flyfisher117

If you guys would like I can make multiple threads but I would like to keep all of my general questions here for now. Im just trying to get a general idea of what I need to do this summer and a rough estimate of cost.

Im driving a '97 4Runner its getting older and needs work, Im not a huge off road guy but when I go hunting/fishing/exploring the poor thing just cant handle it. Also on the interstate it struggles. Im in college so 65% of my driving is on road and 540 miles of interstate when I go home. Other 35% is where ever my adventures take me. I'm hoping this is possible but I want to make the car perform better on both terrains. I dont have a lot of money so the stuff I want to fix is coming up in order of importance and Im just looking for the best bang for the buck to get me through college. Then when student loans are paid off I can get my dream truck and do what I want too it.

#1: Suspension: Rear end is sagging a bit so its time to redo the suspension. I want to get a 1-2" lift without buying a lift kit (tired of the hitch dragging). I have been told that you can put the coils from a '99 4Runner and get an extra inch over stock. Is this true? If I am going to redo the rear I would like to do the front as well. Im wanting something stiff enough that I can haul the dirtbike trailer, or haul a quartered out elk on the hitch rack but also something soft enough that I dont get rattled to death on gravel roads. What would be some decent shocks/ struts to look into?

#2: Head lights: The lights suck. Can I replace the reflector around the head light with a better more updated version? Im planning on replacing the wiring harness and the bulbs but Im curious if a better reflector can also be bought? What would I be looking at spending?

#3: The heat/AC makes a humming noise. On the first two levels its silent (or as silent as its supposed to be) but the last two levels there is a gawdawful hum that comes out from under the dash on the passenger side. Can anybody help me with this?

#4: Are there any cheap/basic engine hop ups that I can do to gain a few MPG? Ive seen some chips that you can put in vehicles that help, my dad put one is his Tundra that cost about $150 but it boosted his fuel economy by a good 5-6 MPG highway.

#5: Im just curious if someone can explain this too me but what does a cold air intake do? Again, dad put one on his Tundra and it runs A LOT better. The truck is pretty spunky now and im curious if a Cold air would help my car on the interstate? It will do 75 but it likes to stay down around 65, Im not running giant off road tires, just some Yokohoma Geolanders it just doesnt seem to want to go very fast. I wouldnt complain normally but the 540 miles back home to Billings is pretty long at 65 MPH.

#6: Anybody have any other small things I can do to make my travels more enjoyable?

waskillywabbit

iTrader: (-1)

I'd suggest taking each question and doing some research. and using the forum search bar.

All of your questions have been asked numerous times with lots of good feedback.

:wabbit2:

98SR54RUNNER

iTrader: (1)

Wabbit said it, but you gotta do some searching before asking. There's a bunch of information about all of these things on this site.

1. You want 1-2" of lift all around, but don't want a lift kit - okay. Go with a body lift. They're cheap, fairly easy to install yourself (if you don't go too big). If all your worried about is fixing rear-end sag, and you don't want to put much money into it, this is probably the way to go.

If you wanted to go with the 99 springs, you'll still need lift on the front, and I guess if you don't want a kit and don't want to spend money on shocks/springs, you'll have to get a spacer lift. This would work, but I think after some research, you'll find that if you really want to upgrade the suspension, you have to spend the money. Spacer lifts run rough, since they're just putting more on the stock springs and they're the cheapest way to lift suspension. When it comes to the suspension, you get what you pay for.

You'll find a seemingly endless amount of threads and discussion of the many different options for your suspension on this site with a little searching.


2. You can upgrade to the 1999+ headlights or look at doing an HID swap, both of which are covered extensively on this site.


3. You probably need to clean your blower fan, located right behind the glove box. Again, this is covered extensively here and this link is all over the place, but here's a link to a writeup on how to do it:

http://www.4runners.org/writeups/fan/index.html


4. There's no magic to getting better MPG. There's all kinds of threads about SeaFoam, fuel additives, kinds of oil, driving style, and on and on and on. Do a search here, and you'll find lots of discussion about MPG and many contributing factors.


5. Your 4Runner makes power when fuel and air mix in the cylinder and combust with spark. When you allow more air into your engine (by adding an aftermarket intake or doing the "deckplate" mod) you increase the air flow into the engine and the computer compensates by increasing the fuel to even out the mix. This, as you would think, results in a small increase in power output.

