Alex T4R's Build Thread

[Alex T4R]

Hi everyone! I thought I would start a thread with progress on my mods.
There are nothing here that has not been done before or have a good write up for it, so I will just post my mods here and give credit to those who helped me and inspire me. I want to thank each and everyone who helped me answering my questions and inspire me for mods that I choose.

Mods to date:
Icon Extended Travel coilovers
Metal Tech long travel rear suspension
18" ultra gauntlets and 295/65/18 Duratracts
Z4 short antenna
Budbuilt sliders and Full Set BudBuilt Skids
Warn M8000 and Budbuilt winch plate
RCI bumper filler and Icon LCA skids
Metal Tech Offset Upper and Lower Links
Headlights Retrofit

Here how it is currently looks

Where do I come from:
My love for Toyotas has been since I was a child, I remember my dad's business partners driving 100 series LandCruisers and I was in love with those trucks and told myself I need a Toyota truck one day.

First 4runner I felt in love was 4th gen, but they were so expensive that I could not get hold of one. In 2007, I had to tow a car from one state to another and getting a tow truck was very expensive, so I borrowed my friend 2003 4runner V8 and rent a car dolly, that when I knew I had to get myself a 4Runner.
In 2010, I had fully loaded Nissan maxima and one of my job required me going from patients house to house in a very bad neighborhood with very bad roads. So I got used 2002 Xterra, which fell apart on me within two months. December 2010, I bought my first 4runner.
It was 4th gen:

September 2012, I found this forum and the good bug bite me fast. I quickly bough spacer kit and installed it on my 4th gen.

Quickly after I installed spacers, I understood that I need a real suspension and [MENTION=63637]Superman[/MENTION]3043 suggested if I'm going to do any mods, better to do it once and the right way. Thanks PD for suggestion.
So I was faced with situation where I wanted to put a new suspension, but I was hesitant about dropping all this money on my 8 years old 4runner that had almost 100K miles, although I knew it would live for twice as that amount, but I wanted to start from scratch and do it right.
Then, I start talking to [MENTION=6163]phillyd2[/MENTION] (Dave) who had 4th gen and now has amazing 5th gen 4runner. He was very generous enough to offer me to come over and check his 5th gen 4runner and see for my self if I should swap my 4th gen for 5th gen. He also mentioned that I should enjoy things in life and never looked back, so the day we talked I went in to the dealership with no hope of getting new truck, because for year and half I was looking into 5th gen and I could not get hold of one for good price.
On February 25, 2013 I bought my 5th gen 4runner, because the dealership offered me such a deal that I could not resist. Sticker price was $39450 and took it for $34850 out the door. Thank you Dave, now I can enjoy my 2013 Sr5 with leather and nav.
The day i bought my truck

 

[Alex T4R]

Let the mods begin

First mod I did was to swap my wheels from my 4th gen on 5th gen. The dealer wanted to get my car with the wheels, but I said no.

But even when I still had my 4th gen, I knew I made mistake in buying 20" wheels, so I sold them shortly after putting them on my 5th gen to [MENTION=47586]Jonny[/MENTION]Utah member on here, thanks Matt.

Second mod I did is change the long antenna that nobody likes on 5th gen. Thank [MENTION=6163]phillyd2[/MENTION] for providing link on his build thread and trying out stubby antenna first which did not work as well as this Z4 antenna.

 

[Alex T4R]

Third mod I try to do, was blacking out 4runner rear chrome hatch.

Anyone is doing this mod, make sure you cover as much of the truck as possible, I learned the hard way.

Final look

Fourth mod I did was trying to make satoshi grill. I think I looked a thousand times and read DIY multiple times before attempting this mod. I bought spare grill, just incase I would mess up. Thanks to [MENTION=78705]jangoforhire[/MENTION]. [MENTION=48772]Jesse1983[/MENTION] and [MENTION=50186]adio3x[/MENTION] for all suggestion and help how to make this mod easier.

Cutting and fitting the spare grill.
Finish Satoshi

On the truck

Taking the top part of the grill is one big PIA, especially if you have big hands, I think I broke some clips off when trying to take it off.

 

[Alex T4R]

Grown up mods

Ok I did small mods here and there, but it was time for some serious mods now and especially after seeing [MENTION=6163]phillyd2[/MENTION] truck, I knew i needed a real suspension and some good set of tires and wheels. After many pms and conversation with [MENTION=68685]Ducmonsta[/MENTION], [MENTION=8206]harper7[/MENTION] and [MENTION=76166]Qjake[/MENTION]. I order suspension kit, which included Icon extended front coilovers, and Metal Tech rear long travel kit with extended coils springs, extended brake lines and 3" bump stops. I order set of 18" Ultra Gauntlets wheels and 295/65/18 Duratracts tires, thanks Billy for doing it first and proving that it fits. Thank you guys for helping me choose an awesome suspension kit.

The day that holiday came on the regular day

 

[Whiplash Willy]

$34850 is a crazy good deal on a SR5 with Premium package! Congrats on your new 4nr!

