Building an '06 V8 4Runner

[Redline]

Finally, finally installed my OME lift on my '06 V8 4Runner project. I've had the parts since early January but have been waiting for my Shrockworks front bumper to be made and shipped. The bumper has still not arrived but I need to get moving on this build. A much needed boost!

OME 886 Spring w/ N140S Struts for the front,
OME 895 Springs w/ N141 shocks for the rear.

Having driven only a few miles with the new suspension, it feels terrific. Firmer but not harsh. Still feels good going down the road. Now it's time to rip-off the running-boards and mud flaps.

With a little luck the front bumper will arrive by the end of April so I can add the winch, have some better recovery points, and improve the approach angle and overall clearance.

Here's to getting ready for the '07 Expedition Trophy and all the months between... and after :wings:

[Redline]

DaveInDenver

I thought I might get a "photos" scolding response ... :-)

redLine

[Redline]

Don't have any wheelin' pictures with todays lift (just installation shots) but do have these B4 shots in total "mall mode" :-)

Hope I have the posting procedure correct.

[DaveInDenver]

Good looking truck, even before the OME!

[Redline]

Thanks for your kind comments... Though I have to say I think it looked like every other "Soccer-Mom SUV" until today. That said, the stock 4th gen. 4Runner w/ATRAC works amazingly well in stock, low-rider trim. Ride height/clearance was probably the biggest limitation. Now that this very necessary modification has been accomplished, I hope my time will allow for the modification flood gates to open fully while I crawl forward during the coming months.

I removed the running boards this evening. It was like putting a nice bathing suit on a beautiful woman; it made the rest of the package very noticeable.



Good looking truck, even before the OME!

[Redline]

Alignment Baseline Jan 2007, 2,000-miles (factory/as delivered)

Left Right

1. Total Toe Front -0.05*
2. Left/Right Toe +0.00* -0.05*
3. Camber -0.26* +0.23* -0.49*
Cross Cam

4. Caster +3.00* +0.06* +3.06*
Cross Cas

5. S.A.I. +12.0* +12.4*

6. Total Toe Rear +0.20*
7. Left/Right Toe +0.50 -0.30*
8. Camber -0.15* +0.20* -0.35*
Cross Cam

9. Thrust Angle +0.40

After the OME Lift Mar 2007, 4,400-miles, adjustments were made to obtain the readings below.


Left Right

1. Total Toe Front +0.07*
2. Left/Right Toe +0.03* +0.04*
3. Camber +0.24* +0.05* +0.28*
Cross Cam

4. Caster +0.69* +0.25* +0.94*
Cross Cas

5. S.A.I. +11.4* +11.8*

6. Total Toe Rear -0.03*
7. Left/Right Toe +0.28* -0.30*
8. Camber -0.41* +0.09* -0.32*
Cross Cam

9. Thrust Angle +0.29

I understand the basic of alignment, but don't ask me to interpret the above data with specific, scientific detail. But I'm sure there some here who will have interesting comments. Other than looking at numbers and specs my biggest concern is if a vehicle handles and operates well.

redLine

P.S. I had the numbers separated so they were easier to read but when posting my tabs very removed.

[Redline]

The stock Michelin Cross Terrain P265/70R16 tires were pulled and replaced with 32-inch Toyo A/T LT265/75R16 (C-range) for everyday driving and light-duty off-highway work. There will be another set later for slippery conditions.

[Redline]

I have a problem with my OME suspension. Suggestions & help would be much appreciated :-)

Last week a friend (pro Tech. specializing in front end/alignments/suspension repair) and I installed my OME suspension. Though I'm capable of doing the job with the exception of putting the struts inside the front springs (he has a press), he did most of the work while I helped, watched, took pictures and notes.

OME from Slee:
886 front coil, N140S strut
895 rear, N141 shock

We did drop the anti-sway bar during the installation to make things easier, but I think I read somewhere this is not necessary or recommended. Did I screw this up?

I didn't drive it much until today, but I had a noticeable squeak/rubbing noise coming from the right/front, as well as twitchy /unusual steering control. I discovered the sway bar is contacting the bottom of the spring mount on the lower end of the strut! Obviously this is not acceptable for many reasons. Are sway-bar drop brackets the best way to deal with this? Nobody makes extended bar-end links I assume like for a Jeep?

Maybe this contact we didn't catch affected the limited caster he was able to put back in?

For now I'm pulling the sway-bar until I figure out what I need to do.

[Tucson T4R]

I'm running the 886 OME springs on my 04 4Runner and the sway bar does not contact the front strut spring. The clearence is close, maybe 3/8" but it never touches the spring. I'm not sure why your would be dfiferent than mine??

Any chance the sway bar was bent prior to installing the OME lift? The only other differnce is you are running 886 springs before adding the wieght of the new bumper. Maybe the lighter weight with the stiffer springs sets you up for the sway bar contact?? No knowledge behind that guess, just a WAG.

Other than alignment adjustments being out of spec, I can't see a logical reason yours is making spring contact and mine doesn't, Maybe someone else here with more experience will have a better idea? I would also talk with Ben at Slee Offroad. He has a lot of experience with OME and 4Runners.

Please keep us posted on what you find.

[Redline]

Thanks for the input. No bumper/winch yet as I'm still waiting for my Shrockworks to arrive... Contacting Ben is a good idea. I'm giving some thought to adding caster correction of some type. For now I took the anti-sway-bar off. I don't think it was bent in its first 4000-miles, which only included a few easy 4-wheelin' trips, but its surely possible.



I'm running the 886 OME springs on my 04 4Runner and the sway bar does not contact the front strut spring. The clearence is close, maybe 3/8" but it never touches the spring. I'm not sure why your would be dfiferent than mine??

Any chance the sway bar was bent prior to installing the OME lift? The only other differnce is you are running 886 springs before adding the wieght of the new bumper. Maybe the lighter weight with the stiffer springs sets you up for the sway bar contact?? No knowledge behind that guess, just a WAG.

Other than alignment adjustments being out of spec, I can't see a logical reason yours is making spring contact and mine doesn't, Maybe someone else here with more experience will have a better idea? I would also talk with Ben at Slee Offroad. He has a lot of experience with OME and 4Runners.

Please keep us posted on what you find.

[Redline]

I removed the anti-sway bar for now, it's not bad without it. Now it sits low on the left side (where all the weight is). Maybe a small spacer will be needed/desirable after I add the rest of my weight.

[Tucson T4R]

I removed the anti-sway bar for now, it's not bad without it. Now it sits low on the left side (where al the weight is). Maybe a small spacer will be needed/desirable after I add the rest of my weight.

Good deal. I also see that you found the expertise of "Bulldog". :bowdown: No better advice on 4th Gen 4Runners. Even though Ihave no contact, I may look into the sway bar relocators just give me a larger buffer space. Let me know how it changes, or not when you install the SW bumper and Bud Built skids. Thanks

[Redline]

Looking at it more closely this morning, the whole left side is sitting noticeable lower. I think the anti-sway bar was keeping the vehicle level, keeping things tight side-to-side. I'm guessing many don't take their anti-sway bar off, even for a short time to see this imbalance?


I removed the anti-sway bar for now, it's not bad without it. Now it sits low on the left side (where al the weight is). Maybe a small spacer will be needed/desirable after I add the rest of my weight.

[njtaco]

I have a problem with my OME suspension. Suggestions & help would be much appreciated :-)


I didn't drive it much until today, but I had a noticeable squeak/rubbing noise coming from the right/front, as well as twitchy /unusual steering control. I discovered the sway bar is contacting the bottom of the spring mount on the lower end of the strut!




The clearence is close, maybe 3/8"

Just a thought, but was the bar centered left/right when reinstalled? You only mentioned contact on the right side, how much clearance did you have on the left? I hope you get this figured out...good luck.

[Redline]

The noise was coming from the right side, but it was touching or almost touching on the left too. The bar did look even side-to-side. We simply removed it and bolted it back up when finished. I don't think it was moved in its bushing/mounts at all. Good idea though.

I do think that the stout OME springs that are for a V8 WITH heavy bumper & winch, but currently have nothing but the V8 on them, may be part of the problem. Certainly taller now than it will be when I dump some weight on the springs. This is why I was waiting for my front bumper before putting the suspension on... but I needed to get started on this build so the OME suspension went on first without anything else.

I'm going to get some sway bar spacers from Downey, and hopefully the bumper arrives in a few weeks. I'm hopeful that mounting the bumper and winch will drop the front enough to make the sway-bar work fine and allow for more caster. If not, then maybe aftermarket upper A-arms or another solution, as on-road handling must be near perfect.


Just a thought, but was the bar centered left/right when reinstalled? You only mentioned contact on the right side, how much clearance did you have on the left? I hope you get this figured out...good luck.

[Redline]

I received and installed my Downey anti-sway-bar relocation bracket kit this past weekend. It went well but...

The two short aluminum spacers were different lengths, one about 3/8" longer. Maybe this doesn't matter on the FJ but the holes wouldn't line-up using the longer spacer because the end of the spacer hit the cross-member where the cross-member is welded to the frame rail. I cut the longer piece with a hack-saw to match the shorter one.

Also, because of the welds at the cross-member/frame junction the rearward ends of the brackets don't lie completely flat on the frame. Maybe the spacers should be cut a little shorter to fit 4Runners.

They work. The sway-bar is forward and down a bit and there are wear marks on both sides of the lower front spring/strut collars where the sway-bar was rubbing.

[Redline]

I've been needing to update this build-up thread so here are a few pictures of the Downey Anti-Sway Bar relocation kit. Notes are in the above post(s) but again I'm very happy with the results.

[Redline]

Next modification is new Uni-Ball A-Arms from All-Pro Off-Road. I had read that a really good alignment guy could get a 4Runner in specification, or very close, with OME suspension and no other modifications. My alignment guy couldn't get it close enough for me with the HD 886 springs in front (but no bumper yet), and on-road handling is a priority for me with the Mall Crawler. I could feel it wander on road with less than 2-degrees of caster. Aftermarket A-arms were the answer but which ones?

I didn't need or care about fully adjustable Uni-Ball A-arms. I simply wanted my suspension geometry to be to be within specification, and easily adjusted by any alignment shop. Though I usually subscribe to Filson's motto, "Might as well have the best", I decided I didn't need billet aluminum A-arms for $1,000.00.

"All-Pro Off Road's Upper A-Arm kit is constructed of 4130 Chromoly material. These arms are TIG welded, not MIG welded like competing brands. A 1" uni-ball provides maximum articulation for the Upper A-Arm without binding up like the factory ball joint. These arms are designed to correct suspension geometry on lifted applications, and now have zerk fittings for easy bushing lubrication." $499.00 for the pair.

These are made for the FJ Cruiser, but since the 4Runner and FJ are the same platform these A-arms fit perfectly. To facilitate easy greasing of the zerks, I changed the straight zerks to three 90-degree and one 45-degree fittings. They are now easily greased from the top of the engine. The correct thread for these zerks is SAE 1/4-28 (I called All Pro to make sure before I purchased replacements).

Proper alignment was easily accomplished at my local tire shop. Drives nice.

[Redline]

My next addition is small but functional. The Femco No Spill oil drain kit allows for clean, easy oil changes. Access is going to be limited and more difficult when I have my BudBuilt skid plates in place. The Femco No Spill oil drain will allow me to change my oil without removing the heavy 2nd skid which is directly below the oil pan or making a big mess.

As my pictures show, the Femco drain replaces the standard plug. You can still remove the Femco like a regular plug if needed, but it is designed to stay in the pan. The plugs are machined from solid brass bar stock and are guaranteed for life for workmanship and materials.

The screw-on drain tube opens a stainless steel, spring-loaded valve inside the drain plug. Unscrewing the drain tube closes the valve. An O-ring sealed cap covers the vitals of the drain plug when not in use. It's that simple. There are both regular and low-profile compact plugs, the latter designed for better clearance and the one I purchased. The part number for my 2006 4Runner is 15-12125-01.

I purchased my drain from 'Geno's Garage', a diesel pickup parts outfit that I'm aquatinted with. Though they usually don't sell Toyota parts, after I got the correct part number from Femco, Geno's was able to order my Femco kit. The No Spill kit cost about $60.00.

In years of use on my old F-350 the Femco has been a flawless accessory.

http://www.nospillsystems.com/

[teotwaki]

How about some updated photos as the Death Valley thread shows that you have a lot of changes?

Thanks!!

[TACODOC]

Sounds cool, but...

http://www.armbrusterweb.com/public/webshots/darthvader.jpg

:mixed-smiley-030::iagree: :violent-smiley-031:

[Redline]

Okay guys, I will try to do a little updating soon...

But, I have the opportunity to write a magazine build-up series on the Mall Crawler 4Runner so I will be limited in what I can share.

James

[p1michaud]

Okay guys, I will try to do a little updating soon...

But, I have the opportunity to write a magazine build-up series on the Mall Crawler 4Runner so I will be limited in what I can share.

James

James,
I had a few cool shots from the Broken Arrow trail that I could post if that's ok with you. Your Mall Crawler is one sweet ride! At the very least you could post a list of changes since you created this thread. I know there are lots of changes! :victory:
Cheers,
P

[Redline]

Pierre:

You are welcome to post any shots of my car that you have. A list of my mods/changes is a good idea. After yesterdays prodding I'm thinking of some stuff I can post that won't screw-up potential magazine articles. For example, I have had some tires on the Mall Crawler that are now 'gone' and I won't be writing about.

But for the next two weekends I'm working on a 7.3L F350 Power Stroke performance build-up (for print). Fun but time consuming :-)


James,
I had a few cool shots from the Broken Arrow trail that I could post if that's ok with you. Your Mall Crawler is one sweet ride! At the very least you could post a list of changes since you created this thread. I know there are lots of changes! :victory:
Cheers,
P

[p1michaud]

As promised,
A few pics of the rig, enjoy.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y12/p1michaud/4WD%20Trips/Expediton%20Trophy%202007/DSC04489.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y12/p1michaud/4WD%20Trips/Expediton%20Trophy%202007/DSC04505.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y12/p1michaud/4WD%20Trips/Expediton%20Trophy%202007/DSC04518.jpg

Cheers :beer:,
P

[viatierra]

I wish I had taken more pictures of the Mall Crawler in DV.

That rear bumper is FANTASTIC!

[slooowr6]

The stock Michelin Cross Terrain P265/70R16 tires were pulled and replaced with 32-inch Toyo A/T LT265/75R16 (C-range) for everyday driving and light-duty off-highway work. There will be another set later for slippery conditions.

Would you share your opinion on the Toyos?
How quiet are they on freeway?

[Redline]

Pierre:

Thanks for sharing the shots. It nice to see my rigs doing their thing (in motion), I rarely get these pictures myself :-)

[Redline]

I installed the Toyo AT 265/75R16 after about one month and 3,000-miles and before any other modifications because they cleared without a lift. They were only on for a few months until I installed the OME lift & front bumper and had room for more tire. After this I purchased my first set of 255/85 for the 4Runner. My memory regarding the Toyo ATs has faded, but...

Compared to the stock Michelin Cross-Terrain 265/70, which were very quiet, the Toyo AT were 'audible'. That is to say that I could hear them, but they were not loud. After removing the stock tires they are probably the quietest tire I have had on the Crawler, with the possible exception being the Maxxis Bravo 761 AT in 255/85 that I have now. The Toyo ATs have a slightly more open tread pattern than the Maxxis Bravos.

These Toyo ATs are a popular tire for Les Schwab (western tire chain). Both a buddy and myself thought that the tire exhibited a bit of tread squirm when new. It seems to go away after a bit of wear. If I was to buy these again in this size I would get them in load-range-D. A D-load-range would have enough capacity (3,000-lbs.) to live on my F350 and I could have used them as a street tire on the Power Stroke after pulling them from 4Runner service.

