Newb 4runner build

japerry · Oct 8, 2008

another *almost done* 4runner build

Some have seen my 4runner, but its been mainly under construction the past 9 months.

It came with....
Chevy 350 / 700r4 / Dual Toyota Transfer Cases
NWOR front springs
13" bob
Chevy 63" springs
~6-7" Lift

I've gotten most of the major stuff done such as:
37" IROKs
Hi-steer, hydro assist
Toyota-eLocker front/rear
Longfield Axles front, 97 4runner axle rear
Art Carr Shifter
M8000

Cheers to Anthony at Extreme customs for putting on my cage. Perhaps he'll post some pics (I need to get some myself!)

For those who haven't done major builds before (like me), hopefully the following is a good starting checklist of things to at least verify before its ready to wheel... Suggestions appreciated on any of these items!
Front Axle:

Seal axle housings (leaking) --> FIXED
Replace ubolts and plates --> FIXED
Fix damn elocker --> FIXED

Rear Axle:

Replace ubolts --> FIXED
Fix damn elocker (yah both are fubar'd) --> FIXED!

Suspension:

4-Link rear --> later
3-link front --> later
-- or what is a better way with springs to get flex and a softer ride? I go over a speed bump and the whole thing feel bounces around like its going to fall apart!

Steering:

Replace ghetto style reservoir
Fix leak in one of the hoses --> I think fixed?

T-Case:

Fix forks so they shift right.. the front t-case box can't stay in low-low gear, it keeps popping out. Suggestions aside from ripping it apart?

Interior:

Create a custom center console
Shield the HOT resistor for elockers, and mount them under the dash -->FIXED
Remove rear interior rollbar --> FIXED
Custom build side panels for rear, and install sub-boxes :looser:

Engine:

New Radiator --> Possibly replace the core? its an advance adapters rad!
Dual 10" fans (perhaps these can cool it enough to not need a new rad?)

Before anything was done....

Before the cage...

After the paint job

gas is on the right · Oct 8, 2008

well I don't think its going to leak anymore 90wt:wtf: out of the front end its all on the shop floor over at extreme options....:haha:

japerry · Oct 8, 2008

gas is on the right said:
well I don't think its going to leak anymore 90wt:wtf: out of the front end its all on the shop floor over at extreme options....:haha:

Yah I'm kinda pissed that its STILL leaking... I put my oil pan below it and its making a new nice puddle. I emptied out the axle and cleaned it up after going through a lake. It was leaking through the bottom of the third member. Put it all together, seal it (supposedly) and now its leaking on one side.

I need to find a better gasket maker

zukkev · Oct 8, 2008

japerry said:
I need to find a better gasket maker

Right Stuff!!!Napa sells it---Just make sure the area to be sealed is clean and dry when you put the 3rd into the housing...Did mine 2 yrs ago--still no leaky!!!:awesomework:

J_SIN · Oct 9, 2008

did you do the bob?

japerry · Oct 9, 2008

J_SIN said:
did you do the bob?

Truck came with the bob, engine, and dual t-cases. I thought he did a pretty good job chopping the hard top with the bob. Doesn't leak!

japerry · Oct 25, 2008

Did some more work on her today. Pretty much finished up the paint work. My girlfriend (ruffian23) did the painting while I was fixing a stubborn leak

You can see the new cage put on by Anthony.. its quote nice. (I'll try to get some closeups tomorrow)... sadly the body already took a nice beating before the cage. Most of it wasn't my fault :cheer: :cheer:

Shot from the otherside, where I'm battling with a knuckle. I think I found out I have two leaks. Something is coming out of the shock (you can see the rag around the base) and the other leak looks to be left over liquid around the knuckle gasket.

Tomorrow I gotta fix the steering ram and pump leak.. hopefully after that I'll start working on the interior. =D

japerry · Oct 26, 2008

Did some more work on the interior today, also cleaned up some leaks.. but found some new ones...

1st .. wtf? Some oil is seeping out of the Rancho... can this be repaired or should I just replace them?

2nd, I think I'm holding off on changing the suspension... it'd be mean my truck would be in the shop for months.. so I'm thinking about a traction bar. But my horsecollar is cut to make way for the dual transfercases:

Think it'll hold up if I put a traction bar in there, or should I put some flat plate to create a bridge between the two sides?

3rd:
the u-bolts I got from Hardware Sales are too short to work with the rear axle. The nuts barely fit on. suggestions for longer U-bolts? I was looking at trail-gear, but I don't know if they'll work or not.

4th: I think my front end finally stopped leaking. Between 90w, steering fluid, and coolant, all three had leaks. I'll know tomorrow if I have a puddle in front. I need to flip the U-Bolts on the front as well. One of them is already bent. Trail gear has the fronts, and I'm guessing I'll need the '79-83 because this axle came out of a 79. whats the difference?

5th: my f'in ghetto rigged steering pump reservoir. Thanks to mudmayhem01 for doing it. :awesomework: :awesomework: However, found that there is a leak near where the red rag. Have to weld it up or keep the fluid not all the way full.

6th: Got the outside pretty much painted. needs another coat though. I think it'd be cool to make a bikini top with roll down sides for the summer. It sucks that the tailgate hits the lock, but oh well. I'll put a sticker there

Lastly, the great ole' radiator. perhaps I'll get something beefier in the spring.

dirtygoat · Oct 27, 2008

Cool rig...

On the front u-bolt flip the 79-83 use a u shaped bolt on the driver side and outer passenger side with a squared one on the inner passenger side...

