My “Forever” 4Runner, 02 Stellar Blue Sport

[Taylor20]

Several years ago I owned a 99 SR5 that I regrettably sold in 2015. Fast forward two and half years, and I am proud to be back in a 3rd gen. I can't count the times that I was a day late to buy or how many I found with rotted frames.
A few months ago this one was posted for sale, but out of my budget. I continued my search being disappointed several more times until a couple weeks ago it was back up for sale again, much cheaper. Noshirtganshirt had traded it in on a Calvary Blue TRD Pro, and a sales manager had purchased it. Now he was letting it go, and I decided to spend a little over my budget, being lucky enough to have him hold it until I made the trip to see it. On 4/15/18 with just under 206,000 she was mine...

2002 Sport Stellar Blue Pearl

Drivetrain
3.4L Auto
B&M Trans Cooler (PO)
Toytec diff drop (PO)
4.30 Diff swap with E-Locker
Rear diff breather extension

Wheels & Tires
17" TRD Pro (SEMA) black
LT255/80r17 E - Cooper ST Maxx

Front Suspension
Toytec Ultimate Coilovers 600lb springs (PO)
01-04 Taco 27mm bar
Sonoran Steel Taco bar Mounts
Whiteline LCA Bushings
SPC alignment cam kit
SPC UCA's

Rear Suspension
Toytec Superflex (PO)
OME 861's
Jeep LJ Front Coils - temporary
Tokico Black LC shocks
Custom UCA's using Metalcloak Duroflex joints
Sonoran Steel Swaybar Relocation brackets
[MENTION=28464]eimkeith[/MENTION] PCK
[MENTION=28464]eimkeith[/MENTION] ULR's
Toytec 3" Rear Bumpstop Extensions

Brakes
Tundra 231's (PO)
Wheeler's extended rear lines

Armor & Body
AED Offroad Fab Custom Hybrid Front Bumper
Savage Off-Road Front Skid Plates
Satoshi grille (PO)
Warn M8000 Winch w/ Syn rope (PO)
Smittybilt Gen2 X20 Comp 10k 98510
C4RS 3/8 Synthetic Line
C4RS Hawse Fairlead
Factor55 Pro-link
4xInnovations Sliders w/kickout (PO)
Sonoran Steel Poly rear body mounts
4xInnovations Rear Bumper
4xInnovations Swingout
Knockoff Cheap Snorkel

Steering
Wheeler's Offroad ES Steering Rack Bushings

Electronics & Lighting
Morimoto 5.0 D2S projector retrofit
Diode Dynamics HD Amber halo's
Turbine shrouds
Colormatched housings

Ripcords Acrylic Fuse Panel Mount
Blue Sea Systems 5026 12-circuit Fuse Box
Blue Sea Systems 7087 285 series 100 amp Circuit Breaker
E-support 100amp Ignition Relay
Shoreline Marine Battery Terminals
Apex Overland Side Shooter Ditch Lights
CBI Offroad Ditch Light Brackets
Apex Overland 27" Amber/White Light bar
8pc LED White Rock Lights
OTRATTW Contura V switches
Hella waterproof relays
Oznium flush amber led's in filler panels
Blue Sea 2.1amp dual USB outlet
Hella Supertone horns
BlueSea 6006 for winch disconnect

Interior
Weathertech front liners (PO)
Cool White LED upgrade
Radio antenna "Y" adapter
Paranoid Fabrications DIN 6 switch panel
Kidde Fire Extinguishers mounted in front of driver and passenger seats.


Comm's
Uniden PRO520XL
Firestik Firering cable
Firestik 5' antenna
SRQ Fabrications antenna mount

*(PO) - Previous owner installed


Maintenance
5/12/18 - Oil & filter change
5/19/18 - Front CV diff seals, Front diff fluid change, Right front caliper replacement
5/19/18 - Rear diff fluid change
8/4/18 - Front Air/Fuel sensor replacement for P1135
8/8/18 - Front LCA bushing replacement. Rack bushing replacement.
10/28/18 - Oil & filter change, Front diff fluid change, T-Case fluid change, Tire rotation
02/16/19 - Front LBJ OEM w/bolts, SPC UCA, Tokico LC Black Rear Shocks, OME 861
05/23/19 - Oil & filter change, Tire rotation
12/28/19 - Remove 861's, Install Jeep LJ Front Coils temporarily, adjust Toytec coilovers
2/29/20 - 221,241 miles - Rebuilt heads. OEM head gasket set, OEM timing belt, water pump, idlers, tensioner, belts, spark plugs. OEM radiator hoses. Rebuilt injectors.
A/M radiator.

Stay tuned...

 

[Lamer]

looks very well kept, nice buy!

im interested to see the 255's on there,

 

[Skunkworks]

Looks nice, congrats!

