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

Put my black lug nuts on.

Replaced my sunroof weather seal. Really goobered up one of the screws and had to use an extractor kit to get it out. Have a good enough replacement in right now so I can actually have a functional roof.

 

I did this on my 2008 4Runner and it always worked fine. The TPMS sensor was purchased locally, but it looks identical to the other OEMs. I will be messing with this in the coming week. Going to mount the tire on the right front since I know the existing sensors all work and then "Change the Wheel Set" and see what happens.
Great tip about Discount Tire!

 

That’d be a nice setup
@ 24w 2245Lm / each, I reckon they’re a good choice
I run two amber’s off eBay from LED-Club @ 20w 2000Lm / each

 

Cleaned the engine bay. Hose it off real good. Let it dry. Saturate everything with cheapo tire foam. Boom. Magic. Don't like the results? Repeat. Or get a sponge. Keep the water away from the alternator. 20 mins. plus dry time. Easy-peasy.

 

Installed an oil catch can:

$35 EVIL ENERGY Oil Catch Can, Universal Baffled Catch Can Kit with NBR Fuel Hose, 300ml Aluminum Air Oil Separator Tank for PCV System

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B081N392BN?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

I couldn't find a sintered bronze filter to modify the catch can so I used the steel wool provided but added a 1" stainless steel mesh screen to help condense the oil from the air flow: https://www.mcmaster.com/9317T551/

First I installed a 3/8" site glass so I can inspect the level


I test the fit here where a lot of people install the can it seems:


I wound up bending the bracket and reconfigured the mounting bracket so that I could put the engine cover back on


I had a length of silicone hose and a length of regular fuel line hose. I'm going to swap out the fuel line hose for silicone in the future


This is the finished result


And you can see the sight glass from the side

 

Those are nice looking too.

 

Edit: I mounted the tire at the right front and had put 7 PSI more in (42 vs 35 PSI) to make sure it was found and in the correct position. The new TPMS sensor worked and was read perfectly. However the OEM tire and TPMS sensor that was on the right front and placed in the spare tire position was NOT recognized at all - not even the dashes when it is searching "---". I will have to do some researching on this. At least I know the new sensor is working. I watched a video that shows the change that can be made in the Toyota/Lexus software, so that's my next step.

 

don’t throw your oem speakers away. One of my Infiniti dash speakers shorted after 3 months. Warranty replacement should be here next week.

 

Did the same today. Installed the new amber DRLs that @CoastPro4 recommend. Heart kinda sank after installing them because they wouldn't come on. Put the old OEM bulbs back on same thing they wouldn't come on. Come to find out I had my parking brake on. Finally installed the new DRLs and boom they work

 

I am considering the Diode Dynamics SS3 Pro Stage Series Backlit Ditch Lights. I really like their products.

Let us know how Baja Designs perform.

 

Had a rough 200 miles on mountain highways and need to find solutions to quiet the exhaust ASAP, else I would be forced to build the Limited for our trips. Mrs is absolutely not happy with TRD Pro exhaust.

 

Did some more wiring, cut taco Tunes Brackets to fit better, tested fitment with seats on.





looks like we clear but I plane to add about 1/8" washers

 

@Thacrow
Wow dude, you got this.
And I thought I was ballsy for stripping down my shifter console, one time.

can you point out what the taco Tunes Brackets are in that bag of snakes

 

Lmfao. Thanks dude! Those things the amps are sitting on

 

The wifey wanted fang lights, so I put some in a couple weeks ago. She also got some black roof rails last night to get rid of the silver, so those will be installed today.

 

Gave her a bath. Love this color!

 

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.