brian2sun

Brian's '97 4Runner SR5 4x4

List of Mods:

Engine:
3.4L 5VZ-FE V6 - Rebuilt at 205,000 Mi.
4.5" Airbox Hole (no deckplate)
AirRaid Intake Tube
TRD Cat-Back Exhaust (cut off right after rear axle)

Diffs/Transmission:
Front & Rear ARB Lockers
4:88 Motive Gears
1" Diff Drop
B&M 70268 Tranny Cooler
Extended Rear Diff Breather Mod

Lift/Suspension:
Front: 3" OME 883 Med-Heavy Duty Coils
OME N91SC Comfort Struts
WabFab Swaybar Links

Rear: 4" OME 861 Heavy Duty LandCruiser FJZ80 Coils
Tokico Trekmaster GE4095 LandCruiser FJZ80 Shocks
Custom-made Upper & Lower Links w/ Heim Joints/Poly Bushings
1.5" Extended Bump Stops
No Swaybar

1" 4Crawler Body Lift

Tires/Wheels:
315/75/16 Cooper Discoverer STTs
Stock 5 Star Wheels
1" Motorsport Technology Wheel Spacers
315/75/16 Goodyear MTR on Stock Spare Wheel

Steering:
Poly Steering Rack Bushings
Steering Rack Guide Swap

Brakes:
231mm Tundra Upgrade
Disabled ABS

Armor:
ARB Bullbar Front Bumper (modified for ground clearance and 1" body lift)
CBI Rear Bumper w/ Tire Swing-Away, Gas Can/Ice Chest Holder, and Hi-Lift Mount
4xInnovations 66" DOM Sliders w/ Kickouts
BudBuilt IFS Skid
BudBuilt Belly Pan
Lil' Skip's Gas Tank Skid
Rear LCA Mount Skids - 3/16" Welded Plate (frame mounts)
Icon/Toytec Rear Lower Shock Skids
Trail Gear Rear Diff Skid

Body:
Cut Fenders and Flattened Firewall to Fit 35s
Removed Black SR5 Flares
Removed Gold Emblems and Pinstripes
Rear Storage Panel Mod
Husky Floor Liners

Lighting:
(2) IPF 968 Series 100W Lights
(1) KC 26 Series 55W Light (to be installed on rear spoiler)
Clear ARB Front Turn Signals

CB
Cobra 19 Ultra III
3' Firestick Antenna with Med. Spring

Other Misc. Stuff I Have in There:
MasterFlow MV-90 Air Compressor
Staun Deflators
48" All Cast Hi-Lift Jack
30'x2" Recovery Strap
(4) 3/4" D-Rings
5 Gal. Plastic Sceptor Gas Can
Ice Chest
Hatchet
Shovel
Tools
Spare CV Axle and Misc. Parts
Camping/Survival Gear

And what it looks like now...

_______________________________________

The Story...
I bought my '97 4Runner in 2001 with 91K for $15,000 which was a good deal back then. I bought it as a little present to myself for graduating college that same week. She's been my DD for 9 years, right up until I bought my sisters '05 Honda CR-V a few weeks ago. Of course I'm not selling the 4Runner, it's my trail rig now.

Unfortunately I don't have any pics of the first few years because that was the age of film and PS1 and I've moved houses a lot and don't know where all my old photographs are, but the earliest pic I can find is from 2007 on a camping trip at Grant Lake, CA. It was still stock when this pic was taken except I replaced the gold emblems with chrome except for the front (but that'll come later). It also had 265/75s and no running boards at this point.



Then very shortly afterwards, I threw a Daystar 2.5" spacer lift on and some 305/70R16s (can't find a pic). Around April '09 I scored an ARB bumper off my neighbor's friend for $200!..


Those Hella 500s were broken and I took them back. I have since replaced them with IPFs.

In July '09 I got an ARB rear locker and some 4.88 gears. I usually work on my truck myself, but I didn't want it to be the guinea pig for my first gear install so I don't have any pics of that stuff.

A few weeks later I painted my stock 3-spoke wheels flat black..


For Christmas '09 I ditched my spacer lift and got OME 883s and 891s, OME comfort shocks, and swapped out the 305s at the same time for some 285s. Just in time for some big snow..



Here's a wheelin shot at this stage..


I did a 1" 4crawler body lift back in February '10. I had to drill some new holes in the ARB to eliminate some of the gap, but I've since repositioned and welded the ARB mounts when I trimmed the bumper for clearance later on. I also trimmed my rear SR5 flares so they don't hang past the body (but I've since removed them too)..

brian2sun

I got rear-ended in April '10 and I ended up taking the cash instead of repairing it..


I went on a little spree with the insurance $$ and got some sliders and some 255/85R16 Maxxis Bighorn M/Ts mounted on new Cragar Soft 8 wheels. I'm also having CBI make a rear tire carrier bumper for me, but it won't be done for a few months. Here's how it sits as of June '10..


And here's some wheeling shots from last weekend with a couple friends just so you guys don't start thinkin I'm a mall crawler. :driving:




And one of all of us.

brian2sun

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brian2sun

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89silverpu

Nice! Looks good! I've always like those ARB bumpers

CodyX36

The picture of you climbing up that hill reminded me of my truck a lot. Actually your truck and MillerPKA's truck were 2 of the main ones that was a big influence on mine. Good job on the build thread by the way, I know I've searched numerous times before for one of yours, which I've obviously failed before now lol. You have 255's? What size are those exactly? Look like 285's/33's.

brian2sun

Thanks for the compliments guys! The 255s are a little taller and a little skinnier than the 285s. They are ~33.5x10. I realy love these tires and they fit perfect with out any rubbing to speak of. I got new wheels with less backspacing than the stock wheels so the skinny tires would stick out and keep my track the same width as it was. It worked perfectly and I don't see myself going back to 285s because the skinny tires are awesome in the snow, plus I get a little extra ground clearance for off road since they're taller too. I would recommend the Bighorns to anyone who wheels, the tread is very agressive and the rubber compound does really good sticking to the rocks.

