Road Bull's 2002 SR-5 timeline.

[SherpaEquipmentCo]

Hate to see it man, glad you're alright. Its been a bad week for 3rd Gens it seems. Let us know if you are in need of a rack in the future as it looks like this one took a beating if you start a new build or go all out and fix this chassis. We will gladly help you out!

 

[Wedgy]

Just saw this in the "What did You Do..." thread. Really sorry, that thing was a work of art. Glad you are OK. If the insurance gives you a hard time tell them your neck hurts and you think you should get an attorney, they usually play ball.

 

[spartacus]

I vé really enjoyed reading your build thread and adventures. Really liked the fact that you gradually built it up over time with the regear, locker and then the 35's It was a well built rig. Glad you are Ok. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. looking forward to your new build. Good luck.
ps I bought procomp wheels cause they looked awesome on your truck during your early mod days.

 

[Road Bull]

Bummer on the rig but glad you are safe. It can happen in the blink of an eye.

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It sure can Jon. Thank you.

that sucks. I enjoyed your adventures in this rig and reading about the ups and downs. glad you were not injured. I know these rigs are just things but you can't help not get connected to them and all the good times and people you meet while out wheeling. sad day.

RIP 2002 SR5

Thank you Andy. It has been a long journey where I had pretty much wrapped up most of the major mods too... *sigh* I am glad that you liked clicking through the buildup. I have had fun though.

That’s terrible news! Trucks can be replaced but not lives. Best part of this is that you made it out ok.

You got that right Bill. It is a headache, but better than the alternative.

Damn man! Sorry to hear that but glad you're ok.

I know this isn't popular but if you're going to start over with $$$ I'd strongly consider buying a brand new Taco 4x4, all bells and whistles for $34-$35k. They are pretty capable and easily lifted. Not the same rig I know but 3rd gens are rare and it is crazy amount work to rebuild from scratch all over again into a new-to-you but very used 150k mile truck.
.

Thanks Brian. Thanks for the point of view. I wouldn't mind a new Taco, but we'll see how it goes. I might just get the best 3rd gen I can find for now and swap over parts. But I am keeping an open mind. I also wouldn't mind finding the perfect triple locked LC80, (not holding breath). But yes, finding a good specimen of a vehicle of this vintage is not easy these days. And somehow, 3rd gens in my area, have gone UP in price over the past few years. Cars are too darned expensive these days... WOW I sound old. Hahaha.

Wow, that sucks! Sorry to hear about the accident, but at least you weren't hurt and from the looks of it if you went off the other side of the road it would have been much worse. Good luck dealing with the insurance, let me know if you have questions regarding the process.

Thank you Jeremiah. You know all too well good sir. I have always loved watching new posts on your build page. I sent you a PM. Thanks for the offer.

Hate to see it man, glad you're alright. Its been a bad week for 3rd Gens it seems. Let us know if you are in need of a rack in the future as it looks like this one took a beating if you start a new build or go all out and fix this chassis. We will gladly help you out!

A rough week indeed. I remember watching all the carnage reports last year just dealing with ice on the roadways. Thanks for the offer guys. Yeah, the Matterhorn took a bit of a beating. It perhaps added some rigidity to the roof and helped keep it from rolling completely over. But in the process, it got jacked up and focused the impact weight on the contact points for the roof. Once I get into a new rig I will have a better idea on what all I can do.

Just saw this in the "What did You Do..." thread. Really sorry, that thing was a work of art. Glad you are OK. If the insurance gives you a hard time tell them your neck hurts and you think you should get an attorney, they usually play ball.

I am hoping that the insurance side of things will go smoothly.

I vé really enjoyed reading your build thread and adventures. Really liked the fact that you gradually built it up over time with the regear, locker and then the 35's It was a well built rig. Glad you are Ok. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. looking forward to your new build. Good luck.
ps I bought procomp wheels cause they looked awesome on your truck during your early mod days.

Thank you for the kind words. I have gotten pretty much all my inspiration from different people's builds on this forum. I have always like the way Pro Comp 7069s look. They really look the part. I think both [MENTION=56396]Hepar[/MENTION] and [MENTION=44220]BigFishAllDay[/MENTION] and even later @deripful have rocked the same style wheel at one time or another.

I am glad you have enjoyed the build page man. Hopefully, I'll get another and continue on.

 

[fourfive]

I wouldn't mind a new Taco, but we'll see how it goes. I might just get the best 3rd gen I can find for now and swap over parts. But I am keeping an open mind. I also wouldn't mind finding the perfect triple locked LC80, (not holding breath). But yes, finding a good specimen of a vehicle of this vintage is not easy these days. And somehow, 3rd gens in my area, have gone UP in price over the past few years. Cars are too darned expensive these days... WOW I sound old. Hahaha.

Ah no way, I hate that this happened. Great to hear you in good spirits. Getting a vehicle totaled can happen to anyone. If it happened to me, & it was beyond repair, I would look for another 3rd gen too bc I like them but also because I'm familiar with the platform which makes it easier for me to work on & I already have a good bit of spare parts. Still a good idea to have a few back up vehicles to look out for just in case.

 

[Rockdawg84]

Oh man! I'm very sorry to see this, but really glad your ok. The Advantage of the prices going up is that you will get more insurance money but then will have to spend it on a more expensive rig to start off with. Hold out and don't let the Insurance screw you. When mine was rolled and totaled I had to argue and provide my own cost comparisons. Good luck.

 

[Chim]

dang, so sorry this happened to you and all your hard work! I know the feeling
Get ready for an insurance battle cause they will low ball you and not care about mods. I would start stripping the good parts now in case the buy back is unreasonable. Definitely do your own comparables and flood them with evidence that these are worth more than what blue book says.

 

[Kanoe]

So sorry to hear about this. Glad you are OK. Looks like it could have been a whole lot worse if you had tumbled down the other side of the road.

The pics of the damage are truly surprising. I would not have expected such crushing. The impact must have been quite severe.

Hope it all gets sorted out for you with the insurance.

 

[Road Bull]

Ah no way, I hate that this happened. Great to hear you in good spirits. Getting a vehicle totaled can happen to anyone. If it happened to me, & it was beyond repair, I would look for another 3rd gen too bc I like them but also because I'm familiar with the platform which makes it easier for me to work on & I already have a good bit of spare parts. Still a good idea to have a few back up vehicles to look out for just in case.

I hate it too. Lol. I am generally set on picking up another 3rd gen to continue on. I love these things. And new Tacomas and 4Runners are too expensive.

Oh man! I'm very sorry to see this, but really glad your ok. The Advantage of the prices going up is that you will get more insurance money but then will have to spend it on a more expensive rig to start off with. Hold out and don't let the Insurance screw you. When mine was rolled and totaled I had to argue and provide my own cost comparisons. Good luck.

Thanks man. I have receipts for everything. I will fight the good fight. I am sure they will try to find similar 248K mile runners and say, "See!?! $3000 sounds fair." LOL. But I will do what I can, ask to see these frames on these "like" 4runners. Some prices are low because the frame is full of rust rot, and tgey just want to unload it.

dang, so sorry this happened to you and all your hard work! I know the feeling
Get ready for an insurance battle cause they will low ball you and not care about mods. I would start stripping the good parts now in case the buy back is unreasonable. Definitely do your own comparables and flood them with evidence that these are worth more than what blue book says.

Thanks man. *sigh* I will start compiling a list of what I feel are like vehicles tonight. I will also itemize all the receipts and parts that I have on a vehicle. the adjuster said to include as much of that information as possible to try to raise the overall value of the vehicle.

So sorry to hear about this. Glad you are OK. Looks like it could have been a whole lot worse if you had tumbled down the other side of the road.

The pics of the damage are truly surprising. I would not have expected such crushing. The impact must have been quite severe.

Hope it all gets sorted out for you with the insurance.

I was hoping for a soft roll / flop outcome too. It wasn't to be. The rear sort of whipped around and fell below the level of the road in towards the ditch, does having further to fall. And when it fell, it fell on a bunch of rocks in the ditch. No soft landing for me. And while the Sherpa rack prevented me from rolling completely over, it transferred and focused a lot of that energy onto the contact points damaging both Iraq and the roof. Still better than going over.

 

[derpiful]

Not happy to see this, but glad to see you're alright. I guess it's a good thing the rack helped (but also kinda hurt)? Regardless, good luck with insurance, hope it all works out!!

 

[ryanoarnold]

As of 02/19/18:
View attachment 286461
View attachment 286462

I purchased a 2002 SR5 with ~179K on the clock March 01, 2015 for $7K. Overall, it was pretty clean, not perfect, but frame was solid and not rusted, no noticeable leaks and drove well. I had been driving a 1994 Toyota extended cab V6 4WD manual DX since 2002. So this felt like a huge upgrade for me in terms of power, luxury, and ride smoothness. I had caught T4R fever from surfing this forum too much. I already had designs for what I wanted to do when I bought it.

