Whytey's '07 V8 SE Build

[montijo505]

Now i'm dreaming of a front bumper and sliders... Problem is getting them up here to Canada without getting gouged on currency exchange, shipping and duty...

This photo shook me for some reason. There’s probably not another soul around for miles. I used to backpack quite a bit and haven’t been out in four or five years. Missing it so hard right now. Thanks for the inspiration to get back out there.

As for the sliders and bumper. Have them built and powder coated, drive down and have them installed. Probably cheaper than shipping and import costs lol. Good luck!



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[Whytey]

This photo shook me for some reason. There’s probably not another soul around for miles. I used to backpack quite a bit and haven’t been out in four or five years. Missing it so hard right now. Thanks for the inspiration to get back out there.

As for the sliders and bumper. Have them built and powder coated, drive down and have them installed. Probably cheaper than shipping and import costs lol. Good luck!



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Love that a photo made you feel that way!
Hope you get a chance to go on an adventure soon!

Might be the route I go. Unless I can find a local shop or fabricator to make me some. Would be my first choice.

 

[That_Titanium_4RNR]

Electrical Management System

I did a fair amount of research on electrical management and came across the Bussman RTMR Fuse Box and found a prebuilt one on Ebay. Fairly inexpensive and ordered one. Then began designing a tray for it to mount on. Began with some lexan from home Depot.

Can you provide a link for the bussman system as you have it setup? I have seen some pre-built ones online before but none like this...Did you just end up making this yourself?? Also how did you end up mounting that powertray?? Any close up shots? Also what model should I get?? Sorry for all the questions but I am about to get a similar electrical setup and want to do my research before I buy anything. Thanks!

 

[Whytey]

Can you provide a link for the bussman system as you have it setup? I have seen some pre-built ones online before but none like this...Did you just end up making this yourself?? Also how did you end up mounting that powertray?? Any close up shots? Also what model should I get?? Sorry for all the questions but I am about to get a similar electrical setup and want to do my research before I buy anything. Thanks!

The Bussman unit I bought came wired already. There is a guy who builds these and sells them on Ebay. I will try and find a link to it.

Send powertray's an email and inquire about the 4th gen tray with the Bussman cut out. They did this for me a year and a half ago so should still be do able.
The powertray is designed to bolt right in. I'll see if I have any pics of it for you.

I used this thread:
DIY - Build and install a Bussmann RTMR Fuse/Relay Block | Tacoma World

This is probably the most comprehensive walk through I have ever seen and it was extremely helpful. Has more info than you'll ever need!

I am actually contemplating replacing this Bussman unit as I have exceeded the number of relays available. Need to get something bigger. So if you are interested I could have an entire setup ready to go...

 

[That_Titanium_4RNR]

The Bussman unit I bought came wired already. There is a guy who builds these and sells them on Ebay. I will try and find a link to it.

Send powertray's an email and inquire about the 4th gen tray with the Bussman cut out. They did this for me a year and a half ago so should still be do able.
The powertray is designed to bolt right in. I'll see if I have any pics of it for you.

I used this thread:
DIY - Build and install a Bussmann RTMR Fuse/Relay Block | Tacoma World

This is probably the most comprehensive walk through I have ever seen and it was extremely helpful. Has more info than you'll ever need!

I am actually contemplating replacing this Bussman unit as I have exceeded the number of relays available. Need to get something bigger. So if you are interested I could have an entire setup ready to go...

I would definitely be interested! Please let me know!

 

[Redcrown]

Man, this thread is so inspiring. Just put new suspension on my 08 and was looking for roof rack suggestions and stumbled onto this gem. Thank you so much for putting so much detail and photos into this! Going to be my blueprint going forward!

 

[Currie_1]

My suspension pieces are all starting to come together. Just waiting on the last few major items to get shipped then the transformation will begin!

