I use brake cleaner, but I also work in a shop so I don't have to buy it. Might be quite expensive going that route.
Bad Luck's Boring Build Biography
- Thread starter Bad Luck
- Start date
JoeT4R
Senior Member
Funny, I'll be doing an oil change tonight after I get home from work. I'll roll over to 330K on my way home this evening.
3/18/2024 219540 miles
-Replaced both catalytic converters and remaining exhaust/muffler with Magnaflow (93258, 93379, 19538) $1600
-replaced downstream oxygen sensor with Denso 234-4153 $70
-Removed previous block crack attempt, cleaned block , and applied JBWeld high heat epoxy $30
What an absolute headache replacing the catalytic converters and exhaust was. OEM cats had dozens of pin holes in it that I found a couple years ago when smoking the exhaust. It was a very low priority repair for me mostly because I knew it was going to go wrong in some way. I was right about that. I bought replacement studs and nuts for the primary cat to exhaust manifold in preparation for breaking studs. For whatever reason Toyota used studs that threaded beyond the exhaust manifold flange which was the major cause of the problem. Corrosion on the stud portion that was through the manifold flange was heavily corroded and would not go clean out enough to thread back through the manifold flange for removal. I applied heat and penetrating oil before initially attempting to remove those studs but no luck. Each stud snapped off. With the cat out of the way I was able to get an eaze out on two of the three studs but they snapped flush even with making the exhaust flange glow orange/red with a torch. I had no other option but to attempt to drill out the studs, but unfortunately either Toyota or my torching or both heat treated those studs to insanely hard. I was able to drill a pilot hole through each stud with a drill and drill bit extension. In the end I made some heat shielding out of a 55 gallon drum and had to melt the exhaust manifold around the studs to get the studs to fall out of the exhaust manifold. What a nightmare, but I was finally able to reinstall the catalytic converters and rest of the exhaust.
When installing the oxygen sensor in the secondary cat I discovered that one of the studs was defective and pulled right out of the flange with minimal effort. I had to move the vehicle so I drove it with the sensor only secured by one nut. Not ideal but you gotta do what you gotta do. I started a claim with Magnaflow a few days later when I had time to call during their business hours. Initially the claim was approved after I sent in photos, but then people that have probably never turned a wrench or ratchet in their life tried looking for excuses to decline my claim. "You clearly cross threaded it. Our product never would have this issue." "You over tightened it." Etc. One customer service employee was such a dick that I will be calling back every now and then to harass him personally. Is that the mature thing to do? Not at all but **** him. Anyways, I sent a video showing all the threads on the allegedly cross threaded stud in perfect condition and the customer service supervisor approved the claim. It took a couple more weeks to get a replacement catalytic converter through the original vendor but it's swapped out and done now. For what it's worth there was no packing material in either catalytic converter box and both rear cats had holes through the boxes where the oxygen sensor studs poked through.
As for the Magnaflow 19538 muffler/exhaust it's very loud compared to stock exhaust (with leaks) even with the resonator installed for the least aggressive tone. I haven't noticed any drone at any speed and it seems to be a little quieter in the 2000-3000 rpm range when cruising.
-Replaced both catalytic converters and remaining exhaust/muffler with Magnaflow (93258, 93379, 19538) $1600
-replaced downstream oxygen sensor with Denso 234-4153 $70
-Removed previous block crack attempt, cleaned block , and applied JBWeld high heat epoxy $30
What an absolute headache replacing the catalytic converters and exhaust was. OEM cats had dozens of pin holes in it that I found a couple years ago when smoking the exhaust. It was a very low priority repair for me mostly because I knew it was going to go wrong in some way. I was right about that. I bought replacement studs and nuts for the primary cat to exhaust manifold in preparation for breaking studs. For whatever reason Toyota used studs that threaded beyond the exhaust manifold flange which was the major cause of the problem. Corrosion on the stud portion that was through the manifold flange was heavily corroded and would not go clean out enough to thread back through the manifold flange for removal. I applied heat and penetrating oil before initially attempting to remove those studs but no luck. Each stud snapped off. With the cat out of the way I was able to get an eaze out on two of the three studs but they snapped flush even with making the exhaust flange glow orange/red with a torch. I had no other option but to attempt to drill out the studs, but unfortunately either Toyota or my torching or both heat treated those studs to insanely hard. I was able to drill a pilot hole through each stud with a drill and drill bit extension. In the end I made some heat shielding out of a 55 gallon drum and had to melt the exhaust manifold around the studs to get the studs to fall out of the exhaust manifold. What a nightmare, but I was finally able to reinstall the catalytic converters and rest of the exhaust.
