Crowdad Build

[crowdad]

Crowdad's 1997 Limited 4Runner
Black on Oak
3.4L V6 5VZ-lFE
4-Speed A340lF Automatic Transmission
Stock 4.30 Gear with Elocker




Build Purpose- Daily Driver, canoe hauler, short expedition type trips
Build Goals- Maintain stock drivability/reliability while maximizing offroad dynamics and capabilities.

Suspension-
Front - Tundra TRD Coils over Tundra Bilstien Shocks
Rear -Landcruiser 8 wrap Coils with OME Shocks
Rear Panhard Bar drop bracket
Wabbit Quick Disconnect front sway bar end links

Engine-
Maintained/Stock

Driveline-
3.4L V6 5VZ-lFE
4-Speed A340lF Automatic Transmission
4.88 gears front and rear
Rear- Elocker
Front ARB Air Locker
Front diff. drop
Andy Mod/Gray Wire

Heavy Stuff-
Front ARB Bumper
Rear Custom Bumper
4x Innovations Tube sliders w/ kickout
Whitson Metalworks Full Length Roof rack

Wheels/Brakes-
TRD FJ Silver 5 Spoke Wheels
33" BFG Mud Terrain KM2
1" Spidertrax front wheel spacers
Tundra 231 Brake Upgrade
Stainless Steel Front brake Lines

Recovery/Lights-
ARB CKMA12 12 VOLT AIR COMPRESSOR
Rotopax 4 Gallon Gas w/mounts
Rotopax 2 gallon water
Heavy Duty Shackles
Engo Winch- Gone
Hi Lift Jack
Slee LED Backup Lights
Front PIAA offroad fog lights
Rigid A-Series - Low Power - Single Rear Hatch Light
Rigid Interior 6 LED RV Retrofit LED Light Kit - FESTOON
VLED Headlights


Best Modification to date- 4.88 gears front and rear, followed closely by the Whitson Roof Rack

Worst Modification to date- Engo Winch







The Beginnings
I have been reading here since I bought the truck in August 2009 and am ashamed to say I didn't want to do a build thread. But I am trying to redeem myself and contribute a small amount to the forum I have went to almost every day since picking up the truck.

My love and interest in a small Toyota truck started on a mission trip to Honduras during college where we traversed through the mountains in diesel Hiluxes and Nissans. They were old, beat up, raw, and unstoppable. Knowing I couldn't get a Hilux here in the states I knew when it was time to get my next vehicle, it was going to be a Tacoma or a 4runner. I opted for the 4runner for many reason including price, and to me looks, but the main reason was to carry my canoes on the stock rack.


After graduating from Texas Tech, and moving back home to Austin with my wife, I decided to finally pull the trigger on my Toyota.
I picked up a Black 97 Limited with Oak interior and the rear locker. It was extremely clean and tidy and completely stock.

I do not have a lot of pictures of it in its raw unmolested form.

Mileage ~114,000



It is interesting how cheap the locking rear differential option is at $325. The Gold Package was $599! You cant buy a new Elocker Motor for less than ~$600

The first modification was removing the running boards! An instant lift.








more to come...

 

[crowdad]

OME Suspension
I didn't even drive the truck for 4 months before I had to put a lift on it. The suspension was original and at 114K miles it was time for a bit of a refresh.

I went for a cheap option starting out from ToyTec a standard OME 881 Front and 891 rears with the comfort shocks. I also added the diff drop kit and panhard bar drop bracket.
Without any bumpers or armor it was a decent ride for the stock weight 4runner.

With stock tires:




A couple weeks before I installed the lift I went hunting in Laredo and it was extremely muddy. To say that the mud caused my lift install to be slower than expected is an understatement. Since then I have really tried to avoid mud for the most part. It can cling to your undercarriage for a long time and be a real nuisance when working under the truck.

 

[Troybylt]

A couple weeks before I installed the lift I went hunting in Laredo and it was extremely muddy. To say that the mud caused my lift install to be slower than expected is an understatement. Since then I have really tried to avoid mud for the most part. It can cling to your undercarriage for a long time and be a real nuisance when working under the truck.

