What did you do to/in your 5th Gen today?!

Nothing big, but I was able to make some "hidden" storage for some things I like to daily carry. I used a seat cover bottom from my Jeep to cover the tools, recovery bag and air compressor. Its not like it is secure, but it is hidden and look like it might be a seat bottom from outside which you would have a hard time seeing in with 10% tint over factory.

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You've got some nerve bringing that in here. :lmao:
 
Can definitely see where you're coming from. These particular LEDs are significantly brighter than any others I've seen on the market, as you would expect given the higher price tag. I just liked the Plug and Play easiness to them. They worked remarkably well in my 2017 with projector headlights - comparable to hid. I feel like with the reflectors of the 2013 they're just throwing light in all directions. I may look into hid at some point, but I really don't do much night driving nowadays.

The old lady's 2019 Forester Touring has LED lights upfront that actually point with the steering wheel. Best headlights I've ever seen on a vehicle and the focus is outstanding.

I had the XD ones as well. LED bulbs can indeed be brighter and more efficient, but they do not work well when they are forced into a halogen housing. Take a look at the Tacoma World thread here to explain why: 3rd Gen HID vs LED vs Halogen H11 projector headlights | Tacoma World

OEM LED lamps are completely different because they utilize housings designed for them, rather than clumsily fitting them into halogen housings. The new LED lamps from automakers are indeed top notch.
 
Took off the roof rack for painting- she actually looks pretty sleek without [emoji41]

Also replaced the back door and rear hatch speakers with some cheap Rockford Fosgates. These, plus a small pioneer under-seat sub and tiny in-line Alpine amp tucked away in the dash make for a HUGE improvement in sound [emoji16]
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Finally got around to doing the first oil change using upgraded parts, making future oil changes a breeze with little or no oil mess and in about 30 minutes. Have RCI Aluminum full skid plate package and access to the oil filter cap assembly and drain plug couldn't be easier.

No Spill Systems: No-Spill™ Systems Oil Drain Plug – Official Site

Motive X Tools: Search Results For Toyota - Motivx Tools

Genuine Toyota 15620-31060 Oil Filter Cap Assembly: Amazon.com: Genuine Toyota 15620-31060 Oil Filter Cap Assembly: Automotive

Genuine Toyota - 4Runner Oil Filter 1/2 Case (QTY 5): Amazon.com: Genuine Toyota - 4Runner Oil Filter 1/2 Case (QTY 5) - 04152-YZZA5: Automotive

Which model no spill did you get? Compact or standard?
 
I've been so busy lately I haven't been able to check in on the forums for a while. Here are a few pics from a brief trip I took out to the Devil's Canyon area in late February:

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The westbound lanes of interstate 8 cross Devil's Canyon on a tall bridge. About a week prior to my trip, a semi-truck went off the road at high speed right before the bridge and plunged into the canyon. Sadly, the driver did not survive. I haven't been able to find out any details about the wreck. There were no skid marks on the road or any sign of braking, so I wonder if the driver fell asleep at the wheel. Anyway, I got a few drone pics of the wreckage:

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.
 
Take a look at the Tacoma World thread here to explain why: 3rd Gen HID vs LED vs Halogen H11 projector headlights | Tacoma World

Great share Tory, thank you! crashnburn80 at TacomaWorld knows his poop, perhaps the best post on lighting ever posted. Great read for anyone wanting real data on headlight bulb options.

We live in the mountains in a county that is a registered Dark Skies Community and we have lots of big game that likes to run out in front of vehicles at night to do a brake-check. So excellent distance lighting is critical if you want to drive at a quick clip. The Tacoma World article really proves what I had felt but had no data to support... LED's have some great attributes but putting an LED bulb into a reflector housing designed for a filament type bulb does not improve illumination of the road ahead.

