Fishing Holler
New member
[size=+3]Holler Runner[/size]
[size=+2]1999 Toyota 4Runner Limited w/ E-Locker[/size]
[size=+1]INTRO[/size]
Hello Everybody! Welcome to the build thread for my 1999 Toyota 4Runner! I have officially deemed this project “Holler Runner” as I plan to take it on journeys over hill and through hollers. This thread is intended to be a learning process for me as well as the community here. It will serve as a place for me to share my progress on the build, as well as, a brewing ground for new ideas and concepts. That being said, please feel free to leave any and all questions and comments to stoke up constructive conversation. I am currently in my 3rd year at Penn State University so the build may be slow to start, but I do have big vision for this truck! Now let’s get into some background on the vehicle.
[size=+1]BACKGROUND[/size]
The truck is a 1999 4Runner Limited with E-locker in Desert Dune/Silver. It was purchased on February 13, 2017 with only 125k miles for the cool price of $3000. Of course with this price came flaws that I will address throughout the thread. Since it has some questionable history, and I believe it may have been sitting for several years, I began with some comprehensive maintenance.
[size=+1]INITIAL MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION[/size]
Since I had very little information on the trucks history I started with the basics. I changed the oil with 5w30 Kendal Full Synthetic on recommendation from a local shop. I used an OEM Toyota filter I ordered from Amazon (they sell them in 5 packs which is handy). I also ordered some OEM Toyota oil drain plug washers to use for this and future oil changes. Next, I began flushing the tranny fluid using Wolf’s Head Full Synthetic ATF on recommendation from another local tranny shop. Both the oil and transmission fluid were very dark. I will continue to flush the transmission on regular intervals over the next couple of months until I am sure I have the displaced the last of the old fluid. The next step was to change the gear oil in the differentials and transfer case. I kept the front skid plate off to do some work on it later. I also replaced the air filter with an OEM Toyota part. I cranked down the spare tire which was very rusty. I gave it and the assembly a good wire brushing and painted them with some black Rustoleum. I greased up the cable before cranking it all back into place. Front and rear wiper blades were also changed with cheap NAPA wipers.
With basic maintenance taking care of, I decided to tackle the interior. I pulled out all the mats and sprayed them down with some Chemical Guys All Clean, rinsed them down, and hung them to dry. Next, I gave the whole interior a good cleaning with several different wipes and cleaners. The interior had a slight stale smoke smell. I sprinkled some baking powder around all of the carpets and allowed it to sit for several hours to absorb some odors. I then vacuumed it all out with a shop vac. This definitely helped. I am still occasionally fabrezing and using air fresheners to try to get rid of the last of the stench, but it is much better than it was when I bought it.
Since I bought the car out of state, I needed to get a PA inspection and pesky emissions. With basic maintenance and cleaning complete, I felt it was ready to take it to the local shop. I had my mechanic replace the valve cover gasket and knock sensors as well. I was aware of these issues when I purchased the vehicle. They had some issues getting the knock sensor codes to clear. After doing some research on the forum I learned that aftermarket sensors can cause issues. I asked them to try Toyota sensors and that cured it! They changed the PCV valve and grommet while they were at it. It would have been nice to learn to do these things myself, but I didn’t have the time or resources to complete it while at school and I needed the vehicle up and running. To my relief it passed inspection and emissions with a clean bill of health!
[size=+1]MORE MAINTENANCE AND MODS[/size]
My next big chance to do some work on the 4Runner came during my spring break. I was finally home for a whole week (March 6 – 10, 2017) to wrench on my Runner and get to know it on (and off) the road. I had lots I wanted to accomplish this week and thankfully my retired Pap is always willing to lend his barn and a helping hand. Throughout the week we accomplished several things that I will address below.
Body Work
This was the biggest accomplishment. The rear bumper had a large dent in the driver side and smaller dents throughout. The metal portion of the front bumper needed some paint and the lower plastic valence was cracked. Using rubber mallets, some homemade wooden blocks, shaped with a belt sander, and a little elbow grease, we managed to get most of the larger dents out of the rear. On the driver’s side corner the dent was at a sharp angle and did not come out very flush. We used a small amount of bondo to fill this ding to help smooth out the corner. I used a little JB Weld on the cracked valence. It worked well surprisingly. Any surface that was to be painted was sanded, taped off and primed. The following day we began the paint job. The paint came from a local paint shop that did their best to match the Toyota paint code. It isn’t perfect by any means but it is much better. The areas that I attempted to blend did not turn out great because any paint that was not on top of primer sort of beaded up. If I could do it again, with more time and money, I would take the time to prepare and paint the full bumpers, fender flairs, and trim pieces rather than simply the worst spots. However, for my time and budget I think it will do pretty nicely for now and it was much cheaper than the 600$ quote I got from the local body guy. Who knows maybe custom bumper are somewhere down the road anyhow
I also cleaned up the skidplate, put some bondo in a rust spot, and painted it flat black before replacing it. It actually turned out pretty nice.
Tundra Brake Upgrade
The other major accomplishment this week was replacing the front brakes with the 231mm WL Toyota Tundra brakes. At first I did not intend to work on the brakes because the pads were in good shape and braking felt decent. However, after an hour drive with lots of hill and valleys, I discovered there was terrible brake wobble once they heated up. I decided if I was going to replace the brakes I might as well do the upgrade. The rotors are thicker, calipers larger, and pad surface areas greater, all attributing to greater stopping force and less wear over time. I got all the parts from my local NAPA store. My Dad’s friend works there so I get a little discount which helps for a broke college student like myself. The quality of the parts actually seems pretty good. The parts I bought were front rotors, calipers, and pads from a 2005 Toyota Tundra 4X4. I made the mistake of telling him what I was up to. He was skeptical at first, but after looking up all the measurements and specifications he realized it might actually work (which of course I already knew due to awesome forum members). He just wanted to make sure I wasn’t getting in over my head, which I appreciate, but sometimes they just need to realize we know more than they do on certain topics. I also picked up some dot 4 brake fluid. The actually replacement was a breeze. The toughest part was getting the old rusted rotors off but nothing a little PB Blaster and some light taps with a hammer couldn’t solve. As most of you probably know, the breaks are a direct replacement. The only modification needed is to trim the edges of the dust shield just a hair in order to fit the larger calipers. This can be easily done with any cutting wheel or dermal tool or even a hacksaw if it comes down to it. Trouble came when it was time to bleed to brake. As I was bleeding the front brakes there was a sudden loss of all brake pressure. I got out of the truck to see what was up and saw a large puddle under the rear of the vehicle. A portion of the rear line was corroded and busted as I was bleeding the fronts. Of course it was in the worst spot between the frame and fuel tank. Without a lift it would be a pain to try to replace so I crimped the line and limped the vehicle about a mile up the road to my local shop. I have become quiet friendly with the owner and he takes good care of me. He replaced the line for me the next day and I was back in business! What a difference the Tundra brakes make! This is definitely a worthwhile mod. It might seem a little pricey upfront, but it will save money in the long run. Also, be sure to return the old calipers cores to the auto parts shop to get some cash back.
Odds and Ends
I did several other smaller things to the vehicle over my break that I won’t fully write up since they are either trivial or other people have better guides than I could formulate. I took the running boards off for more ground clearance and aesthetics of course. I also plastidipped my emblems black. I replaced a cracked turn signal assembly and straightened out a crooked fog light bracket. My automatic antenna was busted so I replaced it with another cheapo I found on amazon. If this one breaks I’ll probably just do a taco whip mod. I lubed all the fitting on the driveshaft. My driver side wheel speed sensor was also faulty causing the abs light to come on. I replaced the sensor with the cheapest one I could find on amazon. I would have liked to use a Toyota part but 30 buck was much better than 250 and it is working perfectly for now; hopefully it holds up. When the week was over I was happy with what we had accomplished and confident the truck would have no issues on the 3 hour drive back up to State College.
I wish I had photographed these projects to better document the process. I hadn’t intended on writing a thread, but decided it might be fun and am now addicted. I apologize for lack of photos or greater detail. If you have questions or comments on any aspects of my build never hesitate to ask as I am more than happy to address them. The few pictures I do have I will leave below along with my first experience playing in the snow with the Holler Runner. I am happy to report all of the 4 wheel drive modes and E-locker seem to work flawlessly.
Running boards (My sister 2000 2wd 4runner -- my first car-- is in the background)
No running boards (Much better!)
The First of many Snowy Adventures
Thank you for stopping by!
[size=+2]1999 Toyota 4Runner Limited w/ E-Locker[/size]
[size=+1]INTRO[/size]
Hello Everybody! Welcome to the build thread for my 1999 Toyota 4Runner! I have officially deemed this project “Holler Runner” as I plan to take it on journeys over hill and through hollers. This thread is intended to be a learning process for me as well as the community here. It will serve as a place for me to share my progress on the build, as well as, a brewing ground for new ideas and concepts. That being said, please feel free to leave any and all questions and comments to stoke up constructive conversation. I am currently in my 3rd year at Penn State University so the build may be slow to start, but I do have big vision for this truck! Now let’s get into some background on the vehicle.
[size=+1]BACKGROUND[/size]
The truck is a 1999 4Runner Limited with E-locker in Desert Dune/Silver. It was purchased on February 13, 2017 with only 125k miles for the cool price of $3000. Of course with this price came flaws that I will address throughout the thread. Since it has some questionable history, and I believe it may have been sitting for several years, I began with some comprehensive maintenance.
[size=+1]INITIAL MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION[/size]
Since I had very little information on the trucks history I started with the basics. I changed the oil with 5w30 Kendal Full Synthetic on recommendation from a local shop. I used an OEM Toyota filter I ordered from Amazon (they sell them in 5 packs which is handy). I also ordered some OEM Toyota oil drain plug washers to use for this and future oil changes. Next, I began flushing the tranny fluid using Wolf’s Head Full Synthetic ATF on recommendation from another local tranny shop. Both the oil and transmission fluid were very dark. I will continue to flush the transmission on regular intervals over the next couple of months until I am sure I have the displaced the last of the old fluid. The next step was to change the gear oil in the differentials and transfer case. I kept the front skid plate off to do some work on it later. I also replaced the air filter with an OEM Toyota part. I cranked down the spare tire which was very rusty. I gave it and the assembly a good wire brushing and painted them with some black Rustoleum. I greased up the cable before cranking it all back into place. Front and rear wiper blades were also changed with cheap NAPA wipers.
With basic maintenance taking care of, I decided to tackle the interior. I pulled out all the mats and sprayed them down with some Chemical Guys All Clean, rinsed them down, and hung them to dry. Next, I gave the whole interior a good cleaning with several different wipes and cleaners. The interior had a slight stale smoke smell. I sprinkled some baking powder around all of the carpets and allowed it to sit for several hours to absorb some odors. I then vacuumed it all out with a shop vac. This definitely helped. I am still occasionally fabrezing and using air fresheners to try to get rid of the last of the stench, but it is much better than it was when I bought it.
Since I bought the car out of state, I needed to get a PA inspection and pesky emissions. With basic maintenance and cleaning complete, I felt it was ready to take it to the local shop. I had my mechanic replace the valve cover gasket and knock sensors as well. I was aware of these issues when I purchased the vehicle. They had some issues getting the knock sensor codes to clear. After doing some research on the forum I learned that aftermarket sensors can cause issues. I asked them to try Toyota sensors and that cured it! They changed the PCV valve and grommet while they were at it. It would have been nice to learn to do these things myself, but I didn’t have the time or resources to complete it while at school and I needed the vehicle up and running. To my relief it passed inspection and emissions with a clean bill of health!
[size=+1]MORE MAINTENANCE AND MODS[/size]
My next big chance to do some work on the 4Runner came during my spring break. I was finally home for a whole week (March 6 – 10, 2017) to wrench on my Runner and get to know it on (and off) the road. I had lots I wanted to accomplish this week and thankfully my retired Pap is always willing to lend his barn and a helping hand. Throughout the week we accomplished several things that I will address below.