I went "mudding" once. Once. As it turns out, I didn't go mudding so much as I discovered a very ineffective way to transport 100lbs of sand and dirt to my driveway. Spent a whole afternoon pressure washing my undercarriage. Mud can hold moisture for so long and rust stuff up quick, plus the sand and mud down here is so fine that it gets into everything. Not good. Needless to say I also avoid mud now when possible.

 

[JayRolla]

I went "mudding" once. Once. As it turns out, I didn't go mudding so much as I discovered a very ineffective way to transport 100lbs of sand and dirt to my driveway. Spent a whole afternoon pressure washing my undercarriage. Mud can hold moisture for so long and rust stuff up quick, plus the sand and mud down here is so fine that it gets into everything. Not good. Needless to say I also avoid mud now when possible.

WELCOME!!! Nice setup.

Dont get me started on mud. I avoid it like the plague!! Cost so much money to clean at the wash. Takes forever! Gets in the wheel bearings, starter, diffs, air box, brakes, ect!!!

 

[crowdad]

WELCOME!!! Nice setup.

Dont get me started on mud. I avoid it like the plague!! Cost so much money to clean at the wash. Takes forever! Gets in the wheel bearings, starter, diffs, air box, brakes, ect!!!

Thanks guys! I am certain 6 years later there is still some of that old mud up in different nooks and crannies!


New Tires and ARB Front Bumper:
About 3 months after I got the OME lift I bought an ARB front bumper because I figured the 4runner could handle the weight with the new suspension. It added enough weight to the front that the suspension lost some height so I ended up putting some 1/4" top plate spacers on.




All through adding the small lift and an ARB bumper to the truck I really wanted the truck to perform well on the highway as it was my daily driver. The tires were still stock size and I was getting decent mileage. But as the dominoes of moding fall, when the time came for new tires I ended up going one size larger than stock - 265/75/16. I went with the Korean made Hankook DynaPro ATMs. The price was unbeatable for the reviews they were getting. Definitely not as durable as the BFG ATs but they compared decently on road and trail. This was a good compromise of size and performance for the time being as the miles were racking up.



Took my son out camping and offroading

There are pretty limited areas to offroad around the Hill country of Texas, as it is very environmentally sensitive and basically mostly private land. But there is a place around Marble Falls that still offers some fun and camping so I took my son on our first camping and offroading trip. Though a private limited land area, the trails are extremely fun being mostly limestone rock and cliche type soils with very limited mud.









Before I went I went ahead and added the obligatory TRD decal. You can also see where I had to run up on a tree trunk on my gas cover that trip. My first trail damage...




Texas Water Safari and Canoeing
As I said I bought the 4runner mainly to use the roof rack. The rack is utilized mostly for my canoes. Down here in Texas there are lots of canoe races especially here in the hill country and if Im not spending money on my truck it probably goes to canoeing.


My truck gets used every year for a race called the Texas Water Safari- billed as the toughest canoe race in the world, it covers 262 non-stop miles of narrow water from central Texas to the Gulf of Mexico. My team captains (usually my Dad or my wife) drives down along the river and supplies me with water and encouragement. The team captains basically live out of the truck for 3 days and the last thing they need to think about is the truck breaking down. The 4runner has performed flawlessly every year and has been of great utility. I love buying things that actually get used for their intended purpose!

Here are some pics of different years attempted just for fun.















First Road Trip
Shortly after I got the ARB I took my dad and a couple buddies on a suicide trip to Minnesota to hike and buy a Kevlar canoe for the race. We drove 24 hours straight hiked and bought a canoe in ELY Minnesota and then turned around in 36 hours and drove 24 hours back home to Austin. It was a short trip but the memories are abundant.






New Brakes and Wheels
When I first got the ARB I quickly realized the stock brakes just were not going to cut it. They warped very quickly with the little added weight and were almost unbearable to drive in everyday traffic. I went ahead and stayed with the stock size rotors but crossed drilled, from Wheelers offroad and new high performance brake pads. Very soon after (a month or 2) my front passenger side warped just the same. I knew they were just too thin and I quit messing around and went for the ever popular Tundra 231 brake kit. I ordered mine through Summit racing and got the rotors and calipers in one kit. They seriously stop as well as my M3!

Since I was messing with my wheels I bought brand new TRD Wheels from Toyota. I guess these are the FJ wheels in silver. I would have loved to have the Anthracite color but the price and scarcity pushed me to the boring silver.

