RBLACAUSA
Member
Why is it totaled? Be glad you have the frame-mounted tow hitch...it's literally an ass-saver...
What did you do with your 4runner today?
- Thread starter NorthGa4R
- Start date
Why is it totaled? Be glad you have the frame-mounted tow hitch...it's literally an ass-saver...
RBLACAUSA
Member
sad day for me. rear ended by a bad driver on the freeway. estimated she was still moving about 30mph when she hit me. my cherry 4th gen totalled. :Cry:
Why is it totaled? Be glad you have the frame-mounted tow hitch...it's literally an ass-saver although I can testify that once you get a hard hit in the hatch it's very hard to get the hatch back to 100% perfect alignment again.
10 yrs ago this white Audi hammered me, pushing me in to the MDX in front of me. She was looking at her phone while merging on to the freeway. Even after the repairs my rear hatch doesn't close with perfect alignment anymore, but it still works and doesn't leak. Would've probably been totaled without the rear tow hitch and front bull bar.
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Bluesky 07
Senior Member
Reached this:
She’s still looking good too.
She’s still looking good too.
J.A.
Senior Member
Picked up a set of universal window screens on prime day for car camping adventures. They fit perfectly and are low cost. Check them out at my Car Camping Mattress Page.
Ed_C
Senior Member
Replacing the battery, alternator, and serpentine belt. It's been sitting for a few years at my parents' and needed to move it because some nearby trees were being cut down. Had to jump it but started after a few cranks; smelled something burning then the serpentine belt broke :faint2:
Picked up a cheap (around $70 after core exchange) battery from Walmart yesterday and connected to a battery tender overnight. Cheap new aftermarket alternator (crossing fingers since it has legitimate looking 5-star reviews) and Bando serpentine belt arrived from Amazon late this afternoon so I'll replace tomorrow weather permitting. Other pulleys spun freely and but alternator was locked up.
UPDATE:
When the OEM alternator seized it also cracked the case :wtf:
Battery terminal nut was so corroded I cut off the terminal itself on the alternator.
Charging voltage @ battery post was 13.8x - 14.0x with headlights on (interior is apart so I can't turn the AC on), mission accomplished.
Picked up a cheap (around $70 after core exchange) battery from Walmart yesterday and connected to a battery tender overnight. Cheap new aftermarket alternator (crossing fingers since it has legitimate looking 5-star reviews) and Bando serpentine belt arrived from Amazon late this afternoon so I'll replace tomorrow weather permitting. Other pulleys spun freely and but alternator was locked up.
UPDATE:
When the OEM alternator seized it also cracked the case :wtf:
Battery terminal nut was so corroded I cut off the terminal itself on the alternator.
Charging voltage @ battery post was 13.8x - 14.0x with headlights on (interior is apart so I can't turn the AC on), mission accomplished.
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Billynath1988
Senior Member
I havent been on here in a while, but I thought id check back in...
Just cleared 170k.... the 4runner has been used daily up here in Maine as a work vehicle now... 98% of its life on dirt roads and trails.. 2% pavement. I will probably ready for some updates soon
.If you ever find yourself looking to explore the North... come visit! Vacation Home Rentals around Moosehead lake. I constantly get to see built rigs in action up here.
Just cleared 170k.... the 4runner has been used daily up here in Maine as a work vehicle now... 98% of its life on dirt roads and trails.. 2% pavement. I will probably ready for some updates soon
.If you ever find yourself looking to explore the North... come visit! Vacation Home Rentals around Moosehead lake. I constantly get to see built rigs in action up here.
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fastbroshi
Member
My '04 V6 has handled fine albeit very soft the time I've had it, and it's developed a clunk when going up driveways, or when the suspension is working in turns, so over the last couple weeks I've replaced the sway bar links, and both the front and rear shocks/struts with Bilstein B6s. This has eliminated the big clunks, but I'm still hearing a rattle when hitting bumps, detectable only by the sound when I have the windows down.
So the day before yesterday I replaced the wheel bearings, sound still there. Yesterday I replaced the upper control arms. Sound is still there. Today I'll replace the lowers if the rain stops and it dries out a bit. Keep in mind, I'm not throwing parts at it. Everything I've replaced has had some obvious wear. I didn't necessarily want to rebuild the whole front suspension, but my truck has 228k on it so I figure if I end up doing so, no big deal. It probably needed it anyway.
So the day before yesterday I replaced the wheel bearings, sound still there. Yesterday I replaced the upper control arms. Sound is still there. Today I'll replace the lowers if the rain stops and it dries out a bit. Keep in mind, I'm not throwing parts at it. Everything I've replaced has had some obvious wear. I didn't necessarily want to rebuild the whole front suspension, but my truck has 228k on it so I figure if I end up doing so, no big deal. It probably needed it anyway.
rdruss
Senior Member
Started radiator replacement on my '03 V8 this afternoon. Old rad has a leak in the lower passenger side corner, not dripping but a lot of dried red stain. Bought a Denso from Rock Auto. This should be a pretty easy job, except one of the rad mounting bolt/nuts, lower one passenger side is a tough access and took me over an hour. Then decided to clean up the rust on the cross member below rad so will finish up tomorrow, also had a major ATF drain/leakage while I was inside taking a break, out of the cooler line to rad that I left dangling. Never a dull moment in 4Runner repairs!
RBLACAUSA
Member
I replaced the radiator on my daughter's '03 2UZFE 2WD 4Runner last year. Bought a Denso off Amazon, and new OEM upper/lower hoses, thermostat and gasket from local dealer, and refilled w/SLLC. Drained all coolant fluids out as best including from the two engine block drains (not hard if you have decent set of tools). That said, you can never get it all out. T'was an easy job but I had the benefit of doing in on a car that spent its life mostly garaged in rust-free So Cal. I did it solo. Just be careful removing any of the plastic "pop" clips at the plastic engine shroud or whatever its called as after 20 yrs they break easily.
MaximusGluteus
New member
This weekend I replaced sway bar end links and bushings front and rear. Went with Energy Suspension bushings. After driving with them, I'm a big fan.
Tried replacing rear brakes (calipers, rotors, and pads). Pulled the rotor off the passenger side but didn't back the parking brake shoes off first and knocked some stuff loose along with bending a pin that holds some stuff together. :doh: Got the pin out, bent it back in a vise, and got it all back together. Didn't make that same mistake on the driver side. Went to change the calipers and discovered that Rockauto sent me a caliper that wasn't even remotely close to being correct and another that had a hole in the casting exposing the rubber guide pin boot so I had to put it all back together with the old stuff. Good times.
Replaced the muffler and tailpipe with Walker stuff. The original muffler was full of holes around the where the hangers connect to the muffler and the flange between the muffler and tailpipe was toast, which was a shame because the rest of the taipipe was in great shape. The Walker stuff is kinda crappy but it works so whatever. Thought I would have a quiet exhaust after that only to discover the ticking sound I was getting is actually a cracked exhaust manifold. Awesome.
Did an oil change after that since the mechanic the previous owner took it to didn't even bother replacing the crush washer for the drain plug, they just put the drain plug in with no washer at all. Lazy turd.
Drove it for a couple days and then today when I was leaving for work I discovered transmission fluid pouring out the bottom of the skid plate. Pulled the plate to find the same mechanic replaced the radiator and ended up routing the transmission to radiator hoses incorrectly which caused one of them to kink which led to the hose tearing. I really dislike incompetent "mechanics".
I'm starting to think I'm cursed. Or this 4Runner is cursed. Or both.
Tried replacing rear brakes (calipers, rotors, and pads). Pulled the rotor off the passenger side but didn't back the parking brake shoes off first and knocked some stuff loose along with bending a pin that holds some stuff together. :doh: Got the pin out, bent it back in a vise, and got it all back together. Didn't make that same mistake on the driver side. Went to change the calipers and discovered that Rockauto sent me a caliper that wasn't even remotely close to being correct and another that had a hole in the casting exposing the rubber guide pin boot so I had to put it all back together with the old stuff. Good times.
Replaced the muffler and tailpipe with Walker stuff. The original muffler was full of holes around the where the hangers connect to the muffler and the flange between the muffler and tailpipe was toast, which was a shame because the rest of the taipipe was in great shape. The Walker stuff is kinda crappy but it works so whatever. Thought I would have a quiet exhaust after that only to discover the ticking sound I was getting is actually a cracked exhaust manifold. Awesome.
Did an oil change after that since the mechanic the previous owner took it to didn't even bother replacing the crush washer for the drain plug, they just put the drain plug in with no washer at all. Lazy turd.
Drove it for a couple days and then today when I was leaving for work I discovered transmission fluid pouring out the bottom of the skid plate. Pulled the plate to find the same mechanic replaced the radiator and ended up routing the transmission to radiator hoses incorrectly which caused one of them to kink which led to the hose tearing. I really dislike incompetent "mechanics".
I'm starting to think I'm cursed. Or this 4Runner is cursed. Or both.
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Forrest931
New member
Today I did an oil change and changed the air filter as well.
momo.75
Registered User
I hate that and glad you are ok. I am pretty sure they will total it because of the age
I'm changing the rear brakes on my dad's (formerly my) 4Runner this weekend. The rear calipers are fairly crusty. I probably should have replaced them. Looks like Toyota sells remanufactured calipers for around $150. I'm going to change the pads and rotors and hope for the best.
I bought pads from Rock Auto, and they fell out of the box in transit. Now I'm waiting on parts again. They cost almost 2x as much locally.
Yotascape
New member
Snagged this locally for $100.
My current tailgate with no spoiler has 4 dollar coin size rust spots with 2 of them poking through the backside. Excited to put this on with new window seals and lift struts. Also will swap out the lock mechanism too. A few chip paints spots from prying probably but will take that over internal rust.
My current tailgate with no spoiler has 4 dollar coin size rust spots with 2 of them poking through the backside. Excited to put this on with new window seals and lift struts. Also will swap out the lock mechanism too. A few chip paints spots from prying probably but will take that over internal rust.
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fastbroshi
Member
When I last renewed my front brakes, I noticed the date codes on my 2004's brake hoses were from February of 2004, so I made a mental note to switch them out asap. I decided I'd spring for some Goodridge braided lines. After shopping around I found a set, part 21186, to install.
Turns out this set is either a fraudulent set, or Goodridge's design is obviously bad and will not mount correctly. Specifically the rear caliper lines and the lines in front of the diff. After attempting both of those I decided not to even bother with attempting the fronts.
In the meantime I ordered some factory replacements from Toyota. At least I got the rear rotors, pads, and one mangled rear caliper switched out. I ruined it doing some skilled grinding on said caliper trying to make them fit. I'm either returning these lines or sending them to Goodridge to verify they are authentic, and if so, hopefully they revisit their design.
Turns out this set is either a fraudulent set, or Goodridge's design is obviously bad and will not mount correctly. Specifically the rear caliper lines and the lines in front of the diff. After attempting both of those I decided not to even bother with attempting the fronts.
In the meantime I ordered some factory replacements from Toyota. At least I got the rear rotors, pads, and one mangled rear caliper switched out. I ruined it doing some skilled grinding on said caliper trying to make them fit. I'm either returning these lines or sending them to Goodridge to verify they are authentic, and if so, hopefully they revisit their design.
The colored matched looks great, nice upgrade!
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