What have you done to your 200 Series this week? (48 Viewers)

[TheGrrrrr]

Some fairly minor updates but its starting to feel like its mine...

Mounted up the Baofeng with some velcro. Eventually going to upgrade and do a professional install, but for now this is good enough for trail comms and monitoring HAM traffic.

Added a new Rhino Rack Pioneer Platform (Part number 42104B 84"x56") with the Backbone system. Moved my Foxwing over from the Range Rover. Going to take some adjusting to figure out how to make it work with the rear fairing when opening and closing the rear hatch.

Also trimmed up the rear mudflats. Originally took them off, but didn't like having no wheel well protection, so just got the Dremel out and trimmed as best I could. Need to do some more work to clean up the edges and get both sides looking identical.

I'm really starting to love this thing.

 

[KLF]

Mounted up the Baofeng with some velcro. Eventually going to upgrade and do a professional install, but for now this is good enough for trail comms and monitoring HAM traffic.

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It was my experience with my FT-60 that keeping the antenna inside like that severely reduced the range, to almost unusable. I found a kit to extend the BNC connector to a little clip thing that hangs on a window, puts the antenna outside and vertical. Maybe could also upgrade to a simple mag mount.

 

[KLF]

I swapped my rims/tires to the snows. Also installed a block heater, which was a royal PITA. Getting the heater stuck into the block in the designated receptacle wasn't too bad, but running the wire was the hard part. The heater is right near the flange on the driver's side exhaust manifold, so you have to be pretty creative about running the wire so it don't get too hot. And the cord is too short. I added this receptacle into the front bumper down near the license plate:

 

[TheGrrrrr]

It was my experience with my FT-60 that keeping the antenna inside like that severely reduced the range, to almost unusable. I found a kit to extend the BNC connector to a little clip thing that hangs on a window, puts the antenna outside and vertical. Maybe could also upgrade to a simple mag mount.

The Diamond antenna has been ok in the vehicle, but I have a mag mount as well. Haven't fully installed it yet, but put it on and ran the line into the cab through the rear hatch for a couple drives. Still working out which radio, antenna and mount point I want to go with for a permanent solution.

 

[mep1811]

Installed the Scan Gauge today. I had to send it out for an firmware upgrade . I was able to program the unit for transmission temp. I went through two programming sets before I got a value in the trans temp field. I'm assuming it is the trans temp. I'll call Scan Gauge tomorrow to verify this.

 

[dmc]

Wow! What a coincidence! Think you have an original idea and look what happens.

edit: I did the emblems today, but a few days ago I did 17” Icon wheels with 34” Ridge Grapplers, Tough Dog 45mm suspension, and SPC UCA’s. I also used the factory spacer and 10mm trim packers to get about 3” out of the TD’s.

Once I replace the running boards with sliders it’ll be “almost” as capable as a real Heritage Edition, but it will have a cool box, RES, and 3rd row seating, which is easily $4k more value than a Heritage Edition with better looking wheels for $15k below non-HE MSRP (my all in cost so far). I’ll call it “Heritage Edition Platinum.”View attachment 2134972View attachment 2134973View attachment 2134974View attachment 2134975View attachment 2134976

Looks great. We have very similar set ups. Icon 17s and 34s. I have the KO2s.

 

[08720]

Applied Fluid Film getting ready for our crummy Ohio road maintenance. I need to see if I can get my UltraGauge to read transmission temps. Thats cool you could do that with the Scan Gauge @mep1811. Ive also been towing some lumber this week so nice to use my new brake controller. Pictured is what remains of some stickers I had loaded on the trailer. Its a load but a short drive on back roads and I go slow.

 

[mep1811]

Applied Fluid Film getting ready for our crummy Ohio road maintenance. I need to see if I can get my UltraGauge to read transmission temps. Thats cool you could do that with the Scan Gauge @mep1811. Ive also been towing some lumber this week so nice to use my new brake controller. Pictured is what remains of some stickers I had loaded on the trailer. Its a load but a short drive on back roads and I go slow. View attachment 2136766

Your ScanGauge has to have the latest firmware update. The only way to do that is to send it back to ScanGauge and a $25 charge.

 

[fasteddie2015]

Mild by comparison to most of the mods here, but I took my time and am happy with how this came out. Cleaner than usual work for me.

Cruiser Outfitters inside hatch release, and Baja design LED lights. Plenty bright. Small on/off switches on each light.

Handle is not the right shade of beige but I'll take that up with cruiser outfitters tmrw. Worst case, I order the right one separately.

 

[Markuson]

Mild by comparison to most of the mods here, but I took my time and am happy with how this came out. Cleaner than usual work for me.

Cruiser Outfitters inside hatch release, and Baja design LED lights. Plenty bright. Small on/off switches on each light.

Handle is not the right shade of beige but I'll take that up with cruiser outfitters tmrw. Worst case, I order the right one separately.

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Nicely done.
I‘m a huge fan of two separated lights like that.....because with two, you never create an extreme shadow under your hands or tools, etc when you’re working with food or doodads on the tailgate in the dark.

 

[KLF]

It just amazes me that Toyota didn't think to put lights on the liftgate like that, from the factory. It just seems like such a natural thing, to have light on the lower tailgate when you're back there.

 

[nor_cal_cyclist]

It just amazes me that Toyota didn't think to put lights on the liftgate like that, from the factory. It just seems like such a natural thing, to have light on the lower tailgate when you're back there.

Seems to be one of the few things they got right on the 4Runner, and skipped on the LC. Most everything else on a 4Runner feels like it's from the previous generation of other Toyota vehicles they had let overs from

 

[afgman786]

Mild by comparison to most of the mods here, but I took my time and am happy with how this came out. Cleaner than usual work for me.

Cruiser Outfitters inside hatch release, and Baja design LED lights. Plenty bright. Small on/off switches on each light.

Handle is not the right shade of beige but I'll take that up with cruiser outfitters tmrw. Worst case, I order the right one separately.

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Where did you run the wire for your lights? I've got an LED strip I was planning to install on the tailgate when I get around to installing the rear hatch release. I was hoping to wire it up with the same place the rear hatch release wires. Hoping that is going to work?

 

[fasteddie2015]

Where did you run the wire for your lights? I've got an LED strip I was planning to install on the tailgate when I get around to installing the rear hatch release. I was hoping to wire it up with the same place the rear hatch release wires. Hoping that is going to work?

"We" ran it from the rear most dome light, thru the headliner. I say we because I've never dropped a headliner and didnt feel like learning and risking a 1200+ dollar headliner replacement. I was told that if I creased it, it wouldnt go back into place right. So I trusted my mechanic, (who in the past has been sent to Turkey to debug electrical problems on armored land cruisers), to run the wire for me. I did the rest of the install.

For some reason he decided that the dome light was the best spot to tap into. I dont remember exactly why, but he decided to skip the lock area. We were trying to find a spot with constant 12v. I think he said there wasnt constant 12v at the lock maybe. Fine with me since there is a lot going on in the lock circuit. He also tried the 120vac outlet in the back, but apparently the inversion takes place further forward, not close to the outlet. You only need to run a positive from where ever. There's a nice 10mm bolt for neg ground right near the wiper motor. Also learned that the dome lights, even if left on, and so this is true with the dome lights I added, time out after 15 minutes. Body ECU thing he said. So the only way to really get constant 12v power according to him is to run a circuit from the battery all the way back. A 15 minute timeout was fine with me. Will remind me that I'm draining the battery.

 

[afgman786]

"We" ran it from the rear most dome light, thru the headliner. I say we because I've never dropped a headliner and didnt feel like learning and risking a 1200+ dollar headliner replacement. I was told that if I creased it, it wouldnt go back into place right. So I trusted my mechanic, (who in the past has been sent to Turkey to debug electrical problems on armored land cruisers), to run the wire for me. I did the rest of the install.

For some reason he decided that the dome light was the best spot to tap into. I dont remember exactly why, but he decided to skip the lock area. We were trying to find a spot with constant 12v. I think he said there wasnt constant 12v at the lock maybe. Fine with me since there is a lot going on in the lock circuit. He also tried the 120vac outlet in the back, but apparently the inversion takes place further forward, not close to the outlet. You only need to run a positive from where ever. There's a nice 10mm bolt for neg ground right near the wiper motor. Also learned that the dome lights, even if left on, and so this is true with the dome lights I added, time out after 15 minutes. Body ECU thing he said. So the only way to really get constant 12v power according to him is to run a circuit from the battery all the way back. A 15 minute timeout was fine with me. Will remind me that I'm draining the battery.

Thanks for the information! Looks like I'm in for some fun...

 

[TimCFJ40]

Crossed another mileage “milestone” today. 220k on this platform really feels like nothing.

 

[DecreedIt]

Seat heater knobs are back!

Need any help for seat heater switch

I ordered the part off of eBay. I don’t wanna mess up any of the crawl control plastic though trying to pop it out to put the new switch in. Anybody have any advice on getting the crawl control out so I can get the new seat heater switch in? Is it pretty easy to pop out with a credit card?

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[Markuson]

Picked up an imperfect-but-smooth set of Rock Warrior rings on CL...(imperfect but WAY better than my super-chewed up set) .

**Thinking I might PAINT them just for the heck of it—since they are now sorta extras.
—Wondering if any of y’all who have painted yours have any advice on getting paint to STICK to these aluminum rings....?

Any experience/insights appreciated.

Rather not powder coat, btw.
Would rather paint than powder-coat since I’ll end up scraping em up anyway and maybe fiddle with rattle-can touch-ups.

Otherwise... I’ll just hang on to them...

 

[terdrocket]

Picked up an imperfect-but-smooth set of Rock Warrior rings on CL...(imperfect but WAY better than my super-chewed up set) .

**Thinking I might PAINT them just for the heck of it—since they are now sorta extras.
—Wondering if any of y’all who have painted yours have any advice on getting paint to STICK to these aluminum rings....?

Any experience/insights appreciated.

Rather not powder coat, btw.
Would rather paint than powder-coat since I’ll end up scraping em up anyway and maybe fiddle with rattle-can touch-ups.

View attachment 2139853

Otherwise... I’ll just hang on to them...

I scuffed/sanded mine and painted with the duplicolor stainless steel paint. It has a gritty texture and has really held up well.

 

[PhuckItImDone]

Finally got Big Booty Judy taken care of after last run at Wolf den. Discovered some nice scrapes, runs in the rock sliders now that the mud is gone.
So many thanks to Moore Than Detailing for the amazing work.