When installing the oxygen sensor in the secondary cat I discovered that one of the studs was defective and pulled right out of the flange with minimal effort. I had to move the vehicle so I drove it with the sensor only secured by one nut. Not ideal but you gotta do what you gotta do. I started a claim with Magnaflow a few days later when I had time to call during their business hours. Initially the claim was approved after I sent in photos, but then people that have probably never turned a wrench or ratchet in their life tried looking for excuses to decline my claim. "You clearly cross threaded it. Our product never would have this issue." "You over tightened it." Etc. One customer service employee was such a dick that I will be calling back every now and then to harass him personally. Is that the mature thing to do? Not at all but **** him. Anyways, I sent a video showing all the threads on the allegedly cross threaded stud in perfect condition and the customer service supervisor approved the claim. It took a couple more weeks to get a replacement catalytic converter through the original vendor but it's swapped out and done now. For what it's worth there was no packing material in either catalytic converter box and both rear cats had holes through the boxes where the oxygen sensor studs poked through.
As for the Magnaflow 19538 muffler/exhaust it's very loud compared to stock exhaust (with leaks) even with the resonator installed for the least aggressive tone. I haven't noticed any drone at any speed and it seems to be a little quieter in the 2000-3000 rpm range when cruising.
brillo_76
Elite Member
I just stick with the Chinese northern stainless exhaust from ebay cat back.. I get longer life then walkers and they seem to work. As the oem exhausts are no longer affordable. They work good enough.. Now I never did from the header back yet.. Just from the last cat flange back. I figure eventually may have to but somehow, only the last flange rusts up and the reset of the exhaust is staying together from The headers back.
8/8/2024 222256 miles
-Installed Satoshi grille and TEQ headlights/corner marker housings $840
-Changed engine oil $FREE
-Replaced front wiper arms/nuts/covers $100
-Installed missing door panel push pins $6
It was time to replace the headlights and grille. All the grille retainers broke off a couple weeks ago driving on some fire roads and the headlight reflector material was peeling.
-Installed Satoshi grille and TEQ headlights/corner marker housings $840
-Changed engine oil $FREE
-Replaced front wiper arms/nuts/covers $100
-Installed missing door panel push pins $6
It was time to replace the headlights and grille. All the grille retainers broke off a couple weeks ago driving on some fire roads and the headlight reflector material was peeling.
Twisted Sid
Member
1/25/2025 226011 miles
-Changed engine oil and filter $FREE
-Replaced front wiper blades with PIAA super silicone 17" blades $55
-Replaced radio head unit with BOSS Audio Elite BE7ACP.WX $357
-Installed on/off switch in ground side of transfer case 4wd detection switch for a cheap 2LO operation $20
After trying many brands and designs of wiper blades I think the PIAA super silicones may finally be just what I'm looking for. A little on the pricier side, but no skips or streaks unlike most other brands/designs.
After Spotify discontinued their support of the Spotify Car Thing earlier this month I was once again thrust into the bronze age of car entertainment with only a single din head unit with bluetooth. I opted for a new double din touch screen unit with wired and wireless carplay capability from BOSS Audio. It did require some longer bolts and creative shimming with nuts and washers to get the screen close to flush with the bezel, but I'm not surprised.
