bizzyboi

Just bought my 1999 4runner 2wd with 119,000 miles on it. It drives great, with the exception of what feel like saggy springs. Those bumps in the road during city driving are no joke!

In trying to fix that issue, I've gone a little crazy, and bought a lot of stuff in the form of suspension, wheels, and doing a 99 to 96-98 SR5 front bumper conversion.

There's just something about the look of the 96-98 front bumper that I really like..


Anyhow, here's a list of things I've purchased.

Suspension: (I think a 1.5 to 2 inch lift from what I'v read)

1. OME 881 Front Coil Set
2. OME 906 Rear Coil Set
3. 91SC Front Strut
4. 86C Rear Shock

No Spacers or Trim


Wheels:

1. Wheelers Off Road Black Steelies 15x8 Type B
2. Black nuts
3. Black Center caps
4. Set of Wheel Locks
5. FUTURE: BFG 32x11.5x15 TA KO All Terrain (after everything arrives at my house)

99 to 96-98 Front Bumper Swap:[LIST=1][*]96-98 SR5 Front Chrome Bumper (Upper)[*]96-98 Front Bumper Lower Valance[*]96-98 Bumper Signal Clear Corner Light


99 SR5 to 01-02 Limited Chrome Grille Swap:

1. 01-02 Limited Chrome Grille (See above)

Misc.:

1. 4runner License Frame
2. Remove Runnings boards
3. Install Front Mudflap
4. Remove Racing Stripes/Stickers

Yes, my wallet is hurting.. but I am super excited to see how it will all look. Here are a few pictures of my stock setup.








I'll post pics once I have everything instaled. Any comments or suggestions are appreciated.

I'm also looking for a 96-02 4runner tow hitch so PM me if you want to sell yours!

LifterCatcher

nice ruuner subbed

bizzyboi

Yea I liked that one. Mine will look similar, except no blacked-out corner lights..

bizzyboi

I got the 01-02 grille today and also decided to take off the runnings boards. I didn't think about having to order another toyota badge, as the old ones don't fit this grille! I also removed the racing stripes stickers off the car. What a pain in the a**, by the way.




To the pics:










I get the 96-98 front bumper assembly with clear cornering signal lights either Thurs or Friday too. I'll post pics once I have it all installed!!




These items are being shipped to my house while we speak!

OME 881 front coils + comfort struts
OME 906 rear coils + comfort shocks
Pro Comp Rock Crawler 15x8 black steelies
32x11.5 BF Goodrich T/A KO All Terrains (will get from a local store once I get all of these at my house)
Toyota Badge for 01-02 Grille
Rear "4runner" license frame

j944

I agree w/ you on the front bumper. I never liked the fat lip on the 99+ front bumper.
Since youre going w/ the wheeler 15x8 wheels did your truck come w/ 15in wheels? (brake caliper clearance) I guess I thought only base models or older 3rd gens had 15in wheels opposed to 99+ models.

Where in TX are you

bizzyboi

I'm near Eldridge and Memorial, aka "Energy Corridor"..

My wheels say 15x7, which is weird because all I've read is that 3rd gen 99+ models come with 16x8's.

bizzyboi

Houston, TX

j944

Been to Houston once. I live in Grapevine now.
I had a 98 sr5 and it came w/ 15in wheels as well. I dont know how they determine which ones do or dont come with other wheels options...Keep the updates coming

4ever4running

iTrader: (1)

I was under the same impression, but my 02 4runner SR5 came with 15X7's too. Keep the thread updated because I am interested to see if you have any issues with rubbing when you get your wheels/tires installed because I am looking to go with 33X11.5's or 33X12.5's on my stock 15X7's.

bizzyboi

hmmm...... after taking off the front bumper assembly it looks like the bracket connected to the frame needs some modification to fit?? I remember reading a forum that said it was a direct bolt on. Apparently not!!

