3rd Gen 4Runner Shifter Swap
- Thread starter 6DollarRooster
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then I would be all over it.
I did this, its actually pretty easy.
You'll need the 4runner shifter knob and metal shaft along with its plastic interlock guts and spring. When you pull the shifter out of the 4runner, make sure you get as much of the original white O/D switch wire as you can. Sorry I don't have many photos of this stuff, I took some planning to do a write up and they were all lost on an old phone. When you get to the donor vehicle it should make sense though. Just get all those parts of the metal shaft and plastic guts in one piece, don't monkey with it too much in the yard cuz you'll need to see how it goes back together and visualize the changes to your original 80 series shifter based off of this assembly. I'd just leave the 4runner PRND2L bezel in the junk yard, not worth paying for and not needed.
Then you remove the original shifter (and t-case knob) and front part of the console in your 80 series, and the PRND2L bezel from the shifter mechanism. Remove the 17mm (IIRC) nut and take the metal shifter off the rotating shift shaft to modify it. Again, leave as much wire as you can to reconnect the O/D switch, this time clipping close to the original switch/handle. Toss that ratty thing in the trash. (Mine was DISGUSTING which inspired this mod in the first place).
When you lay the two metal shifter arms (for lack of a better term) side by side you'll see that you need to shorten your original metal piece to be the length of the 4runner piece, and drill and tap two new holes for the 4runner handle's screws. You can use a tape measure so go ahead and make that baby the right length. Cut the excess from the top of the shaft. Don't forget to measure twice and cut once. Mark the holes to be drilled with a mechanical pencil lead sticking through the two screw holes on the 4runner handle. Sorry, I don't know thread size off the top of my head... If you can't figure this out anyone can match up threads at Home-Depot or maybe someone else can chime in here. Drill the holes on the front of the metal shaft, noting which way it should be reinstalled. Then you carefully remove the plastic guts of the 4runner handle by squeezing the one end and slipping everything out together. Slide that plastic guts/spring assembly down into your newly shortened 80 series metal arm. Now it's all ready to be put back into the truck.
When you reinstall the shifter take note that the white wires need to go through the PRND2L bezel before sliding down through the metal shift shaft and being reconnected in some way (I used heat shrink crimp connectors). The orientation of the wires does not matter, it works the same either way, just hook white wire to white wire
.
Finished product looks way better than original IMHO and is a great fix for a nasty original shift knob.
You'll need the 4runner shifter knob and metal shaft along with its plastic interlock guts and spring. When you pull the shifter out of the 4runner, make sure you get as much of the original white O/D switch wire as you can. Sorry I don't have many photos of this stuff, I took some planning to do a write up and they were all lost on an old phone. When you get to the donor vehicle it should make sense though. Just get all those parts of the metal shaft and plastic guts in one piece, don't monkey with it too much in the yard cuz you'll need to see how it goes back together and visualize the changes to your original 80 series shifter based off of this assembly. I'd just leave the 4runner PRND2L bezel in the junk yard, not worth paying for and not needed.
Then you remove the original shifter (and t-case knob) and front part of the console in your 80 series, and the PRND2L bezel from the shifter mechanism. Remove the 17mm (IIRC) nut and take the metal shifter off the rotating shift shaft to modify it. Again, leave as much wire as you can to reconnect the O/D switch, this time clipping close to the original switch/handle. Toss that ratty thing in the trash. (Mine was DISGUSTING which inspired this mod in the first place).
When you lay the two metal shifter arms (for lack of a better term) side by side you'll see that you need to shorten your original metal piece to be the length of the 4runner piece, and drill and tap two new holes for the 4runner handle's screws. You can use a tape measure so go ahead and make that baby the right length. Cut the excess from the top of the shaft. Don't forget to measure twice and cut once. Mark the holes to be drilled with a mechanical pencil lead sticking through the two screw holes on the 4runner handle. Sorry, I don't know thread size off the top of my head... If you can't figure this out anyone can match up threads at Home-Depot or maybe someone else can chime in here. Drill the holes on the front of the metal shaft, noting which way it should be reinstalled. Then you carefully remove the plastic guts of the 4runner handle by squeezing the one end and slipping everything out together. Slide that plastic guts/spring assembly down into your newly shortened 80 series metal arm. Now it's all ready to be put back into the truck.
When you reinstall the shifter take note that the white wires need to go through the PRND2L bezel before sliding down through the metal shift shaft and being reconnected in some way (I used heat shrink crimp connectors). The orientation of the wires does not matter, it works the same either way, just hook white wire to white wire
. Finished product looks way better than original IMHO and is a great fix for a nasty original shift knob.
Just finished doing this to my 97...most important measurement is from the top of the 4Runner shifter to the top of the slot that holds the retention pin. Look at the retention pin position before you remove the handle on the original shifter, this will give you a reference point when cutting and re-attaching the handle. I too prefer the new look! Thanks for the write-up AaronM33!!I did this, its actually pretty easy.
You'll need the 4runner shifter knob and metal shaft along with its plastic interlock guts and spring. When you pull the shifter out of the 4runner, make sure you get as much of the original white O/D switch wire as you can. Sorry I don't have many photos of this stuff, I took some planning to do a write up and they were all lost on an old phone. When you get to the donor vehicle it should make sense though. Just get all those parts of the metal shaft and plastic guts in one piece, don't monkey with it too much in the yard cuz you'll need to see how it goes back together and visualize the changes to your original 80 series shifter based off of this assembly. I'd just leave the 4runner PRND2L bezel in the junk yard, not worth paying for and not needed.
Then you remove the original shifter (and t-case knob) and front part of the console in your 80 series, and the PRND2L bezel from the shifter mechanism. Remove the 17mm (IIRC) nut and take the metal shifter off the rotating shift shaft to modify it. Again, leave as much wire as you can to reconnect the O/D switch, this time clipping close to the original switch/handle. Toss that ratty thing in the trash. (Mine was DISGUSTING which inspired this mod in the first place).
When you lay the two metal shifter arms (for lack of a better term) side by side you'll see that you need to shorten your original metal piece to be the length of the 4runner piece, and drill and tap two new holes for the 4runner handle's screws. You can use a tape measure so go ahead and make that baby the right length. Cut the excess from the top of the shaft. Don't forget to measure twice and cut once. Mark the holes to be drilled with a mechanical pencil lead sticking through the two screw holes on the 4runner handle. Sorry, I don't know thread size off the top of my head... If you can't figure this out anyone can match up threads at Home-Depot or maybe someone else can chime in here. Drill the holes on the front of the metal shaft, noting which way it should be reinstalled. Then you carefully remove the plastic guts of the 4runner handle by squeezing the one end and slipping everything out together. Slide that plastic guts/spring assembly down into your newly shortened 80 series metal arm. Now it's all ready to be put back into the truck.
When you reinstall the shifter take note that the white wires need to go through the PRND2L bezel before sliding down through the metal shift shaft and being reconnected in some way (I used heat shrink crimp connectors). The orientation of the wires does not matter, it works the same either way, just hook white wire to white wire
Finished product looks way better than original IMHO and is a great fix for a nasty original shift knob.
This looks really good. I was thinking of doing this myself. However I am in the middle of a LS swap and the 6L90 doesn't have the overdrive button so I may be able to do something else...cooler as long as I figure out the shifter underneath.