PC1P's 4th Gen 4(Pre)Runner Build Thread

[pc1p]

As she sits currently:


2004 V8 Sport 2WD, currently at 128k miles (12/14).

We don't do much off-roading anymore, but once kids are bigger we'll expand upon our hunting and camping escapades. In the mean time, all mods are based on the need for a reliable family SUV (Daddy-Wagon) that can tow our utility trailer and jet-skis without too much issue and can tackle desert roads while maintaining a somewhat respectable MPG...


Mods

• Removed OEM XREAS and all components
• OME 885/895E Springs
• OME Nitrochargers
• Energy Suspension Sway Bar Bushings
• Goodyear DuraTracs 255/75 R17
• Relocated Fender Liners
• CBI Ditch Light Brackets w/Hella 500 Fogs
• K&N Aircharger
• Gibson Stainless Exhaust
• Raybestos PowerStop Rotors
• Optilux/Hella 9005 3000k Fogs

Planned Mods for 2015

• Defiant or Defiant-like front light bar
• New Wheels w/increased offset
• TruTrac Locker with 4.11's (replacing factory 3.73's)
• Complete A/V system to replace factory JBL w/RDS
• Front Runner Rood Rack w/accessories
• LED Rock/Camp Lights

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Original Posting:


My two, well-trained kids cleaning daddy's baby-wagon up!

Timing belt + components, w/p, t-stat, drivebelt, idler, and spark plugs last weekend (7/5/14):



Thanks to [MENTION=99491]Bumper2Bumper Auto[/MENTION] (and $540!)

 

[preacher35]

Welcome to T4R.org, PC1P!!!! Looking forward to seeing what you do with your Runner. A lot of us have 2wd Runners and still, mod the living crap out of them. You will find no better source for 4Runner issues, information and help.

 

[JustSomeName]

i believe defiant light bars were absorbed by a company called tiregate.com

although their site is kind of difficult to navigate, they still sell the defiant light bars

 

[Tilmoney]

Did you change the timing belt yourself? How much did that cost you? Because I'm thinking about changing it but never done that before and the shop is quoting me about 1,000 :flame:

 

[BlackWorksInc]

Did you change the timing belt yourself? How much did that cost you? Because I'm thinking about changing it but never done that before and the shop is quoting me about 1,000 :flame:

I priced out most of the parts when I did my water pump & timing belt on my 4Runner, the prices shouldn't have changed too much.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/130732-2uz-fe-r-r-t-belt-water-pump.html

 

[Ryan04]

Welcome to the 2wd club

 

[pc1p]

i believe defiant light bars were absorbed by a company called tiregate.com

although their site is kind of difficult to navigate, they still sell the defiant light bars

Thanks man, I'll check them out! :thanks:

 

[pc1p]

Did you change the timing belt yourself? How much did that cost you? Because I'm thinking about changing it but never done that before and the shop is quoting me about 1,000 :flame:

I did the belt, components, and w/p myself. The entire kit was around $250 and I made them give me my "ex-AutoZoner" 10% discount

It took around 9 hours, mainly because it was 112 degrees outside (literally) and I had to take hydration and "cool down" breaks for 30-40 minutes at a time. If it were cooler outside and if I didn't have to run to AutoZone for a 22mm socket to replace the one that I couldn't locate until AFTER I put the truck back together, I could conceivably do it in 5 hours.

It isn't hard and an extra set of hands comes in handy...

FWIW - my local shops wanted between $800-900 for just the timing belt, $300 more for the w/p, $75 more for the thermostat. With the kit ($250 for belt, components, and w/p), thermostat ($15), antifreeze ($15) and new tube of RTV ($6) I have less than $300 into the swap - so over a $900 savings (about $100/hr ).

 

[pc1p]

CBI Ditch Light Brackets - Installed!

Luckily, I found enough time and the install went smooth enough that I got the CBI Ditch Light brackets and Hella 500 Fog's installed before our camping trip tomorrow...


Went with the 500 Fog's instead of the driving lights so as to ensure that there is plenty of flood light on the sides during slow crawls through the norther desert


I ordered the "Ditch Switch" from CBI as well, but that thing is flippin' HUGE and doesn't appear to fit the dash in the OEM switch locations. I am going to install it below the rear window switch in the future, but this works for now. I simply "popped" a blank out and cut out the switch cutout with Dremel cut-off wheel and file.