 

[Taylor20]

looks very well kept, nice buy!

im interested to see the 255's on there,

I can't wait to order them!

 

[Tyler James Inc]

My "Forever" 4Runner, 02 Stellar Blue Sport

Hellyeah!! Awesome to see Oliver's rig bought by someone who is into forums rather than FB groups!
I've always loved the Stellar Blue Sports when they're all polished up, and he had a great start to his rig.
I don't remember if he did or not, but if he didn't do [MENTION=28464]eimkeith[/MENTION]'s panhard brackets, I'd HIGHLY recommend doing those ASAP! Completely transforms how our lifted rigs handle.
Edit-
Less excited after seeing the plans for 255's, but to each their own [emoji1598]

 

[Taylor20]

Hellyeah!! Awesome to see Oliver's rig bought by someone who is into forums rather than FB groups!
I've always loved the Stellar Blue Sports when they're all polished up, and he had a great start to his rig.
I don't remember if he did or not, but if he didn't do [MENTION=28464]eimkeith[/MENTION]'s panhard brackets, I'd HIGHLY recommend doing those ASAP! Completely transforms how our lifted rigs handle.
Edit-
Less excited after seeing the plans for 255's, but to each their own [emoji1598]

Thanks man, ya forums and build threads are soooo much better than fb groups.

And yes, those panhard brackets will be done soon. Gotta fix this wandering with the steering and swap in 4.30’s with an e-locker first.

True story, everyone is different, otherwise we would all drive the same thing.


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[Hepar]

Love built blurple 3rd gens too!

 

[theesotericone]

otherwise we would all drive the same thing.

Ummm, like 3rd Gens? lol :behindsofa:

 

[Taylor20]

Ummm, like 3rd Gens? lol :behindsofa:

Government would probably be involved and we would all have a Prius

 

[Taylor20]

Small update,

I just spent almost 7 hours pulling the front diff assembly and complete rear axle from my 97 Limited and my 02 Sport to swap them.
The 97 had 4.30's and an e-locker. The 02 had 4.10's and no locker, so you can understand the reason for the change.

There is another thread discussing the swap http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/196837-02-rear-axle-swap-put-elocker.html , and someone mentioned that the backing plates are different on the rear axle between the 96-00 and 01-02, resulting in needing to swap axle shaft assemblies from one housing to another. I can confirm, in my case, that is not true. I noticed no major or minor difference. Now since I have VSC I have an extra brake line in the rear. To remedy that, I actually ordered 2 new hard lines for the 02, along with Wheeler extended lines. Its as easy as swapping the hard lines, pending rust does not cause any issues. There are however minor differences in the housings with mounting spots for brake lines and e-brake cable.

For the front, all I needed to do was swap the ADD tubes so the vacuum style stayed in the 97 and the electric style stayed in the 02.

So far everything is great. RPM's are 2-300 higher at 45-50mph with 33's.

I get a few pictures up soon, but nothing detailed as I needed to get the actually diff swap done quickly. I spend some time next week after work pulling some of the harness, ecu, and switch, and begin the electrical portion to hopefully unstick this locker (thankfully I have a spare).

 

[Lindenwood]

Congrats on the great find! I decided to make my 4runner my "forever" vehicle as soon as I chose satin grey for the paint color .

 

[Taylor20]

A couple of quick photos from my axle swap. Checked everything over again today and all seems well.

The front diff assembly is somewhat easy, just needed help rotating the assembly 90 degrees to clear the rear mounting stud. The donor was vacuum actuated and mine is electronic. Simple as swapping ADD tubes.

4 E14 bolts hold the tubes on, 2 long and 2 short. Heat may be needed, I had one bolt that would not budge without it. Also be aware they are easy to round off the heads if the socket is not straight and properly seated.
Orange 3-part FIPG is needed to seal the tube to the diff.
3 of the 4 bolts to be removed are circled, the 2 with an X next to them are to be left along with swapping tube and actuators together



The rear was just as easy, only needing to swap over the brakes lines due to having VSC.
Donor axle with single brake line


The new lines followed by red. Simple as swapping from one axle to another, I opted for new hard lines and Wheeler's extended lines. Toyota hard lines are under $20 each which isn't bad at all.


All of the line brackets line up with the exception of one. I will drill a hole, weld a nut on the backside and bolt it into place eventually.


As for the Wheeler's extended lines, I can't say if this is an issue with them, or the bracket on my 4runner, but I need to find a solution for one end not fitting in the bracket and allowing the retainer clip to hold it in place. The c-clip fit fine, but the hex portion does not fit in the bracket so I can slide the retainer to secure it.


Now I have the task of wiring the e-locker and getting it to work. The previous owner was about 80 years old and I doubt she ever used it during her ownership.

