I found "The One", 2001 Sport Ed. TRD SC'd

[BigFishAllDay]

gs300tt, that's good to know! Thanks for posting, sir!

It's good to read that I am not the only one having these issues too. I think I'm going to take a minute sometime in the next few days and measure the distance between the frame mounting points on my '97, and on my Wife's '00 and see if there is any variance between the measurements I took on my '01. That should answer our question about whether or not there was a change to the frames on the later model years.

 

[rickashay]

gs300tt, that's good to know! Thanks for posting, sir!

It's good to read that I am not the only one having these issues too. I think I'm going to take a minute sometime in the next few days and measure the distance between the frame mounting points on my '97, and on my Wife's '00 and see if there is any variance between the measurements I took on my '01. That should answer our question about whether or not there was a change to the frames on the later model years.

Sub'd. We're fortunate that you have 2 4Runner's of different years to check this!! Not many of us on this forum can claim that.... I'm interested to see your findings.

 

[BigFishAllDay]

Yeah, I think it's just me and PitbullRescuer. I'm interested to see what I find too.

On a side note... The ish don't stop. A guy like myself can never be without a project to work on for those days when I can't go fishing or exploring.

After a string of PM's with Dirtco (and some encouragement from Brian2Sun's thread) we both decided OME 861's were going to be the winners for a rear coil setup that could handle the added weight. He's got his installed and is pretty happy with them, so when he PM'd me to ask if I'd bought mine, I figured I'd better get off my tail and do it. $160 shipped from TRDParts4U.

Also, I noticed the beginnings of a tear in my D/S inner CV boot where it necks down around the axle. Rather than wait it out for the inevitable, I decided to research some quick fixes/repairs.

I found a product that came highly recommended, so I bought some for my emergency kit, along w/some JB Weld.

I used the "GOOP" to patch the torn section, and I'll report back soon w/how it holds up. I also ordered a set of 5 locking lug nuts for the whole wheel/tire setup, and some ARB 3/4" shackles to hang off the CBI.

 

[brian2sun]

I hope you like the 861s, glad my build could help! My 4runner has been a dead player for a few months now, but I'm working on it. I had virtually no rear brakes because my axle seals were leaking because my bearing had 220K on em so I took care of all that yesterday. Big thanks for the write-up you did, BFAD! I've done the seals before, but not the bearings so hopefully it's good to go for a while.

BTW, about 1/4 the holes on my CBI weren't drilled in even remotely the right spot. Since I was one of the 1st ones to get a CBI, I just chalked it up to differences in frames between the 3rd gen years, but now I believe their jig is just wrong. My bumper still sits a little crooked, but it's been beat on so much now, I don't think it would have mattered.

I do like my CBI a lot though - all in all. I recently removed my swing-out for everyday wheeling for one big reason... when I'm climbing a steep rock face, the swing-out with the 35" spare, Hi-lift, my cooler, etc is like having the weight of a full grown man hanging off the back of the truck. That literally was making me do big time wheel stands where other 4runners would keep all 4 tires on the ground on the same lines. I don't like the tippyness it added to my truck so I decided to lose it.

Luckily, it only takes about 10 or 15 min. to take on/off and I added some quick discos on the lic. plate wire so I didn't need to mess with that everytime. I plan to just run a Driffter CB ant. mount so I'll have it fixed to the truck and not the swing-out (like it has been). I do want to keep the swing-out though for long trips and camping. It's still nice to have it swing-out for when I just need the room inside (get the 35" spare out of there) for camping when I won't be doing hard core wheeling.

Anyways, haven't been very active on here lately, but I've got a few more changes ready to happen to my 4runner so you'll be seeing more of me again soon! The truck looks great BFAD and you'll forget about all the bumper BS soon enough so enjoy!

 

[LittleCaesar]

BFAD,

If you think that Goop is good, try the Automotive Goop (it is in a red tube). $6 at the auto stores. Much better than the blue IMHO. Just make sure the cap goes on tight enough to give a good seal after using.

