What Did You Do To Your 3rd Gen Today?

[Unner]

The Install was not bad, just have to drill 1 hole in the LCA for the bolt closest to the hub.
As for the Skids... My experience was terrible, the Customer service from BAMF is beyond ridiculous, and the wait time for 2 small pieces of steel is just crazy. The guy barely responds to emails and his ability to follow a simple direction is on the level of a 3 1/2 year old.
All in all if I had to do it over again I would just get someone that knew basic welding or above to create these very simple plates.

Or try and talk MStudt into making them.

You only have to drill one hole? I thought it was more than that. Good to hear. What was your special direction if I may ask?

 

[StreetCreeper]

I decided to use my $10 HF heat gun today. First order of business was to restore the rear bumper plastic "thingy". I forgot to take a proper "after" pic, but I did take one after halfway — which should highlight the differences.



Then I decided to do the same thing to my faded front window cowl. Though the pics were shot under crappy lighting, the difference was more pronounced than the pic suggest.



When I first got the truck, there on the hood was some tree-sap that had fallen on the truck and the PO never tried to remove it. Looked like a giant black bird bomb...which irritated me to no end. This stuff has been on the truck for at least 3 years. I tried all sorts of stuff from tree-sap remover stuff, to pure alcohol without success. It was thick too, over a 1/4" in some spots. After awhile, I finally just gave up on it and figured at some point I would just have to chisel it off.

Then it occurred to me that maybe I could heat it up with the heat gun. Sure enough, it came right off. As you can see, the sap damaged the paint underneath, but I'm ok with that as the damaged paint is still better than what appeared to everyone as a giant black bird-turd on the hood.



Finally, I swapped out my black gauge and ignition bezels for the woodgrain bezels.

 

[icket]

Confused

I started by taking my new to me 2002 4runner Sport Edition to the dealer to find out why the cruise control wouldnt engage.
After 2 hours of trying to determine the problem, they came out and said it needed a $1,519 ECM. Not what I was hoping to hear.
Not knowing, very much about ECM, I wasnt aware that the ECM controlled the cruise.
So, I am wondering.....do I take my chances on one from the salvage yard or do I send it into a place like Curcuit Board Medics for a rebuild?
Do they have to rebuild the whole thing, or do they just address the problem area?
Anyone else gone through the same problem, if so what was your cure?

Thanks

 

[SIN-Japan]

You only have to drill one hole? I thought it was more than that. Good to hear. What was your special direction if I may ask?

This was more of a straw that broke the camel's back type thing.

So by the end of my interactions with BAMF he sent the plates to me but forgot to include the hardware. A few emails back and forth (nothing angry on either side) since mistakes happen so no worries.
I asked for one of two options to fix the mistake, send me the list of the 6 nuts/bolts/washers and I would pick them up locally or if he was going to ship them to please ship them directly to my APO address through USPS since the APO forwarding company charges me $15.95 to forward along a package and I did not feel that 6 bolts was worth that charge when I could pick them up locally.
He did not respond back, and then I received a message in the middle of the night from his company with the tracking number to my APO forwarding company, by the time I actually saw the email it was delivered and I was charged $16 for a mistake on his part, even after telling him I could buy the parts locally and it was no big deal to do so, I did not ask for reimbursement, only asked for a list of what I needed to buy.

The reason he had my forwarding address goes back many months before when I first talked to him via email asking if his company could ship to APO, to which he replied that they could, but after a few back and forth emails over a month or 2 and him always blowing me off I went through his webpage to place the order that way the "Clock" would officially start on the order.
But to place the order through the site I had to use my APO forwarding address and I was willing to pay for that service, but I just did not feel I should have to pay twice when the 2nd shipment was to correct a mistake on his part.

Bottom line in my opinion is, Someone else needs to offer these that can be more professional about running a business.
I do not feel like we as the consumer should have to Beg and plead with a business to buy their products, but that is the feeling I had dealing with them.

Again this was my experience.

 

[Scott5017]

[MENTION=115590]StreetCreeper[/MENTION] How did you get the plastic lookin that good? I use the auto detailing wipes but they really just lay down a greasey residue, looks awesome!

 

[StreetCreeper]

[MENTION=115590]StreetCreeper[/MENTION] How did you get the plastic lookin that good? I use the auto detailing wipes but they really just lay down a greasey residue, looks awesome!

I just used a cheap harbor freight heat gun. The heat brings the oils in the plastic back up to the surface. That's why they look almost new again.

 

[4Runnin2000]

That's crazy how well that works! I'll have to remember that!

 

[serpentinium]

Leds!
After over a year of burnt out climate control bulbs, any sort of light is exciting The picture makes the hot spots much more prominant than they actually are.

 

[Hephaes7us]

The PO broke off the rear washer nozzle somehow so I jury-rigged one from a cherokee that I pulled from a self service yard. Works great!

