Hi guys! I have been lurking on these forums for a while, got my 4runner about 6 months ago, and already have taken it from Chicago to California and back. I love this truck! Lots planned for it too.



I'm a rock climber, so the truck needs to be good at 3 things:

Highway driving

Light / medium duty offroading

Haul climbing, living, cooking gear / be able to sleep in the back

So....I made some rookie mistakes on the trip. When I bought the truck I neglected to check the Trans oil, and of course there was hardly any, so everything burned up right around Grand Island, Nebraska. One new transmission for the truck! Great!

Then while hanging in San Jose, I blew a head gasket. It was actually pretty easy to fix, and while I was in there, I replaced the timing chain, sprockets, and upgraded to metal guides. Also did a lot of tuneup work. WOW that made a difference in power. Looking at the old HG, It was amazing that we made it out of Illinois, but I couldn't maintain 70mph on a flat, and now I could go 70mph uphill! Amazing!

But on the way back from Illinois I discovered a small oil leak from where the timing cover meets the block and the head. I was going to tear into it at home, and just keep the oil levels good on the way back. Good plan? Not for me. I forgot to put the oil cap on just inside of Nebraska, and ended up losing all my oil, and burning all of the crank bearings. Broke down right at Grand Island, Nebraska AGAIN.



Maybe you can see all of the metal shavings. The bearings were about as thick as my fingernail..

10 days later I got a beautiful longblock from enginemonster and helped install it at the shop I was staying at.


Here she is!


Lots more to follow, as I'm planning out new tires, a suspension overhaul, and some more comfort / travelling modifications.

 

Here are a couple of things I've already done to the truck. First, I removed the head unit, and put and amp underneath the passenger seat.


The RCA cable just goes through the console and it's just a headphone jack. I soon plan on putting a panel over the back so passengers can't accidentally kick the amp. As far as speakers go, I put 2 6" speakers in the doors, and have a pair of 6x9"s in the back. I might add some tweeters somewhere in the doors or dash, because it's not a great sound, but not yet.


In place of the head unit, I just cut up some wood and inserted it into the void. In this picture you can also see the shift boot I made, and the extra cigarette lighter in the console.



I put up some wood in the back that I plan on staining dark when it gets warmer out, and I reused the hardware for the access panels because they're so useful! There's an 'always hot' cigarette lighter on the DS by the passenger seat, as well as an auxiliary switch to roll the rear window down at any time. I mounted that inside of the panelling so it couldn't be hit while the door was open. you put your finger inside a hole and flick the switch ()





The last thing I've done so far is the lighting.


I wired it to the deck lamp swith on the dash so I can turn it on and off from either the rear or the front of the truck. The LED's are and I just cut them and placed them around the roll bar, ran the wires down the side, and it works great. I may put a translucent wrap over it to dim them a bit, but they're otherwise perfect! I highly recommend this. I had to buy a 3 pole rocker switch to replace the switch/fixture combo that was stock, but it was really really easy and works better than I expected!

Also you can see the blinds I installed on the sides. These were sewn up from cheap blackout curtains from wal-mart. I slid a dowel rod through the bottom to weight them and keep them straight, and sewed a strap with a small buckle to keep them up. Works really well for those nights on the road sleeping at rest stops.

Not sure if anyone else would want those, or even a custom shift boot, but I can make either anyone who would want them! I run a small company where I make backpacks and other gear, so sewing is what I do.

 

And how could I forget my favorite mod of all!!!

IMG_4474 by woolard.ralph, on Flickr

 

Dam, thats alot of break downs in 1 road trip! Nice job on those back panels too

 

Yeah it was a series of unfortunate events, but I learned A LOT about working on this truck in the process. I just ordered a large amount of suspension / steering parts, here's what I ordered:

OEM ball joints (upper and lower)
OEM idler arm rebuild parts
OEM torsion bar bolts and etc. (Just in case)

Tie rod ends (Inner and outer) from Autozone


Money is tight, or nonexistant, but this needs to be done. Tires are coming soon too, and soon after, new shocks and ZUKmodded rear suspension. After those things are done, the only thing left to do is add some disc brakes in the back! I'm thinking of using 3rd gen rear Acura Integra calipers because of the good ebrake setup I can have with them.(suggestions appreciated!) The ebrake mechanisms in my drums are currently so seized that I have never used my ebrake yet. The previous owner had something in there that really gummed up.

If anyone sees anything I should do or any suggestions, definitely let me know! I'm new to the truck world, and it's so fun to learn new stuff (like how the Clutch Cancel Switch can be used)