Discontinued OEM / Factory Stripes, Logos and Decals.
Custom Fabrication for Toyota Trucks and 4Runners.
Motorcycle/Auto painting, decals, logos and pinstriping.
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Discontinued OEM / Factory Stripes, Logos and Decals. Custom Fabrication for Toyota Trucks and 4Runners. Motorcycle/Auto painting, decals, logos and pinstriping.
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93 4Runner Project Build* I've been searching for an older truck or
4Runner I could fix up and display my factory replacement graphics on. As
most know it's hard to find an older truck and even more difficult to find an
older 4Runner that someone is selling that
Click on Images below to take you to the repair, mod or upgrade.
Suspension Changes My first order of business was to correct
the ever famous sagging suspension, especially in the rear. I didn't want
to do a full 4" lift with a kit or a SAS, I just wanted a more rugged,
beefier stance. Plus have more load capacity.
To help correct the offset rear end is a panhard bar drop bracket from 4Crawler Offroad. I had a 5" difference between my frame mount and axle mount for the bar, so a 4" drop bracket should correct the majority of my offset. I fabricated a bracket to reposition the rear brake proportioning sensor arm up the 2" to bring it back to the stock ride height position for more accurate braking. I immediately noticed a difference to a more even stop instead of the previous dive the front used to make. I plan on making a new adjustable panhard bar to finish correcting the 3/8" offset of my rear end. It's hard to do a proper 4wheel alignment with the back off center. I was able to achieve 15.75" clearance from rim to wheel well up front and 15" from rim to wheel well in the back. Easily 1.5" - 2" higher than when it was new on the lot. The ride although a little stiffer, is still smooth with better handling than with the worn out original springs and bars. I was able to get the torsion bars, springs, spacers and drop bracket including S&H for under $500.
If your not looking to go all out with true 33" or bigger tires requiring gear changes and the sort, this 2" lift option for that beefier stance can be accomplished for around $700 including everything listed above and longer shocks. After my even, beefy stance was achieved with my lift I worried about what added weight with gear and towing would do for my look. So back to Desert Rat for a pair of Air Lift Air Bags. Part # 60812 is supposed to give 1000lbs. of leveling lift. Although this job can be done with one person, Jerry from ProLine Graphics dropped by to assist me. After disconnecting the shocks, brake lines, upper links, sway bar and Panhard Bar the coil springs slid out for the bag install. A little soap on the bags makes for a easy install into the coils. After drilling and deburring a 3/4" hole in the center of the perch for the airline, the install was no different than the removal, only backwards. I ran the lines up the lower link to the frame mount for the Schrader valve, a temp location till I install a air pump, tank and control system. With the max of 35lbs in the bags they gave me almost an inch of lift with no apparent effect on ride quality or feel. Score!
Everyone tells you that most shocks are good for up to 1-2" of lift depending on the manufacture. The only problem is if your shock only has 4" of travel and you lift your ride 1.5" you are now extended to the end of you shocks travel. This may be fine when you hit bumps and compress your shocks, but when your wheels drop out, your shock is getting ripped in half every time it hits the top of the reservoir. A little research can provide a shock that has enough length difference, to put you back towards the center of the stroke. The front shocks* can be replaced with shocks from a 99-2005 Ford F250-350 2WD Super Duty. I used Rancho 5000's (Part# RS5272). The shock is .625" longer compressed and 1.625" longer extended, a perfect replacement for my 1.5" spacer lift. The RS5272 has a 1/2" stud at the top and a 5/8" bushing for the lower mount. The bushing is a little thinner than the stock shock, so it may require a washer on each side of the bushing. Also there is no sleeve in the bushing, so I would recommend changing the regular nut to a locking nut so you don't have to crank down on the bolt. The rear shocks* can be replaced with shocks from a 95-96 Lexus LX450. I used Rancho 5000's (Part# RS5208). It has the same lower mount and a stud for the top. Although it has 1/2" threads on the stud end, the hole in the frame is large enough. The shock is 1" longer compressed and 1.75" longer extended, a perfect replacement for a 1.5" lift. Because the stud is larger on both front and rear new shocks, make sure the grommet flange gets centered in frame hole. I chose to use Rancho shocks because I liked the ride I had with the stock length Rancho shocks and the cost. I would assume any manufactures shocks for the above listed applications would work. I replaced the lower bump stops up front with Energy Suspensions 9.9101 2.125" tall bump stop to limit upward travel. Don't forget, there is a set on the front and rear of the lower control arms. Since the upper control arms sits pretty much in the stock position I left the factory bump stop. I got my shocks and bump stops from the great guys at Desert Rat Offroad. * You must have at least 1.5" of suspension lift to use these shocks. Not having that lift puts your shocks at the bottom of compression stroke which is as bad if not worse than being extended. Extended Brake Lines In conjunction with my lift, small as it may be, I noticed the brake lines having an issue (being too short), mainly the rear. To the net I went. Although may companies list extended lines, I got mine from Trail Gear. When I opened the box they came in, I was amazed at the beauty and quality. Stainless steel braided lines covered in clear with billet ends. A definite upgrade in looks and performance. As you can see in the pics below the originals are just too short. Even in the sitting position they are barely long enough. First remove old brake line. Then remove the nuts that hold the proportioning valve in place and slide bracket out. Cut angle tab off, clean up cut and drill hole for new brake line restraint. Insert a 5/16" X 3/4" bolt to hold new bracket. Re-install bracket. Finish off by installing new brake line. I looped my line so as to not rub on any body or suspension parts. Of coarse you will need to bleed and add brake fluid.
