JasetheDamager's build thread for a 97 SR5 4x4

[BrianSD_42]

Looking good! What mountain is that?

 

[JasetheDamager]

Looking good! What mountain is that?

Thanks man! I'm so excited to be driving my rig. Night and day from when I first drove it home. My GF and I went to the Cleveland National Forest for a day hike. We didn't have much time, but supposedly, there's a few trails back here I can explore with my rig. I plan on getting it dirty the next couple of weeks. I think Sitton Peak is in the background of one of the pics.

 

[fightman80]

Your truck looks sick man! Nice upgrades, and good job on getting all that preventative maintenance done too! I had been wanting to do my ball joints for a while, but had slacked on doing so. I'm happy I did them when I did, because a couple of them looked REALLY bad! lol!

The lift looks good, and I like the wheel choice! As for those flares, you may not be a fan of them, but some guys will pay a few bucks to get those from you, if you chose to permanently ditch them, you should post a "For Sale" thread, I guarantee someone will snatch them up!

Again, the truck looks great! :trophy:

Cheers!

 

[JasetheDamager]

Thanks Fightman80, I appreciate the kind words, especially when they come from an experienced guy like you. Honestly I wish I had more access to tools and space so I could perform more of my own work, but owing to my lifestyle and living situation right now, I basically have to take it to my shop for major work. I'm lucky to have an honest garage with qualified mechanics who care about their finished product.

Like I mentioned earlier, I'll post more info regarding my expensive weekend, but needless to say, I'm pleased with the results.

 

[fightman80]

Thanks Fightman80, I appreciate the kind words, especially when they come from an experienced guy like you.

I'm really not that experienced.... just a T4R.ORG addict!

 

[JasetheDamager]

I'm really not that experienced.... just a T4R.ORG addict!

Yeah, I'm getting there myself.

As I previously mentioned, I bought the truck for 4,200$, in my opinion, a steal. I had a mechanic friend on hand to inspect the vehicle and it looked perfectly clean, almost immaculate. Turns out, the truck needed some work once I took it to my shop here in OC, removed the old tires, and had the undercarriage thoroughly inspected. Here's a list of the work I decided to do in the last week, either by myself, or at the shop.

1) Installed SS 1.2 Alternate Kit
2) Replaced LBJs, UBJs, and inner/outer tie rods
3) Used Denso plugs and NGK wires
4) Flushed the tranny
5) Rear diff service
6) Replaced the left front CV, which was cracked
7) New lower control arm bushings
8) Rebuilt and rebalanced the front and rear driveshaft due to poor maintenance by PO
9) Replaced rear axle bearings and seals
10) Replaced both my front and rear brakes
11) Installed Hankook Dynapro ATs 305/70R16
12) Had my Ultra wheels powder coated a semi-gloss black, which looks great
13) Installed Energy Suspension sway bar bushings
14) Installed Duralast Gold battery

All of this work totaled over 5,000$, but I basically expected the cost. It needed work, as most vehicles do that have 131,000 miles. I know that these trucks can last 300,000K or more if properly maintained, and I'm obsessive regarding maintenance, so the cost and peace of mind is worth it to me.

I know plenty of fellow T4R owners are on a budget and do their own work and I commend them for it. Believe me, I'm on a tight budget as well, but at this time I can't do my own work. So instead of spacing these maintenance issues out over 3-6 months, I decided to save money on labor costs by replacing as much as I could reasonably afford in one go. My rig drives great now and I love the Hankook tires.

 

[JasetheDamager]

Obviously I also removed the running boards and the flares. I gave the flares to a neighbor and now I realize I should have sold them, at least for some extra cash. I still have a few down-the-road type maintenance issues, but for now I've addressed everything important. Next up, I'm going to do a paint job cuz my clear coat is peeling on the hood and roof. Also, I initially replaced my right front passenger door cuz I was unsatisfied with body work done by the PO, and the color doesn't perfectly match. The rewiring on that project was such a hassle and I wish I took pics.

