My To Do List - suggestions welcomed!

[HKTackDriver]

Hey guys, I've been reading a ton of threads and I'm going to start making my purchases for my 2007 limited. Any suggestions on which companies to buy from or alternatives would be greatly appreciated.

Alright guys, my to-do list includes:
1) HID low beam upgrade - TRS seems to be the place to go.
Correct me if I'm wrong - I'm going with Morimoto H11's in 3Five with 5k bulbs and XB35 bulbs. Do I need anything else?

2) High beam - do you know what is the brightest? I don't like HID's for brights since they need to warm up.
Fog lights - HID? Is there a cheaper alternative to HID? I'm not quite sure HID's in fogs are ideal.

3) I'm ordering Toyo Open Country II tires in 265/65/18 - but I'm not sure if I should get new 18" rims or if I should get sportier summer tires and rims in 20" next spring? Opinions?

4) I'd like any input from people that know about double din radios. I'm looking for something like the Pioneer App radio 3, to incorporate my Samsung S4. Budget is under $600.

Any other suggestions would be very very welcomed. Especially when it comes to equipping it for a bug out. I'm a bit of a prepper. But not the crazy kind, more of the fun loving, I've lived through natural disasters and need to ensure my family's safety kind! :happens:

I'm thinking about a trailer setup (limiting, but effects the suspension less than adding tons of stuff to the vehicle) or a trailer hitch basket and roof setup. Gotta put the BA50 somewhere!

 

[zopperman]

Hey guys, I've been reading a ton of threads and I'm going to start making my purchases for my 2007 limited. Any suggestions on which companies to buy from or alternatives would be greatly appreciated.

Alright guys, my to-do list includes:
1) HID low beam upgrade - TRS seems to be the place to go.
Correct me if I'm wrong - I'm going with Morimoto H11's in 3Five with 5k bulbs and XB35 bulbs. Do I need anything else?

If you have the coin, I would definitely do TRS. DDM makes really cheap chinese HIDs that take forever to ship, but have a lifetime warranty... and they're really cheap. You'll need to get ballasts for the HID bulbs, 35W should be more than plenty.

2) High beam - do you know what is the brightest? I don't like HID's for brights since they need to warm up.
Fog lights - HID? Is there a cheaper alternative to HID? I'm not quite sure HID's in fogs are ideal.

Yes - you should get bright halogens. Phillips ultra vision or Sylvania silverstars. I had the phillips bulbs and they are great.

3) I'm ordering Toyo Open Country II tires in 265/65/18 - but I'm not sure if I should get new 18" rims or if I should get sportier summer tires and rims in 20" next spring? Opinions?

Personally I like to have more sidewall - depends what look/function you're going for. More sidewall = better for offroading. If you like the look of 20's you can get them, personally, I don't. Why would you want new 18's? Just to replace your factory ones? I happen to love those wheels and think they are one of the best OEM wheels I have seen. You could black them out with plastidip if you want a different look too. The Toyo seems to be a great all around tire, 65k warranty I think it will be fine in the summer, it's not like you're doing exclusively HWY driving with mud grapplers.

4) I'd like any input from people that know about double din radios. I'm looking for something like the Pioneer App radio 3, to incorporate my Samsung S4. Budget is under $600.

I have a single DIN so I have nothing useful to say. [MENTION=51033]97BlackAckCL[/MENTION] and [MENTION=93434]gshadow325[/MENTION] are resident 12v and audio gurus.

Any other suggestions would be very very welcomed. Especially when it comes to equipping it for a bug out. I'm a bit of a prepper. But not the crazy kind, more of the fun loving, I've lived through natural disasters and need to ensure my family's safety kind! :happens:

I'm thinking about a trailer setup (limiting, but effects the suspension less than adding tons of stuff to the vehicle) or a trailer hitch basket and roof setup. Gotta put the BA50 somewhere!

As far as roof racks go, [MENTION=77764]Whitson Metalworks[/MENTION] makes the best one out there, hands down. I don't love the look of the baskets, but Josh's rack is a work of art.

As far as prepping goes, wouldn't that mean you want a vehicle that can go anywhere? like lift tires full plate bumpers etc??

 

[HKTackDriver]

As far as prepping goes, wouldn't that mean you want a vehicle that can go anywhere? like lift tires full plate bumpers etc??

Two trains of thought:
1) Only a rock crawler will do.
2) I live on an island - Long Island to be exact - there's not much that good tires a bit of ground clearance and 4wd won't get me through.

If I lived in mudlands, swamps, mountains, etc - my setup might be different. I may break down and do a 2.5/1.5 in the future, but I'm not there yet.

 

[Morphyne]

I am a bit of a prepper myself and I see where you are going here. Upgrade slightly within your budget without overdoing it or sticking out.

Here are my oppinions:

1. Skip the HID up grade and look into a behind the grill LED solution. Or some other lighting upgrade. this will give you the extra light when you need it and keep other daily drivers from flashing you all the time.

2. To be prepared means to not have 20" rims. I know you live in long island but even jumping a curb can blow a tire if you are running a 20: rim. stick with the 18" rims and spend your money else where. Like a couple of removable totes full of emergency gear.

 

[Whitson Metalworks]

As far as roof racks go, [MENTION=77764]Whitson Metalworks[/MENTION] makes the best one out there, hands down. I don't love the look of the baskets, but Josh's rack is a work of art.

As far as prepping goes, wouldn't that mean you want a vehicle that can go anywhere? like lift tires full plate bumpers etc??

Awww shucks! Thanks man!! Really though, way in the back of my mind, some form of prepping influences a lot of my vehicular decisions. These roof racks certainly add a ton of function and cargo space to the vehicle. Plenty of real estate for lights too! I too like the idea of some beefy bumpers. You may not need to plow over a bunch of zombies but you may encounter other stuff like small trees, debris, or your annoying neighbors garbage can too far out into the street...:madgrin:

 

[SI2IS2T4R]

I've done some research on that Pioneer App Radio 3, and while it looks like an amazing deck, all the reviews I read still indicated it had several opportunities. First, $600 may get you the unit, but there's still a kit, harnesses, and adapters. This was a common complete across amazon, bestbuy.com and other sites. The adapter alone to connect to your smart phone adds another $100. If you go with the App Radio or comparable unit, it'll probably be closer to $900 all said and done, unless you obtain a preowned or open box unit. Additionally, many reviewers mentioned issues with particular smart phone models (not sure if it was the S3 or S4) and let's not forget, there's still limitations to the App Radio functions.

I have Toyo Open Country's and they are great! As they close down their tenure, I'm considering the Goodyear Duratracs tho... They seem to be a forum favorite, highly recommended for functionality, looks, and quality.

 

[HKTackDriver]

I've done some research on that Pioneer App Radio 3, and while it looks like an amazing deck, all the reviews I read still indicated it had several opportunities. First, $600 may get you the unit, but there's still a kit, harnesses, and adapters. This was a common complete across amazon, bestbuy.com and other sites. The adapter alone to connect to your smart phone adds another $100. If you go with the App Radio or comparable unit, it'll probably be closer to $900 all said and done, unless you obtain a preowned or open box unit. Additionally, many reviewers mentioned issues with particular smart phone models (not sure if it was the S3 or S4) and let's not forget, there's still limitations to the App Radio functions.

I have Toyo Open Country's and they are great! As they close down their tenure, I'm considering the Goodyear Duratracs tho... They seem to be a forum favorite, highly recommended for functionality, looks, and quality.

The unit is $380, cables are about $120. Not $900. If I'm wrong, let me know what other stuff I need to buy. I don't need to watch DVD's on it, so I can get the cheaper one. My G35 and G37xS had DVD capability and I never even popped in a dvd to test it out. If anything, I'll get something in the rear for the boys once their seats go to front facing. For now, they get the panoramic view through the open rear glass! My middle boy will stare out that window all day long.

I guess the rack is a bit too pricey for now, but I'll definitely come back to it.

To get into my BOV plans - the main issue I wanted was to be able to get some clearance while going through the neighborhood. Jumping curbs, small trees, etc in my G was impossible. Standing water had to be approached VERY carefully and with some noreasters, I've been stranded on the south shore on people's driveways for over a day while water receded. My brother in law simply drove out in his Jeep. If I have a medical emergency, I wanted the ability to get wherever I have to go without begging neighbors.

In a true bug out, I'm thinking a small trailer is necessary to carry what I need so as to not overload the truck. This isn't a likely scenario, but I was at ground zero on 9/11 - :happens: I don't want to be caught with my pants down and no ability to care for my family. Hurricane Sandy was an excellent opportunity to need a truck, which we didn't have. Now I want to make the best of it.

Anyway, back to the radio - my only real concern is somehow having problems with the JBL speakers not sounding good with the aftermarket setup. Can anyone weigh in on this? Is the factory radio set up to handle all of the speakers differently than an aftermarket Pioneer/Kenwood would?

 

[noshortcuts]

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Anyway, back to the radio - my only real concern is somehow having problems with the JBL speakers not sounding good with the aftermarket setup. Can anyone weigh in on this? Is the factory radio set up to handle all of the speakers differently than an aftermarket Pioneer/Kenwood would?

