Just another 4Runner build

[NcYota99]

My name is Nick. This will be the start of my journey with my 1998 Toyota 4runner. Before I just jump into it I'm going to give a little history of myself.
Current -
1998 4Runner V6 Limited 4wd. (New project)
2002 Toyota Sequoia Limited (Wifes)
1986 Toyota Pickup Single Cab Short Bed 4x4(Beat Around)

Past-
1999 Tacoma PreRunner single cab short bed 2.7- Sold
2007 Hummer H3 Adventure - Sold
2013 Toyota Tacoma Double Cab TRD Sport 4x4 - Sold
2014 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara - Sold
1986 Toyota 4Runner parts truck - Scraped
1998 Jeep Cherokee(XJ) - Sold

There is my list of previous vehicle. I have finally made my way back into the toyota world after selling my Wrangler. I loved the Wrangler, but I missed the feeling of actually being able to mod and work on something without worrying about screwing up the warranty. Plus, a little extra money in my pocket every month never hurts. The 2013 tacoma was a great truck , but it had a terrible driveline vibration from day one that I just could not stand. Before the tacoma was my beloved hummer h3 adventure. This has by far been my favorite vehicle ever, not even going to lie about it. It is the one thing I wish I had never gotten rid of. It was loaded with the rear locker , ARB bumper with warn m8000 synthetic line, gobi stealth with ladder, 35" duratracs. My 86' has kind of fallen to the wayside lately. I bought it for 700$ blown up. Got it home and took the motor out and had it completely cleaned, bored .30 over, 270 cam, weber 36/32 carb, and headers. We took the bed off to fix some rust in the bedsides (imagine that) and found that the frame...... Was completely spotless!! Looked like it came from toyota, not even surface rust. We have reinstalled the motor but haven't finished putting the bed and things back on. This is the truck the 86 4runner was bought to fix. The 4runner was originally from New York and the frame was gone, you could poke through it with your finger. The cherokee was short lived. I bought it lifted already to try and make a trail rig, but it just wasn't for me.

Now on to my 4Runner. It is a 1998 Limited 4x4. We originally bought it for my wife to drive back and forth to school. After selling the wrangler I figured it was time she got the nicer ride since I wanted a camping/trail truck anyways. So we bought her the Sequoia and I took over the runner. The next day I started ordering parts. Most are installed but I have a few still on the way. As of right now it has brand new strut assemblies, rear coils/shocks, spacer lift for now until I get money for tundra/landcruiser setup, ARB front bumper, 1.25" Spidertrax, 2nd gen tacoma 16"s, 285/75/16 KM2s, pioneer head unit,paranoid fabrications 6 switch panel under radio, 99+ headlights. Mods ordered but not installed and/or arrived, whitson metalworks roof rack w/ 35" double row led bar- Dually style led alley light each side and back, ditch lights on CBI hood mounts, cobra 19 w/ firestik antenna, LED headlight bulbs, Light racing upper control arms. I'll load pictures of everything once I get access to my laptop tonight. Thanks for checking out my build. I'll update it as mods are made. I have huge plans for this rig buy nothing you guys haven't seen already.

 

[StupidMuphin]

Nice thread, I'll be curious to see this turn out

 

[NcYota99]

Ok, here's the pictures I promised. First off will be the before pictures.




Now here's a few misc. pictures of some of the parts.
Pictured here you can see the front/rear spacers, the switch panel and in the paper is the differential drop.

SpiderTrax

New Radio, which sounds amazing even on the factory speakers. I put it on green until I eventually switch all my interior lights over to white LEDs.

CalTrend seat covers. If you look back at my interior shot you can see how torn the drivers seat is. I just installed these moments before posting this so I don't have a review just yet. But initial report is they are awesome. They fit VERY tight. A few little things about them were off. There was not a hole on the driver side seat top for the lumber support switch which is ok because the retention on the clip is broke and it falls out. Bad thing is there is a hole for one on the passenger side top....but there isn't a switch on that side... Next, there are two rectangles cut out in the backs of the back seats which I can only assume are for maybe a 99+?? They sent me two extra headrest and I cant figure why. But it works out perfect because my center console arm rest was shot and I am recovering it with the fabric from the headrest. Other than that I love them. They are Desert Digtial Camo which I chose since it was more browns and tans to match the interior. I ordered them through Auto Accessories Garage on Labor day and got a good size discount. Whole set cost me 300$ shipped to my house.




My BlueSea fuse block for all the lights I'll be running.

Paranoid Fabrications 6 switch panel. I also have all of the laser etched switch covers and switches but for some reason I didn't take a picture of them. The lights on the rack will be individually wired so I can choose right alley,left alley, rear , windshield(ditch) lights, main lightbar, or fog lights.

Next is the ARB arriving. Had to use my brothers truck, which it barely fit in.



And finally on to the after pics.






I don't have pictures of a few things. Like the 99+headlights, during installs, or the roof rack with lights because Josh is still making it. I wish the rack was going to be ready by the 19th of October because we are planning a family trip to the mountains and I was hoping to give her a test run. Oh well, just an excuse to make another run soon :jump:

 

[NcYota99]

Incase anyone wanted a few pictures here's some of my previous rides.
My 13' Tacoma with my 98' Cherokee

Cherokee after new tires and wheels

14' Wrangler (and just ignore my other ride.....nothing to see here move along)

My missed and beloved Hummer H3




Hummer before ARB




My Ol' 99' PreRunner

 

[GVL]

Welcome, some great looking rigs there particularly the Runner - good looking stance.

 

[501REPO]

how much of a lift did you do and who did you get it from... I am currently searching for a good lift kit on a budget for my 01... thanks

 

[NcYota99]

There is a story behind it lol. This was my wife's truck and it was sagging badly but she didn't want a lift having to get the baby in and out. So, I bought new Sensen complete strut assembly , moog rear coils, and Sensen rear shocks for it for 300$. They ride good and lifted it 1.5"!! Where it had sagged so bad. I will say though, the struts do NOT compress very well and are kinda stiff over slow bumps which I guess will ease over time. The actual lift is just one I ordered off eBay. It came with the front/rear billet aluminum spacers, I was told to stay away from polymer, differential drop, skid plate drop for 135$. Bad thing is I meant to order a 3" front and 2" rear. But I ordered a 2.5" front by accident. But it worked out because the front did not sag at all when I put the ARB on which surprised me. I'm kind of glad anyways because now I like the little bit of rake it has and I never EVER would have been able to get the strut back in with the 3". It was all we could do to get the 2.5 in. It put my truck at 39.5" all the way around except the drivers front is at 39" for some reason. T4R lean?? Like reverse taco lean?? That puts my lift basically at 435$ which is more than id like to spend on basically a spacer lift but I didn't see the point in buying an all new suspension setup when these were brand new. Later down the road when I recoop some funds I'm going to do the tundra front landcruiser rear lift. Also plan on doing a CBI rear tire carrier bumper and roof top tent for camping on the beach and on the mountains. Which I must say is one luxury of living in central NC , I can drive either either direction and be at a beach or mountains.

 

[blairvt]

I'll ask the question, how does a Deputy afford all this? Anything funny going on?

 

[NcYota99]

No, nothing funny lol. Live in a small family owned house so no mortgage. Family is in the cable business so I got the hook up on that stuff. Truck payments are very very low. And the water here is tied into my brothers line, so he pays for it. Bills are kind of low at the moment. The accessories are tied into the loan on the truck.

 

[NcYota99]

Medium size update.

Finally fixed up my console armrest. I had to fiberglass the plastic lid on the inside because it was busted and I wasn't paying $70 for a new one.

Next thing was wiring up all my switches and running wires through the truck in anticipation for my Whitson Metalworks roof rack. This is the Blue Sea 12 fuse block. I couldn't find a very good place to mount it under the dash. I didn't want to put it under the hood because then anytime I wired anything up I would have to run a wire through the firewall. Mounting it right here was not my favorite idea and I'm still not terribly fond of it being there but it is easy to get to if I blow a fuse. Another plus is when I get more switches I just have to run the wire to the switch, to the accessory, then to the fuse block. Not pictured is the 100 Amp circuit breaker under the hood that the 6 gauge wire from the fuse block runs into before the battery. This is just a backup incase something goes horribly wrong, it will flip and cut all power. Also gives me the ability to cut power to the switches and block whenever I wish.

Small cage in the back for my dog. Don't worry, the axe,shovel,and hi-lift won't stay there unsecured. They are just back there until the rack gets here and then they will be mounted to it. Other bag is my turn-out gear.

Just a picture of the wiring loomed up and tied to the railings waiting for lights to go to!

They are hard to see, but mounted up my CBI ditch light brackets which are also waiting on some lights.

Picture of my switches mounted to the Paranoid Fab. switch panel.

While I had everything apart I took the opportunity to change things up a bit with my gauges. Swapped some LEDs in the gauges, HVAC, gear shifter, and key ring.


Love having something I can work on again. Having a brand new truck is nice, but I was tired of having to baby it and not even want to drive it. I can't wait to get my rack, talked to him yesterday and mine is next! He is prefitting a 35" Double row LED lightbar, two duallys on each side, and two duallys on the back. He is also making tabs for limb risers. First of the year I will be ordering my RTT from CVT. Ready to start exploring. Stay tuned.

