A few pictures of my Runner

[1985taylor1925]

"Jitters" Mod/Build/Maintenance Thread

Consider this the thread for my truck. Call it my "build" thread, "mod" thread, "maintenance" thread, whatever. It's going to be a record for myself of what Ive done so I can keep track of maintenance and such. So here we go . . .

"Jitters"
1998 Black SR5, 4x4, 3.4L, Auto
Purchased in Ft. Collins, Colorado on 8/3/10 for $6000 with 161000 miles, 100% stock

My objective with my truck is to make it as nice as possible (exterior, interior, mechanics, functionality), not necessarily "build" it. It's my daily driver, and probably will be for a while. My primary driving is highway for work, so building a rig designed to perform off road would be great, but simply wouldn't be practical for my needs. What I want is a truck that is extreamly healthy and well maintained, performs well on any road conditions or terrain, does everything I need including tow small loads and take me on my many adventures, can be trusted to drive cross country and back, and has a look that appeals to me.

Here's what I've done thus far.

As of today: Updated 8/30/17
242000 miles
Last oil change: 248500

Mods and Add-on's

Exterior

- Clear corner and bumper lenses
- LED tail lights
- Pre-fatlip bumper painted OEM black (purchased from blcktpgsr)
- Rear bumper ends painted OEM black (purchased from BanditRunner) thanks BanditRunner!
- Front grill flat black (just repainted)
- Sotashi mod with Tundra Toyota emblem
- Liscense bezel painted OEM black
- Skid plate painted aluminum metalic (just repainted)
- Westin in channel vent visors
- Updated SR5 flares to wide sport flares

Interior

- Interior dash trim painted Rust Oleum semi-gloss black
- Husky floor liners, front, back and cargo (one of the best purchases I've ever made)
- Kenwood KDC-BT955HD Head unit (AUX, bluetooth, HD radio, CD, etc)
- Infiniti Reference speakers
- Alpine power pack amp
- CNC cut stainless steel "4RUNNER" door sills
- Custom made cup holder! Best mod ever
- Rattle Trap and Noico sound deadened throught the entire vehicle (front and rear floor, hatch, all 4 doors, hatch door)
- Closed cell foam decoupler on many of the interior panels
- Limited leather door panel swap (purchased from DeathCougar)
- Auto vinly center console cover
- 99 center console swap for cup holders
- Steering wheel cover

Suspension/Drive Train

- (Rear) 99 Coils, stock shocks
- (Front) 99 coils with Tacoma Bilstein 5100's on lowest setting
- Safari LTD Steering Rack
- Sway Away poly steering rack bushings
- Sway Away poly front and rear sway bar bushings
- @MStud front adjustable front links
- Sway Away poly steering rack bushings
- Rear diff breather mod
- EBC performance brake rotors and pads
- 2016 4runner wheels mint condition
- 265/70r17 Cooper Discover AT tires @ 230k
- Sway away lca poly bushings

Engine/Performance

- "Hole in the air box" (deck plate) mod
- ISR mod

Lighting

- 99+ glass Headlights from Certifit
- Hella Micro DE custom mounted fog lights
- Interior LEDs (center consol, map lights, speedo and odomoter indicators)
- LED aftermarket tail lights
- Clear corners and bumper lenses
- Phillips super white headlights

Maintence/OEM parts

- New rear cone bump stops @ 165k (taken off when lc coils installed)
- Moble 1 high mileage synthetic and OEM oil filters every 4 - 5k
- OEM air filters every 10k
- OEM Injector #3 @ 165k
- OEM spark plugs @ 165k
- Amsoil synthetic rear diff oil @ 166k
- Tranny oil full flush and refill @ 175k
- OEM fuel filter @ 173k
- OEM inner tie rods @ 170k
- OEM tie rod ends @ 168k
- OEM upper and lower ball joints @ 170k
- OEM remanufactured steering rack @ 173k
- Seafoam in oil and pcv valve @ 186k and 190k
- New Denso Radiator and Toyota Red coolant @ 187600
- OEM remanufactured drive/pass cv's @ 189300
- OEM steering column shaft sleeve bushing @ 189300
- Replaced steering intermediate unit with lower mile (107k) unit @191000
- OEM reman cv's (again) @ 203000
- Reman alternator @ 212000 11/1/14
- New Safari LTD Steering rack @ 220000
- Energy suspension rack bushings @ 220000
- New Beck/Arnley upper ball joints @ 220000
- New OEM inner tie rods and rod ends @ 220000
- Lower mileage steering shaft intermediate unit (to rack) @ 205000
- Amsoil front diff oil @ 215000
- New OEM front wheel bearings @ 220000
- Greased all drive shaft fittings @ 22000
- OEM spark plugs @ 225000
- EBC brake rotors and pads @ 237500
- Removed all carpeting and seats and carpet cleaned to remove all stains
- Eastern Cat converter @ 237500
- OEM rear u joint @ 237000
- Sway Away lower control arm bushing @ 243000
- OEM rear shocks @ 243500
- OEM valve cover gasket @ 244500
- OEM spark plugs @ 244500
- OEM intake manifold gaskets @ 244500
- OEM passenger lower ball joint @ 245000
- OEM used cv axles @ 245000
- OEM inner tie rods @ 245000
The Dream List

- Low mileage engine swap
- Turbocharger
- JAOS spoiler
- Wide flares color matched black
- Projector retrofit
- Full length roof rack
- Keyless entry and alarm
- Remote start
- Tundra brake upgrade
- Re-gear with 4.3
- King coilovers
- Watts linkage in the rear
- Leather seats/covers
- Full undercarriage restoration
- Upgrade rear door speakers
- TRD headers

8/5/10


Here it is the week I bought it. Running boards still on.






