Beginner mods for a daily driver?

Bml_merris

Bml_merris

New member
Hey there 4th gen community. I'm coming over from the 3rd gen side of the forums as I sadly totaled my '99 T4R recently. Anyways, if everything goes well I plan to come home with a 2003 4runner on Saturday! It is FWD with right under 200k on it.

This will be a daily driver vehicle to take me to and from work and school. What are some beginner mods as I'm not familiar with this generation. Thanks for any tips!

Oh and here are some pictures of the old T4R.
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Hey Bml,
Sorry to hear about your 3rd Gen. Hope everybody was safe in that crash.
I think your 4runner will be a RWD not a FWD if it’s the v6. I could be wrong but I thought all 2wd 4th gens were RWD.

A lot of what you may want depends on what you plan to use your vehicle for. My vehicle is my only vehicle and I drive a decent amount for work so the little creature comforts were important to me. Some of my favourite mods I have done would be:

- Ram Mount Phone Holder screwed into the dash below the hazard button. I was tired of all the other phone mounts that inevitably fail so I went ahead and drilled some holes. Not really worried about resale value as I plan to a) drive this into the ground and b) it’s a rebuilt title anyways. This mount is beefy and holds an iPad no problem as well.

- Dual USB plug, I mounted mine directly below the phone holder. This allows me to use a 1 foot Cable and keeps it as clean as can be. I hate loose things in my vehicle including unessecarily tangled cables.

- Upgrade the headlight bulbs. I went with HiD’s as my 4runner has the projector housings but I would not reccomend that for you as they are not intended for those bulbs and you will blind oncoming traffic. But I would at least reccomend putting some high quality bulbs in there. If you drive any amount at night or on backroads you could also install a led bar. My lower bumper mounted led bar has been a game changer for me! But may be overkill for what you need.

- Weathertech floor mats (or similar brand). These do a great job of keeping dirt, mud and snow off the carpet and are easy to pull out and clean.

- LED strip engine work light. Depending on if you plan to do any of your own work this mod has been one of the little things that makes a big difference. Installing a led strip on the underside of the hood with a switch allows you to illuminate the entire engine bay for anything from changing bulbs to checking oil. Better then holding your phone or wearing a headlamp.

- Center Console organizer and tray. These are a couple items that help keep that pit of despair under you center armrest organized. They are pretty cheap and do a good job of keeping things straight if that’s your jam.

Those are a few of my favourite mods I have done on my vehicle. Pretty well the info on how to do this stuff was found on this forum. If you take a look through my build thread you’ll see some examples of what I’ve done. If you need any help I’m happy to assist if I can.

Oh and I’ll add running board delete and blacking out the emblems and chrome bits. All personal preference though
Cheers
 
Last edited:
Whytey said:
Hey Bml,
Sorry to hear about your 3rd Gen. Hope everybody was safe in that crash.
I think your 4runner will be a RWD not a FWD if it’s the v6. I could be wrong but I thought all 2wd 4th gens were RWD.

A lot of what you may want depends on what you plan to use your vehicle for. My vehicle is my only vehicle and I drive a decent amount for work so the little creature comforts were important to me. Some of my favourite mods I have done would be:

- Ram Mount Phone Holder screwed into the dash below the hazard button. I was tired of all the other phone mounts that inevitably fail so I went ahead and drilled some holes. Not really worried about resale value as I plan to a) drive this into the ground and b) it’s a rebuilt title anyways. This mount is beefy and holds an iPad no problem as well.

- Dual USB plug, I mounted mine directly below the phone holder. This allows me to use a 1 foot Cable and keeps it as clean as can be. I hate loose things in my vehicle including unessecarily tangled cables.

- Upgrade the headlight bulbs. I went with HiD’s as my 4runner has the projector housings but I would not reccomend that for you as they are not intended for those bulbs and you will blind oncoming traffic. But I would at least reccomend putting some high quality bulbs in there. If you drive any amount at night or on backroads you could also install a led bar. My lower bumper mounted led bar has been a game changer for me! But may be overkill for what you need.

- Weathertech floor mats (or similar brand). These do a great job of keeping dirt, mud and snow off the carpet and are easy to pull out and clean.

- LED strip engine work light. Depending on if you plan to do any of your own work this mod has been one of the little things that makes a big difference. Installing a led strip on the underside of the hood with a switch allows you to illuminate the entire engine bay for anything from changing bulbs to checking oil. Better then holding your phone or wearing a headlamp.

- Center Console organizer and tray. These are a couple items that help keep that pit of despair under you center armrest organized. They are pretty cheap and do a good job of keeping things straight if that’s your jam.

Those are a few of my favourite mods I have done on my vehicle. Pretty well the info on how to do this stuff was found on this forum. If you take a look through my build thread you’ll see some examples of what I’ve done. If you need any help I’m happy to assist if I can.

Oh and I’ll add running board delete and blacking out the emblems and chrome bits. All personal preference though
Cheers
Click to expand...
I appreciate how detailed you were, thanks for the tips! Will most likely do a good few of these. And I'm sorry, my 99 was Fwd so I just assumed. Are the 4th gens the same as the 3rd's in the sense of the tundra brake mods?
 