This means I'm not getting a more aggressive bumper or rock sliders for quite a while. But I'm glad to know I've had my truck inspected top and bottom and it has a clean bill of health. It was painful when I called Jim over at Outdoor Logic and had to tell him I'm not dropping by. He's a cool guy, and he understood.

 

[BrianSD_42]

How did you chamge your username?

 

[JasetheDamager]

How did you chamge your username?

I e-mailed the admins and asked them to do so. When I first joined this forum, I didn't realize how much I'd be posting, so I used my first name, but with all our personal info out there these days, I decided to use a nickname. Kinda silly, I know, especially in this day and age, but I feel better. Who knows what cretins are out there, plotting evil deeds regarding our beloved rigs? :jk:

 

[JasetheDamager]

I finally found a tan 02 Isuzu Rodeo armrest on Ebay and paid 50$ total with shipping. My local Honda dealer wanted 120$ for a Passport armrest, which is the same thing. Both Passports and Rodeos from 98-02 have the same armrest. I enjoy the extra padding and the only problem with my interior was my trashed armrest the PO left behind.Now I've upgraded it. I took pics with my iPhone and I have to say, the armrest looks better in person. It blends in color wise better than the pics represent, but they're all I have for now.

This pic shows the old trashed one and the new one:


And this pic just shows the new one:


I had to drill a couple of holes in the plastic to make it fit. Took about 20 minutes and a few curses as I tried several screws before finding a decent fit. Big thanks to Bgmac for his thread: http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/54787-armrest-mod.html

 

[BrianSD_42]

Dont toss the damaged 4Runner armrest. You could probably have it re-upolstered for ~ $50 and the sell the izuzu one back on ebay ... if you wanted to.

 

[JasetheDamager]

Hey Brianemc, I can definitely tell this is a mod you're not a big fan of, but honestly, I don't like the stock armrest. I much prefer the thicker padding, cuz I have an auto tranny and I'm always resting my right arm...on the armrest. Actually, in person, I think the armrest looks great too.

On a side note, I know you replaced your radiator with a Koyo and I'm going to do the same. I already have a tranny cooler, but I figure for around 120$, I can have a new radiator and more peace of mind. Do you have a recommendation for part numbers? Is there a Koyo with increased capacity? I figure more coolant can never hurt. Do I need to replace my hoses as well?

Also, I'm going to do the radiator myself. Is there a good thread? I'll spend some time searching tonight, but you always have good suggestions. Lot of questions, I know. I should probably just start PMing you about ten times a day. Thanks again man for all of your help!

 

[BrianSD_42]

just leaving Dave & Busters...

I just mentioned the armrest because I redid one on my previous vehicle pretty cheap. But I understand if you like the different one.

About the koyo, i didnt do mine myself because I didnt have a garage. I would use the search (see my thread) on 'koyo'. Normal koyo capacity is good. No need for more. Yes replace hoses. I paid $375 to "the truck shop" for new koyo, hoses, coolant, labor. This price is pretty good based on what i've read.

 

[fightman80]

Nice armrest mod! I've seen it a few time before, but never done it, as my armrest is in near perfect shape!

Good to see another member getting the mod bug! Things tend to get stagnant here when nobody posts updates! I for one, will be taking a break from modding for a little while, but hoping to land a GREAT job that I've being interviewed for, and may have something bigger going on with the 4Runner come the fall!!

In the mean time, I'll most likely be taking care of some more maintenance items.

Again, nice work! Can't wait to see what else you do with it man!

 

[Hepar]

Nice! The only thing I would have said is that it doesn't look to match that well, but you already mentioned that it matches much better than shown, so all I can say is that I like it! I've heard those armrests are much more comfortable to rest your arm on then the stock one.

 

[JasetheDamager]

Today I visited my local stealership here in OC for the first time since buying my truck cuz I needed some plastic clips for the front doors and center console. I also bought the parts to do a Taco Whip mod since the PO busted the antenna. Now I know why this forum calls them 'stealerships'. What an overpriced bunch of kooks. Just for fun, I asked about a Koyo radiator and they wanted to charge me 250$-300$. I laughed out loud and said I could find it for 130$-140$ shipped on Amazon. The guy kinda just shrugged his shoulders and returned to fantasizing about his next bong rip.

