Saving a 96 4runner.

[coastal616]

I found this rusty little turd for a paltry $2300. The 4wd didn't work, the interior was gross, it was at a used car lot and the owner just wanted it gone. I had been out of wheeling and exploring for almost a decade, racing off road and building cars occupied my free time. Now my daughter is 7 and she wants to go camping, this was the push I needed to get back to the simple fun of exploring and camping.

First up it got a lift via some adjustable bilstein struts,

Next up the rear shocks needed remounting,

The rusty stock tin bumper had to go....and I wanted a hybrid prerunner/4x4 winch bumper:

I hate how low the radiator hangs on these things, and it was a complex puzzle how to protect it. This is what I came up with, and it allows a nice smooth skid plate.

Skid plate goes all the way past the steering rack, and will connect with a belly pan.

Big Country Customs hooked me up with some sick Method Double Standard wheels and duratracs, 285/70r17's, and some trail gear rock sliders.

Went to BCC today to get some tabs, and some shackle mounts, but they just sold the last ones. So Daryl drew up a quick drawing and blasted these out on the plasma table for me to take home and build....

assembly:

Plating in:

Backside of their mount

And mounted:

Painted, ready for aluminum fill panels and skidplate fitting.

 

[coastal616]

Ok, spent a few hours with some aluminum today, what do you guys think? Keep in mind I've just cut, bent and bolted in the panels, nothing has been sanded, smoothed and fit yet.

This shows how smooth the underbelly is:

 

[coastal616]

Needed a new caliper so I figured I might as well do the 231mm Tundras....what a great upgrade, even with the 285's it stops really really good.

Going to build a removable light bar like this one:

Started bending some more tube for it:

And skidplates were cleaned up and sent to my buddies powder coating shop:

Thanks to Nic and Francis Andrew for the re****ed quick powder coating service! Also picked up an XRC8 winch with synthetic line from Big Country Customs.

 

[coastal616]

Some parts showed up.....

 

[coastal616]

Picked up an Espar heater from a friend, these are commonly used in rigs and boats to heat without having the motor running. I figured it would be mint for winter camping in the 4runner.

The heater and location I picked:



The fuel tank and bits to make it run:



Cut a hole:



This is the intake and exhaust on the bottom of the heater:



Tank installed



Exhaust tucked up for travel, it all pops out when its heater time



These things crank an unreal amount of heat, and use a tiny amount of fuel and 12v power. Unfortunately i had the wrong fuel pump for it and it was way too rich and wouldn't fire at the whipsaw elevation. I now have the right pump and can't wait to use it.

 

[coastal616]

BCC got me some shocks for the front



Everything Installed



Tacoma fiberglass fenders



outboarded rear shocks for now



And time to lose the old chinese man colour

 

[coastal616]

A few pics from a wheeling/attempt at fishing trip before paint!

 

[uscg2008]

Dude sweet 4runner man. I'm digging what you have done so far! I love that front bumper, and the heater. Keep the pics coming

 

[JasonRedwood]

Looks great. That front bumper and skid plate look awesome. The paint color is nice too!

 

[coastal616]

Thanks! Fighting alignment issues now, it was so perfect until I took it wheeling, I think the rack might be toast.

 

[dibsen]

Nice save! I really like what your doing with it. I wanted to sink $10k in my old 3rd gen but after finding a uzj100, I sold the 4runner. Love my Cruiser but miss my runner.

 

[coastal616]

A little update/review.

I've had it out for a few mild trips now, lots of logging roads, fair bit of pavement which is what I anticipated its main use to be.

The Camburg front suspension and Radflo adjustable coilovers are incredible. I am SOOO glad Matt @ BCC talked me into the adjustable shocks. Basically I close the compression all the way for street driving, with that tight and the rear sway bar installed the 4runner handles like a car again. I came home on the sea to sky highway (which is very curvy) from doing Harrison to Pemberton ( A long back country gravel road trip) and was able to pass everyone in the curves, it didn't matter, the 4runner was very stable.

As far as the gravel, lighten the compression and it just rips comfortably on logging roads. I had my wife and 4 month old boy on this last trip, he slept the whole way and she didn't complain. Amazing.

The rear suspension is the limiting factor now for going faster on gravel/rough roads. I think a shock and spring upgrade will do the trick. Currently it's running cheapo Bilsteins, but I'm hitting the bumpstops early causing a bit of a harsh bump in the rear.

Likely I will go with the same shocks as the front, possibly in a 2.0 since the motion ratio is basically 1:1.

I've had a few steering issues with the stock rack, the inner tie rod guide has loosened off, it seems to be holding fine now. The first trip out all of the alignment cams moved, now they are all tack welded in place.

Overall I really dig this SUV, it's got a few more things to go until I am "finished" with it, but it's serving its purpose well.

Couple shots from last weekend



looking through the church steeple

 

[Milo902]

How's it handle in the twisties/highway w/o a front swaybar? Mine is stock w/ Icon coilovers up front, I ran w/o the swaybar for a few weeks to test it out and there was considerably more body roll. It wasn't unbearable, a little softer than stock coilovers w/ a swaybar, but I wouldn't want to do any emergency maneuvers at highways speeds with the swaybar removed.

 

[coastal616]

How's it handle in the twisties/highway w/o a front swaybar? Mine is stock w/ Icon coilovers up front, I ran w/o the swaybar for a few weeks to test it out and there was considerably more body roll. It wasn't unbearable, a little softer than stock coilovers w/ a swaybar, but I wouldn't want to do any emergency maneuvers at highways speeds with the swaybar removed.

I was driving it hard, and it's really impressive for a long travel SUV. When it was on the bilsteins with no sway bars it was sketchy and a handful. I love driving it now. The adjustable coilovers make all the difference.

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

Very nice. Some well done mods and a nice solid set-up.

I just ordered Radflo's for the front of my Trailblazer and can't wait to see how they do.