Anyone have ideas? For now, I am off searching for a fix on the net...

bizzyboi

OK I figured out that I need the 96-98 front bumper arms - driver and passenger side. I just ordered them so I gotta wait till early next week...


Oh, by the way, I got the OME springs and shocks in the mail today! So now, I've got my 15x8 black steelies and OME suspension. There's no way I'm going to go through all the trouble of putting the old bumper back on temporarily.... so I'm contemplating just going to the shop tomorrow anyways to mount the new suspension, tires, wheels with no bumper on the front lol. (I found a dude on craigslist selling his BFG TA KOs 32x11.5x15 for $360 with 70-80% tread left so he says)

Decisions decisions...

bizzyboi

Here are some pics from today. Sorry for the poor quality, these are cell phone pictures because my digicam got stolen..

Here's the Front Bumper and lower valance..



the 01-02 grille in my garage..



angled view with no bumper or grille. The lower 99+ bumper bracket still needs to be taken off..



front view with no bumper or grille..



How I'll be rolling for the next few days. With the 99+ bumper bracket taken off..

bizzyboi

I'm waiting for these!!

Ripcord_4Runner

I like the older 3rd gen bumpers too. but for the effort of swapping bumpers I would just get a aftermarket steel one.

Either way, I like the direction this build is going in.

bizzyboi

Yeah.. that aftermarket bumper look just hasn't grown on me for some reason..


Anyways, I finally got the 96-98 bumper on, along with the clear lights. I also got the toyota emblem glued on since I couldn't find the right screws. It seems to be stuck on there pretty good though. I made my girlfriend look at it, and she goes "I like it... but uh... it doesn't look like much of a difference to me... " HAHA! I suppose she may be right, but I'm happy with it which is all that matters right??

I had a straight frontal shot, but because its a phone camera, it was too blurry to post.









I also got the black door guards installed.


Tomorrow, I'm getting the 881/906 setup installed with comfort shocks. After they're installed, I'm off to the tire shop to put on my 15 x 8 rock crawlers and 32 11.50 15 BF Goodrich TA KOs. Stay tuned for pics!!!

4ever4running

iTrader: (1)

Looks sweet! That is definitely different from any other 4runner I have seen..I really like doing subtle modifications like this because they make you stand out from the crowd. Keep up the good work!

CaptainCall

Any pics yet? I'm anxious to see the outcome. Also, let me know how the ride is... Firm? Way firm?

4ever4running

iTrader: (1)

Now you just need to get some clear corner lights to match the clear bumper lights and the look will be complete.

bizzyboi

Saturday, I went to get my shocks and coils installed. I gotta say, the difference in the ride is night and day. Highway driving is about the same, but potholes aren't as bone-jarring anymore and braking doesn't cause the front end to dip as much. This all results in a much more comfortable ride, with better braking during city driving.

One thing that I did not expect is for the front to be about .5-.7 inches higher than the rear. Before the lift, the rear was about .4-.5 inches higher than the front. Everything I had read said this should be a level vehicle after installed the 881/906 combo. Has anyone else with the 881/906 combo experienced this? Will it settle down to level or should I look into getting something for the rear?

The tech who installed the suspension pieces recommended that I wait 200-300 miles before putting on the black steelies and 32'' BFG ATs. He said this was because the truck will settle and I would have to get it aligned again. What are people's thoughts on this?

Oh yea, also removed the hood bugflector.


BEFORE:



AFTER:



BEFORE:



AFTER:



REAR SUSPENSION VIEW:



FRONT SUSPENSION VIEW:





I'm kinda bummed that I won't be able to put the wheels and tires on for a couple weeks, but I'll try to be patient with it..

Let me know what you think!!

bizzyboi

I'm on the fence right now about the clear corners. Since I'm going for the black and white look, I want to avoid OVERdoing it. You know what I mean? I think the red on the tail lights and the orange on the corners would look good. We'll see though.. I might change my mind lol