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

I have FRONT and REAR seat jackers on both front seats. I've had them on for about 3 weeks now. I had them on my 16 Tacoma and loved them. And to me, it's more comfortable. I don't make long drives often. Most of my driving is city. But when I do make an extended trip, it's easier on me. But also keep in mind everyone height and weight are different. Some people are comfy with just the front ones. I am of the crowd that likes front and rear jackers. So to each their own.

 

Changed out the air filter in the engine bay today. Replaced it with a K&N air filter that is washable. Suffice it to say, it needed changing. Cabin air filter is enroute from Amazon. Hopefully will be here on tomorrow or Wednesday.

 

Got a 3" Rough Country suspension lift and added Mickey Thompson Baja Boss A/T 285/70rx17's over the weekend. Love the difference in appearance and capability.

 

Put on the new Toyota front bumper from 4Runner lifestyles. Overall happy with it but had issues with the tape it came with. Hopefully easy fix when I get some more double sided tape. Would probably just buy the OEM directly from Toyota for a better fit too.

Also installed my new Greenlane Off Road roof rack. Truly love it. Was skeptical about a step where you have to cut your gutter guards and then it’s held by two aluminum pieces but dam it looks and feels good.

 

Replaced the black Pro wheels with Bronze, been wanting to get bronze wheels for a while now.

 

I sold it

It was a fun run! Short, but fun. Glad I got to own my TRD Pro. I am selling some Advans and Rays lugs (brand new never mounted). I can provide a discount and can pay a finders fee if someone links me to a deal that gets done.

Sold it and got an A4 Allroad. Quite different but enjoying it thus far

https://www.4runners.com/threads/brand-new-advan-rg-d2-wheels-and-rays-forged-lugs.29056/

 

Santa was nice and dropped off my christmas presents early so I can get them installed before my christmas road trip to go see family

 

I don't know for sure on the 4runner, but I know my old Fozzy XT which had two of these stupid air pumps, (which were notorious for failling every year or two due to water getting in them and corroding everything and cost a pretty 500$ each just for the pumps). and they would turn on during cold starts to speed up the cat warm up and they would turn on when the AC compressor turned on to offset the power lost when the compressor was on.

 

Very nice! Those look great with your vehicle color. I was certain when I replaced my wheels I wanted to go with black, but the bronze are definitely growing on me.

 

I did this mod but I used a small Uni Filter UP-107. It fits under the top cover and the end is black so you don’t even notice it.
Uni Filter UP-107 1" Clamp-On Breather

$20 Uni Filter UP-107 1" Clamp-On Breather

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003CJOTSA

https://metaltech4x4.com/blog/lexus-gx460-secondary-air-intake-pump-mod-the-unimod-/

 

Replaced the in cabin filter a short bit ago. OEM was filthy. Prob first time it's been replaced. Used a K&N reusable one.

 

I evaluated a uni filter, shockingly similar to a much cheaper one with rubber mold impressions that were exactly the same. Either the same factory or a "stolen" mold.

https://amzn.to/3j5BbFi

 

I'm not a graphics guy for vehicles, not even bumper stickers... This works for me. 70s Houston Astros/German racing vibe. I love it in the white...

 

Paper element vs cotton. I’ll stick with cotton every time.

 

Ah, the $21 Uni filter on Amazon is described as open cell polyurethane foam with oil to be embedded. I was an old K&N user until I got a lecture from my mechanic with visuals...

Must say the construction is incredibly, strikingly similar. I often use the free returns service to inspect products even if I don't intend on using them. Time to pull out the boroscope!

 

have you used K&N cabin filters before? do they have to be cleaned and oiled like the engine air filter?

 

The K&N cabin filter refreshed memories of a K&N engine filter experience...

I had put a K&N on my 98 Legacy Outback. My mechanic had a shop called Strictly Subaru. These guys were bigger dorks over "their" cars than I am about a million things... They saw the K&N filter, which was properly oiled from the factory...

Well, the guys brought me into the garage and showed me at 20,000 miles of street and freeway driving in Southern California how much my throttle was dirtied up. It was bad. It was caked with soot exhaust; pretty remarkable how much got through.

Yeah, I was getting 10% better gas mileage, but it was playing with fire. The Project Farm YouTube channel had a shootout of air filters, it completely substantiates my experience.

By the way, the shop put a paper filter in and cleaned my throttle for no charge. They put the K&N in a bag in my cargo area and told me they won't service the car anymore if I come back with it in.

Nowadays, I stick to pretty much OEM. This little project is me straying from the path of Denso products.

https://youtu.be/sJ3L-E-ufYo

 

Oiled filters are 100% safe. The issue with oil on sensors causing issues and what not is 100% user error and self inflicted. People that don’t know what they’re doing tend to over oil filters, not give the filter proper dry time and cause issues. I’m not saying the $9 filter isn’t good, it’s just not apples to apples.

Did the same mechanic convince you to run nitrogen in your tires rather than air?

 

It's not the oil (although mass airflow sensors have been known to suffer), it's the larger particles that pass through the media that cause the problems.

As for nitrogen in tires, the systems are dehumidified. Regular service station air pumps usually do not remove moisture at the rate that nitrogen systems.

 

I think you believe way too much of what you read and what your mechanic feeds you. The oil on a filter helps trap particles allowing larger pores and better air flow. Personally I prefer dry filters like the AFE pro dry simply for easier maintenance. As far as Nitrogen in tires goes, this is nothing but a scam.

 

If something as basic as an air filter is subject to user error, you can't say it's 100% safe.

 

For filters, it’s easy. If I can see pinpricks of light coming through when I hold it up to the sun, it doesnt get used as an engine air filter.

More/deeper pleats means more surface area for the same volume of air to pass through. I’m pretty sure that means less resistance to airflow. Or at least extremely high filtering effectiveness without loss in flow. Paper elements get a bad rap. Like so many other things, how something is designed is just as importatnt as the meterial being used. I’m not an hvac expert, but they would be the ones to know about air filtering efficiency.

 

Two things: Project Farm, in plain English shows what a K&N does (Unis are foam anyway) and "nothing but a scam" is hyperbolic. Have at it. While you're at it, put some Zerex in your radiator, skip the TopTier gas and make sure to drive 10,000 miles between oil changes.

 

This is the same that I used on my 2013 Tacoma TRD O/R and 2022 4Runner TRD ORP

 

That user shouldn’t be installing an air filter if they can’t handle something that basic.

 

I actually love project farm. He’s one of the few that I enjoy watching. Top tear gas is a thing and 87 is all we need, first oil change at 2k, 5k oil changes since then, nitrogen is absolutely useless in tires.

 

I had K&N in my Tacoma for a long time. Took it out several times to clean it out. Never had any issues. But everyone has different experiences.

 

These weren't all done today, but within the last two weeks, so I'll throw it all in one post:

-Added MESO black doorhandle covers (this sounds small and silly, but after being blinded when driving south in the morning by the chrome passenger handle, it's a Godsend)
-OME 2" lift kit with heavy coils and UCAs installed (by the awesome folks at HeftyFab)
-Gobi ladder and Victory 4x4 roof rack installed (by me...about the limit of my skillset so far lol)
-Two Pelican/Storm iM3300 cases bolted to the roof rack

I bought a Warn EVO winch, but it's waiting for the HeftyFab front bumper, which is on order.

 

Why do you say nitrogen in tires is a scam? You know that it is supposed to help in colder climates. Not necessarily beneficial for weather here in North Carolina (from what I heard). Nitrogen escapes slower than air. Would I go out of my way to fill with Nitrogen? Nope I won’t. However, Costco does it for free so I say whatever.

 

How often do you have to fill your tires? Once maybe twice a year? If it’s free and safes a few minutes, sure why not. When shops try to sell it to people at $200 like it’s gold, that’s a scam.