My wife and I are celebrating our 10 year anniversary next month. To celebrate we are going to do a road trip as that is what we did for our honeymoon (road trip out to Grand Canyon other places out West and back.)

Plans thus far are not final. I have a few stops that we plan to make for sure and getting there and back are the only set points I have as of now. My friend moved out to East Sound, WA (an island just off Seattle) a few months back so that is our final destination before we head back home. In between we plan to see another friend in Helena, MT as well as Glacier NP. The only other set point will be Manhattan, KS as we have another set of friends who moved out there a few years ago.

Other places we are considering include Albuquerque, Las Vegas, Death Valley, and Yosemite.

Main thing for us is time my parents and in-laws are watching the kids. We are looking at approximately July 20 - ~Aug 3 (our anniv is the 27th) and it was a push for work to let me off 2 weeks straight.

I did some research on flying/renting a vehicle, driving my own vehicle, and buying an RV/van and making the trip. I really wanted to do the van thing, but time and $ ran short on me, still looking at this for a later time, but not this trip. Flying and renting would work but require a ton of scheduling, planning and $ wise it just didn't add up. The only advantage of the flying option is time to spend with the people we want to see/visit. SO this leaves me with driving our own vehicle.

I could take the 80, but gas would be rough and I need new tires and oh yeah its FOR SALE. SO that leaves the 4runner. MPG isn't too bad, ride is nice, its comfortable, with the roof rack and Yakima box it will haul everything, and we can still sleep in it when we need to. Hey this is looking like a great option. Then it hit me, we are leaving in 5 weeks! I cannot pull a JP but I definitely have a few things that I need to get done as well as buy a few things to get ready for the trip. AND I have to get an itinerary together.

Because of our time frame I can't go everywhere we want to, I need to figure out what we can do and enjoy in ~ 2 weeks. I'm trying to figure a few routes and places and see what will be best for us not only for the sites we will see but also in the time we have. From what I can tell I'm looking at approximately 6500 miles round trip.

One thing I am curious about are some really good forest service roads that are out there and can't be missed, etc. Especially within a park we may want to see anyway. (I'm not looking to wheel hard or anything, but some stuff similar to the ole whee or milder would be awesome.) If I can fit some of those in I certainly will, but with the time we have its already going to be a push to add a ton unless it is on the way or worth it more than another attraction.

I would also like to hear about any can't miss food places. We plan to camp in the 4runner and cook ourselves most of the trip, but if its a great place then I'll see if we can make it. (Obviously some of these recommendations require at least a general map of where we plan to go. Hopefully that will be set or at lest a tentative one soon.)

Since we will be taking the 4runner on our trip I have a few items that need to get done. THi weekend I did a trans flush and tranny cooler install as well as an oil change and removing the rear bumper to finally get the new rear bumper w/swing out installed. Also drilled holes in the front bumper to install the Lightforce 140 lights I bought a few months back. I still have a few things to do:

tint front windows
figure out what my front end noise is and fix (hoping U-joints that I finally lubed yesterday)
CEL light hand fix (I think O2 sensor)
new TRE's Outer for sure
Lower BJs May do uppers as well.
Mount full sized spare tire
Get roof rack set-up for trip including best place for cargo box (Added a 3rd bar last weekend and moved the fairing to just over the windshield.
buy a hitch cargo basket
Install CB and get it tuned. (How else would I be able to find out what's up with traffic on I-40?)
work on sleeping arrangements for the rear (Memory foam mat and possible platform?)
Install Light Force 140s on the factory front bumper and make them work as high beams.
Possibly make front windshield and side window shades out of Reflectix

So I have a little bit to do before July 20th. Its good to finally get some work done I needed to do and also get to do a real roadtrip.

 

[farmerjon]

First... Congrats on the 10 years with the wife! That's definitely something to be proud of!

Second, nice rig! You're making some serious progress, I like what you've done with the rig...

As for your anniversary trip - Consider visiting Yellowstone... A really good guide can be found here: hiking - Thinking about a road trip out West - The Great Outdoors Beta - Stack Exchange - any questions about Yellowstone/Southern Montana/Northern WY - you can ask this guy...

Also - Glacier National Park is gorgeous, definitely add that to your list - it is really pretty there, especially when the colors turn in the fall...

A photo from right outside of GNP:

 

[89s rule]

Farmerjon thanks for the links. Glacer is part of the MT leg of the trip.

Long overdue update:

The last few weeks I have gotten a few things done mounted one of my Q tower sets with another Yakima bar, I like the look and it gives me flexibility on mounting more ites, although the height is different from the Yakima mounts on the stock rack.

Mounted B&M tranny cooler and did a low pressure flush of the trans, lubed all zerks, and installed a new rear wiper.

I finally mounting the rear bumper I bought in January.
Begining

Droping the spare and getting everything removed.

Done:

Cleaned it up a little

Back end sure did rise up without 100lbs of spare and stock bumper back there. :roadkill:

 

[89s rule]

I had to drive it a week with no rear bumper trying to line up someone to weld up the mounts for the new bumper. I finally got the welding program at the school I work for to mount it up.

Getting it there proved to be a chore. When I picked this bumper up I had 3 guys total to load it up and it was rough. My wife and I had pulled it out when I brought it home so I figured we could put it back in for the ride to work. It didnt exactly go as planned but I did get it there.

Welding shop mounting it up:

Done:

Spare tire was mounted by automotive so I did not have the dinky stock spare hanging on the back. I moved the liscence plate and did a few things last night.

Tinted windows 20%

Mounted my Light Force 140's on the stock bumper for now until I can find a steel front bumper.

Notice my helper?

Now I just need to get them wired up to be my high beams. I have a few different filters for them, hoping they do as well as the 240's I have in the garage. Really would like a LED light bar to go on the front Yakima bar, but they need to drop a little more in $ to make that happen.

 

[89s rule]

I sold our 80 series Land Cruiser 2 weeks ago so we are borrowing the Sport Trac from my parents until I can find a replacement. Hoping to get a few needed items done on the 4runner as well while we have a little extra $. Ball Joints, TREs, o2 sensor, and a few other things.

I will try to update once I get more done and also when I get my itenerary set for my trip. If anyone will be availible for some light wheeling I would love to do it, but we probably could not do much more than 1/2 a day. (Thinking around Death Valley, Reno, etc?)

 

[jakknz]

Nice build. Definitely get the steering stuff done - ball joints, inner/outter tie rods etc. That should make for an overall improvement on steering/ride quality. I would also do your O2 sensors as well to get the overall best fuel economy while traveling.

Road trip sounds like a great idea. We drove from San Diego to Va Beach two years ago and hit several of the same areas you will be going. Vegas and the Grand Canyon are awesome. I really wish we had time to visit Yosemite, Yellostone, etc. It's definitely a once in a lifetime thing and I'm glad we decided to drive it (with two kids in the back).

Congratulations on 10 years. Me and my wife are coming up on that one and it's been tough, we've really been through hell and back.