After just over 4 months sitting parked in my Father's backyard my 4runner is to live again, I originally took it off the road because it needed a bit of work...

- Bodywork (neverending)
- Tailgate is damaged (backed into my boss's truck)
- Sway-Bar Endlinks Broken
- Front Shocks are gone
- E-Brake cable broken (my fault)
- Pads and Shoes need replacing.
- Couple of electrical faults (rear defrost and rear passenger window switch not working.
- Speedo cable is noisy as heck
- Unknown exhaust leak (found.. just before the cat, $4 gasket)
- Crack in the windshield that protrudes into the wiper path (my fault)
- Clutch is gone and slipping pretty badly.

I mean, its sounds like a lot, and it is, which is probably why noone would buy it over the past 4 months. Even though theres alot of truck left.

But, my 'wife' needs a car and I'm sick of driving her everywhere. So I went and picked up a few new parts this week to be installed this weekend for her to have a low-cost, reliable vehicle until we get all the bills with the mortgage and repairs on the house in order.

Parts picked up to date...
Front Pads - $20
Rear Shoes - $26
Front Shocks - $70
New Oil & Filter - $15
Exhaust Gasket - $4
Swaybar endlinks - $120 (stupid unique endlinks)

Once all that is in, I'll be bringing it out to her step-dad's place as he's agreed to put the clutch kit in it that I picked up for $200. I still need to figure out where the E-Brake broke, as to what that's going to cost, and the speedo cable will probably be changed at the same time, as it's extremely annoying at -40C. Not sure what the cost of either of those will be.
I think thats pretty much it for 'safety' standards, except the windshield, but I still have insurance on it, so I can deal with that at a later date, or if I sell it the new owner can.
Total cost of parts so far... $455. Total cost of my new car per month... $355. I know it doesn't seem worth it, but I calculated out that over the next 96,000km... I'll save $11,000 on fuel alone.

Not sure why I created this thread... just pumped I guess to put my yota back in service. I mean, I like my new Acura, but it just doesn't compare to a 4Runner. I find myself constantly comparing the new car with my old beast and complaining that it's not as 'sturdy' or feel as 'reliable'.

 

Oh, not sure if anyone is interested or not... but I thought I'd post some pictures of the yota's replacement, because even though I don't love it as much as the yota, it's starting to grow on me over the past 4 months and 9,600km.

I'll be sure to post some pictures of the old beast as it goes back together and gets resurrected... but in the meantime...

 

Accuras are nice cars, i don`t own one myself, but ive always liked the look and style of those cars.

 

E brake cable is most likely broke at the little L shaped lever under the pass. side where the front cable [attached to the handle] joins up with the rear cable [that goes to the axle] it seems to be a common failure point a few members here have had it fail there... The part goes for Cdn$110.00 +tax at Ontario dealers [I just got mine last fri.]. I will be installing it later this week and plan to take lots of pics and post a step by step... *note if it's been broken for a while the levers on the drums may be seized [one of mine is].

 

I work at an acura dealership in toronto, and will tell you first hand that the CRXs have very little problems if any at all. Car also gets great gas milage and is very economical. Personally when i drive the car though i feel it has almost no torque lol but that might just be cause im used to driving the yota. Goodluck with the ride

 

Looks like a Civic too mee, But i know what it isss.
Nice Ride.

And good luck with all the work

 

Ugh... that sucks man.. $110.. all cause I got tired of it not holding the vehicle and pulling too hard on it. When the main culprit was I needed new shoes. *slaps forehead*

Between the windshield I didn't get drilled when I had time and the Ebrake mistake thats like $400+ in stupidity. When will I learn.

 

ah this is great, I recently rescued a 4Runner from the way side myself. it had been sitting for three years, all I did was shocks, front pads and calipers, and exhaust. she runs like a champ, but it's rusted out haha.

I look forward to watching this thread

 

Sway bar endlinks for the front or rear? If they are for the front, they are only $16 a piece at my work.

 

for the front... but they aren't 'typical' endlinks that every shop lists... the ones I need and have already ordered are identical to these. Found a set on ebay for $70 (without hardware) which is the best price I've found to date. Toyota wanted $180/each, and online aftermarket places usually want about $80/each.

