Superman3043's Build Thread
- Thread starter superman3043
- Start date
superman3043
Senior Member
Notes
Thanks Bobby! Wish you could have been there, but all in due time brother.
Just wanted to make some additional build notes while I'm in here for my own record:
- I changed spark plugs a couple of weeks ago. After a couple of tanks, I've happily gained back 1 MPG, which I'll need and appreciate with the upcoming mods. Also, the plugs looked good, even after 90K miles AND a Seafoam treatment sprinkled in there. I know a lot of people speak about that stuff fowling plugs.
- I've also removed the front sway bar. This in turn has done a couple things:
1) Alleviated some rubbing I had with the front/inside of the tire at full lock
2) Made the stiff ride from my coil-overs a lot more compliant
3) The cost of the two above gains = some increased body roll in turns
It's a fair trade-off to me. The front end seems a lot more alive now. I was unsure about the move at first. You know, fear of the unknown. I compare it to unsnapping a girls bra for the first time... It's exciting, but you don't really know what lies beneath. You hope it's those perfect natural nubile ones, but you could be surprised with some saggy ones, some stuffing, or some weird nipples. Or in this case, unmanageable body roll, loss of steering response, or other adverse effects. But I was willing to give it a go since she was riding like huge silicone implants in a sports bra that was a size too small... Ok, that analogy might gotten a bit weird... Sorry.
Anyway, I like what I've found. I've been toying around with some SB disconnect concepts, and am pretty close to some really cool stuff, but I'm not sure if I want to put it back on. We'll see.
Looks like a fun trip indeed and a chance to really flex out the ol 4Runner! I want to go out sometime but it will be a while,
Looking good!
imp:
Thanks Bobby! Wish you could have been there, but all in due time brother.
Just wanted to make some additional build notes while I'm in here for my own record:
- I changed spark plugs a couple of weeks ago. After a couple of tanks, I've happily gained back 1 MPG, which I'll need and appreciate with the upcoming mods. Also, the plugs looked good, even after 90K miles AND a Seafoam treatment sprinkled in there. I know a lot of people speak about that stuff fowling plugs.
- I've also removed the front sway bar. This in turn has done a couple things:
1) Alleviated some rubbing I had with the front/inside of the tire at full lock
2) Made the stiff ride from my coil-overs a lot more compliant
3) The cost of the two above gains = some increased body roll in turns
It's a fair trade-off to me. The front end seems a lot more alive now. I was unsure about the move at first. You know, fear of the unknown. I compare it to unsnapping a girls bra for the first time... It's exciting, but you don't really know what lies beneath. You hope it's those perfect natural nubile ones, but you could be surprised with some saggy ones, some stuffing, or some weird nipples. Or in this case, unmanageable body roll, loss of steering response, or other adverse effects. But I was willing to give it a go since she was riding like huge silicone implants in a sports bra that was a size too small... Ok, that analogy might gotten a bit weird... Sorry.
Anyway, I like what I've found. I've been toying around with some SB disconnect concepts, and am pretty close to some really cool stuff, but I'm not sure if I want to put it back on. We'll see.
superman3043
Senior Member
emelianenkov gauges
Got my gauges back from Alex and installed. So this wasn't a mod that was really high on my list of things to do. It started out with Alex offering a group buy and me just wanting to help a fellow member out. He was looking to get 10 on board and I was 3rd to sign up to help him get to that number. But I gotta say, I had no idea how much I'd like it, until I did it.
As anybody that has done this will tell you, pictures don't begin to do them justice. You always get that glare effect in the pictures which would cause you to believe they're too bright in real life, but that isn't how they look at all.
I'm very satisfied with the mod. Alex is great to work with and yeah it's a "bling" mod, but I'd recommend it to anybody looking to step up the interior of their vehicle.
Gauges:
Center stack:
I did the center stack myself and am not done yet. I used HP bulbs on the LCD display with some help from riceandpho. Thanks a lot for your guidance brotha! I still need to switch the arrows out to blue to match the gauges, but am debating on whether to send them to Alex or try to tackle them myself.
So on to the next thing... Bumper and winch should be ready in approximately 3 weeks. Thanks for looking!
Got my gauges back from Alex and installed. So this wasn't a mod that was really high on my list of things to do. It started out with Alex offering a group buy and me just wanting to help a fellow member out. He was looking to get 10 on board and I was 3rd to sign up to help him get to that number. But I gotta say, I had no idea how much I'd like it, until I did it.
