What have you done to your 4th Gen 4Runner today?

Pulled the 3rd member out today. Taking it down to a shop to have Yukon Grizzly locker installed.

 

When I changed mine to blue I bought red LEDs, I went back and forth between red and blue for about a week and decided blue. While I did all of mine myself it was a time consuming process. I really like the blue and even during they day the gauges still have blue back lighting.

 

Did some heavy offroading over the weekend. Crawled under to check my new Asfir aluminum skid. All good there but this is the driver’s side where the axle meets the diff. The diff seal? Doesn’t look like axle grease.

 

That is indeed the axle seal. Good news is that it is a cheap part and easy to replace. There are several good youtube vids out there on how to replace this.

 

Tips on properly seating it to avoid leaks would be appreciated.

 

I used a Harbor Freight seal puller to yank the old one out, then pressed the new seal in with my fingers, and used a brass punch to seat it in the rest of the way. If I remember correctly, you just seat it flush with the outer diff housing. Its been a while since I last replaced one, so I apologize if any of my information is incorrect.

 

Installed a RedArc brake controller today

 

3rd member back from the shop. Yukon Grizzly locker installed. Just finished up putting it back in the axle housing.

 

Nice! What did it cost you to have them install it? Ive been wanting a truetrac lately

 

$350 for the labor. I didnt think that was too bad. I paid $580 for the locker so less than a grand all said and done.

 

I installed an Oedro 5th gen 4Runner rear mat in my 4th gen. It was too long so I cut about 2” off the back. I cut holes for the d-rings so I could secure my jack. The sides were a little too wide, but i didnt trim those, I just let them rest between the wheel wells. I’m betting the trip digit heat in Texas during the summer will make it settle into place. So for those curious, no it’s not a perfect fit, but they are half the price of other options, so it’s good enough for me

 

I swapped out my driver side taillight as I couldn't troubleshoot why I had a hyper flash when using the blinkers...pushing in on the board of the 2006 tails would temporarily help...it finally threw out the ghost and failed...the new cheap version I purchased to replace looks great and I hope it lasts as long!

 

My wife was complaining about an exhaust rattle when irreversible and the occasional forward gears so I threw it up on the lift and addressed the area of concern...the last exhaust hanger was very stretched and so a thick zip tie and some baling wire sucked it up a lot more and no more exhaust rattle! I was also tasked with figuring out if my Icon suspension just sucked ass or if something else was feeling loose in the sterlering components...the hubs are all tight, the sway bar is tight and the coulovers are solid too...than I noticed a lot of movement on my passenger side which I think is coming from the SPC UBJs...argh! I have replaced these things too many times but perhaps, it's MUCH less expensive than a new suspension system..here's a video of the noise...am I correct in assuming it's the UBJ?

https://youtube.com/shorts/cRl5-1V2Xyg?si=vp3XVWrnDzc_cpVq

 

Oof, thats not a good noise. Can you feel any play if you grab the spindle with one hand and the upper control arm with the other and try to move them different directions?

 

There's no play in and out, just up and down...any bump, while driving is felt and heard too...drives me bonkers!

 

Yeah that would drive me crazy as well. How much lift are you running up front? If not more than a couple inches, you could probably make some stock control arms work for you. Thats what im running with a 2” lift.

I remember reading about some others on Tacomaworld who have had issues with SPC ball joints. Thats disappointing the quality isnt there, because if you need the adjustability they are a nice option.

 

Have you had a chance to install and try this out yet? Im curious on what you think of this setup and if there is any banging or clunking while driving and turning.

I saw one of these up for sale a couple hrs from me recently though and now I’m curious. Any feedback would be appreciated!

 

Installed an AES intake manifold spacer a few days ago. That required some moving/refitting of several things. I trimmed the bracket for the ACIS sensor on the manifold and flipped it upside down because the harness was stretched. The vacuum lines for the FPR and running on top of the manifold were replaced, they were barely long enough. Then the throttle body coolant lines were in a bind too, so I pulled those off, and bypassed it using one of the old hoses looping it from one fitting to the other. I did this mainly because I was worried about a coolant leak becoming an issue over time.

Then finally, the aluminum extensions for the intake support brackets provided were an after thought, so those went in the bin. I ordered a spare set of intake manifold brackets and cut and tig welded them back together so it looks more factory.

 

I had this locker in my FJ Cruiser for years. It does make a clicking sound as you turn, as designed. If you give it too much throttle on a turn, it will lock and chirp the rear tires. Overall, the off road pros far outweigh the on road cons. I do not want to mess with wiring or air lines for either an e-locker or air locker. It just works with no interaction from me and thats how I want it.

 

Thanks for the info!

 

I've been at 2.5" since 2013 with this setup...SPC are great on customer service, though...ha! I may look at the Ironman arms if need to...but SPC has some updated maintenance free versions I might try...

 

Today I built a bracket for my LX470 trans dipstick tube. I started out cutting off the excess brackets and repurposed one and welded it back on. Now it is hard mounted to the driver side cylinder head on the back side. Bonus now without all the extra brackets is the tube can be removed from the top side. Test fit went well so now it’s time to paint it black and put it back

 

Nice work!! Factory + for the win!!

 

Did do a test to ensure the new pan and dipstick has the proper fluid level for the 5 speed sealed transmission?

 

They are physically the same size from what i could see while comparing the pans. I used the dipstick and made sure it was in the proper range. Ive driven several hundred miles and towed 3k lbs since the install. All is well, and it’s much easier to check the fluid and add more now. Everything can be done in the engine bay.

Thanks man! Im pretty happy with how it turned out

 

My wireless CarPlay module failed after a couple of weeks so I decided to stick with wired. Installed a 4R Customs USB CarPlay port that fits into a factory switch opening. Replaced the blank in my center console with it. Connected it to the headunit with a USB cable that’s female on the end where this port plugs in and male on the other to plug in to the stereo.

Went with a

$9 Coiled USB C Cable, 2 Pack USB to USB C Coiled Cable for Car Short USB C Retractable Cable for iPhone 16 15 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S24 S23, Moto G8, Google Pixel, USB C Carplay Cord for Android Auto

coiled USB C cable b/c I occasionally need to pick up the phone. It stretches from 12” up to 18-24”. Really happy with the setup.

Cable pic isn’t the best angle. I haven’t decided whether to keep the phone in the center cubby where the cable is here or in the flip-open compartment with the power socket inside.