I stumbled upon this place while doing some Google-fu for superduty axles. I never really posted much on the old site but learned a lot. I lurked here for before realizing how much I missed forums over the facespace groups.
This is the 95 SR5 4Runner that started it all.
Circa 2005.
3.0L auto 5.29s with a rear Detroit. It was fun but 3.0L suck as well as trying to wheel your daily. I took off the 36’s and went back to 33’s. Then I picked up a first gen pickup.
I was young, dumb, and broke. I through boggers on it and did dumb shit but it was fun.
I tore it apart and started doing some upgrades. I got about half of the stuff done I wanted to before life got in the way.
This the state it’s been in for roughly the last 12 year or so. In 2017 got motivated to work on it. Ordered some more parts and I made some progress until the end of 2018 when my grandfather passed and my first child was born. That pretty much took the wind out of my sails.
Before my grandfather passed I needed a vehicle that’s easy for my grandfather to get in and out. I picked up a clean 2wd 2nd gen for cheap. It was in pretty decent shape but it ended up needing some work.
When my grandfather went into hospice I decided to fix the the issues it had. Since I no longer needed it drive him to doctors appointments and cancer treatments it quickly got out of hand. I stared with just replacing the timing chain, new gaskets almost every where and rebuilding the worn out steering quickly but that quickly snowballed. I ended doing a 5speed swap, “1 ton” torsion bars front and rear sway bars, 2in drop, cam, LCE header and all new shoes. It was riot to drive but I didn’t end up driving it much because you can’t really fit 2 people and car seat safely since my mini me had arrived.
I end up trading it for a 3rd gen 4Runner. 5vz manual SR5. Plenty of room for every one now.
I hated the 18in fuel wheels so I traded for some 17in Tundra/Sequoia wheels. I did Bilstein struts, OME coils all around, SPC upper control arms. I found the Chinesium rear control arm joints were shot. I did the Front Range control arms and Panhard. FYI they are BEEF! About that same time I found a complete factory elocker rear. When doing the arms I swapped that in as well an Off-road solutions e-locker harness.
I was pretty content with this for a while. The blem list swampers rode terrible and I stumbled on a guy in Instagram running 37’s. I had to have some too.
I order a set of 17x9 Methods and 37x12.50R17 Cooper STT Pros. I rocked this setup for about a year and half. If I planned on keeping it I would probably do a long travel kit and true coil overs.
We have finally made it to 2023. My wife mentions she would like to have a 5th gen 4Runner. The 2014 Altima we bought new just rolled over 200k. She’s nervous it could finally die and doesn’t want to be rushed to find something when it does. Plus every time we go somewhere and need to bring anything besides just ourselves we end up taking my 4Runner or my crew cab Silverado. I get a lead on a 1 owner 100k mile 2010. We make the purchase and she’s over the moon. We are in a situation that we can keep her old car. It’s a much more economical spare/commuter than the 3rd gen. We have the 5th gen for family outdoor adventures. I mentioned to a friend I was thinking about parting with my 4Runner and they know someone who wants it. We make a deal. I’m throwing the tundra wheels back on it with some decent 35 ridge grapplers, swapping the stock rear axle in, and kissing it goodbye. I was supposed to get it ready to sell this weekend but I came down with shingles. It freaking sucks by the way. Hopefully this doesn’t keep me down to long.
The plan is with the money from the sale and more free time I can finally finish the 16 year 1st gen project.