As anybody that has done this will tell you, pictures don't begin to do them justice. You always get that glare effect in the pictures which would cause you to believe they're too bright in real life, but that isn't how they look at all.
I'm very satisfied with the mod. Alex is great to work with and yeah it's a "bling" mod, but I'd recommend it to anybody looking to step up the interior of their vehicle.
Gauges:
Center stack:
I did the center stack myself and am not done yet. I used HP bulbs on the LCD display with some help from riceandpho. Thanks a lot for your guidance brotha! I still need to switch the arrows out to blue to match the gauges, but am debating on whether to send them to Alex or try to tackle them myself.
So on to the next thing... Bumper and winch should be ready in approximately 3 weeks. Thanks for looking!
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Can't wait to get mine done by Alex, yours look great. What part of SC are you in? I'm down in Charleston if you ever make it this way let me know, I really want to see your clazzio seat covers. I need a set and I've always wondered how the black with the grey interior looks.
superman3043
Senior Member
Thanks T! Just trying to keep up with YOU girl
I'm in Fort Mill, just south of Charlotte. I actually just moved back to the area from Charleston. I was there from 09'-11'. We still try to get down there about once a year to see friends and family. I'll definitely hit you up next time we're down that way. I'm still loving my Clazzio's.
superman3043
Senior Member
LED's
Here is a daytime shot of my gauge cluster. It's funny, in night shots, they seem to "pop" too much and in day shots they don't "pop" enough, compared to how they look in real life... Guess I'm just not great at this type of photography:
Tore into my HVAC stack to try my hand at swapping the arrow LED's myself. Though I paid emelianenkov for the service, I figured I'd try it myself just to say I did. After I installed and tested them, I'd discovered that 1) I'd put one pin in backwards that holds the return spring, making my button a little sloppy 2) I had one bad connection and 3) forgot to do the lights on "rear defrost" and "recirc" buttons. I got everything fixed last night. I also put the finishing touches on the rest of the truck which included my cup holder tray, shift gate back-light, and the DAC and diff lock buttons.
So what I learned is that, Alex, doing these for $200 a pop (I payed $150) is a steal. To cover parts and return shipping alone on the gauge cluster and hvac stack leaves him very little on the top to cover his labor costs. And I think anybody that his done this will tell you that, while it isn't too complicated, it is very labor intensive. To put in to perspective, I think it took me around 2 hours, just to do the arrows. So Alex, you proud of me?
Anyway, here's pics:
Here is a daytime shot of my gauge cluster. It's funny, in night shots, they seem to "pop" too much and in day shots they don't "pop" enough, compared to how they look in real life... Guess I'm just not great at this type of photography:
Tore into my HVAC stack to try my hand at swapping the arrow LED's myself. Though I paid emelianenkov for the service, I figured I'd try it myself just to say I did. After I installed and tested them, I'd discovered that 1) I'd put one pin in backwards that holds the return spring, making my button a little sloppy 2) I had one bad connection and 3) forgot to do the lights on "rear defrost" and "recirc" buttons. I got everything fixed last night. I also put the finishing touches on the rest of the truck which included my cup holder tray, shift gate back-light, and the DAC and diff lock buttons.
So what I learned is that, Alex, doing these for $200 a pop (I payed $150) is a steal. To cover parts and return shipping alone on the gauge cluster and hvac stack leaves him very little on the top to cover his labor costs. And I think anybody that his done this will tell you that, while it isn't too complicated, it is very labor intensive. To put in to perspective, I think it took me around 2 hours, just to do the arrows. So Alex, you proud of me?
Anyway, here's pics:
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superman3043
Senior Member
Uwharrie Jamboree
was this past Saturday. Got to go up and see my buddy Aha2988. Started off the morning with him informing me that he had broken something the evening prior in his rear diff and the truck was stranded on Daniels. So I went up and found their campsite and towed him up the Back side of Daniels trail up the their campsite. It made for a great photo, two similar 4R's, one pulling the other up a mountain. Unfortunately, I failed to capture a pic, because my memory card was not in my camera
. Some guys in a black Zuke coming down the trail stopped to snap a pic though. Guess they thought it was funny.
