Solid Axle Swapped Rig Walk Around (3rd Gen Toyota 4Runner)

In this video we check out a super sic solid axle swapped 3rd Gen 4Runner. This 4runner fanatic shares his unique 2000 manual rig that has had the entire body swapped at one point, and shares some personal stories about the build. Nikolai built this 4Runner over a year basically entirely in his driveway, so this just goes to show that anyone can do this if they want. If you'd like to follow Nikolai and his off-roading adventures, check him out on Instagram @crawlin.overland.

[@nikolaisaint9137]

Let me know if y’all have any questions regarding the build

[@matthewzimmerman2637]

Could I get some more details about the steering gearbox? Also, did you use an IFS elimination kit and frame reinforcements?

[@nikolaisaint9137]

Matthew Zimmerman steering gearbox is from a early 90s IFS style truck/4runner, Toyota OE. And then I drilled and tapped it for hydraulic assist. And regarding your question about “IFS elimination”...well I just cut everything off. Not sure if there is a kit for that but once all the old brackets are cut off and ground down then I used some 1/8” sheet metal to plate the frame to reinforce it

[@SL-hp8ou]

Nice build man. My biggest problem with a 3 link Toyota sas is the sway bar. I have yet to seen a good solution to mount a cutt

[@SL-hp8ou]

Sorry, have yet to seen a good solution to mount a Currie antirock sway bar. Btw, some kind of bump stop and limiting straps are needed to save those nice 2.5 Fox.

[@connormcgee6398]

Ever did any work to the trans? Just curious because the 39s seem like they would be rough on the clutch. I have a 5spd 4x4 and Im getting ready to pull it and do a rebuild along with clutch replacement.

[@JediMechE82]

That is an incredible story about how he got it home after buying it!

[@scubbarookie]

This is one of the best and most reliable builds that anyone with a 3rd gen would love! The manual transmission makes it stand out even more that your more current vehicles at the dealership. If a wench was added you would need no one with this setup!

[@Rationalreason777]

Wenches come around with new luxury vehicles. Winches are good for pulling your vehicle out of a bad situation.

[@DirtGarage]

Thanks for the walk around! I am also building a 3rd Gen 4Runner rock crawler in the near future!

[@dave1096]

What's it like to be talented? Looks amazing..

[@token112]

Awesome build, and he has that off duty EMT/P swag going on

[@chickenfishhybrid44]

I'm a Toyota guy, always have been. I've only run Toyota axles in my own wheeling trucks so far. But I've never really understood why people spend the money on custom housings to keep a Toyota axle? Sure with chromoly birfs that MOSTLY takes care of that issue but ive still seen lots of blown up third members over the years.. tire size and how hard you plan to bear it of course plays a role. It especially doesn't make sense to me on a 3rd gen that needs driver side drop anyway which gives you alot of good HP options. OEM e lockers are a reason to keep them I suppose.. I imagine they've gone up in price alot. I havnt bought one for probly 8 years and they were starting to get harder to find and more spendy even then. Anyway, nice looking rig none the less.

[@nikolaisaint9137]

In hindsight I should have gone with a d60 but I had the land cruiser 3rd (still a 8” ring) and the axle was lighter and had a greater amount of ground clearance than a Dana. I also wasn’t planning on bashing it too hard. Another reason I traded the car. I plan on building a buggy-ish car next

[@nikolaisaint9137]

@scooter already wishing I went with 60s but I traded the 4runner for an Fj40. It's going to be a one ton swap, linked f/r

[@singletrackftw]

LOVE IT! I must say though his rear shackles don’t appear to have a good static angle, they are far too vertical. You can see how great the front flexes in comparison to the rear just looking at the first little video. He probably already knows that because he built a freakin rad truck

[@nikolaisaint9137]

Ya the angle isn’t great, something to fix down the road

[@davontemartin5752]

Neighbors will want you out by dark 😂

[@TimmyTheToolman]

That dude was doing God’s work.

[@bdubz5150]

Bad ass yota. I have a 2000 4 runner that I love, but I'm currently building up my 17 TRD 4x4 off-road Taco.

[@Patrick.Weightman]

You can often find me posting on t4r how I regret not doing an SAS on my rig. Only reason I didn't is cause the information around an SAS and lifting seemed very few and far in between. Very cool build! Throw on a locker and supercharger and you got the best one around

[@nikolaisaint9137]

Ya, it’s locked front and rear but the cross engine brace wouldn’t fit with a supercharger. Plus it had like 200k miles so didn’t really wanna push the engine too hard

[@JohnGoingAndDoingThings]

I like the driveshaft tribute to grandpa 👍

[@TimmyTheToolman]

He put a lot of thought into this build! - Sean

[@songvang8165]

That 4Runner is DOPE!