 

[W4R123]

Started the tear down for head gaskets. The truck is roughly at 213000 miles.

 

[99Runnr]

Installed the OME 881 front "kinda lift" springs and gained a whole inch of lift. BOOO.

Now back out to start in on the back of the truck/bump stop extensions/SS brake lines.

 

[SIN-Japan]

Weather Tech Cargo mat came in today.

 

[seabun]

Made it the 9 hours down to San Antonio to visit family; almost. Just outside of town the temp gauge started to go up despite plenty of coolant. Anyway after the local dealership gave it a once over I got new water pump, thermostat, timing belt and a coolant flush. New power steering fluid too; feels a lot better. Ready for many more miles!

 

[alico268]

Since the beginning of February, I've been tackling a few projects on the 4wd 4Runner.

First off, since I purchased the vehicle last year, I have a had a loud disconcerting whine/grind from the driveline that was difficult to pinpoint (for me) and filled me with gloom that it was going to be an expensive affair to repair. A local 4Runner guru told me it was most likely the bearings in the rear third member. I was concerned that it might be the front as well from where the sound seemed to come from, but he assured me it was most likely the rear as the front is not under load in 2wd. Took a chance and ordered a used third member off of ebay for $300 and installed it myself and voila, the whine/grind is gone. Can't tell you what a score that is in my book!!

Thanks to [MENTION=20456]Mike07SE[/MENTION] for his install steps in the following thread:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/153135-new-3rd-member-install.html

Secondly, installed Tundra 231mm brake upgrade with stainless braided brake lines front and extended line in rear.

Thanks goes out to [MENTION=8729]Speedy[/MENTION] and [MENTION=44220]BigFishAllDay[/MENTION] for their informative posts and amazing video:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/94923-hard-find-specs-info-measurements-231mm-13wl-tundra-calipers-rotors.html

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/152500-speedys-13wl-231mm-brake-upgrade.html

Next, installed TRD Tundra Springs w/ OME 906 in rear with Bilstein 5100s all the way around netting me 2" inches of lift front and rear. I followed [MENTION=8729]Speedy[/MENTION] 's thread and video exactly to get it done. Thanks again, Speedy, for your awesome contributions to the forum. Big thanks to [MENTION=9596]paddlenbike[/MENTION] for his advice on suspensions, as well.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/154200-speedys-lift-install-how-video.html

Lastly, I've been having to install all new seat belts due to my dogs inability to calmly watch and wait his turn to run marks and blinds with all the other hunting dogs at the trainer's client days. It amazes me how fast he can saw through something and I'm very lucky he didn't go for the upholstery. It is definitely a hard bite on the wallet even when sourcing used retractors. Of course it is ultimately my fault for not having him in a crate in the vehicle. Still, bad dog, Wrigley, very bad dog!

 

[Rock_Rat]

I started by taking my new to me 2002 4runner Sport Edition to the dealer to find out why the cruise control wouldnt engage.
After 2 hours of trying to determine the problem, they came out and said it needed a $1,519 ECM. Not what I was hoping to hear.
Not knowing, very much about ECM, I wasnt aware that the ECM controlled the cruise.
So, I am wondering.....do I take my chances on one from the salvage yard or do I send it into a place like Curcuit Board Medics for a rebuild?
Do they have to rebuild the whole thing, or do they just address the problem area?
Anyone else gone through the same problem, if so what was your cure?

Thanks

Start here first..."Google "Cruise Control" above and you'll come up with ten pages of threads related to your topic.

Next...download the attachment...it's for a 2001 and I'm quite sure unless you have a standard there's probably not much of a difference.

Pretty sure it's not your ECM

 

[GGFerrier]

What did you do to your 3rd gen today?

[MENTION=46895]sogoood[/MENTION], thank you for the measurements!

 

[RedRunner_87]

Got my Spidertrax in

 

[Vinny C]

I started by taking my new to me 2002 4runner Sport Edition to the dealer to find out why the cruise control wouldnt engage.
After 2 hours of trying to determine the problem, they came out and said it needed a $1,519 ECM. Not what I was hoping to hear.
Not knowing, very much about ECM, I wasnt aware that the ECM controlled the cruise.
So, I am wondering.....do I take my chances on one from the salvage yard or do I send it into a place like Curcuit Board Medics for a rebuild?
Do they have to rebuild the whole thing, or do they just address the problem area?
Anyone else gone through the same problem, if so what was your cure?

Thanks

Have you checked your tail/brake light bulbs? Some vehicles disable the cruise if a bulb is out. I'm not sure about the 4Runner but it's worth checking.

 

[JBurt]

My curise control works in my 97 and my 3rd brake light is out.

 

[icket]

Yes I have checked that. Someone at the NISSAN dealer had told me that.