"Oops, Rolled the Runner!" a.k.a. Grocery-Getter v.2.0 build

[white_n_slow]

Another non-update:

After about two months of un-returned messages and emails to the mechanic who took my wrecked '97 to do a motor swap for my friend-of-a-friend, I kind of figured the '97 was a loss and that I would never get my old transmission, transfer and diffs back. I had kind of resigned myself to the idea, as much as it sucks.

Well yesterday I got a random call from the mechanic saying he had a buyer for my transmission and rear diff and wanted to give me $725 for the two. Not a bad deal for 200k mile parts (it also covers the $700 I paid to buy the truck back from insurance). So I can go over there and pick up a pile of cash, a t-case and a front diff (which I don't really need, but can probably sell).

In addition to that, he spent about 30 minutes on the phone with me helping me diagnose my transmission noise and my clicking noise that I've had ever since I bought the truck. He gave me some suggestions on things to try out when I got home.

After some fumbling around under the car (with it running and in gear- yikes!) I have narrowed down the clicking noise to the double-cardan end of the drive shaft. I just happen to have a spare drive shaft with brand new u-joints, so I'll throw that in as soon as I get a chance. Now with the money from my sport wheels, old stock wheels and tires and the trans and diff, I should have a pile of about $1200 to spend on the truck

4wheelparts quoted me $1150 for rear R&P installed, which seems high, so I will call around to some other shops and see if I can do any better.

Side note: I've been driving the Runner as a DD for the last couple weeks since my Acura is having an issue, and the brakes are f'ing shot. It's almost dangerous to drive... so I might see a tundra brake upgrade in my near future. :spy:

Sorry for the long post. CLIFFS NOTES:
to do list:
1) rear 4.88's
2) Tundra brakes
3) whip antenna (I only get two stations now, and one of them is the bible station)

 

[SamSter0077]

1150 is for the R&P, Master rebuild kit, and labor to pull it out/put it in?

I would pull it yourself and either take it with rebuild kit/R&P to a shop or ship it to ZUK. If you only want to do it one time, send it to ZUK.

 

[white_n_slow]

Yes, that's for the gears, master install kit and installation on the truck. I offered to bring just the 3rd in, but that didn't affect the price. I'll call a few other local shops. I somehow doubt shipping this sucker to Arizona is going to be cost effective

 

[white_n_slow]

Another little update. I finally met up with the mechanic that took my '97 and picked up my transfer, front diff and a check for $750 He also recommended I talk to Slee Offroad for setting up the rear. I gave them a call and they quoted me $832 if I bring in the 3rd member out of the truck.

So as soon as I have the time to pull the diff and drive down there, I'll git'r done.

Should have some money left over for Tundra brakes (more likely) or some different 17" wheels (less likely). I still have a stack of 315 tires taking up space in my garage.

I'm happy.

 

[white_n_slow]

Well, I've been too busy to work on the truck lately. I actually briefly entertained the idea of trading in my TL for a 4th gen and selling the 3rd gen because I've been feeling the financial sting of insuring and maintaining two cars (I need a "nice" car for work and the 3rd gen wouldn't cut it). But eventually I came to my senses and settled down a bit. :loco:

Anyhoo, I'm off to Moab this Thursday and I feel pretty un-prepared. Didn't get my brakes done, didn't get my gears installed. I figured just to feel like I accomplished *something* I would do the blue wire mod. Took about 10 minutes and a quick drive around the block (and about 5k off my tires ) confirmed that it worked. Wheeling so far this year, it never seemed like the truck really hooked up properly, so it's nice to know the locker is working.

 

[white_n_slow]

That went so well I decided to make another stop at radio shack and I wired up an ADD switch (a.k.a. 2LO). I wired the switch wrong the first time around, came inside for dinner and told the wife I broke the truck and it's only 2wd now

Switched the wires around and it works like a charm! I was going to get a custom ADD switch from OTRATTW, but they never answered my email. Oh well, for three bucks, this should do the trick for now.

Looking forward to 2WD low for the bumpy bot non-technical trail up to some of my most frequent camp sites.

 

[JBurt]

That went so well I decided to make another stop at radio shack and I wired up an ADD switch (a.k.a. 2LO).

Thats really cool. Was there a write up you followed or is it just an inline switch to interrupt the circut?

 

[white_n_slow]

Thats really cool. Was there a write up you followed or is it just an inline switch to interrupt the circut?