[@iddddaduncan]

Wow, very nice, clean build! Did you say what you did to the diffs? also what did you do with the power steering?

[@nikolaisaint9137]

Regeared to 4.88, LC 80 high pinion front, arb locker front, Tacoma elocker housing rear. I tapped and drilled the box myself, swapped to an IFS style box with crossover high steer with marlin’s arms and added PCS hydro assist for the bigger tires

[@Gettinbentoffroad]

Nice even more inspiration to finish my project I’ve got a 3rd gen I’m sas and double triangulating front and rear.

[@peacelovebella09]

Feeling nostalgic watching this since he recently traded it for an fj40 - but this rig gave him (and us!) some great memories and great adventures. I’m sure her new owner will love it too! 🥰

[@WisdomInTheWoods]

That is a sick build!

[@4wdaddict41]

What a beautiful simple rig !

[@nickaj3187]

Bad ass 4runner! I'm building 98 4runner with 3 link front and running the same 39 KM3 tires. What is your frame height?

[@nikolaisaint9137]

I wish I could remember! I’ll see if I can find that info for you

[@Texasbroski512]

Never thought id see a 3rd gen like this

[@MrCalifornia1234]

Thanks for sharing. Rubicon ready! Just bring extra brake lines. Those will break.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Good call!

[@nikolaisaint9137]

Ya they definitely need to be addressed

[@ianjoyce2686]

That song at the beginning though 👍

[@thecrusherbugs2331]

Dude, thats a badass toyota..i have a '08 toyota tocoma single cab that ibwant to get rid of the IFS and go straight axle..was thinking about going leafs but maybe i should go either 3 or link. Trying to do some research. About 80/20 street vs dirt driving...

[@WeekendWrenchTurner]

IJM is the best color!! Great rig!!

[@drewshepard8002]

I do love my evergreen pearl though!

[@jonyjonsy]

What does IJM stand for?

[@drewshepard8002]

JK imperial jade mica

[@jonyjonsy]

@@drewshepard8002 thank you 😊

[@aidenmcmanus4528]

LOL doing a very similar SAS on my 5 speed 1999 3rd gen. Jeff is helping my out as well i'm doing the same diamond axel

[@TimmyTheToolman]

@@aidenmcmanus4528 How long has the job taken so far?

[@rodderoon]

absolute beast. Congrats!

[@christianstromar1590]

Awesome video, lots of great information. I’m building an 01 runner with 05 super duty axles and 40s. Did you end up swapping transfer cases?

[@nikolaisaint9137]

No, I planned to throw in an AA Atlas within this year because I've already broken one stock tcase. I was thinking about a Marlin dual case, but for $1k more you can have an indestructible case with almost the same low gearing you'd get with a doubler. I plan do run an Atlas down the road with my current build (especially if you're running tons and 40s) You don't want your weak link to be the tcase output shaft. Hard to swap that b$&%h out on the trail. I've heard it's a good idea to run a weaker u-joint in the shaft so if anything does end up breaking it can be easily swapped out. Looking forward to your build. Love 3rd gens on 40s

[@christianstromar1590]

Nikolai Saint I had the same idea with an atlas and cheap u joints. There definitely needs to be a weak link in the drivetrain to protect all the expensive parts. I just got my axles ready for tear down and install of gears and lockers. I’ll be posting pics of everything soon if you want to see my ig is christianstromar

[@giorgigiorgi7878]

Timmy The Toolman my 1998 3rz-fe 4runner struggles to start when hot.starter engages but engine hardly starts .it has no vacum leaks maf sensor and throttlebody is cleaned it has new spark plugs but nothing fixed the problem can you help me out ?? on cold engine starts great

[@AnCapDog144]

Have you put it through the OBD-II (OBD 2) scanner?

[@AnCapDog144]

Scan the trouble codes and it’ll point you to the right direction as far as diagnostics go.

[@the_nevada_rebel6566]

One pretty rig right there

[@TimmyTheToolman]

right? sicmods for sure right there.

[@alexandersmith2218]

That’s pretty sick

[@luxembourgtbonbon7190]

That's so cool, so special, so Accurate!. Congrats!. Can I have it please!!..

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Yea, you can have it for the right price

[@likits1999]

Thats an awesome rig! Lots of TLC into that bby!

[@HarleyRunner]

Looks good!

