MandAtaco (Manda4Runner-?) Build Thread

[MandAtaco]

I never had a full on build thread on my truck and always regretted it. Hopefully I can keep up on it with the Runner so I'll have a reference for everything, and be able to help someone else down the road.

07-27-17 NOTE: So photobucket sucks the big one and changed their hosting, I'm not paying a fortune to host pictures so I'm in the process of switching everything over the FLICKER. For now you can click on the missing picture and at least open it up in photobuckets page. I'll hopefully have everything migrated over in the next 10 years.

Current Pics:

Suspension Mods:
-Donahoe (Icon) extended travel front coilovers
-Camburg upper control arms
-OME 861 Rear Springs
-Toytec Panhard drop bracket, Reinforced to the frame
-Custom rear sway bar links, longer built from Energy Suspension links
-OEM Toyota LC80 rear shocks, frame drilled out to fit the larger centering washer
-.5" PhatPats Body Lift

Drive Train Mods:
-Yukon 4.56 gears
-ARB Front Locker
-Toytec Diff Drop

Current Body/Bumper/Armor
-ARB front bumper
-8" HID KC Lights
-9000# Smittybuilt winch
-Custom rear bumper with Swing out
-Custom low profile rack 3/4" round tube
-CBI ditch light brackets with LED flood lights

Engine/Trans Mods:
-Hilux Snorkel
-Airaid intake tube
-Walker catalytic converter
-Magnaflow 18" muffler with custom rear dump
-Tru-Cool 4589 Trans Cooler (radiator bypassed)

Current Interior Mods:
-Scanguage II with X-guage to monitor trans temps
-LED dome lighting
-JVC Stereo
-WeatherTech Front Floor Mat's in Black
-CalTrend front seat covers
-Bunch of OTRATTW rocker switches

Wheel's/Tires/Brakes
-Braided Brake lines from Wheelers Off-road front and rear
-Tundra 231 Brake upgrade with Duralast stuff
-BFGoodrich A/T KO2's in 285/75R16 on stock Limited 5 spoke rims
-Spidertrax 1.25" wheel spacers
-Matching spare

Camping/Expo/Comfortable Living
-Xantra 1000W inverter (Built into rear storage box)
-Puma Compressor (Built into rear storage box) with 1/2 gallon tank underneath
-6.5' Smittybuilt awning
-Custom rear storage box with table
-IndelB 51 Fridge
-CVT Mt. Shasta RTT



Back story:
My wife and I bought a 01 Tacoma back in 05 and I proceed to build it up over the course of the 9+ years we owned it, eventually ending up with a truck that I felt could do a little bit of everything. We ran the Rubicon, Moab, Big Bear, and a bunch of other places in it, all while daily driving it. It was a bad little truck!

The ONLY problem with this truck, was the lack of seating for my now kids. I tried to get 2 cars seats in the taco, but it was neither going to be comfortable, or safe IMO, so the search was on for a 3rd Gen 4Runner. I started looking for something specific, a 99-00 with 3.4L and a rear locker. I knew if I could find this combination i could save myself a chunk of change by swapping a lot of the parts from my truck onto the Runner. Besides that I knew there was no way I would get my money out of those parts when I sold the truck. I found what I wanted up in Southern Utah. Took the trailer up and brought it home.

2000 Limited, 3.4L, Automatic, Rear locker, 191K miles, power everything, 5 spoke limited Rims, basically everything I wanted!

Frame was mostly rust free (just some surface stuff here and there), everything was just dirty. The previous owner had it for 5 years and by his own account, just drove the thing and had the oil changed.

 

[MandAtaco]

I got it home pulled it in the garage and started working on it, I literally only did a mile long test drive before I tore it apart! There was some stuff I needed to swap before I sold the truck, and I wanted to get the major tune up stuff done too while I had another truck to drive. First up was to swap the rear third and front diff. I had 4.56 gears and a front ARB locker in the Taco. They got pulled and swapped for the 4.30 gears that came in the Runner.




The rear was a direct swap, the front I had to swap the actuator's out as the taco was electronic controlled, and the Runner is Vacuum controlled.


I also went ahead and installed some new axle seals in the back (they weren't leaking) and installed a set of ADD shafts I had rebuilt a while back as trail spares. They were Green label shafts from a Taco. I had them and knew that the ones on the Runner would probably just start leaking the minute the lift went on anyway.