 

[crowdad]

Colorado 2012

Colorado 2012
September 2012 my brother my son and I went on a small trip to Colorado to get away into the mountains. My truck had just received its first timing belt change in my ownership and all the fluids, spark plugs, filters were replaced. The Runner was primed and ready for its first trip to the mountains. Our agenda or itinerary, was really only to relax and hit as many passes on the Sangre de Cristo range as we could within a couple days. We started off with Hermit Pass on the west side of the range and went to the top.











After that we went back south and hit up Medano Pass from the eastern side and went across towards the Great Sand Dunes NP. This is a very simple pass that doesn't have a bunch of elevation and has good spots to camp. There was however quite a bit of traffic on the pass so sleeping near the trail was a little noisy.











Once we were on the west side of the mountains we went north and made our way to Hayden Pass. This had a little more obstacles than Hermit or Medano but it was great fun. AFter Hayden we were back on the east side and went south again to Cloverdale mine trail and found a nice camping spot.

 

[crowdad]

Slow Build

Slow Build
I know it isn't 100% 4Runner related but it helps tell the overall story of my 4Runner. Over the years of ownership I have had other vehicular projects that have taken their fair share of money and time. The 4Runner though, somehow always remained to be main source of fun and investment. The other vehicle I really invested in was my 2001 M3. A wonderfully fun car to own, to drive and work on for that matter.





In 2013 we picked my wife up a brand new Prado 150... I mean Lexus GX.
It is a super sturdy vehicle that has been unbelievably useful for our lifestyle.



This past year I added new TRD FJ cruiser/4runner springs to the front and rear to add about an inch of height. This is about the max the wife would allow. I attempted to take the running boards off too but was halted midway through by beautiful bride! After installing the springs and changing every fluid on the vehicle we packed it up and all the family for almost an entire month of traveling through New Mexico, Utah and Colorado. What a blast.
Highlights included Imogene Pass, White Rim Trail, Elephant Hill, Top of the World, Mount Wilson.

 

[crowdad]

New headlights ready to go in. I installed new housings and VLEDs Led lamps:


Additions I don't have many pics of...
A little before my first 4runner Trip to Colorado with my son and brother I added 4xInnovations Sliders. I welded them up and honestly think I got them a little too close to the body. I pre- painted everything with Zero Rust Zero Rust Aerosol Free Shipping for all orders over $120

I went ahead and got the bump out on the back side of the slider and I really am glad I did that as it has really pushed the truck off obstacles and helped clear things. The sliders have held up great and I have been really impressed with the paint I used as well. I have had to pound down the sliders with a sledge and a slab of wood to push them away from the body after heavy use.





At the same time I built a rear bumper and bolted it into the stock mounting points on the frame.




I used rustoleum on the rear bumper and the paint has not held up as well. Especially directly behind the tire from all the rock chipping. The bumper is very high and tight and has really improved my departure angle. I need to continue looking for build pictures of this as I did have some.

I also purchased an Engo Winch Lets just say it wasn't a very good winch and I don't have it on the truck anymore. I will be purchasing a new winch in the future with better reliability, speed, and strength.

 

[crowdad]

New Suspension and Tires

I rode the OME suspension for about 3 years until I decided I really wanted to go 33" tires. So I ordered a set of BFG Mud Terrain KM2s @ 285/75/16 and had them mounted to my TRD wheels and had them waited until I could install my new suspension. I decided upon Tundra TRD Coils up front on Bilstein shocks with the adjuster on the second ring.

I made much of my decision from Risckshays old review and build thread:http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/101758-**rickashays-ome-vs-trd-tundra-lc-review**.html

In the rear I went with the Landcruiser 8 wraps. These are extremely flexible and soft and I have really loved off roading since I installed these.







How it sat after the lift and tires:

 

[Chuckles89]

Nice 4Runner!

I have found that the VHT "Chassis and Roll Bar" paint works really good. I really like the rear bumper

 

[Ryan_289]

I don't suppose you still have your ome suspension kit and want to sell it do you?

 

[crowdad]

Nice 4Runner!

I have found that the VHT "Chassis and Roll Bar" paint works really good. I really like the rear bumper

Thank you very much. I am trying to get somewhat caught up to current affairs with the actual build so some of this is fairly glossed over.