CodyX36

Yeah those look really good, I never knew the 255/85 were bigger. How much backspacing do your Soft 8's have? My Procomps have 4.25 backspacing and there is still rubbing at times. :/

brian2sun

Yeah the 255s are noticeably taller than my 285s. I compared them to another guys BFG 285 KM2s and they were about the same height, but the KM2s run big compared to most brands. I got 4" BS on my new wheels and they're 16x7s. I'm still running my 1" wheel spacers in the front too (which I needed when I had 285s) - not because I need them anymore for rubbing issues, but just because I want to keep my track wide to reduce my high COG.

4.25" BS will be just fine with 255s. Mine rub only at full lock and full comression and after coming down off a rock or something. Even then, they barely rub. It's more like they just brush the wheel wells. I'm fine with it because in 8 hrs of wheeling last weekend, I only heard them once - and barely. The rears don't touch whatsoever.

CodyX36

Yeah my rears are good. But I actually have 1.25" bolt on spacers in the front and those rub. What I really need to do it just buy some longer studs, because when I had my .25" regular spacers on there was no thread left on the studs. I have thought about selling the 1.25" ones to my brother and buying 1" bolt on ones (smallest size WabFab has), but I don't know if it would be easier to just get a dozen new studs and put on my old .25" spacers.

stockwell45

iTrader: (1)

Wow, you've sure come a long way since the start. Post a pic up of the new holes you drilled in your ARB for the BL, thats the first time I've heard of somebody doing that instead of rewelding

brian2sun

I'll try to get a couple of shots of the ARB holes for ya asap. But for now, here's a nice "air" shot from a week ago...

mmml4

Nice 4runner you got there. Where did you get the 16x7 wheels with 4" backspacing, I've been looking but with no luck. Hope I live long enough to make out west to see some of the awesome country you have out there.

brian2sun

Thanks! Here's where I got the wheels:
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/CRR-3977760/

brian2sun

Here's a pic of 2 of the bolts and the old holes (it's hard to get up in there). I drilled them ~3/8" toward the rear of the bumper because the bottom angle of the bumper/mounts prevent it from just coming 1" up, it must come forward a little bit too.

stockwell45

iTrader: (1)

Thanks alot! I know its pretty tight up in there. Your back fender really doenst look too bad from a distance, I'd jut get some touch up paint and paint over it and call it good

brian2sun

I was thinking the same thing about touching up the paint. It's a dedicated trail/snow rig now so I don't care to fix the bashed in part now.

brian2sun

Since acouple other 4runners and I are going to run Dishpan Springs on Saturday, I decided to take my tow package and spare tire off to gain some more ground clearance in the rear. I'm also having CBI fab me up a new rear bumper/tire carrier right now so the stock tow package would need to go anyways since that bumper will have a new reciever integrated into it. I just put my current stock-sized spare in the back of the truck for now (it's still better than no spare). When I get the new bumper, I'm going to get another 255 on a matching wheel. I think I'm also going to mount a small air tank where the spare was and pipe it into the compressor for my ARB locker.
I gained about 6" more rear ground clearance so my departure angle will be way better than before. Here's a couple shots:


I also took my rear sway bar off at the same time so now I have no sway bars at all and I'm liking it. Finally, I figured I'd do a little representing too to so I stuck a new sticker on my spoiler thing:

brian2sun

I thought I'd update my thread with a few pics of Dishpan Springs and John Bull trail from 6/26/10...




The main thread for that trip is here if you'd like to check it out: http://www.toyota-4runner.org/t4r-me...jhon-bull.html

I also got a chance to do a little work on the 4runner over the weekend which was nice. I plucked some door light triggers from a junked 4runner a couple months ago and finally got those in. I'll tell ya, it's nice to have the lights come on when I open the doors again!

I also got a tip from a member over on t4r.org about a 50% tread 255/85/16 Summit Mud Dawg (which is the same exact tread as my Maxxis Bighorns) at a used tire place for $35 mounted and balanced. I needed a full size spare and my tire-carrier bumper should be done in a couple weeks so I can hang it on there and look cool! For now, I strapped it down with a ratchet strap in the back (sorry about the horrible cell pic)...



Then I installed my clear corners (which I've had sitting around for months now). I also got some sweet clear ARB turn signal lamps from Ron H. (thank you!) and threw those puppies in and it's lookin pretty cool...

(Before)

(After)



Lastly, I sanded and painted the damage from when I got rear ended a few months ago so the chipped paint won't spread and the bare metal won't rust. I may get it repaired one day, but this is my trail/camping/snow rig now so I wanted to spend the insurance $$ on mods instead. It's good for now...

(Prepped and sanded)

(Painted w/ rattle can semi-gloss Rustoleum)

(Finished with tail light back in)

brian2sun

Took my rear bumper off today in preparation for the CBI coming hopefully by friday (and to be painted and installed maybe by the end of the weekend)!!

If anyone local wants the middle piece of the factory dark grey rear bumper or any of the brackets for free, let me know. I'm not holding them for long, trash comes monday.

Some fugly cellphone shots like usual..


And here's one of the 4runner and the tent while I was camping with friends in Big Bear last weekend..