I believe in the stuff enough to say that it is presently holding my Protege 5's crank sensor connector to the crank sensor for over a year. If it didn't, I'd be SOL.

 

[BigFishAllDay]

I hope you like the 861s, glad my build could help! My 4runner has been a dead player for a few months now, but I'm working on it. I had virtually no rear brakes because my axle seals were leaking because my bearing had 220K on em so I took care of all that yesterday. Big thanks for the write-up you did, BFAD! I've done the seals before, but not the bearings so hopefully it's good to go for a while.

BTW, about 1/4 the holes on my CBI weren't drilled in even remotely the right spot. Since I was one of the 1st ones to get a CBI, I just chalked it up to differences in frames between the 3rd gen years, but now I believe their jig is just wrong. My bumper still sits a little crooked, but it's been beat on so much now, I don't think it would have mattered.

I do like my CBI a lot though - all in all. I recently removed my swing-out for everyday wheeling for one big reason... when I'm climbing a steep rock face, the swing-out with the 35" spare, Hi-lift, my cooler, etc is like having the weight of a full grown man hanging off the back of the truck. That literally was making me do big time wheel stands where other 4runners would keep all 4 tires on the ground on the same lines. I don't like the tippyness it added to my truck so I decided to lose it.

Luckily, it only takes about 10 or 15 min. to take on/off and I added some quick discos on the lic. plate wire so I didn't need to mess with that everytime. I plan to just run a Driffter CB ant. mount so I'll have it fixed to the truck and not the swing-out (like it has been). I do want to keep the swing-out though for long trips and camping. It's still nice to have it swing-out for when I just need the room inside (get the 35" spare out of there) for camping when I won't be doing hard core wheeling.

Anyways, haven't been very active on here lately, but I've got a few more changes ready to happen to my 4runner so you'll be seeing more of me again soon! The truck looks great BFAD and you'll forget about all the bumper BS soon enough so enjoy!

Brian, thanks for checking in. I'm sure the 861's will work out great, and I'm glad the axle seal write-up helped you w/your job.

RE the CBI, I'm finding it very interesting to hear that every person who has chimed in here has experienced issues w/the location of the mounting points. I wish more people had this info in their builds/threads because it would have been nice to know before placing my order.

Either way, I'm sure I'll be happy with it overall, too. I'm not worried about the weight of the swing away because 1. I don't have quite the weight on it that you do (33 vs 35, and my coolers go inside the truck, no jerry cans), 2. I don't do alot of rock climbing, 3. Most of what I do is long trips, camping trips, and fishing trips. Mine is built with more of an "expedition" function in mind than a "rock crawling" function. The reason I wanted the bumper w/swing away in the first place was to carry the Hi-Lift and allow me to run a full sized spare w/o intruding on cargo space, along w/providing additional collision protection for the rear.

Thanks again for your thoughts, and I'll look forward to seeing some updates on your thread soon.

BFAD,

If you think that Goop is good, try the Automotive Goop (it is in a red tube). $6 at the auto stores. Much better than the blue IMHO. Just make sure the cap goes on tight enough to give a good seal after using.

I believe in the stuff enough to say that it is presently holding my Protege 5's crank sensor connector to the crank sensor for over a year. If it didn't, I'd be SOL.

I saw that Automotive Goop @ ACE when I bought this stuff. I couldn't see alot of differences between the two, so I went w/the original formula figuring that it would be more of an "all around" product. Good to hear that it's working well for you though. So far, so good on the CV boot too.

 

[blcktpgsr]

Holy crap...this rig is screamin' beauty to say the least...despite the sh!tty ordeal you went through the whole ordering process, you kept poise...Man i don't know what I would've done had that happened to me for real!

Congrats on another well thought of add-on, dude:trophy::trophy::trophy:. Damn, you'd done it once again and sorry for the late reply.

 

[Dirtco]

Looking good!