I was invited out for a short trip last night to a newly designated public land zone. So i threw some Spidertrax 1.25" Black wheel spacers on the day before and quickly threw in some Baja Designs Squadron Sport lights to replace my fog lights.
Following some advice from a local shop in town I cleaned up the hubs prior to installation and put a bit of antiseize between the spacer and the hub.

Before:

After:

And Wheel Spacers with new tire "poke":

These spacers gave me exactly the stance and poke from the fenders that I was after!

I have never been impressed with stock fog lights on any vehicle and this one is no different. I even put LED's in them to see if that would help but it still really only lit up the 3 feet in front of me.
So these lights have been on my list for a while and finally just pulled the trigger and installed them. It was unbelievably easy!
I followed YETIX Instructions and they fit like a glove. I did have to reverse the polarity on the connectors but that was it. Luckily I had one of the tools laying around that was designed for this cause before I found it I could not get the pins out for the life of me. Here is his build page with that info:
YETIX Build and Adventure Thread aka Travels with Savanna

I opted for the Squadron Sports over the Squadron Pro's because I wanted to be able to use them on the road in snowy or foggy conditions. I've heard the Pro's are just too damn bright.
The Sports seem to be a perfect level and love that I now have functional fog lights.
Plus the spacers now Bob Ross the crap out of my mirrors and entire side of the 4runner. Love it.

not the biggest fan of cutting my oem harness, but like you, would like to have the ability to use the original fog switch. The guys at demello have told me to use the weatherpack connectors supplied with the Baja squadron kit, but I see that you talked to Baja and they told you to connect them in reverse? (trying to not have to fight with taking those pins back out of the connectors lol) I have an 05 so I don't think that would matter too much but if you think it might let me know.
thanks.

love the build, you've inspired me to try to tackle some more things on my own.

 

[TheCaKid]

Storage Continued

Blue Ridge Overland sells these great Molle Visor Organisers. Nice to have a few items right within reach. Pens, Knife, SeatBelt Cutter/Window Punch, Leatherman. Probably a bit overkill but I prefer it to digging around the center storage bin.

Even with the tray and dividers I added from Ebay. Everything has a place.

Satoshi Grille



I have always loved the Satoshi Grilles on these trucks. Especially the deep grille. I found the company customcargrills and decided to purchase two sets of the grille mesh prebent. I heard that this was one of the biggest pains.

I ordered two because I bought a second grill to do this mod to then when I installed that one I would complete the second one and then sell it to cover my initial costs.

It took me a long time to finish the first one and I was sick of it. The YouTube video for this grill kit is straightforward and simple. Yet in Canada I had a hard time finding the same plastic repair that they used. I went through plenty of different brands and types and none were doing a very good job. I bought a similar style to the one in the video but didn't purchase the applicator gun...

I made do with what I had and finally got this thing done. It's not my finest work but unless you get real close it's hard to tell there is anything wrong. Just some areas that are not as smooth as I would have liked. But overall this grill is sexy and completely changed the appearance of the front of this truck.



Whenever I get around to completing the second grill it's going to go much smoother as I have the applicator gun and the right plastic repair stuff. Should be a breeze... Right?



Spare grille I picked up:

And flash forward to the end as taking photos was the last thing on my mind...

Did you have any issues with the hood latch on your grill mod? Looking at doing this the same way you did with a spare grill but I haven't seen anything clear about the hood latch rod.

Awesome build - definitely some awesome ideas!

 

[Whytey]

not the biggest fan of cutting my oem harness, but like you, would like to have the ability to use the original fog switch. The guys at demello have told me to use the weatherpack connectors supplied with the Baja squadron kit, but I see that you talked to Baja and they told you to connect them in reverse? (trying to not have to fight with taking those pins back out of the connectors lol) I have an 05 so I don't think that would matter too much but if you think it might let me know.
thanks.

love the build, you've inspired me to try to tackle some more things on my own.

For some reason I had a real PITA trying to get the pins out too. I think I actually just cut the harness adapter half way, flipped the wires and resoldered them. OEM harness stayed untouched and this method worked for me as I felt like I was going to destroy the weatherpack

 

[Whytey]

Did you have any issues with the hood latch on your grill mod? Looking at doing this the same way you did with a spare grill but I haven't seen anything clear about the hood latch rod.

Awesome build - definitely some awesome ideas!

To my memory the hood latch system attached to the bottom of the grill so this mod didn't affect it at all.

 

[Currie_1]

For some reason I had a real PITA trying to get the pins out too. I think I actually just cut the harness adapter half way, flipped the wires and resoldered them. OEM harness stayed untouched and this method worked for me as I felt like I was going to destroy the weatherpack

So I ended up just cutting the factory harness lol. Called Baja and they instructed me to flip the wires too. I used some heat shrink butt connectors and then used another heat shrink on top of those and capped the ends of the heat shrink with a little bit of electrical tape. Came out clean and they have worked perfectly, they are bright that's for sure. Also did a Cali Raised 40'' bar on my prinsu and am really happy with the quality of it. Wasn't crazy expensive and they offer an OEM style switch which makes it flow with the interior really well. Thanks for you help again.

 

[TheCaKid]

To my memory the hood latch system attached to the bottom of the grill so this mod didn't affect it at all.

Appreciate it! Looking at potentially doing the Tacoma grill mod this summer and had seen someone mention on one of the grill threads something about the hood latch. Wasn't sure how that played a part or if it was something to be worried about.

 

[scuba6388]

Just curious what you're doing for a spare? Looks like you wheel a lot and have 33"s.

 

[blakkbox]

After 2.5 years of owning my 4runner I finally pulled the trigger on a proper suspension kit. Initially I had planned on going with Fox 2.5 in the front and Fox 2.0 w/ resi in the rear. But my local shop informed me of some new to the truck world Elka Suspension. Apparently pretty popular in the Snowmobile and Summer toy world. Figured I would give them a try. They do not offer a kit for the 4th gen 4runner so we had them put the correct size bushings in at the facory. Here are the specs:

Going from XREAS (100,000 miles) w/ Daystar 2.5"/1.5" spacer lift and 265/70R17 tires to Dobinsons C59-677V rear coils with 285/70R17 tires I gained 2.9-3" hub to Fender and 3.5-4.5" ground to fender.

Front:
Elka 2.5 Reservoir with DSC
Eibach 14"x650# spring installed (replaced 13"x700#)
Total Chaos UCA with Delta joint
Timbren Active Offroad Bumpstops

Rear:
Elka 2.5 Reservoir with DSC
Dobinsons C59-677V
Timbren Active Offroad Bumpstops

Before I lifted I was running XREAS with Daystar 2.5"/1.5" Spacer lift on 265/70R17 wheels.
Measurements before:
Driver Front-
Ground-Fender: 36"
Hub to Fender: 21 1/8"

Passenger Front-
Ground-Fender: 36"
Hub to Fender: 21"

Driver Rear-
Ground-Fender: 36"
Hub to Fender: 21 1/2"

Passenger Rear-
Ground-Fender: 37"
Hub to Fender: 21 3/4"


After the lift I upped my tire size to 285/70R17's.
Measurements are:
Driver Front-
Ground-Fender: 38 1/4"
Hub to Fender: 22 1/2"

Passenger Front-
Ground-Fender: 38"
Hub to Fender: 22 1/2"

Driver Rear-
Ground-Fender: 40 1/2"
Hub to Fender: 24 1/2"

Passenger Rear-
Ground-Fender: 40 1/2"
Hub to Fender: 24 1/8"


I have had this kit on for about 4-5 months now and am very happy with it. On the road it is definitely softer (i also removed the front sway bar...) and offroad it is a dream. No more clunking or hard drops like I did with the Daystar.
The adjustability is nice and still need to play with it a bunch.

