txbonds 15 4Runner Trail Edition thread

[txbonds]

It was not my favorite color, I wanted blue/white/silver ahead of this, but the mgm is pretty much the only trail color my local dealer sells, and it was the best price in the state by far at the time so I jumped on it. They are looking much better built up that I thought they would.

Same here. I wanted a silver TEP but couldn't find any TEP or silver with kdss. Ended up finding best deal on this one over the net and driving 2 hrs each way to get it. Silver would have been easier to keep clean but the mgm is growing on me too.

Now a flat desert tan would be awesome but I've decided this one is just dressed in its urban camo base color instead. LOL

 

[cjacob316]

Same here. I wanted a silver TEP but couldn't find any TEP or silver with kdss. Ended up finding best deal on this one over the net and driving 2 hrs each way to get it. Silver would have been easier to keep clean but the mgm is growing on me too.

Now a flat desert tan would be awesome but I've decided this one is just dressed in its urban camo base color instead. LOL

I was thinking desert tan too, especially after seeing the new Tacoma. Or even the spruce mica, which I love.

 

[txbonds]

Speaking of desert tan, I really miss the ole 97......... The blue 06, not so much. :doh: That said, don't get me wrong, I'm loving the 2015 and the fact that its new and I only have to get in and go but that 97 turned out really nice.

 

[txbonds]

Not a great day on Wednesday. Took my truck to the car wash and got it detailed. Got home and needed to vacuum under the back seats a little more. What I found was soaking wet carpet. As best I can tell it came in through the grommets in the floor and it also looks like it's been doing so for a while and accounts for some weird smell I was starting to notice in the mornings.

Long story short, was leaving Thursday morning on a business trip and had no time to mess with dealer or warranty so I had to improvise. Honestly I figured the dealer would just tell me to dry the carpet and give me a couple of replacement grommets at best anyway. I ended up cutting the carpet and pad out since I couldn't get them dry, and I sealed up the grommets.

Basically I just cut the wet section out from under the rear seat with a razor blade. Then took that as seen on tv flex seal spray and layered a few layers over the top of the grommets. Its pliable enough stuff that I could easily push the grommets out if ever needed but solid enough that they are sealed for sure now. I'm planning to come back and just put a layer of sound deadener under the seat so no biggie on the carpet and you can't see it with the seat down.




Skip forward to today and I just backed the truck in the garage to start working on the rear bumper. Tight fit but should be okay and keeps me out of the cold outside.

 

[sschaefer3]

Let me know how it goes I have one here to install on a customers truck but was going to let you do it first so I can see what the issues are.

I'm also swamped so I was not able to get to it right away anyway. Good luck !!!

:cheer2:

 

[cjacob316]

Yeah I looked through your old build a while back, loved the 4runner. I don't know why you don't miss the 4th gen, I loved mine. I too have had a 3rd, 4th, and now 5th gen. I've been keeping an eye out for a project vehicle like your 3rd gen, just can't find anything I'm comfortable with. Either keep finding non functioning 2nd gens that the owners don't know why it doesn't run so I'm too scared to take the risk, or overpriced 3rd gens.

Let me know how it goes I have one here to install on a customers truck but was going to let you do it first so I can see what the issues are.

I'm also swamped so I was not able to get to it right away anyway. Good luck !!!

:cheer2:

2014 Warthog had a write up, http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/165542-warthog-build-adventure-thread-7.html#post1774093 I know he ran into a few things.

 

[txbonds]

Let me know how it goes I have one here to install on a customers truck but was going to let you do it first so I can see what the issues are.

I'm also swamped so I was not able to get to it right away anyway. Good luck !!!

:cheer2:

Will do Steve. I decided to depart from the directions and remove the full rear bumper valance instead of just cutting it. Reason is to make sure there are no fitment issues with the bumper itself. Once I confirm that I will have to double back to cut my pieces to fit but this keeps me from having a cut up bumper if I had to send this one back for any reason.

Yeah I looked through your old build a while back, loved the 4runner. I don't know why you don't miss the 4th gen, I loved mine. I too have had a 3rd, 4th, and now 5th gen. I've been keeping an eye out for a project vehicle like your 3rd gen, just can't find anything I'm comfortable with. Either keep finding non functioning 2nd gens that the owners don't know why it doesn't run so I'm too scared to take the risk, or overpriced 3rd gens.



2014 Warthog had a write up, http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/165542-warthog-build-adventure-thread-7.html#post1774093 I know he ran into a few things.

Thanks. The 4th gen was great in some ways but realistically take away the engine and the full time 4x4 and I'd rather have the 3rd or 5th gens. The big problem with the 4th gen I had was rust, broken manifolds, and a slurry of other issues that were too costly to justify fixing them.

On the 3rd gen, had I not lost my company car I would have kept it for sure. It was sweet but just too old to serve as my business vehicle too that I need to drive all over FL for up to 15k miles per year. I didn't want to buy a cheap car either though so the best solution was to sell it and just get the 5th gen to serve both play and work.




Rear plastic bumper shell/valance removed

Stored out of the way for the moment.