It took me a while to find something that I liked that was in good shape. Everything out here on market in the PNW is usually either beat to hell, or very expensive. I really wanted something that I could safely transport my drums with. I could have bought a canopy for my pickup, but I also liked the idea of having more seats for when family comes to visit. A canopy would not fix that issue.

Pics upon purchase: 03-01-15

2002 Toyota 4Runner SR5 4WD

Engine / Transmission:
-Stock 5VZ-FE 3.4L V6
-B&M 70264 Transmission Super-cooler.
-4.88 Gears (added 09-10-18)
-Rear ARB Air Locker (added 09-10-18)

Wheels / Tires:
-ProComp 7069 Series, 16x8, 4" BS removed
-SCS F5 16x8" 3.5 BS in Matte Gunmetal
-Cooper STT Pros 315/75/16 E-rated

Suspension Front:
-King 2.5 Coilovers w/ 600# springs (about 23" H to F)
-MStudt's Sway bar extension links (standard type)
-Sonoran Steel Front Differential Drop Spacers
-SPC Light Racing Upper Control Arms (on G) setting

Suspension Rear:
-Sonoran Steel 1.2 Rear Lift
(2)-Toyota 80 Series Land Cruiser Coils (7 wraps) >>Removed<<
(2) ARB / OME 861 Coils w/original isolation cones >>Added<< (~25")
(2)-Genuine Toyota Tokico Black Rear Shocks & Supporting Hardware
(1)-Sonoran Steel Adjustable Trac/PanHard Bar
(2)-Sonoran Steel Extended Bump Stop Adapters with
(2)-Daystar "Competition Style" Bump Stops
(2)-Sonoran Steel. Rear Sway Bar Adjustment Brackets
(1)-Sonoran Steel Braided Stainless Steel Extended Brake Line
(1)-Sonoran Steel Parking/Emergency Brake Bracket
(2)-Sonoran Steel Rear 4Runner Polyurethane Body Mounts (for stabilizing the rear bumper)

Armor:
-Addicted Offroad front plate bumper
-Stubbs Welding HD-SKO rock sliders
-Savage Off-Road full skids
-4X Innovations Rear bumper with tire carrier (added 07-31-17)
-Lotus Rear Trailing Arm Mount Skids

Recovery Gear / Offroad Upgrades:
-Warn M8000 with Master Pull 5/16th Superline
-Factor 55 1.5" Hawse Fairlead
-Factor 55 Flatlink Expert shackle
-ARB Twin Air Compressor

Lighting :
PIAA 510 Crystal Plasma Ion Yellow 4" (waiting to be installed)

Brakes:
-13WL 231mm Tundra Brake Upgrade
-Toyota OEM Tundra Rotors
-Toyota OEM Tundra Pads & Shim Kit
-NAPA Remanufactured Calipers
(Front)
-Wheeler's Off-Road braided performance brake lines for TBU upgrade (SKU: TF BLINE-06X)
(Rear)
-Sonoran Steel Braided Stainless Steel Extended Brake Line
-Sonoran Steel Parking/Emergency Brake Bracket

Interior Upgrades:
-Weather Tech digital floor mats front & rear passenger (black)

Exterior Upgrades:
-Tint front only @ 15%
-Tacoma whip antenna mod (power mast delete)
-Car Alarm
-Hella Supertons horns

Maintenance / Replacements:
-OEM LBJs
-OEM ITRs
-OEM OTRs
-NAPA Max Drive CV axles
-Lower O2 sensor

Fluids:
-Mobil 1 Full Synthetic 5W-30

In the beginning...

wow. it’s so nice!


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[ryanoarnold]

Soon after I purchased it, I decided to add an alarm and tint the front windows. Not having these things bug me. While I hate car alarms, I hate replacing car glass and stolen items, and or cars more...

Got the car alarm first. I went with a Clifford alarm with auto locks. Fancy, smanchy! Which is nice, because I realized that I missed the fact that someone had performed a "rear hatch door lock delete". (Still need to address.) So, I can open the rear by unlocking all locks and lifting. and lock with the alarm fob.

The day I was scheduled to go get the windows tinted, a rock, or something, busted out my left rear window. Major bummer. I had the rig for a week and was adding insurance THAT day. Technically I was still covered for up to two weeks, but I knew this would not be ideal.