Body Work
This was the biggest accomplishment. The rear bumper had a large dent in the driver side and smaller dents throughout. The metal portion of the front bumper needed some paint and the lower plastic valence was cracked. Using rubber mallets, some homemade wooden blocks, shaped with a belt sander, and a little elbow grease, we managed to get most of the larger dents out of the rear. On the driver’s side corner the dent was at a sharp angle and did not come out very flush. We used a small amount of bondo to fill this ding to help smooth out the corner. I used a little JB Weld on the cracked valence. It worked well surprisingly. Any surface that was to be painted was sanded, taped off and primed. The following day we began the paint job. The paint came from a local paint shop that did their best to match the Toyota paint code. It isn’t perfect by any means but it is much better. The areas that I attempted to blend did not turn out great because any paint that was not on top of primer sort of beaded up. If I could do it again, with more time and money, I would take the time to prepare and paint the full bumpers, fender flairs, and trim pieces rather than simply the worst spots. However, for my time and budget I think it will do pretty nicely for now and it was much cheaper than the 600$ quote I got from the local body guy. Who knows maybe custom bumper are somewhere down the road anyhow
I also cleaned up the skidplate, put some bondo in a rust spot, and painted it flat black before replacing it. It actually turned out pretty nice.
Tundra Brake Upgrade
The other major accomplishment this week was replacing the front brakes with the 231mm WL Toyota Tundra brakes. At first I did not intend to work on the brakes because the pads were in good shape and braking felt decent. However, after an hour drive with lots of hill and valleys, I discovered there was terrible brake wobble once they heated up. I decided if I was going to replace the brakes I might as well do the upgrade. The rotors are thicker, calipers larger, and pad surface areas greater, all attributing to greater stopping force and less wear over time. I got all the parts from my local NAPA store. My Dad’s friend works there so I get a little discount which helps for a broke college student like myself. The quality of the parts actually seems pretty good. The parts I bought were front rotors, calipers, and pads from a 2005 Toyota Tundra 4X4. I made the mistake of telling him what I was up to. He was skeptical at first, but after looking up all the measurements and specifications he realized it might actually work (which of course I already knew due to awesome forum members). He just wanted to make sure I wasn’t getting in over my head, which I appreciate, but sometimes they just need to realize we know more than they do on certain topics. I also picked up some dot 4 brake fluid. The actually replacement was a breeze. The toughest part was getting the old rusted rotors off but nothing a little PB Blaster and some light taps with a hammer couldn’t solve. As most of you probably know, the breaks are a direct replacement. The only modification needed is to trim the edges of the dust shield just a hair in order to fit the larger calipers. This can be easily done with any cutting wheel or dermal tool or even a hacksaw if it comes down to it. Trouble came when it was time to bleed to brake. As I was bleeding the front brakes there was a sudden loss of all brake pressure. I got out of the truck to see what was up and saw a large puddle under the rear of the vehicle. A portion of the rear line was corroded and busted as I was bleeding the fronts. Of course it was in the worst spot between the frame and fuel tank. Without a lift it would be a pain to try to replace so I crimped the line and limped the vehicle about a mile up the road to my local shop. I have become quiet friendly with the owner and he takes good care of me. He replaced the line for me the next day and I was back in business! What a difference the Tundra brakes make! This is definitely a worthwhile mod. It might seem a little pricey upfront, but it will save money in the long run. Also, be sure to return the old calipers cores to the auto parts shop to get some cash back.
Odds and Ends
I did several other smaller things to the vehicle over my break that I won’t fully write up since they are either trivial or other people have better guides than I could formulate. I took the running boards off for more ground clearance and aesthetics of course. I also plastidipped my emblems black. I replaced a cracked turn signal assembly and straightened out a crooked fog light bracket. My automatic antenna was busted so I replaced it with another cheapo I found on amazon. If this one breaks I’ll probably just do a taco whip mod. I lubed all the fitting on the driveshaft. My driver side wheel speed sensor was also faulty causing the abs light to come on. I replaced the sensor with the cheapest one I could find on amazon. I would have liked to use a Toyota part but 30 buck was much better than 250 and it is working perfectly for now; hopefully it holds up. When the week was over I was happy with what we had accomplished and confident the truck would have no issues on the 3 hour drive back up to State College.
I wish I had photographed these projects to better document the process. I hadn’t intended on writing a thread, but decided it might be fun and am now addicted. I apologize for lack of photos or greater detail. If you have questions or comments on any aspects of my build never hesitate to ask as I am more than happy to address them. The few pictures I do have I will leave below along with my first experience playing in the snow with the Holler Runner. I am happy to report all of the 4 wheel drive modes and E-locker seem to work flawlessly.
Running boards (My sister 2000 2wd 4runner -- my first car-- is in the background)
No running boards (Much better!)
The First of many Snowy Adventures
Thank you for stopping by!
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