The bumper was easy as pie to remove. Took about 10 minutes to go around and remove the various bolts/screws and plastic rivets. You need to remove the mud flaps, and two plastic panels just behind the mud flaps on the bottom, and a few screws/bolts across the bottom and the transition under the rear door, and then it's only held on by the two upper sides that are clipped in place to the black plastic rails you can see in the picture. Pulls right off.

Here are CBI instructions as well for comparison: http://www.cbioffroadfab.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/5thGen-Rear-Install.pdf

 

[txbonds]

Removed the trailer hitch:

Removed the rear recovery hook/loop:

 

[txbonds]

Using a heavy pry bar and a dead blow hammer

I removed the muffler hanger from the frame mounting spots and rotated it out of the way.

 

[txbonds]

Last step before test fitting the bumper is to remove these little stamped metal pans that are bolted on the bottom of the rear frame on either side of the trailer hitch.

Also, earlier I mentioned some plastic panels that get removed with the plastic bumper cover that sit behind the mud flaps. Here is what they look like:

And also mentioned earlier the mud flaps do need to come off

 

[Desert Dawg]

Looking forward to seeing it all mounted up. Nice work!

 

[txbonds]

Thanks. I'm getting close.

Right now I'm trying to figure out some brackets. The bumper came with two sets of brackets. The instructions mention putting one set between the bumper and frame rails and show the other set below the bumper. I guess I'm stuck on whether or not your really supposed to use the spacer brackets between the bumper and frame as I don't see any pictures and am not finding where anyone else mentions doing it.

Also debating if I want to leave the factory tire carrier and trailer wiring brackets in place. Right now thinking I'll just zip tie the chain on the factory carrier up out of the way so that it's there if I ever want it for anything. On the trailer bracket, I'll probably just leave it for now too as I don't see anywhere better to put it at the moment.

 

[Desert Dawg]

Thanks. I'm getting close.

Right now I'm trying to figure out some brackets. The bumper came with two sets of brackets. The instructions mention putting one set between the bumper and frame rails and show the other set below the bumper. I guess I'm stuck on whether or not your really supposed to use the spacer brackets between the bumper and frame as I don't see any pictures and am not finding where anyone else mentions doing it.

Also debating if I want to leave the factory tire carrier and trailer wiring brackets in place.

I hate that when the instructions are not clear or complete. I don't have anything to reference what you're saying, but it seems to me that you'll need the brackets between the bumper and frame to keep the assembly from pivoting some once under load?

 

[txbonds]

Yeah, I don't know. Looking at Warthogs pictures I don't think his has the spacer above the bumper. http://www.toyota-4runner.org/1774129-post100.html I'm starting to think the larger brackets are spacers if needed or something.

Weirder still, I received 8 bolts with the kit which makes sense but 4 washers for the smaller bolts and 19 washers for the larger 4 bolts. Not sure what to make of that after looking at Warthogs link above other than they are spares and/or spacers.

 

[cjacob316]

you have the tire carrier and he doesn't, might account for some stuff.

 

[txbonds]

you have the tire carrier and he doesn't, might account for some stuff.

Good point but instructions on their site list the spacer bracket for either version. I tried calling but don't think they are open today. I'm going to have to just try it with and without I guess to see what the difference is.

Just eyeballing it, it looks like the spacers will make the bumper slope and not sit level but my eyeball has been known to be off. LOL

 

[cjacob316]

Good point but instructions on their site list the spacer bracket for either version. I tried calling but don't think they are open today. I'm going to have to just try it with and without I guess to see what the difference is.

Just eyeballing it, it looks like the spacers will make the bumper slope and not sit level but my eyeball has been known to be off. LOL

The only thing I can think of is maybe clearance for the swing out if it does angle it to the rear. What is your plan with the exhaust? Warthog seemed to think dealing with it first would be easiest. He's been pretty good at answering questions for me when I PM him, if he's not adventuring today maybe [MENTION=107119]2014 Warthog[/MENTION] can help

 

[txbonds]

Getting it into position to do a test fit bolt up. Would be much easier with a helper but making do on my own so far.

For reference, I believe it is touching the frame rail back at the hitch area, but it is about 2 inches down in the front so it is angled down from back to front at the moment. I still don't see how the spacers should really be in there at this point.

 

[cjacob316]

check this picture. looks like one of the spacers here more like a washer really. But my guess is the shorter pieces angle, the longer pieces drop

 

[txbonds]

check this picture. looks like one of the spacers here more like a washer really. But my guess is the shorter pieces angle, the longer pieces drop

Yeah, you can see the smaller pieces from my picture above. They are on the bottom of the bumper in the two smaller 8mm bolts. The larger bracket in my picture is supposed to go above the bumper and between it and the frame rail as a spacer. It has holes for the 8mm bolts and the larger two bolts.

From getting under there and pushing on it, it looks like there may be a slight taper in the frame so the spacers fill that gap I guess. I honestly think you could also wedge the bumper all the way up to the frame itself too but the bolts they sent for the 8mm holes are not threaded all the way up so without the spacer they will not thread in properly. That said, they don't seem to match the threads well on my truck anyway but the holes could just have dirt in them so I'm going to play around with that in a minute.

The instructions are good as a starting point but they leave a lot to the imagination for how the parts are expected to be used. I think I've figured out that the extra washers are to be used on the factory bolts around the hitch.



And holy cow what a gap before the trim is cut to fit. LOL