AELarson TRD Pro OEM+ Update/Mod/Build/Adventure Thread
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swim.bike.run
New member
Remember I owne a 4Runner not a Maserati
aelarson
New member
In all seriousness, I won’t be making anymore. It’s a lot of work, and I had to rent a shop because I don’t have all of the proper tools. I appreciate the compliment and I can certainly send you the material list!
swim.bike.run
New member
I actually own all the tools. Done a fair bit of woodworking so I can get the job done I’m just lazy. We always have our dog so the trick for me is to add the storage without reducing the pups space too much. You did a at job though.
aelarson
New member
Yeah, keeping a lot of room was my goal as well (I have a dog in my future). If you make the top of the system level with the wheel wells, there is actually good trunk space even though they look very bulky!
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aelarson
New member
TRD Pro Floor-Mat Stickers
This a a little baby mod, but if you have read any of my thread, you would know that I like less expensive mods that provide a lot of flare (i.e. yellow fog lights, ROLA Roof Rack, shift knobs, Raptor lights, etc, etc).
Anyway, I bought these from a fellow T4R.org member in this thread. He is currently out of emblems, but I think he's planning on another run soon!
Quality and fit is pretty much identical to the Husky Liner sticker that I pulled out. $20 well spent...the devil is in the details ladies and gents :smokin:
This a a little baby mod, but if you have read any of my thread, you would know that I like less expensive mods that provide a lot of flare (i.e. yellow fog lights, ROLA Roof Rack, shift knobs, Raptor lights, etc, etc).
Anyway, I bought these from a fellow T4R.org member in this thread. He is currently out of emblems, but I think he's planning on another run soon!
Quality and fit is pretty much identical to the Husky Liner sticker that I pulled out. $20 well spent...the devil is in the details ladies and gents :smokin:
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aelarson
New member
RCI Rock Sliders (Toytec Exclusive 5% Angle) (REMOVED)
Finally got around to getting my rock sliders installed! I need to thank my Dad because he got these as a Christmas gift for me! Thanks Paps!
My ultimate goal was to have a step to get into the truck. I was originally going to get N-Fabs, but I have heard they are awful steps, offer zero protection, and they rust out quickly. So that was a no go for me. I ended up discovering that some rock sliders also function as steps, so I narrowed my options down to Shrockworks, RCI, and Hefty Fab. The Shrockworks weight caught my attention at a low 45lbs, but the install is a pain according to some write-ups in the forums.......pass. The Hefty Fabs were a little heavier at 55-60 lbs, so I skipped those as well.
I ended up going with these Toytec Exclusive 5% angle sliders. Yes, these can only be found on Toytecs website. RCI does not offer these 5% angle sliders on their own site. They look great, the quality is legitimate, and they were at my door step in a week after ordering. Unfortunately, they are way heavier than the 45lbs advertisement. I weighed them in at 57 lbs per side. That was very disappointing....but not worth my time/effort to return them, or deal with crazy Shrockworks install. Not to mention, 8-12 week lead times. No thank you!
So here you go, RCI Sliders!
What I like so far:
-Functions well as a step
-High quality
-Easy install
-Function as a rock slider...obviously
-Offers some door ding protection
-Very fast shipping
-Look very sleek and nice
Install (2 Hours):
-Clean the salty mess off of the frame rails
-Remove clips for the parking brake line running along the frame
-Place slider onto a floor jack
-Move sliders into place accordingly (Height and width)
-Bolt into threaded holes in the frame
-Re-install parking brake clamps over the slider
-Lower jack
-Repeat for opposite side
Very easy/painless install overall!
Finally got around to getting my rock sliders installed! I need to thank my Dad because he got these as a Christmas gift for me! Thanks Paps!
My ultimate goal was to have a step to get into the truck. I was originally going to get N-Fabs, but I have heard they are awful steps, offer zero protection, and they rust out quickly. So that was a no go for me. I ended up discovering that some rock sliders also function as steps, so I narrowed my options down to Shrockworks, RCI, and Hefty Fab. The Shrockworks weight caught my attention at a low 45lbs, but the install is a pain according to some write-ups in the forums.......pass. The Hefty Fabs were a little heavier at 55-60 lbs, so I skipped those as well.
