4x4Lamm's 1995 4Runner Build-Up Thread
10-16-2005, 09:02 PM
#21
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Thread Starter
Originally Posted by Yamaha+Toyota=Fun
You probally have factory 4.88's because you have an auto, and your truck probally orginally came with 31's.
Lamm
10-26-2005, 12:17 PM
#23
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Thread Starter
MOD #3 (TJM-13 BullBar)
My next mod (another carry-over from the 92) was the TJM T-13 winch bumper.
I recently got this bumper second hand from Patrick, (Cowtowntoy)
Install was easy, and helping Pat take it off his 4Runner and having installed it on my 92 made everything even easier. I had to de-rust it though. Some minor areas and alot of the back side had rust, thats Ohio for ya'. POR-15 and then a full front and back Rustolium treatment got it looking like new.
I recomend an off road bumper to anyone, these things are solid as a rock, look awsome, and havent become a lame vehicle fassion statement like my old brush guard was. Do you like the looks of it?
Cost for me was $400 for bumper and $30 for POR-15 and spray paint.
Here are the before pics:
Lamm
I recently got this bumper second hand from Patrick, (Cowtowntoy)
Install was easy, and helping Pat take it off his 4Runner and having installed it on my 92 made everything even easier. I had to de-rust it though. Some minor areas and alot of the back side had rust, thats Ohio for ya'. POR-15 and then a full front and back Rustolium treatment got it looking like new.
I recomend an off road bumper to anyone, these things are solid as a rock, look awsome, and havent become a lame vehicle fassion statement like my old brush guard was. Do you like the looks of it?
Cost for me was $400 for bumper and $30 for POR-15 and spray paint.
Here are the before pics:
Lamm
10-26-2005, 12:17 PM
#24
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Thread Starter
TJM Bumper Cont.
And here is the after:
It sort of looks bad right now with those dinky tires and running boards, but that will change.
Pros:
-incresed protection
-great looks
-secure mount for lights, antenna and winch
Cons:
-expensive
-heavy
-rusts easily
Best place to get them IMO is:
http://www.4by4connection.com/toyota7.html
Install involves removal of stock bumper and valence as well as frame end cups. Then you use 12 bolts to secure the bumper bracket to the frame and 6 bolts to hold the bumper to the bracket. You will need a friend or two, its a heavy PITA.
I did run into a problem this time. The rear frame nut on the lower, passenger side broke while I was putting the bolt in. So I only have 11 bolts holding it 1 bolt stuck loose in the frame. I'm not sure how to fix this so any input would be great. Its plenty sturdy, but I won't use that towhook or winch with it (if I had a winch).
Enjoy, and feel free to comment or ask questions.
Lamm
It sort of looks bad right now with those dinky tires and running boards, but that will change.
Pros:
-incresed protection
-great looks
-secure mount for lights, antenna and winch
Cons:
-expensive
-heavy
-rusts easily
Best place to get them IMO is:
http://www.4by4connection.com/toyota7.html
Install involves removal of stock bumper and valence as well as frame end cups. Then you use 12 bolts to secure the bumper bracket to the frame and 6 bolts to hold the bumper to the bracket. You will need a friend or two, its a heavy PITA.
I did run into a problem this time. The rear frame nut on the lower, passenger side broke while I was putting the bolt in. So I only have 11 bolts holding it 1 bolt stuck loose in the frame. I'm not sure how to fix this so any input would be great. Its plenty sturdy, but I won't use that towhook or winch with it (if I had a winch).
Enjoy, and feel free to comment or ask questions.
Lamm
Last edited by 4x4Lamm; 10-26-2005 at 12:26 PM.
10-26-2005, 12:42 PM
#27
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Thread Starter
Also ran into my first road-block today.
Engine trouble. It just started missing, losing power and shaking the crap outa me worse and worse. It starts and runs but its messed up.
I took it to my trusted mechanic, we have decided it may be bad gas, clogged injector, wet ignition wires or cap and rotor, bad plug and bad ignitor/coil.
Looks like I need to work some OT...
Lamm
Engine trouble. It just started missing, losing power and shaking the crap outa me worse and worse. It starts and runs but its messed up.
I took it to my trusted mechanic, we have decided it may be bad gas, clogged injector, wet ignition wires or cap and rotor, bad plug and bad ignitor/coil.
Looks like I need to work some OT...
Lamm
10-28-2005, 02:57 PM
#29
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Thread Starter
Engine problem solved. 1 spark plug was compleatly fouled with oil causing the electrode to become useless and cause the miss.
I had all the plugs replaced, the compression checked and the oil changed. Came to a little less then $200.00. Not all that bad really. The question now is what caused the plug to become oil fouled.
I have been on the lookout for blue smoke, low oil preassure, oil smell and drips and have nothing so far. It may have just been a fluke?
Now, back to the modding. I have the tires ordered and am in the process of getting the wheels, I will get the suspension from TRDparts4u next week and it will "grow up" shorly after.
Lamm
I had all the plugs replaced, the compression checked and the oil changed. Came to a little less then $200.00. Not all that bad really. The question now is what caused the plug to become oil fouled.
I have been on the lookout for blue smoke, low oil preassure, oil smell and drips and have nothing so far. It may have just been a fluke?
Now, back to the modding. I have the tires ordered and am in the process of getting the wheels, I will get the suspension from TRDparts4u next week and it will "grow up" shorly after.
Lamm
11-06-2005, 12:32 PM
#30
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Thread Starter
Another roadblock. Blew a headgasket!!!
My 4Runner is not covered under the recall, so I may eventually get some relief from Toyota but for now i'm paying out of pocket.
I'm working a 24 w/ AMR on Thanksgiving and some OT next week at the FD to pay for it. I will update agin when its fixed.
Well, it will run better, and I won't have to worry about a water pump, timing belt, valve seals or idler pully for a while...
Lamm
My 4Runner is not covered under the recall, so I may eventually get some relief from Toyota but for now i'm paying out of pocket.
I'm working a 24 w/ AMR on Thanksgiving and some OT next week at the FD to pay for it. I will update agin when its fixed.
Well, it will run better, and I won't have to worry about a water pump, timing belt, valve seals or idler pully for a while...
Lamm
11-06-2005, 02:48 PM
#31
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Originally Posted by 4x4Lamm
My first "mod" was to have the truck unercoated and rutproofed by a local provider.
The undercoating process involves abrasive removal of any major rust, paint/sealent of rust spots/areas, a full underbody steam cleaning and a full undercoating with Texaco brand undercoating.
The rustproofing process involves removal of interior door/body/tailgate panels and a steam cleaning, prep and spray of Texaco brand rustproofing.
Areas treated were; doors, tailgate, quarter panels, fenders, rockers and bumpers.
My family has used this place before for 5 vehicles and we have achived outstanding results. My Mom had an Aerostar that lived through 12 Ohio winters with NO rust. The owner is the only worker so the work is consistant.
He commented on how good of shape the 95 was in and how is was a good idea to bring it in.
Service also includes a 2 year warranty (meaning two inspections and touch-ups 1 year from now and 2 years from now, all free). Total cost was $371.00. Vehicle down time was 38 hours.
Other than the smell that lasts a few weeks, this service has no downsides. The upside of course being, preventing rust.
For more information contact:
Zack Pappas Rustproofing
3105 11th ST SW
Canton, OH 44710
330-455-5200
Lamm
The undercoating process involves abrasive removal of any major rust, paint/sealent of rust spots/areas, a full underbody steam cleaning and a full undercoating with Texaco brand undercoating.
The rustproofing process involves removal of interior door/body/tailgate panels and a steam cleaning, prep and spray of Texaco brand rustproofing.
Areas treated were; doors, tailgate, quarter panels, fenders, rockers and bumpers.
My family has used this place before for 5 vehicles and we have achived outstanding results. My Mom had an Aerostar that lived through 12 Ohio winters with NO rust. The owner is the only worker so the work is consistant.
He commented on how good of shape the 95 was in and how is was a good idea to bring it in.
