Ruby Tuesday - rad4runner's Mods and Restoration

[RAD4Runner]

Cubby Hole in Side Body Panel

Earlier, I eliminated the hidden fasteners from my door panels...

I disposed of the inner quarter panels to replace them with full door panels, and there's a nicely-placed opening between the front side panel and the roll-bar. Perfect for a cubbyhole (IIRC, the SR5 has a similar one but accessible by the passenger.) This one is fully-accessible from the rear deck when camping in there, and partially accessible when rear seat back is upright. I think this would be perfect for pocket contents, phone, glasses, headlamp, etc. when camping in the back. I may also put the rear window switch in there, and add lighter socket and USB outlets.
So, while I'm in there cleaning up the body compartment, I made an interim compartment out of foam. Should be functional now. Will make it pretty later...

 

[85straight]

In my truck I replaced all those snap in buttons with aluminum threadserts, and I mean ALL of them. The tailgate panel, side panels, door panels. So much easier to open up without worry of breaking them. Mostly did it for noise when off-road. Gonna have to steal your idea with the seat belt though

 

[RAD4Runner]

Throwback to last year's Route 66 Road Trip...
Driving Through Oatman, Arizona were asses roam the streets

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[RAD4Runner]

On this day last year, I was standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona... on my Route 66 trip from so Cal to Mid-point in Adrian, TX... I would be happy to do that road trip again!

Turns out that the real story is:
Jacksone Browne's car broke down in Winslow Arizona.
He was actually on a corner in Flaggstaff Arizona when he saw a girl drive by in a pick-up truck. However, it was really a Toyota Truck! "Flat-bed Ford is just used to make the lyrics "...It's a girl, my Lord, in flat-bed Ford" rhyme.

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[RAD4Runner]

Cargo Organization / Tie-Down / Sleeping Pad

Cap mounting bolts doubling as (light) cargo tie-up points.

For Interim anchor, I used webbing straps stiffened with super-glue, melted clearance holes for the mounting bolts (8-mm?).

This is temporary and only to stow my sleeping pad (3/4-inch thick light foam) against the topliner when not used. This would get it out of the way, and because it covers most of the width and length of the roof, will add to insulation from wind noise.

Yes, bolts were torqued back to 10 foot-pounds. I will replace with metal D-rings when I find the right ones.

 

[RAD4Runner]

Selling my Rear Wiper Motor, Link, Mount, arm and Step (aka parking)

I removed my perfectly-functional rear wiper assembly in excellent condition (except for surface rust on wiper are) because I want to make room in that upper-rear corner for storing my sleeping pad, and I had never absolutely needed the wiper.
$55 shipped to mainland U.S.

Details on our Classifieds here

 

[RAD4Runner]

SUNRISE FROM OUR CAMP IN COYOTE CANYON

SYNTHETIC OIL IS SUPERIOR, SYNTHETIC COFFEE IS NOT, SO I PREFER MINE FRESHLY-GROUND, FRENCH PRESSED.

THE HILLS DWARF THE VEHICLES ALONG FISH CREEK WASH ON THE WAY TO THE WIND CAVES

OVERALL VIEW OF THE WIND CAVES

FLINTSTONES DIVORCE - LOL!

 

[RAD4Runner]

Hardcore Hike in the Domelands, Anza-Borrego Desert...

I could spend time making her look pretty and rugged, or I can put her to work so I can go to pretty and wild places... I prefer the latter...

Domelands, Anza-Borrego Desert...

WINDMILLS OF OCOTILLO IN BACKGROUND

LOTS OF FOSSILIZED SHELLFISH...

GOTTA RE-HYDRATE, RIGHT?

 

[RAD4Runner]

Sonoma coast road trip

I can spend time making her pretty, or I can drive her to pretty places
#1stgenmorefunner #rad4runner #minimizeandexplore

We drove from San Diego to Point Reyes, Camped at Wright's Beach north of Bodega Bay and toured Sonoma Coast, camped in Point Reyes, drove down PCH through Bolinas, CA (where I spotted a surfer's brown 1987 4Runner), through Mount Tamalpais State Park (birthplace of mountain biking), to San Francisco, then back to So Cal...

ON PCH ON THE WAY TO DISOBEYING LEVITIUS 11:9

DISOBEYING LEVITIUS 11:9

WHERE THE RUSSIAN RIVER EMPTIES INTO THE PACIFIC

VIEW OF ARCHED ROCK FROM GOAT ROCK BEACH
Note the side-facing marker lights, a la 80-series but they double-duty as turn signals for better visibility...
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SCHOOLHOUSE BEACH, IIRC

DUNCAN'S LANDING (SO WINDY AND LARGE WAVES, CAMERA LENSES GET FOGGED UP IN SECONDS)

ORION AND RUBY TUESDAY AT OLEMA CAMPGROUND, POINT REYES

SISTERS IN BOLINAS, CA

 

[RAD4Runner]

Buzzer Delete and Replaced with Diode to Keep Dome Light Working

Deleted Buzzer, replaced with Diode Dome Light Works from Driver's Door.

Here

 

[daverup]

Deleted Buzzer, replaced with Diode Dome Light Works from Driver's Door.

Here

Geez Ray, my list of spring 4Runner projects keeps getting longer...
I can't keep up while I'm waiting for the midwest road salt season to end.
Thanks again for showing us how to do everything.
Dave

 

[Pockets907]

Man, those wind caves are something else.

 

[RAD4Runner]

Anza-Borrego: Seventeen Palms, Fon't Point, Pumpkin Patch,

Man, those wind caves are something else.

Yeah, amazing things we see in nature.
More from this weekend...

SEVENTEEN PALMS (There are actually 21 now )

INTERESTING ROCKS THAT LOOK LIKE THEY ARE EXTRUSIONS, sticking out of the mud hills...

DINNER AT FONT'S POINT

SUNRISE AT FONT'S POINT

THE RIDGE BEHIND ME IS THE ROUTE UP AND DOWN FONT'S POINT. Not for the faint at heart nor the gravity-challenged

VIEW FROM FONT'S FOOT A FEW WEEKS AGO... Someone separated from the group, scrambled up the wrong gully, got spooked and got stuck. Ranger threw him a rope for protection and showed him the way to safe descent.

TAILGATE BREAKFAST AT FONT'S POINT

PICKING PUMPKINS AT THE PUMPKIN PATCH

OOPS- WRONG ALBUM - LOL, But someone's beautiful truck is being put to good use!

 

[Dropzone]

Ray your pics are outstanding as always.

Gotta ask how many miles you have on the old girl?

 

[RAD4Runner]

Ray your pics are outstanding as always.

Gotta ask how many miles you have on the old girl?

Tnx, Robb.mostly smartphone pics because now Im to lay to bring the bulky dSLR (amateur model from early 2000's )

Bought the truck around 168k, HG blew at 185K so I just had the engine rebuilt, then around 237k, I had transmission rebuilt in Dallas while on my Route66 trip. As I was leaving Dallas, I had the pleasure of personally meeting "Adventure Copan" who was packing up for his move to Honduras...

 

[128keaton]

I am super envious of your lifestyle. I'd love to just pickup and go someday and just keep driving and driving. Until I run out of earth or Toyota. I'm betting on earth

 

[RAD4Runner]

I am super envious of your lifestyle. I'd love to just pickup and go someday and just keep driving and driving. Until I run out of earth or Toyota. I'm betting on earth

Well... I ran out of job, that's part of the reason - LOL! Just taking advantage of the downtime, while I look harder

Great time of the year to explore the Desert and Anza-Borrego is 1.5 hours away, so cost is minimal. However, I wish I could simply "live" there for say a week so I could explore more without having to drive back and forth, but whoever's with me have to go back to work, etc. Same thing happened with our Death Valley trip; We only spent 3 full days and 2 nights - not enough time to see Titus Canyon and Saline Valley Hot Spring.

 

[RAD4Runner]

Replaced radiator inlet hose

THE TRUCK SHOP IN SAN DIEGO DID A SLOPPY JOB DURING 2013 ENGINE REBUILD WHEN I WAS CHARGED FOR BRAND-NEW RADIATOR AND HOSES.

I PAID FOR BRAND-NEW HOSES BUT NON-MOLDED HOSE WAS INSTALLED AND WAS RUBBING HARD AGAINST THE INTAKE DUCT.

SUPPOSEDLY BRAND-NEW RADIATOR THAT I PAID FOR HAD DENTED INTAKE PORT.

PICTURE TAKEN IN 2016, 3 YEARS AFTER SUPPOSEDLY BRAND-NEW RADIATOR WAS INSTALLED

PICTURE TAKEN IN 2016, OF SUPPOSEDLY BRAND-NEW RADIATOR THAT TRUCK SHOP INSTALLED IN 2013

NOT MUCH I COULD DO ABOUT THE RADIATOR FOR NOW, but I replaced the inlet hose with molded one from NAPA.

I REPLACED WITH MOLDED HOSE FROM NAPA. NOTE THE GAP. NOT MUCH BUT THINGS DO NOT RUB ANYMORE.

FOR EXTRA MEASURE I PUT SPACER / CUSHION MADE FROM PIECE OF SAME HOSE.

 

[RAD4Runner]

Refurbished / retrofitted coolant thermo switch (ecu-tsw)

Connector for coolant thermo switch (TSW that screws into top of thermostat housing) hangs by only a few strands of wire and I needed to clean the mounting threads so...

COOLANT THERMO SWITCH (TSW) WITH THREAD CLEANED TO BARE, SHINY METAL.
Note that TSW has only one wire going to it. That means it relies on good metal-to-metal contact with thermostat housing for ground. (I eventually added a dedicated ground wire to right-side inner fender).

THREAD ON THERMOSTAT BODY SCALED

MOUNTING THREAD ON THERMOSTAT HOUSING CLEANED WITH BATTERY TERMINAL BRUSH.
TOP SURFACE OF FLANGE THAT MOUNTING BOLTS CONTACT ALSO CLEANED TO BARE METAL.
I would later add grounding wire to that for good measure, because mounting bolts and threads get corroded.

SILICONE SEALANT APPLIED ON LAST TWO THREADS.
These threads do not enter the mounting port. i just want to seal the opening = more protection from the elements.

COOLANT THERMO SWITCH (TSW) REINSTALLED ON THERMOSTAT HOUSING.
I checked resistance to ground (t-stat housing for now) and it reads open = infinity at San Diego's 60-degree
Will check at operating temp next time I get a chance.

TSW CONNECTOR REFURBISHING. New wire crimped, old wire cleaned and twisted with new wire, later soldered, then heat-shrunk...

PIGTAIL HEAT-SHRUNK

SEALANT APPLIED BEFORE REPLACING RUBBER SEAL

PIGTAIL FOR TSW SPLICED TO STOCK WIRE (Green with black stripe)

FOR MORE RELIABLE GROUNDING, I INSTALLED GROUND WIRE FROM T-STAT MOUNTING BOLT TO THIS SINGLE COMMON GROUND POINT ON RIGHT-SIDE INNER FENDER

 

[jmtigerfan]

Just bought a 91 model 4x4

Don't know much about the 4Runners but looking to learn.

How many posts do you have to have before you can start a thread?