Some of the other stuff I kept, to give you an idea of where this build is going:
-8" HID KC lights
-Hot water shower heat exchanger
-2 Meter Radio
-Donahoe (Icon) front Coilovers
-Camburg upper Control Arms
-Puma Compressor for locker control and OBA
-and of course this guy..... It'll get fully gone through and installed sometime down the road. Marlin 4.7 "Taco Box".

 

[A.Wilson013]

-Hot water shower heat exchanger

Sounds like you're headed in the right direction!

I am curious if you have more info on this shower thing...? That'd sure be nice to have on long trips.

 

[MandAtaco]

Sounds like you're headed in the right direction!

I am curious if you have more info on this shower thing...? That'd sure be nice to have on long trips.

Thanks, The shower I have was from R&M Vehicle Mounted Showers... LINK Unfortunately, they quite producing them a few years ago, I had tried to buy another heat exchanger for my wife's rig. Its a great working set up after a long day or days on the trail.

Sorry I don't have better pics, but here it is in my taco.




<div style="position:relative;height:0;padding-bottom:56.25%"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LKmkqenpE5o?ecver=2" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" style="position:absolute;width:100%;height:100%;left:0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

 

[MandAtaco]

Once I got all the diffs swapped over, I started working on the tune up stuff. The P/O said he'd never done the timing belt, he had bought it at 130K miles, and had no idea what had been done before that. One way or another I figured it was due. When I pulled the timing belt cover off, this is what it looked like....


Pretty sure it was probably never done. I've done a few of these at around 90k to 100k and none of them looked like that!


Just some other pics showing the age and use of the parts out of the motor. It wouldn't surprise me if most of this stuff was original.




Valve cover gaskets were leaking, they were pretty dried out and would pretty much stand up on their own!


Motor was clean inside though, very good sign that at least the oil changes were done regularly.


I don't have any pics but I cleaned up the engine bay as I went, looks a lot cleaner under the hood now. I also added my Airaid intake tube that I took off my Tacoma, and replaced some of the vacuum lines that were cracked.

 

[nc-grayson]

Good looking truck and I'm really excited to see its progress!

 

[MandAtaco]

Got a couple things done last weekend while I was waiting for the last of my suspension to come in. First was CBI ditch light brackets (super nice product) and some LED Flood lights I picked up from a local friend. I also painted the cowl with some trim paint while I had it off, it was pretty faded out.




I also finished up a roof rack I was working on. Its a low profile, full length deal built from 3/4" .065 tube. I painted it orange thinking it will offset some of the black on this truck (more black is coming), but honestly I don't think I like it. I'll probably pull it this weekend if I get time and paint it black too. Opinions welcome!

 

[MandAtaco]

I finally got all my suspension parts, rebuilt, cleaned and/or shipped in! So the Suspension goes on starting tomorrow. I've got an appointment Monday for an alignment and tires.

-Extended travel Donahoe's (Icon)
-Camburg arms with new uni-balls and bushings
-New OEM lower ball joints
-New style rack guide
-New steering shaft bellows
-Energy suspension poly rack bushings
-OME 891 rear springs
-Bilstein rear shocks
-Toytec drop bracket that I have plans to reinforce (trying to keep drive shaft/fuel tank issues to a minimum)
-I'm also planning on building an adjustable pan hard bar


Weekend should be fun!

 

[shootmymime]

where are you at in vegas? i make quite a few tips down there because my wifes family is there.

they are around owens and lamb.

 

[MandAtaco]

where are you at in vegas? i make quite a few tips down there because my wifes family is there.

they are around owens and lamb.

Good to know! I may be ordering a B/L from ya sometime soon!

I'm down South, Buffalo between 215 and Blue Diamond. My folks live up N, Craig and Allen area.

 

[shootmymime]

Good to know! I may be ordering a B/L from ya sometime soon!

I'm down South, Buffalo between 215 and Blue Diamond. My folks live up N, Craig and Allen area.

sweet! if we line things up i might be able to hand deliver and help install it on a customer!! that would be sick!

 

[ajonesnv]

sweet! if we line things up i might be able to hand deliver and help install it on a customer!! that would be sick!

Good to hear. Glad to see you two possibly hooking up...if it happens, Ill most likely pull the trigger on a 1" lift as well.

