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View Full Version : 2002 4Runner Rebuild...Bringing her back from storage!!!



RunnerUp
09-18-2012, 06:11 PM
It's been a while since I was active on these boards, the 4Runner had just reached a point that I needed to take it off the roads and only trail ride it or sell it. Since I am not willing to sell the 4Runner at any price, it just took me a year and a half to decide to restore it to its old glory.

Currently she has 180k miles, the rear driveshaft spun out and I had been searching for a used one at LKQ for awhile, until I decided to try Tatton DS. She is lifted with a 2.5" OME (needs to be replaced), a potentially blown front differential with 4.56 gears (going to have to tear that apart to see what the actual damage is) the rear axle has disc brakes from All Pro which seem to continually have leaky seals so I am considering going back to drums, and my ARB air locker doesnt always want to engage or disengage properly. The sound system needs to be re-amped and wired. The snorkel needs a new intake piece ( a tree branch hit it pretty hard and now it looks like a stove pipe) and both plastic pieces on my ARB front bumper need to be replaced. Last I checked the Warn 9.5XP still worked and the alternator was charging properly. Since the tires (nitto terragrapplers 285/75/16) havent been spun in over a year they are probably toast, and I am missing a center piece to my TRD Ivan Stewart Wheels (screw in, not snap in) that I cant find anywhere so I will need atleast one new one of them. There are multiple other issues like window motors and some engine gremlins that will also need to be addressed, I plan on redoing the interior and if at all possible recoating the undercarriage (dependent on cost).

My plan as it stands now for this truck is to get a new 3" suspension lift (still researching which to get) fix the rear ARB locker and install an ARB locker in the front, finish my half doors that are 90% done, fix the stereo, fix the windows, fix the body parts that have been ripped off by rocks or hyundai's, put more armor on her and fix the body up as much as my budget will allow. I also want to add more attention to detail than I ever did before, now that I am older I believe I can do it better than I did when I was younger and perhaps even fix some of the mistakes I made (plenty of those, to be sure) Anyways, I will update this thread as I get the parts and diagnose the gremlins, and hopefully by years end she will be back to tearing up the trails all around the south east!

Seanz0rz
09-18-2012, 06:44 PM
WELCOME BACK!

sounds like a good plan!

fenrisx
09-18-2012, 08:19 PM
I was just looking at your pictures TODAY on T4R and wondering what that thing was looking like these days!

Welcome back.

04 Rocko Taco
09-18-2012, 11:43 PM
Restore? Meh, buy a trailer, and REALLY have at it. :)

Crinale
09-19-2012, 01:43 PM
Welcome back Kyle!



Restore? Meh, buy a trailer, and REALLY have at it. :)


That's your answer to everything Chris XD

RunnerUp
09-19-2012, 03:38 PM
Thanks guys for the warm welcome, I ordered the new plastics for the ARB and the new snorkel head today. Have to make it down to Tampa (where the truck is) in order to measure for the new driveshaft. Once that gets in I am bringing it up to Gainesville to work on whenever I need to get out of the house. I found a nice storage building close to my place that has 220v and plenty of space for my tools and the new parts to sit until I can install them. First order of business once she gets up here will be to clean up all the crap wiring I have managed to do over the years and fix up the little annoyances that no one else but me would ever notice... like my ECT button not working anymore... etc. Maybe I will even wash and wax it for old times... but probably not.

The fun stuff will be getting ordered beginning of November, the fiance's birthday is next month and its going to be an expensive one... so I have to hold out on a new lift and tires till then...




Chris, maybe when I get to NC in a year or two the sawzall will come out, until then...

RunnerUp
09-19-2012, 04:18 PM
Speaking of lifts... any recommendations?

For the tires I am thinking of the LTB's in a wide 33" or maybe a skinny 34", maybe some beadlocks to replace the Ivan Stewarts.

Does anyone run LED lights? My buddy has them on his truck but its a mall crawler, wondering if they are rugged enough for actual use?

Obi..
09-19-2012, 04:22 PM
I was just looking at your pictures TODAY on T4R and wondering what that thing was looking like these days!

Welcome back.


THAT IS CREEPY B/C SAME HERE. :D I was showing vipergrhd what I see as a well built rig to gain inspiration from on his new to him '99.

Obi..
09-19-2012, 04:23 PM
..the fiance's birthday is next month and its going to be an expensive one... so I have to hold out on a new lift and tires till then...



SO you bought her a 3rd or 4thGen then and she wants to wheel too? ;)

04 Rocko Taco
09-20-2012, 11:15 PM
Welcome back Kyle!



Restore? Meh, buy a trailer, and REALLY have at it. :)


That's your answer to everything Chris XD


What can I say?! Look at my rig, of course its my answer. lol.

RunnerUp
10-09-2012, 12:49 PM
Haha, I wish... she hasnt even been in that 4Runner yet, but when she does get the bug I'm sure its not going to be cheap, so lets hope I get mine back in running shape before!

Chris, I had a bead on an 85 a couple years back and the guy sold it from under me as I was on my way to pick it up... havent found another one in my price range yet, but when I do.... well, it will probably look something along the lines of yours.

Anyways, I wound up finding a used driveshaft for 75 bucks pretty close to me, and I am going to pick that up on Friday and since I really only need the front flange to get my truck back in business that saves me an unneeded 350$ that can go towards my new lift or the new batteries the truck is going to need.

I live about 2 hours away from where the truck is now, and apparently I cant get into the new storage place for anything near a reasonable price so I guess she will stay where she is until the heavy repairs are done with.

My basic list (keep in mind this will continue to change as I find parts for cheap(er) or my ADD kicks in and I work on a different aspect of it, is as follows...

Install the new driveshaft with the MOOG uJoint's that have been sitting in the glove box for over a year(finally!) All the new plastics from ARB, new driver and driver rear window motors (they got wet one too many times I guess)Pulling all the old random wiring that was done half assed or drunk in my college days, rewiring my dual batteries to both sit upfront and install a smart solonoid to isolate them. Change every single fluid with the good stuff, new thermostat, seafoam, new air filter, plugs, wires, blah blah blah... I am going to try and get my hands on a mean green alternator before this so I can just knock out most of the electrical in a day or two.

I know I have a motor mount thats busted, so go ahead and replace those while Im there and then finally track down why my check engine light wont stay off...

I found my lift for 750$ online (just going with the standard OME that has treated me so well for so many years... unless someone can show me something better) and tires are going to be around 1250$ installed.

CJM
10-09-2012, 03:22 PM
BE SUPER careful installing the u-joints. I just had a fiasco where even an experienced mechanic couldnt get mine out without damaging everything. I wound up needing a new DS.

YotaFun
10-09-2012, 03:30 PM
Soak them up really well for a while,
If they show signs of giving you a headache bring on the heat.

If heat still doesn't help, a buddy just did mine and ended up torching out the center of the join so the caps would not be pushing against the opposite side which is usually where the bind getting these things out occurs.

RunnerUp
10-09-2012, 03:31 PM
Thanks for the advice, should I soak them in PB or something before I try and get them out? Ill have a spare on hand anyways, but would prefer to use the one Ive had for 180k if at all possible