First 4Runner need some guidance!

[HawkPlt]

I was given the opportunity to buy a 1999 4runner from one of my dads employees for $2100. I told him if it passed smog I would gladly buy it. I drove it down to the smog station and it passed with flying colors. Since I have gotten it I have changed the oil replaced the brakes and painted it. That was my first paint job I have attempted on a vehicle and I am glad that is over with. The original color was the pearl green I believe it was called and it was just way to expensive to buy the paint. So I researched and nearly settled with raptor lining it but then decided against it cause it was to permanent. So. I went with an industrial enamel single stage paint. Prepped it painted it and it turned out ok. I had some issue with my gun at first but eventually got it spraying right and am satisfied with the paint job for what I am going to do with the truck. It’s pretty much my hunting and 4 wheeling rig. So now it’s time to put a lift on it. I’ve done as much reading as I believe I can do to try to figure out exactly what lift I’m going to put on it and I’ve decided to go with the tundra spring conversion lift. Or based off of the guidance I get on here any other options. I picked up a set of brand new never used Toyota forerunner rims off a brand new Toyota forerunner for $100 that are 17” and they are at the powder coaters now getting sprayed flat black. I want to lift it about 3”. So what am asking is everything I will need to make that happen. I can see myself probably wanting to take the truck up the rubicon one of these dats since I live right there. I don’t think I want to go through everything there but hunting and 4wheelin is what I have this for. Any input you guys have for really anything would be great. I would also like to do a little stuff to the engine for a bit more power like an intake. I am excited to have this and am kinda addicted to tinkering with it which has gotten me out of the house and helped the marriage.


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[rkntoy]

Some info on Tundra lift.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/155518-tundra-coils-bilstein-5100-ome-lift-questions.html

 

[apohl17]

You've come to the right place. Some quick searching will result in pretty much the answer to every question you might have about the 3rd gen runner.

But, before you do that... Post up some pics of your ride! I think we are all curious to see how the pain turned out.

 

[DaMonkey]

+1 on the pics of truck w new paint.

perhaps reconsider the intake kit. the original intake works very nicely, and these motors will go 400k miles on a stock arrangement. intake kits are prone to extra dust, noise, and fart up the AF.

about 3" lift.... my advice would be 2" of lift is a great spot before you begin to unravel loads of other required modifications that starts to happen 3" and up.

but if you are eye balling Rubicon:

FWIW - when i used my garage to help with my marriage, it worked out great. i built a great hot rod that i've been enjoying it for many years. the ex, not so much. good riddance.

 

[gamefreakgc]

There's not much than be done on the cheap for power. You can look into the deckplate mod though, it does more for HP than a K&N intake since Gadget dyno'd them side by side. Everything else that adds any significant power is related to the supercharger system, which costs more than your entire 4Runner.

 

[HawkPlt]

I didn’t like the gas cap cover the black so I painted that the same color but the door handles are going to be black. I didn’t realize how hard it is to pick out a color when trying to match it based off something else. So what I did was used the Rust-Oleum ultra flat khaki color that way when I get around to it I can do the door jams and other touch up areas with a rattle can. Like I said hunting and 4wheeling rig and on a budget. The paint apparently takes a while to fully cure so since I am away on work I have my wife pull it out of the shop to air dry for the day then it goes back in at night. I have a deer hunt planned when I get home and I am going to Ben it hung to take it but I think it will need more time. So when I get some decent tires, wheels , bumpers and roof rack it will look pretty sweet. I almost painted all the plastic trim a flat black but decided against it. Never have good luck with paint on plastic. Oh and the paint I used is between a flat a satin eggshell texture. I am in the military and have always liked the paint texture of CARC paint and that’s what I was going for. This is a little smoother than that though. Paint job didn’t go perfect. I made a booth out of tarps and plastic got a few bugs and blemished a couple spots but kept my OCD in check and kept telling myself it’s a hunting rig and kept going. The only thing now I think I need to do is replace something in the front of the engine. I believe my tensioner pullunbearing is going out or it’s the AC compressor and I’m praying it’s nit that.

