Hey guys, first timer here! I've been in search of such a place and looks like I found it!

I own a 89 4runner for about 8 years now. Bought it with 70k miles on it and it now has 160k miles. The truck just kicks ass. It has never failed me once, even in 5 trips from Denver to Indy and back!!

The reason I am glad I found this site is that its about time I make my truck look kick ass. I don't have any mods on it as of yet, but looking to incorporate a few.

First, my shocks are done. I need new ones. I am interested in doing some Bils but also interested in OME shocks. I don't go 4 whellin all the time, but just the other weekend went 4wheelin. It included some rocky terrain (had to use low 4wheel), crossed some deep water, and to mix it up some major sand! Sand was freakin deep! For those Colorado peeps, I took the back trails down to the Sand Dunes, alot of fun. I have read that the Bils offer a stiffer suspension but handle great. The OME offer a bit of a softer ride (my buddy has them on his '72 Range Rover). I am also wanting to get rid of the saggy-ness in the back. Can I put coil springs in the back instead of hte leafs I got? Doesn't OME offer a package deal that does shocks and coils? Or should I just do Bils and maybe some downeys in the back? Are coils the way to go? What do you guys think I should do?

I am worthless when it comes to cars/trucks. Never really been into working on them.

I just slapped some BF TA's on it. Very happy with those.

Should I go with a K&N air filter? What kind of muffler should I go with? I want a muffler that isn't much louder than the stock one...I don't like the extra noise, I prefer a quite cabin

I am also looking to replace the front and rear bumpers. Time to ditch the crome bumpers - the rear one is already banged up. I saw pics of the ARB front bumbers and the TJM one..... preference?

I know I'm rehashing alot that has been said on this board...I went back about 8 pages.

My dash is split in 2 places. Would like to replace it, good sites with replacements? Don't need any wood or anything, just the basic plastic will do me fine

Thanks in advance,
Rob

PS> Who here has a kick ass 89 4runner I can see picks of?

 

Welcome to the forum!

I think you will like it here, unlike some other forums I have been on there is a friendly bunch here who usually have great ideas.

I have an 89 Special Edition (Canadian model). On mine I have the K&N filter, though I bought mine to save money by not having to buy a new filter after going on dirty forest roads. I like it although I have heard really good things about the Amsoil filter that is availible in the States.

My 89 had the dreaded butt sag problem too, to solve it I had the rear spring pack redone with a rearced pack which had an extra leaf put in, 2 years later it hasn't sagged a bit. I wouldn't recommend changing over to coils as that would be very pricey.

For exhaust I went with the Dynomax 21/2" from cat back and sometime soon I may put LC Engineering' header in. The Dynomax gives good power and nice sound without being too loud i the cabin, although I usually have the tunes cranked up anyway!

My site is undergoing an extensive re-working but there are some good pics on there.

 

Mack, thanks for the reply! Sweet ride, especially like the truck with the top off Did you notice any improvement by simply adding a K&N filter?

How pricey can it get with adding coils? Just curious, $500? $1000?

Also, what about these igntion upgrades?? Such as
http://www.performanceproducts.com/p...pe=SUV&search=

Are these worth it? Do they add that much power?

 

Not sure on the price of adding coils but fabricating hangers and stuff would not be cheap.

I noticed good improvement right off the bat with the K&N.

As for the update for ignition you were asking about I couldn't get the link to open but I think you are talking about a new chip for the computer. Never tried one and I don't personally know anyone who has.

Another thing you may want to consider to squeeze some extra ponies out is upgrading your ignition. I have put Aurora plug wires into mine which are stainless steel core, guarenteed for life and produce less resistance and more spark than factory wires. In my case they were cheaper than the factory wires!

Another mod I have seen good results with on a friend of mine's Ford Bronceo and Mercury Cougar is an MSD ignition box and coil which goes a long way to giving better spark.

 

Mack, the link works for me

But yes, thats what I was getting at... the link is to an ignition upgrade, which I could also upgrade teh wires too! Seems reasonably inexpensive relatively speaking. Might have to give that a try....

 

You cannot simply swap coils for leafs. If you were to do this, you would need to build a whole new rear suspension complete with control arms and panhard rod to keep the axle in place. Think about it for a moment.....coils by themselves on the rear axle...would work fine standing still. Hit the gas and you would leave your rear axle at the stop sign! If it managed to stay under your truck somehow, first turn you take the axle would slide out the side of your truck and you would crash! :d So you see how you would need control arms to keep the axle in place and a panhard bar to keep the axle centered.


Try some Rancho shocks.

K&N filter will give you only a very minor performance gain, if any. Get it if you have the money I guess.

Don't want a loud muffler? Keep the stocker. Maybe get some larger diameter pipes. Most exhausts I've had experience with are louder than normal. But hey, you want your truck to look badass, why not make it sound badass as well?

ARB are awsome bumpers, but on the pricey side. Probably the most beefy aftermarket units available. TJM are excellent, and some models are very affordable. www.allprooffroad.com , www.rockstomper.com make some inexpensive ones as well.

Dunno about the dash. Mine has a crack in it as well. A friend of mine bought a replacement cover for his car. Just snapped over the top. I say live with it. Or maybe get some vinyl repair stuff and try to patch it up?

No kickass pics, but here is my POS in action! Stock as can be! For now that is, untill the mod money rolls in!

 

Rob,
Welcome to the board.
Though it might be a drive for you from the Denver area I saw a custom rear bumper for your truck sitting on a shelf getting dusty. It had the rear tire swing away and looked pretty tuff. It was at www.tanner4wheel.com
It's here in the Springs but when I talked to the guy he also told me that they do custom coils setups for those years too.

You might be able to get a deal on it because it looks like it's been there for a bit?

Sometimes I have 1st gen envy:confused:

:beaver: