What is something you wish you HADN'T done to your 4Runner?

[LittleHorn81]

LED headlights. Not much improvement over halogens and horrible pattern. LED hi beams are nice though.

Anyone else come to this conclusion? I'm not crazy about the stock lights but don't want to spend the money if the result isn't worth it.

 

[RocketCowboy]

Anyone else come to this conclusion? I'm not crazy about the stock lights but don't want to spend the money if the result isn't worth it.

Likewise, I'm really curious here too.

 

[Bumbo]

A GX is like $20k more than a 4Runner, might as well say you wish you got a Land Cruiser

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Ill agree to disagree... first off I try not to buy new, and in my area a used GX tends to flys under the radar where as a 4WD 4Runner seems to command a premium due to it's popularity.

Add in other weird factors like "Toyota tax" and the delta isn't as much as one might think. Most people I come across have no idea a GX and 4runner share the same blood.

I recently helped an off-road buddy buy a GX 470 (which is my generational preference) for the same price as similar year / generation as my 4th gen which I still own.

YMMV, but in my area, GX is plentiful and easier to source used for a good deal than a 4Runner is.

To follow the theme of this thread... What I wish I "HADN'T done" wasn't buying a 4Runner, it was spending the extra money on a brand NEW one because I wasn't able to find a good deal on a used one. If I knew better at the time, a slightly used GX was well within reach for the same price.

 

[SNORunner01]

Anyone else come to this conclusion? I'm not crazy about the stock lights but don't want to spend the money if the result isn't worth it.

Just installed Morimoto HID extreme kit into the runner. 4500k lights, 35 watt ballast. I like the color and the beam pattern huge improvement over stock. I wish I could get the 55 watt I feel the HID’s need a little ummmph.

I will be adding the Baja design amber fog lights though so no need to change the hid’s now.

Also the HID kit is way better than LED there are many YouTube videos that show HID has more lumens and throws light further down road.


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[Angelo]

Anyone else come to this conclusion? I'm not crazy about the stock lights but don't want to spend the money if the result isn't worth it.

Likewise, I'm really curious here too.

Also the HID kit is way better than LED there are many YouTube videos that show HID has more lumens and throws light further down road.

I can't comment on any other kits, but the H11 LED kit from XD is adequate, I'd say. It's not stunningly better but it's not terrible either. It color matches whiter bulb changes around the truck, is slightly brighter than the stock halogens, and draws waaaay less energy from the battery. All good things.

The pattern is slightly different downrange with LEDs, I'd describe it as being "sharper", meaning that you can see the variations in the projection itself in a sharper way compared to the halogen. It's difficult to describe without seeing it for yourself. It's definitely got to do with the different geometry of the bulb itself as well as the wavelength of LED light I suspect.

Having said all of that the LED kit is 1750 lumens compared to 3200+ from HIDs as well as a completely different geometry of bulb, which will never compare. People compare HIDs to LEDs in this situation like the LEDs are somehow at fault for not being as bright as HIDs which is nuts. Of course they're not. The issue with HIDs on lifted trucks and / or non-HID projectors is that they're TOO bright and an annoyance and danger to others.

I wanted to love the HID kit in my OEM projectors, but I think they're too bright and I'm not willing to spend $500+ to retrofit HID projectors.

I've said it once and I'll say it again... the best lighting upgrade for the stock halogen projector in the low beams is the incandescent H11 - H9 swap. A great increase in more controllable light downrange at the proper color temperature for seeing things at night (warmer) for very very cheap ($7 a bulb for Philips H9s on Amazon currently) no wiring changes, and no cutting of your stock dust cover and worrying about dust / moisture getting in your projector.

/thread derailment :rapture:

 

[N2TRKYS]

Anyone else come to this conclusion? I'm not crazy about the stock lights but don't want to spend the money if the result isn't worth it.

I didn't. I love my high and low beam LED lights. The low beams provide a great pattern. There's no way I'd go back to the factory setup.

 

[Glandnut]

after finding out about the redarc towpro elite brake controller, I kind of regret getting the Tekonsha p3. I know the Tekonsha is a great controller, but I didn't like screwing holes into my dash.

I also keep hitting my knee on it getting out. Even after I designed and 3d printed a much lower profile mount for it, it still sticks out just enough to catch my knee every once in a while.

I zip tied my P3 bracket under pre-existing holes in the lower dash plastic above my right shin. Never hits my leg, I remove the controller when not in use. I have a 2016 TEP.

