My 17' TRD Off Road Premium Build - Hippestguyever

[Hippestguyever]

Hey everyone. I wanted to start a thread on my build. I got this 17' TRDOR about a month ago and I figured it would be nice to document my build in the community. I'm from Orange County, CA and this is my daily driver but I'll be doing a few minor trips later this year. So I definitely wanted to upgrade the suspension and level it out (especially with the front being way too low) This by all means is no extreme or experienced build but rather a mild one that I'll be using daily. Mine has kdss so it was definitely fun going through the forums and learning a lot about the fun debates regarding it. Truth be told, I drove a 4runner with and without and the quality of the ride for me was night and day so thats why I elected to get the KDSS. One of the pictures was a stock 4runner to show the progression but the rest are mine. I'll be updating this thread when the parts arrive. Additionally I just wanted to say thanks to the 4runner community for advice/direction so far.

Current Mods
- TRD Pro wheels
- Toyota Grill
- not really a mod, but I dipped the emblems and front bumper

In the Process/Future
- 6112/5100s (i elected for the 5100s in the rear for my circumstances, I didn't need a HD system and the deal was really good)
- Ordered a TRD CAI (it was fun finding someone who would ship it to CA) - Should be delivered in 2-4 days
- TRD Skid Plate ( I have it outlined and ready to cut to fit the KDSS)

Debating
- 285s
- Minor exhaust
- Roof-rack

 

[Hippestguyever]

Additionally

I also got the front windows tinted with ceramic in case anyone's wondering

 

[darkfader]

Looks sweet so far. I've got the same truck, also about a month old, except in silver. I have plans to do something very similar to mine. Looking forward to seeing your progression!

Edit: take pics when you notch the skid if you get a chance. I didn't realize it needed a mod for the KDSS until I went to order one at my local dealer. Was also told there was an ordering freeze on the pro garnish and grill, so I'm in a holding pattern on that as well.

 

[Hippestguyever]

Looks sweet so far. I've got the same truck, also about a month old, except in silver. I have plans to do something very similar to mine. Looking forward to seeing your progression!

Edit: take pics when you notch the skid if you get a chance. I didn't realize it needed a mod for the KDSS until I went to order one at my local dealer. Was also told there was an ordering freeze on the pro garnish and grill, so I'm in a holding pattern on that as well.

Thanks man! Yeah the CAI/Suspension are arriving soon so I'll definitely be updating this thread .

Yeah from what I heard, they were trying to stop the secondary market because people were essentially building the Pro' without paying the ridiculous markups some of the dealers were doing in California. Did you check ebay? I saw a few on there. Did you elect for the Pro wheels?


As for the TRD Skid plate, there's some cuts you need to do if your 4runner has kdss. I will put the photos once I start the actual cut. Here's the best thread I found on it (i used the outline he listed in it)
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/197368-trd-pro-skid-15-4runner-te-w-kdss-4.html

 

[jasxn]

Thanks man! Yeah the CAI/Suspension are arriving soon so I'll definitely be updating this thread .

Yeah from what I heard, they were trying to stop the secondary market because people were essentially building the Pro' without paying the ridiculous markups some of the dealers were doing in California. Did you check ebay? I saw a few on there. Did you elect for the Pro wheels?


As for the TRD Skid plate, there's some cuts you need to do if your 4runner has kdss. I will put the photos once I start the actual cut. Here's the best thread I found on it (i used the outline he listed in it)
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/197368-trd-pro-skid-15-4runner-te-w-kdss-4.html

contemplate about putting an additional spacer. i have 6112 on the 7th notch on both sides. the lift was great but once everything settled i'm kind of sad on the height. i do need new tires so maybe once those are on it'll feel taller?
other than that the ride is great! put about 1500 miles on it so far and its holding up well.

 

[Hippestguyever]

contemplate about putting an additional spacer. i have 6112 on the 7th notch on both sides. the lift was great but once everything settled i'm kind of sad on the height. i do need new tires so maybe once those are on it'll feel taller?
other than that the ride is great! put about 1500 miles on it so far and its holding up well.

Yeah I initially purchased a daystar 2.5/1.5 leveling kit but I figure I'd rather just get the Bilstein setup since the installation cost quotes I was getting was roughly the same. So I still have those, I was going to use the rear spacer and put the 6112 on the 7th notch (like yourself) for a 2.5/1.5 lift since I'm not getting UCAs. How much lift does your 4runner currently have? The most common is the 3/2?

 

[jasxn]

Yeah I initially purchased a daystar 2.5/1.5 leveling kit but I figure I'd rather just get the Bilstein setup since the installation cost quotes I was getting was roughly the same. So I still have those, I was going to use the rear spacer and put the 6112 on the 7th notch (like yourself) for a 2.5/1.5 lift since I'm not getting UCAs. How much lift does your 4runner currently have? The most common is the 3/2?

As for lift I'm still at 2.5/1.5.
I'm not a fan of spacers but I'm debating if I should get 1/4 spacers to add on top of my bilsteins to get an additional 0.5" lift. that would net me 3" and of course fix my rears to net 2". or upgrade to king/icon and set it at 3".
I'm getting 285/70/17 this fall/winter before Mammoth's winter season starts. That should give me an additional 1" lift from the tires?
I dunno I think i'm just tripping out because every time I park next to a stock 4runner it looks like its the same height but I know it's not judging by the fender to wheel gap. ughh.
but the ride is so much damn better hah. i guess thats what really matters.