Service also includes a 2 year warranty (meaning two inspections and touch-ups 1 year from now and 2 years from now, all free). Total cost was $371.00. Vehicle down time was 38 hours.
Other than the smell that lasts a few weeks, this service has no downsides. The upside of course being, preventing rust.
For more information contact:
Zack Pappas Rustproofing
3105 11th ST SW
Canton, OH 44710
330-455-5200
Lamm
Sounds like the owner of that shop did a good job. I might have to make a trip down to Canton, OH if I can't find it locally. I need to get this done ASAP. I'm sure he is probably getting busy about this time of year, so I'll probably try to get it done this week if possible since I have the week off work.
Is the Texaco a transparent , oil base type coating? From the little amount of info, it didn't sound like it was the rubberized type of coating.
Does the smell totally go away, because I am very sensitive to chemical odors and don't want to be stuck with an odor other than the new car smell.
I haven't really called around to try and locate the Texaco coating so I'm not sure how common its used. It'd be nice if a place here in the Detroit area used that stuff.
11-06-2005, 03:05 PM
#32
Registered User
Thread Starter
The only pic that may help you is in the link at the begining of this thread. there is a pic of an A-Arm and the wheelwell before the treatment. I would take an after pic for ya, but my 4x4s in the shop for a new headgasket.
Its on oil substance, no rubber at all. In a thin layer is pretty clear. Where he spreys it on thick or where it collects (like an iside corner of a bumper) it gets a little brown. It dosen't look bad or starange in any way. Also, it does not make it any harder to work on the car. Wrenches still fit fine, etc...
The smell is noticable for a week or 2. Its not too bad. it smeels a lot like when you pick up a gar that has been in the shop a few days. Its colder this time of year, so it should harden up faster and such.
Call up Zach himself, he is a really nice guy to talk to, he can tell you all about it.
Lamm
Its on oil substance, no rubber at all. In a thin layer is pretty clear. Where he spreys it on thick or where it collects (like an iside corner of a bumper) it gets a little brown. It dosen't look bad or starange in any way. Also, it does not make it any harder to work on the car. Wrenches still fit fine, etc...
The smell is noticable for a week or 2. Its not too bad. it smeels a lot like when you pick up a gar that has been in the shop a few days. Its colder this time of year, so it should harden up faster and such.
Call up Zach himself, he is a really nice guy to talk to, he can tell you all about it.
Lamm
11-06-2005, 03:20 PM
#33
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sorry to hear your buildup isnt going exactly the way you wanted...however like you said, at least there are certain things that you wont have to worry about for a long time.
by the way lamm i got those lights all wired up and mounted FINALLY today after receiving them a while ago, and maybe ive gone overkill, but im very pleased with my light setup now. and they are very very bright. ive got 3 pro comps and 2 of ur ralleys on the front of my surco, 2 of my rectangle lights on each side of the surco, 2 of ur ralley lights on the back of the surco, and those other rectangle ones u sent underneath. thanks for the lights and what a deal!
by the way lamm i got those lights all wired up and mounted FINALLY today after receiving them a while ago, and maybe ive gone overkill, but im very pleased with my light setup now. and they are very very bright. ive got 3 pro comps and 2 of ur ralleys on the front of my surco, 2 of my rectangle lights on each side of the surco, 2 of ur ralley lights on the back of the surco, and those other rectangle ones u sent underneath. thanks for the lights and what a deal!
11-06-2005, 03:29 PM
#34
Registered User
Thread Starter
Glad to hear you like em'. They were to nice to pitch, but not too junky to sell.
Its not too bad. Whenever something like this happens, I just think of some fire I was at, and an entire family lost everything. So having a brokedown POS 4runner is not really that bad. It helps to put things in perspective.
I seem to have the "break things" gene. That sucks, but on the other hand my brother has the "wreck and total things" gene, thats a lot worse!
I estimate 2 or 3 weeks before the lift is on with new tires and wheels...
Lamm
Its not too bad. Whenever something like this happens, I just think of some fire I was at, and an entire family lost everything. So having a brokedown POS 4runner is not really that bad. It helps to put things in perspective.