Window drama... First place I was recommended to by my mechanic was a nightmare. They used non OEM glass. The gasket that comes with the window was less than an ideal fit. I had to pay out of pocket to get things rolling until my insurance caught up with me in the system. Once the job was complete I noticed about five 10+ inch scratches on the outside of the window. Manager insisted the glass was new... I had some words. I had them remove the glass and refund money. I had somewhere else install OEM glass and they did a FAR better job. One pic, hard to see, but was the growing hole in my rear window, then the better of the two fixes.

The fronts were tinted 15%. I dig it.

Yes!!! I got the window replaced between rain storms. And in this part of the country, that is saying a lot!

seems like a lot of money


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[Snowden]

Ryder man I'm sorry this happened to you and to your Runner. Very glad to hear you are safe. I have no doubt you will be back with another 4Runner. Keep us posted bud. My fingers are crossed for you on finding a 'barn find' diamond replacement!!

 

[phattyduck]

I hate it too. Lol. I am generally set on picking up another 3rd gen to continue on. I love these things. And new Tacomas and 4Runners are too expensive.

Come down to California and pick up a pristine unmolested 01/02 2WD and swap everything over. You'll have a good motor to sell and probably 'make' money on the whole ordeal.

-Charlie

 

[Fishwerks]

Glad you are okay after the flop. Sucks though, truck was looking really dialed.

Good luck with insurance, looking forward to seeing what you get into for a replacement.

 

[Road Bull]

Something is afoot.

It wasn't easy, but I found a replacement. I tracked down another 2002 SR5 with no cladding or fender flares. 205K miles. No rust. Hell, no sunroof! Good...

I picked it up down in Oregon. Got into Washington and picked up my new plates after doing title transfer. Pulled into driveway, swapped plates, and ditched the nerf bars.

Planning the second coming of Road Bull's 2002 SR-5 timeline.

 

[BrianSD_42]

Glad to hear that you found a high quality replacement truck. Moving everything over will be some work for sure but worth it.

 

[theesotericone]

Planning the second coming of Road Bull's 2002 SR-5 timeline.

Nice find Ryder. Get to swapping and then get down here so we can wheel. I promise I'll take it easy on you. lol

I really want to see a time lapse when this is finished. Might was well start the tub first. That's going to be the worst part of the swap.

Are there any changes you plan on making compared to the old build? Other then the crawlbox? lol

 

[Road Bull]

Glad to hear that you found a high quality replacement truck. Moving everything over will be some work for sure but worth it.

Thanks man. I was starting to wonder if I'd find something without lowering a bunch of standards. It will be a pretty big project for sure. A lot of the mod swaps are dependent on the order in which things need to be done.

Nice find Ryder. Get to swapping and then get down here so we can wheel. I promise I'll take it easy on you. lol

I really want to see a time lapse when this is finished. Might was well start the tub first. That's going to be the worst part of the swap.

Are there any changes you plan on making compared to the old build? Other then the crawlbox? lol

LOL. Thanks. I think I will start to try to map out a general order-of-things-to-be-done road map.

Changes...

Nothing is set in stone, but I might make a few changes.

-General maintenance: VC seal, LBJs, new radiator, and we'll see what else.

-Coilover: Swap to a 14" 650# coil with little to any pre-load. They are due for a rebuild anyway.

-Body Lift: I think I might add a 1" BL. Couple reasons. In general clearance, but my current 3.5" BS F5s were getting up into the tops of the rear wheel well fender body. I don't really want to hack up the rear body to accommodate my 315/75/16 ST Pros on 3.5"BS wheels. This *should* give overall additional clearance and perhaps allow the 35s to stuff more in the rear wells. I might even consider going with a 4" BS wheel to suck the outer lip of the tire inward to vehicle, and away from tops of rear fender.

Up till now, I was using extended rear bumpstops to keep the rear from rubbing.

*If I pull the trigger on a 1" BL, I will order a new lower 4XInnovations bumper made for 1" BL. I don't think I will worry about the front AOR plate bumper. On my old 4R, the fender bodies were resting tightly against the AOR front bumper. I think that a 1" gap wont look that bad and will allow for slight frame flex to bumper, to fender tolerances.

-Add some eimkeith.com – good stuff for your Toyota. gear. At least the PCK for sure.

-Probably add beefier rear LCAs.

I am still sorting things out and coming up with a plan. It still is my DD, so I don't have the luxury of being able to tear everything apart for a long project without having it be a pain in the ass transportation wise.

 

[papabeach]

Sorry about your situation but excited for the new build. Curious how things might become different/better/etc! Good luck...excited to follow.