Onboard Air The heart of my on-board air system is two Viair 480c pump and 2.5 gallon tank from Arnott Air Products. This feeds to a Firestone pneumatic controller and gauge thru 1/4" airlines and compression fittings provided by Michigan Truck Spring. I cut a second hole for a tank pressure gauge in addition to my bag psi gauge. This allows me to have both control over my air bags in my coil springs for ride height and leveling, as well as to have a quick release fitting on both sides of my ride for tire filling after crawling. The combination of a 100% duty cycle pump at 100psi and a 2.5 gallon tank makes quick time out of returning my 31s to road pressure after crawlin or filling my Zodiac in San Carlos. This also provides me with more than enough air if and when I install lockers.
I had to make 1.5" spacers for my spare tire locating brackets to allow for the size of my air tank. I also cut 1" of the stirrup mount to get my tank as flush to the floor of my truck. I used long reach 1/4-20 quick nuts instead of the bushing, bolt and nut combo provided, due to the restricted access when the tank was in place. This made for a easy install by running a 3/4" stainless screw from the inside down into the quick nuts. Manual Locking Hub Swap For several reasons I've decided to switch from my ADD (Auto Differential Disconnect) factory hubs to a set of Warn Premium Hubs (Part# 28761). First, it saves your CV joints and boots by not turning all the time, especially with a lifted vehicle it puts a greater angle and stress on them. Second, if anything up front breaks on the trail, you can unlock for the drive home, instead of the tow truck ride home. Third and most debatable, I'm hoping for a little more efficiency and power on the street. The later will be tested and results shared after install (I've kept close track of mileage before swap). You will need Spindle Nut Conversion kit (Part# 29918) if you have Auto Hubs, but you will NOT need it if you have ADD. Toyota switched from Auto Hubs to ADD hubs in 89 for trucks and 90 for 4Runners. This was great since the whole "back up on the trail" thing and you were not in 4wheel drive anymore with the Auto Hubs sucked. However, with ADD, your whole front axle, diff and front driveline, all turn, all the time. Can't help to think there's a little drag there. Just remember to drive in 4Wheel drive at least once a month to keep everything up front lubricated. Although you don't need to take the wheels off, I did anyway. Remove dust cup, then axle bolt and spacer (washer), next remove acorn nuts and locking cones and drive flange. Install Manuel hub base with washers and acorn nuts and tighten to specs. Replace axle bolt and washer. Install hub cap assemble with gasket in correct place and tighten socket cap screws. Verify that your hubs engage and disengage. The whole job to me less than 30 minutes including taking the pictures.