Bml_merris said:
I appreciate how detailed you were, thanks for the tips! Will most likely do a good few of these. And I'm sorry, my 99 was Fwd so I just assumed. Are the 4th gens the same as the 3rd's in the sense of the tundra brake mods?
Click to expand...

No need to apologize. I didn't realize the 3rd gens were FWD.

I have read about a number of members upgrading their brakes to a larger size. I just looked it up at you mentioned and I guess so. It seems the Sport Editions (I have one so maybe that's why I never pursued an upgrade) have a larger rotor (similar in size to the tundras I think).

I just did a quick Google search and found some stuff so luckily there is some info for ya.
 
I think that you might mean 4WD (four wheel drive) and not FWD (front wheel drive) as there aren’t any FWD 4Runners that I know of... that would seem like it would be a completely different set-up like a transversely mounted engine or a transfer case without a rear output. So if you’re getting a V6 4WD, you’ll want to check the functioning of the selector knob to the right of the steering wheel. 2Hi > 4Hi > 4Lo and the center diff lock button to the left of the steering wheel. A V8 4WD will only have 4Hi > 4Lo with the same center diff lock button. You’ll also want to cycle those on a regular basis to keep them functioning properly. My ‘98 had the mechanical 4WD selector lever so that was a big change for me.

As far as beginner mods go... WeatherTech side window visors and WeatherTech Digital-Fit floor liners are awesome. The LED interior bulb upgrade is a pretty inexpensive mod that makes a big difference. Aside from that, you’ll figure out what you want as you live with the 4th Gen... they’re pretty nice vehicles. Good luck!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
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  1. Interior LED swap
  2. Debadge or plasti-dip chrome badges
  3. New key fob

I have the technical abilities of a 4yr old and those three tasks were easy and fun. I'm planning on doing Whytys RAM mount/USB setup as it is super clean and functional (and pretty straightforward once you learn how to undo the legos that hold these interiors together.)

I just had a double DIN head unit installed along with a backup camera. Next up on my list is swapping out my interior speakers, which I plan on doing myself.
 
My favorite thing I've done to mine is the Map Light Mod with all LED interior bulbs. It's like daylight in there now!
 
For a daily? Highway mostly or bad potholed city roads?
Michelin's highway tires. Stock size if on highway, or upsize slightly for more sidewall to isolate from bad roads. Probably mid 30's for tire pressure.

Clean the paint and put a good sealant/ceramic coat (I use a sealant that you spray and rinse off, 3 extra minutes to a regular wash before final rinse). Big car stays clean for 3 months, clean after a heavy rain shower.

I like stickon window visors for window down driving during bad weather.
 
I would look through some of the build threads and see what people have done. Thats how I decided on a lot of mods that I have done is I saw it first. It really helps you decided what you like and don't like because you can see it and hear from the owner how they like the mods.
 
Mines a DD, so all the mods were done to better the daily driving:

* Replace the basic rear view mirror with a Gentex unit to gain auto-dimming, Homelink garage, and compass.
* Add usb charge ports (tapped off the cig lighter)
* Add additional 12v cig ports for rear passengers
* LED interior
* Map light as dome light mod
* Fog as DRL/anytime on mod
* Auxiliary reverse LED pods. Dunno about other owners, but visibility while in reverse at night leaves a lot to be desired.
 
Hit up forum member @TiN as soon as possible for some 3D printed cup holders.

You will soon understand why. The stock cupholders in the 4G are worthless. $50 might seem steep but its honestly the best quality of life "mod" I've done to my 4G so far.
 
I appreciate all the tips! Look forward to turning this 4runner into a great DD. And to clarify I'm sorry, I meant to say RWD on the original post. It is not 4wd. The roads I drive are either bumpy dirt roads, pothole filled pavement, and the occasional smooth highway or interstate. Any performance upgrades that aren't as expensive as a supercharger?
 
Sorry to hear about your 3rd-gen,glad you're OK though.

I'd do some maintenance to it first since you're nearing 200K miles; things like spark plugs, air filter, PCV valve are easy. Cheapest deals are usually found on Amazon or Rock Auto,and Rock is a sponsoring vendor so head to their forum their for a 5% discount code. Has the timing belt ever been replaced?

Pull the wheels off and look over the calipers, make sure none of the pistons and slide pins are seized.
 
Ed_C said:
Sorry to hear about your 3rd-gen,glad you're OK though.

I'd do some maintenance to it first since you're nearing 200K miles; things like spark plugs, air filter, PCV valve are easy. Cheapest deals are usually found on Amazon or Rock Auto,and Rock is a sponsoring vendor so head to their forum their for a 5% discount code. Has the timing belt ever been replaced?

Pull the wheels off and look over the calipers, make sure none of the pistons and slide pins are seized.
Click to expand...
Ah yes, can't forget standard maintenance. Got so caught up in the excitement of a new T4R I almost forgot lol. For sure going to give the truck a good look over and change all the fluids, as well as some preventative maintenance.
 
ouch always hate to see/hear about a fellow Seminole down on their luck (GO NOLES). Congrats on the upgrade though! Here are a couple I would recommend.

#Radio
#climate control (separate) wife loves it
#usb charger ports
#LED lights interior
#HID bulbs
#2006 headlamp swap (projectiles)
#weather Tech Mats
#trunk bag

Some simple ones to start with I am sure that others will have more to add if not already!!
 
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