 

[97t4r81]

Awesome find. Love the color. I quit facecrook and just use the forum too. Good luck with your swaps

 

[Taylor20]

Rear diff breather extension

Decided to get this small mod done today in anticipation of a few water crossings I'll be doing soon.

All that you need for this....


6ft of 5/16 hose (tight fit, 3/8 would work too)
Appropriate sized hose clamps
90404-51319 - Union part number at axle housing
90930-03136 - Breather
Teflon tape (probably not necessary, but it makes me feel better)

I started off by removing the fuel filler neck cover, held on with 4 plastic retainers. These have teeth on opposite edges on the backside that need to be pushed in to allow the retainer to release.



I then poked a hole in the rubber trim around the fuel cap. Some have said the fuel cap interferes with the breather, however once the hose is secured along the fuel filler neck, the breather is angled more to the right leaving plenty of room.


The hose is attached with a hose clamp, and ran along to the fuel filler neck, zip-tied in place.


I continued running the hose along the fuel filler neck above the rear crossmember and then down to the union location.


The old breather is removed from the housing and the new union with teflon tape is put in its place. The hose can then be secured to the union with another hose clamp. Be sure to leave plenty of slack for articulation purposes.



With that, the rear diff breather extension is complete.

 

[Taylor20]

Drivetrain Fluid change

While changing the fluids in the front diff, transfer case, and rear diff...I decided to get all new fill and drain plugs along with the seal washers. The plugs will be kept on hand in case one strips out and gets damaged during a trip.

Info on what is used along with part numbers
Front diff - 75w90, 1.2ish quarts
Transfer case - 75w90, 1.1ish quarts
Rear diff w/ locker - 80w90, 3.1ish quarts
Rear diff w/o locker - 80w90, 2.6ish quarts

Front fill plug - 90341-18032 - torque to 29ft lbs
Front fill plug washer - 12157-10010
Front drain plug- 90341-24014 - torque to 48ft lbs
Front drain plug washer - 90430-24003

Transfer Case fill and drain plug - 90341-18006 - torque to 27ft lbs
Transfer Case fill and drain plug washer - 90430-A0003

Rear fill plug - 90341-18006 - torque to 39ft lbs
Rear fill plug washer - 12157-10010
Rear drain plug - 90341-18057 - torque to 39 ft lbs
Rear drain plug washer - 12157-10010

 

[Noshirtganshirt]

I knew I could never completely leave the 3rd gen group. Glad I still lurk this section.

I’m glad you picked this up. I knew after talking with you for just a few minutes that it was going to a good home.

The work you’ve done up to this point is great. That E locker is a perfect suit.

Excited to see where this goes. You’re doing all the modifications that was on my never ending list haha.

 

[Taylor20]

New wheels and rubber

I made the decision quickly after picking this up that I wanted to change to 255's and 17's. I sold the SCS's and picked up some new shoes....

17x7" TRD Pro in black
255/80r17 Cooper ST Maxx

For me, this is a perfect fit and look. I will be ordering black lugs soon.

 

[Taylor20]

I knew I could never completely leave the 3rd gen group. Glad I still lurk this section.

I’m glad you picked this up. I knew after talking with you for just a few minutes that it was going to a good home.

The work you’ve done up to this point is great. That E locker is a perfect suit.

Excited to see where this goes. You’re doing all the modifications that was on my never ending list haha.

Thanks Oliver. I'm proud to own it. A couple changes are coming and a few more upgrades for sure. If you take your Pro on the DBBB again, let me know, I'll see if I can join in.

 

[Tyler James Inc]

The side shot is beautiful! The pro wheels look great on there, and 7" is a good width for your tires [emoji1362]

 

[octanejunkie]

Decided to get this small mod done today in anticipation of a few water crossings I'll be doing soon.

All that you need for this....


6ft of 5/16 hose (tight fit, 3/8 would work too)
Appropriate sized hose clamps
90404-51319 - Union part number at axle housing
90930-03136 - Breather
Teflon tape (probably not necessary, but it makes me feel better)

I started off by removing the fuel filler neck cover, held on with 4 plastic retainers. These have teeth on opposite edges on the backside that need to be pushed in to allow the retainer to release.



I then poked a hole in the rubber trim around the fuel cap. Some have said the fuel cap interferes with the breather, however once the hose is secured along the fuel filler neck, the breather is angled more to the right leaving plenty of room.


The hose is attached with a hose clamp, and ran along to the fuel filler neck, zip-tied in place.


I continued running the hose along the fuel filler neck above the rear crossmember and then down to the union location.


The old breather is removed from the housing and the new union with teflon tape is put in its place. The hose can then be secured to the union with another hose clamp. Be sure to leave plenty of slack for articulation purposes.



With that, the rear diff breather extension is complete.

Nice write-up and pics. I have all the parts doe this mod but haven't done it yet lol

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