I also took the time to finally wire an off/on toggle switch to the ground side of the transfer case 4wd detection switch. This will allow me to keep the ADD system from engaging when I out the transfer case in low range. This will be particularly helpful when reversing trailers uphill or generally low speed operation where 4wd would bind. I drilled out the cubby below the cigarette lighter outlet and mounted the switch there. I will leave the switch in the on position most of the time so I don't forget to engage it when going into 4HI. As with most of my projects I bought the switch almost 2 years ago to do this mod.
While performing the oil change I did notice the front/left side of the engine by the oil filter housing to have a good amount of oil on it. Not enough to drip off the engine, but definitely enough to cover that corner of the engine. I cleaned it off and will hopefully remember to check on it in a few weeks. There's a good chance I just forgot to clean that area off after the last oil change, but I'll keep an eye on it. I noticed my spare tire was only at 6 psi when I adjusted my tire pressures so I'll need to check that out as well.
-Changed engine oil and filter $FREE
-Replaced front wiper blades with PIAA super silicone 17" blades $55
-Replaced radio head unit with BOSS Audio Elite BE7ACP.WX $357
-Installed on/off switch in ground side of transfer case 4wd detection switch for a cheap 2LO operation $20
After trying many brands and designs of wiper blades I think the PIAA super silicones may finally be just what I'm looking for. A little on the pricier side, but no skips or streaks unlike most other brands/designs.
After Spotify discontinued their support of the Spotify Car Thing earlier this month I was once again thrust into the bronze age of car entertainment with only a single din head unit with bluetooth. I opted for a new double din touch screen unit with wired and wireless carplay capability from BOSS Audio. It did require some longer bolts and creative shimming with nuts and washers to get the screen close to flush with the bezel, but I'm not surprised.
I also took the time to finally wire an off/on toggle switch to the ground side of the transfer case 4wd detection switch. This will allow me to keep the ADD system from engaging when I out the transfer case in low range. This will be particularly helpful when reversing trailers uphill or generally low speed operation where 4wd would bind. I drilled out the cubby below the cigarette lighter outlet and mounted the switch there. I will leave the switch in the on position most of the time so I don't forget to engage it when going into 4HI. As with most of my projects I bought the switch almost 2 years ago to do this mod.
While performing the oil change I did notice the front/left side of the engine by the oil filter housing to have a good amount of oil on it. Not enough to drip off the engine, but definitely enough to cover that corner of the engine. I cleaned it off and will hopefully remember to check on it in a few weeks. There's a good chance I just forgot to clean that area off after the last oil change, but I'll keep an eye on it. I noticed my spare tire was only at 6 psi when I adjusted my tire pressures so I'll need to check that out as well.
brillo_76
Elite Member
You ever try the oem originals wiper blades? They mostly work very well.. I have had good luck with them. We used to be able to by inserts and reuse the blade frame.... However, I believe they discontinued that option and they now send you a replacement complete blade. The pricing is mostly cheaper then aftermarkets most of the time... So that is why I mostly stick with those. I have tried a pile of other blades.. Nothing seem to work as well as the original blades in my testing..
Nice radio upgrade, I am planning on just going to android head units myself for several reasons:
1) Android will interface with the obd2 connector. So I can constantly monitor several functions via android applications
2.) Integrate camera systems into that unit. Backup at first, then down the road. 4 to 6 channels video recording on movement for security enhancement of rigs. ( The recording is down the road integration setup)
The original radios were good units and worked extremely well. They just don't
have cell phone integration, no Screen for backup cameras. Nor the ability to integrate real time diagnostics into the head units to eliminate the need for those scangauges.