 

[HawkPlt]

Oh and I broke my Toyota emblem taking it off so I have another one coming. I was going to do the bumpers flat black powder coat but their going away eventually.

 

[HawkPlt]

Pre paint

 

[DaMonkey]

paint looks great, well done. will look nice with the new wheels and rack.

 

[DaMonkey]

...used the Rust-Oleum ultra flat khaki color that way when I get around to it I can do the door jams and other touch up areas with a rattle can...

Is that color the khaki that they offer as part of their camo? Available in gallons or quarts? I thought it was just Sand and Almond available in non-rattle.

What was your process for applying the paint?

 

[HawkPlt]

Sorry if what I said was confusing. So what I did while I was at the paint store was I grabbed a can of the rust Oleum paint that is the camo khaki color and matched it with the industrial enamel paint that I used. That way I could use that for the door jams later. The paint I used was mixed with a a hardener 4:1. It also can be applied direct to metal. So for the prep I sanded sanded and sanded. Where there were dings I sanded to metal filled it in with body filler sanded smooth then used a sealer filler primer. I wiped the truck down several times with acetone finalized it with a tack cloth then went to town spraying it. The paint store told me it’s an extremely durable paint and would hold up well to brush. Will see. Once I got my gun dialed in it sprayed on really nice. I used a HVLP gun at 40 PSI. When I get home I will post the exact paint I used and the paint code if you want it.


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[ziazia]

Wow what a nice job! It will look very good with trd sema wheels and at tires.

 

[HawkPlt]

What’s sema wheels? Is that the new models?


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[absalom]

Welcome aboard OP. You might consider hitting the "enter" key (paragraphs) every once in awhile to make it easier for us to process what you write.

Paint turned out surprisingly well, good job.

 

[HawkPlt]

There is always a douche bag on the prowl.


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[ToyotaBrah]

There is always a douche bag on the prowl.


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If this was in response to what absolom mentioned, I would reconsider your remarks towards him. It was a constructive post, and I agree with him. Kinda is a buzz kill reading a colossal paragraph, but it's an easy fix with just a few seconds of your time. I think that's all he was trying to get across. Absalom is a solid dude that has provided a lot of help on here.

You're burning bridges right out of the gate, buddy. Good going.

 

[DaMonkey]

'on the prowl' lol.

okay, now i get it what you did with the colors. smart.

keep the updates coming, looking forward to seeing the wheels with it.

it's a good group in here, i think he was just trying to be helpful but it came out kind of canoey.

 

[wshiverick]

Nice work on the paint job. If you've never had a 4runner before I'd hold off on the lift for now, especially with a 99 they already sit the tallest. You'll be surprised with the terrain you can tackle. Personally I think the 99 is the second most capable stock year behind an 85 or 86. If you do lift it get a nice coil over setup or something, really no need for spacers. You'll leave jeeps in the ditch as is.

 

[wshiverick]

The only thing now I think I need to do is replace something in the front of the engine. I believe my tensioner pullunbearing is going out or it’s the AC compressor and I’m praying it’s nit that.

If it's new to you and you don't know when the timing belt was done last make sure you aren't hearing an idler pulley behind the timing cover. Non interference so if the belt does break you won't bend valves but you don't wanna be stuck out hunting and have to drag it out. Unless u happen to have a stethoscope you can jam a ratchet extension into some fuel or heater hose or any sort of tubing and listen through that to pinpoint the noise.

 

[HawkPlt]

Well that’s not very good news about that noise. So the noise is only when the engine is cold for about the first 10 min while it’s running. It definitely sounds like a bearing. To me it sounds like it is coming outside of the timing belt/water pump cover lower on the engine towards the air conditioning pump or the air conditioning tensioner pully . The water pump and timing belt was replaced in 2005 so I am sure that it is due for replacement.
I also removed my side steps and modified the front mud flaps cause I didn’t really like the look without them there.


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