KCcarguy's Build Thread

[KCcarguy]

So, I guess it's about time a post a build thread. The truck has come a long way since I bought her new in Feb, 2011. To be honest I never thought I'd go this far, but as many of you know, the forum can be a bad influence!

I've always loved the outdoors and had done a little off roading in the past, mostly just enough to get to a camping/ hunting/ fishing spot. When it came time to trade my much-loved 2005 Tacoma access cab, I knew I wanted a 4WD SUV that would be family-friendly, as we had a baby on the way. I had it down to a used FJ cruiser, a JKU, or a LC100.

I was actually on my way to Carmax to buy a LC and decided to stop by the toyota dealer. I took a look at the 4runner and realized it was very close in size to the LC100 and I could get a brand new one for not much more than the 2005 LC I was about to buy. So, I drove the 4runner home that night. SR5 4x4 with premium package...got her for roughly $34.5k

 

[KCcarguy]

Update: 90k on the ODO



And here she is today. 70k on the ODO











Mod list:

Exterior:

-TE trim conversion
-TE roof rack
-Canadian gloss black door handles
-3" stubby antenna
-3' firestick mounted on hood hinge
-Plastidipped Anthracite Metallic (first 5th gen with full dip!)

Interior:

-Canvasback cargo liner
-Weathertech floor mats
-Maglight mount on drivers seat
-Gun magnet for CC in center console
-Cobra 75 with aux speaker
-Fire extinguisher and Zippo camp tool mounted with quick fists in cargo area
-rear cargo box with drawers (first crappy attempt)

Suspension:

-Toytec Ultimate Lift in front, Sway Away 1.5" coils in rear with bilstein 5100s
-Light Racing UCAs

Armor/ Protection:

-ARB skid plates (Engine, transmission, transfer case)
-RCI aluminum LCA Skids
-Shrockworks step-sliders (first set made for 4runners!)
-FJ cruiser cat tubes
-TE fuel tank skid

Wheels/ tires

-17x8.5" Method Racing MR301
-285/70-17 Load E Toyo Open Country AT2s

Recovery:

-Warn M8000
-Budbuilt hidden winch mount
-Smittybilt Element ramps x4
-Recovery kit with snatch strap, tree protector, snatch block, shackles, etc

Miscellaneous:

-Body mount chop
-Rear diff breather extension
-Custom Rola rack with tire carrier, shovel/ axe mount, Expedition One jerry can

Coming soon:
-skyjacker extended swaybar end links
-budbuilt diff skid
-Rigid Duallys on winch mount

 

[Alex T4R]

Been waiting for this build. Truck looks good especially dipped.

 

[Titanpat57]

Yep..I agree..

The truck deserved it's own thread...looking good..

 

[sandcrawler]

looks awesome! you gotta photochop a side-by-side of those two pics in scale—amazing difference. hard to believe they're the same truck.
:bravo:

 

[mace.]

What are cat tubes?

 

[KCcarguy]

looks awesome! you gotta photochop a side-by-side of those two pics in scale—amazing difference. hard to believe they're the same truck.
:bravo:

Thanks! I forgot how different it looks until I saw it on the thread, lol.

 

[bimrunner]

Looking great! Totally understand about the forum influence! Lol.

 

[KCcarguy]

So, my first mod was tires. As we all know, the OEM Bridgestones SUCK. The handling was so floaty and bad I almost sold the truck, but you guys convinced me to take a gamble on tires. I got Firestone Destination AT's in LT275/70-17 I think they were load range D. The tires did make a big difference in the way the truck drove.

I also deleted badges and took the front air dam off around that same tome....it bothered the heck out of me that there wasn't decent access the the recovery points (and I didn't particularly like the look either). Oh yeah, and I threw on some OEM med flaps. Here she is then:

Later that year, I did my first "big mod". The handling was still bothering me and you guys convinced me a lift would help....with the bonus of better looks. However, I wanted a subtle lift. I decided against spacers because the handling benefit. etc would not be there. Finally I decided on the Toytec Ultimate with Sway-A-Way 1.5" springs in rear. The plan was to set both at about 1.5".

Here she is after intall, adjustments, and alignment:

I was pretty happy with the results! And the handling was MUCH improved.

 

[JMG73072]

KC's rig is totally *****in' in person. The mods make for a very well composed rig. Well done.