I ended up going with these Toytec Exclusive 5% angle sliders. Yes, these can only be found on Toytecs website. RCI does not offer these 5% angle sliders on their own site. They look great, the quality is legitimate, and they were at my door step in a week after ordering. Unfortunately, they are way heavier than the 45lbs advertisement. I weighed them in at 57 lbs per side. That was very disappointing....but not worth my time/effort to return them, or deal with crazy Shrockworks install. Not to mention, 8-12 week lead times. No thank you!
So here you go, RCI Sliders!
What I like so far:
-Functions well as a step
-High quality
-Easy install
-Function as a rock slider...obviously
-Offers some door ding protection
-Very fast shipping
-Look very sleek and nice
Install (2 Hours):
-Clean the salty mess off of the frame rails
-Remove clips for the parking brake line running along the frame
-Place slider onto a floor jack
-Move sliders into place accordingly (Height and width)
-Bolt into threaded holes in the frame
-Re-install parking brake clamps over the slider
-Lower jack
-Repeat for opposite side
Very easy/painless install overall!
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brian0128
New member
I saw those sliders and wasn’t sure I would like the 5 degree step but it looks much more usable. Does it stick out enough to use it as a step getting out or do you have to step over it and rub it on the back of your pants leg?
aelarson
New member
The few times I’ve gotten in and out of the truck, I can tell you that they help, don’t hurt. However, they aren’t big! If you’re looking for just a step, and you don’t off-road, go get OEM running boards.
I’m planning on taking some pictures tomorrow of how wide they are from a birds eye view with the door open!
EDIT: Here are some pictures of the sliders with a size 10 Nike shoe for reference of how big the stepping area is. All of the doors are open. You can see the step space in the front is not huge, but the rear kickoff provides a big surface.
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aelarson
New member
Grdian Dash Cam:
I bought a Grdian Dash Camera after I saw Lawndart posted about it on his Instagram. If he likes the quality, then I am sure its top notch! I have always wanted a dash cam, but just never pulled the trigger on one. After a close encounter with a very dumb pedestrian in a dark parking lot a few nights ago, I decided that it was time. I don't want to be liable for someones stupidity.
Overall, the camera looks great. The way I installed it makes it look factory, and its hardly noticeable. The video quality is pretty solid, but the iPhone app used to download videos is such garbage. I found that plugging the camera into my computer was much faster for downloading. It also blares this annoying jingle every time it turns on and off. It sounds like I'm driving an ice-cream truck! In the end, I am very happy with it, and glad I have another set of eyes always watching the road :wow:
Here are links to the materials I used:
-Dash Cam
-Power Converter to Hardwire Camera
To Install (1-2 Hours):
1) Mount the camera in a position of your liking in the windshield. How it mounts will be dependent on the camera. Grdian uses 3M double sided tape.
2) Remove the small plastic piece that covers the wires running to the mirror.
3) Plug in the hardwire converter into the camera. Run the wire along side of the mirror wiring and reinstall the plastic cover.
4) Run the wire along the headliner towards the driver side A pillar (gently push the wire into the crease of the headliner)
5) Remove the A pillar cover by prying open the air bag sign with a pry tool/flathead screw driver and removing the 10mm bolt. Gently pry the sides of the cover and pop it off.
6) Run the wire from the headliner down the clips for the airbags wiring. This is important so that the airbag deploys properly if you are ever in an accident.
7) There is a small opening in the corner of the windshield and the dash, run the wires down behind the dash towards the interior fuse panel. I taped the end of the wires to a wire hanger and gently ran it down towards the floor.
8) Ground the black wire to one of the bolts found under the dash. Crimp an Add-a-fuse to the red wire, heat shrink the connection, and seal it.
9) Plug in the add a fuse into the fuse (shown below). This is hot only when there is ignition, so the camera will only turn on when the vehicle is on.
10) Clean up all of the wiring, and reassemble the interior pieces.
Notes:
-I dremeled a hole in the fuse panel cover so I can still plug in the add a fuse with the cover on to protect the fuse box from water damage. The new hole looks very similar to the hole I drilled for the raptor light add-a-fuse.