 

Nice acura...we went with the TL...good on gas and pretty fast for what it is. Great cars!

 

Drilled windshield?!

 

Nice to see you coming back. I was wondering what happened to the green machine

 

haha.. ya.. if you get a crack forming on your windshield.. and you bring your vehicle to a glass place.. they drill the end of the crack so it won't protrude any further.

Yea... gas prices and lots of km for my new job forced me to retire the yota... but, my gf needs a car and cash isn't abundant, so she gets to use it, which in turn means I get to use it again. Woo... even if it's for maybe a year, when we can afford for her to get something newer and more economical.

With the driving I do for work with the new Acura, it hasn't cost me a penny, thats including gas and insurance... I've actually made about... $500 since I got it.

 

yea, the tl is a sweet ride... and I really wanted my CSX to be white, but it just didnt work out, by the time it was built and I got it, the monthly price would have been $50 higher. I am wishing I got one of the new 09 TSXs... they're pretty sweet, may have to cut my lease short and trade in the CSX. Only thing is, would probably add about $200 to my monthly payment.

 

Now I get what you were talking about... last time I had a cracked windshield it had cracked badly and I just replaced the whole thing...

 

Well.. got a few things done on the 4Runner this weekend... Things always take so much longer when they're coated in rust.

First off we started at the front putting in the end-links, easiest part of the job as the old ones were long gone. With those in, we moved onto the next easiest, shocks. Simply twisted off the top stud and got the bottom bolt out with not too much trouble.

The fun began with the pads.. luckily on this year 4Runner I don't need to remove the caliper, just the retaining spring, and the caliper pins. We used a c-clamp to compress the pistons back in, then popped the bottom pin out like nothing, but the top one... seized, big time. We ended up drilling off the larger end of the pin, and drifted it back through the caliper, as there was just no other way to get it to move. Had to pick up a new one for $6 at a local auto store. Then popped in the new pads and finished up rather quickly.

With the passenger side done, we moved over to the drivers side. Sway-bar endlink in, no problem. Went to move onto the shock... top nut wouldn't bust off, the threads stripped out on the inside. Ended up getting the powersaw. Bottom bolt required some penetrating oil and a longer extension pipe on the ratchet, but came off without too much hassle. (Would of been easier had the previous owner not put a lock nut on it)

Now, onto the dreaded caliper... compressed the outer pistons no problem.. the inner ones... seized. I ended up calling around to parts stores, noone had it in stock so I went back to it working the piston some more and finally got it to compress. Both pins were good and seized... so on went the penetrating oil and time for a break. When we came back the pins came out with a little banging, working them back and forth.

Last thing we did was the shoes... which were actually in pretty good shape... the only low spot was about 25% and maybe 2 inches of one shoe. No real surprises here, just one stupid mistake on my behalf, losing the E-clip for the tensioner plate. Looked for 20-30 min in the dirt, ended up going to a hardware store and spending $0.50 on a new one.

Turns out the exhaust gasket (for just in front of the cat) isn't going to cut it... the cat's flanges are so rusted out that there isn't anything for the gasket to seal to. This just REALLY pisses me off, as this is the exact same exhaust leak I complained to my local dealer about. Their answer, 'you have an aftermarket 4-cyl muffler on there, that's why it's loud'. I said 'fine... put a proper muffler on there'. Which goes from the cat back, and good mechanic would have seen the leak while changing the muffler. Probably did and didn't mention it because they already got my money for the new muffler.
Anyways, so I think I'll be getting a high-flow aftermarket cat... anyone have any suggestions? While still using the stock muffler.

I rambled on a bit, but I guess I'm using this thread like a journal.. heh, if you read all of it, kudos to you.

 

I only replaced 3 out my 4 shocks... damn passenger rear shock is not coming out...

 

Not sure where you're stuck.. but I know when I did mine a couple years ago, I had to get the powersaw (sawsall) in there, bend the blade about 35 degrees and brace myself agains the side of the 4runner while the blade slowly ate it's way through the top stud. Only way I was getting it out.

 

thats where I am hung up at. good call on the sawsall. I successfully used an angle grinder with a cutting disc on the driver's side, but the structure on the frame on the passenger's side prevents me from doing so haha.