First Foray into 4Runners - My 1st Gen Build

[Summit Cruisers Jr]

I’ve been chugging away on various projects. No word on what’s going on with my King shocks and it seems like my Blazeland WIY front Lt kit is a couple weeks out. I sandblasted and painted the bumpers and rear axle.

I picked up Seymour Stainless steel paint on amazon for $8/can as it looked the same as Steel-it which is ~$30/can. I’m convinced it is and I was able to weld through a test piece perfectly. Once I pull apart the axle I’ll sand blast the outer pieces and paint them separately. The nitro 4.88 ring and pinion, LSD, and master install kit came in yesterday. All new brakes and brake hardware should be in within a couple days. That leaves me with welding on perches and creating new brake hard lines and figuring out a solution for the parking brake.

The 4th gen rear axle uses two cables, one coming out independently from each parking brake. They run up the control arms or something so it’s quite differently than the 2 to 1 merger you’d see mounted on a 1st gen axle.


I also built a bolt in rear LCA brace. It’s notched and re-plated to clear the front diff.







I also tore into the interior to try and get my rear window to work from the console switch. For the brief time I was able to get it work, it was messed up by using the tailgate switch to lower it so I’ve ordered four new relays to solder into the box as I believe one of them is staying open when it shouldn’t be. I thoroughly cleaned the interior and painted the seat brackets. I also added in some like new seat belt latch holders and steam cleaned the seats.



Old grille has also had its divots filled and I repainted it as well. I also threw in some headlights that look more like the Depos I have on my cruiser for a fresher and more finished look.

Front fenders are now off (and chrome windshield trim) and ADV fiberglass fenders should be in tomorrow so I can start fitting them.



Also working through some final tweaks to the rear bumper like shortening the wings so I can remove it from the frame with the two OEM hitch mounts. In hindsight, wings that bolt on would be best if you’re planning a bumper that removes from the frame and is high and tight to the bottom of the body.

 

[Summit Cruisers Jr]

It’s been a pretty drastic week for the runner. I started an instagram for it where I post more daily updates if anyone is interested in that...

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In otherwords, I’ve got the fiberglass mostly on. The fronts are about 80% of the way there. They just need a couple front mounts fabbed up and a little love but overall I’m very pleased with how they turned out.

I’ve also chopped the rear quarter panels for the rear flares. I’m in at least 4 hours on each rear flare trying to get them to fit the body lines. As it sits now, they’re heading the right direction but need a lot more work to get right.

I’ve got the wheel wells tacked up and I think I’m just going to fiberglass the inside wheel well top and bottom to seal them up for good in a clean way.

 

[thezentree]

This thread makes me want a 1st gen so bad.

 

[djschlo]

You’ve given this 4Runner another life and it looks great!

I am interested to get your thoughts on the fiberglass once you finish installing. I am considering Hannemann rear flares and front fenders from Toyotafiberglass.com. Since I’ve got some rust along the rear wheels, it might be easier to trim and do fiberglass rear flares than rust repair. But I heard some not-so-great things about Hannemann so I am hesitant.

Did you consider any other flares/fiberglass options?

 

[Summit Cruisers Jr]

You’ve given this 4Runner another life and it looks great!

I am interested to get your thoughts on the fiberglass once you finish installing. I am considering Hannemann rear flares and front fenders from Toyotafiberglass.com. Since I’ve got some rust along the rear wheels, it might be easier to trim and do fiberglass rear flares than rust repair. But I heard some not-so-great things about Hannemann so I am hesitant.

Did you consider any other flares/fiberglass options?

Thanks! Its pretty satisfying bringing this one back to life. Yeah so the Hannemann’s were a little bit of a let down when I removed them from the box. I looked into full fiberglass bedsides but there wasn’t really anything that kept the OEM lines (saw some early taco conversion bedsides etc). I did see that Toyota fiberglass had some rear flared quarter panels but they looked a little too blocky and availability from them seems to be lengthy at times. I touched base with hannemann for specs and lead time and they had them in stock so that sealed the deal.

I’m probably in about 10 hours right now just getting the hannemanns to sit close to the body (not including the quarter panel chop), but they’re getting there. Im a firm believer in going slow and removing a little bit of material at a time. Overall though, they’re certainly quicker than creating my own and the making molds from them and building my own so in that sense I’d say they’re worth the price.

Down the road though when I have more time, I’ll probably pull them and create my own that look a little less “bubbly” and offer more tire coverage. For now, I’ve just got to get everything ready so I can begin body work ASAP so these fit the bill.

 

[djschlo]

Gotcha. The fiberglass is looking great! Slow and steady is definitely the way to go for a clean look. You must be close to mounting. Are these mounted by hardware or an adhesive?

Do remember the dimensions you cut for the rear? I've got some rust around the wheel wheel I'd have to cut to repair anyway, but maybe I could get away with just cutting and not having to weld anything back on.

I really want to keep the stock lines too but decided to go long travel and 33’’ tires so flares are a must (to be road legal). The toyotafiberglasss.com flares do look a little too far from OEM (at least in rear flares do) but it’s hard to get a good idea of how exactly they look from their website.

Are those rear fiberglass photos with the stock axle or 4th gen axle? I’ve got a 03 wrecked tundra (2wd) and you’ve got me think if I can use the rear axle for the 4Runner haha

 

[Summit Cruisers Jr]

Gotcha. The fiberglass is looking great! Slow and steady is definitely the way to go for a clean look. You must be close to mounting. Are these mounted by hardware or an adhesive?

Do remember the dimensions you cut for the rear? I've got some rust around the wheel wheel I'd have to cut to repair anyway, but maybe I could get away with just cutting and not having to weld anything back on.

I really want to keep the stock lines too but decided to go long travel and 33’’ tires so flares are a must (to be road legal). The toyotafiberglasss.com flares do look a little too far from OEM (at least in rear flares do) but it’s hard to get a good idea of how exactly they look from their website.

Are those rear fiberglass photos with the stock axle or 4th gen axle? I’ve got a 03 wrecked tundra (2wd) and you’ve got me think if I can use the rear axle for the 4Runner haha

Yeah definitely. It’s always easier to remove material than add it back in so the flares have been on and off probably a hundred times by now. They have mounting flanges around the top edge but the thickness of them varies and I’ve had to flatten a lot of them down so they sit closer to the body which hasn’t been great in some areas. I do have them bolting on with 10 bolts each though, so I’m not worried about the strength of them staying on as they themselves are pretty light anyways. All the mounting hardware I ordered from fastenal should be here tomorrow which will be nice as I’ve really just been hanging them with a couple m6 bolts I’ve had on hand.

For the rear, I’ve raised the wheel wells up 3” and tapered the front and back of them to match the factory proportions. I made a quick paper template once I had the first side to transfer the same measurements over to the other side.

I don’t have the 4th gen rear axle in yet. I’m waiting on some new axle seals and differential preload adjusters as this thing was a rusty mess. I pulled it apart and scraped a ton of sludge out and have since pressure washed everything and treated the rust. I almost went the tundra route. I had made a deal and scheduled a time to pick one up from a guy but he sold it out from under me which ended up turning out for the better. The tundra rear axle would have been an inch wider than the front LT (66.75ish inch total wms to wms) and the 4th gen is 64.75” wms to wms. The stock ifs rear is 58.5” iirc so +6” in the back and +7” in the front from the blazeland.

Another thing to keep in mid is that these Hannemann flares, despite being told they were a 3” flare, really only measure out to 2.25” so it’s turned into a lot of work for not that much more tire coverage. And they also didn’t leave a big enough flange to attach a wheel well liner to, so I’ll be figuring out something there so these things don’t just fill with mud.

 

[djschlo]

Yeah definitely. It’s always easier to remove material than add it back in so the flares have been on and off probably a hundred times by now. They have mounting flanges around the top edge but the thickness of them varies and I’ve had to flatten a lot of them down so they sit closer to the body which hasn’t been great in some areas. I do have them bolting on with 10 bolts each though, so I’m not worried about the strength of them staying on as they themselves are pretty light anyways. All the mounting hardware I ordered from fastenal should be here tomorrow which will be nice as I’ve really just been hanging them with a couple m6 bolts I’ve had on hand.

For the rear, I’ve raised the wheel wells up 3” and tapered the front and back of them to match the factory proportions. I made a quick paper template once I had the first side to transfer the same measurements over to the other side.

I don’t have the 4th gen rear axle in yet. I’m waiting on some new axle seals and differential preload adjusters as this thing was a rusty mess. I pulled it apart and scraped a ton of sludge out and have since pressure washed everything and treated the rust. I almost went the tundra route. I had made a deal and scheduled a time to pick one up from a guy but he sold it out from under me which ended up turning out for the better. The tundra rear axle would have been an inch wider than the front LT (66.75ish inch total wms to wms) and the 4th gen is 64.75” wms to wms. The stock ifs rear is 85.5” iirc so +6” in the back and +7” in the front from the blazeland.

Another thing to keep in mid is that these Hannemann flares, despite being told they were a 3” flare, really only measure out to 2.25” so it’s turned into a lot of work for not that much more tire coverage. And they also didn’t leave a big enough flange to attach a wheel well liner to, so I’ll be figuring out something there so these things don’t just fill with mud.

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I can see how taking time and removing material slowly will just make mounting easier. Those flares are NOT going anywhere with bolts. Plus, I bet you can install and uninstall without too much trouble. Excited to see you get them on! Are you going to paint these to match the body? Gasket between flare and body panel?

I reached out to Advanced Fiberglass Concepts for more photos and they actually sent me to your Instagram haha They said the fenders are bolt on and no fabrication involved. Could you elaborate on the mounts you made?

I don’t think I can get away with only cutting and no rust work in the rear. I’ve got a 3’’ long rust patch from the bottom of rear wheel well towards the bumper. It does seem like a lot of work for not much more coverage. I guess it will come down to whether I do a wider axle too. It is very appealing to go with a widened rear axle with long travel up front (haven’t decided on a setup yet).

Those axle widths seem really close to correct if they aren’t. I am planning to regear to 4.88s, so rebuilding one axle would be better than working with a second one later. Not sure what I’m going to do for the rear (suspension or axle), but the idea of going from leaf springs to coil springs also comes to mind. Beyond building the axle, fabricating mounts and brake components, not sure what else would be involved.

Thanks for sharing, this is all super helpful info!

 

[Summit Cruisers Jr]

I can see how taking time and removing material slowly will just make mounting easier. Those flares are NOT going anywhere with bolts. Plus, I bet you can install and uninstall without too much trouble. Excited to see you get them on! Are you going to paint these to match the body? Gasket between flare and body panel?

I reached out to Advanced Fiberglass Concepts for more photos and they actually sent me to your Instagram haha They said the fenders are bolt on and no fabrication involved. Could you elaborate on the mounts you made?

I don’t think I can get away with only cutting and no rust work in the rear. I’ve got a 3’’ long rust patch from the bottom of rear wheel well towards the bumper. It does seem like a lot of work for not much more coverage. I guess it will come down to whether I do a wider axle too. It is very appealing to go with a widened rear axle with long travel up front (haven’t decided on a setup yet).

Those axle widths seem really close to correct if they aren’t. I am planning to regear to 4.88s, so rebuilding one axle would be better than working with a second one later. Not sure what I’m going to do for the rear (suspension or axle), but the idea of going from leaf springs to coil springs also comes to mind. Beyond building the axle, fabricating mounts and brake components, not sure what else would be involved.

Thanks for sharing, this is all super helpful info!

Yeah exactly! I’m jumping into a lot of this blind so hopefully everything I put here streamlines the process a little bit for others looking at the same path. I think you’re pretty much where I was in my first several months of ownership except you’re having to do a motor swap right off the bat.

Yeah the rear flares are going to be color matched to the body and obviously I’ll be respraying the entire truck and color matching the hardtop as well. I’m kind of torn between gasket and no gasket. I like the function of it, but am thinking a black gasket could look out of place and they don’t really paint very well so I’ll probably decide on it once the everything is painted and they’re ready to go on.

The front fenders have a tab that hangs out in the wheel well. You can kind of see where it has an indentation for a bolt head etc on it but it doesn’t really make sense. Originally, I was going to trim it back and build a mount for it, but honestly, the fenders are super sturdy without it so I just trimmed it flush. I did make mounts to mount the fenders to the rocker panels. These allowed me to pull them down and netted me a better door gap, a pillar gap better, and cowl clearance. They’re up in post 122 with the red wire snips holding one into place.

Yeah I briefly thought of ditching the leaf springs too, but with the gas tank location and all the hassle that would be involved to link it, I don’t have time for all of that. The Chevy 63s ride amazingly well, have almost an infinite supply of droop, and are pretty cheap in comparison. I’ve got some Barnes 4wd anti wrap spring perches to go on the axle so I’m hoping that helps some...not that I get much axle wrap with the 22re

 

[djschlo]

Yeah exactly! I’m jumping into a lot of this blind so hopefully everything I put here streamlines the process a little bit for others looking at the same path. I think you’re pretty much where I was in my first several months of ownership except you’re having to do a motor swap right off the bat.

Yeah the rear flares are going to be color matched to the body and obviously I’ll be respraying the entire truck and color matching the hardtop as well. I’m kind of torn between gasket and no gasket. I like the function of it, but am thinking a black gasket could look out of place and they don’t really paint very well so I’ll probably decide on it once the everything is painted and they’re ready to go on.

The front fenders have a tab that hangs out in the wheel well. You can kind of see where it has an indentation for a bolt head etc on it but it doesn’t really make sense. Originally, I was going to trim it back and build a mount for it, but honestly, the fenders are super sturdy without it so I just trimmed it flush. I did make mounts to mount the fenders to the rocker panels. These allowed me to pull them down and netted me a better door gap, a pillar gap better, and cowl clearance. They’re up in post 122 with the red wire snips holding one into place.

Yeah I briefly thought of ditching the leaf springs too, but with the gas tank location and all the hassle that would be involved to link it, I don’t have time for all of that. The Chevy 63s ride amazingly well, have almost an infinite supply of droop, and are pretty cheap in comparison. I’ve got some Barnes 4wd anti wrap spring perches to go on the axle so I’m hoping that helps some...not that I get much axle wrap with the 22re

I definitely appreciate you going to the trouble to share! I’ve heard of others swapping later model Toyota axles but haven’t found a good write-up (yet). Luckily there is lots of info (maybe even too much) on 5VZ swaps. I’m a little intimated by the 4runner project I jumped into but it’s a good first project vehicle.

Excited to see how the respray goes. A gasket would hopefully help keep moisture from hiding behind the flare. Plus, after its painted (I assume a dark color) you won’t notice the gasket until you are close.

Gotcha, my concern is keeping the panel gaps nice and even too. Doesn’t seem too hard to do, just take time and don't rush it. I tried to get photos from AFC to get a better idea of fitment but they weren’t able to via email. Maybe that’ll change when I call Monday.

I didn’t think about the gas tank, good point. I’m not sure what I’ll do for rear springs yet but generally looking at 3’’-4’’ lift. Based off what you say, the Chevy 63” springs are a pretty appealing option. Since I’m basically doing a “resto-mod” at this point, I don’t mind spending more time on coils if it’s a worthy upgrade, but I do want to drive it soon.

 

[Summit Cruisers Jr]

Productive week. I’ve got the 4.88 2nd gen diff ready to go. I replaced the seals, sandblasted it, and painted it. I also built a rear tire mount for the roll bar as I don’t want to have a swing out at this time. I’ve also got the quarter panels skim coated and I’ll be finishing up the body work on them in the next couple of days. The rear flares have been primed and are ready for a final sanding and paint.

 

[Summit Cruisers Jr]

Weekly update:

Body work is nearly there. I’ve got a few small areas to perfect but the bulk of the work is done. I’ve got to block it down with some 220 and 320, spray a full coat of full primer and repeat that process going to 400 grit. Hopefully, I’ll be pulling the windshield and spraying paint next week. I may try and bed line the inside of the quarter panels, wheel wells, inner fenders/flares, etc this week if time allows. I’ve got a couple packs of Noico 80 mil sound deadener on the way that I’m going to install in the tailgate, doors, and quarter panels.



To make the flares look more like they belong on the truck, I cut out some filler plates and glued them on with some excess fiberglass resin. I then let that dry and put a couple layers of fiberglass over the inside of them to hold them on for good.



I’ve also been working on a rear dust deflector for the hardtop. We had this 100 series one with broken mounts so I shaved what was left off and set to work filling the 3rd brake light cut out so it hides the rear wiper. I’m not sure if I want to paint match it or paint it in gloss black to contrast like the mirrors, grille, door handles, and trim.

 

[Summit Cruisers Jr]

Got several coats of fill primer on last week blocking each coat down before spraying another.



My wheels came in today after a 3ish week wait after ordering them when they were “in stock”. I had read conflicting reports about the centerbores clearing the part time hubs and emailed into method and was told no machining would be needed, and that my stock wheel size being a 17x8 would make their 17x8.5 option a great fit. I have no idea how they came up with any 17” option being stock for a 1988 4runner but I chalked it up to a typo. So now I’m looking for a shop to machine them out to clear.



Paint has started going on. It’s gonna take me probably a week spraying different parts each day to get everything coated with as far apart as I’ve torn this truck. I got the windshield out today so the cab/quarter panels/jambs and hood will be getting paint tomorrow. Then maybe the gloss black around the windows and other accent parts the next day and then the hard top and remaining hinges and wind deflector Saturday. Hopefully by Sunday, I’ll be able spray the interior quarter panels with bed liner and start reassembling the truck
/wet sanding and buffing parts.

 

[TheCascadeKid]

You're on a tear! Looking great

 

[bkg]

posting the last one in black and white... just mean... mean!