This project cost about $130 and 30 minutes of time with no specialty tools (hammer, flat blade, 12mm socket and 4 mm allen). I anticipate recovering that amount in economy, performance and less cost from wear and tear. Update - I have since checked my mileage and have noticed a difference. I have gained between 1-2 miles per gallon better and a less sluggish, easier roll with the manual hubs unlocked. Not to say this will be true in your case, but like a stated previous, I can't imagine that there isn't some resistance in a front end that is all under load. Considering I have a V6, Auto with larger tires and a lot of extra weight (Hi-Lift jack, tool box, custom rack, front receiver, air tank and compressor) I get 15 mpg in town with a drop by a mile or two running the A/C. JDC Front Bumper Mods and 2" Receiver Since my lower front bumper valence was damaged when I got my 4Runner, I decided to remove it and make a custom one that included a 2" receiver. I believe the metal upper bumper looks fine from the side without the lower valence, so my build will just be in the center section up front. This will provide extra tire clearance and greater inclination angle. The receiver bracket mounts to the frame where the bumper push rings normally bolt to and 6 other pre-existing threaded holes and 2 non-threaded holes in the frame. Yes a total of 10 mounting locations. The front receiver is positioned at the same height that the rear factory receiver is. This bracket is made from 1/4" steel and has a 2" receiver hitch and reinforcement gussets with link holes. More than enough for forward boat launches, towing or a wench cradle (see below). Comes in either bare metal or black powder coat finish. Trimming a 1/4" off the top of the skip plate in the center and a notch for the receiver is required for the receiver bracket to clear on IFS models. Trimming a notch from the center of the factory plastic valance (if used) is also required. Receiver comes with all mounting bolts and template to cut skid plate (IFS models). Use of this receiver requires adding a Transmission cooler on automatic trucks and 4Runners. The valance mounts to the bumper where the old plastic one originally mounted. Drilled holes for greater cooling and looks. This new valance stays in the center of the upper bumper and does not wrap around the sides. This provides more approach angle as well as more tire clearance. Valance is made from 1/8" steel and is black powder coated. This 2" receiver fits the front of 90-95 4Runners and 89-95 4X4 trucks. (Receiver pictured below without valance to show design and mounting)
This valance fits 2nd Generation 4Runners 90-95 with bumper style shown below. (Requires removing oem plastic valance and trimming license tabs.)
Although 2" receiver was tested to 500lbs, it is rated for 300lb static load. For light duty hitch, tow strap or winch use.
Four Link Solutions When a four link suspension gets moved from its original stance location with a lift or a drop, it will usually change the pinion angle. This is true in the case of the 4Runners with coil springs. When the rear end is pushed down with taller springs, it moves the differential forward and rotate the pinion angle up. This can only truly be corrected by lengthening the lower links. Changing the upper links with longer or adjustable will move the wheel back to center, but will make pinion angle worse. And you definitely don't want to shorten the upper links without lengthening the lowers, this will push your driveline further into your tranny. Remember opposing u-joints have to be equal and opposite angles. Even a lift as small as 1.5" can change the pinion angle by 2 degrees. After I lifted my 4Runner with OME's HD coil springs I noticed an elliptical vibration starting in my drive shaft. (For a more detailed write up see http://www.4x4wire.com/toyota/tech/driveline/) This is because the front u-joint angle is 4 degrees and my pinion angle was -2 degrees. Changing the lengths of your links can cause problems when your suspension is compressed or dropped (oversized tires may rub or bind) but this procedure will correct street driving and 90 percent of wheel travel situations. JDC Poor Mans Rear Lower Link Extension Kit Instead of making or buying longer lower links you can lengthen your current ones. After measuring the diameter of my link I found that 1.75" DOM tubing with a wall of .188" would sleeve the factory link perfectly. After removing my driveshaft and putting the 4Runner on jack stands, I disconnected the lower links and rotated the rear end till the back of the tranny and the front of the pinion were equal and opposite angles. With my 1.5" lift the lower link needed to be lengthened by a 1/2". (With a 4" lift, it needs to be lengthened by 1".) After cutting your link and extending to the corrected length, mig welded the sleeve at each end and re-installed. Not only will this get rid of the vibration, it will relocate your axle back to its correct position in the wheel well and extend the life of your u-joints. This method should only be done if your tires (i.e.. 33 plus) will not bind or rub when your rear end is compressed. JDC Heavy Duty Wench Cradle Custom heavy duty wench cradle with built in block and tackle attachment point. Most wench cradles don't have an attachment point or hook on the cradle, which forces you to hook to an existing offset front end hook or the frame if you need to run the line back for extra pull. This can put an unusual amount of sideways twist on your cradle. Most can't handle it. The JDC cradle extends the 2" receiver all the way to the front of the cradle so as to put an attachment point directly below and inline with your wench. JDC Heavy Duty Safari Basket Roof Rack (with optional Hi-Lift Jack mount, Light Tabs and Tool Mount) With my main goal of creating a beefy, off-road looking vehicle, the realization that the stock jack would no longer reach any ware under the 4Runner and be able to change a tire, I got a Hi-Lift HL485 Extreme Jack. The only problem is where to put a 4' long jack. After removing the factory cross bars I made a basket rack the will hold my jack on one side and some leverage bars, shovel or pick on the other side. Made from 16 gauge 1" square tubing provides plenty of strength while remaining light weight. The bottom has 3 support cross-bars and is decked with 1/2 expanded metal. This rack is available for purchase with different options and accessories.
Rear Bumper Lights As most are aware the rear back-up lights on the 2nd Generation 4Runners don't provide that much light, especially if your vehicle is lifted. So I thought I would add a little extra by inserting some white LED lights into the rear bumper. I didn't want to mount lights below the bumper because experience has shown me they usually get broken or twisted. Now granted, these don't provide the amount of light an off-road or KC light would, but the give off a cleaner and brighter light than the ones that are higher in the tailgate. They are also aimed down just a little because of the angle of the bumper.
By-Pass hose #3 As most with the 3.0 V6, have had the small cane shaped by-pass hose at the rear of the motor go bad or will. This is mostly caused by the hi heat due to the exhaust cross-over tube directly below. Some after market suppliers may carry this pre-curved hose, but you may find you can only get it from the dealer in your area. It is part #16267-65011 and list for around $10. Usually the 2 port thermal switch and vacuum lines next to it are dried out and corroded too. If you have to replace the by-pass hose you will probably have to change the thermal switch and lines as well. First off you will need a pair of long needle nose pliers. Remove the screw that holds the brake booster vacuum line to the firewall and carefully rotate hose forward. This will give you more viewing and working room. Use needle nose pliers to remove spring clamps from hose. You may need to cut hose at bases to release. Be careful of the port switch. The ports are plastic and will probably break if they already aren't. Insert the clamps on the new hose with the handles facing the passenger side and slightly to the rear. Lube the inside of the hose with a silicon or vegetable oil to make for an easier slide. Do Not use petroleum base oil. Re-install hose and slide clamps into place. Re-install brake booster hose bolt and check your fluid level.
Remote Oil Filter As everyone is well aware, most vehicles have the oil filter in the strangest location and worst angle. This results in contortionist act and dripping oil everywhere. The 4Runner is no exception. To avoid having to remove the skid plate and clean up a bunch of oil on every change, I am installing a remote oil filter kit by Hayden. Part #291. The kit comes with everything you need except for hose and a PH8 (Ford) filter. The hose and added filter size will increase oil capacity and hopefully a lower oil temperature. I made an oval hole in the inner fender well just above the lips. I ran both hoses inside a radiator hose to protect them from the fender as well as the frame edge under the P/S gearbox. I still have some minor adjustments to make as well as a shield to protect the filter from debris.
Custom Body & Paint Work Well I finally broke down and started the tedious process of my body work and paint. I like the color that comes on the Lexus IS300, code 8N8. I took that formula and quadrupled the violet toner in it to help kill the green cast and bring it around to more of a purple color. I think this will create a beautiful canvas to install my silver oem replacement stripes on. Although I do this type of work all the time, I haled a close personal friend and DuPont certified paint specialist, Don Sorensen, from Oregon to come down to assist me. This was mainly to lesson my down time, but he's also really good at what he does. We started by washing and degreasing the 4Runner so as to see what would be required and to remove any contaminates. Then we marked all areas that required body work. After that we de-trimmed bumpers, wheel well moldings, windows, lights, rack, handles, emblems and grill.
Most areas only had minor damage (i.e. door dings and ripples) so body work areas only needed to be hit with 80 grit to prep for glazing putty. Filler was then hand blocked with 80 grit, then finished off with 150. The rest of the 4Runner was then blocked with 150 grit to prepare for the sprayable polyester filler. All window and other openings were masked to prevent primer from getting on anything not intended. After a day or two a drying, the ride was hand blocked with 150 to insure straight panels.
Now the Runner gets re-masked and primed with regular filling primer. The final light coat gets some color added for a guide coat. This let's you know you have missed any spots when you sand. This primer will get blocked with 400 grit paper and will then be ready to paint.
With the paint being such a good covering color, painting the pieces separately wasn't going to be a problem. This allowed for the jams and insides of the doors and tailgate to be painted fully without any masking lines. All panels, inside and out were sealed with a grey sealer. Then 3-4 coats of base were sprayed out for coverage. This was then lightly sanded with 800 to knock down any imperfections or peaks in the sealer or base. Then a slightly over-reduced base was applied to melt in sand marks and eliminate any mottling. The base was now ready for clear. Du Pont's G2 Multi-Mix clear lays out beautifully and sets up quick, even without force drying. After they had a chance to dry, the hood, doors and tailgate were carefully re-installed. Then it was blocked with 800 grit and re-cleared. This re-clear is not a necessary step, but I wanted a deep shine and extra protection. This step makes the cut and buff easier because the clear is already pretty smooth with very little imperfections. This will also allow for minor scratches to by color sanded and buffed out later without the fear of busting through. Here are the pics after the re-clear but before the cut and buff. DuPont certified painter Don Sorensen on the left and myself on the right. My Cheshire cat grin knowing that my baby is finally painted.
With the panels all re-cleared the color sanding and buffing was done on the sides and hood. This was done before the windows and handles were installed to prevent buffing compound from damaging the gaskets. After the side windows were installed, the new windshield was urethaned in by Robert from Roadrunner Auto Glass. Their office girl Cindy took care of my entire windshield glass claim including getting me new moldings. Thanks Roadrunner. After the windshield was installed, the roof was cut and buffed then off to the tint shop it went to have new limo in the back and legal up front laid on. The top of the windshield is going to get a color matched vinyl strip. While all the interior trim was off, I also installed Quiet-Pads on all the doors, quarter panels and tailgate. They are a peel and stick pad that is about 1/8" thick. I had scrubbed the inside panels really well while prepping the doors for paint, so all I had to do on install is clean with alcohol. This gives amazing sound deadening as well stiffening up the panels.
Since my chrome bumpers had some damage (minor dents and dings) I figured I would hammer and dolly them out and powder coat them hammer tone black. After the dents were fixed we ran a 80 grit pad over the chrome to rough the surface for better adhesion being careful not to bust through the chrome anywhere. This textured black finish gives it a tougher stance plus hides the minor imperfections of the repairs. Joe at Tucson Spraying Technologies did a beautiful job basing and clear coating the finish. After finding a bracket from a salvage yard to replace one of my rear brackets that was bent (and not replaced) from a previous repair, Don and I installed the new bracket and bumpers.
The next step was fitting my Bushwacker fender flares. Although there fit was pretty good, there are always minor things that need to be trimmed from the edges to insure a fug snit. First order of business was to hold them in place to see where to trim.
After trimming, they were prepped for paint. I slightly textured them with chip guard before painting them black so as to match the Hammer toned bumpers. A few coats of DuPont basecoat and 2 coats of G2 clear finish them off making them ready for their install. Washer Pumps and Seals I was told when I bought the 4Runner that the windshield washer pump was bad and that the Toyota part was $240. So I bought a Trico replacement pump for $33 from Checker Auto. When I went to change the pump, I tested it first, only to realize the pump was fine, it was unplugged and the rubber grommets leaked like a sieve. I found that a 5/8 - 7/8 grommet made the same seal the factory sleeve did. I used a little o-ring lube to help the pumps slide in without breaking the 14 year old bottle. Replaced both grommets for under $1 and both pumps work great again. Needless to say I returned the $33 pump.
Before testing those pumps out make sure all of your wipers are good. They will come on when you squirt the pumps. Most aftermarket parts stores don't have a listing for the rear wiper, but if your arm is good shape Toyota makes a slide in replacement blade(A350). Part # 85221-YZZA2. Rear View Mirror As with most Toyotas with the "break away" rear view mirror, they get loose and floppy at the mount point. This is not only irritating but makes it difficult to keep the mirror adjusted. Unless something is broke on your truck, the looseness is easily remedied with a #2 Phillips and an awl. It is caused by the two tension pins that allow for the "breakaway mechanism" getting compressed over time. It is a simple 10-15 minute fix.
This should fix your floppy, bouncing mirror. Unless part of your mount is actually broke, then off to the junk yard you go. Modification List
In The Works
Future Mods
* The information listed in this build are items and ideas I found that worked for me. Any alterations you make are done at your own risk and should be calculated and double checked to fit your needs.
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Send mail to
james@jamesdeancreations.com with questions
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