We just recently bought our TRD Pro and I've been taking my time trying to decide on my lighting setup. This was the perfect resource to nail things down. I'm going to go with crashnburn80's recommendations in his post #2 plus add an SSO Slimline Hybrid front bumper which I'll weld 2 mounting tabs on the bull bar hoop and mount 2 Hella Rallye 4000i Compact HID driving lights. I've previously run LightForce driving lights on my Grand Cherokee and Hella Rallye 4000 full size on my Sequoia. For dark roads you can't beat a set of high quality old school driving lights.
 
I've been so busy lately I haven't been able to check in on the forums for a while. Here are a few pics from a brief trip I took out to the Devil's Canyon area in late February
The westbound lanes of interstate 8 cross Devil's Canyon on a tall bridge. About a week prior to my trip, a semi-truck went off the road at high speed right before the bridge and plunged into the canyon. Sadly, the driver did not survive. I haven't been able to find out any details about the wreck. There were no skid marks on the road or any sign of braking, so I wonder if the driver fell asleep at the wheel. Anyway, I got a few drone pics of the wreckage

Nice pics. That wreck is horrible though. Sad that the river died but I guess no way to survive a fall like that. I wonder how the heck they will ever get that semi out of there.
 
Reinstalled the roof rack this morning - tremendously happy with the results [emoji16] not bad for 15 bucks!

From my past experience with this stuff it is not the best spraying can of paint, but it goes on even and holds up well.
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We just recently bought our TRD Pro and I've been taking my time trying to decide on my lighting setup. This was the perfect resource to nail things down. I'm going to go with crashnburn80's recommendations in his post #2 plus add an SSO Slimline Hybrid front bumper which I'll weld 2 mounting tabs on the bull bar hoop and mount 2 Hella Rallye 4000i Compact HID driving lights. I've previously run LightForce driving lights on my Grand Cherokee and Hella Rallye 4000 full size on my Sequoia. For dark roads you can't beat a set of high quality old school driving lights.

I'm working on some driving lights of my own. These SS3 pods from Diode Dynamics are fantastic. Their TIR (total internal reflection) optics are much more compact than the old school reflectors, so I can squeeze them behind the upper grill. They're SAE J581 compliant to use as auxiliary high beams, and I'm wiring the relay up to trigger with the high-beam stalk.

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New stereo install! Stock one had the all too common bad XM antenna and I couldnt use bluetooth for phone calls for some reason.
Installed Alpine ILX-W650 :drummer:
 
Wrench Day!

Added a set of METAL TECH 4X4 lower and upper control arms for the rear.

Couple of notes:

Get a LONG (mine was 24 inches) breaker bar in 1/2 inch.

Get an Air Wrench if you don't already have one. It is nearly impossible to get to the inner bolt of the driver's side upper. Air will help you break it loose.

Set aside several hours to do this IF you are doing upper AND lower arms.

If you are doing ONLY the lowers 2 hours is enough.

NOTE: not sure about the other years but the 2019 models have "tabs" on the NUT on the LOWER ARMS that fit into groves on the mount. It is nearly impossible to break the nuts free on the LOWERS. The BOLT, no problem.
The UPPERS are exactly the REVERSE. The tabs are on the BOLT on the uppers, NUT, no issues, except for the aforementioned driver's side front bolt accessibility.

HOW IT DRIVES: Tighter and more controlled. Shock and the sway bar are now working as a unit, no noticeable slop now. Even my wife noticed the "tighter" feel over bumps etc., and she only pays scant attention to such things. Better articulation than stock, with less sqishyness.

BOTTOM LINE: Worth it for me and where/how I wheel. Should provide less control issues with a trailer as well. Though I have not tested that yet.
BUY THESE!!

Amlor.
 
I'm working on some driving lights of my own. These SS3 pods from Diode Dynamics are fantastic. Their TIR (total internal reflection) optics are much more compact than the old school reflectors, so I can squeeze them behind the upper grill. They're SAE J581 compliant to use as auxiliary high beams, and I'm wiring the relay up to trigger with the high-beam stalk.

So you cut out portions of the upper grill?
Let us know how your project works out with mounting, position adjusting etc. It sounds like a great idea.
 

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