My New 3rd Gen :)

[hungryeddy]

I got a 1999 4x4 Auto elocker with 180k! not a spot of rust. boots for all the joints are in tact and not cracked or torn. its had the front shocks replaced because they are the kyb's... not sure about the rears yet. valve covers aren't leaking... which is kinda weird lol. of course, no working antennae or clock. pretty annoyed about the clock part... another annoying thing is the switch for the rear window is broken... it moves back and forth but i think the actual button (the contact were it completes the circuit) part of it is broken. other than that, it seems to be a good start.

I already had a 97 but that one was a 5 speed. while i loved it, my back problems won't allow it. i hate to love the truck but be in pain when i drive it. i already miss the 5 speed after just a few days of driving the new one :moping:

I'm making the best of it tho. I'm gonna do the important stuff first this time... last time i rushed to put on my mods and ended up changing a bunch of stuff to finally find the right lift for me.

so here's the new one and old one side by side:

first order of business was to switch over my FJ wheels... so i take one off, put it on the 99. then i put the 6 spoke wheel on the 97 and realize: OH YEAH!

TUNDRA BREAKS DON'T WORK WITH 6 SPOKE WHEELS :redbrick:

so there i am... in the rain switching breaks over. go to bed at 1am... oh well.

here's the result after scrapping the running boards too:

I really would love to switch my lift over, but i really don't want to pay for 2 alignments since i'm gonna sell the 97.

since we all know we won't get any more money for having the mods, i'm gonna pull the toytec springs and swap in some tundra trd springs i have laying around. i checked on toytec and those springs are on backorder. i remember i had to wait a few weeks to get them the first time too...

another thing i can pull are the rear 5125's. i can get some cheapo rear LC shocks just to have something there... that's actually what i started with and they weren't THAT bad. the truck will still be lifted, i'm just keeping the goodies for myself :naughty:

anyways, i already got a nice list going to keep me busy in the coming weeks:

Lifetime Alignment
OEM Taco LBJ's
OEM Taco OTRE's
Koyo A1998 Radiator (i'm paranoid about pink milkshake)
B&M 70268 External Tranny Cooler
Zerex Asian Coolant
Rear Window Switch Module
Plugs and Wires
Oil Change
Air Filter

To-Do List:
Grey/blue Wire Mod
Taco Whip Mod
Lube Drive Shaft and U-Joints
Diff Breather Mod
Check Diff Ratio
Fix Clock

I feel a whole lot better about this one. its actually my 3rd 4runner and i've learned a lot. this one is going to get babied even more than the others. other than the ugly grey/blue interior, this truck has everything i wanted that i didn't have in my 97. i'll post with updates.

 

[AZTOY]

Looks good! Sounds like you've got it all planned out.

 

[ranbar02]

I like it. Love the color. always looks better without the running boards.

 

[audiness]

Looks good, you sure don't waste any time.

 

[hungryeddy]

So i have a little bit of an update and a question.

Everything has gone so far somewhat as planned. I got the oil changed, air and oil filters changed, i ran a sea foam treatment, pulled my 3" toytec springs from the 97, spark plugs and wires.

I had a problem with the plugs. the previous owner used ngk single prong plugs. it wasn't throwing a code or anything, they just looked pretty burnt out. when i replaced with denso double prongs, i was getting a weird idle and a knock when i revved the engine. disconnecting the efi fuse and battery seemed to do the trick.

when i took off the air tube, i noticed the tube that comes out of the filter box to the MAS was broken. I was wondering if anybody has had this happened. I used some tacky super glue stuff i had laying around just to make sure only filtered air gets through there, i'd like to fix it right tho. here's a picture of it:

i'm also a little confused with what grease to use for the drive shaft and u joints. i picked this up since it looked like the multi purpose grease most people seem to be okay with. from what i understand, there's a different kind of grease for the u joints than there is for the drive shaft, but people have been able to use MP grease for both. here's what i got

would this be okay to use?

 

[curtperry]

Re: the grease.

That is the good stuff and exactly what you want for the u-joints. For the cardan joint and the slip yoke a Moly grease is specified. I keep 2 grease guns for this reason but many just put the same grease everywhere with no problems.

 

[Ol'Blue]

Clock

I have a clock for you man. Read your PM. Might have the window switch if it the front part that is the issue for sure.

Blue

 

[4yotaguy]

man, thats great. I'm looking for essentially the same truck with the same options! Looks great so far.

 

[hrt4me]

hungryeddy, what happened to the roof rack/rails on the '97 5-speed? I've never seen a 4Runner with a bare roof like yours, but rather, generally with either the factory oem roof rack or with merely the basic rails and absolutely no cross bars...

 

[Jungoes]

I had a crack in my air box but not at that same spot , I did some plastic repair and then sealed it up with some high build rubber coating , sealed it up no issues after, I'll go junkyard diving this summer so i'll grab one if i see it.
I used to get a wicked cool high pitch sound when I floored it but now its gone :/:hatsoff:

 

[JohnsD90]

How does your back hurt from driving stick? These clutches are very light atleast on the ones i drive. New one looks good.

 

[RonMAIDEN]

I had a similar issue with my back a few years ago and it was more the conststant shiftimng that irritated my back and if you irritate the nerve that runs down your leg then shifting can be almost impossible no matter how light a clutch is.

 

[hungryeddy]

hungryeddy, what happened to the roof rack/rails on the '97 5-speed? I've never seen a 4Runner with a bare roof like yours, but rather, generally with either the factory oem roof rack or with merely the basic rails and absolutely no cross bars...

that's how it came... it doesn't look like it had bars and someone removed them. there's a cover over the bolt holes that looks pretty stock. i always wished mine came with the rack haha

How does your back hurt from driving stick? These clutches are very light atleast on the ones i drive. New one looks good.

[MENTION=3034]RonMAIDEN[/MENTION] got it right on the head. getting stuck in traffic makes me have to stay on the clutch. the repeated in and out motion is what made my back/leg hurt.

man, thats great. I'm looking for essentially the same truck with the same options! Looks great so far.

thanks! super excited about it!

I had a crack in my air box but not at that same spot , I did some plastic repair and then sealed it up with some high build rubber coating , sealed it up no issues after, I'll go junkyard diving this summer so i'll grab one if i see it.
I used to get a wicked cool high pitch sound when I floored it but now its gone :/:hatsoff:

thanks. i used some super glue for now... probably won't hold long tho. if anyone has an air box laying around let me know. it kind of seems like the MAF sensor and the air box is one unit together... not sure if that's right.

 

[hungryeddy]

Automatic Door Locks

Does anyone know what makes the doors lock automatically. in my 97, when you start the truck, it locks about 7 seconds after. when you shut off the truck, it unlocks immediately after. it was nice and i kinda miss it. my 99 doesn't do this.

is anyone aware of some kind of retrofit or even what causes the auto locks?

 

[JohnsD90]

[MENTION=3034]RonMAIDEN[/MENTION] got it right on the head. getting stuck in traffic makes me have to stay on the clutch. the repeated in and out motion is what made my back/leg hurt.

Gotcha, understandable, have fun with the new one!

 

[JohnsD90]

Does anyone know what makes the doors lock automatically. in my 97, when you start the truck, it locks about 7 seconds after. when you shut off the truck, it unlocks immediately after. it was nice and i kinda miss it. my 99 doesn't do this.

is anyone aware of some kind of retrofit or even what causes the auto locks?

I would like to know the same thing, my 97 never did that, but this new one does and it is very annoying. -_-

 

[hungryeddy]

I would like to know the same thing, my 97 never did that, but this new one does and it is very annoying. -_-

i did in the beginning too. i even locked myself out at the gas station once lol. but i got used to it. and was helpful in the morning when i start the truck, get out, it locks behind me and warms up while i go inside and finish getting ready for the day. i come back and open it with my spare key.

i'm installing a remote start in the 99

 

[hrt4me]

that's how it came... it doesn't look like it had bars and someone removed them. there's a cover over the bolt holes that looks pretty stock. i always wished mine came with the rack haha

would you mind taking and posting some photos of the cover over the bolt holes before you sell the '97?

 

[hungryeddy]

update

I really hate updating with boring posts, but I like being able to come back to this in the future. It's also pretty cool for the next owner (because there will be one when i buy another 3rd gen haha) to be able to come look up my user name and see everything that has been done to his new truck.

I sold my 97 for $4,200. i was a guy coming from a 2nd gen so i felt good about it. I felt extra good that the first time we met he was riding in a XJ, the next time he was riding in a TJ... the kid picked a 3rd gen for a reason haha.

On my 99 I have continued to do maintenance. I can't wait til that's done, I'm so sick of the stock height. '

I got my LBJ and inner/outer tie rods ordered. I'm going with OEM toyota parts for the LBJ and outers, but those inners are $130 each! I'm going with napa on those...

I also have my B&M 70268 external tranny cooler ordered up. I decided that I'll be bypassing the stock tranny cooler until I get the radiator replaced.

The only thing I can't stand about the truck is the sag when I have stuff in the cargo area. I found a guy local to me selling some 1.5" spacers for the rear springs.
Do you guys think the rake will be terrible?

I'm obviously planning to lift it, but want to get the truck ready for it. Its almost where I want it, after all the above things are done (plus diff+t-case fluids which are on the way too) it will be where i'm comfortable with it. I know i should wait and not deal with the spacers, BUT i have a camping trip this weekend and HATE to see the truck sagging when i load her down with gear.

The truck has been great in the first month of ownership. I did notice my mpg's have been lower than those on the 97... This could be because of the auto tranny but i remember seeing some where the autos got better mpgs not worse. I may have to look into o2 sensors... i've cleaned the MAF and all that good jazz already. I might just need to relearn how to drive conservatively on the auto. we'll see.

anyways thanks for reading (if you made it this far, if you didn't, I understand). I know reading build threads in the beginning deckplate and ISR stages is wack. i promise it'll get a little better (i already know i can't compete with BFAD, rickashay, and all the other bad asses). got my lift, sliders, rear bumper and hidden winch on my 2013 list

 

[Millerad1651]

I like the color matched flares on your '99. Did you get any info from the PO when you bought it? I was thinking about doing mine that way, but didn't know what to do on the inside of the back flares...think you could take a couple close up pics of them?

Thanks