I love all the random holes under the hood, makes installing relays and grounding points easy


Wasn't exactly sure how to route the wires up to the lamps. This seemed to have worked out well so far. I made sure to secure the wires under the cowl with the same double-sided ziptie tie-downs as you see on the cowl. It keeps the wires secure and from rubbing on bare metal over and over. Also keeps the wires from potentially hitting the wiper linkage.

 

[pc1p]

Big Lake AZ Camping - Lessons Learned



Had a great time camping at 8800' ASL but this flatlander sure did feel beat after only a day of walking up and down the hillside...

The CBI Ditch Light Brackets w/Hella 500 Fog's proved to be AWESOME! It was totally what I was looking for in terms of "side light". I really wanted something to illuminate the woods/ditches as I turned into corners and these provide the width and range I was looking for in this particular role. :banana:

On a side note, there were some lessons learned here.
1) I need a bigger roof rack! With that wimpy little Amazon-special on top, it helps, but can certainly be loads better (mind the pun!).

2) My wife packs too much $hit! I'm a frequent flyer (A-list Preferred on Southwest) and have learned to pack light. My wife on the other hand, plus with the kids wallowing in the mud at every opportunity means I need to figure out how to help them parse their packs for camping. I also need to get some dedicated car-camping gear... yay for end of the season Cabela's specials! :cheer2:

3) With the gear we did bring (3 coolers, 2 large folding cots, 2 kid sized cots, clothes, dry foods, camp stove, sleeping bags, pillows, and other camp necessities), the a$$ end of the 4Runner is dragging low. I already know the XREAS is on its way out in the fall, but now I'm considering installing a set of upgraded springs alongside the Bilstein 5100's - or perhaps going to the OME 2.5" lift kit I was planning on installing from the start.

I need to sit and ponder this a bit...

 

[wnelax04sr5]

Had a great time camping at 8800' ASL but this flatlander sure did feel beat after only a day of walking up and down the hillside...

The CBI Ditch Light Brackets w/Hella 500 Fog's proved to be AWESOME! It was totally what I was looking for in terms of "side light". I really wanted something to illuminate the woods/ditches as I turned into corners and these provide the width and range I was looking for in this particular role. :banana:

On a side note, there were some lessons learned here.
1) I need a bigger roof rack! With that wimpy little Amazon-special on top, it helps, but can certainly be loads better (mind the pun!).

2) My wife packs too much $hit! I'm a frequent flyer (A-list Preferred on Southwest) and have learned to pack light. My wife on the other hand, plus with the kids wallowing in the mud at every opportunity means I need to figure out how to help them parse their packs for camping. I also need to get some dedicated car-camping gear... yay for end of the season Cabela's specials! :cheer2:

3) With the gear we did bring (3 coolers, 2 large folding cots, 2 kid sized cots, clothes, dry foods, camp stove, sleeping bags, pillows, and other camp necessities), the a$$ end of the 4Runner is dragging low. I already know the XREAS is on its way out in the fall, but now I'm considering installing a set of upgraded springs alongside the Bilstein 5100's - or perhaps going to the OME 2.5" lift kit I was planning on installing from the start.

I need to sit and ponder this a bit...

check out the airlift 1000 airbags too, they'll get rid of all that rear end sag for you

 

[pc1p]

check out the airlift 1000 airbags too, they'll get rid of all that rear end sag for you

Not a bad idea really, I've had them on a Dodge 1500 in the past and liked how they worked and were quite durable.

While I'm at it, how do you like that Gibson exhaust? I'm thinking about it when it cools down out there...

 

[wnelax04sr5]

Not a bad idea really, I've had them on a Dodge 1500 in the past and liked how they worked and were quite durable.

While I'm at it, how do you like that Gibson exhaust? I'm thinking about it when it cools down out there...

its great. i had considered doing the weld in option of a magnaflow or flowmaster muffler, i also looked at the magnaflow and borla cat backs but those were just too expensive. As far as sound goes, its awesome, really growls down low, sub 1700rpm, but once you get into it the exhaust barks and comes to life, over 4k it sounds really good. not to mention its relatively inexpensive as well as being super easy to install

 

[pc1p]

T4R Gen 4 - Fog Light Switch Replacement or Alternative

So it's been a while but I had some updates to post...

After not buying the OEM foglight switch for 5 months (it was hurting my soul to pay $75 for a switch!), I was just about ready to get it when I stumbled across these:



Walking through AutoZone, these were in the "Marine/Boating" section and looked about the right size to fit in my Gen 4. I asked the associate to take them out to the car and much to my delight, they were nearly a perfect fit!

Valmar Illuminated Rocker Switch
P/N: 751-1089
Model#: 31302



These are heavy duty, rated for 15 Amps, and only needed VERY minor trimming to fit into the OEM switch locations (I used an XACTO blade to trim some loose material around the edges and the rocker went right in). The best part - they were only $5.99 each! Needless to say, I bought an extra one just in case.

 

[pc1p]

arty:

Excited!!!

I went ahead and ordered my OME 2" Kit. I went with 885 Medium front coils (at Dave's recommendation @ Toytec and many other recommendations since it's a V8, even though it is only 2WD) and 895E Medium Load rear coils. I'll be adding some Airlift 1000's before summer camping season, but need to do some research first to make sure that the bags will fit inside the new springs.

While I was at it, and while the 5% coupon code still worked, I went ahead and got the Energy Suspension Sway Bar bushing kits too.

 

[YetiX]

I'll be installing my 5100's and FJ springs tomorrow. I'll curious to see how your results compare to mine.

Your end game sounds a lot like mine, a truck that can do easy dirt but is still a great daily and vacation driver. I wanted 4WD but my old car died and I got a smoking deal on mine so 2WD it is. I'm definitely looking forward to getting it out for some camping/hunting trips.

 

[pc1p]

I'll be installing my 5100's and FJ springs tomorrow. I'll curious to see how your results compare to mine.

Your end game sounds a lot like mine, a truck that can do easy dirt but is still a great daily and vacation driver. I wanted 4WD but my old car died and I got a smoking deal on mine so 2WD it is. I'm definitely looking forward to getting it out for some camping/hunting trips.

Nice!! I've been impressed actually at what this can do with 2WD and an open differential. I don't off-road much now (used to a lot) but this T4R serves its purpose and with a few $$, can serve it much better and more comfortably so that's the route I'm going.

I have to wait until next week to get all my stuff installed and aligned. We have to go grandma's this weekend, but I have some "work from home" (hahaha) days next week.

 

[pc1p]

Lift is in! Wow, what a difference 5 hours makes... :bluejump:



It went well but thought I'd mention a few things. First, I was very impressed with how Toytec packaged all the items I ordered. I went with the OME Kit with the top plates installed ($100 well worth it!). They even installed the 1/4" spacer on the driver side shock and labeled the shocks as "DS" and "PS"... Nice touch!





However, I was disappointed with the passenger side front shock/spring assembly. The mount was off 90-degrees and I needed to make a trip to AutoZone to rent the spring compressor. Not a huge problem, but still an inconvenience.

Anyways, the Yota has been in AZ its entire life, so no rust and barely a smidge of dust to take care of. Removing the XREAS was simple and barely added any appreciable time to the install. However, even though I disconnected the lines and shocks at the appropriate locations, it still made a mess.



For those thinking they will remove their XREAS and sell it to those who may be needing it, I think that may be an exercise in patience and nothing more than an expenditure in energy that you'll never recover. It is a PITA to maintain all the bends and twists to get it all out. I ended up using a pair of tin snips and cut everything off (it had already made an oily mess on the garage floor, so a few more drips weren't going to hurt anything!).



I gained a solid 4" of lift up front!!! For the record, this is a 2WD V8 and I went with 885's up front and 895E's in the rear. Overall, measured heights are as follows. Note, the suspension heights were taken with 1/4 tank of gas and the RL tire only has approximately 6000 miles of wear. Also, the suspension only had 12 miles of road travel to "settle". Obviously, it will settle more over the next few weeks and I will update in a few months to see where she is at.

Measurements are bottom of tire to bottom of fender well:
FL: 32.25" before, 36.75" after
FR: 32.75" before, 37.00" after
RL: 35.75" before, 38.25" after
RR: 35.50" before, 37.25" after

Measurements are top of tire to bottom of fender well:
FL: 4.00" before, 8.00" after
FR: 4.25" before, 8.50" after
RL: 6.75" before, 9.00" after
RR: 6.75" before, 8.75" after

Now it's time to pick some tires...

 

[pc1p]

DuraTrac's installed and it aligned all in the green!

 

[pc1p]

Differential Fill Plug

Well that effin' sucked donkey b@lls!



This was all buggered up when I got the truck and I knew it was time to get it taken care of... I tried everything from pipe wrenches, vice-grips, Erwin extractors, etc.

Ultimately, I had to go buy a new set of flat-jaw Vise-Grips and beat on it with a rubber mallet. Once it broke loose, I unscrewed it with my fingers. Luckily, I had a new plug and gasket all ready to go.