Running boards off. Amazing how just removing running boards gives it an instant lift.







About a month ago I installed KYB gas shocks. Tires are brand new Goodyear Wrangler RT/S 265 70 16. Ive learned that tires for this vehicle are significantly more expensive than for my old Ford Taurus!



I bought the Husky liners to protect the carpet. They're a great investment here in Wisconsin, or any mid-west state where they use salt during the winter. These liners are awesome! Also have them in the back. And plan on getting the cargo liner eventually.



Last week I brought it in to a Toyota service center and got new rear coils and cones via the factory recall on the original springs. Nice freebie.



More to come

 

[fightman80]

Looks clean man!

 

[xskydivingdudex]

thats a clean 4runner u got there and nice one on getting the new rear coils for free...

 

[FoneRunner]

How did you get one so clean up north? I figured there'd be a fair amount of rust under there...nice find!:trophy:

 

[broncosi]

you can get those front mudflaps from toyota for $60 i think. Do a search and check it out.

 

[1985taylor1925]

How did you get one so clean up north? I figured there'd be a fair amount of rust under there...nice find!:trophy:

Thanks man! Well, actually I just go to school in Wisconsin. Im from Wyoming, and I live 15 minutes from Colorado. In that area theres like zero humidity, and they never use salt on the roads. I bought the runner in Ft Collins, Colorado this summer. Theyre really popular in that area so you typically pay well above the blue book. So I had the options of either paying more for one there, but in good shape, or waiting to get back here and looking for one cheaper, but most likely with some rust. Mine literally has no rust which is sweet. = )

 

[FoneRunner]

Actually I drive out to the Ft. Collins/Loveland area as often as I can so I know there's a ton of nice runners out there...still trying to convince the wife to let me move out there. You must live near Cheyenne...still trying to time it so I can make it out there for the big fair(the name escapes me at the moment)...

 

[1985taylor1925]

Actually I drive out to the Ft. Collins/Loveland area as often as I can so I know there's a ton of nice runners out there...still trying to convince the wife to let me move out there. You must live near Cheyenne...still trying to time it so I can make it out there for the big fair(the name escapes me at the moment)...

Ya I do live in Cheyenne! You must be talking about Cheyenne Frontier Days. Its definately a big deal around there. That area around Ft Collins/Loveland is awazing. Thats the area i hope to move near after I graduate. Love those mountains

 

[piperoo]

Ah....love Ft. Collins. My bro-in-law lives out thre. Anyone eaten at "Fish" there? Awesome food. I want to move out there. Nice 4Runner!

 

[Jon]

IMHO the center caps either need to be sprayed to match the aluminum or paint the wheels black. I'd also flat black the emblem, I did my whole grille but left the outer chrome. I hate giving negative fedback but it just looks tacky right now.

 

[1985taylor1925]

IMHO the center caps either need to be sprayed to match the aluminum or paint the wheels black. I'd also flat black the emblem, I did my whole grille but left the outer chrome. I hate giving negative fedback but it just looks tacky right now.

No im with you. The rims and bumpers are all going black soon enough. Unfortunately a blizzard rolled in and its far too cold to paint right now. I wish I had a heated garage to work in. But Ill have to wait. Doing the rims correctly so they will last is a fairly intensive job. The hubs are simple, and I wanted to see what they looked like before taking on the entire wheels. When I say i think it came out well overall, Im referring to my paint job. Its definately unfinished at the moment. Though I do think once everything else is black, the emblems will look good gray. Primer obviously isnt the right shade. Im thinking gunmetal is the look I want. What planes do you work on by the way? I work on 16s

 

[1985taylor1925]

Clear lenses

Just changed out my orange front bumper and driving lenses with clear lenses. Soon to do the rear lights as well. I love the looks of the clear. If anyone wants to buy my orange lenses, they're in excellent condition.

 

[1985taylor1925]

Added a bull bar and hood scoop yesterday. Bull bar added 10 hp and the strictly cosmetic hood scoop added 30 hp.

 

[ChildrenOfBodom]

Damn, 30HP?

The stock scoop doesn't add any... though, if you swap on the factory scoop, there's some power horsepower gains... say... 1HP per square inch, then 1,600 millimeter ounces per square gram of weight in torque... Makes up for that costly engine turbine swap, if you ask me.

Each to his own... I guess.

Awesome.

:jump:

 

[gene74]

what kind of bull bar is that?

 

[1985taylor1925]

what kind of bull bar is that?

Not sure who makes it, but I got it from Truck Gear Direct.

 

[SQ.MD]

what kind of bull bar is that?

98-04 Toyota Tacoma 96-98 4Runner Bull Bar Guard Push - eBay (item 290525367423 end time Mar-21-11 15:27:22 PDT)

 

[1985taylor1925]

98-04 Toyota Tacoma 96-98 4Runner Bull Bar Guard Push - eBay (item 290525367423 end time Mar-21-11 15:27:22 PDT)

Made by Hunter i think. I think we have the exact same one. Does yours sit a little crooked? The right side of mine (from driver perspective) sits a little further out than the left side. I had to use a giant washer as a spacer to make it even.

 

[SQ.MD]

Made by Hunter i think. I think we have the exact same one. Does yours sit a little crooked? The right side of mine (from driver perspective) sits a little further out than the left side. I had to use a giant washer as a spacer to make it even.

You made me nervous. I just went outside and checked it. It seems fine. I don't think it is sticking out further on either end. But good job on the washer fix :thumb3:

 

[fightman80]

Lookin good man!