Where should I start?

[ctruss53]

So, I just picked up a 2000 4Runner Limited. I love this thing so far!

I bought it so I could have a bigger vehicle for hauling my photography gear around in, something with a little off road capability, and something with the ability to do a bit of towing.

This truck is my daily driver as well.


So, what should I do to this thing first?

I'd love to improve mileage a bit. Is there a good exhaust system out there for these things? A good intake?

Are there any good bang for your buck performance products?

I'm not sure I want to do a lift, but suspension upgrades are under consideration. Whats out there?

I am already making a few stereo upgrades. I got a Sony deck on the way that has bluetooth and Pandora capabilities. I can post up a how to on the head unit swap if you want to see that.



I know there are links and threads all over the place that answer some of these questions, but I want to hear it from the people that are actually using this stuff to give me suggestions on what to buy.

Thanks

 

[IanB]

Start with maintenance, if you don't have proof that the lower ball joints have been done, do them. Same thing with the radiator, or alternatively you can bypass the factory tranny cooler and add an external tranny cooler, to avoid the pink milkshake. And read the "buyer's guide" sticky at the top of the 3rd gen forum, you'll go from noob to in-the-know just like that.

Once those are done, mod with confidence!

 

[pcleary1210]

First thing you should do is the deckplate / ISR Mod.

Intake Silencer Removal Mod - 3rd Gen 4Runner (2000) - YotaTech Forums

Toyota 4Runner Highlander Deckplate and Air Filter Modification

Avoid the K&N Kit, it sounds good but it has more potential to suck up water and cause issue, plus its good for almost no HP gain at all (some say you lose a bit).

Shy of that, you can do exhaust work but it wont really land you doo much in the way of anything.

Jet Chips can supposedly tune another 5 to 10hp out of our ECU but you have to send it in for a few days and its in the area of a few hundred greenbacks.

I think you should consider a lift. Mild lifts (2"-ish) have very few setbacks. The ride quality does not suffer (if anything it gets better), and the extra ground clearance will give you alot more confidence if you have to do any offroading. Plus most of the decent kits will level out the rear end from the 4runner's natural sag. Plus it looks the same. I dont even notice the lift in mine.

So, I just picked up a 2000 4Runner Limited. I love this thing so far!

I bought it so I could have a bigger vehicle for hauling my photography gear around in, something with a little off road capability, and something with the ability to do a bit of towing.

This truck is my daily driver as well.


So, what should I do to this thing first?

I'd love to improve mileage a bit. Is there a good exhaust system out there for these things? A good intake?

Are there any good bang for your buck performance products?

I'm not sure I want to do a lift, but suspension upgrades are under consideration. Whats out there?

I am already making a few stereo upgrades. I got a Sony deck on the way that has bluetooth and Pandora capabilities. I can post up a how to on the head unit swap if you want to see that.



I know there are links and threads all over the place that answer some of these questions, but I want to hear it from the people that are actually using this stuff to give me suggestions on what to buy.

Thanks

 

[zgensler31]

Only way to really improve mileage is to watch your driving. Alot of people like the scanguage 2 diagnostic tool to help them see how they can improve. And also basic tune up. Sea foam plugs wires. Filters and fluids. to get rid of any interference or friction issues. Other then that don't expect more then 18-19 tops. Some guys see 20 or lower on trips but that's mostly the guys with a manual.

 

[zgensler31]

Only way to really improve mileage is to watch your driving. Alot of people like the scanguage 2 diagnostic tool to help them see how they can improve. And also basic tune up. Sea foam plugs wires. Filters and fluids. to get rid of any interference or friction issues. Other then that don't expect more then 18-19 tops. Some guys see 20 or lower on trips but that's mostly the guys with a manual.

Correct that. Low 20s. Not 20 or lower.

 

[theizzardking]

like others have said, maintenance followed by isr mod, i personally wouldn't bother with the deck plate though alot of guys have it and like it, it's just not my cup of tea, nothing wrong with it, just a personal choice on my part.
also i'd look into one of the adjustable coil over setups like the toytech,icon,radflo type coil over assy's as with these you can go from stock height to 3+ inches of lift and anywhere inbewteen allowing you dial the lift into your liking, and i've found with mine i can even adjust the feeling/stiffness of them depending on how high drive the lift up so not only am i adjusting the ride height but also the stiffness, it's really allowing me to dial in my ride and am really happy with it over the OME setup i had before, but it also costs alot more as well......