Nice radio upgrade, I am planning on just going to android head units myself for several reasons:
1) Android will interface with the obd2 connector. So I can constantly monitor several functions via android applications
2.) Integrate camera systems into that unit. Backup at first, then down the road. 4 to 6 channels video recording on movement for security enhancement of rigs. ( The recording is down the road integration setup)
The original radios were good units and worked extremely well. They just don't
have cell phone integration, no Screen for backup cameras. Nor the ability to integrate real time diagnostics into the head units to eliminate the need for those scangauges.
I tried OEM blades before with average results. I had to find alternatives because my local dealer doesn't always have the right size and style in stock. Time will tell, but the PIAA's have worked great with mist to downpours. Having wireless CarPlay has been a massive improvement for me. It's one of the modern features that I really appreciate. Now I just need a heated steering wheel and seats!
brillo_76
Elite Member
Heating steering wheel with seats?? Going luxurious are you?
My Siennas have heated seats...They are very nice...I'm dealing with a very squeaky clutch pedal assembly that only wants to squeak when it's below 50*F. When I got my manual 4Runner the first winter the clutch pedal squeaked so I removed the weird factory coil spring that only 4Runners use and replaced it with the linear spring for Tacoma's. While I was there I replaced the pivot bushings and applied a light coating of grease to the pivots. The problem emerged again the next winter so I replaced the master cylinder with OEM when I replaced the transmission in Feb 2023. Again the problem seemed solved, but it was back again next winter again. I have eliminated the clutch release fork/pivot ball and slave cylinder so that leaves the pedal assembly/firewall pass through/master cylinder. Anyone dealt with this specific squeak?
3/8/2025 226940 miles
-Front Brembo Rotors (09722611), Akebono pads (ACT611), and hardware kit (Dynamic Friction 340-76030). $181
-Replaced secondary catalytic converter to muffler/exhaust pipe gasket with thicker gasket. $FREE
Not much to add besides how often I'm reminded about Magnaflow's poor product quality. The exhaust gasket was completely blown out which was a big disappointment. The entire exhaust after the collector pipe is less than a year installed and under 7500 miles on it.
-Front Brembo Rotors (09722611), Akebono pads (ACT611), and hardware kit (Dynamic Friction 340-76030). $181
-Replaced secondary catalytic converter to muffler/exhaust pipe gasket with thicker gasket. $FREE
Not much to add besides how often I'm reminded about Magnaflow's poor product quality. The exhaust gasket was completely blown out which was a big disappointment. The entire exhaust after the collector pipe is less than a year installed and under 7500 miles on it.
brillo_76
Elite Member
Seems to be a common issue on these 3rd gen pedals. I probably use graphite more then grease though.. Maybe a gel graphite then powder..
Last edited:
4evagen4x4runner
New member
do you know if the t case is the same for a 2003 v-6 4runner and the v-8 4runner? they look the same
7/4/2025 229769 miles
-Replaced front shocks/springs/tophats with Dobinson IMS59-50222/C59-276B and Dobinson tophats $1264 (Exit Offroad)
-Replaced front upper control arms with SPC 25480 $700
-Replaced rear shocks/springs with Bilstein 33-313146 and 7.5 wrap FJ80 coils $250 (shocks) $100 (springs)
-Rear upper and lower control arms Mevotech CMS861168/CMS861170 $200 (Rock Auto)
-Replaced front and rear sway bar endlinks $260 Overland Custom Designs forged ball joint links
-A/C compressor (Denso 4711164), condenser (Denso 4770518), expansion valve (Denso 475-2005), receiver drier (Four Seasons 33589), evaporator (Four Seasons 54859, pressure switch (Four Seasons 20929), valve/core kit (Four Seasons 26783), A/C system o ring/seal kit (UAC RS2580) $480 (Rock Auto)
-Steering gear (44250-35042), outer tie rod ends (45046-39335/45047-39215), rag joint (45860-35171), jam nuts (90170-20003 x2), power steering pressure/return hoses (44410-35570), pressure hose gasket at pump (44327-26020), return hose fitting at rack (44416-04020), steering rack rubber grommet (45517-35010) $275 Amayama/$1175 Local Toyota Dealership
-Engine Oil/Filter $FREE
I've been accruing parts for this over the last 1-2 years and it was finally time to do something about it. I spread most of the work across 7/3-7/6 starting with ac work on 7/3 evening. The evaporator core housing was surprisingly easy to remove. I did have to use a special tool for the high side line connection/lock (Lisle 39310 $13). Once the evaporator core housing was removed it was pretty easy to split the case, remove the expansion valve lines, transfer parts, and install new evaporator core/expansion valve and seals. I added small amounts of oil as I went to help the oil be distributed throughout the system. Total oil with compressor replacement was right around 6 oz.
With the evaporator housing reassembled I moved onto the condenser and receiver dryer. The condenser required transferring some clip nuts over, but the nut holes didn't line up with the condenser bracket holes so I had to drill the condenser holes out with a drill bit. I made sure to put a piece of scrap steel plate under the hole to protect the condenser from the drill bit punching through. Not that big of an inconvenience overall. With the condenser mounted up I then removed the receiver dryer, transferred the bracket, and reinstalled the new receiver dryer. All new seals as I went and distributed some more oil into the receiver dryer and condenser.
I was running out of time for the night so I decided to replace the pressure sensor and pull a vacuum on the system for 30 minutes while I cleaned up.
Next day I removed the compressor out the bottom which was pretty easy. Loosen the ac belt tensioner pulley and loosen the tensioner, remove the belt off the compressor, undo the compressor connectors, the nut holding the lines to compressor and some of the compressor bolts are easily accessed through the fender well when you remove the rubber splash guard. After removing all the compressor bolts and removing the bolts from the power steering hose brackets it does require some rotating and finagling to get the compressor out but it does fit out the bottom. Transfer the manifold plate from the old compressor to the new compressor with a new seal, and reinstall is the reverse of removal with new seals as you go. Pulled vacuum for a few hours while I worked on the front suspension.
I ordered the Dobinson shock/coil/mount not assembled so that was up next. Fairly simple if you've assembled a strut before. The only vague area involved the small spacer provided for the mount. I went ahead and installed it, but I'm not sure if I really needed to or if there is any benefit for me having it.
With the front struts assembled it was time to remove the front shocks and upper control arms. The strut mount to frame nuts were rusted on there pretty good and could only get a ratchet on 2 out of 3 nuts on each side. The last nut required an extended closed end wrench for leverage and took forever! I separated the upper control arms from the knuckle and removed them. The only difficult part there was removing the long bolt holding the upper control arms in. Passenger side was easier than the driver's side. Driver side required removing a wire strap and SIR sensor in order to clear the bolt. I tried pressing the upper ball joints out in the vehicle but had no success. I removed the entire steering knuckle and used the shop press to remove the stock upper ball joints and install the SPC provided components.
New struts went in fairly easy after disconnecting both sway bar links. SPC upper control arms went in next and everything was reassembled. I made sure to only snug the control arm bolts for now.
Next up was rear shocks and springs. The OME shocks were very corroded and not cooperating. I was able to put a pair of locking pliers on the driver side shock shaft and use a wrench on the top nut to get that side loose. The passenger side didn't want to cooperate so I just bent it back and forth until the shaft snapped. While the shocks were off I installed the FJ80 7.5 wrap springs I've been hoarding for several years. I had to use a bottle jack between the axle and bump stop to get enough room for the spring with isolator to squeeze in. I forgot to articulate the rear axle with only the shocks installed to check how much I need to extend the bump stops but completely forgot. With the springs in I installed the new shocks. I wish I would have replaced the lower and upper control arms before spring and shock install, but I didn't think about it. It would have been a lot easier at that point. Instead I had too use a ratchet strap and pinch bar in order to get the upper control arms replaced and the holes to line up. Once again I made sure not to tighten everything just yet.