 

[NcYota99]

Sorry the pictures are a little out of order and some at night. Was posting this from my phone on a break at work. Huge update. Got my whitson metalworks installed and absolutely love it. If any of you are contemplating buying this rack DO IT!! Josh is awesome. Best customer service I've ever experienced. Added two lights to each side and the back as well as a 35" on the front. Not to impressed with my little Chinese knockoff on the front but the little ones are super bright. Also added two windshield lights on CBi brackets. I won a set of kragen 7" 55w HID spot lights on eBay for $60 that I'll be throwing on soon. Didn't really expect to win them that cheap and didn't really intend on buying them but oh well. I picked the yellow filters for them for snow and fog driving. Finished up my retrofit the other night. Morimoto mini D2s, Apollo 3.0 shrouds, amber halo, 50w ballasts, XB35 5500k bulbs. This is by far the best mod yet. I can't believe the difference. No more cheap headlights for me. Also took the time to finally do my limb risers I've had laying around for so long. If you notice one side looks different. I goofed and made it to long to tighten up the first time and I had to cut it. Then it was to short where I had to cut it. So I found a random link I had lying around to fix it until I can buy more supplies to finish it. Next on the list are my Light Racing upper control arms. Highly recommend these to anyone who has lifted their 4runner. They took away a lot of the wandering I had on the highway. Truck also has had new CV axles, lower ball joints installed. Let me know what you guys think!



Highbeam

Low beam

 

[NcYota99]

A few updates. Got a storage container made. It has two drawers, a full 30" extension table,a large cubby hole in the back, and recessed tie downs. I still have to paint it and cover the top and drawer bottoms in non skid material. I fabbed up my own CB antenna mount taken from other designs I have seen on here. It was pretty easy and made out of material I had lying around so it was basically free. I won a bid on a set of spot lights that I didn't expect to, they are the Kragen 7" HID lights with yellow filters. Still haven't gotten around to wiring them or my CB up with my new schedule but one day when it warms up I will. I found somewhere to mount my Hi-Lift since it would mount between the lights on the rack because of how close together they are. I didn't initially like it mounted here but it is growing on me. Then there is my ride along. He watches my back.
















now just some randoms

 

[Scotty_h]

Hey NC,
Great looking rig, sits nice. Fine craftsmanship on the drawers...
Looking forward to see how it progresses, cause you know it doesnt stop here... :evil:

 

[NJCatalana]

man the rig looks good!
I like the ARB, I'm ordering one myself within the next week
us Nick's really know how to build a rig

 

[NcYota99]

A couple more updates. I had another piece ordered, but it hasn't come in yet. I think I'll save it as a surprise :roll: I finally wired up my cheapo spot lights, which are surprisingly bright, and my ditch lights. I need to reposition the side and rear lights to get more even coverage. Some are with the yellow filters and some without. You would think I was afraid of the dark or something. I ordered some new TRD Emblems, I always wanted the expedition series emblems but the guy on Tacoma World that made them doesn't make them anymore. I looked around forever and found a couple of people willing to make them for an ungodly amount, one quote was $225. I finally found a guy on the Toyotaholics facebook page making custom trd decals, I sent him what I wanted and he made them exactly how I wanted for $40 shipped. I'm waiting to install them when it gets warm enough for me to plasti-dip my silver Limited trim and chrome bumper black. I then purchased the 167 Series snorkel everyone is using. It was nerve wrecking putting that hole saw to my perfectly good fender, but I found that if you just put it on there and pull the trigger before you have time to truly think about what you are doing it works out fine. The overall install went rather quick and smooth. I'm still having a hard time getting the rubber L hose to fit over the snorkel but I'll figure it out when I can get an extra set of eyes and hands. Then there is a picture of my project 86' Toyota Pickup 4x4 single cab short bed being shipped off to get the body panels lined up, primed and prepped for paint. Now on to the real treat. I always wanted a Yeti cooler like my brother and his friends but could never justify spending $400 on a cooler. Then I started researching refrigerators for expedition builds and realized this fit my needs better, but again I couldn't afford one. I just so happen to be scrolling through the local sale page on (again) Facebook and found a guy about 2 hours from me selling an Edgestar 43 quart refrigerator and a Freedom FG-50 Tailgating grill. You probably had the same reaction I did when you see the grill, I don't (wouldn't) want that piece of junk. And ignore the battery tray piece and long metal bar on the back of it, he had it mounted to an RV. But it's a pretty neat idea, it slides into your trailer hitch and has two swinging arms that pull it away from the truck so you can still open the tail(lift)gate. They are out of business and you cannot find them anymore except for 2 on eBaY that are $1,200. They did not cost this new and were cheap as $169 at one time on clearance. It will fit my needs for now camping on the beach and he threw it in at no extra charge because he needed it gone and money for his lightbill. I got the grill and the fridge for $220! I checked the fridge and withing 30 minutes at 70 degrees it went from 65 internal temp to 31 degrees. I plan to buy or build a slide out for it at a later time that will mount to my cargo box, but I may have to revamp my box or build a new one for this to work as it covers my cubby hole. It is not secured in this picture because I just had it placed to check space which is another problem with this box, it may be to tall once the slide is installed.

 

[NcYota99]