I seem to have the "break things" gene. That sucks, but on the other hand my brother has the "wreck and total things" gene, thats a lot worse!
I estimate 2 or 3 weeks before the lift is on with new tires and wheels...
Lamm
11-06-2005, 07:41 PM
#35
Registered User
While you're doing the heads, get them ported/polished. Also, if you're ever going to put in headers, this would be a great time to get it done.
I had the exact same situation with mine and my first engine. Head gasket blew around 90,000 miles, but wasn't in the VIN range for the recall campaign. You'll get nothing from Toyota -- believe me, I tried. The 3VZ-FE is very susecptible to over heating issues. The heads warp easily and it doesn't have to go to the red to cause a gasket leak. I'm on my third engine and I've blow the head gaskets from over heating 4 times. It's ridiculous. Do everything you can to make sure you keep the engine running cool, including an upgrade of the radiator. The T13 you have mounted on front (like mine) obstructs air flow and makes the radiator less efficient. I'm still looking for solutions to keep mine cool under all conditions, and I've even gone so far as to build an air damn under the bumper to help push/funnel air to the radiator.
Good luck with the mods. BTW -- where's the link to your fire thread? I'd like to read and learn from what happened.
Ed
I had the exact same situation with mine and my first engine. Head gasket blew around 90,000 miles, but wasn't in the VIN range for the recall campaign. You'll get nothing from Toyota -- believe me, I tried. The 3VZ-FE is very susecptible to over heating issues. The heads warp easily and it doesn't have to go to the red to cause a gasket leak. I'm on my third engine and I've blow the head gaskets from over heating 4 times. It's ridiculous. Do everything you can to make sure you keep the engine running cool, including an upgrade of the radiator. The T13 you have mounted on front (like mine) obstructs air flow and makes the radiator less efficient. I'm still looking for solutions to keep mine cool under all conditions, and I've even gone so far as to build an air damn under the bumper to help push/funnel air to the radiator.
Good luck with the mods. BTW -- where's the link to your fire thread? I'd like to read and learn from what happened.
Ed
11-07-2005, 07:24 AM
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Epic is right, maybe you could put in some more hours and get headers put on...then that thing would be set!
Looks like this is gonna be an awesome build-up and its gonna be done right! Planning it out is the best way to go, thats what I've done with my 3rd gen and it's going pretty well.
Good luck Lamm!
Fink
Looks like this is gonna be an awesome build-up and its gonna be done right! Planning it out is the best way to go, thats what I've done with my 3rd gen and it's going pretty well.
Good luck Lamm!
Fink
11-07-2005, 11:41 AM
#39
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11-16-2005, 08:22 AM
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All of the A/T 4Runners of that era with factory 31"s had 4.88's. The 5-speeds got the 4.56's. 32's are an ideal tire for those gears and in my experience actually improve economy if you keep your speed down around 60-65.
Any 10 yr. old "new to you" truck is going to have some issues so don't get too down about it. Just look at it as an opportunity to make sure that all maintenance items are taken care of and anything broken or worn gets replaced by a factory part or high performance part.
For the 10 years I have owned my 4Runner I have seen every maintenance item as an opportunity to beef up the strength or performance of the truck. For example, instead of just replacing the clutch, I got a heavier than stock Centerforce flywheel and dual friction clutch-- also replacing every maintenance item in sight (bearings etc.) When it comes to maintenance items--as a rule, always use Toyota parts, this is especially true of things like bearings and seals.
Any 10 yr. old "new to you" truck is going to have some issues so don't get too down about it. Just look at it as an opportunity to make sure that all maintenance items are taken care of and anything broken or worn gets replaced by a factory part or high performance part.
For the 10 years I have owned my 4Runner I have seen every maintenance item as an opportunity to beef up the strength or performance of the truck. For example, instead of just replacing the clutch, I got a heavier than stock Centerforce flywheel and dual friction clutch-- also replacing every maintenance item in sight (bearings etc.) When it comes to maintenance items--as a rule, always use Toyota parts, this is especially true of things like bearings and seals.