At this point I decided to replace the outer tie rod ends since they were worn and suffered some damage during knuckle removal. That quickly escalated to needing to replace the rack due to stuck jam nuts. The heat required from the torch to get the jam nuts to move melted the inner tie rod boots. I removed the rack and found that the pressure hose fitting had rusted to the line and wouldn't turn separately from the line. I got a pressure line from autozone and was underwhelmed by the quality of it especially the fitting threads. I returned that and got the pressure/return hose assembly, jam nuts, and pressure hose to pump gasket from my local dealership. With the rack removed I decided to remove all the eccentric hardware to clean and lube it.
After replacing the rack, jam nuts, outer tie rod ends, rag joint, and power steering hoses (with gasket) it was time to bleed the system. I disconnected the return hose from the reservoir and capped the reservoir. I rerouted the return hose into a catch bucket. Slowly but surely I bled the system by filling the reservoir and then turning the rack from lock to lock being careful to make sure the reservoir never went dry. After about 30-40 minutes of this I removed the power steering pump belt and used my electric ratchet to operate the pump for further bleeding. With the system now fully bled I reattached the power steering return hose to the reservoir, reinstalled the pump belt, and filled the reservoir. After starting it up and going lock to lock a few times I verified the fluid level and inspected for leaks.
Time for an alignment. With everything being new and having to learn how to adjust SPC upper control arms the alignment took a couple hours to get everything dialed in. I made sure to keep the outer tie rod ends even and then centered the steering wheel to that before setting final toe. I made sure to torque all the suspension bolts that I only snugged now that I was at ride height. Overall I'm just okay with the alignment. I adjusted for 3.5 degrees caster which feels really stiff to me so I will probably back that down to 2.5 degrees and see how that feels. I'm going to give it a little while for everything to settle down.
For anyone curious my front hub to fender is now 23 inches and rear hub to fender is 25 inches. I wish it had a little less rake, but the rear end rides much smoother compared to the worn out OME 890's and OME shock the previous owner put on around 2019ish. Maybe the rake will help motivate me to get a steel rear bumper. I do have a noticeable vibration at highway speeds which I believe is due to an excessive pinion angle.
-Replaced front shocks/springs/tophats with Dobinson IMS59-50222/C59-276B and Dobinson tophats $1264 (Exit Offroad)
-Replaced front upper control arms with SPC 25480 $700
-Replaced rear shocks/springs with Bilstein 33-313146 and 7.5 wrap FJ80 coils $250 (shocks) $100 (springs)
-Rear upper and lower control arms Mevotech CMS861168/CMS861170 $200 (Rock Auto)
-Replaced front and rear sway bar endlinks $260 Overland Custom Designs forged ball joint links
-A/C compressor (Denso 4711164), condenser (Denso 4770518), expansion valve (Denso 475-2005), receiver drier (Four Seasons 33589), evaporator (Four Seasons 54859, pressure switch (Four Seasons 20929), valve/core kit (Four Seasons 26783), A/C system o ring/seal kit (UAC RS2580) $480 (Rock Auto)
-Steering gear (44250-35042), outer tie rod ends (45046-39335/45047-39215), rag joint (45860-35171), jam nuts (90170-20003 x2), power steering pressure/return hoses (44410-35570), pressure hose gasket at pump (44327-26020), return hose fitting at rack (44416-04020), steering rack rubber grommet (45517-35010) $275 Amayama/$1175 Local Toyota Dealership
-Engine Oil/Filter $FREE
I've been accruing parts for this over the last 1-2 years and it was finally time to do something about it. I spread most of the work across 7/3-7/6 starting with ac work on 7/3 evening. The evaporator core housing was surprisingly easy to remove. I did have to use a special tool for the high side line connection/lock (Lisle 39310 $13). Once the evaporator core housing was removed it was pretty easy to split the case, remove the expansion valve lines, transfer parts, and install new evaporator core/expansion valve and seals. I added small amounts of oil as I went to help the oil be distributed throughout the system. Total oil with compressor replacement was right around 6 oz.