Did you use plasti-dip on the rear emblem? Was it hard masking between the edge of the pastic chrome area and the paint?

 

[Alex T4R]

Install time

Again thanks to everyone who did it prior. Especially thanks to [MENTION=8206]harper7[/MENTION] for writing up on how to do the alignment the proper way and setting caster. I took my truck to the mechanics that i have been going for 10 years, but they specialize more in fixing cars then modifying, but they like to learn and i trust them so here is install pics
Front right side

Front left side

Rear right side

I knew with going to 33" tires i would have to make some modification in front wheel well and cut the body mount.

Body mount chop done.

Finish product:

I though it was finish, but not. When i went to install the lift, tires and get alignment. I gave my mechanics the specs of Billy (Qjake) specs and they adjust the ball joint that it was sticking out in the back pass the Upper Control Arm:
Front Left side

I got a high caster. Here is the pic.

The truck drove perfectly, i just had slight rubbing in the back of the wheel well when at full lock going in reverse.
I went wheeling with couple of the guys and Billy told me that i had my bolt joint place wrong. I took the truck back for alignment and that where they had difficulties getting caster +4, so at that time I called Bobby [MENTION=68685]Ducmonsta[/MENTION] and i was amazed by his customer service skills, he stayed with me on the phone and looked at pictures to try to figure out what was wrong and how to fix it. My mechanics did not adjust the lower control arm, that why the bolt joint was so out to get this high caster. After talking to Bobby, they adjusted the lower control arms and place the ball joint as it specify on instruction from SPC, to set it to position D. We finally got caster to 4.3 on the left and 4.0 on the right. Thanks Bobby for all your help.
Corrected bolt joints:

 

[Alex T4R]

next mod

So in between of installation of suspension and going wheeling, i knew i needed HiLift because i gained about 3" of lift, but i had no points in the truck where i could use HiLift, so i order BudBuilt slider (regular, bump out, non powder).
Sliders arrived within 11 days of order date.

Then i decide to tackle another project because i read many threads on how to powder coated the sliders
Prep for primer:

Sprayed with Primer

Painted with Rusteoleum truck bedliner

I think i will apply couple more coats of bedliner and then install them.

 

[Alex T4R]

$34850 is a crazy good deal on a SR5 with Premium package! Congrats on your new 4nr!

Did you use plasti-dip on the rear emblem? Was it hard masking between the edge of the pastic chrome area and the paint?

Thanks, no i used Rusteolium spray paint. It is not hard to mask between the rear hatch and the body, because there is a thin space between and i stick the newspaper in between, just make sure you stick it far enough. The hardest part was to mask of letters.

 

[cbielat]

Coming along nicely, Alex!

 

[phillyd2]

Hopefully I won't get this many [MENTION=27137]Men[/MENTION]tions in your divorce thread. :jk:

 

[FactoryRide]

Am I the only one who can't see the pictures?

I just keep getting

 

[Alex T4R]

I don't know why my pictures is not showing up they were on earlier, if anybody can suggest how to fix this I would appreciate it.

 

[eddiebx]

Am I the only one who can't see the pictures?

I just keep getting

Same here...

I don't know why my pictures is not showing up they were on earlier, if anybody can suggest how to fix this I would appreciate it.

I think you have an extra set of

tags around the pictures??

Anyway, sick build, you have great taste in mods! :bigok:

 

[mikey's2010SR5]

Your Ball Joints on the UCAs are installed backwards. The SPC logo should be facing outwards.

Seems to be happening a lot these days.

 

[NJshadow93]

Your new 5th gen looks awesome Alex! Great job with the mods so far.

 

[TPatt88]

Awesome looking 4Runner! Makes me want to place some orders.......

 

[Jeremy556]

Your Ball Joints on the UCAs are installed backwards. The SPC logo should be facing outwards.

Seems to be happening a lot these days.

+1. Whoever did the install and alignment owes you a proper installation and new alignment. The SPC instructions are pretty clear, and they got it completely wrong.

 

[Alex T4R]

Your Ball Joints on the UCAs are installed backwards. The SPC logo should be facing outwards.

Seems to be happening a lot these days.

Mikey, which pictures you were referring too, because at first my bolt joint was sticking out in the back, now they fix it and now SPC logo looks at tires. For some reason forum is not letting to show all of my pictures.
P.S. I think the pictures of ball joints is when they were wrong, they fixed it. I have to post correct ones. Thanks for help.

 

[Alex T4R]

Hopefully I won't get this many [MENTION=27137]Men[/MENTION]tions in your divorce thread. :jk:

No you are good. Just trying to show my appreciation and recognize very genuine people. :trophy:

 

[Alex T4R]

Can anyone tell me what is going on with my pictures. First people were saying that they could not see my pictures and someone suggested because I have double IMGIMG, I removed one and saw pictures yesterday now I'm checking my build and I don't see pictures. Please help [MENTION=48772]Jesse1983[/MENTION], Jesse if you know what is going on let me know. Thanks