 

[Hippestguyever]

As for lift I'm still at 2.5/1.5.
I'm not a fan of spacers but I'm debating if I should get 1/4 spacers to add on top of my bilsteins to get an additional 0.5" lift. that would net me 3" and of course fix my rears to net 2". or upgrade to king/icon and set it at 3".
I'm getting 285/70/17 this fall/winter before Mammoth's winter season starts. That should give me an additional 1" lift from the tires?
I dunno I think i'm just tripping out because every time I park next to a stock 4runner it looks like its the same height but I know it's not judging by the fender to wheel gap. ughh.
but the ride is so much damn better hah. i guess thats what really matters.

Haha this very much describes what i've been contemplating since getting my 4runner! For me personally, I think the 4runner is a very capable vehicle stock and I doubt I'll be pushing the limits on it so my choice for Bilsteins were more about longetivity/comfort/price etc which is why I didn't elect for the higher end options out there. I think a 2.5/1.5 lift is perfect and if you're getting the bigger tires, I think you're good? The stock 4runner dips so much in the front it was definitely a must to level or lift it. Unless you're going to be hitting some hard trails and rock climb, I think you're setup is a really good one. You have any pics?

 

[Mutegambit]

Great looking ride and build. I just got my TRD Off Road 2 months ago and am in love. We have a lot of the same ideas for the build. Did you dip the front valance or did you buy the pro one? Also, can you get a better pic of the side emblems dipped? Look forward to seeing your progress.

 

[Hippestguyever]

Great looking ride and build. I just got my TRD Off Road 2 months ago and am in love. We have a lot of the same ideas for the build. Did you dip the front valance or did you buy the pro one? Also, can you get a better pic of the side emblems dipped? Look forward to seeing your progress.

Awesome! I'm definitely loving the TRD Off road ride quality. It's a good balance with a lot of capabilities!. Yeah I plastic dipped the front. I attached a photo with how it looked before I dipped it. I'll take some photos tomorrow of the emblems, those took a tad more time to plastic dip.

 

[mikegli]

Can you take a profile pic showcasing the front tinted windows? Id like to see how they match up with the factory tint.

 

[jasxn]

Haha this very much describes what i've been contemplating since getting my 4runner! For me personally, I think the 4runner is a very capable vehicle stock and I doubt I'll be pushing the limits on it so my choice for Bilsteins were more about longetivity/comfort/price etc which is why I didn't elect for the higher end options out there. I think a 2.5/1.5 lift is perfect and if you're getting the bigger tires, I think you're good? The stock 4runner dips so much in the front it was definitely a must to level or lift it. Unless you're going to be hitting some hard trails and rock climb, I think you're setup is a really good one. You have any pics?

I'm pretty happy with what I've got so far vs stock suspension. Definitely happy the nose dive is gone.
Could you PM and tell me where you got your skid plate? And as for the TRD Pro garnish did you get a good deal on that too? I just painted my front end. I like it but the Pro garnish is growing on my and I might pull the trigger.

I gotta take more photos of the truck. I think I have only one. lol. my photos are mostly of my kids haha.

 

[itsdchz]

Great start so far! Love the color

 

[Presa Canario]

In regards to the 6112's mentioned above, my feelings were the same. I was not happy with the overall height. I had them set on the 7th notch and everyone looked like they had more lift than me. Most people's center hub to top of fender measurements were a full inch more than mine. I sold that 4Runner though. My new one is getting Icon2.5's on the front and 2" icon springs in the rear. I'm going to get atleast a full 3" of lift or I'll be adding a spacer on top of them as well. This is my only real complaint with the 4Runner, how hard it is to get a decent amount of lift.

 

[Hippestguyever]

Can you take a profile pic showcasing the front tinted windows? Id like to see how they match up with the factory tint.

I took these this morning. I opted for the ceramic tint to keep the california heat out The tint guy did a great job in matching it up.

 

[Hippestguyever]

Great looking ride and build. I just got my TRD Off Road 2 months ago and am in love. We have a lot of the same ideas for the build. Did you dip the front valance or did you buy the pro one? Also, can you get a better pic of the side emblems dipped? Look forward to seeing your progress.

Here you go. Sorry my phone camera isn't too great in the mornings.

 

[Hippestguyever]

Thanks man! Your 4runner looks amazing! How's the ride quality on the 285s? Did you see a change in the MPG , comfort? Mine's a daily driver which 95% + road time so I was looking for a set that's comfortable and not so noisy.

 

[Hippestguyever]

I'm pretty happy with what I've got so far vs stock suspension. Definitely happy the nose dive is gone.
Could you PM and tell me where you got your skid plate? And as for the TRD Pro garnish did you get a good deal on that too? I just painted my front end. I like it but the Pro garnish is growing on my and I might pull the trigger.

I gotta take more photos of the truck. I think I have only one. lol. my photos are mostly of my kids haha.

I PM'd you some links on the skid plate and grill.

 

[Hippestguyever]

In regards to the 6112's mentioned above, my feelings were the same. I was not happy with the overall height. I had them set on the 7th notch and everyone looked like they had more lift than me. Most people's center hub to top of fender measurements were a full inch more than mine. I sold that 4Runner though. My new one is getting Icon2.5's on the front and 2" icon springs in the rear. I'm going to get atleast a full 3" of lift or I'll be adding a spacer on top of them as well. This is my only real complaint with the 4Runner, how hard it is to get a decent amount of lift.

What size tires were you running with the setup? I think the 285's make a huge difference in ride height/perception. I might be in the same boat though after the installation a week haha. I'll let you know

 

[Presa Canario]

What size tires were you running with the setup? I think the 285's make a huge difference in ride height/perception. I might be in the same boat though after the installation a week haha. I'll let you know

285's with 17x8.5" icon wheels.
Tire size doesn't matter on the center of hub to bottom of fender measurement.