With the evaporator housing reassembled I moved onto the condenser and receiver dryer. The condenser required transferring some clip nuts over, but the nut holes didn't line up with the condenser bracket holes so I had to drill the condenser holes out with a drill bit. I made sure to put a piece of scrap steel plate under the hole to protect the condenser from the drill bit punching through. Not that big of an inconvenience overall. With the condenser mounted up I then removed the receiver dryer, transferred the bracket, and reinstalled the new receiver dryer. All new seals as I went and distributed some more oil into the receiver dryer and condenser.
I was running out of time for the night so I decided to replace the pressure sensor and pull a vacuum on the system for 30 minutes while I cleaned up.
Next day I removed the compressor out the bottom which was pretty easy. Loosen the ac belt tensioner pulley and loosen the tensioner, remove the belt off the compressor, undo the compressor connectors, the nut holding the lines to compressor and some of the compressor bolts are easily accessed through the fender well when you remove the rubber splash guard. After removing all the compressor bolts and removing the bolts from the power steering hose brackets it does require some rotating and finagling to get the compressor out but it does fit out the bottom. Transfer the manifold plate from the old compressor to the new compressor with a new seal, and reinstall is the reverse of removal with new seals as you go. Pulled vacuum for a few hours while I worked on the front suspension.
I ordered the Dobinson shock/coil/mount not assembled so that was up next. Fairly simple if you've assembled a strut before. The only vague area involved the small spacer provided for the mount. I went ahead and installed it, but I'm not sure if I really needed to or if there is any benefit for me having it.
With the front struts assembled it was time to remove the front shocks and upper control arms. The strut mount to frame nuts were rusted on there pretty good and could only get a ratchet on 2 out of 3 nuts on each side. The last nut required an extended closed end wrench for leverage and took forever! I separated the upper control arms from the knuckle and removed them. The only difficult part there was removing the long bolt holding the upper control arms in. Passenger side was easier than the driver's side. Driver side required removing a wire strap and SIR sensor in order to clear the bolt. I tried pressing the upper ball joints out in the vehicle but had no success. I removed the entire steering knuckle and used the shop press to remove the stock upper ball joints and install the SPC provided components.
New struts went in fairly easy after disconnecting both sway bar links. SPC upper control arms went in next and everything was reassembled. I made sure to only snug the control arm bolts for now.
Next up was rear shocks and springs. The OME shocks were very corroded and not cooperating. I was able to put a pair of locking pliers on the driver side shock shaft and use a wrench on the top nut to get that side loose. The passenger side didn't want to cooperate so I just bent it back and forth until the shaft snapped. While the shocks were off I installed the FJ80 7.5 wrap springs I've been hoarding for several years. I had to use a bottle jack between the axle and bump stop to get enough room for the spring with isolator to squeeze in. I forgot to articulate the rear axle with only the shocks installed to check how much I need to extend the bump stops but completely forgot. With the springs in I installed the new shocks. I wish I would have replaced the lower and upper control arms before spring and shock install, but I didn't think about it. It would have been a lot easier at that point. Instead I had too use a ratchet strap and pinch bar in order to get the upper control arms replaced and the holes to line up. Once again I made sure not to tighten everything just yet.
At this point I decided to replace the outer tie rod ends since they were worn and suffered some damage during knuckle removal. That quickly escalated to needing to replace the rack due to stuck jam nuts. The heat required from the torch to get the jam nuts to move melted the inner tie rod boots. I removed the rack and found that the pressure hose fitting had rusted to the line and wouldn't turn separately from the line. I got a pressure line from autozone and was underwhelmed by the quality of it especially the fitting threads. I returned that and got the pressure/return hose assembly, jam nuts, and pressure hose to pump gasket from my local dealership. With the rack removed I decided to remove all the eccentric hardware to clean and lube it.