I may have to try that paint you suggested whenever I repaint my rear bumper. The rustoleum just doesn't hold up as well as my sliders paint.

I don't suppose you still have your ome suspension kit and want to sell it do you?

No I don't. I sold it pretty quickly after I installed the TRD and landcruiser suspension

 

[crowdad]

Painted the center caps of the TRD Wheels Dark Gunmetal with the TRD red. I guess it felt like it had more depth to it than the standard all silver


VS



Whitson MetalWorks Full Length Roof Rack

I ordered a full length with sunroof leave out roof rack. This has been one of my favorite purchases for the truck so far because of the utility it brings. It is extremely well built and even subtlety curves with the roof line. I bought it unpainted and ended up using the a thin spray of Rustoleum bed liner to give a bit of traction to the rails. This has been perfect for my canoeing as it extends the points of contacts outward for the canoe.

 

[crowdad]

New Garage
We recently moved and of course the main upgrade I cared about was the garage. Our old house was a 2 bay garage with standard openings and ceiling heights. The new one is a foot taller opening and 12' ceilings with 3 bays and an extra side bump out. Makes working on the cars so much nicer. Still in the organization phase of setting things up so it is still pretty messy. Still debating on whether or not to epoxy or lay the garage tiles down. Open to any suggestions or input regarding flooring. Now if I only had a lift...

 

[crowdad]

Rat Problems

Rat Problems

Upon coming home from our ranch in West Texas I lifted my rear seat of my 4runner where the jack and wheel wrench is and found a rat inside that had excavated most of my fabric insulation and made himself a nice comfortable home. I left the doors open all night and placed rat/mouse traps around and in the vehicle. I new I was going to have electrical problems somewhere so a few days later started taking molding and carpet up.

Found this!:


This is what happens when you have kids that just throw their junk and trash and snacks on the floorboard in the back seat. Even though it is nasty and posed possible problems I thought it was hilarious. This field mouse/rat had a perfect setup!
So I went ahead and tore everything apart and put down dynaliner and fat mat.



Took the carpet out and power washed it and could not believe how much brown water continuously came out. I let that air dry for a couple days then ran over it with a vacuum cleaner to fluff it up.

I laid the dynaliner down focusing mainly on the middle console behind the shifter. Before I installed the insulation if I placed things in the cubby behind the shifter they would become hot after extended periods of time. After the dynaliner that has dropped significantly. I also focused on the front floorboards/firewall and the rear cargo area.

I need to do the doors now as that is where a lot of the sounds deadening will come from.

Sounds levels and heat levels are definitely lower upon completion of the liner and insulation.

 

[crowdad]

Blanca Peak

In June of 13' I made my way up to the mountains of Colorado again and enjoyed the beautiful Sangre de Cristo Mountains. A couple friends and I went to climb some 14ers and decided we might as well put the 4runner to the test by attempting Blanca Peak. While not fully expecting to complete the trail in the vehicle, we really wanted to give it a shot especially considering we heard a lot of 'you wont be able to make it past Jaws 2' banter.
We drove overnight, aired down and made our attempt. More can be seen in this thread: http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/151127-blanca-peak-trail.html

A couple images:

 

[jman11788]

Awesome build you have going! In love with those wheels. Ever interested in selling them shoot me a PM haha

 

[crowdad]

Awesome build you have going! In love with those wheels. Ever interested in selling them shoot me a PM haha

Thanks! I haven't ever been a big aftermarket wheel guy so these TRDs have been a great compromise. Honestly they were super cheap new, through the dealer. I think around ~$600 for 4. Only negative is they have slightly less backspacing than the stock 3 spokes and are a bit heavier.

 

[jman11788]

Dang that's a steal for those new, that's real surprising to me coming from the dealer. I agree not a fan of aftermarket wheels. I personally think the 5 stars look great on the 3rd, but those FJ TRD's are probably my favorite and would look good on just about anything.

 

[crowdad]

Dang that's a steal for those new, that's real surprising to me coming from the dealer. I agree not a fan of aftermarket wheels. I personally think the 5 stars look great on the 3rd, but those FJ TRD's are probably my favorite and would look good on just about anything.

Yeah and the Anthracite color looks even better imo. Toyota of Dallas:6-Spoke Alloy Wheel 16 PT904-35070