Post number 36 in this thread is what I used to do the 2-lo mod. I'm not sure if the process is any different for automatics.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/124548-write-up-add-2wd-low-2.html

It's funny because in my old FJ60, the "2-lo mod" involved chopping a hunk of metal off the shifter assembly, and now all you have to do is snip a wire. How the technology has changed!

 

[white_n_slow]

Got back from Moab - pretty uneventful trip, aside from getting snowed on while biking up on Gemini Bridges.

I ran a short loop of Fins 'n Things after dinner on Thursday, and that's pretty much all the wheeling we did. We were having too much fun on the dirtbikes to organize a trip to Hell's Revenge. Oh well, next spring I guess.

On the plus side, my wiring mods worked just fine and the truck made it out and back in one piece, which is more than I can say for some previous Moab trips.

I've got a couple crappy cell phone pics I'll put up when I can pull them off my phone.

 

[white_n_slow]

Crappy cell phone pictures as promised. The second picture is where my fat lip bumper plowed a hole into the ground coming off an incline. Approach angle, lol.

 

[white_n_slow]

I got some cheap 17" wheels off craigslist. They are not my style at all, but they are beginning to grow on me. The little holes in the spokes are actually pretty useful for mounting them up (dang, they're heavy!). As you can see, there is plenty of room between the tire and the UCA. I might even be able to ditch the spacer. Pardon the Moab dirt.

Wheels are 17x9 -12mm offset, 4.5BS. Tires are 315/70r17. 1.25" spacers in the front only.

And yes, it rubs. A LOT.

 

[Fishwerks]

Damn those things stick out far with the spacers up front! The 35s look good though.

 

[EatonKyleH]

Big wheel keep on turning
Proud mary keep on burning
And we're rolling, rolling
Rolling on the river

Sorry.... Tina Turner came to mind with those big meats! looking good!

 

[Twan]

We should go check out Camp Dick before it closes, once I get my running boards off and exhaust leak fixed.

 

[white_n_slow]

We should go check out Camp Dick before it closes, once I get my running boards off and exhaust leak fixed.

It wouldn't be a trip if someone didn't get carbon monoxide poisoning.

But I think camp dick is closed due to the St. Vrain going all willy nilly during the floods.

 

[Twan]

At least we've managed to severely reduce the amount of bifidas thanks to getting rid of the shit buckets. That's mostly what I'm curious about, how washed out the trails have gotten since we were last up there in June. I also want to try that rock field that starts at the parking lot. Trail Damage says that it's passable with a stock rig with careful tire placement and is a cake walk past there. Worst case scenario, there's Bunce School Road, as long as that part of P2P isn't gone.

 

[white_n_slow]

At least we've managed to severely reduce the amount of bifidas thanks to getting rid of the shit buckets. That's mostly what I'm curious about, how washed out the trails have gotten since we were last up there in June. I also want to try that rock field that starts at the parking lot. Trail Damage says that it's passable with a stock rig with careful tire placement and is a cake walk past there. Worst case scenario, there's Bunce School Road, as long as that part of P2P isn't gone.

I've been up that way a few times and it is a fun trail. You'll definitely need to lose the running boards before you head up though. Those rocks ripped the nerf bars right off of Mo's Xterra (actually bent one of them into his tire). But it's closed for the year. We'll have to try that one in the spring.

 

[white_n_slow]

Out with the old, in with the new (um, I mean old).

My weird drivetrain clickety-clack noises are now gone. Who would have thought a rusty, greasy driveshaft would be such a big improvement! The truck sounds and feels noticeably better. I can't believe it took me 3 months to get around to doing this :/

 

[JBurt]

I know it's hard to describe with words but what kind of clickety clack were you having? Did it almost sound like an old telephone ringer when you were at stoplights?

 

[white_n_slow]

I know it's hard to describe with words but what kind of clickety clack were you having? Did it almost sound like an old telephone ringer when you were at stoplights?

What you're describing sounds maybe more like a throw-out bearing?

Mine was a clicking noise that sounded almost like a bad CV. Just a "clickity, clickity, clickety" whenever the truck was moving, and it matched the truck's speed (meaning it increased in frequency with speed). Kinda loud and very annoying. Especially when driving next to a fence or curb that reflected the noise back at you.

Turns out the double-cardan end of my drive shaft had something wrong with it. It had a little bit of play, and you could definitely hear the noise when messing around under the truck. I didn't put too much effort into diagnosis because I had a good spare drive shaft just laying around.