Tx9812valve 04 4Runner Build Thread...a little late

Ok so this build thread comes quite a bit late but the good news is there is always a ton more crap that needs to be done to make a rig functional. I will do my best to keep up with this build thread for anyone interested, as well as helping remind myself of all the stuff that I have done along the way.

Long story short, I was looking to get a wheeling rig and wanted to build up either a Tacoma or a 4Runner. I looked for quite some time, all the while adding up my parts list for whichever truck I ended up with. Well as luck would have it a friend of mine decided to part with his 2004 4Runner.

This is a guy who can't leave anything stock and and is religious about keeping a spotless vehicle. The truck had 93k miles on the clock and had every maintenance/repair/mod ever done to the truck recorded and filed in a folder. It already had Icon suspension under it and was riding on 295/65r18 Duratracs. It also had sliders and a Demello single hoop bumper. It was the V8 so I was more than happy with that but it also had a TRD supercharger added for good measure. It appeared to be a super solid base to build off of and already had a good part of my original parts list on it. So I bought the truck about a year ago now and have loved it ever since.

A list of mods to date: 4/6/15

Engine
- 4.7L V8
- TRD Supercharger (350HP/359TQ) (Installed @ 30k)
- TRD Air Filter
- TRD coolant cap
- TRD Oil cap
- 3” custom mandrel bent intake pipe
- TRD Dual exhaust

Interior
- Roadwire two-tone leather (perforated inserts, two-tone stitching, custom embroidery)
- GX470 upper center console (ambient lighting mod)
- TRD shiftknob
- Weathertech all-weather floormats
- Toyota Door sill aluminum finishers
- Factory seat heater switches (w/ aftermarket MNR seat heater kit)
- Optima Yellowtop battery
- Scangauge

Suspension
- Icon Vehicle Dynamics coil-over shocks w/ reservoirs
- Icon Vehicle Dynamics 2.5 Piggyback rear shocks
- Airlift Helper bags w/ onboard air compressor and gauge
- Wheelers bump stops
- Light Racing UCAs
- All-pro Offroad 3.5 springs
- Manafre steel braided extended brake lines
- Drilled/slotted rotors w OEM brakepads
- “Medic” adjustable rear links

Protection/Exterior
- Demello Offroad single hoop bumper
- Hanna Quality bolt-on sliders
- RCI engine/transmission/transfer case skids
- Fabbed up a fold down rear tire carrier- temporary until rear bumper is built
- Warn VR 10000 winch, synthetic line
- Jaos Grill
- BMW 525 Bixenon retrofitted headlights with Black Headlight Mod
- 18x9 BBS TRD wheels w/ Goodyear Duratrac 295/65/18
- 1.25 Spidertraxx spacers


Future mods
- Build rear bumper/tire carrier
- Build roof rack
- Build upper/lower rear control arms
- Comms- CB/ham


As she sits now




Addition of the winch


And a couple obligatory wheeling pics from Hacket Gulch. I need to find all of my other pics...


And a link to my wife's build thread of her 2015 Tacoma.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/pyriteco-build-page.376488/#post-10322086

 

So this past weekend was a busy one for me. I finally got around to getting my RCI skids painted up and installed just in time for some summer fun. I ended up using 2 cans of rustolium self-etching primer and around 5 cans of rustolium hammered black. I think it came out pretty well. It almost looks powder coated so I really can't complain.

 

Awesome, awesome, awesome 4Runner!

 

I also whipped up a spare tire carrier for my upcoming trip. You don't realise just how damn much room a spare tire can take up until you get it out of the cargo area. Should have done this sooner! It is only a temporary fix though until I get time to fab up a full rear bumper and tire carrier setup. I already know it's going to kill departure angle even worse than the stock bumper did but it'll do for now.

Anyway, here are some pics of it. I used 2x2 1/4in thick square tubing and 1/4 in plate for building the whole thing.It is super sturdy and doesn't wiggle or rattle at all thanks to the tolerances being tight enough and the use of a couple bolts to pinch the carrier into the hitch receiver. I also ended up having to make a lighted licence plate bracket to keep the plate out of harms way.

If you noticed the paint wore off, that's because I was impatient and had to put the carrier on and test it out 3 hours after I painted It.... lessons learned.

 

Thanks!

 

Sick, nice to finally see some more details on your truck. Dig the tire carrier too, nice work on home fab. What are you welding with?

 

Thanks James! Yeah I have been procrastinating on making a build page long enough. The rear tire carrier will do for a little bit here until I make a bumper. I welded it up with a Miller stick welder and 7018 rods. Not quite as nice as welding with a mig but it'll lay some decent beads. Nice rear bumper btw, can't wait to see what you come up with for the swing out. I see you do quite a bit of nice home fab yourself. Built not bought right??

 

Thanks, and indeed!

 

Well not much in the way of new developments on the 4Runner lately. Unfortunately I had to head to California for a few months and the wife insisted I take her truck since it was a little (ok a lot) newer, so I did...only after extensive modifications . Although I'm not sure if she knew that would happen and that was all a part of her plan to begin with . Either way I guess it worked out. Here's the Tacoma as she sits today. I guess not to bad considering she's only 5 months old. Now my wife needs to get with it and start a build page so we don't end up forgetting all the stuff we did...

 

And a couple more because it's my build thread and I can... at Pismo Beach Pier

And at Sequioa National Park

 

Wow Ryan!Sweet!

 

Thanks man! When you coming to boulder? I don't have my welder while I'm out here in cali unfortunately but I will when I get back to Colorado. Have you tried putting your spare under the bed? That's what we ended up doing with the 285/75/r16 spare on the Tacoma for the time being. You just foldthe tabs down about half way flat and the tire should snug up pretty nice. It's a tight fit but I haven't had any issues yet with clearance.

 

Thanks Ron!

 

Damn, yeah I won't be headed back that way till the very end of July. I'm assuming your heading up that way to do some wheeling? I needed the bed space for this trip so I made it work for now. Hopefully it doesn't drag when I hit the trails, especially moab but I guess we will see. The pelfrey hc is a sick bumper. I'm also planning on making rear bumpers and swing outs for both of these trucks when I get back home but that's another project haha.

 

Wow that might be the nicest 4Runner I've ever seen. So mean.

 

Dang, you have a nice fleet going!

 

Thanks Kirt! It's coming together little by little.

Yeah it seems to accidentally be headed that way.... this is the result of letting my wife drive my 4Runner too much. She quickly decided she had to have a truck again so here we are haha. Hers even has the locker so I'm a little jealous of that, although I'm thinking about employing your strategy to solve that issue...

 

Haha, I would not recommend that route, better to do it in a controlled environment!

 

I thought it was controlled, it controlled you having to get a new locker! Haha

 

It has been a while since I have been home but at last, I am finally back in Colorado! And finally back to my 4runner! This last weekend I managed to get out and do a little wheeling at China wall to test the skid plates, tire carrier, and removed front sway bar. For the record it works well!



I also installed new TRD stickers, should be good for an additional 50hp to my calculations...