slamigo

Hey all,

I have recently picked up an 89 4runner and and have found this site to be an excellent resource for mechanical help.
As far as mods to help me build up a competent 4x4, I am wondering about your suggestions for what I should do next.

I have attached a pic. It isn't much to look at right now, but I have great plans.

Here is what I have done, (mainly just to get it roadworthy):

replaced radiator/thermostat
replaced outer tie rod ends
replaced flex hoses on front brakes, bled system
replaced shocks all the way around with Rancho 5000s
oil change
replaced head gasket
replaced battery

The engine and trans is in OK shape, so they will be left alone for a while.

Here are my plans:

1. Add-a-leaf kit to get rid of that back-end sag
2. 2" body lift
3. Steering stabilizer
4. Custom fabricate a fiberglass outer shell of the tailgate to replace the rusting one
5. Remove motorized rear window and replace with plexiglass that can be held in with clips or clamps or hinges
6. New wheels/rubber - thinking on 33x12.5x15 BFGs
7. Paint with a basic, flat trail style paint job (saw this suggestion and I might try to mimic it - http://www.toyotaoffroad.net/tando/4...camorunner.jpg)
8. Rear Powertrax no-slip locker
9. Smittybuilt bumper/guard with winch mount
10. Way in the future - swap in a straight front axle
11. Immediate future - get rid of running boards and replace with either a) nothing or b) Carr Mega-hoop truck step
12. K&N air filter by next week

What are some of your suggestions? I am thinking on a 4" lift, but that would set me back almost as much as I paid for the truck. I think with a 2" body lift and some creativity, I should be able to get 33s on there. I know I can fit 32X11.5X15 without doing too much.

Thanks in advance for any good ideas!
Mike

UKMyers

I would say you have it pretty much figured out already. Good call on doing the mechanical things before the other mods. A cool modded truck is worthless if it's broke down. Good call on getting rid of the runningboards. Look into a set of sliders but wait to install them till you get your body lift or it won't look right. Also I would ditch them wheels for some 15X8 black rockcrawler type wheels. You can get the cheapies pretty cheap Other than that man sounds like you've got a good plan! Keep us updated as you get along with it!

Erich_870

Thats a sweet color

I have an 87 Runner and your list is almost exactly the same as mine. I'm looking at lifting the rear with the add-a-leaf pretty soon. Money will make all the rest possible some day

Have you figured out what gear ratio you have? Slapping 32's or 33's on your stock gears is going to kill your power.

YoungFeller

Nice find. It sounds like luxury compared to mine!

May I recommend some longer rear spring shackles instead of add-a-leaf's. I put some 1.5" longer shackles and it really evened out the stance. Add-a-leaves stiffen the ride and reduce flex--not something you want with that IFS frontend.

I put an aluminum pick-up shell on the back of mine so I wouldn't have to deal with the electric back window. That was my biggest complaint about these trucks. I cut the front out of the shell and sealed it to the cab with pipe insulation. It's also real easy to remove and replace---just 4 clamps, and light enough for one person. And the tilt-up back window in the shell keeps rain off the tailgate and out of the bed when loading.

You might want to take advantage of a great thing you can do with the gear-driven transfer cases--lower gearsets!! I put a 4:1 gearset in mine from Advanced Adapters. You can also get 4.7:1 from Marlin but they may require more grinding to install. They weren't available when I ordered mine though. The lower low-range makes a huge difference in trail capability, especially with a rear locker. I have a LockRight in the back on mine, and it crawls like crazy with those 4:1's. Last summer I pulled a crew cab Cummins Dodge out of the lake with my 4-cyl and 4:1 low.

Have fun,

Eric

Yoda

Yup, I would go with sliders instead ot hoop steps. The steps do nothing for offroad except snag rocks and stumps. (unless your better half needs to get into the rig before mods are done)

slamigo

Thanks all,
and yeah, I think I will go with option A that I listed for replacing the running boards - nothing. If I do decided to put something there, I will go with sliders. I would probably just get my foot caught on the hoop and fall flat on my face anyways...:pat: I don't know what I was thinking.

What about the lockrights? I was thinking on the No-slip one to avoid the clunking metal noises, but is the noise really that bad?
Anyone have experience with the lockrights?

For my truck, I am looking at $430 CDN for the lockright and $640 for the No-slip. Is it worth the extra $210 just to have a quieter ride?

BTW - anyone know how much coin a 4.56 gearset runs?

YoungFeller

My LockRight's real quiet--I wouldn't put up the extra coin myself. It's even quieter if you fill the diff with 90-140wt lube. I hardly ever hear anything out of mine.

Eric