Advice wanted on new 4Runner

[droppdwn]

Good morning everyone! I'm a new member and, as of 5PM yesterday, the proud, new winner of a 1996 4Runner. I say winner because I've not yet paid for or picked up the vehicle:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4561415127

My wife and I are with the Foreign Service and will be moving to Armenia in October (translation:no easy way to get heavy parts (tires, 3rd members, gear sets) unless I ship them in with us). I've been looking for a good, solid expedition platform for quite awhile,and this one seemed perfect (it's already set up and ready to go as far as I can see from a distance). As with all things that seem perfect, they usually are not. I called the seller last night after winning the item, and got out of him that the 'factory locker' was, in fact, a retrofit. I don't have any qualms about the 100K miles on that 3.4L V6 (the head gasket was replaced under recall at around 90K) or on that drivetrain, but I need to understand what exactly could become problematic with a retrofitted elocker. If it matters, the 3rd member is from a 2002 Tacoma.

I'm not intending to disparage the seller in anyway, but I would have paused had I known that the locker didn't come from the factory. If I were staying in the United States I would already be on a plane to go pick it up, but I'm moving to a place where a reliable vehicle is a necessity and calling a tow truck to haul it to my favorite gear shop isn't going to be an option. Although they WERE Russian for a long, long time so they're used to fixing things...

I even considered looking for and replacing the entire rear axle before leaving, or would you all consider that overkill?

Thank you in advance for any input you all might provide me.

Chad

 

[Scott Brady]

I would not worry about the retro-fit too much. The way the swap works does not compromise the gear/locker strength or service life. I would ask him who did it.

On another note, the owner does seem to use the highest quality parts, which means the instal was not likely a botch job. The 4Runner as a good quality suspension, the ARB front bumper, new tires, etc., all of which are not cheap, and in the top tier of their category.

You got a SMOKIN deal on that truck. I would hop on a plane, and bring her home...

 

[BajaTaco]

Hi Chad

As Scott mentioned, I wouldn't be too worried about it. If I were you, I would much rather have that locked axle in there (retro-fit or not) than the original '96 non-locked version. I agree that the seller should have disclosed this, but I think you will be fine. The only thing that might go wrong with your e-locker is the possibility of actuator malfunction if it is contaminated or corroded. You mentioned that the axle is from a 2002 Tacoma, so my guess is that this situation would be highly unlikely. If you are concerned about it, and would like to take some spare parts to be able to rebuild the actuator yourself, I can put you in touch with a friend of mine from Canada that has just recently done this with his. He also knows how to rebuild the wiring harness connector pins. The good thing about the actuator is that it will not leave you stranded, the worse that will happen is that you will lose the function of the locker.

The other possible failure would be the inner axle seals. They are fairly easy to replace in the field, so you might want to purchase a couple of spares to take with you. You will also need to add something to your tool kit that is the same diameter as the axle seal, that you can use to tap it into the seat inside the axle flange. Again, a failure of this seal will not leave you stranded, you just might leak a little bit of gear oil on the trip home. If you do have a leaky seal, you will likely need to replace the brake shoes. I'm not saying this will probably happen to you, just saying it could happen.

 

[Scott Brady]

Chad,

How is the purchase going? You are probably driving the thing back home right now

 

[droppdwn]

Not yet!

You guys and an old friend of mine from YankeeToys (a Toyota 4x4 group from New England) convinced me that the locker retrofit was not an issue. The current owner of the 4Runner even has a spare set of inner axle seals that he's going to give me. He had planned on the possibility that they'd be damaged when the locker was installed (but they were able to reuse the existing ones). I'm planning on flying down to pick it up mid next week. I'll post pics, don't worry. :^)

I still have a healthy level of concern for longevity and reliability, but then again that's why I'm buying a Toyota. I don't remember a head gasket recall on the 3.4L V6 though... My old 3.0L had one, but have any of you heard of one for the 3.4? Maybe it was just that first year.

This is a good way to spawn a new topic though: What spare parts do I bring to Armenia with me?

The list that I have tentatively is as follows:

Brake Pads
1 front driveshaft (with the cv boots)
1 rear half shaft (don't know the correct nomenclature for half of the rear axle) and are they interchangeable like the front?
Fuel filter
Oil Filters
2 air filters (it's dusty there)
Upper and lower radiator hoses / Clamps

Locker actuator parts?
U joints?
2 extra tires (anyone have a wheel recommendation (light and cheap preferably)

I can't ship oil or liquids so...

 

[Scott Brady]

Chad,

Great idea on the spare list. I have started a new thread, just for that...

 

[Scott Brady]

Chad,

Do you have the truck yet? What do you think so far?

 

[droppdwn]

The new truck is home

The new truck is home and it's in great shape. Lots of scrapes and scratches, but no major mechanical issues. Starts up and drives great even at highway speeds. It DOES have a little shimmy at 60mph on the dot, but above and below that it's smoother than I could have imagined a lifted vehicle to be. And it's a rust-free, southern vehicle!

Sorry about the huge pics, but I don't have a re-sizing application where I am right now. Anyone see anything out of place?

http://www.dropp.net/4by4/4runner

I need 2 spare rims (anyone?) or someone to tell me the stock backspacing on these (3.75" maybe). I'm taking 2 spare tires with me as the one spare I have is pretty old.

 

[BajaTaco]

Congrats! I will wait for you to take some pics at a lower-res to look at them all :Wow1: but glad to hear it is going well.

 

[droppdwn]

a little oil in the airbox and drawer system

the only thing strange I've found so far is a little bit of oil in the airbox. The PO definately leaned it into a tree on that side and the filter is spotless (no oil). Anything to worry about?

I've already started planning a drawer system! I need to be able to have the seats lay forward, and lay a platform of some sort so that I can convert it from expedition mode to four passenger mode. Anyone have any ideas? Is there a forum for such planning?

 

[BajaTaco]

the only thing strange I've found so far is a little bit of oil in the airbox. The PO definately leaned it into a tree on that side and the filter is spotless (no oil). Anything to worry about?

I've already started planning a drawer system! I need to be able to have the seats lay forward, and lay a platform of some sort so that I can convert it from expedition mode to four passenger mode. Anyone have any ideas? Is there a forum for such planning?

I have no idea what the situation with the oil in the box could be from. Unless maybe he had an oiled filter (K&N type) in there and took it out? Are you using the OEM paper filter? The crankcase vent is not connected, so can't be that. Hmmm... I would just clean it all out and keep an eye on it. Nothing to be worried about unless it comes back for some reason, after you clean it out.

For drawer systems, go to yotatech.com and do a search for "cargo box" and "drawer" and "sleeping platform" and you are sure to come up with a bunch.

 

[kevin]

4runner pics

just going over your pics and info, it looks like you made a great buy. regarding the electro-magnetic locker conversion, I know that when fitting this unit to four cylinder 8 inch axles there is minor grinding of the housing required to make it fit. I do not know if this is the case for your v-6 housing, however it would be wise to pull the drain plug and replace the rear diff fluid, just in case there are any metal shavings in it. In looking at photo number 11 I can see signs of what looks like oil or brake fluid on the tire. Perhaps this is from the install, was it recent? I noted that the seller included rear seals in the purchase. Check the brake fluid level, and if you are feeling ambitious, remove the rear wheels and check for leaks. I am most certain that it has no problems at all, however it would be worth checking before a long adventure. Thanks for the pics and good luck with your project.

P.S. somtimes a bad PCV valve or faulty baffle can lead to oil in the air box

 

[droppdwn]

Thanks for the tips guys. I'm going to fork over the cash and have Toyota dealership give it the once-over. The brake fluid (all fluids for that matter) are clean and full. I read about the possible PCV malfunctioning causing the oil to pool in the airbox. That's not entirely accurate actually. It's really just a tiny bit of oil, not even enough to dirty the stock paper air filter...

thanks again. I'll post more when I get a chance to shrink my images, and start on some projects.

 

[BajaTaco]

Hey Chad, I have been reading your website and enjoying the pics very much. You have some great travel narratives in there! (That is how I knew to add the two vietnamese coffee makers to the expedition supplies list ) My wife and I use the ol' french press all the time, but I want to try your method too. Did you notice how much instant coffee was in Thailand? LOL! It reminded me so much of northern Mexico. Anyway, good job on the website, and please post some more from your upcoming adventure.