Like everyone else has said; the bumper ordeal sucks, but it's on the 4Runner and it looks really good. I HATE enlarging/adjusting mounting holes, it's always a pain in the ass, I could see needing an extra 1/8" here or there but the brackets needing that much adjustment is just plain crazy!

I think your going to like the 861's; they soak up the small bumps, but they are not excessively soft, and the rear of the 4Runner doesn't float around like it used to. They also seem to flex pretty good too. Did you notice a difference in the spring rate of the rear coils with the rear bumper and spare tire?

 

[BigFishAllDay]

Holy crap...this rig is screamin' beauty to say the least...despite the sh!tty ordeal you went through the whole ordering process, you kept poise...Man i don't know what I would've done had that happened to me for real!

Congrats on another well thought of add-on, dude:trophy::trophy::trophy:. Damn, you'd done it once again and sorry for the late reply.

Aw, shucks. You mean it? :biggrin2:

You and Rickashay sure can craft a compliment. Thanks alot, bud. Late or not, it's always good to get your feedback on the build. You've been gone awhile, so I'm sure you've got something crazy up your sleeve and I can't wait to see it.

I think your going to like the 861's; they soak up the small bumps, but they are not excessively soft, and the rear of the 4Runner doesn't float around like it used to. They also seem to flex pretty good too. Did you notice a difference in the spring rate of the rear coils with the rear bumper and spare tire?

Absolutely. As soon as I drove over the first big speed bump in my neighborhood I could feel the rear end squat down under the weight of the CBI as it came off the speed bump. The rear end has already dropped almost an inch, and I'm sure the springs would sag even more as the weight of the bumper settles in. I took an 85 mile test drive (~15 off pavement) and they didn't feel too bad on the highway or off pavement (hit lots of washboard, rough forest road, and big holes).

I haven't formed a strong overall opinion on how the LC's handle the weight of the CBI, but I'd say they feel ok. I'm sold on the 861's regardless though... for one, to get the height back in the rear, and two because all you guys w/similar setups are loving them. Not to mention, once I load this thing up w/camping & fishing gear, coolers, and dogs the rear end will be down around 38" (if not lower). That's not acceptable.

 

[Stockwell45]

Looking good!! It was always one of my favorite 4runners on this site, now it is even more so!

Good you could get out and do some fishing in the middle of that whole fiasco, I would have done the same thing. It probably saved you from going crazy lol

Look forward to seeing that thing in person!

 

[fattirerider]

4runner is looking great!

When I got my CBI bumper I asked when ordering to make the 2" receiver stick out further to make it easier to mount my bike rack. When I picked it up it was not modified. I sent a email to Nathan to tell him and he said "they thought it would work without modification." Well it didn't and I ended up selling it because it was such a pain and just have my old bumper and hitch back on. Pretty disappointing...

Glad it was worth it for you!

 

[blcktpgsr]

Word for word!!

Oh how i wish that were the case, but not this time amigo. I've just been relaxing away from doing any mod's at this point, besides I've really been busy lately. I did however took advantage of your Memorial Day week sale, and bought my spare 35 yesterday.

Apart from my recent inactivity, no real mods come to mind.

 

[BigFishAllDay]

Looking good!! It was always one of my favorite 4runners on this site, now it is even more so!

Good you could get out and do some fishing in the middle of that whole fiasco, I would have done the same thing. It probably saved you from going crazy lol

Look forward to seeing that thing in person!

Thanks alot Stockwell, you've got a very fine rig yourself, so I appreciate the compliments.

The fishing definitely helped balance my outlook on the situation. Speaking of, when do you plan to make it out? Let me know.

4runner is looking great!

When I got my CBI bumper I asked when ordering to make the 2" receiver stick out further to make it easier to mount my bike rack. When I picked it up it was not modified. I sent a email to Nathan to tell him and he said "they thought it would work without modification." Well it didn't and I ended up selling it because it was such a pain and just have my old bumper and hitch back on. Pretty disappointing...

Glad it was worth it for you!

Dang man! Add another one to the list of guys who have had issues w/CBI bumpers. I might have to send our man Nathan a link to this discussion so he can see that it's not just a "one off" situation.

I was actually watching your for sale thread and thinking about it, but yours didn't have a swing away, which was a feature I wanted. I can't believe they just ignored your request like that, and the response you got was of the same caliber of "smart ass" as the one they gave me.

Thanks for checking out the build man. I hope you were able to get most of your investment back out of the bumper.

Word for word!!

Oh how i wish that were the case, but not this time amigo. I've just been relaxing away from doing any mod's at this point, besides I've really been busy lately. I did however took advantage of your Memorial Day week sale, and bought my spare 35 yesterday.

Apart from my recent inactivity, no real mods come to mind.

Understandable. Sometimes we all need to put the tools down, get the truck out of the damn garage, and just USE it for whatever we built it for. I think the moves you pulled on the ARB mod were sweet enough to satisfy everyones taste for blcktpgsr mods for at least a little while.

.............................................................................................

So here I am on T4R.org @ 3AM.... :smashputer:

I'm working a graveyard shift, and it's kinda slow, so I got to looking at classic T4R's for sale. I found one on Ebay that went for $17k >Link<. It had the classic Toyota graphics on it, and I got to thinking about whether or not a 3rd gen could pull off a "throwback" look.

The inspiration:

The imagination:

Any thoughts?

 

[BrianSD_42]

Well my first thought is that COB got a hell of a deal grabbing that clean first gen for $900.

$17k+ is a crazy amount for a first gen, even if it is original with 95k miles.

I am pretty sure you can buy a super clean 1st gen for $5000 or less.

 

[ameining]

Bumper!!

BFAD, as always you do great work. What you got on me is 2 things: 1.) overcoming adversity with the bumper, mine was a pain to get lined up....but pry bars and slight hole opening got it done. 2.) You DID the wiring, I never did it.......some reason I am just not motivated to get it wired. Does the wire simply go under the tail light and then out along the back of the swing away? Where is the light mounted?

Great work sir, again....now your rig surpases mine by a long shot. Motivation at least!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[ameining]

Yeah, I think it's just me and PitbullRescuer. I'm interested to see what I find too.

On a side note... The ish don't stop. A guy like myself can never be without a project to work on for those days when I can't go fishing or exploring.

After a string of PM's with Dirtco (and some encouragement from Brian2Sun's thread) we both decided OME 861's were going to be the winners for a rear coil setup that could handle the added weight. He's got his installed and is pretty happy with them, so when he PM'd me to ask if I'd bought mine, I figured I'd better get off my tail and do it. $160 shipped from TRDParts4U.

Hope you like the 861's. I am very happy with mine. We are carrying close to the same cargo, and it brings it back up to almost stock SS 1.2 ride height.


Look forward to seeing it

 

[01KY4R]

Any thoughts?

I'm 50/50. Keep in mind only true T4R owners will understand what you did and others will just think they are "old man graphics".

 

[T4R2014]

Nice rear bumper. Sorry to hear about your troubles, I would be super pissed if I spent $600+ on a rear bumper that didn't fit perfect as well.

I've actually thought about how those graphics would look like on a 3rd Gen as well. Might not be so bad in person, but at the same time if no one has ever seen them on a 1st Gen they won't be able to understand it and they'll think you got some Autozone sticker special.

 

[rickashay]

I think the graphics might look good. So hard visualize though but it would be a travesty if it turned out looking like a "Autozone" special. I think it would depend on the colour you chose to do it with.... I was thinking that dark grey's fading to almost body colour might look cool. I saw a blue 2nd gen Tacoma on TW with these decals and it actually looked reeeaaaalllyyy sweet. Always innovating aren't you BFAD?!!? This is good.

 

[4-Ripcord]

there is a vendor on TW that sells decals like that.

here is his thread;
Retro Tacoma graphics - Tacoma World Forums