I don't have anything definitive to say about them. I guess they are a good compromise all-terrain tire, and they are available in many sizes. They also might be better than a BFG AT on wet roads/slush because of their circumferential grooves that ‘may’ evacuate water instead of trap it. BUT, I have never owned or used BFG AT tires and I'm only basing this on looking at the tread patterns.

Redline

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x186/redlineredline/20070120-090231.jpg

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x186/redlineredline/20070222-110945.jpg





Would you share your opinion on the Toyos?
How quiet are they on freeway?

[slooowr6]

Redline,
Thanks for the detail info on Toyo and the tip on Maxxis Bravo AT. I just found there is a Les Schwab 12miles from me I'll give them a call see if they have that.
I've order a TRD supercharger and hope that will help with the power lost of 255/85/16. I'm searching a quiet/comfortable tire with some ability to go off road. All your posts about tires helps me greatly!! :26_7_2:
Still not decided on 33" or 32" but at least I got one thing down. It has to be load range D. :)


Alex

[Redline]

I'm almost certain Les Schwab won't have the Maxxis Bravo 761 AT treads. I did buy mine from my local Les Schwab but only because they special ordered them directly from Maxxis for me. Les Schwab recently started stocking the Maxxis Bighorn MT and a Maxxis highway tire, but not the full Maxxis line. I wanted to try the Maxxis Bravo 761 (they make them in 255/85R16) after I saw how little wheel weight was required to balance the Bighorns. If you consider ordering the Bravos from a dealer, make sure they are coming from Calif. not back east or the shipping will hurt!

The Bravo is a pretty conservative (void ratio) AT tire, but if you don't travel in sloppy terrain (mud) they should work as well as most AT tires. All 8-10-ply Bravos have a 3-ply sidewall. Regardless of the tires/brand, I really like light-truck load-range-D treads. A little stronger than a C-range without the stiffer ride of most load-range-E tires. If you get serious about the Bravos you might consider mail order from this site:

http://www.unsertire.com/Custom/Product/Maxxis.aspx

I have never purchased from Unser Tire but the price for the Bravo 761 is very good and the site says free shipping.

A supercharger for your 4.0L sounds very cool. You should have more power than my little V8 ☺



Redline,
Thanks for the detail info on Toyo and the tip on Maxxis Bravo AT. I just found there is a Les Schwab 12miles from me I'll give them a call see if they have that.
I've order a TRD supercharger and hope that will help with the power lost of 255/85/16. I'm searching a quiet/comfortable tire with some ability to go off road. All your posts about tires helps me greatly!! :26_7_2:
Still not decided on 33" or 32" but at least I got one thing down. It has to be load range D. :)


Alex

[detailbarn]

As promised,
A few pics of the rig, enjoy.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y12/p1michaud/4WD%20Trips/Expediton%20Trophy%202007/DSC04505.jpg



Cheers :beer:,
P

I'm loving the truck, what a great build! What size tires are on it in this picture?

[Redline]

Those tires are Maxxis Bighorn MT in 255/85R16.

[detailbarn]

Those tires are Maxxis Bighorn MT in 255/85R16.


Redline, thanks for the info!

[jim65wagon]

OK waking up the dead here, but....
since you are the only James I know with a V8 powered, white 4Runner, with Maxxis Bighorns, Cooper STs, and Dick Cepeck tires at any given time.
There hapens to be an article in the new Overland Journal about a white V8 powered 4Runner, that has tested Maxxis, Cooper and DC tires, with an author named James.

One and the same?

If my deduction is correct, I would like to commend you on your article, your 4Runner and of course, your never-ending tire data!

[Redline]

Yep.

Thanks for the compliment. :sombrero:

James



OK waking up the dead here, but....
since you are the only James I know with a V8 powered, white 4Runner, with Maxxis Bighorns, Cooper STs, and Dick Cepeck tires at any given time.
There hapens to be an article in the new Overland Journal about a white V8 powered 4Runner, that has tested Maxxis, Cooper and DC tires, with an author named James.

One and the same?

If my deduction is correct, I would like to commend you on your article, your 4Runner and of course, your never-ending tire data!