Need HELP fellas..2008 Limited v8 (1)Brakes, (2)Exhaust, (3)skid plate

I own a 2008 Limited, Nautical Blue, 4.7 v8.
(1) Im tired of my brake pedal going down to the floor. Im sure its calipers AGAIN. I was told about upgrading to the Tacoma Powerstop brakes being a great upgrade. or 5th Gen replacements. IS this a good idea?

(2) I think my headers or manifold cracked, it sounds as if there is air coming out of the engine compartment when accelerating. Any help?

(3) I bought the 4runner with a chrome bull front guard, There is no under skid plate..
The engine gets splashed on rainy days.
What are my options to get a skid plate purchased and put on?

(4) Any recommendations for a "seasoned or knowledgeable" 4runner guy to do the work in or around the Chicago area or near suburbs?

 

1. FYI in case you didnt know Powerstop brakes are rebuilt OEM calipers painted red. Nothing really revolutionary about them. 5th gen or Tundra brake sets can be accommodated to fit our 4th gens, many threads describing this work. Our brakes do have history of being sloppy or going through rotors quickly, so an upgrade can be a damn good idea if this sounds familiar. Having said all that, I did a Powerstop upgrade myself and combined with new fluid after flushing the whole system its way better than the original set.
2. V8 headers will crack. Not an 'if' situation, but when. If they are you have 3 options: pull yours and clad weld the holes; pull them and replace with OEM; pull them and replace with aftermarket - I think Doug Thorley and JBA might be the last aftermarket manufacturers making them for us. I have DT headers and Y pipe and theyre NICE, but be prepared for the price to reflect it.
3. OEM V8 skid plate is admittedly hard to find new. Youre probably better off going aftermarket – can be had anywhere from $250-$450 per plate depending on options. CBI, RCI, Victory4x4, BudBilt, C4… there are TONS of shops who make these now. Admittedly fewer specify separate one between the V6 and V8. I have full RCI steel plates all the way form the bumper to fuel tank. Theyre beefy as hell and badass and weigh a lot so keep that in mind.
4. Chicago area shop I cant help with as Im in DC. Take a peek at shops around you and see who looks trustworthy

 

Before anything.. I sincerely appreciate and thank-you for the information you have. I'm not the most mechanical guy but have so much love for cars. Wish I was born with a silver spoon so I could have a garage full. (Maybe when I win the lottery)

A couple of follow up questions.
1- (A) If I do the Powerstop option upgrade... should I order the factory fit like you have the z36 or the Tundra option? (B) And will the Tundra option fit right on without modifications?
Again I'm an AGGRESSIVE style driver so I have to upgrade asap. I've owned the truck for 3 yrs and replaced 3 or 4 calipers already.

2- I saw some great reviews on the Doug Thorleys.
Dont laugh,.. but Do I just order them and have any good mechanic put them on, or do I need to take the 4Runner to a specific muffler/exhaust type shop?

3- As for the skid plate. I won't be doing any off roading. I believe I just need enough to cover the engine compartment so it stops getting wet so much from underneath. If it rains alot, I can hear the belt squeal sometimes. I even avoid car washes with the undercarriage wash for that reason.

 

No problem! I am on my 2nd 4th gen so I am more well versed there, but these folks have TONS of knowledge to digest too. To your further questions:

1A. Another FYI is there were two versions of brakes for the 4th gen, a 12" and 13" version. This link is an excellent quick description of differences and a good how to if you dont already know https://thetrackahead.com/projects/...e-caliper-replacement-4th-gen-toyota-4runner/. Since you also have the Limited, you should also have the 13" rotors. Make sure to get under and look at your calipers for the correct marking - itll be on the inner trailing edge of the caliper if memory serves, but dont hold me to that. I ordered the Z36 HD version cause I knew I was adding weight in tools and armor. You may not have to thats just up to your desires.

1B. If youre just doing rotors, thats easy. If youre doing calipers/rotors/pads, theyll be a complete package so nothing else should be required to be swapped. If youre a little extra like me, you might also do the SS brake line upgrade too.

2. No laughing! So its a pretty dang involved job. Most installers (and the directions) say to undo the engine block mounts to be able to lift it up for the necessary clearance. To your point, it absolutely *can* be done by a competent DIYer. But that part about lifting the block at all did scare me a bit since I don’t have a crane. So I had a dedicated off road shop do it all, but know I also have a 100% custom exhaust from headers back to end pipe. So that swayed me even more. Go to a few shops and ask them for a quote for new headers if you supply. Youre likely to get anywhere from a 4-13hr job, so go with who seems competent and good price.

3. This is stock and should fit, but double check your parameters https://parts.lakelandtoyota.com/p/...ld-Cover-Front--Lower/3957959/5145035010.html. If not and you are considering aftermarket then something like this https://www.victory4x4.com/product/V4RSD-GN.html or this https://rcimetalworks.com/https:/rcimetalworks.com/03-09-4runner-front-skid-plate/ (the RCI is what I have)