[@TundraShiz]

sweet rig. i think those rear leaf springs about shot though

[@nikolaisaint9137]

ya its just the classic 63s, hard to pass on $20 for a pair though

[@MS-hd8yq]

She's a beaut Clark 👍

[@timothyriddle68]

How Come You Didnt Go WIth 5.29 Gears??

[@nikolaisaint9137]

4.88s and 37s pair very well for daily driving. I was also worried the small teeth on the 8" ring gear with a 5.29 ratio would break easier than 4.88s. If I had tons I woulda gone 5.13s or 5.38s

[@alexandertoney387]

Hi guys GREAT videos, i wish i was as handy as you guys. But then everything happens for a reason. I have a 1999 Toyota Surf ( 4runner) on a 4 cylinder 2.7l engine. I am considering swapping the engine with the 3.4 liter. What else do i have to take into consideration besides that and the computerbox. Hope you can help me out. Thanks.

[@nikolaisaint9137]

you can probably find that info on T4R.org (4runner forum) Goodluck with the swap

[@gulenator]

My steering always feels real buttery after I get my alignment and rotation and air for my tires on my stock 02, it stays that way too

[@wesschultz1819]

what WMS did you go with on the Diamond?

[@WisdomInTheWoods]

Sick rig

[@TimmyTheToolman]

🤙🏼

[@nehemiasmatias6245]

Nice 4rruner Good

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Pretty cool right?!!

[@Waterskilakeaustin]

Bravo! Well done!

[@verosworks9168]

Heck Yeah Gambler😎

[@nikolaisaint9137]

abg

[@FirstnameLastname-ni9uh]

Why do all that work but change the rear suspension to leaf springs ?

[@nikolaisaint9137]

Initially I moved the rear axle back 3-4" and that wasn't possible without redoing the entire rear geometry so leaf springs were the easiest option. After the body swap I moved the rear axle back forward to the stock position but again, didn't want to redo the factory geometry/ custom 4 link it, so I stuck with leafs. They work well though, I wished I had gotten the shackle angle better and maybe bought a custom Deaver or Alcan pack, but leafs are pretty fantastic for how simple they are.

[@clayton203]

Nice,,,wander what a 81 lwb 4x4 Is worth,,,southern truck,,no rusted out frame,,,bed has a couple bad spots in the usual places inside corner up front close to cab,,,22r ,,with 86 trans and transfer,,truck is from Mississippi

[@nikolaisaint9137]

carb'd with IFS and running decent would be worth 3-4g depending on the whole condition of the car

[@clayton203]

Nikolai Saint straight axle front,,1981 model

[@nathancovington544]

Wrong angle on rear shackles. Power steering line under front of frame is asking to be destroyed by rocks.

[@nikolaisaint9137]

Ya, some things need to be adjusted down the road

[@mikew2043]

I have a 99 4runner 5vz that needs an injector, I have a 98 parts 4runner with 6 good injectors. The 99 has the plastic injectors can I use the 98s in the 99?

[@TimmyTheToolman]

You could use the injector but I have a better suggestion. If you're gong to do all that work to get at the fuel rails so you can swap out 1 injector, why not swap out all of them at the same time. We're not talking about a ton of money and this will prevent you from having to go back in much sooner than you hoped if another one goes bad on you. Also, used injectors aren't going to perform as well as new or refurbished injectors. A fresh set of injectors will make your motor run better because the injection amount will be optimal and matched with all 6 injectors. The link to Motorwest Performance is in the video description of this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hF7PmY1_jLSer7c Good luck and Happy Wrenching!

[@mikew2043]

@@TimmyTheToolman Thanks! I bought a set of reman injectors but they are the metal body injectors off a 1998, mine are plastic 1999

[@mikew2043]

@@TimmyTheToolman also just watched your compression video...after I did my test. Should have done it before. I did it on a cold engine, didn't know you were supposed to warm if up. All values were between 190 and 200. So I think I'm good, thoughts? Next time I'll watch your videos before I do anything :)

[@pjc4425]

I’m not digging the leaf-shackles. It brings back bad memories of my 78 Land Cruiser

[@nikolaisaint9137]

I wish I had the formula for finding the right shackle angle when I built it, but now I do

[@pjc4425]

Nikolai Saint Right on. Never could figure it out on my FJ40 in 1989. Rear sag was wicked & parts , leaf knowledge hard to find in my area. Being 18 years old @ the time didn’t help lol. Extended shack with 1/2 body lift was way to go., Rear shacks were very visually unappealing & police loved ticketing for having them installed. My 35” BF A/Ts looked good though , it was worth it!

[@nikolaisaint9137]

PJC nice, ya only so much you can do at 18 with limited knowledge. I’ll be making mistakes my whole life but it’s just about fixing and learning from the mistakes I actually have to fix my shackles on my 73 Fj40 now. The previous owner lifted it too much (IMO) and it rides like crap. So I’m gonna lower it 2” and fix the angles

[@rianbeaird2422]

What cooler does he have on the front, name wise? Want to use that style on my build

[@nikolaisaint9137]

I think it’s just PSC’s generic oil cooler for their PS systems

[@rianbeaird2422]

Nikolai Saint ok thanks man, I’ll look into it. Need one for when I do my steering and one for my auto 👍🏻

[@kalanirobb54]

Needs a front drive shaft lengthening

[@nikolaisaint9137]

it was built with a double cardan joint and extra slip, no need for a longer shaft

[@1995Kakashi]

Request for a new video! belts for the FZJ!

[@TimmyTheToolman]

I think we could honor this request. I just got to get Aaron back over with his FZJ-80 when he's ready to replace his drive belts.

[@1995Kakashi]

@@TimmyTheToolman eyyy!! Thanks Timmy!

[@ghulmalhooti618]

Great Timmy can you make video how to disable 2001 4runner traction control there to many videos on wab abut traction control but I want it from someone proprofessional

[@TimmyTheToolman]

The VSC/TRAC off disable video (aka andymod 2.0) will be out this week!

[@ghulmalhooti618]

@@TimmyTheToolman thanks 👍

[@AnCapDog144]

Inspiring build. What’s the name of the song?

[@rathman4601]

How does it drive on the expressway?

[@nikolaisaint9137]

Not terrible, but I also drive slow. Drives straight, doesn't vibrate and its quiet

[@stevemoezel3683]

How much did you spend to get your car like that

[@TimmyTheToolman]

~ 8-10k

[@stevemoezel3683]

@@TimmyTheToolman oke thanks

[@guppyk4639]

Power steering cooler needs proper hose clamps

[@williamtsol636]

👍

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Mr. Goble! hope to see you again at our next BBQ day... whenever that will be. damn rona!

[@williamtsol636]

@@TimmyTheToolman I definitely want to go ! I don't use social media like you guys do though! I only have KZbin and email ! Can you post them on KZbin ? Or text me ! I missed out on the Pismo Beach ! I live in Morro Bay ! I'm down ! 🤙

[@jesseflores2809]

What front axle is that ?

[@TimmyTheToolman]

That’s a Diamond axle - Sean

[@bryantr.7787]

How much would something like this cost to do ?

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Too many factors to consider. If you do all the work yourself, it's obviously going to be much more affordable. If you don't have the expertise for this work and will pay a shop to do it for you, you'll be parting with a ton of money. It's going to depend on the parts you buy and the labor you are charged.

[@bryantr.7787]

@@TimmyTheToolman that’s good to know as I’m planning on swapping my 4runner to a solid axle later on down the road.

[@TimmyTheToolman]

@@bryantr.7787 Good luck with the swap.

[@mscheehean]

Y’all should see my 3rd gen..

[@BobetoSlim]

Post a walkaround

[@anthonycastaneda3254]

Leaf springs are screaming for help

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Help me, help me.

[@tjbourbonnie]

Is that legal in Cali?

[@TimmyTheToolman]

Yes.

[@Wolfgang51501986]

Maaaaad articulation!!!!

[@johnhall4429]

Looks like your link arms are in the wrong place your tires are all up on them

[@nikolaisaint9137]

Na, they are in the right place. 39s are a little big so it rubs a little at full steer bump but it's the triangulation that mattered more to me than a little rubber on steel

[@drakedischler6568]

Awkward ending there...

[@robbywallace655]

lol for real XD

[@juniorrolimmagalhaes6194]

Have facebook?? KZbin no translate, Facebook translate , my is 4runner 3gen diesel 1kzt.

[@andreacollins2885]

3 link?

[@TimmyTheToolman]

yes, 3.

[@nikolaisaint9137]

2 lower control arms, 1 upper control arm and a panhard (track bar)

[@renegadeMoscow]

Good job on the video...but sound....

[@NaveenKumar-oj7xh]

Maybe spend some money cleaning up the rust and recoating.

[@nikolaisaint9137]

wheres the rust? you gotta remember its a trail car too

[@chui272011]

Greetings, what differential do you have mounted in the back and in the front? Are Dana?

[@nikolaisaint9137]

front is an 80 series land cruiser high pinion w/ arb air locker and rear is a stock tacoma axle (elocker) both with 4.88 gears