What have you done to your 5th Gen 4Runner today?

thanks, I was curious too...but didn't want to look stupid

one other question, which one is an amp?

that is ALOT of work for a new stereo

can you list out everything you are adding, so we can live vicariously?

How much would everything your doing cost and how long would it take if you took it to a shop and had them do everything?

PS: I have not worked up the nerve to strip down my shifter console yet...

 

Installed leather shifter

Really like the color match & overall feel

Took about 2 hours between drilling holes and running wire but it was a fun project while watching TV

 

Im doing that now...
hardest part so far was figuring out how to unclip the ONE white clip from body to console for seats and rear window

Im gonna use .040 wire to hold it on...mainly cause that's what I already got

 

There's no stupid questions, we're all here to learn. I've asked a lot of questions on this forum and am very luckily there's a wealth of information here and to that end thanks everyone who participates here. This forums helped me a lot on my build both in knowledge but also just seeing what people are doing and learning or straight up copying them or getting ideas. I've only installed a few super basic budget builds before. Nothing like this. I had a lot of questions over the last couple years pertaining to this build before I started and as I was buying stuff. As well as a lot of research outside of these forums posting on audio forums, reddit, and a lot of youtube.

There's a lot of little things but this is the meat of it:
Kenwood Excelon Reference DMX1057XR
Audiofrog GS25 speakers in the dash
Audiofrog GS62 speakers in the rear door and the hatch (still working on the hatch)
Audiofrog GS690 speakers in the front doors
JL Audio Stealth Sub box and what ever sub comes with that
JL Audio VX1000/5i - this amp powers the rear door and hatch speakers and the sub
JL Audio VX600/6i - this amp powers the from 4 speakers. It can do 6 total so I have the options to add tweeters later if i want to keep messing with this.
Victron 500 VA inverter (also trying to upgrade the inverter)

I was at 8k before i started installing. I might be at 9k now.

Unsure what it would cost at an installer. I've had some friends get quoted $1,500 for some very basic work on much smaller cars than this. I would guess at least 3k (I live in the bay area maybe people can get this done for less elsewhere)

It all starts somewhere. I'm no mechanic but I've worked on my fair share of cars and you really start getting the hang of it after a while; how things connect together and what not. I learned a lot stripping down my first car 18 years ago (also doing the suspension, replacing transmission, engine, clutch etc) but even that was a lot of youtube. Speaking about this, what was interesting to me is I had my brother helping me for a couple hours last weekend. He had a lot of experience working at a automobile plant doing repairs at the end of the line. So he's removed a lot of interiors but never on a 4runner. He stripped the dash down and helped me take the headliner out so damn fast. Faster than I would have taken the dash apart and I've done it before! He's never touched a 4Runner dash...anyway, it all starts somewhere and I'll never be at his level.

In the second to last picture the amps are the rectangles still wrapped in plastic that have the metal circles. The passenger side also has a distribution block to distribute power, and a network hub to connect the amps together and help configure them kinda as one amp.

Yeah it's a lot of work but it's a universe of difference. This is very enjoyable for me. It's rewarding, fun, you get to learn a lot and sometimes get a little creative; it makes you think. And then after you have this custom thing that no one else in the world has if but for no other reason that no one else has the scratches you accidentally inflicted while working on your car I've done some minor stereos compared to this and the sound was absolutely amazing.....hoping this is better. It's a lot of work but it's fun. You get to be creative. Here's a picture to give an idea of the difference in stock speakers vs aftermarket. Quick story I like to tell. My first build was inexpensive speakers with some random head unit I got at Best Buy, a decent budget amp and a down right cheap 8" sub in this box that also had an amp built in. The sound was absolutely incredible compared to stock. I was bragging about it to my dad who said, "yeah but it will never sounds as good as my car" (Mercedes E63). I tell him it sounds way better and he laughs at me. So we test it listening to the same song in his car first then mine. First thing he says, "I just got embarrassed." To which I told him, manufacturers REALLY cheap out on stereos. with an aftermarket system you can hear so much more in songs that you just cant hear at a level of clarity that you didn't know existed. Hopefully this build works out.

 

Yeah the wire is accessible from the passenger seat and it couldn't be more easier to just pop that plastic out of there!

For me it was a pain (maybe because I decided to do this at 1am lol) to get the leather to stay on the corner so I made temporary insertions at each four corners so I could work on the long part and then just pulled them tight so the corners came together a bit more

Definitely like the look and feel.. 55 bucks including the 22 gauge (available home depot)

 

Same boat here the. Stock speakers when I took them out.. oh oh this explains everything.

Paperweigjts!!!

 

They're down right comical to me. Manufacturers obviously spend pennies on them, yet as you can see from the pic I posted, they are foam lined and have a plastic shroud for perfect fitment - LIKE THAT COULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE with how cheap they are lol..

 

I paid to upgrade my stereo back in Dec of 23'. I had the Trail Grid Pro speaker package installed by Car Toys, and they raped me on the install price. Never again.

I had an amp (Kicker, to match the speakers) added to it, to really max out the potential sound, and it was well worth it. Best Buy did it, and the fee was very cheap. I didn't mess with the head unit. All in for the speakers, amp and two install fee's: $1700?

Sure, that's a lot. But the stereo freakin' rocks now. Deep bass, crisp highs and when I turn the volume knob up to 40 the car next to me can hear my music. Even with my windows up, their windows up and their music blasting.

Oh, Best Buy installed the amp under the front passenger seat. I never feel heat coming off of it and forget it's even there. You'd never know I upgraded the stereo, until I crank it up that is. It's stealthy. One thing that Best Buy had to install was a digital inverter? I think that's what it was. Basically, the factory stereo wasn't giving out enough watts to power the amplifier. It was a small part that was installed free of charge, and the part itself was only $50.

 

Clean that dirty ass keyboard. Sorry, I couldn't help but comment. I'm in IT and that is a huge pet peeve of mine. When I see someone's nasty ass keyboard sitting on their desk.

 

What does the oil catch do? I figure it is easier to ask someone who has added this and to see what kind of results you get from this mod.

 

It's supposed to catch oil vapors and other crud from the system before it gets sucked into the intake, eventually gumming things up. Never used to be as much of a problem before direct injection engines; previous engines that injected in the intake would "wash" this crap off and ya never had a problem with the valves getting gummed up.

DI is good for some things, bad for others. Catch cans are supposed to prevent this issue.

 

I recently decided to go with the center pipe mod and it’s so much better. I really didn’t care when driving in the city but every time I went on steep grades at 75 mph going to the mountains, it was way too loud to properly enjoy a road trip.
I ordered a non pro center pipe and had a local shop weld a 3 hole flange on it so I get to keep the side exhaust. Also IF I wanted to go back to the pro loudness, all I have to do is unbolt the center pipe and put the other one (but honestly I don’t really think I will as I’ve been enjoying the quiet ride)

 

You can use OEM muffler from non pro models, but you will have to swap the pro muffler clamp over to the other muffler as one is 2 bolt and the other is 3 bolt, can’t remember which is which. Requires cutting it off and welding it on. This is what I did and much better than pro muffler.

 

Did you change the entire cat back or just cut and weld this resonator to non pro muffler?

 

I guess I have to go same route. Just need to verify just that resonator is the only sound maker. If I have to cut and weld I'd be interested in more quieter options if available.

 

There's probably way better videos explaining on YouTube but the engine has a system called a positive crankcase ventilation that takes the air from inside the cylinder heads, which is saturated with oil during engine operations, and lets the engine suck that air back into the intake to burn off.

Some people will say it's not an issue with our type of fuel injection (port injection) but with direct injection engines, the oil tends to gather on the back of the intake valves and it can cause all kinds of issues.

However even with port injection, the oil will still adhere to the inside of your intake manifold and throttle body and eventually give you idle issues. I tend to drive almost 98% of my driving with under 15 minute short drives which makes it an issue for me. The hot oil/air mixture will condense on cold surfaces that it touches.

I don't know if that's a good explanation. Let me know if that's not clear.

 

Tires and wheels this week, will post a pic when installed and mounted.

 

Changed the coolant, thermostat, and radiator hoses:





The driver's side block drain is in an inaccessible spot behind the shock tower, below the exhaust manifold, and above the engine mount. Couldn't get a socket on it so I just left it.

Coolant Toyota 45/55 SLLC from the dealer
Thermostat Aisin THT003
Upper radiator hose Gates 23722
Lower radiator hose Continental 66666

 

Just the part in green in the photo below (I also ordered new gaskets to be safe since they’re cheap). And I asked my local shop to cut the 2 bolt flange at the end and weld a 3 bolt flange so they could bolt it to the pro side exit exhaust

 

Drove to 2 home Depots and 2 Ace's trying to find enough 4mm nuts and bolts to mount amps. Replaced battery with a yellow top so had to order shorter tie downs as stock don't work now.

Made sure everything fit with plugs, drilled a lot of holes and bolted down.

 

Thanks for the info, I also do short drives. My 4runner is about 4 years old and has under 10,000 miles on it so this mod might be a good thing to add. Are there manufacture installation instructions or do I have to rely on YouTube?

 

There are kits built for the 4Runner that have instructions but they are a bit pricey. I think they run between $150-250.

 

Thank you very much for sharing what you did. Most likely I will go that route unless I find more quiet muffler that fits 4runner.

 

Camping tips! Summer time is super hot obviously, and theres tornado weather out there around May and June. Camping in the spring is beautiful with green and rich orange scenery! Canyon camping in the winter is freezing! Go prepared, but the sunrise is so worth it! Theres about 6k acres out there to explore!

 

Labor -

Attempt 1 - Toyota specialized exhaust shop denied to do this mod, meaning they only do OEM replacement with out modifications. "That's now how your 4Runner came with, so I don't want to be part of it."


Attempt 2 - Generic muffler shop - "Stop by and I'll take a look and see what I can do"​

Parts I'm thinking to order -

(Might change after I take it to a shop)
https://parts.olathetoyota.com/cart
​

 

I would love to know details about this, got any pics of the process?

 

Took out the platform to do a deep clean of the carpet and design platform 2.0

 

gotta link to expensive oil can catch kit you used?

 

Winter tires?

 

^Shitty BFGoodrich Winter T/A that came with my 4R, had a nail in one of them that I plugged. I'm just running them until they wear down so I can replace them with something better, Falken AT4W or Duratrac RT.