FreshSeaBass Build Thread

[FreshSeaBass]

Well... Here is my contribution to start!
Started from my dad's base model 2.7l 5-speed.

The day it became mine:

Got a little more committed!


November 2020:



Why the heck would I want to do a swap? I was born right after this car was purchased by my parents. Going on 24 years old now, and it is mine! I drive it almost every day.

Truck:
- 1996 Toyota 4Runner 2.7L 5-Speed

Conversion:
-Toyota Tacoma Manual Hubs
-Toyota Tacoma W59 4x4 5-Speed Transmission
-Toyota Tacoma J-Shift Transfer Case
-Toyota Tacoma F&R 4.30 Open Differentials
-Toyota Tacoma F&R Driveshafts
-Front Range Off-Road Twin-Sticks
-Front Range Off-Road Transfer Case Crossmember
-LC Engineering Short Shifter

*Current Projects*
-Trail Gear Tacoma Dual-Case Adapter Kit
-22RE RF1A Top-Shift Transfer Case
-Custom Heavy Duty Rock Sliders

Armour:
-Modified Addicted Offroad Tube Front Bumper

Suspension:

Front:
-Bilstein B8 8125 Coilover (8" Travel Short-Body)
-King 18" x 3" x 600lb Coil Springs
-4130 Chromoly Tubular UCA
-EMF Rebuildable 2.125" Uniball
-Custom Mid-Travel Towers +5"
-Sonoran Steel Limit Strap Mount
-Eimkeith Lower Limit Strap Tab & Spacer
-Poly Performance Limit Strap Clevis
-Kartek 10" Limit Straps
- Opt Offroad Cam Tab Plates

*Current Projects*
-Stock Width Uniball LCA
-Uniball Steering Knuckle Adapter
-HD Tie Rod End Mount

Rear:
-Old Man EMU 2851 FZJ80 Springs
-Bilstein 5125 Long Travel Shocks
-4130 Chromoly HD Lower Control Arms
-4130 Chromoly HD Upper Control Arms

Interior Accessories:


Communication:
-Uniden 520 ProXL CB Radio
-QB25 Quad Band UHF Radio

Auxiliary:
-Paranoid Fabrications 6-Switch Panel
-Mictuning Rocker Switches
-Carpet Dash Mat

Exterior Accessories:
Superwinch TS 9.5k Winch
-El Jefe 4x4 Dyneema Rope
-Aluminum Hawse Fairlead
-Aluminum Closed Loop Winch Thimble
-Custom Bi-Xenon HID Retrofits
-Custom LED DRL Panel
-Custom 1" Tube Steel Roof Rack

 

[4runner DOA]

Not too many 3rd gen 4wd swaps, but I hear they're easier than 4th gens or 2nd gen tacos.

 

[FreshSeaBass]

Time went on, University progressed, started making more money, still broke at the time aaaaaand.....


Bought these coilovers for $285 freedom dollars from a gent at Toyota.

Did the thing!



Spent a month sitting in the University's parking deck with me trying to find time between class, riding to and from work on bicycle, and what seemed like a never ending list of excuses. Trying to find the right fittings and mounts to one day make this work until I committed to the real challenge of the swap and my intentions for these...

 

[FreshSeaBass]

Well, college is behind me... Or it was until I went back to get another degree, HA! Joke's on me!
Now here we are after a pretty eventful 2019, and an unforgettable start to 2020...
Back in December

Tent is gone now, different take on a roof rack, I'm over all the fancy lighting & 35's are way cool!

started to collect parts in the fall of 2019... (My wife is awesome)

 

[FreshSeaBass]

Not too many 3rd gen 4wd swaps, but I hear they're easier than 4th gens or 2nd gen tacos.

Definitely few and far between. As sacreligious as it may be, I am super happy to have been blessed with the most basic 4Runner money could buy in 1996!

 

[FreshSeaBass]

There are things I am missing in here like CB/UHF, some lights, a switch panel, steering wheel upgrade, blah blah blah.... BUT this is where it gets GOOD

 

[FreshSeaBass]

Links!

Roof rack in progress... because reasons.



Before all of this went down, back in January I walked into my shop one day and said "screw it, I have a bunch of parts" well....




Crossmember and trans out in one fell swoop!
All that new 4 wheel goodness went in the same afternoon!