Here is a panoramic of the El Dorado Outpost parking lot and the Jamboree across the street:
The only shot of the rig on the trail. Parked @ Kodak Rock spectating as usual:
If you look behind the truck, you can just catch the bed of an old military Deuce that was out there. We almost got very intimate with the guy as we were piled up on a hill climb and he started to roll backward into all of us... Was definitely a clinch moment.
That being said, the trails were far too congested for my taste, so I didn't spend to much time out there. A lot of traffic, forcing us to take lines that might not have been my first choice in order to get around each other. A lot of waiting for groups to pass. Overall sort of miserable. But the truck continues to impress me every time I have it out. It towed Austins truck up that hill effortlessly.
Some pics from Kodak. One sick buggy:
Our buddy CJ bent a steering link coming up Kodak:
A couple more. This thing in the front was doing some serious work. Don't really know what it started life as. I remember seeing them around back in the day, but don't remember what they were called. In the background, you can see a Scrambler perched up on the rock. Looks like he broke his rear as well. they were disconnecting it. That dude had his wife and a baby in a car seat in the front of that truck... funny. That buggy towed him to the top and I guess he managed to drive out in FWD like Austin did.
That's all for now. Good to see my buddy this weekend. Now to plan for the next trip... Hopefully there'll be a bumper and winch hanging off the front by then
. Thanks for looking!
was this past Saturday. Got to go up and see my buddy Aha2988. Started off the morning with him informing me that he had broken something the evening prior in his rear diff and the truck was stranded on Daniels. So I went up and found their campsite and towed him up the Back side of Daniels trail up the their campsite. It made for a great photo, two similar 4R's, one pulling the other up a mountain. Unfortunately, I failed to capture a pic, because my memory card was not in my camera
. Some guys in a black Zuke coming down the trail stopped to snap a pic though. Guess they thought it was funny.Here is a panoramic of the El Dorado Outpost parking lot and the Jamboree across the street:
The only shot of the rig on the trail. Parked @ Kodak Rock spectating as usual:
If you look behind the truck, you can just catch the bed of an old military Deuce that was out there. We almost got very intimate with the guy as we were piled up on a hill climb and he started to roll backward into all of us... Was definitely a clinch moment.
That being said, the trails were far too congested for my taste, so I didn't spend to much time out there. A lot of traffic, forcing us to take lines that might not have been my first choice in order to get around each other. A lot of waiting for groups to pass. Overall sort of miserable. But the truck continues to impress me every time I have it out. It towed Austins truck up that hill effortlessly.
Some pics from Kodak. One sick buggy:
Our buddy CJ bent a steering link coming up Kodak:
A couple more. This thing in the front was doing some serious work. Don't really know what it started life as. I remember seeing them around back in the day, but don't remember what they were called. In the background, you can see a Scrambler perched up on the rock. Looks like he broke his rear as well. they were disconnecting it. That dude had his wife and a baby in a car seat in the front of that truck... funny. That buggy towed him to the top and I guess he managed to drive out in FWD like Austin did.
That's all for now. Good to see my buddy this weekend. Now to plan for the next trip... Hopefully there'll be a bumper and winch hanging off the front by then
. Thanks for looking!
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superman3043
Senior Member
Thank you Ma'am! If you need to get it done... I know a guy
. I love it so far though. With everything I've done to the interior (Clazzios, weathertechs, LED's, stereo) it just really steps everything up. It was wonderful wheeling in my plush interior while all of these other guys sucked dust in their open top rigs Oh yeah... 160K+ wonderful miles for me and my girl! This thing gets driven!
emelianenkov
New member
Got my gauges back from Alex and installed. So this wasn't a mod that was really high on my list of things to do. It started out with Alex offering a group buy and me just wanting to help a fellow member out. He was looking to get 10 on board and I was 3rd to sign up to help him get to that number. But I gotta say, I had no idea how much I'd like it, until I did it.
As anybody that has done this will tell you, pictures don't begin to do them justice. You always get that glare effect in the pictures which would cause you to believe they're too bright in real life, but that isn't how they look at all.
I'm very satisfied with the mod. Alex is great to work with and yeah it's a "bling" mod, but I'd recommend it to anybody looking to step up the interior of their vehicle.
Gauges:
Center stack:
I did the center stack myself and am not done yet. I used HP bulbs on the LCD display with some help from riceandpho. Thanks a lot for your guidance brotha! I still need to switch the arrows out to blue to match the gauges, but am debating on whether to send them to Alex or try to tackle them myself.
So on to the next thing... Bumper and winch should be ready in approximately 3 weeks. Thanks for looking!
Those look awesome! I need to do the HP for my HVAC display as well.
Thanks for the shout out my man! And thanks for hopping on to help me fill uo the group buy! I have 22 people now haha. Workin my way through them all.
Beautiful stormtrooper you got there sir!
Alex T4R
New member
Superman3043, you got one awesome machine. What kind of tire set up you had before mud terrains? and i saw you have 161K on ur truck, how is it running, i'm at 92K and getting nervous occasionally. Did you install navi yourself and was is it hard. I'm afraid to mess with dash board and then start having cracks like there is one thread about bunch of cracks in dashboard.
superman3043
Senior Member
Thank you kindly sir... Before my M/T's, I had Cooper Zeon LTZ's. They're all terrain tires and were pretty nice. I like'd them and would definitely recommend Cooper tires to anybody. Good product for a good price. Terry (MyToy4) has a set on her rig.
At 162K, my truck still runs like a top. From what I can tell, as good as the day I bought her. I wouldn't hesitate to take this thing anywhere. She's been maintained meticulously though.
I originally had my entire system installed by a car audio shop that I trusted to do it right. This was prior to my DIY days. Having said that, I've now had it taken apart numerous times since and wouldn't hesitate to do it myself next time. I've actually got a couple dash board cracks myself. One was self induced and the other was from when my truck was broken in to and they tried to steal my HU. It bothers me... but I'm sort of over it. Though I'm pretty OCD, with all the other great stuff for me to spend money on, it takes my mind off of the little cracks and dings
Any questions, just ask friend!
Alex T4R
New member
Thank you kindly sir... Before my M/T's, I had Cooper Zeon LTZ's. They're all terrain tires and were pretty nice. I like'd them and would definitely recommend Cooper tires to anybody. Good product for a good price. Terry (MyToy4) has a set on her rig.
At 162K, my truck still runs like a top. From what I can tell, as good as the day I bought her. I wouldn't hesitate to take this thing anywhere. She's been maintained meticulously though.
I originally had my entire system installed by a car audio shop that I trusted to do it right. This was prior to my DIY days. Having said that, I've now had it taken apart numerous times since and wouldn't hesitate to do it myself next time. I've actually got a couple dash board cracks myself. One was self induced and the other was from when my truck was broken in to and they tried to steal my HU. It bothers me... but I'm sort of over it. Though I'm pretty OCD, with all the other great stuff for me to spend money on, it takes my mind off of the little cracks and dings
Any questions, just ask friend!
Thanks for the info. I got Nittos Terra Grappler 275/55/20, i love them, i do not go offroad a lot that why got 20' wheels, but just in case i go, was wondering how it rides offroad on 20'. I think your cooper did not had as much meat on the tire as mud terrains and was wondering if you ever went offroad on coopers and how was it?
superman3043
Senior Member
My Coops were the same size (275/55R20). She was a pavement princess a long time before she ever saw dirt. Yes, I did wheel with those tires a little... It's how I caught the bug and knew I need something else.
How is it wheeling on that set-up? In a word... Scary. Look, I realize my style ain't for everybody. Most people think I'm nuts for wheeling on 20's and that's cool. Off-roaders prefer as much rubber and as little metal as they can get. It's just not my style. I've always loved the look of big wheels with big tires. But I still want my truck to function. So I've had to adapt a different driving style than most while off road. I don't have the luxury of hugging up to and crawling up the side of rocks. I have to take lines that take me directly over obstacles. It requires some finesse... or maybe lack of. Either way, I'm determined to do me. I'll build and drive my truck the way I want to. Some people won't agree... It's a good thing she's mine
.
Alex T4R
New member
My Coops were the same size (275/55R20). She was a pavement princess a long time before she ever saw dirt. Yes, I did wheel with those tires a little... It's how I caught the bug and knew I need something else.
How is it wheeling on that set-up? In a word... Scary. Look, I realize my style ain't for everybody. Most people think I'm nuts for wheeling on 20's and that's cool. Off-roaders prefer as much rubber and as little metal as they can get. It's just not my style. I've always loved the look of big wheels with big tires. But I still want my truck to function. So I've had to adapt a different driving style than most while off road. I don't have the luxury of hugging up to and crawling up the side of rocks. I have to take lines that take me directly over obstacles. It requires some finesse... or maybe lack of. Either way, I'm determined to do me. I'll build and drive my truck the way I want to. Some people won't agree... It's a good thing she's mine
That settles it for me, i do not do a lot off road driving, if i get to that ill get more meat on the tires, plus i couldn't pass the opportunity on the sale for nittos, i bough them for a very good price and wheels too. If i go somewhere right now my tires will most likely be enough. I do not have a lot of off road places around where i live. I give you much respect and props for having your truck they way you want it and not being eating up by true off roaders, that sets you aside.
superman3043
Senior Member
Weekend Update/Blue Ridge Parkway Pt. 1
Last Friday was the 4 week mark from the day I cut the order for my CBI front bumper. I optimistically hoped to be installing it by this past weekend. Unfortunately the CBI guys experienced a crunch for SEMA and didn't make my ship date before they shut the shop down and headed to Vegas for the show. How awesome a job that these guys have. Nathan was courteous enough to give me a heads up on this though and it looks like mine will ship out on Monday the 5th when they return from the show. So I've got a winch and some Rigid lights sitting at home still with nothing to hang them on
So no weekend wrenching and a drama filled week prompted me, around lunch-time Friday, to tell the wife wife to pack a bag so I could take her away for the weekend. I decided to ride up to Blowing Rock/Boone, NC Friday evening then jump on the Blue Ridge Parkway Saturday and ride down to Asheville, NC to spend the night before heading home Sunday.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, how fortunate we are, to live where we do in the country. Yeah you guys out West and in Colorado have some really cool stuff. But again, we can head 2 hrs north and be at Uwharrie, 2 hrs south and be at Gulches ORV park, 2 hrs west and be in the Appalachian Mountains and 3 hrs east and be on a Carolina beach. It's truly a blessing. I think we managed to catch the end of "leaf" season, but unfortunately we missed the snow by a day.
Guys here really make me want to step up my photography and photo editing game. So here's a start:
Iphone panamic:
Some overlook stops:
The finish on those TRD emblems wasn't holding up to well... So what to do other than plastidip them of course? Turned out pretty good. I'm happy with these as I was with the decision to do my wheel stars. Just works better on the truck:
A shot of the better half and I again. She complains that the last shots I posted of her are unflattering, so I'm trying to do better. Yes I'm rocking a pink bracelet because I'm supporting breast cancer awareness this month. A cause that hit's very close to home for us:
Last Friday was the 4 week mark from the day I cut the order for my CBI front bumper. I optimistically hoped to be installing it by this past weekend. Unfortunately the CBI guys experienced a crunch for SEMA and didn't make my ship date before they shut the shop down and headed to Vegas for the show. How awesome a job that these guys have. Nathan was courteous enough to give me a heads up on this though and it looks like mine will ship out on Monday the 5th when they return from the show. So I've got a winch and some Rigid lights sitting at home still with nothing to hang them on
So no weekend wrenching and a drama filled week prompted me, around lunch-time Friday, to tell the wife wife to pack a bag so I could take her away for the weekend. I decided to ride up to Blowing Rock/Boone, NC Friday evening then jump on the Blue Ridge Parkway Saturday and ride down to Asheville, NC to spend the night before heading home Sunday.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, how fortunate we are, to live where we do in the country. Yeah you guys out West and in Colorado have some really cool stuff. But again, we can head 2 hrs north and be at Uwharrie, 2 hrs south and be at Gulches ORV park, 2 hrs west and be in the Appalachian Mountains and 3 hrs east and be on a Carolina beach. It's truly a blessing. I think we managed to catch the end of "leaf" season, but unfortunately we missed the snow by a day.
Guys here really make me want to step up my photography and photo editing game. So here's a start:
Iphone panamic:
Some overlook stops:
The finish on those TRD emblems wasn't holding up to well... So what to do other than plastidip them of course? Turned out pretty good. I'm happy with these as I was with the decision to do my wheel stars. Just works better on the truck:
A shot of the better half and I again. She complains that the last shots I posted of her are unflattering, so I'm trying to do better. Yes I'm rocking a pink bracelet because I'm supporting breast cancer awareness this month. A cause that hit's very close to home for us:
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