Topher's build

I've had this truck for about 7 years now, don't have pics of what the truck looked like originally (used to be white).

Its an auto (a340F) 2.7l 4cyl (8-tube 3rz) dlx 4wd 1997 ext cab with 181k. (Had stock 4.56's front & rear)


HOW IT SAT BEFORE BEING PARTED OUT



Progress pictures:


Credit for this pic ^ goes to JohnboyTrd, thanks bro.



this is where i started.


ARMOR:
-3/16" front skid (ISU)
-CBI rear bumper outback 1.0
-Allpro Baja front bumper
-BAMF kick up sliders
-Trail-Gear diff gaurd

SUSPENSION/AXLES/DRIVETRAIN:
REAR
-OME Dakar leafs & shackles w/ BAMF shock relocation & King 2.0 10" RR shocks
-Timbren rear bumps
-5/8" carrier bearing drop
-Relentless u bolt flip
-Toytec axle shims
-5.29 gears w/ ARB locker
FRONT
-Toytec boss coilovers w/600 lbs springs
-Total chaos UCA's
-Toytec diff drop
-Sway bar delete
-CVJ reman'd axles w/ silicone boots
-5.29 gears w/ ECGS bushing

BRAKES/WHEELS:
-BAMF BPV
-Bajatacos ebrake cable extenders
-33x12.5x15 General grabbers
-1.5" BORA wheel spacers
-Extended SS brake lines

BODY/EXTERIOR:
-Bobbed 13 1/4" out of bed
-Tailgate net
-aftermarket taillights
-debagged and antenna removed
-linerextreeme DIY Bedliner

ENGINE/EXHAUST:
-borla muffler and Magna flow cat w/ bedside exhaust
-removed a/c system
-Reman'd 3rz engine
-blue silicone vacuum lines
-4" deck plate on air box w/ AFE filter
-04 exhaust manifold

ELECTRONICS:
-Red top optima battery
-Touch screen kenwood navi w/ type R alpines/JBL's
-Under hood lights
-bed lights (Led strips)
-Led pods on bumper
-Led pod on windshield
-uniden pro 520xl CB radio w/ 3' firestik & fire-ring cable/coupler
-ARB cksa12 compressor

MISC:
-cbi hood mounts x2
-mag light w/ quick fist
-relocated windshield washer resi
-hilift jack
-rear diff breather mod
-new steering rack (rack dr)
-new ITR/OTR/LBJ

THINGS FOR SALE(PM me for pics):

Use link in sig for part out vv

 

got these in the mail yesterday
just need to put some paint on them.

 

Gonna look nice with that front bumper !

 

thanks
just put it on sunday night.

only bad thing is i didn't realize my skid plate won't work with this bumper.. so I'm thinking about cutting/bending the skid plate so it will work. i was able to cut up the stock skid plate and put that up temporarily.

 

Very nice! Makes it look like a whole new truck!

 

made my license plate holder a little better than just a shoe string..


also painted the AP orange on the bumper and did some touch ups.


took those nerf bars off today as well in hopes i will be getting my BAMF sliders soon.

 

heres what the bumper will look like with the new lights once i wire them up



the new grille that i custom made & painted



took apart the IAC valve and the throttle body and cleaned as much carbon as i could i even cleaned some of the intake manifold.

(back of the throttle body)


(entrance of the intake manifold had a 1/4" layer of carbon that i cleaned off)


(how much i cleaned out.. the other side of the shirt was just as dirty.. i was pulling out chunks of the stuff.)

 

So not sure if I like the tire carrier or not.. I think it looks ok but i didn't think about this when I was building it but it kinda blocks my rear view mirror.. :/. Oh well it's ok for now I guess.
I'll try to get a picture from the back too..



Any feed back on my home made tire carrier is much appreciated wether it be positive or negative.

 

radiator support really sucked to remove & install.. i highly suggest not doing it lol. After the fact I'm happy though and it looks like a whole new truck. Although it seemed like nothing lined up the way it should have. Also got a few things installed including new led trail gear blinkers with resistors (one of the blinkers already went out pretty bummed) , hi lift jack locking mount, and some ARB d rings(had to grind them down the casting lines made them not fit.)

 

Nice truck! If I were you I would just make a simple angled baja style spare tire carrier.

 

Thank you. I appreciate the input on the tire carrier. I'm still not 100% sure what i want to do with it. That one I made is just temporary so I can bob the bed. I think I might go with a full bed rack eventually but really not sure what direction I'm headed.. I definitely want something that goes over the cab though so I can put a nice led bar on it. A Baja style tire carrier would compliment the AllPro bumper for sure though.. Decisions decisions.

 

ok haven't updated much but I'm starting to make a lot of progress. I ordered a new IAC valve, got gaskets for all the intake pieces(intake manifold, plenum, egr, and injector o rings) cause I'm going to clean all the gunk out then use sea foam to get the deep stuff, 4 gallons of amsoil synthetic ATF and a new toyota trany filter, new air filter, i picked up my BAMF sliders w/ kick up, just got my toytec lift kit in the mail. will be posting pics of that in a little bit.

 

sliders


coil overs & rear shocks (also got dakar leafs not pictured here)

 

Nice!

 

thanks. I can't wait till tomorrow when ill be putting in my suspension finally! anyways i got a good MPG reading to compare what MPG I'm getting after i do all this maintenance. it came out to 15.5 mpg which is pretty damn low for a 4cyl. the weekend after this one I'm planning on changing trany fluid to synthetic amsoil(full flush w/ filter), Ps fluid synthetic swap, new plug wires, new oil + filter (sea foam in crankcase right before i change the oil), take apart the whole intake manifold + plenum + fuel injectors and clean all of it the best i can, sea foam through vacuum lines after i clean the intake, and a new idle air control valve.

 

So I got the coil overs in but ran into a snag on the first leaf I tried to install.. The shackle ended up being seized in the old leaf and I tried everything. So I'm going to oriely and getting some new shackles and then I will be able to finish. One thing that really helped was having the spare tire mounted in the bed it would have sucked trying to get the shocks/leafs out.

 

Ok so today was another failed attempt at the rear ome leafs. First the shackle on the passenger side was seized into the old leaf. I ended up making shackles from some steel for the passenger side pretty much got that leaf in all the way except for the u bolts. Then tried to take the other leaf off and got the shock off both sides. The front bolt on the driver leaf(the one between the gas tank &frame) was super hard to crack. After splitting a 1/2" drive 19mm socket in half on it I finally got it with an open end wrench and a crow bar using leverage against the leaf spring.. Then after all that that bolt wouldn't budge. It's seized in the metal sleeve inside the leaf bushing. Not to mention when I was trying to get the shackle out of the old leaf I bent the shit out of it and mushroomed the threads of the bolt.. So I ended up having to literally put all of my old stuff back on which sucked majorly. Anyways hopefully I can get this rear suspension on sometime next week I have to order New shackles and new front bolts for the leafs then I think I will be able to get it.

 

Good looking build! And thanks for the heads up on those Deavers.

 

Sweet just finished putting the rear suspension in. So far I love it I've only driven around the block one time though. Looks great too I'm stoaked. It was super easyish this time with all new hardware I didn't really have any problems. My axle almost dropped though I forgot about supporting the diff. That was an easy fix. I plan on doing the diff drop and maybe make my skid plate fit tmrw. I'll have pictures up in the morning.

thanks. no prob.

 

BEFORE


AFTER