There is no problem replacing the head unit. The stock amp and speakers will work as normal. What you do is turn off the "amp" of the new head unit so it's used like a pre-amp giving instructions to the amp (balance, fade, tone, etc.) that powers the speakers.

 

[HKTackDriver]

There is no problem replacing the head unit. The stock amp and speakers will work as normal. What you do is turn off the "amp" of the new head unit so it's used like a pre-amp giving instructions to the amp (balance, fade, tone, etc.) that powers the speakers.

You learn something new every day on this forum...

You're telling me that there are other amps not build into the head unit that power the vehicle? I had no idea. Alright, so that solves that problem.

Any suggestions for head units? I'm really liking the large 7" screens, are there any other units you guys would recommend? If I had to increase the money I'm spending, I could do that too.

 

[JustSomeName]

Hey guys, I've been reading a ton of threads and I'm going to start making my purchases for my 2007 limited. Any suggestions on which companies to buy from or alternatives would be greatly appreciated.

Fog lights - HID? Is there a cheaper alternative to HID? I'm not quite sure HID's in fogs are ideal.

I've got HIDs in the fogs and i love em!

 

[noshortcuts]

You learn something new every day on this forum...

You're telling me that there are other amps not build into the head unit that power the vehicle? I had no idea. Alright, so that solves that problem.

Yes, there is an amp next to the woofer in your trunk area. It powers all ten speakers in Limited 4th gens.

 

[HKTackDriver]

Just checked my air filter, which was really clogged up. Any thoughts on what filter to replace it with? Fram? Toyota? Something else?

 

[zopperman]

Just checked my air filter, which was really clogged up. Any thoughts on what filter to replace it with? Fram? Toyota? Something else?

I have an AFE pro dry filter. It's 50 bucks but will last the life of the car and can always be washed out

 

[HKTackDriver]

Best place to buy?

 

[lj4r]

Check out the Pioneer 5500 Double Din Touchscreen DVD/Bluetooth head unit. Amazing. we have an earlier model without the Bluetooth, it works great, looks like it was built for the vehicle. I was going to install a Scion T1819 in our most recent 4runner and by the time I added all the costs, I was a about the price of the Pioneer 5500. They are just coming out with their new models so you can find the 5500 for incredible prices, under $300 on ebay and around $350 at BestBuy. you may have to spend another $100 on the install kit and the wiring harnesses, but well worth it. Good luck. Phil

 

[HKTackDriver]

UPDATE:
So I started with the most important thing and got the 265/65/18 Toyo Open County II's. Within 4 days of installation, we had snow and these things were amazing! There was a bit of ice mixed in and I had no issues. The slightly larger diameter makes these things look stuffed into the wheel wells, so I might to a spacer lift in the future, but there is NO rubbing issue whatsoever.

I then moved on to upgrading every bulb in the car to LED's. All of the wedge style bulbs got LED wedge bulbs with 5 LEDs. The running boards are the most impressive. Interior overhead lights got 48 LED panels, which really light up the interior. I'm sure if I'm ever pulled over at night, the cops will love that mod!
48 SMD White LED Light Panel T10 Festoon BA9S Dome 12V : Amazon.com : Automotive
Amazon.com: Jtech 10x 194 168 2825 T10 5-SMD White LED Car Lights Bulb: Automotive (I tested two type of bulbs, use these at this link, the other one had very poor contact points.)

I upgraded the low beams to Morimoto's D2S 3five system with XC35 bulbs. Easy to install, the only hassle was finding a location for the ballast and harness relay, which I added on top of the battery tie down. Not pretty, but absolutely perfectly functional. The lights themselves are really really nice. TONS of extra light with a nice cutoff from the factory projectors.

Next up were the high beams, which got Sylvania SZ Silverstars:
Sylvania 9005 SZ SilverStar zXe High Performance Halogen Headlight Bulb (High Beam), (Pack of 2) : Amazon.com : Automotive

Fogs got the Philips 9012 modded bulbs:
Philips 9012 Standard Halogen Headlight Bulb, Pack of 1 : Amazon.com : Automotive

I bought the wrong air filter, but it works and doesn't look like mud inside of it, so it'll do. I got the AFE WET filter, thinking it was the dry. Oh well, it works.
aFe 30-10027 Air Filter : Amazon.com : Automotive


I also threw on some Bosch Icon wiper blades, which have been phenominal in snow and rain. I've yet to find the rear blade, but I guess it'll involve a trip to Toyota.

Next up is the radio and fixing the bulbs in the climate control.