After replacing the rack, jam nuts, outer tie rod ends, rag joint, and power steering hoses (with gasket) it was time to bleed the system. I disconnected the return hose from the reservoir and capped the reservoir. I rerouted the return hose into a catch bucket. Slowly but surely I bled the system by filling the reservoir and then turning the rack from lock to lock being careful to make sure the reservoir never went dry. After about 30-40 minutes of this I removed the power steering pump belt and used my electric ratchet to operate the pump for further bleeding. With the system now fully bled I reattached the power steering return hose to the reservoir, reinstalled the pump belt, and filled the reservoir. After starting it up and going lock to lock a few times I verified the fluid level and inspected for leaks.
Time for an alignment. With everything being new and having to learn how to adjust SPC upper control arms the alignment took a couple hours to get everything dialed in. I made sure to keep the outer tie rod ends even and then centered the steering wheel to that before setting final toe. I made sure to torque all the suspension bolts that I only snugged now that I was at ride height. Overall I'm just okay with the alignment. I adjusted for 3.5 degrees caster which feels really stiff to me so I will probably back that down to 2.5 degrees and see how that feels. I'm going to give it a little while for everything to settle down.
For anyone curious my front hub to fender is now 23 inches and rear hub to fender is 25 inches. I wish it had a little less rake, but the rear end rides much smoother compared to the worn out OME 890's and OME shock the previous owner put on around 2019ish. Maybe the rake will help motivate me to get a steel rear bumper. I do have a noticeable vibration at highway speeds which I believe is due to an excessive pinion angle.
phattyduck
Elite Member
Check those rear upper links - Mevotech doesn't seem to know there are two different lengths for 2WD vs. 4WD... and calls out both OEM PNs as interchange for their replacement upper arms. Make sure you are using the same length arms as your OEM ones (shorter for 2WD, longer for 4WD). The rear prop shaft is different between 2WD and 4WD and requires a different pinion angle between the two.
-Charlie
-Charlie
brillo_76
Elite Member
That would be a question for the 4th gen community.. I know I don't know if they are. :-(
8/31/2025 230701 miles
-Apoc Industries rear upper/lower control arms and set rear pinion angle for vibration $450
-Greased rear upper/lower control arm bushings with recommended superlube $50
-4 wheel alignment to set rear thrust angle and steering wheel angle due to thrust angle change $FREE
I've been dealing with a vibration at highway speeds since I bought this 4Runner. I could feel it more in the steering wheel than anything so I assumed it was a front end issue. After the vibration got worse after the rear suspension lift I decided to check my rear pinion angle and found it to be several degrees out of alignment. I decided to go with adjustable rear upper and lower control arms to fix this alignment issue. I could have just used adjustable uppers to correct the pinion angle, but I also wanted to correct my thrust angle which requires adjustable lower control arms as well. I still need to fine tune the angle some, but the vibration is much less noticeable. I think any vibration I have left at highway speeds is likely the front diff needle bearing which I have all the parts and tools for just not the time or patience at this moment.
-Apoc Industries rear upper/lower control arms and set rear pinion angle for vibration $450
-Greased rear upper/lower control arm bushings with recommended superlube $50
-4 wheel alignment to set rear thrust angle and steering wheel angle due to thrust angle change $FREE
I've been dealing with a vibration at highway speeds since I bought this 4Runner. I could feel it more in the steering wheel than anything so I assumed it was a front end issue. After the vibration got worse after the rear suspension lift I decided to check my rear pinion angle and found it to be several degrees out of alignment. I decided to go with adjustable rear upper and lower control arms to fix this alignment issue. I could have just used adjustable uppers to correct the pinion angle, but I also wanted to correct my thrust angle which requires adjustable lower control arms as well. I still need to fine tune the angle some, but the vibration is much less noticeable. I think any vibration I have left at highway speeds is likely the front diff needle bearing which I have all the parts and tools for just not the time or patience at this moment.
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