Brilliant's Mod Thread

[Brilliant]

Project Un-Limited

Made some good progress on my unlimited...I am also planning on painting the bumpers body color.

I practiced on a the limited door I was replacing before going under the 4runner and welding the rockers. I used a millermatic 211, no previous welding experience and was able to weld the sheetmetal.

Going for this look.

The rear door I picked up ended up with a cut harness from the yard, so I get to enjoy fixing that. Front door, everything works, so it went in easy.

In the garage, with the door open, it's close to the same color and doesnt warrant painting. In full sun might be a different story. We'll see once I roll it out with the other side one. One of the doors is a bit rougher from another truck, but clean enough to start with. I have the desert dune mud flaps and rear quarter trim as well.

 

[THatfield]

Looking forward to seeing your paint work. I like the look you're going for as well. very clean.

Good luck with the paint and body work.

 

[T4R2014]

What do you plan on doing about the holes in the rocker panels? It looks good. The fully Desert Dune 4Runner is actually a Canadian-only package from 96-98.

 

[Brilliant]

Looking forward to seeing your paint work. I like the look you're going for as well. very clean. Good luck with the paint and body work.

Thanks, its good to have a nod I'm doing the right thing

What do you plan on doing about the holes in the rocker panels? It looks good. The fully Desert Dune 4Runner is actually a Canadian-only package from 96-98.

For the rocker, I intend to weld them. I've talked to a couple shops and that's the right thing to do. The material is thicker on the rocker so it should easier to weld.

The candadian only makes sense. I've only seen it on canadain owners or japanese surfs. I did more research and it was the 'badlands' edition.

 

[Brilliant]

Center Console Panel Switch and Diff Lock Switch Panel

Objective: Add two switch slots in the lower dash, add another diff switch for front locker

What I did:

• Sand down a spare bezel with 400 grit in the area
• Obtain an oem switch panel and cut it down to fit
• Using CA glue, position the cut down panel in place
• Tape the front side with masking tape, fill the back with epoxy
• Apply filler to the front, shaping and sanding as required
• Paint with high fill primer and decreasing to 600 grit for a smooth finish
• Paint with black trim paint

• Trace diff switch outline on plastic
• Using a sharp razor, cut out blank
• Epoxy to the backside another switch panel to provide tabs for the diff swtich to lock into
• Remove diff lock switch face
• Using an exacto knife, and a light to backlight the face plastic, remove part of the R and form an F
• Replace face and wire as required to operate locker, tap dimmer circuit for backlight as desired

Wow, this looks terrible

Getting better

Turned out good

Backside of panel

Panel cut out

Diff lock switch face modified

Installed with dimmer connected

 

[A.Wilson013]

I had to repair a few tabs in the misc flare peices I am putting together, so out came the epoxy and some other projects I had in mind. Waiting for bondo to dry...

So... Front Locker to come...?

What do you have planned for the other two switches?

 

[Brilliant]

So... Front Locker to come...?

What do you have planned for the other two switches?

The two blanks are just to give me my din back. I'm looking at a double din unit.

Yeah, front locker is coming at some point, but not sure if before a winch. I had to back out of something I was pretty sure I could do but was alone and the walk was too far if I got stuck. I got a winch plate and a new piece of Tupperware to so if I can do something like this taco cleanly. [MENTION=94189]hurt4x[/MENTION] and [MENTION=85167]jmildoc[/MENTION] have done it so looking to copy them a bit.

 

[jmildoc]

Thanks for the mention man! If you need any help at all let me know.

 

[Brilliant]

M8000 Hidden Winch

Objective: Add hidden winch, be able to do straight pulls to get myself out of trouble. It uses the oe pull points

Process:

• Pick up a jeep winch plate from rough country, 87-06 wrangler
• Cut off frame caps on 99
• Clamp winch plate to bottom of frame for reference
• Cut core support out to make room for winch
• Cut out front frame c channel (you're replacing it with 3/8" plate)
• Remove core support bolts, fabricate support that rises up to clear winch. I used 1/8" plate for feet and a piece of 1/8" wall tube, bent
• Grind down backside of channel on winch plate
• Fabricate new AC condenser brackets, moving it back 1/4"
• Cut off tabs from back sides, weld in extension pieces to reach recovery point holes
• Cut tabs to reach around frame rails, drill through
• Put in tube spacers inside frame, bolt through
• Put bumper back on, cut out plastic for fairlead
• Cut out minimal amount of valance to reach winch clutch
• Mount winch box on frame rail
• Wire as desired

Getting dimensions sorted

Replacement core support

Mostly together

Control box mounted

All done

 

[A.Wilson013]

Found something on craigslist. Took the bumper off and tested what I was thinking of. Don't mind that HID wiring mess.

Ah, cool. What are the specs on it?

 

[Brilliant]

Ah, cool. What are the specs on it?

M8000. :banana: More than I need, but expect it to always work when I need it.

It ended up cheaper the the VR I was looking at. The huge selenoids on engos werent an option for my space limitations and swapping them for a contactor was ~$100 upgrade from what I saw.

 

[Brilliant]

Black FJ Whees

Thought about getting some new wheels, but I think I like this style.

I pasti dipped them to see what they would look like black. Going to follow up and paint them black.

I found this on the FJ forum. I might do this, but I'll look for some sort of flatter cap, like a blank tundra cap if it fits.

I also test fit the black TRD caps, no so good style wise. I tested tundra flat caps, and they fit. So I painted them black and swapped in some black lug nuts. .

Final product with some ebay decals

 

[THatfield]

I like the extra switch blanks project. Especially since those little cubbies are absolutely useless. I might try to snag another trim piece and attempt doing that myself.

Good work!

 

[Brilliant]

Got the final door in and on today.

I also got some 255s in from ebay discounttire. Not sure how they will work with the sport flares but I'll mount them up and see.

Like most things, hit a snag. The electrical doesnt work in the door so I am going to swap the harnesses.

 

[Brilliant]

Got the door eletrical fixed, mirrors, and internals swapped. Everything's working and ready to go. Buzzkill last night was I am still missing a flare peice. Somehow I forgot to get the front right bumper peice.

 

[Brilliant]

Group 31M Battery

Posted another thread asking about a group 31 in their 3rd gen. I found a thread on it on yotatech and he'd been running it for years so I went for it. Ordered some new terminals and new terminal covers.

Dual batteries under the hood - Page 4 - YotaTech Forums

I thought I could use a slee hold down with minimal modifications. Didnt work out that way.

Before I modified the slee tray, I checked for clearance. 1" would give me piece of mind. Good news it was an easy 1.25 from the terminal to the hood. I wont use the main terminal as the other post is rated full load I dont want to replace my cables right now.

The slee tray is too large to snugly fit a diahard platinum, I bend the edges to 90 degrees and tacted a spacer to the side. I added a longer strap and bent the strap to a new angle.

The next thing was the need for a longer J hook. Some 1/4 rod bent over a socket extension and a M8 dye made a longer hook for the taller battery. The OEM one was maybe 1/2 too short.

The final modification was a 10cm spacer to the side to grab the battery tighter. You can see the spacer in this pic. Slee wants you to use some foam, I wanted it snug.


Smart led battery monitors, green, amber, red flashing as voltage. A few dollar solution and less crap hanging on the dash compated to other contraptions. Gammatronix 5mm LEDs.

I also went to the junkyard and tried to snag that flare piece, bad news they got rid of 4 3rd gens they had and one of them had the flare I needed.

 

[A.Wilson013]

M8000. :banana: More than I need, but expect it to always work when I need it.

It ended up cheaper the the VR I was looking at. The huge selenoids on engos werent an option for my space limitations and swapping them for a contactor was ~$100 upgrade from what I saw.

You should put off your winch install and sell it to me... These Icon 700lb springs need some weight up there. haha

No replacement winches worth looking at locally...

 

[Brilliant]

Sliders

Set these up for looks, motivation to get this done. It's going to look alot shorter with sliders on.

You should put off your winch install and sell it to me... These Icon 700lb springs need some weight up there. haha

No replacement winches worth looking at locally...

Saw in your thread you winch was jacked, thieves are the worst.

 

[Brilliant]

placeholder

 

[THatfield]

Very nice work man! I think I'm motivated to add those switch blanks there. Not that I'll need them ever but it seems like a good wintertime project to keep me busy.

looking good. i'll be needing a new battery before it gets to cold as well. looks like you'll have two providing plenty o power when necessary! :becky: