Out with the old, in with the new(er) - BlackAck's 4Runner thread
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Had to take the truck to run some errands and drop some snacks off for the kiddo at daycare, and damn is she shiny and glistening in the sun
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97BlackAckCL (05-09-2022)
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Thanks bro, I'm absolutely obsessed with this color, especially when it's clean, it has so much depth! And the wheels just make the truck look complete, I hate it in winter mode
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Midnight Mystery (05-09-2022)
#2965
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GAH TOO SHINY! I need sunglasses.
Looks great, Herr Mod.
Looks great, Herr Mod.
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97BlackAckCL (05-10-2022)
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Thanks H
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I love that blue. I didn't know that one was an option, but i don't think Mrs. Dallison would like it as much as grey. One dealer had called us with the purple looking blue, but she passed on that.
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I LOVE this color, it's hard to find, and I got the last one in stock in the state for that model year, but it was well worth it.
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Just mailed the last payment on the 4Runner, decided to pay it off early
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97BlackAckCL (05-24-2022)
#2971
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Car payment-free FTW!
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Such a great feeling when that happens!
Then I usually go and start another one
Then I usually go and start another one
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97BlackAckCL (05-24-2022)
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#2974
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2023 Heritage Edition T4R, she won't even notice.
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Honestly I'm not a fan of the heritage colored lines
#2976
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Same, I like the bronze bits, but could do without the stripes.
In a dark blue like yours, even keep the grille stripes, but lose the side stripes.
In a dark blue like yours, even keep the grille stripes, but lose the side stripes.
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97BlackAckCL (05-24-2022)
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#2979
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They can stay all they want, on someone else's truck lol
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00TL-P3.2 (05-27-2022)
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Couple small little projects that I've been waiting quite a while to get done. When I was moving 2 years ago, something slid and smashed into my JBL stock subwoofer cover and knocked it loose. In hind sight, I secured the panel with RTV silicone because it's all I had at the time, and it frankly was not the right adhesive to hold the panel. But life's been busy and I haven't had the time to take the whole rear of the truck apart to fix the panel. Here's a before of the trunk with my canvas back setup.
And here you can see what I've been looking at for the last couple years lol. Thankfully I left the JL cover on the sub otherwise I would have had to remove everything quickly to protect the speaker, but thankfully it was protected and the panel never moved once it was down. Small detail, but it bugged the crap out of me every time I looked at it. It's just annoying that you have to remove the third row seats, 2 seatbelt bolts and the molle panels in order to even access this panel.
Another look at the knocked loose cover. Keep in mind this did not come on my truck and was added so it's my fault it wasn't secured correctly, I get it.
And here is the panel all removed and reunited with the trim piece.
The panel was just the slightest bit warped from being removed from a different truck and obviously sitting loose for 2 years, so I put some weight on it to get the tabs into place
I ordered some Automotive JB Weld Plastic Panel Bonder which is basically how it's mounted from the factory.
Mixed it up
And applied to all the mounting tabs. It's also meant as gap filler so it's the perfect solution for the lack of plastic between the tabs and the holes.
I let it cure for a few hours, and it feels super strong and sturdy now, like it was meant to be one piece.
The rear panel takes up my entire workbench lol
And here it is reinstalled in the car, all clips secured, and all bolts screwed in.
Then it was a matter of putting the passenger third row seat back in, and all the trim pieces.
And here it is all back together like new!
Another little mod that I bought last year that had been sitting in the box waiting for me to take the rear apart was these third row seat rubber mats. These are specifically for the third row and are only sold in Canada (why I have no idea) but I've chased them for a couple years and finally gave in and ordered them from up north They were folded pretty good from being in the box for over a year, so I flattened them out with some weights.
Here's the first 2 pieces installed on the seat backs.
And here's the whole kit installed. I went with this because it has more grip, and my dogs slide around like crazy on the canvasback liners and have no grip back there, so I'm hoping that this will be a bit more sturdy and grippy.
And here's the speaker panel one more time with the new rear seat covers
And here's the third row seats pulled out to test the fitment. Everything works great!
For day to day I'll still use my Husky rear trunk liner, but if I have to remove it I wanted an extra layer of coverage.
And here you can see what I've been looking at for the last couple years lol. Thankfully I left the JL cover on the sub otherwise I would have had to remove everything quickly to protect the speaker, but thankfully it was protected and the panel never moved once it was down. Small detail, but it bugged the crap out of me every time I looked at it. It's just annoying that you have to remove the third row seats, 2 seatbelt bolts and the molle panels in order to even access this panel.
Another look at the knocked loose cover. Keep in mind this did not come on my truck and was added so it's my fault it wasn't secured correctly, I get it.
And here is the panel all removed and reunited with the trim piece.
The panel was just the slightest bit warped from being removed from a different truck and obviously sitting loose for 2 years, so I put some weight on it to get the tabs into place
I ordered some Automotive JB Weld Plastic Panel Bonder which is basically how it's mounted from the factory.
Mixed it up
And applied to all the mounting tabs. It's also meant as gap filler so it's the perfect solution for the lack of plastic between the tabs and the holes.
I let it cure for a few hours, and it feels super strong and sturdy now, like it was meant to be one piece.
The rear panel takes up my entire workbench lol
And here it is reinstalled in the car, all clips secured, and all bolts screwed in.
Then it was a matter of putting the passenger third row seat back in, and all the trim pieces.
And here it is all back together like new!
Another little mod that I bought last year that had been sitting in the box waiting for me to take the rear apart was these third row seat rubber mats. These are specifically for the third row and are only sold in Canada (why I have no idea) but I've chased them for a couple years and finally gave in and ordered them from up north They were folded pretty good from being in the box for over a year, so I flattened them out with some weights.
Here's the first 2 pieces installed on the seat backs.
And here's the whole kit installed. I went with this because it has more grip, and my dogs slide around like crazy on the canvasback liners and have no grip back there, so I'm hoping that this will be a bit more sturdy and grippy.
And here's the speaker panel one more time with the new rear seat covers
And here's the third row seats pulled out to test the fitment. Everything works great!
For day to day I'll still use my Husky rear trunk liner, but if I have to remove it I wanted an extra layer of coverage.
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#2981
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Nice work.
Still crazy to me how little space there is with the 3rd row up.
Still crazy to me how little space there is with the 3rd row up.
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97BlackAckCL (06-07-2022)
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Yeah man, I honestly hate the third row and didn't want it, but I only ever raise it up if I'm doing stuff like this, removing it or cleaning lol. It's an extra hundred pounds so I'm sure that affects my gas mileage, but I bought at the end of the model year and this was the only Nautical Blue left in my state that was brand new on a lot, so it is what it is. But you're right there is NO space with those third row seats up, it's nuts. They also add like an extra 5-6 inches of height in the cargo area, which makes moving bigger things interesting to say the least
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e30cabrio (06-07-2022)
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There's not many people doing that type of swap. Plus, non third rows don't have the holes drilled and tapped for the seats and seat belts. I toyed with building some type of storage area in place of the seats but never had the time or desire
#2985
Moderator
Good point, can it be converted/removed? Or not worth the hassle for the small weight saving & bit of extra space?
Something like Decked could maybe fill the space with the seats removed.
Edit: Saw your response. Time & effort. Understand completely.
Something like Decked could maybe fill the space with the seats removed.
Edit: Saw your response. Time & effort. Understand completely.
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97BlackAckCL (06-07-2022)
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It's not worth it for me, I have the seat belts and airbags for the third row, no point in removing all that for aesthetics, and all the interior paneling is different. I've had the truck 5 years and never had an issue with the third row, I just don't use it
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One person on T4R did the swap, and he had to drill and tap the bolt holes for the seats and seatbelts, not many people are going to go to that lengths
#2989
LFG RANGERS!!!!!!!!!!!
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Understood, it's your truck do what makes you happy. It's my experience the day after I do something that takes away options, the next day I need that option.
That is why I stopped throwing things away I have not needed in years. Invariably the next day I need it.
lol
That is why I stopped throwing things away I have not needed in years. Invariably the next day I need it.
lol
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#2990
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Didn't realize it had 3rd row airbags, apart from the side curtains.
Lot of effort for not much benefit.
Lot of effort for not much benefit.
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97BlackAckCL (06-08-2022)
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Wow, impressive work, sir.
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97BlackAckCL (06-08-2022)
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Those mats look nice. Do they velcro to the factory carpet?
#2993
Ex-OEM King
Our Subie (both the Ascent and the Outback) came with these mats from the factory and they are facking awesome. I don't know why these aren't standard on every SUV with a third row, seems like a no brainer to have this sort of thing considering most people don't really use the third row. I'm sure they make them for the Jeep as well but I stupidly never bought them.
Not sure how they are on the T4R but on the Subaru they both velcro on as well as having bungee wraps to tie down points.
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CCColtsicehockey (06-13-2022)
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CCColtsicehockey (06-21-2022)
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Latest project I've been working on for the 4Runner is swapping out the Alpine Halo9 to a newer unit with more features. I've been happy with the Alpine, but after 2 years I've found it's limitations. Here's a before of the old radio as I was removing it.
Screen removed, one last look at the old single din Alpine
And here is the wiring harness all wired for the Maestro unit and Alpine radio
I removed the Alpine wiring harnesses and replaced with the Kenwood harness. It took some time to decode some of my wiring that I did 2 years ago, like the parking brake bypass wiring. But I was able to line up all the wires and get them connected. The Alpine did not have an Illumination wire, so I had cut it short on the Maestro harness and had to extend it out in order to utilize it on the Kenwood harness.
After 15 or so years of service, my old Radio Shack solder has finally come to it's last thread. This has been an integral part of every audio and wiring project I've done on my rides forever.
And here is everything wired up into the new wire harness and the Maestro all wired up. I did clean up the harness a bit more after this picture
And a couple side by sides of the old vs the new. The single din gave me some fitment issues, but wasn't too terrible, where as the double din is going to be a bit more troublesome as far as fitment goes
It's crazy how much bigger this 10.1" screen is from the 9" screen! One of the main reasons I chose this unit was the volume knob which my wife has griped that the Halo didn't have, that plus the wireless Android Auto.
Trying to use the stock head unit brackets, I tried using the same holes that the Halo9 used initially.
And here's the harness all buttoned up and ready to go in the truck
All the wiring installed in the truck, I also re-soldered the remote trigger wire for the sub amp.
I had some more trimming to do since the radio would not sit entirely flush with the stock brackets. When I did the Halo I only trimmed the lower tabs for the stock radio, so I had to remove the rest to fit the double din chassis flush with the brackets
.
And here's the brackets flush on the sides
Hooked everything up and did a test fit, the unit sits too low using the lower mounting points
But since I had everything wired up I figured I'd test everything out.
Pretty cool that this unit can read and reprogram factory settings for the vehicle.
I also tested out my front camera that I never got working with the Alpine due to a faulty interface plug
And I tested the Maestro connectivity to see that it was reading TPMS data
After that I took the unit back out and moved it up to the upper screw holes on the stock brackets, it got closer to fitting the dash kit, but still not fitting perfectly, so need to do some more trial and error, but getting close
Screen removed, one last look at the old single din Alpine
And here is the wiring harness all wired for the Maestro unit and Alpine radio
I removed the Alpine wiring harnesses and replaced with the Kenwood harness. It took some time to decode some of my wiring that I did 2 years ago, like the parking brake bypass wiring. But I was able to line up all the wires and get them connected. The Alpine did not have an Illumination wire, so I had cut it short on the Maestro harness and had to extend it out in order to utilize it on the Kenwood harness.
After 15 or so years of service, my old Radio Shack solder has finally come to it's last thread. This has been an integral part of every audio and wiring project I've done on my rides forever.
And here is everything wired up into the new wire harness and the Maestro all wired up. I did clean up the harness a bit more after this picture
And a couple side by sides of the old vs the new. The single din gave me some fitment issues, but wasn't too terrible, where as the double din is going to be a bit more troublesome as far as fitment goes
It's crazy how much bigger this 10.1" screen is from the 9" screen! One of the main reasons I chose this unit was the volume knob which my wife has griped that the Halo didn't have, that plus the wireless Android Auto.
Trying to use the stock head unit brackets, I tried using the same holes that the Halo9 used initially.
And here's the harness all buttoned up and ready to go in the truck
All the wiring installed in the truck, I also re-soldered the remote trigger wire for the sub amp.
I had some more trimming to do since the radio would not sit entirely flush with the stock brackets. When I did the Halo I only trimmed the lower tabs for the stock radio, so I had to remove the rest to fit the double din chassis flush with the brackets
.
And here's the brackets flush on the sides
Hooked everything up and did a test fit, the unit sits too low using the lower mounting points
But since I had everything wired up I figured I'd test everything out.
Pretty cool that this unit can read and reprogram factory settings for the vehicle.
I also tested out my front camera that I never got working with the Alpine due to a faulty interface plug
And I tested the Maestro connectivity to see that it was reading TPMS data
After that I took the unit back out and moved it up to the upper screw holes on the stock brackets, it got closer to fitting the dash kit, but still not fitting perfectly, so need to do some more trial and error, but getting close
#2996
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Well, after much trial and error I finally got the radio to sit where it would work with the dash kit. I'm still not 100% happy with the fitment, but I'm going to try it out and see how it goes. I'd like to see if I can get it to sit lower and not have the extra inch on the bottom which puts the screen higher than I'd like
The stock metal brackets are extremely limited on how the radio can mount since it's not designed for aftermarket radios, but I prefer to have metal brackets on a $1600 radio.
It does block the vents some but I tested and could still feel the airflow just fine from the driving position. I would like to lower and uncover the vents further at some point. I wanted to try and lower the screen once mounted but it's in it's lowest position unfortunately.
Everything appears to be working with the Maestro interface
And wireless Android Auto is also working which is the other main reason I wanted a newer radio.
So far I'm happy with the radio and it sounded great when I tested with a couple songs. Definitely looking forward to driving the truck so I can see how all the features work more than just a basic test.
The stock metal brackets are extremely limited on how the radio can mount since it's not designed for aftermarket radios, but I prefer to have metal brackets on a $1600 radio.
It does block the vents some but I tested and could still feel the airflow just fine from the driving position. I would like to lower and uncover the vents further at some point. I wanted to try and lower the screen once mounted but it's in it's lowest position unfortunately.
Everything appears to be working with the Maestro interface
And wireless Android Auto is also working which is the other main reason I wanted a newer radio.
So far I'm happy with the radio and it sounded great when I tested with a couple songs. Definitely looking forward to driving the truck so I can see how all the features work more than just a basic test.
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#2998
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It's the 1057XR. I thought I'd miss the CD's, but I just use XM or Amazon Music for my music streaming now, Android Auto really makes CD's irrelevant honestly. I had looked into getting the Escort, unfortunately the RR2 is nowhere to be found, not even on Ebay used, and Crutchfield had no ETA for when it would be back in stock, guessing because of the chip shortage. I just reused my RR that I already had wired for the truck. I also looked into the Kenwood dash cam that interfaces directly with the HU, but it only holds 32 GB and I already have the whole Blackvue system with backup battery so it wasn't needed. Definitely a cool time to be alive and really cool technology all around, my Halo had the gauges as well, but Kenwood has more options for what gauges can be displayed, very cool!
Last edited by 97BlackAckCL; 06-24-2022 at 10:07 AM.
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Antiquated is a perfect word, I loved the Halo, but for a thousand bucks it was extremely limited
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Finally got to drive the truck around and really experience the radio and I am very impressed with the Kenwood radio and screen! My favorite radio that I ever owned was the JVC/Kenwood radio that I had in my 4th Gen 4Runner and that I now have installed in my Ack, and this new one is awesome. So far no glitches or issues, wireless Android Auto is great and really makes things so much smoother to operate vs the plugged connection. The screen is impressive and I love the resolution and picture so far. I definitely need to play with the mounting height and brackets still, but overall I love this radio and I'm glad I made the switch from the Alpine
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