 

[bmy1287]

I can't comment on any other kits, but the H11 LED kit from XD is adequate, I'd say. It's not stunningly better but it's not terrible either. It color matches whiter bulb changes around the truck, is slightly brighter than the stock halogens, and draws waaaay less energy from the battery. All good things.

The pattern is slightly different downrange with LEDs, I'd describe it as being "sharper", meaning that you can see the variations in the projection itself in a sharper way compared to the halogen. It's difficult to describe without seeing it for yourself. It's definitely got to do with the different geometry of the bulb itself as well as the wavelength of LED light I suspect.

Having said all of that the LED kit is 1750 lumens compared to 3200+ from HIDs as well as a completely different geometry of bulb, which will never compare. People compare HIDs to LEDs in this situation like the LEDs are somehow at fault for not being as bright as HIDs which is nuts. Of course they're not. The issue with HIDs on lifted trucks and / or non-HID projectors is that they're TOO bright and an annoyance and danger to others.

I wanted to love the HID kit in my OEM projectors, but I think they're too bright and I'm not willing to spend $500+ to retrofit HID projectors.

I've said it once and I'll say it again... the best lighting upgrade for the stock halogen projector in the low beams is the incandescent H11 - H9 swap. A great increase in more controllable light downrange at the proper color temperature for seeing things at night (warmer) for very very cheap ($7 a bulb for Philips H9s on Amazon currently) no wiring changes, and no cutting of your stock dust cover and worrying about dust / moisture getting in your projector.

/thread derailment :rapture:

I agree with this. I have all bulbs swapped for XD LED's and I am happy with it. It accomplished exactly what I wanted. Definitely better than stock IMO. Also didn't have to mod the dust covers so no worries there.

 

[Antman]

I regret not seeing the stump that slid past my slider onto my drivers door. That Mod was a Huge dent.

The sound was horrible.

My cousin saying to me “I was wondering why you were going that way.” Afterwards was icing on the cake. F’er.

 

[RocketCowboy]

I can't comment on any other kits, but the H11 LED kit from XD is adequate, I'd say. It's not stunningly better but it's not terrible either. It color matches whiter bulb changes around the truck, is slightly brighter than the stock halogens, and draws waaaay less energy from the battery. All good things.

The pattern is slightly different downrange with LEDs, I'd describe it as being "sharper", meaning that you can see the variations in the projection itself in a sharper way compared to the halogen. It's difficult to describe without seeing it for yourself. It's definitely got to do with the different geometry of the bulb itself as well as the wavelength of LED light I suspect.

Having said all of that the LED kit is 1750 lumens compared to 3200+ from HIDs as well as a completely different geometry of bulb, which will never compare. People compare HIDs to LEDs in this situation like the LEDs are somehow at fault for not being as bright as HIDs which is nuts. Of course they're not. The issue with HIDs on lifted trucks and / or non-HID projectors is that they're TOO bright and an annoyance and danger to others.

I wanted to love the HID kit in my OEM projectors, but I think they're too bright and I'm not willing to spend $500+ to retrofit HID projectors.

I've said it once and I'll say it again... the best lighting upgrade for the stock halogen projector in the low beams is the incandescent H11 - H9 swap. A great increase in more controllable light downrange at the proper color temperature for seeing things at night (warmer) for very very cheap ($7 a bulb for Philips H9s on Amazon currently) no wiring changes, and no cutting of your stock dust cover and worrying about dust / moisture getting in your projector.

/thread derailment :rapture:

Thanks for this! I appreciate the candid review.

 

[SNORunner01]

Thanks for this! I appreciate the candid review.

Yes, good review. I will say this beam pattern on my lifted 4runner is great with my Morimoto HID kit. LED gives way too much variability in terms of beam pattern and effective lumens over stock are all over the map. With HID vs. today’s LED you get a known quantity 3x brighter output and wide beam pattern with a crisp cutoff with the 4runner housing.

I live in the mountains so light pollution from a big city is nonexistent meaning I rely on my headlights almost exclusively. The variability in LED is too great to risk my life on, you can skimp on some things headlights are something you shouldn’t.

Plus there are no worries here about blinding other drivers, we all drive lifted trucks [emoji3]

https://youtu.be/SQF5ESBHLrw



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[MadeInMaine]

after finding out about the redarc towpro elite brake controller, I kind of regret getting the Tekonsha p3. I know the Tekonsha is a great controller, but I didn't like screwing holes into my dash.

I also keep hitting my knee on it getting out. Even after I designed and 3d printed a much lower profile mount for it, it still sticks out just enough to catch my knee every once in a while.

Just installed my Tow Pro elite. It’s great

 

[wadle5]

I wish I hadn't purchased the Gobi Ladder before getting my roof rack. As it turns out, the rack to too long and the ladder won't fit. Gobi doesn't do returns, so a NIB ladder sits in my garage.

soooo about that ladder???

Ill agree to disagree... first off I try not to buy new, and in my area a used GX tends to flys under the radar where as a 4WD 4Runner seems to command a premium due to it's popularity.

Add in other weird factors like "Toyota tax" and the delta isn't as much as one might think. Most people I come across have no idea a GX and 4runner share the same blood.

I recently helped an off-road buddy buy a GX 470 (which is my generational preference) for the same price as similar year / generation as my 4th gen which I still own.

YMMV, but in my area, GX is plentiful and easier to source used for a good deal than a 4Runner is.

To follow the theme of this thread... What I wish I "HADN'T done" wasn't buying a 4Runner, it was spending the extra money on a brand NEW one because I wasn't able to find a good deal on a used one. If I knew better at the time, a slightly used GX was well within reach for the same price.

I just purchased my 5th gen and I agree with this statement. I went back and forth on used 5th gens and used gx's. The reality is you could get a GX for much cheaper that usually was a one owner. People are scared away because its a "luxury brand" even though it really is Toyota Prado. The 5th gens all seemed to have been flogged, multiple owner, fleet vehicles. Think about the typical original Lexus purchaser. Your grandma or CEO's wife drives these things and takes it to the dealership for more maintenance. In the end we decided on the 5th gen because of the resale factor. You can get a used gx for a decent price because they decrease in value from new, whereas the 4runner I had a harder time justifying the price for a 3-5 year old vehicle with the same miles.

 

[Glandnut]

I regret not seeing the stump that slid past my slider onto my drivers door. That Mod was a Huge dent.

The sound was horrible.

My cousin saying to me “I was wondering why you were going that way.” Afterwards was icing on the cake. F’er.

Nice, I assume this means a half door mod with folding mirrors?

 

[Antman]

Nice, I assume this means a half door mod with folding mirrors?

Lol. I’ve had a bandaid (literally)on the dent for more than 2 years now.

 

[Friggin Idiot]

URD's Mk3 3" Stainless Cat-Back Exhaust
With it exhaust fumes have made the rear window completely unusable while driving, and has more drone than I would like.
I did ask Gadget for suggestions about the fumes, and was disappointed in the reply, "You are not supposed to operate the vehicle with the rear window down. It is right in the owner's manual. I have no suggestions on how to make that a safe thing to do, sorry."

I've decided I'm going to keep it, but I'll be taking it to a shop for modification. Probably going to dump everything after the last slip joint, removing the resonator and tip, and making a side exit.

 

[97BlackAckCL]

Anyone else come to this conclusion? I'm not crazy about the stock lights but don't want to spend the money if the result isn't worth it.

I have the Morimoto Elite HID kit and love the output on the stock projectors. I'd been debating doing a LED projector retrofit but after watching several reviews and side by sides I'm more than happy with the output on my HID kit.

 

[hamburglar210]

My lift. I got a little too much out of it and haven't been able to get it aligned in such a way to prevent weird tire wear. They keep scalloping and it makes the ride louder and rougher than I like.

Just swapped from Camburgs to the SPCs to hopefully prevent the tires from getting worse but I can't really swing a new set right now when the current tires are only two years old...

I also agree with the GX comments. Had I known at the time, I would have absolutely gotten a used GX470 over a brand new 4Runner.

 

[I4CUTigers]

I wonder if the ‘buy a GX instead’ crowd are for or against the 4Runner with KDSS?

 

[capulinflicker]

Biggest regret:
E Load 275 BF Goodrich KO2. I would've been much better off with C Load in the factory size. Better yet, I wouldn't have bought the KO2 at all. They're horrendous in the rain, and have gotten louder as they've worn. These trucks do not need E rated tires unless you're off-roading very frequently.

buying e rated ko2's and never off-roading them. Thought they would be a good tire for a daily commuter. Nope. They killed my MPG.

Since then I went with LARGER P-rated tires AND LIFTED my truck, and the MPG is STILL better than when I had stock shocks with the smaller e rated ko2's.

I'd be curious to know about this as I'm currently looking at the KO2's. I initially thought I'd upgrade and go with 275s, but now I see stuff like this and wonder if I should just stay stock size and go with the C-rated?

We off-road almost every weekend in the summer, but my job does require a lot of highway driving.