Goatcheese
New member
Dang! Beautiful and clean! :high5:
SURF RUNNER 2.0 Build, Maintenance & Modification: 2001 Stellar Blue Limited 4WD
- Thread starter SURF RUNNER
- Start date
eep:
SURF RUNNER
Senior Member
Thanks for all of the comments.
[MENTION=142168]jgd99[/MENTION]
I have a 1" body lift and a 2.5" Daystar spacer lift.
[MENTION=142168]jgd99[/MENTION]
I have a 1" body lift and a 2.5" Daystar spacer lift.
infamousRNR
Senior Member
x2 soooooooo clean, ... how'd you get it so shiny?....
one thing i've always admired is the rear spoiler, and then you go and rip it off!
one thing i've always admired is the rear spoiler, and then you go and rip it off!
SURF RUNNER
Senior Member
New Odyssey Battery | Tire Rotations | Moving to Miami
Thanks for your comments.
[MENTION=102606]infamousRNR[/MENTION]
I try to keep it clean, but I'm surprised how clean my 4Runner looks in photos even when it is dirty. Usually darker colors show dirt and dust, but for some reason this Stellar Blue color doesn't so much.
I think that Toyota did a superb job designing the rear spoiler. I like how it looks, but I am a fan of the simple, clean, streamlined look on the body lines. I removed my spoiler for the same reason that I removed the wind deflectors on the hood, sunroof, and windows.
This is my first update since I moved to Miami. I was busy with my new job and then that didn't last long-term so I was busy scrambling to find a new job. Anyway, I found a new job so hopefully I get can back in the routine of taking care of my 4Runner and posting on this forum more frequently.
Before I left College Station some idiot parked crooked and put a dent in my passenger-side fender with his driver-side rear view mirror. I'm going to try one of those paintless dent removal services to see if that works. I'll post a photo here of the result.
06/15/2016 Service
147,823 Miles
Tire Rotation and Alignment (Tire Review)
I had purchased a 5th Baja MTZ tire so I rotated that one in on my first tire rotation. I got this done for free at the shop that installed my DayStar spacer lift and 4Crawler body lift. I don't understand when I see vehicles (mostly Jeeps) that have a brand-new tire on the rear carrier and four somewhat worn tires on the ground. It seems to me that you would want all 5 tires to wear evenly. I want these Mickey Thompson tires to last as long as possible because this version of the Baja MTZs is no longer available.
Since this tire rotation I've driven from Texas to Florida and put quite a few miles on these tires. They have been outstanding. There is very little wear on them as far as I can tell. I think that I will get at least 50,000 miles out of them. They are still relatively quiet on the highway. I highly recommend these tires. The new version of the Baja MTZs (MTZ P3) will probably be even better.
09/11/2016 Installation
154,302 Miles
Odyssey 34R-PC1500T Battery
I could tell that it was time to get a new battery. As usual I did plenty of research and decided that the Odyssey 34R-PC1500T was the best battery for my 4Runner. It is advertised to last between 8 and 12 years. I read online that the Die Hard Platinum was a rebadged Odyssey battery. Apparently this used to be true, but is not the case today. I'll try to find the thread link about this. Also, I wanted the reversed terminals to match what the stock battery had. This is what the "R" stands for in the part number. The price of the battery was around $225 from my local 4WheelParts store.
I had previously purchased the 1" spacer directly from Odyssey. This spacer snaps onto the bottom of the battery. You can see the size comparison of the Odyssey with the spacer next to the battery that I removed. I also purchased new platinum-plated battery terminals from Crutchfield. These are so much better than the OEM terminals.
Installation was a breeze. My 4Runner cranks up more effortlessly than before and I like knowing that I shouldn't have to worry about a new battery for the next decade.
09/16/2016 Service
154,417 Miles
Tire Rotation
I went to one of my local Pep Boys and got a tire rotation, again rotating the 5th tire in. I can get this done for free at Pep Boys every 5,000 miles since I bought all 5 tires at a Pep Boys in Houston. I know tire rotations aren't exactly newsworthy, but this thread also serves as my maintenance log, so that is why I always include these updates with the mileage and date. Anytime I get my 4Runner serviced I take a photo of the odometer with my iPhone so that I can later document the correct mileage and date for this journal.
10/22/2016 Installation
157,674 Miles
Replace MAF Sensor
I was on a long trip to Denver when my engine started surging (for lack of a better term) and wouldn't run just a few miles after I crossed the Colorado border from Kansas. I had cleaned the MAF sensor earlier in the trip, so I wasn't sure if that was the problem or not. I called a mobile mechanic who was able to isolate the issue and determine that it was the MAF sensor again. This super nice family gave my passengers and I a ride to a nearby motel and promised to pick me up first thing in the morning. In the morning we went to the only 3 auto part stores in town and O'Reilly's was the only one that had the MAF sensor in stock. We also purchased some hexhead screws at NAPA across the street since the original screws were stripped. I would recommend that you check to see if your MAF sensor screws are stripped and replace them with something more practical (if you haven't already).
10/24/2016 Service
158,839 Miles
Oil Change
I stopped at a Wal-Mart in Arkansas to get an oil change. I was way past due and didn't want to put even more miles on the old oil getting back to Miami. I'm trying to use only Redline fluids in my 4Runner, but this time since I was on the road Mobil 1 5W-30 had to suffice. I used Mobil 1 on my C5 Corvette, so I know this was one of the better choices for a synthetic at Wal-Mart. I used the larger (90915-YZZD3) Toyota filter.
10/29/2016 Service
160,190 Miles
Tire Rotation
Yet another tire rotation at Pep Boys (The Miami to Denver journey was 4,000 miles round trip).
Below are a few recent photos on my 4Runner in Miami...
Thanks for your comments.
[MENTION=102606]infamousRNR[/MENTION]
I try to keep it clean, but I'm surprised how clean my 4Runner looks in photos even when it is dirty. Usually darker colors show dirt and dust, but for some reason this Stellar Blue color doesn't so much.
I think that Toyota did a superb job designing the rear spoiler. I like how it looks, but I am a fan of the simple, clean, streamlined look on the body lines. I removed my spoiler for the same reason that I removed the wind deflectors on the hood, sunroof, and windows.
This is my first update since I moved to Miami. I was busy with my new job and then that didn't last long-term so I was busy scrambling to find a new job. Anyway, I found a new job so hopefully I get can back in the routine of taking care of my 4Runner and posting on this forum more frequently.
Before I left College Station some idiot parked crooked and put a dent in my passenger-side fender with his driver-side rear view mirror. I'm going to try one of those paintless dent removal services to see if that works. I'll post a photo here of the result.
06/15/2016 Service
147,823 Miles
Tire Rotation and Alignment (Tire Review)
I had purchased a 5th Baja MTZ tire so I rotated that one in on my first tire rotation. I got this done for free at the shop that installed my DayStar spacer lift and 4Crawler body lift. I don't understand when I see vehicles (mostly Jeeps) that have a brand-new tire on the rear carrier and four somewhat worn tires on the ground. It seems to me that you would want all 5 tires to wear evenly. I want these Mickey Thompson tires to last as long as possible because this version of the Baja MTZs is no longer available.
Since this tire rotation I've driven from Texas to Florida and put quite a few miles on these tires. They have been outstanding. There is very little wear on them as far as I can tell. I think that I will get at least 50,000 miles out of them. They are still relatively quiet on the highway. I highly recommend these tires. The new version of the Baja MTZs (MTZ P3) will probably be even better.
09/11/2016 Installation
154,302 Miles
Odyssey 34R-PC1500T Battery
I could tell that it was time to get a new battery. As usual I did plenty of research and decided that the Odyssey 34R-PC1500T was the best battery for my 4Runner. It is advertised to last between 8 and 12 years. I read online that the Die Hard Platinum was a rebadged Odyssey battery. Apparently this used to be true, but is not the case today. I'll try to find the thread link about this. Also, I wanted the reversed terminals to match what the stock battery had. This is what the "R" stands for in the part number. The price of the battery was around $225 from my local 4WheelParts store.
I had previously purchased the 1" spacer directly from Odyssey. This spacer snaps onto the bottom of the battery. You can see the size comparison of the Odyssey with the spacer next to the battery that I removed. I also purchased new platinum-plated battery terminals from Crutchfield. These are so much better than the OEM terminals.
Installation was a breeze. My 4Runner cranks up more effortlessly than before and I like knowing that I shouldn't have to worry about a new battery for the next decade.
09/16/2016 Service
154,417 Miles
Tire Rotation
I went to one of my local Pep Boys and got a tire rotation, again rotating the 5th tire in. I can get this done for free at Pep Boys every 5,000 miles since I bought all 5 tires at a Pep Boys in Houston. I know tire rotations aren't exactly newsworthy, but this thread also serves as my maintenance log, so that is why I always include these updates with the mileage and date. Anytime I get my 4Runner serviced I take a photo of the odometer with my iPhone so that I can later document the correct mileage and date for this journal.
10/22/2016 Installation
157,674 Miles
Replace MAF Sensor
I was on a long trip to Denver when my engine started surging (for lack of a better term) and wouldn't run just a few miles after I crossed the Colorado border from Kansas. I had cleaned the MAF sensor earlier in the trip, so I wasn't sure if that was the problem or not. I called a mobile mechanic who was able to isolate the issue and determine that it was the MAF sensor again. This super nice family gave my passengers and I a ride to a nearby motel and promised to pick me up first thing in the morning. In the morning we went to the only 3 auto part stores in town and O'Reilly's was the only one that had the MAF sensor in stock. We also purchased some hexhead screws at NAPA across the street since the original screws were stripped. I would recommend that you check to see if your MAF sensor screws are stripped and replace them with something more practical (if you haven't already).
10/24/2016 Service
158,839 Miles
Oil Change
I stopped at a Wal-Mart in Arkansas to get an oil change. I was way past due and didn't want to put even more miles on the old oil getting back to Miami. I'm trying to use only Redline fluids in my 4Runner, but this time since I was on the road Mobil 1 5W-30 had to suffice. I used Mobil 1 on my C5 Corvette, so I know this was one of the better choices for a synthetic at Wal-Mart. I used the larger (90915-YZZD3) Toyota filter.
10/29/2016 Service
160,190 Miles
Tire Rotation
Yet another tire rotation at Pep Boys (The Miami to Denver journey was 4,000 miles round trip).
Below are a few recent photos on my 4Runner in Miami...
Last edited:
SURF RUNNER
Senior Member
[MENTION=77310]BrandonF[/MENTION]
The MTZs I have are no longer available (at least directly from Mickey Thompson - they only sell the MTZ P3s now), so I don't know if the specs are still online. I do remember that the 285/75/16s were listed at 33.4" when I ordered mine.
The MTZs I have are no longer available (at least directly from Mickey Thompson - they only sell the MTZ P3s now), so I don't know if the specs are still online. I do remember that the 285/75/16s were listed at 33.4" when I ordered mine.
fourfive
Senior Member
4runner's looking good man. How you liking Miami?...hot as hell? I was there this past summer on my way to the Keys to free dive/snorkel for spiny lobster for their 2 day window & handline for hogfish. Good shi* if you haven't done it before (if you like fishing). I always think I'm in decent shape until I get humbled the occasional times I do any type of free diving. I'll have to look out for your 4runner next time I'm there :cheers:
SURF RUNNER
Senior Member
[MENTION=116877]fourfive[/MENTION]
I really like Miami. Back in 2010-2011 I lived in the Virgin Islands (St. Thomas) and Puerto Rico, so I was looking for a way to get back to the tropics - Miami is not technically in the tropics, but it is damn close.
The weather is incredible here in the winter. It is hot in the summer, but just about perfect in the winter.
I need to get back into SCUBA and some other beach/ocean related sports, but right now I have been focusing on my career. I live a block from the beach in Miami Beach, so I'm where I want to be as far as location.
I really like Miami. Back in 2010-2011 I lived in the Virgin Islands (St. Thomas) and Puerto Rico, so I was looking for a way to get back to the tropics - Miami is not technically in the tropics, but it is damn close.
The weather is incredible here in the winter. It is hot in the summer, but just about perfect in the winter.
I need to get back into SCUBA and some other beach/ocean related sports, but right now I have been focusing on my career. I live a block from the beach in Miami Beach, so I'm where I want to be as far as location.
SONOMA-T4R
New member
dam this is a clean ride. Love it
SURF RUNNER
Senior Member
Tire Rotations | Oil Change | BG-44K | White Letter Tire Paint
[MENTION=153102]SONOMA-T4R[/MENTION]
Thanks for the positive comments and for other posters thanks for any earlier comments I may have missed the first time.
The first part of this post is just to catch up with my maintenance journal. Two tire rotations (I try to rotate about every 5,000 miles) and an oil change. I used the high mileage Mobil 1 and the larger OEM oil filter for the oil change. I prefer to use Redline, but didn't want to wait for the order and delivery process this time.
03/07/2017 Service
164,355 Miles
Tire Rotation
07/19/2017 Service
169,244 Miles
Oil Change
08/25/2017 Service
170,658 Miles
Tire Rotation
I had heard a lot about using BG-44K in a tank of gas to clean the injectors, etc. I'm not having any issues, but the reviews of this product were so good I decided to go ahead and do it. I checked several stores in Miami, but I couldn't find this product on the shelves. I finally ordered on Amazon for about $16 delivered.
02/15/2018 Preventative Maintenance
174,966 Miles
Added BG-44K to Fuel Tank
I have been wanting to paint the white outline tires on my Baja MTZs for quite a while. I kept delaying because of time constraints, but the weather has been so nice here lately (no rain) I decided to go ahead and order this product. I had done a lot of research and Ranger Tire Paint is what you want to use if you want to do something like this. They have other colors than white in case you are looking for something different. This paint was about $24 delivered.
02/16/2018 Aesthetic Modification
174,979 Miles
Applied Ranger White Letter Tire Paint
In addition to these basic supplies I also used Q-tips, scissors, and acetone. The acetone is used to remove any tire paint that gets outside the letters. You want to use microfiber towels, not cotton when cleaning the tires. The instructions specify only using water and a cloth to prep the tire surface. I followed the instructions except that I also used the tile and grout scrubber pictured. I did not use any soap or solvent... I think that these cleansers/chemicals prevent the paint from adhering to the letters.
This is just the first coat. A second coat will make these letters look like they came white from the factory.
03/23/2018 Service
175,678 Miles
Tire Rotation
I saw a Mini Cooper around town with Horizon Blue paint. This is the color that I want to paint my Limited flares/cladding, front ARB bumper, and rear Shrockworks bumper/tire and jerry can carrier. I took some photos to show how the colors would look together.
My Shrockworks rear bumper is in storage in College Station. I need to get back to Texas and finally get it mounted! Below is a photo of when I picked it up in Houston.
05/29/2018 Emergency Repair
178,854 Miles
Alternator Belt Replaced
I heard the belt make screeching sounds for several weeks, but I didn't get around to replacing the belt. Luckily I was able to get to a repair shop after it broke, so I wasn't stranded.
07/06/2018 Service
180,231 Miles
Oil Change
This isn't my "go to" oil, but $32 looked like a good deal for 6 quarts. My #1 preference is Redline and #2 is Mobil 1 High Mileage. The oilchange was past due and I didn't have time to shop around.
10/27/2018 Service
183,429 Miles
Tire Rotation
[MENTION=153102]SONOMA-T4R[/MENTION]
Thanks for the positive comments and for other posters thanks for any earlier comments I may have missed the first time.
The first part of this post is just to catch up with my maintenance journal. Two tire rotations (I try to rotate about every 5,000 miles) and an oil change. I used the high mileage Mobil 1 and the larger OEM oil filter for the oil change. I prefer to use Redline, but didn't want to wait for the order and delivery process this time.
03/07/2017 Service
164,355 Miles
Tire Rotation
07/19/2017 Service
169,244 Miles
Oil Change
08/25/2017 Service
170,658 Miles
Tire Rotation
I had heard a lot about using BG-44K in a tank of gas to clean the injectors, etc. I'm not having any issues, but the reviews of this product were so good I decided to go ahead and do it. I checked several stores in Miami, but I couldn't find this product on the shelves. I finally ordered on Amazon for about $16 delivered.
02/15/2018 Preventative Maintenance
174,966 Miles
Added BG-44K to Fuel Tank
I have been wanting to paint the white outline tires on my Baja MTZs for quite a while. I kept delaying because of time constraints, but the weather has been so nice here lately (no rain) I decided to go ahead and order this product. I had done a lot of research and Ranger Tire Paint is what you want to use if you want to do something like this. They have other colors than white in case you are looking for something different. This paint was about $24 delivered.
02/16/2018 Aesthetic Modification
174,979 Miles
Applied Ranger White Letter Tire Paint
In addition to these basic supplies I also used Q-tips, scissors, and acetone. The acetone is used to remove any tire paint that gets outside the letters. You want to use microfiber towels, not cotton when cleaning the tires. The instructions specify only using water and a cloth to prep the tire surface. I followed the instructions except that I also used the tile and grout scrubber pictured. I did not use any soap or solvent... I think that these cleansers/chemicals prevent the paint from adhering to the letters.
This is just the first coat. A second coat will make these letters look like they came white from the factory.
03/23/2018 Service
175,678 Miles
Tire Rotation
I saw a Mini Cooper around town with Horizon Blue paint. This is the color that I want to paint my Limited flares/cladding, front ARB bumper, and rear Shrockworks bumper/tire and jerry can carrier. I took some photos to show how the colors would look together.
My Shrockworks rear bumper is in storage in College Station. I need to get back to Texas and finally get it mounted! Below is a photo of when I picked it up in Houston.
05/29/2018 Emergency Repair
178,854 Miles
Alternator Belt Replaced
I heard the belt make screeching sounds for several weeks, but I didn't get around to replacing the belt. Luckily I was able to get to a repair shop after it broke, so I wasn't stranded.
07/06/2018 Service
180,231 Miles
Oil Change
This isn't my "go to" oil, but $32 looked like a good deal for 6 quarts. My #1 preference is Redline and #2 is Mobil 1 High Mileage. The oilchange was past due and I didn't have time to shop around.
10/27/2018 Service
183,429 Miles
Tire Rotation
Last edited:
marcus clarkus
New member
Nice ride man, I love the color
I felt like looking it up -- DAMN!! That's expensive
I felt like looking it up -- DAMN!! That's expensive
Scramble
New member
I dont think that Mini Blue would look good. Not enough contrast with the Stella Blue. Just giving you my honest opinion. Good luck, it's your truck!
PS: And what are you going to do with those wheels? I'm not a big fan of them but they are perfect for your truck & I only like them on your truck. Are you going to powder coat them Mini Blue too?
PS: And what are you going to do with those wheels? I'm not a big fan of them but they are perfect for your truck & I only like them on your truck. Are you going to powder coat them Mini Blue too?
Last edited:
SURF RUNNER
Senior Member
The Horizon Blue (blue/gray color) would only be for the aftermarket bumpers and the Limited flares/cladding. I would keep the FJ Cruiser wheels silver. I plan to paint all bars or tubes Millenium Silver. This includes rock sliders, the tube on the ARB front bumper, rear ladder, etc.
catsponchovia
New member
Great build. Super clean truck. This is my favorite color. I hope to find one as clean as this someday!
BoarderDave
New member
Rig looks great. How did the injector cleaner work out?
I use a plain ol Chevron cleaner add-in every 4K miles.. never heard of this one until your post here. Cheers :yo:
I use a plain ol Chevron cleaner add-in every 4K miles.. never heard of this one until your post here. Cheers :yo:
SURF RUNNER
Senior Member
The reviews of BG-44K are great. There is a thread on this forum about it. I don’t have any specific feedback to give you on my experience with BG-44K... it is just something I plan to do once a year probably as preventative maintenance.
SURF RUNNER
Senior Member
This post and resulting bump ttt is not just for one maintenance item... I'll post numerous updates on this post in the next few months.
If you haven't replaced your filter in a while it might be time.
12/04/2018 Service
185,262 Miles
Replaced Engine Air Filter
If you haven't replaced your filter in a while it might be time.
12/04/2018 Service
185,262 Miles
Replaced Engine Air Filter
Last edited:
weekendclimber
New member
Hey Dude! Still loving my sport hood. New 4Runner is looking good!
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