PRELIFT:

POST LIFT:

This is super helpful to me! I have an '06 V8 and installed 285/70/17s also on Trail Edition wheels with the Spidertrax 1.25" spacers as well, but am getting some rub on the body mounts / rear wall of the front fenders during turns / bumps. Did you never experience this issue with this setup? Any idea what your caster was set to?

Just for reference, here's my setup:
2006 4Runner V8 Limited 4WD
Coastal Steel front bumper (~120lbs I think)
Bilstein 5100's front (2.5" lift) and rear (unsure of lift setting)
Bilstein coils / springs in the back (B12 heavy lift springs)
OEM coils / springs up front
285/70/17 tires
FJ 17" Wheels with 1.25" Spidertrax spacers
JBA High Caster Upper Control Arms



Going to measure my ground to fender height as soon as I can park it on level ground, but my hunch is that some new coils / additional height in the front might help me out. I believe my rear height is about the same as your "after" listed in the above post (40") but my fronts are probably in the 36-37" range vs your 38".

Anyway just super curious to know if you've had rubbing issues with your setup on or off road! Thanks so much if you see this!

 

[mysticz]

Great build. Your should show the members your current look, it will blow their minds.

 

[momo.75]

Great build. Your should show the members your current look, it will blow their minds.

slightly.....lol

 

[TLar25]

Alright, cough it up. We need current pictures!

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[momo.75]

Maybe he will update his thread.....if not check him and his epic posts on IG [MENTION=143805]Whytey[/MENTION] . Amazing build, amazing pics and amazing videos!

 

[Whytey]

Current Build Status - BIG UPDATE

Its been a minute since i've been on here. When I get the time I will try to do a proper update but a few changes that have been done over the last while are:

Demello Offroad Stealth Bumper
Baja Designs 30" S8 Amber Lightbar in Bumper
Baja Designs Squadron Sport Amber in Bumper
Baja Designs S1 Amber in Bumper
Factor55 Flatlink & Fairlead
Smittybilt X20 Winch w/ Synthetic Line
Safari Snorkel
Sy-Klone Snorkel Head
Coastal Offroad Rear Bumper
Baja Designs S2 Sport Reverse Lights in Bumper
SCS Gen5 -38mm Wheels
35" Yokohama Geolander G003 M/T
SPC UCA
Yukon 4.88 Regear
ARB Front & Rear Lockers
ARB Dual Air Compressor Mounted in Engine Bay
Dobinsons C59-749V Rear Coils
TRD Pro Style Grill from TacoVinyl
Reika Tent
Baja Designs S2 Sport Amber Rear mounted on Tent
OutGearSolutions Low Profile Crossbars
Blacked out Headlights w/ LED DRL Tube

 

[momo.75]

Its been a minute since i've been on here. When I get the time I will try to do a proper update but a few changes that have been done over the last while are:

Demello Offroad Stealth Bumper
Baja Designs 30" S8 Amber Lightbar in Bumper
Baja Designs Squadron Sport Amber in Bumper
Baja Designs S1 Amber in Bumper
Factor55 Flatlink & Fairlead
Smittybilt X20 Winch w/ Synthetic Line
Safari Snorkel
Sy-Klone Snorkel Head
Coastal Offroad Rear Bumper
Baja Designs S2 Sport Reverse Lights in Bumper
SCS Gen5 -38mm Wheels
35" Yokohama Geolander G003 M/T
SPC UCA
Yukon 4.88 Regear
ARB Front & Rear Lockers
ARB Dual Air Compressor Mounted in Engine Bay
Dobinsons C59-749V Rear Coils
TRD Pro Style Grill from TacoVinyl
Reika Tent
Baja Designs S2 Sport Amber Rear mounted on Tent
OutGearSolutions Low Profile Crossbars
Blacked out Headlights w/ LED DRL Tube

One of my all time favorite builds!