 

[KCcarguy]

I drove the 4runner around for about 6 months generally pretty happy with things. I also had a chance to do a little off-roading while turkey hunting in Kansas. The lift and tires made a HUGE difference getting in and out of corn fields and driving around on gravel roads. Crappy cell pic:



Then, I decided to sell my beloved 2005 M3. I bought her in 2007 when I finished grad school and spent a lot of time/effort keeping her immaculate. She had 29,000 miles when I sold her to a very lucky gentleman in Tennessee. I spent most of the proceeds paying off the last of my student loans, but decided to take some of the money to focus on the 4runner.

 

[KCcarguy]

What are cat tubes?

They're those little tubes that hang down just in front of the transmission crossmember. They hang below the catalytic converters and supposedly protect them. It bothered me that my 4r didn't have them and a generous member [MENTION=69510]FERAL 4R[/MENTION] offered his to me. :cheers:

KC's rig is totally *****in' in person. The mods make for a very well composed rig. Well done.

Thanks John. That's a great compliment from a guy with a pretty bad-a$$ rig himself!

 

[KCcarguy]

So, with the funds from the BMW sale, I bought some Method MR301's and mounted Toyo Open Country AT2s in LT285/70-17. I also raised the coilovers to 2.5" lift and installed LR UCAs because I was concerned about the larger tires rubbing.

Not long after that I installed a TE roof rack I bought from [MENTION=47340]Titanpat57[/MENTION] it's amazing how the TE rack changes the look. Around the same time, I blacked out the grill with a little satin black Rustoleum.

 

[KCcarguy]

Not long after that I installed some Candadian OEM gloss black door handles. I wanted a cleaner look, but something more unique than the satin black TE look. I also plasti-dipped the remaining chrome trim. I was getting pretty happy with the look of the truck at this point.

 

[KCcarguy]

Next my attention turned to one of the shortcomings of the OEM 4runner....underbody protection. I bought a TE gas tank skid from another member and ordered some ARB skids. They're not quite as heavy-duty as the other aftermarket skids out there (to be fair, they're also a LOT cheaper), but they are a big step up from OEM. They came in a grey powdercoat finish, but I wanted something a little more low-key, so I painted them with some black Rustoleum "hammered" finish. I masked off the "ARB" badge for a little bling. This turned out to be a bad decision; it peels really easy and is looking pretty rough these days. If I were to do it again, I'd try Duplicolor bed liner instead. I'll post and updated pic some time to show you guys what I mean.

 

[IronManKansas]

KCcarguy,
Love your mods the rig looks awesome. How far do the shrockworks step sliders extend out? Do they deflect door dings? Also how are your element ramps holding up? Would you buy them agian? I am looking at getting some traction ramps for my recovery kit.

 

[KCcarguy]

KCcarguy,
Love your mods the rig looks awesome. How far do the shrockworks step sliders extend out? Do they deflect door dings? Also how are your element ramps holding up? Would you buy them agian? I am looking at getting some traction ramps for my recovery kit.

Thanks! The steps stick out about 4-5". Just enough to work as a step, but not as much as you'd get with a true running board. And yes!...They not only deflect door dings, they deflect CARS! This poor little lady ran into me and my rig was left unscathed:



As far as the ramps go, I've only used them once. They seem very sturdy. I read a comparison test between them and the Maxtrax. They compared pretty well....not quite as good and don't stack as compactly, but also half the price.

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/61779-MAXTRAX-vs-Smittybilt-Element-traction-devices

 

[KCcarguy]

Not long after that is when things started getting a little crazy. It's not my fault though, it was fate....let me explain. First, I backed into our babysitter's car in our driveway and damaged the rear bumper cover. Then, not more than two weeks later, my wife drove the 4runner to work. She is used to her more maneuverable Highlander, and she swung into the garage a little too wide. That did a good number on my front bumper cover and it needed to be replaced.

I had already grown to hate my SR5 body work.....especially the rockers, which limit the options for steps and sliders. I thought, "I can spend a little more money and do a TE conversion instead of paying to replace those SR5 pieces I hate". Well, it ended up being about $1100 more, but I think it was worth it. Would I have done it if it didn't need bodywork anyway? Probably not.

So, I began the process of ordering pieces using [MENTION=8206]harper7[/MENTION]'s info. I found a body shop owned by a fellow Toyota enthusiast. He was excited about the project and hooked me up with discounted prices on the OEM parts. Here are a couple of pics during her "surgery":

 

[shaneotool]

Looking good!

If I ever get the itch for a TE conversion - I'll just let my wife drive my car for a couple of weeks too! haha

 

[KCcarguy]

And here she is with the TE conversion done. This bodywork really does look SO MUCH cleaner and more aggressive. I was pretty darn happy with it! And most importantly, I would be able to fit my Shrockworks Step-Sliders, which were already on order.