The 84-85 have a longer truss under the axle, so they need squared u-bolts on the driver side...

wheelinjp · Oct 27, 2008

I am pretty sure your shocks are upside down, some can be run that way and some cant. I had 5012s and they had to be body below the shaft. If you need a traction bar just cut more of the brace you cut off and run a gusset at 45degrees to the frame. Then use the old crossmember, now braced to hang a short shackle for the traction bar. Remember the traction bar shackle needs to end where your u-joint meets the t-case on the rear d-line. Then you can get rid of at least one of those overload springs in your rear pack. Make up the loss of 3/4of an inch lift with shackles if you need to. But that would resolve your u-bolt issue out back too. Also if you dont want to do that then a spring shop can make you u-bolts any length you want usually for around $40 a set(one axle).Our local one here is in tacoma, named Rightway spring. For your p/s resevoir look into astro vans at your local wrecking yard. They have a remote resevoir and hose just like yours for their p/s pump. I used one on my yj with a tbi 350 and hydro assist, and it worked great. Dont run yours low, it will still leak when sidehilling and that fluid is very flammable(low flashpoint).

japerry · Oct 28, 2008

wheelinjp said:
I am pretty sure your shocks are upside down, some can be run that way and some cant. I had 5012s and they had to be body below the shaft. If you need a traction bar just cut more of the brace you cut off and run a gusset at 45degrees to the frame. Then use the old crossmember, now braced to hang a short shackle for the traction bar. Remember the traction bar shackle needs to end where your u-joint meets the t-case on the rear d-line. Then you can get rid of at least one of those overload springs in your rear pack. Make up the loss of 3/4of an inch lift with shackles if you need to. But that would resolve your u-bolt issue out back too. Also if you dont want to do that then a spring shop can make you u-bolts any length you want usually for around $40 a set(one axle).Our local one here is in tacoma, named Rightway spring. For your p/s resevoir look into astro vans at your local wrecking yard. They have a remote resevoir and hose just like yours for their p/s pump. I used one on my yj with a tbi 350 and hydro assist, and it worked great. Dont run yours low, it will still leak when sidehilling and that fluid is very flammable(low flashpoint).

Thanks for the advice! Say, I read somewhere that the resivoir that comes with the Astro van is too small.. you can see the top of the propane thingy is what used to be the resivoir from an astro van (thats where I got the pump).. but come to think of it, this system isn't pressurized (like the old trail-gear system I had), so it doesn't really matter how much is in there I suppose.

Do you think welding a shackle to the tcase crossmember would suffice? I could cut the horsecollar back more, and weld a brace to the crossmember:

crude picture ;-P

Luckily I already have the Jonny Joints, so I just need to pick up some tubing and I should be good to go.

japerry · Nov 3, 2008

sooo.. I just found out the crossmember is cracked!

I was looking at the trail-gear dual-case crossmember, and I don't know if its better than this one. I'm just trying to figure out why this cracked.

Soo anyone looking to sell one of these? :cheer:

gas is on the right · Nov 3, 2008

japerry said:
sooo.. I just found out the crossmember is cracked!

I was looking at the trail-gear dual-case crossmember, and I don't know if its better than this one. I'm just trying to figure out why this cracked.

Soo anyone looking to sell one of these? :cheer:

weld it ....paint job looks good .....ready to go roll that thing now?:haha:

japerry · Nov 3, 2008

Its pretty much done, just gotta find someone around redmond with a welder to fix it.
I want to go wheelin' this weekend, but I dunno if the weather will make it too fun.

japerry · Nov 8, 2008

so I got all the ubolt flip kits put together today. Also looked more at the crossmember crack.

Does anyone else think its potentially problematic to be supporting a V8, Transmission, and Dual transfercases with 1/2" steel? The only other support is the motor mounts.

I'm thinking I should revamp the mounting proceedure for the Tcase. Perhaps something like this?

nevada · Nov 8, 2008

its that normal to have to chop the x-member to run dual cases? thats the first ive heard of that.

and why cant you use a toyota PS resevoir? thats what i used. just drilled a few holes, and mounted it in the factory spot(or close to it.)

japerry · Nov 9, 2008

nevada said:
its that normal to have to chop the x-member to run dual cases? thats the first ive heard of that.

I got the truck with the dual transfercases, but looking at other trucks, it looks like the standard x-member doesn't work too well with dual transfer cases... I believe this is because it cannot support the back-half of the transfercase.

nevada said:
and why cant you use a toyota PS resevoir? thats what i used. just drilled a few holes, and mounted it in the factory spot(or close to it.)

The truck also didn't come with any PS reservoir except the tiny stock one with the 350. Tomorrow when I goto the junk yard I'll see if the toyo PS will fit.

nevada · Nov 10, 2008

japerry said:
I got the truck with the dual transfercases, but looking at other trucks, it looks like the standard x-member doesn't work too well with dual transfer cases... I believe this is because it cannot support the back-half of the transfercase.

The truck also didn't come with any PS reservoir except the tiny stock one with the 350. Tomorrow when I goto the junk yard I'll see if the toyo PS will fit.

well, yeh, the xmember that the t-case mounts on..i can see that. altho i read i think on marlincrawler..that the stock one will work fine. tho, hangs down too damn low.

im talking about the one you called "horsecollar" that goes over the DL.

id think thats sorta an important xmember, and having it cut would allow for a bit too much extra frame flex...
and i dont see the aftermarket t-case mount making up for the difference in strength.

just a thought...