 

[JasetheDamager]

Start with maintenance, if you don't have proof that the lower ball joints have been done, do them. Same thing with the radiator, or alternatively you can bypass the factory tranny cooler and add an external tranny cooler, to avoid the pink milkshake. And read the "buyer's guide" sticky at the top of the 3rd gen forum, you'll go from noob to in-the-know just like that.

Once those are done, mod with confidence!

First off, welcome to the forum! I agree with Ian B 100%. Read the 3rd Gens Buyer's Guide.

Never be afraid to ask questions. Everybody starts off as a noob.

You'll quickly see who gives the best advice if you hang around a bit. Generally, the guys who have tons of views on their threads are good sources of info, cuz they've modded just about everything on their rigs and mostly done it themselves. You can get an idea of how crazy you want to get.

And never say you're 'finished' modding. I've learned that from hanging around this site. I have a list that will take me 5 years, at least, especially with my nomadic lifestyle and fluctuating budget.

Good luck!

 

[ctruss53]

Thanks for the advice.

I checked the ball joints prior to purchase and they seemed ok. And this rig has been well maintained. Trans fluid and antifreeze look good.

I'm not saying this to avoid doing the maintenance, I am saying those things look good though. Should I still replace them?

Do I have to mod the radiator when I do an external trans cooler, or can I simply disconnect the lines and drain the fluid out and let it go?


I don't plan on doing any "serious" off roading. My off road adventures will seriously probably never go past the rough dirt road or grassy field. I'm not really into off-roading much anymore, but as a photographer I'd like to ability to venture off into a field or down some abandoned train tracks to get the right shot.

Does the 2" lift involve chassis mods or is it a spring and shock lift?

Thanks again. I'll post progress pics.

Here is what I'm starting with.

 

[IanB]

Truck looks very nice!

As for maintenance, search up some threads of guys who have had the LBJ's fail, they have a habit of causing a LOT of body damage when they let go, and if you're going fast it can be very dangerous.

For the rad, you can simply bypass the integrated tranny cooler and cap the ends, no mods to the rad required. If you get the pink milkshake though, you get to find out how much a new transmission costs. Both these items are far cheaper to fix before they fail.

 

[Doc2012]

First off, welcome to the forum! I agree with Ian B 100%. Read the 3rd Gens Buyer's Guide.

Never be afraid to ask questions. Everybody starts off as a noob.

You'll quickly see who gives the best advice if you hang around a bit. Generally, the guys who have tons of views on their threads are good sources of info, cuz they've modded just about everything on their rigs and mostly done it themselves. You can get an idea of how crazy you want to get. And never say you're 'finished' modding. I've learned that from hanging around this site. I have a list that will take me 5 years, at least, especially with my nomadic lifestyle and fluctuating budget.

Good luck!

I agree with statement #2 in that reguard. Most of us have done everything to the rig ourselves, and if it's been done, someone knows how to do it.

the one peice of advice I can give you, is to SEARCH. Using "" helps narrow down the results. Also, google the hell out of what you want to know as well. If you can't find the answer you're looking for, then ask the question.

When it comes to tires and lifts, search. There are plenty of threads on these topics alone. You don't want to get flammed for asking something that's been answered numerous times.

Your rig looks just like mine did when I bought it. She don't look like that no more.....

It's like crack man. You do it once, you keep going. And all your money goes into it....

 

[Stick Figure]

On the LBJ. I did the typical pry bar test on mine before I replaced them, they tested fine. After removing them they didn't have noticeable play in them. After replacing them, the truck felt about 100x better though. In other words its hard to do a real test on these since they are actually pretty beefy by design. You would probably need to put them under a good force to simulate the weight of the vehicle movement on them to truly get a good measurement to see the amount of play in them.

For the trans cooler i bypassed the radiator and then just reconnected the two radiator ports w/ a hose that way if it ever did break through it would still hold coolant.