I'll also say, just FYI, cold-air intake is a bit of a misnomer. All it does is make the air intake less restricted. It doesn't affect the warmth of the air coming into the engine. Sometimes this comes at a cost. Most around here don't run aftermarket "cold-air" intakes because of the belief that the air filter lets in more air, but also more dirt, and the minimal HP gains are coming at a cost. Nearly everyone on this site has done and will stand by the "deckplate mod" and the "intake silencer mod" which will do as much, or more than a cold air intake, cost much less, and are extremely easy to do together.

Do a search for the "deckplate" mod and "intake silencer removal" mod. Do it.


6. There are hundreds, maybe thousands of upgrades, replacements, and mods that you can do to your 4Runner. There's everything from hauling, towing, brakes, sound system, lights, stereo, seating, and on and on.

Here's a thread that will get you started with more than a hundred mods listed:

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f2/a...s-most-113806/


Best of luck to ya!

flyfisher117

Thanks guys, I will give the search another run, I triend before registering but I was finding more "$2000 budget suspension kits" than anything. It is clear that the rear end needs to be done, its the factory springs/struts and they are sagging quite a bit. The driver side sags more than the passenger.

I honestly have looked high and low for the headlights. I found the bulbs I want, found my wiring harness but for the life of me have not found newer and more improved reflector without spending big money. Im torn, the only reason I want brighter lights is for when Im out in the woods on the back roads or out in the middle of the night helping a rancher locate his loose horses. The current headlights with a little elbow grease would be fine and I could take the money I save and get a couple of auxillary lights. I just dont know how to wire them in.

Thanks for the link to the fan noise! I googled it and found nothing a few months ago. Took it to a Toyota Dealer and they told me a bearing was out and that I would have to pay the $200+ shop fee to fix it. It started humming this fall just as the squirrels were starting to build nests. I think somethings gotten in there so I will tear into that and see whats up. Do I absoluetly need the drill and flexible driver? I have all of my handtools but the power tools stayed at home.

The gas mileage isnt an issue I tried finding the chips I was looking for but could not find one. They may not exist for this rig but thought I would ask.

Ill look into this deck plate, looks easy enough to do and for $20 and some time its worth a try, see if it gives me a little bit more of what Im wanting. Im not sure what to think about the cold air intakes, I was curious about them but the biggest thing I hate is that you have to clean the air filter every week. I was driving the truck this summer on some logging roads to and from work and after 6 days of driving 10 miles to work I had to clean it. It was so filthy that you could feel the truck run worse. That looks to be where the deckplate shines is you can close it off and have a normal airbox if the roads are excessively dusty or wet but open it other times. But maybe I am missing its true point?

I know there are tons of luxury items. I should be putting money aside to fix my beloved speakers/radio but I can live with cassets and a blown speaker when the outside needs more work done to it.

hrt4me

PM sent

JBurt

You could also try removing the air elbow instead or in addition to the deckplate mod. It removes quite bit of restriction.

Since no one else has said it and you're driving a 16 year old rig (which probably has high mileage), have you done an engine tune up? If you're looking for better engine performance you might as well start small. New plugs/wires are a good place to start. Ever done a compression check, cleaned throttle body, cleaned MAF sensor, checked O2 sensors, replaced fuel filter, changed engine/transmission/gear oil, etc? They're all little things but they add up.

With your lights, do you know how bright the bulbs in there are? I replaced the bulbs that were in mine when I got it with some brighter ones (don't know the rating but they were fairly cheap). That made a big difference. Is there any oxidation on your lenses? That makes them dimmer too.


Once last thing. I just changed my steering rack bushings. You didn't say anything but that made a huge difference in how it handled on the freeway and took away a clunk in the steering wheel offroad. Well spent $20. Plus the only special tools you need is a torque wrench which you can loan for free from a parts store.

98SR54RUNNER

iTrader: (1)

I have an OME lift from Toytec Lifts and it was around $900 for new components for the front and rear. I gained about 3 inches of lift and it's a much firmer ride. You can find kits for a little less than $900, but if you really want a new suspension, you may as well do it right.

You can find these on Ebay in about 2 seconds. There are used and new OEM standard replacement headlights for 1999-2002 4Runners all over there. Here's a link to a writeup on the headlight swap:

http://joshsworld.com/cars/upgrade-9...er-headlights/

Yeah, no such chip exists for the 4Runner that will actually do anything useful. Go with what JBurt said. If you haven't done your plugs/wires in a while, this can make a noticeable MPG difference. Same thing about the MAF, sensors, Seafoaming, etc.


If I were you, I would do the deckplate and intake silencer removal, and you can remove the elbow in the box if you want also. Yes, that's basically the point. You get the increased air flow, but retain the stock filter. And, yes, you can close it up if you're worried about going through particularly sandy/wet conditions.

Yeah, it sounds like you want to get some more years out of your truck, so it's worth it to invest in what you've mentioned above. You can always replace a blown speaker with a WalMart cheapy as a temporary fix.

Good luck! Have some fun with it!

habanero

You can do the blower motor without power tools. The original link was excellent. Here's another less excellent version:
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f200...1/index28.html
Posts 687-690 for a different view on the blower subject.

The former owner of my 99 put brighter bulbs in it, 100/90w 8500k bulbs. The hubby just bought 4 more for $12. They don't last as long but are easier to see with than the headlights on the 96 which has some Sylvania Silverstar Ultra I happened to find on the super cheap. Had the Sylvanias not been as cheap as they were I would have been disappointed in the small brightness gain.

Welcome to the fun! The search can be maddening, but you'll get the hang of it.
-Broke mom who works on 4Runner

flyfisher117

Ahh thanks! Ill get the blower cleaned out this weekend and see whats in there!

How good are those Toytec kits? Price is about what I was expecting to pay would I be better off just living with normal suspension and saving my money?

I googled "headlight upgrade" last year and could not find anything, I even asked the Toyota Dealer if they knew of anything and they told me that there was no upgrade all I could do was polish the glass.

Plugs should be good they arent very old and for some reason I think the spark plug wires are new, (maybe... We replaced them on one vehicle I dont remember which. Ill have to check that) Ill get everything else checked out when I go home. Seafoam gets ran through my car every couple of tanks during the winter, I love the stuff.


Yup Im wanting it to last through college and get me on my feet, then I will be replacing it with my dream vehicle and pending on condition, giving it back to my little brother to get him through high school and possibly college. Its not the prettiest but its still got a fair bit of life.

OJ Simpson 4Runner

I've read mixed opinions on doing the " intake silencer removal " mod. Now I want to say that I'm not stating what the other guy here said was wrong. But from what I've read, removing the silencers removes a design called the "helmholtz silencer" which basically removes turbulence from your intake and allows the air to basically move faster. Again this is strictly what I've read.
I've personally ran the intake silencer removal mod for about 6 months and yes there is a difference in throttle but as for MPG, its hard to say. I have yet to have read a scientific explanation as to why removing the silencers improve mpg.

Some people say Toyota engineers put it there to quiet down the sound of the intake so drivers did not get irritated by it along with the helmholtz design in mind.

98SR54RUNNER

iTrader: (1)

You'll have to answer this for yourself, depending upon what you want to get out of the car. It will work fine with a sagging rear, and you may never actually have to replace anything. If you plan to drive the vehicle for another 5-10 years, then it's probably worth it. If you don't think you'll keep it that long, but plan to take it offroad/camping/hauling, etc, then maybe it's still worth it for you. But, if you'll only have it a couple more years and be looking to move on, why spend 1000+ on unnecessary upgrades. I love my OME lift, and I'm glad I spent every penny, but I plan on driving my 4Runner until the wheels fall off, then I'll replace them.

No worries. Like I said above, there's two options: HIDs or 99+ headlights. Also, you could try brighter bulbs like someone else said.

From what you say here, I'm not sure it'd be worth it to you to put a whole bunch of money into your rig. You'll just have to think about what you want to get out of it, and how much it's worth to you to invest in it.

flyfisher117

Well Something does have to be done with the rear end sag the top of the driver side wheel well is maybe 2 inches from hitting the wheel well on a cold day. Passenger side is maybe 3" from the wheel well. I didnt mind the trophy truck sag it had (thought it looked awesome haha) but it has gotten horrible in the past few months.

Ive got another good 5+ years of driving, at least, and who knows I may grow more and more attached to it as time goes on. Its not worth it to trade it in so Im guessing it will be driven till the wheels fall off.

How many miles can one get out of a little Yota? Before they start paying out the rear end to keep it going? Mine just turned over 145k, I know my old high school teacher had an older Tacoma with 450k but he had done a little work to it.

Oh yes, it happened a little too fast, hopped in last night started her up turned the lights on and "pop" out goes the one light. Looks like Ill be replacing the bulbs earlier than expected. Cant swing replacing the whole light yet but ill see if there is anything on craigslist.

98SR54RUNNER

iTrader: (1)

If you wanted to go cheaper, you could do a spacer lift in the rear to lift it a little, or do a body lift for more clearance overall.

Here's links to the YT 200,000 mile club, and 300,000 mile club.

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f2/2...le-club-54371/

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f2/3...e-club-241433/

Lots of members here have had their rigs go over 300K miles, and some even at 400K+. If you take care of your rig, it will last a long time. Does that mean you'll never have unexpected repairs? Of course not, but I think you really can make the 4Runner last without spending so much that it'd be worth getting a new car.

That said, most people that have these really high mileage 4Runners still rolling are people that love their 4Runners and have done work to them, and are willing to spend to keep them rolling. If you know you'll keep yours for at least another five years, and it's only got 145K, that's got a lot of potential life left in it for you.

Start mapping out what you want to do to it, starting with the suspension and headlights. Then, start researching both. There are tons and tons and tons of threads about lift options in all kinds of price ranges. Maybe you can start thinking of some things now to put on your b-day/x-mas list for 2013!

Dirt Driver

It's actually a Helmholtz resonator and it's there strictly for cancelling sound of a particular frequency. It doesn't help airflow, but it doesn't really hurt it, either. Noise vibration, and harshness (NVH) are three things that automotive engineers go to great lengths trying to eliminate.

If you were curious as to what frequency the resonator cancels, it can be determined by measuring the resonator's volume and neck diameter and solving for frequency using Helmholtz's resonance equation.

OJ Simpson 4Runner

really, so its purely for just sound and doesn't help with the pulses???

I got this from a toyota-4runner.org site posted by
98ozarksrunner: "It removes the Helmholtz resonator, which is not designed to reduce noise but reduce resonance and airflow pulsing at part-throttle conditions. Without it the MAF is not able to accurately meter airflow. There are some posts on yotatech where guys have had to burn premium to get rid of spark knock after removing the resonator, which makes perfect sense because they screwed up the operation of the MAF and the computer can't calculate the correct amount of fuel and it's running lean. Over time, the computer will 'learn' the correct A/F (long-term fuel trims, using feedback from the O2 sensor) but you've put the engine into a less-than-optimum condition, which is never a good idea. And of course, it doesn't improve performance at all, but it looks cleaner and sounds faster."

98SR54RUNNER

iTrader: (1)

Interesting. Thanks for the information!

Dirt Driver

Correct. As I explain below, pressure pulses aren't the issue. They're not even an issue.

That's a case of "anything is possible if you don't know what you're talking about."

There isn't any appreciable " airflow pulsing" between the airbox and TB regardless of throttle opening. There isn't even much of that in the intake plenum due to long runners, the plenum's healthy volume, and the engine's multiple cylinder design. Even if there was, the mass-air metering system would make it less of an issue, not more of one.

flyfisher117

Thanks for the info!

Well Im off to the shop tomorrow time for an oil change. Is Castrol GTX High Mileage considered a synthetic? Im looking at different oils and Im not sure what type. I dont want synthetic but my dad mentioned I should look into getting some high mileage. I googled "oil recomendations" my head exploded with all of the info and oppinions.

OJ Simpson 4Runner

from what i've learned, castrol gtx, penzzoil and royal purple are good options. I've also read that once you pick a brand, stick with it as changing different oil brands isn't the best for your vehicle

Dirt Driver

No, Castrol GTX is not a synthetic. Castrol is actually the reason why "highly refined" petroleum oils can be labelled as synthetics when they're not, aka Castrol Syntec.

Oil is something that everyone has an opinion on. Mine is that any name-brand oil of the right class and viscosity will be fine and that you don't have to be married to any one brand. I don't bother with "high mileage" oils personally and there are few situations that I think would warrant a synthetic in these trucks.