I could just drag [MENTION=96608]MandAtaco[/MENTION] up to IF with me one day too :wink2:

 

[shootmymime]

Good to hear. Glad to see you two possibly hooking up...if it happens, Ill most likely pull the trigger on a 1" lift as well.

I could just drag [MENTION=96608]MandAtaco[/MENTION] up to IF with me one day too :wink2:

come on up. pick up a CBI bumper and we can install them and body lifts here. (make sure its in the summer time. i dont want you warm blooded kids to freeze) :flamethrwoer2:

 

[MandAtaco]

Good to hear. Glad to see you two possibly hooking up...if it happens, Ill most likely pull the trigger on a 1" lift as well.

I could just drag [MENTION=96608]MandAtaco[/MENTION] up to IF with me one day too :wink2:

Overland trip next year? :wink2:

come on up. pick up a CBI bumper and we can install them and body lifts here. (make sure its in the summer time. i dont want you warm blooded kids to freeze) :flamethrwoer2:

Cause freeze I will! My blood has thinned out over the last 20 years here!

 

[infamousRNR]

I got it home pulled it in the garage and started working on it, I literally only did a mile long test drive before I tore it apart! There was some stuff I needed to swap before I sold the truck, and I wanted to get the major tune up stuff done too while I had another truck to drive. First up was to swap the rear third and front diff. I had 4.56 gears and a front ARB locker in the Taco. They got pulled and swapped for the 4.30 gears that came in the Runner.

do you want to sell your front front 4:30 diff?????????????????

 

[Unner]

Nice truck! I like the roof rack, but I think black would look better. I think more black on these trucks in black looks great. I've got a black one as well and will hopefully be getting a Whitson rack since I cant make one myself and be painting it black.

 

[ajonesnv]

come on up. pick up a CBI bumper and we can install them and body lifts here. (make sure its in the summer time. i dont want you warm blooded kids to freeze) :flamethrwoer2:

Im good on the CBI, its [MENTION=96608]MandAtaco[/MENTION] that needs one or two. But yes, I will freeze. Every christmas Im there layered up like Im an African in Alaska.

 

[ajonesnv]

Nice truck! I like the roof rack, but I think black would look better. I think more black on these trucks in black looks great. I've got a black one as well and will hopefully be getting a Whitson rack since I cant make one myself and be painting it black.

Might be a while for a Whitson...seems he has not been taking orders for quite some time, but it would be well worth the time holding out for one.

 

[MandAtaco]

do you want to sell your front front 4:30 diff?????????????????

It got swapped into the Taco before I sold it.

 

[MandAtaco]

It was a busy last weekend/week! I got all the suspension on, but not without some issues. My Runner didn't spend a lot of time back east, but enough that some of the hardware was rusted/frozen. What a PAIN, I don't envy you guys in the rust belt AT ALL!

The upper arms, coilovers, rack guide, and rack bushings, and lower ball joints went on without a hitch. When I went to pull the tie rods off, I couldn't get the lock nuts loose, they were frozen solid. I tried heating them and soaking them in PB Blaster, and finally put them in a vise with a pipe wrench. Eventually had to cut them off hoping to save the tie rod itself. Unfortunately all the torquing I did messed up the treads on the tie rod itself. Luckily a good friend of mine had a set of OEM ones laying around, so I grabbed them from him and installed them on my truck.


When I went to loosen up the lower control arms, I noticed that the front adjuster on the passenger side wouldn't move. Again, soak, heat, torque to no avail. I ended up having to cut it out with a saw. Took 4 blades, man those adjusters are hard!



Here's were I screwed myself, for the sake of ease and speed, I went and purchased a new LCA made by Dorman. Long story short, everytime I would hit the brakes, The truck would go left and the steering wheel would go right. You can read the entire chain of events here: TRUCK PULLING WHEN BRAKING. And the video I took of the arm:
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NTq-YMegMjU?list=UU81TBXimREN3G42xo3ioQsQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I ended up pressing in a new Toyota Bushing in my old arm and everything worked perfectly!



A little Prunner action while I flipped her around to do the rear:


The rear was pretty straight forward. I removed the sway bar end links and the ebrake cable to allow the rear axle to drop way down. The 891's went in and out without any hassle. The shocks were a pain to unbolt and bolt in of course. I also built a bracket to move the ebrake cable up, and slid the ABS wires in there holders to get more room when the axle drops out.




All done!