From reading through various threads, I saw that other owners were paying around 100$ for a new antenna assembly, Taco Antenna, taxes, and shipping. The dealer winked and said 'shipping is free'. I guess they didn't need to rip me off a second time. All told, I paid 109$. They may have ripped me off a bit, but I decided to pay for convenience. I'm looking forward to installing it.

The part numbers are:
Antenna assembly # 86300-35090
Tacoma Whip Antenna (Black) # 86309-AA040

Oh, I learned another word today: My favorite word so far is Mallcrawler, until the kid behind the desk said 'Brodozer', which refers to guys who have lifted trucks, shiny rims, perfect tires, 4,000$ paint jobs, and 'Tapout' stickers on their rear windows. They're also usually fond of tribal tattoos. (No offense to anyone on this forum who has any of the above mentioned things).

 

[BrianSD_42]

Guys who have lifted trucks, shiny rims, perfect tires, 4,000$ paint jobs, and 'Tapout' stickers on their rear windows. They're also usually fond of tribal tattoos

If I recall correctly, you are not native to this land called CA. The guy is describing OC very well and every stereo type is true to form. Trust me, other parts of CA are nothing like the OC. San Diego and the Bay Area for example are totally different. The only thing missing from his statement was "whose parents bought it for them"

Not everyone is like that of course (COB for example) but a lot are. My parents moved there about 5 yrs ago; I spent two summers in the OC when going to school.

Move to SD, you will love it down here.

 

[JasetheDamager]

Nice! The only thing I would have said is that it doesn't look to match that well, but you already mentioned that it matches much better than shown, so all I can say is that I like it! I've heard those armrests are much more comfortable to rest your arm on then the stock one.

Yeah, it's an excellent improvement. At first I thought it seemed kinda lame to even post a pic, but then I was like, "Hey, I use my armrest every time I drive my truck. And the one I had was torn up anyway. Might as well go for it."

The extra padding is awesome, and my GF and I can actually share it when we're both in the truck, another plus.

I'll take another pic with my camera instead of my iPhone, which decided to make the armrest look as out of place as possible. Honestly, if I was a person considering this upgrade, and I only saw my pic, I wouldn't do it.

Now, if I can only search Ebay and find an Outdoor Logic bumper for 50$:

 

[JasetheDamager]

If I recall correctly, you are not native to this land called CA. The guy is describing OC very well and every stereo type is true to form. Trust me, other parts of CA are nothing like the OC. San Diego and the Bay Area for example are totally different. The only thing missing from his statement was "whose parents bought it for them"

Not everyone is like that of course (COB for example) but a lot are. My parents moved there about 5 yrs ago; I spent two summers in the OC when going to school.

Move to SD, you will love it down here.

I've moved around a lot the last 7 years and worked abroad for 3 of those years, but I actually went to college in SD. I lived in PB, OB, Clairemont Mesa, Clairemont, and Mission Gorge. SD is a great city and many of my closest friends still live there.

Talk about night and day. I moved to OC for family commitments and work, and damn, it's different. I've never seen so many spoiled kids, celebrity rehab wannabes, soccer moms with fake knockers, and guys who go to tanning booths, especially along the coast in San Clemente, Dana Point, Laguna Beach, and Newport. However, you go east of those towns or I-5 and everything changes. Then you don't see the OC stereotype, but all the people who work hard so a few wealthy jerkoffs can keep pretending we're not experiencing an economic depression. If I see another bleach-blonde Barbie in an Audi, I'm gonna:barf:

 

[FrankM23]

I was so excited this afternoon when my SS 1.2 A kit finally arrived in the mail that I posted the pics as my first of this thread. However, to keep things in order, I'm also posting pics at this point. I'm getting this kit installed tomorrow. I don't think I'm going to be able to sleep tonight.

I just bought a used version of this kit and I wanted to ask, in regards to the picture, what are those two pieces visible below the land cruiser springs and also those gold bolts shown.