Now there are magically 3 stick poking through my floor board!

 

[FreshSeaBass]

Found a great deal on some tires I have been wanting to try out for a few years. Cooper ST MAXX in 35x12.50r15






It's finally growing up a little bit. Actually, too much. This is too tall for my liking. *Note* I chopped the fenders back SIGNIFICANTLY because I clearly have my priorities in check.

 

[FreshSeaBass]

Time goes on still, and I finally addressed the elephant in the room

 

[FreshSeaBass]

Way too close for comfort here


I am almost finished building a set of steering knuckles with manual hubs, and some other bits

 

[FreshSeaBass]

Obligatory pictures of everything that is not quite what you're looking for

AAAAAAAAND..... dang it.


Some more chopping

 

[FreshSeaBass]

Let me preface what I am about to put up here with this.
I have 2 goals with this part of the project:
-Retain the stock track width
-Gain useable travel over stock

 

[FreshSeaBass]

Strut tower is cut, and while the UCA's and knuckles are being finished, I decided to start mocking up one side of the truck.


This is a Bilstein 8125 8" stroke coilover Ext: 24" Comp: 16"
I have drawn up the dimensioned CAD files for what I am trying to accomplish and taking those dimensions to grid board for a quick look at how it could all work.


At this point things are looking good. My spring choice will be an 18" 3"ID 600lb spring unless someone has a good reason to suggest a different spring rate. I am currently running 650lb springs, and due to the weight difference between the 5vz/3rz I concluded that 600lb springs may be a sweet spot.

 

[FreshSeaBass]

Here is a bit more of what it is looking like
Limit straps are also a huge contributing factor to the success of this setup to eliminate any binding between the UCA and the coilover/spring


I am thinking to use the Sonoran Steel limit strap mounts and space in conjunction with some tabs to have a safe and reliable strap setup.

Clearance between the tower and the top of the CO


Last one!


This is currently where I am at until tomorrow maybe?

I plan to get the knuckle back in there, UCA mounted up, EMF rebuildable uniball pressed into the UCA, and pull the old 2wd wheel hub out of the knuckle to begin transplanting the 4wd manual hub assembly parts.

 

[FreshSeaBass]

Any sort of input is welcome, do I go 650lb springs? I am going to be bracing the tower with 1.5" .120 DOM or Do I change the plate tower to a straight-up tube hoop? Does anyone see something wrong with this I don't see? I am an entry level engineer looking to make this work extremely well within the constraints of IFS and its strengths.

 

[4runner DOA]

Tube bumper and a 4 cyl, I'd think you're fine with 600s, but I really don't know shit about 3rd gen builds. Especially 4 cyl.

 

[FreshSeaBass]

As of May 17th....
Here it sits in all its glory

 

[FreshSeaBass]

Tube bumper and a 4 cyl, I'd think you're fine with 600s, but I really don't know shit about 3rd gen builds. Especially 4 cyl.

So far that has been a resounding consensus among the folks I have talked to. I just can't help but feel like I am a bit oversprung. That being said, I haven't the slightest clue about what the 3rz trucks ride like with 600lb springs, and I won't ever know if I don't commit.

 

[AssBurns]

Any sort of input is welcome, do I go 650lb springs? I am going to be bracing the tower with 1.5" .120 DOM or Do I change the plate tower to a straight-up tube hoop? Does anyone see something wrong with this I don't see? I am an entry level engineer looking to make this work extremely well within the constraints of IFS and its strengths.

I'd start with 600lb. You can always go up later if it ends up being too light, but it's better to be undersprung and overvalved than oversprung and undervalved.

A tube hoop for the coilover would be really easy, but you definitely want to do something to brace the stock shock tower because of the UCA's being mounted in there. Sounds like you have the right idea with the boxed tower. What I would do is get some 3/4" x .120" wall DOM tubing and some additional tabs to make it very rigid and easy to pull on and off. Sorta like this.

Just drew this up for reference.

 

[FreshSeaBass]

My primary concern with using tube to build a shock hoop is that I currently don't have access to a tube bender, but you better believe that it is right up there at the top of the list of parts. I like that the plate tower looks a little bit more like it belongs right in there. With regards to the tube sleeve... I wanted to sleeve the outer plate with 1.5" x .120 and then inside of that a shock bung in place.