-I mounted the hardwired converter to the side of the fuse box so it doesn't rattle behind the dash.
I bought a Grdian Dash Camera after I saw Lawndart posted about it on his Instagram. If he likes the quality, then I am sure its top notch! I have always wanted a dash cam, but just never pulled the trigger on one. After a close encounter with a very dumb pedestrian in a dark parking lot a few nights ago, I decided that it was time. I don't want to be liable for someones stupidity.
Overall, the camera looks great. The way I installed it makes it look factory, and its hardly noticeable. The video quality is pretty solid, but the iPhone app used to download videos is such garbage. I found that plugging the camera into my computer was much faster for downloading. It also blares this annoying jingle every time it turns on and off. It sounds like I'm driving an ice-cream truck! In the end, I am very happy with it, and glad I have another set of eyes always watching the road :wow:
Here are links to the materials I used:
-Dash Cam
-Power Converter to Hardwire Camera
To Install (1-2 Hours):
1) Mount the camera in a position of your liking in the windshield. How it mounts will be dependent on the camera. Grdian uses 3M double sided tape.
2) Remove the small plastic piece that covers the wires running to the mirror.
3) Plug in the hardwire converter into the camera. Run the wire along side of the mirror wiring and reinstall the plastic cover.
4) Run the wire along the headliner towards the driver side A pillar (gently push the wire into the crease of the headliner)
5) Remove the A pillar cover by prying open the air bag sign with a pry tool/flathead screw driver and removing the 10mm bolt. Gently pry the sides of the cover and pop it off.
6) Run the wire from the headliner down the clips for the airbags wiring. This is important so that the airbag deploys properly if you are ever in an accident.
7) There is a small opening in the corner of the windshield and the dash, run the wires down behind the dash towards the interior fuse panel. I taped the end of the wires to a wire hanger and gently ran it down towards the floor.
8) Ground the black wire to one of the bolts found under the dash. Crimp an Add-a-fuse to the red wire, heat shrink the connection, and seal it.
9) Plug in the add a fuse into the fuse (shown below). This is hot only when there is ignition, so the camera will only turn on when the vehicle is on.
10) Clean up all of the wiring, and reassemble the interior pieces.
Notes:
-I dremeled a hole in the fuse panel cover so I can still plug in the add a fuse with the cover on to protect the fuse box from water damage. The new hole looks very similar to the hole I drilled for the raptor light add-a-fuse.
-I mounted the hardwired converter to the side of the fuse box so it doesn't rattle behind the dash.
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aelarson
New member
Here's an adventure!
Last night the Minneapolis area got 12 inches of heavy snow. As I expected, there were plenty of idiots out sliding around on bald summer/all season tires. I managed to pull a Prius and a couple other vehicles to freedom.
However, this was the big mama. An empty 18 wheeler was spinning his tires on a flat street. I hooked up, put the TRD in 4 Low and tried to help the best I could. DISCLAIMER: The only reason I tried is because I knew the surface was so slippery that I would never get traction and actually pull anywhere close to the entire weight of the big rig. I doubt that I even pulled to the tow cap. of 5,000 lbs. I would not have tried this on a dry/high traction surface as this is too much weight. Unfortunately, I didn't get him moving. That would have made for a fun story! As expected, I just spun my tires on the heavily snowed in street.
No harm, no foul. Plus, it made for a cool picture. :banana:
Last night the Minneapolis area got 12 inches of heavy snow. As I expected, there were plenty of idiots out sliding around on bald summer/all season tires. I managed to pull a Prius and a couple other vehicles to freedom.
However, this was the big mama. An empty 18 wheeler was spinning his tires on a flat street. I hooked up, put the TRD in 4 Low and tried to help the best I could. DISCLAIMER: The only reason I tried is because I knew the surface was so slippery that I would never get traction and actually pull anywhere close to the entire weight of the big rig. I doubt that I even pulled to the tow cap. of 5,000 lbs. I would not have tried this on a dry/high traction surface as this is too much weight. Unfortunately, I didn't get him moving. That would have made for a fun story! As expected, I just spun my tires on the heavily snowed in street.
No harm, no foul. Plus, it made for a cool picture. :banana:
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samwhich
New member
Worth a try! Plenty of vids online of Subarus pulling out stuck semis, conditions just need to be right like you said.
aelarson
New member
Exactly. And I never allowed slack in the line to get a running start. That would also be a poor idea!
aelarson
New member
I hate using spray paint, or plastidip because its tough to make it even and not look like crap. Not to mention, it chips very easily. It turns into a constant maintenance battle.
I much prefer wrapping when I can (depends on complexity of the shape), because I find it easier to work with, and the end result looks much nicer.
Unfortunately in this case, I completely forgot that I had extra wrap laying around. So I had already tried spray painting it and it looked like crap, and then I wrapped over it to hide it, but it still looked like crap. If I had wrapped it from the beginning, it would've looked very nice.
Not going to lie...the whole roof rack project turned out like crap in my eyes. It was cold out, sleeting, and I rushed it. If I could do everything over again, I would. I would seal the rack better and wrap the wind deflector first. Live and learn. When this one gets worn out, I'll get another one and try again!
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aelarson
New member
My Truck was Vandalized by a Cottontail Rabbit ($300 Fix)
After a weekend of fun up at my cabin, I climbed into my truck to see my dash lit up like the 4th of July. I narrowed it down to a cottontail rabbit severing my wheel sensor wire....:redbrick:
Here's the Story (and its a long one, so buckle up, buttercup):
Went to my cabin and lightly wheeled the 4Runner on groomed roads, however, they were covered with a foot of fluffy snow. I parked the truck and removed all of the snow from my rims. Then I moved the truck into our shed so it was out of harms way from snow sliding off the cabin roof. Next day, I move the truck back outside so we can move snowmobiles out of the shed. At this point everything is kosher. No lights, no error messages, nothing. While eating lunch, my Dad looked outside and saw a bunny under my truck and pointed it out, but I didn't think twice about it. Then, I get in the truck (a couple hours after seeing the bunny), turn the key, and BAM, the ABS, Brake, and Traction control are all illuminated, and the multi terrain select, 4WD, and 4Lo symbol are all flashing. I try restarting the truck, running up to operating temp to potentially melt any ice build up, disconnect the battery, nothing works. Fortunately, I still had brakes and the truck ran fine. So I drove it home 250 miles away. At this point nobody knew what was wrong and assumed it was an ice build up of some sort. No biggy, thats an easy dealer fix.
Monday comes along and I bring it to the dealer. They call me back and say that my truck has has been vandalized. They said the wire is clean cut by a wire cutter, scissors, knife, or something of that nature and there are little slices along the wire. They ruled out animal damage and off-road damage as well. Then the service manager told me they aren't covering this under warranty because somebody cut the wire. But they also mentioned that once the wire is cut, it will immediately illuminate the warning lights on the dash. Insert the $275-300 quote to fix the wire here. At this point I'm really pissed and sick of arguing with the dealer that it couldn't have been vandalized because it was housed in a locked and armed shed. Either way, its not a faulty Toyota wheel sensor wire because it is clear that the wire is cut/severed. I cant argue with the dealership about that, its not their problem at the end of the day.
While telling my Dad the story about the dealership experience on Monday evening, we both agreed that this did not happen "offroad" in the fluffy snow. No rock, branch, minor obstruction, or fluffy snow could cut a wire this clean and leave 4-5 little nicks all along the wire. We also knew that it wasn't vandalized. That was pretty much impossible given the circumstances. We even went as far as thinking that the dealership may have cut the wire to avoid a potential warranty claim, but that didn't make sense because the warnings illuminated while at my cabin. While re creating the weekend in our heads, we realized that 2 things changed before the warnings occurred: me pulling the truck out of the shed and seeing the bunny under my truck. The wire certainly didn't get severed going down the driveway while pulling it out of the shed. So it's only 1 cause. The bunny.
So I went on mother google and searched for "rabbit chewed wires", and sure as s***, the first images that appeared were cleanly severed wires of all sizes and varieties. It is pretty clear that rabbits can cleanly cut a wire, similarly to my wheel sensor wire without leaving chew marks. I couldn't believe that a bunny could be so surgical and cut a wire like that. But apparently they can....so there you go.
The dealership was right, my truck was vandalized. By a cottontail rabbit.
After a weekend of fun up at my cabin, I climbed into my truck to see my dash lit up like the 4th of July. I narrowed it down to a cottontail rabbit severing my wheel sensor wire....:redbrick:
Here's the Story (and its a long one, so buckle up, buttercup):
Went to my cabin and lightly wheeled the 4Runner on groomed roads, however, they were covered with a foot of fluffy snow. I parked the truck and removed all of the snow from my rims. Then I moved the truck into our shed so it was out of harms way from snow sliding off the cabin roof. Next day, I move the truck back outside so we can move snowmobiles out of the shed. At this point everything is kosher. No lights, no error messages, nothing. While eating lunch, my Dad looked outside and saw a bunny under my truck and pointed it out, but I didn't think twice about it. Then, I get in the truck (a couple hours after seeing the bunny), turn the key, and BAM, the ABS, Brake, and Traction control are all illuminated, and the multi terrain select, 4WD, and 4Lo symbol are all flashing. I try restarting the truck, running up to operating temp to potentially melt any ice build up, disconnect the battery, nothing works. Fortunately, I still had brakes and the truck ran fine. So I drove it home 250 miles away. At this point nobody knew what was wrong and assumed it was an ice build up of some sort. No biggy, thats an easy dealer fix.
Monday comes along and I bring it to the dealer. They call me back and say that my truck has has been vandalized. They said the wire is clean cut by a wire cutter, scissors, knife, or something of that nature and there are little slices along the wire. They ruled out animal damage and off-road damage as well. Then the service manager told me they aren't covering this under warranty because somebody cut the wire. But they also mentioned that once the wire is cut, it will immediately illuminate the warning lights on the dash. Insert the $275-300 quote to fix the wire here. At this point I'm really pissed and sick of arguing with the dealer that it couldn't have been vandalized because it was housed in a locked and armed shed. Either way, its not a faulty Toyota wheel sensor wire because it is clear that the wire is cut/severed. I cant argue with the dealership about that, its not their problem at the end of the day.
While telling my Dad the story about the dealership experience on Monday evening, we both agreed that this did not happen "offroad" in the fluffy snow. No rock, branch, minor obstruction, or fluffy snow could cut a wire this clean and leave 4-5 little nicks all along the wire. We also knew that it wasn't vandalized. That was pretty much impossible given the circumstances. We even went as far as thinking that the dealership may have cut the wire to avoid a potential warranty claim, but that didn't make sense because the warnings illuminated while at my cabin. While re creating the weekend in our heads, we realized that 2 things changed before the warnings occurred: me pulling the truck out of the shed and seeing the bunny under my truck. The wire certainly didn't get severed going down the driveway while pulling it out of the shed. So it's only 1 cause. The bunny.
So I went on mother google and searched for "rabbit chewed wires", and sure as s***, the first images that appeared were cleanly severed wires of all sizes and varieties. It is pretty clear that rabbits can cleanly cut a wire, similarly to my wheel sensor wire without leaving chew marks. I couldn't believe that a bunny could be so surgical and cut a wire like that. But apparently they can....so there you go.
The dealership was right, my truck was vandalized. By a cottontail rabbit.
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aelarson
New member
I offered the same option. They were not interested because it is clearly some outside force that cut the wire. It is just so clean cut. It doesn't really matter what cut it, whether it was vandalism, a branch, road debris, an animal or a ghost with a wire cutter. It wouldn't be covered under warranty in any of those situations because its not any Toyota caused problems (i.e suspension articulation wore out/stretched the wire, a sharp piece of frame cut it, etc, etc).
Obviously my dash camera picked everything up, and would clearly show that the truck was garaged that evening and the light snow I went through would not be a culprit. And the dealership even agreed that it wasn't off-roading, road debris, or anything of that nature that caused the cut. And to add even more evidence, they said themselves that the moment the wire was cut, it illuminated on the dash. They were convinced that it was vandalism or some force cut the wire while I was not operating the truck. Again, it doesn't really matter unfortunately...but yeah, crazy bunnies.
I'm getting a 4Runner party together to go chase them down :ak472:
