Baker 02

Hey guys, first off I love the site. I've had my 02 runner for about 2 months and i think i'm in love. So far i've put clear corners and tails on, as well as tinted all the windows. I also put an Eclipse deck in with some alpine 10's in the back.

- Wheels -
I'm positive i want to put some 20" wheels on, but i want to still have as much tire as possible. So what do you think would be the largest size of tire i could fit? I saw a nice 285/50, lots of 265/50, and i think i saw a 60 height sidewall but i'm not sure. Yes i'm keeping my 16's with the rubbers for winter, or if i wanna go cruizin in the mountains.

- Performance -

1. Intake. First off i've read the articles on the deckplate, silencer, and elbow. All of them look promising, and i'm not worried about the intake sounding loud, but if money isn't the option i've been looking at the AEM brute force intake. It's about $215 and looks nice. Any suggestions would be great.

2. Exhaust. I've been looking at systems like the borla or the TRD cat-backs, and they're runnin about $400-$750 which is a bit much. I was really looking to buy the vortex muffler and have it put on at a shop. What i'm wondering here is if i should leave the cat alone, buy a high-flow cat, or just eliminate the thing. Performance is the main goal on this question.

- Maintenance -
I bought my 02 4runner with close to 90,000 miles on it, but it's in really great shape. Any suggestions on the "crucial" things to get checked out would be a really great help. I wanna keep it runnin good for a long time yet.
Looking forward to many future posts. Thanx for the help guys.

I attatched a picture, this is bone stock when i bought it.

grimpy

Hello and welcome to the club... You may also want to try http://www.toyota-4runner.org/ for info on the wheels...

X-AWDriver

Yeah,this crowd isn't the 20" wheel crowd (hurts braking,acceleration,gas mileage for the sake of looks) but definetly do the deckplate mod even if money isn't an issue since you'll get the same gain for a fraction of the cost.

Removing the cat or replacing it with a high flow version won't give you any noticeable gains on a natuarally aspirated stock motor. (see superchargers)
If performance is what you want then avoid the oversize heavy wheels since you won't overcome the horsepower loss with a few breathing mods. 17" look nice but 3rd gens look kinda goofy IMO with oversize rims. 4th gens pull the look off better but still at a sacrifice of performance.

MTL_4runner

Great looking truck.....first I'd lose the running boards (but you may be going for a different look). I wouldn't tell you to get rid of the rims because those are the ones I am putting on this spring (but 20's can look nice if done right). There are a few on the board running rims that big.

Good thread:
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f2/bodylift-big-rims-big-tires-max-size-73318/

Deckplate and at least an aftermarket filter is a must do (amsoil, trueflow, no K&N!)

Vortex is a good muffler (do a search for that, plenty to read).

I'd do the plugs at least (OEM only!!!), lube the driveshaft zerks, clean the MAF and maybe begin to think about a timing belt.

Baker 02

Okayl, I was also looking at a set of 18" Helo rims with Terra Grapplers on them. They look like a pretty sweet setup, and i wouldn't have to be switching out my wheels all the time.

I'm gonna go ahead and buy the Vortex, and i guess i'm gonna leave the cat alone if it's not gonna make a difference.

The intake i'm still unsure about. I really like the Brute Force, i've had one before, but if the deckplate mod will outperform, i'd do that.

Also thinking about adding a throttle body spacer when i mod the intake. Whacha think?

Baker 02

Another thing, I have a set of 2002 sport rear lenses with intact harnesses if anyone is interested. Go ahead and make an offer. I know hotmail was a no no when i signed up, but that's what i use the most. Go ahead and mail me at demi_dragon@hotmail.com. Otherwise i'm just gonna post them on ebay, which i'd rather not do if i can hook someone up here.

jacksonpt

regarding the deckplate mod... there was a thread a while back asking people who have done this mod to give their opinion on it. From what I recal, opinions were mixed at best. Take a few minutes to seach for it and do some reading before you do anything.

surf4runner

nice ride. looks like mine

Baker 02

Functional scoop? What did you do?
Couldn't live without my 4WD though in Montana.

bigacuralvr

how much you lookin to get for the tails?? I would love to grab those from you! Also, I have the true-flow intake...and I LOVE it, but others say you can do the silencer, deckmod, and use a drop-in trueflow and it will work the same.
Brett

X-AWDriver

I think the stock rims are nice but I know some want different than stock and 18" with beefy tires on them might not look too bad and not alter handling as much as 20"s would.
Regarding the deckplate and throttlebody spacers,the DPs increase noise and with adding only 6-8ish whp it isn't for everyone but for those of us guys who want any kind of ponies you can find cheaply then it's all good.
TBS are generally a waste of money for what they cost and are create and in some cases can even decrease WHP just like the Tornado devices that promise ponies and gas mileage. BUYER BEWARE!!!.

Baker 02

The tails are in great shape, my first thought was to be lazy and splice, but i went ahead and changed out the whole harness, so you're probably gonna want to do the same. My dealer said they would be around 120 for the pair. I'd get rid of them for half that, and whatever it would take to ship them.

Baker 02

I also have the OEM corner lenses if anyone is interested. I'd get rid of those for like $20.

I think i'm gonna go ahead and cut the box, and if i dont like it, then i'm gonna buy the AEM. I've read a lot of the deckplate posts, but still unsure about where to actually get the plate? thanx again guys

bigacuralvr

I'll do $60 shipped. Im in Superior, CO 80027. if so, I can paypal you right now.
Brett

garrett1478

academy sells them if you have one of those in your area. you may just have to order it from some sailing website.

CynicX

Do the deckplate mod with intake silencer removal. a few dyno results have shown that the deckplate yeilds better results then aftermarket intakes.

I have the TRD exhaust. It sounds pretty good and looks great but is very expensive compared to having a muffler should just change the muffler. The TRD is a cat-back system you can install yourself in a couple hours and doesnt require any welding. The TRD also has an awesome looking tip with TRD engraved on it. But you HAVE to keep it clean or it will corrode like any exhaust system.

Baker 02

Brett, i'll keep in touch on the tails. You planning on splicing or doing the whole harness? I thought the harness would be tough, but it's actually pretty easy to just hold back the rear panels and do your work.

I've done a bit more research and i think i'm gonna get the trueflow intake kit, and deckplate it. I saw the Volant intake on Burtman's site, so i'm gonna read into that a bit more. Definately gonna get the vortex on pretty soon, cant wait for some noise... ANY noise to come out of my runner.

Pretty sure i'm gonna try the Airraid throttle body spacer too. Looks like Jason is gonna be stealing a bit of my money pretty soon.

Baker 02

Oh yeah, REALLY love that TRD etched tip. Anybody know where to pick one of those up offhand? I know it's gonna be pricey if it's TRD. I think i may have seen one for $70 somewhere. Want to find a TRD offroad sticker too. I think those look nice.

DavidA

I've done the intake upgrade, NGK Blue plug wires, Iridium plugs and a Magnaflow muffler. I think the deckplate and elbow mod are the first things to do. Do the plug wires since it has over 60k on it. My next thing is new tires and brakes.

I love my 2002 Sport.

Baker 02

Yeah, my brakes have a moderate vibration when braking, but the pads are new. Gonna have to look to turn the rotors or get new ones.

I bought clear turn signals a long time ago, but never installed them because i thought that the ones on my runner were already clear. Today i looked a little closer and noticed the orange reflector inside. Will be changing those today.