ironsights
New member
Intro
I got this 4runner in 2015 as a graduation gift from my family, never really intending to do much with it. After a trip to Canyonlands NP (which included getting stuck several times) I realized a stock 2wd wasn't going to cut it for my backcountry adventures, and after a bit of browsing and some very minor upgrades, I caught the modification bug. Shortly after returning from Utah I upgraded my suspension with the help of a friend, bought the roof rack, and put some flood lights up top. Since I'm not into off-roading as anything more than getting me into the backcountry, I've decided to see how far I can push what I've got before going 4wd. With several more additions on the horizon and after three years of browsing, I figure now is as good a time as ever to finally contribute something to the community.
Original Build:
Stock 2001 SR5 4runner
Additions:
Bilstein 4runner 5100's with 3" Eibach/Toytec Coilovers
My stock suspension was the first thing I wanted to swap out. I rarely go anywhere my tires can't handle, but ride quality was absolutely horrendous every time I hit dirt. After a good deal of research and googling different combinations, I settled on Bilstein 5100's with 3" Toytech/Eibach coilovers. I didn't want to go 3", but feedback from friends warned me that with sagging and a future bumper swap, 3" would be perfect. I'm extremely satisfied with my choice, it rides like a dream and the height looks good without being overly aggressive.
Ebay 7" HID Flood Lights
I'm only about a month in on these so far, but for $60 they do what I ask of them, and they're generic enough that if they do go bad swapping them out with something of higher quality will be a breeze.
Toyota Whip Antenna
About a year after I got the 4runner, I turned it on one morning and the antenna came out and kept coming out until it was on my driveway. I use my phone for music so it wasn't a priority, but I came across this Tacoma Whip Antenna write-up and decided to go ahead and get it done.
Alpine UTE-52BT
Swapping the radio was the first thing I did after driving home from the dealer. Nothing much to say here, as I said about 99.9% of my music comes from Spotify and the UTE-52BT got great reviews and was low profile. Works great.
Pictures
This is the earliest picture I have of the 4runner with its stock build. The roof rack was borrowed from a friend.
These are in Utah. The suspension is still stock, the roof rack is the same just without the lights.
The suspension and lights were added over the course of a week, so with the exception of the whip antenna, this is current.
I'm currently running Michelin LTX M/S tires, replacing those is likely my next move.
I got this 4runner in 2015 as a graduation gift from my family, never really intending to do much with it. After a trip to Canyonlands NP (which included getting stuck several times) I realized a stock 2wd wasn't going to cut it for my backcountry adventures, and after a bit of browsing and some very minor upgrades, I caught the modification bug. Shortly after returning from Utah I upgraded my suspension with the help of a friend, bought the roof rack, and put some flood lights up top. Since I'm not into off-roading as anything more than getting me into the backcountry, I've decided to see how far I can push what I've got before going 4wd. With several more additions on the horizon and after three years of browsing, I figure now is as good a time as ever to finally contribute something to the community.
Original Build:
Stock 2001 SR5 4runner
Additions:
Bilstein 4runner 5100's with 3" Eibach/Toytec Coilovers
My stock suspension was the first thing I wanted to swap out. I rarely go anywhere my tires can't handle, but ride quality was absolutely horrendous every time I hit dirt. After a good deal of research and googling different combinations, I settled on Bilstein 5100's with 3" Toytech/Eibach coilovers. I didn't want to go 3", but feedback from friends warned me that with sagging and a future bumper swap, 3" would be perfect. I'm extremely satisfied with my choice, it rides like a dream and the height looks good without being overly aggressive.
Ebay 7" HID Flood Lights
I'm only about a month in on these so far, but for $60 they do what I ask of them, and they're generic enough that if they do go bad swapping them out with something of higher quality will be a breeze.
Toyota Whip Antenna
About a year after I got the 4runner, I turned it on one morning and the antenna came out and kept coming out until it was on my driveway. I use my phone for music so it wasn't a priority, but I came across this Tacoma Whip Antenna write-up and decided to go ahead and get it done.
Alpine UTE-52BT
Swapping the radio was the first thing I did after driving home from the dealer. Nothing much to say here, as I said about 99.9% of my music comes from Spotify and the UTE-52BT got great reviews and was low profile. Works great.
Pictures
This is the earliest picture I have of the 4runner with its stock build. The roof rack was borrowed from a friend.
These are in Utah. The suspension is still stock, the roof rack is the same just without the lights.
The suspension and lights were added over the course of a week, so with the exception of the whip antenna, this is current.
I'm currently running Michelin LTX M/S tires, replacing those is likely my next move.
Last edited: