T4RZAN's Build/Adventure Thread

[T4RZAN]

Welcome to my thread! I'm going to use this to showcase all of my mods and adventures like many others have done. The difference in my thread is that I don't have any experience modding vehicles so I am learning every step of the way. I also am a mountain biker and BMX rider. So I will be sprinkling pictures from my other hobbies in as well.

Started with a New 2016 SR5 Premium 4x4 in Nautical Blue with black interior and have been modding and adventuring ever since.

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This will be my first vehicle that I make any modifications to so I am learning every step of the way. I will try my best to post step by step guides to everything I do or post links to where I learned them.

Mods:
Storage:
Cargo Area Storage Box
Blue Ridge Overland Attic
Blue Ridge Overland Visor Storage
Toyota OEM Factory Crossbars
Rhino Rack Small Mesh Platform
Plano All-Weather Rifle Case
Antman Wheel Well Storage (Brute Force Method).

Armor:
Total Chaos Lower Link Skids
Bay Area Metal Fab Rock Sliders with Kickout
RCI Filler Skid
RCI Front Skid Aluminum
RCI Transmission Skid Aluminum with support braces
RCI Transfer Case Skid Aluminum

Wheels/Tires:
Stealth Custom Series SR8 17x8.5 Gunmetal Gray
Cooper Discoverer ST Maxx 255/80R17 E
Gorilla Lug Nuts 12mm X 1.5 E/T
Front Bumper Trimmed for clearance

Suspension:
King Racing Shocks Front Coilovers 2.5
Rokmen Offroad UCAs
King Racing Shocks Rear Shocks 2.5
Icon Vehicle Dynamics Rear Springs 2"

Lighting:
Anti-Dark Engine Lighting
Rock Lights - DIY Project
Amber Grill Lights
Rago Fabrication Ditch Lights
2 Pairs of Freedom LED 5D Pods for Ditch Lights
Lamin-X Yellow Film on Fog Lights

Misc:
Rear Diff Breather Mod
Phone Mount
12v Always On
Fender Liner Mod
Shovel/Axe Mount
Rear Mud Flap Trim
Weather Tech Floorliner
MaxTrax Roof Mount
Cobra 75 WX ST with Diamond K400 mount
Custom Transmission Shifter
ARB 2000m Awning on ARB brackets
BajaRack Ladder
Factor55 Hitchlink
Overlook Graphics American Flag window decals
RAM Mount Floor Mount with X-Grip for an iPad
Patches on the Headliner

As of 7/9/17:
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[sampedro123]

Looks great! Any issues with rubbing after fender mod with the Coopers/wider SR8s? I've been thinking about the exact same wheel/tire setup.

 

[JET4]

very nice, looks good

 

[MeanoTorino]

Love the color of your rig. The wheels look sweet as well! Good luck with the build.

 

[T4RZAN]

Looks great! Any issues with rubbing after fender mod with the Coopers/wider SR8s? I've been thinking about the exact same wheel/tire setup.

For daily driving no issues at all! Did some light wheeling yesterday and with some flex and just the right turn they rub the body mount slightly. Won't be an issue with a lift though!

 

[T4RZAN]

The day after I got the T4R I went out to my family's property with the rest of my family out near Tyler, TX. Enjoyed the outdoors, shot some guns, roasted hot dogs and did some exploring. Here's a picture of the runner on an old bridge made up of railroad ties.

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[T4RZAN]

The next day I went out to Sam Houston National Forest with my cousins and did some exploring!

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[T4RZAN]

The following weekend I followed a buddy with a 2nd gen Tacoma out to Hidden Falls in Marble Falls, TX for the day. Kept getting more and more surprised as the day went on. Only limitations were ground clearance, no armor, and the highway tires.

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[T4RZAN]

Rear Diff Breather Mod

By now there have been several write ups on the rear differential breather. And everyone has their opinion on how you should do it, where you should run it to. The main thing is that it needs to be done if you plan on crossing water that goes up to/over your rear differential.

The reasoning for this mod is that the rear diff on the 4Runner has a valve on it to help regulate temperature of the rear differential. When it is hot it opens up and when it cools down it closes. Well if you've driven any distance at all your differential heats up, and when you go through a water crossing there is an instantaneous moment of cooling. When this happens the valve closes. The main issue is that when this happens the differential can actually suck water in through its seals during that time. So extending that valve up higher and making it a two way valve allows the temperature to be regulated better and not contaminate your diff fluids.

Here are some links to other write ups:
Rear Diff Breather Mod - Complete!
Rear Diff Breather Mod for Dummies

Not much experience is needed to complete this mod. Also if you do not plan on going through water that goes up to your rear diff then you do not NEED to do this mod.

Parts:
Union, part# 90404-51319
Breather, part# 90930-03136
10' of 5/16" fuel line
2 Hose clamps
Black Zip Ties

Step 1:
Remove the valve on top of the rear differential. I believe this guy is a 14mm. Pay attention to how tight this is for reference later

Step 2:
Install Union. DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN. Does not need to be torqued down. Should be as tight as the stock valve was.
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Step 3:
Run your fuel line but DO NOT connect to the union yet. It is a pain to get off once on. I ran my fuel line up into the spare tire jack compartment. There is a rubber grommet that I cut a hole in just big enough for the hose to go through.

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Step 4:
After running your fuel line and you have the length that you need, put a hose clamp over your fuel line and attach the line to the union. Tighten the hose clamp down over the fuel line on the union.

Step 5:
Begin working your way up, zip tieing along the way. Remember to leave room for suspension movement and if you plan on doing a lift later on.
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Step 6:
Cut the end of the fuel line to where you need it. Put the hose clamp on. Put the breather on and tighten down the hose clamp
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Step 7:
Go back and clean up all of the zip ties and hose clamp ends.

 

[T4RZAN]

12V Always On

I'm not much of an electrician so there will be very little electrical mods done by myself but this one was simple enough that I could tackle on my own. I wanted my 12v to always be on so that I could charge my phone without the car running or other small voltage items. Nothing crazy. Also this mod is done on the fuse box under the dash on the drivers side. It's in an awkward place to work on but will have a white cover on it showing the fuse layout.

Parts:
2 Add A Circuits
2 15 A Fuses (Be sure to get the right size)

Step 1:
Wire the two Add a Circuits together. Then tape/shrink wrap the wiring together

Step 2:
Place a 15 A Fuse in each Add A Circuit

Step 3:
Place one Add A Circuit in the top right spot and the other end on the spot that is four down from the top left. The top right spot should have a 15 A fuse in it currently, remove it and replace it with the Add A Circuit. The spot four down from the top left should be blank.

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With this mod you will not be able to put the fuse cover back on. I would recommend keeping the cover because it has the layout of the fuses in that box just for future reference.

 

[TexasTJ]

Are you still in CS? We just picked up ours at Atkinson in Bryan, but I took it back to FW.

 

[The Waco Kid]

The next day I went out to Sam Houston National Forest with my cousins and did some exploring!

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You really had to look hard to find that spot, didn't you!? Haha

I run mine through there every other month or so to stretch the 4wd legs in some actual dirt... SHNF isn't exactly what you'd call "technical" haha

 

[T4RZAN]

Way behind on updating this thread so I'll try and post updates in the order that they happened.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

 

[T4RZAN]

Stealth Custom Series SR8 wheels in Gun Metal Gray wrapped in Cooper ST Maxx size 255/80R17 installed at the local Discount Tire. Stance is perfect, road noise is minimal and performance is great. Went with the skinny tire because I do a bunch of highway miles, but I do mostly rock crawling since that is the terrain that is around me. Also really glad I went with the gray SCS wheel to add that accent color and just to do something different.

 

[TexasTJ]

Grey wheels look

 

[T4RZAN]

Added the marker lights to the grill. Super cheap mod that does wonders. Followed the Rock Creek Overland write up on it with a slight difference. I ended up trimming the rounded edges on the lights and they fit perfectly in a grill slot. Makes them sit much more flush. I ended up using an add a fuse in the fuse box inside to a spot that was hot when the key was on. Very happy with the look and the added visibility to other drivers on dusty or foggy days.

 

[TheBelafonte]

This is great to find a thread that's a few steps ahead of me, but not lightyears. Thanks for your write ups and images and I will be keeping up with your build!

 

[T4RZAN]

Several updates in this one.

Added the Rhino Rack Steel Mesh Platform size small. Made my own brackets that mount directly to the OEM crossbars. Very happy with this setup. Super low profile and is incredibly easy to install. I've got my MaxTrax mounted on it and they fit the length of it with about an inch to spare.

I've also installed a CB Radio. Went with the Cobra WX ST 75 radio, Firestik 2' antenna, and Diamond K400 antenna mount. Working on a custom install for connecting the radio to the control box which is mounted under my center console area. Range on this setup isn't amazing but I only need it to reach a small group that is close to me.

I've also installed the Overlook Graphics American Flag window decals. They come as a rectangle and you just place them and cut to fit. Extremely high quality decal and install wasn't hard you just have to be patient and take your time or else you will scratch your paint.

 

[T4RZAN]

This is great to find a thread that's a few steps ahead of me, but not lightyears. Thanks for your write ups and images and I will be keeping up with your build!

Right on! If you've any questions about anything please hit me up! I've learned a ton through this build and continue to learn as I go.

 

[CoffeeIntern94]

here for the good picture and similar hobbies! Not a downhill mountain biker, but can still appreciate your side of the hobby! Have a Trek Fuel EX 5