once i get some proper rubber and restore the suspension with 4600s this things gonna be a beast 🔥

New to me 2000 Hilux Surf with the 5VZ and 118k Miles.

Hi everyone,

This weekend I bought my first Toyota ever. I'm coming from BMWs and other enthusiast cars, so this is new territory for me. It's a late-90s 4Runner SR5 with 280k miles, owned by the same person since about 30k miles, with an exceptional handwritten service record.
So far I'm amazed by the build quality of this Japan-built truck. I've already picked up a set of 5th gen wheels and tires to keep it OEM+.

My goal is simple: keep everything that makes this truck great (reliability, simplicity, capability) and make it a better daily driver. Think tasteful restomod: better seats, sound insulation, upgraded interior, and sensible performance upgrades.

Head unit and cameras:

- I'd like a modern head unit with a backup camera, ideally front and 360 cameras too.
- I'd love the screen mounted higher and more driver-focused while keeping an OEM look. Are there any dash kits that do this?
-Which head units have you had the best experience with?

Interior and sound:

- I want to sound-deaden the whole truck and turn it into a quiet, comfortable cruiser.
- I'm planning a great speaker system with an amp. Any recommendations for amp placement?
-Has anyone added a heads-up display or a steering wheel with audio controls?
-What are the best pre-cut or molded carpets for the 3rd gen? Stuff that improve sound deadening
- Any other interior upgrades that keep the OEM+ look but improve the driving experience?

Performance and suspension:

- How reliable is the TRD supercharger long-term? Forced induction usually costs reliability, so I'm also interested in upgrades that won't hurt it.
- What are your favorite suspension upgrades for ride quality? I am not looking for overland build.
- Has anyone installed air suspension on a 3rd gen?

Any advice, part recommendations, or build threads to look at would be appreciated. Thanks!

Needing to make some life changes and selling my dream rig, some info on the truck.

1996 Toyota 4Runner SR5 | Supercharged | 4WD

1996 Toyota 4Runner SR5 – 3.4L V6 – 278,000 Miles

Selling my 1996 Toyota 4Runner SR5. This is a two-owner, supercharged 4WD 4Runner with extensive upgrades, exceptional maintenance history, and an incredibly clean exterior and interior.

The truck has been meticulously maintained, with several major maintenance items recently completed. It's also been extensively upgraded for off-road capability, camping, and everyday driving.

Engine & Performance

• 3.4L V6 with 2nd-generation-style supercharger
• Supercharger nose and internal barrel rebuilt within the last 20,000 miles
• Upgraded smaller URD supercharger pulley
• URD 7th Injector Kit included with sale (not installed)
• Four-wheel drive (4WD)

Suspension & Drivetrain

• Bilstein shocks
• Old Man Emu (OME) springs
• Camburg Heim-joint upper control arms
• Heim-joint sway bar end links
• CV axles replaced approximately 20,000 miles ago

Exterior & Off-Road Upgrades

• Aftermarket front and rear steel bumpers
• Rear swing-out spare tire carrier
• Fuel can carrier
• Hi-Lift jack mount
• Sherpa roof rack with custom powder-coated finish
• Roof-mounted LED light bar
• CVT Mt. Hood dual-channel rooftop tent
• Upgraded aftermarket wheels
• Falken Wildpeak A/T3 tires with plenty of tread remaining
• Upgraded headlights
• Custom front grille

Interior & Audio

• Full Alpine S-Series speaker upgrade
• Upgraded Bluetooth stereo/head unit
• Two 12-inch Kenwood subwoofers with enclosure
• Sound deadening installed in all doors and floor pans
• Very clean interior with no broken components
• Minor tears in driver's seat upholstery

Recent Maintenance

• Timing belt, water pump, and pulleys replaced approximately 1,000 miles ago
• New radiator with transmission cooler bypass
• New battery approximately 5,000 miles / 6 months ago
• CV axles replaced approximately 20,000 miles ago
• Supercharger nose and internal barrel rebuilt within the last 20,000 miles
• Consistently maintained with preventative maintenance prioritized

Condition & History

• Only two owners
• No rust
• One minor accident
• No warning lights
• Exceptionally clean paint with professional-level paint correction
• Very clean interior with minimal wear for its age
• 278,000 miles

Additional Details

The paint on this 4Runner is genuinely impressive for a 1996. I previously worked as a professional detailer and personally performed a full paint correction. The exterior has been very well cared for, and the interior is equally clean aside from a couple of small tears in the driver's seat.

Currently in the middle of an engine build out of the vehicle, probably won't make it back into the 4runner before winter hits. What can I do to ensure the engine is well lubed through the winter before installing it in the spring? Coat every moving part in assembly grease? Wait to pull the pin on the belt tensioner/ install belt later so it doesnt deform and cams are under tension? What else can I do to make sure initial start up sequence is good to go after the 5vzfe been sitting for awhile?

She smokes when I start her up for like 5 mins then goes away….all the fluids are fine. Someone told me it could be a headgasket. Car runs great though

I’ve been struggling to figure this out and haven’t had much luck searching online. When I put the truck in Park, the doors would unlock and then when I would put the car in Drive the car would lock. This stopped a couple of months ago and can’t figure out why. There was an old remote start that was set up in the car but was removed by a shop when I was getting some electrical done. Not sure if this feature was after market and part of the remote start.

Does anyone have any insight into what I can do to get this back?

My 2000 4Runner 5VZFE started making this "chugging" noise today on my drive home from work. Ever since I got the car a few months ago, the catalytic converter/exhaust has always sounded a bit odd so today I just thought it finally gave in. I recall the RPMs sputtered once when I came to a stop, also lit up the check engine indicator at a separate time but only for a few seconds and was off for the rest of the ride. I ran the codes when I got home and it gave me the P0304 code (cylinder 4 misfire). Could be my spark plugs/coil packs, injectors, though I did inspect two of the spark plugs last month during timing belt/waterpump replacement and they looked old but fine. My question is: Is this for sure a misfire or could it be my CAT throwing off the code? Maybe both have gone bad. If it is a misfire, what are the steps I should take to diagnose what is causing it? Thank you in advance.

I will be upgrading my 4runner to a 2in lift. Any advice what route i should go? Is there a knuckle difference? Between stock suspension or a 2in lift? (First time ever doing a lift/knuckles. Im solely replacing because it looks blown out

I took the running boards off my 2000 limited 2wd and I figured I'd post the here for free before tossing them.

I live in Dallas if you want them dm me.

Hey all, just came to report that my beautiful 2001 sr5 rolled 3x yesterday 😭 . We achieved 315k though!

My sister was driving it, solo- she's pretty unscathed which is great news.

Bilstein 6112/5160 and JBA UCAs only have about 5k (highway miles) on them 😢

Will be getting a 2.5 in lift

Had the rear u-joint go out on my 98 limited, and ordered a new rebuilt shaft from a local driveline shop that claims to be original equipment. Rebuilt in America.

Installed it and after a few hundred miles the double cardan stated to squeak. Got way worse. The shop got me a new one and I swapped them out. The old was squeaking at the centering ball. The double cardan is not greaseable on this driveshaft. The shop owner said that it was jacked up and should not be squeaking and was nothing I did. Just got back from a 400 mile trip and the new one is starting to squeak.

I’ll call and see if they are open to getting me a different kind from somewhere else, but my other option is just to take it back and order one off rock auto.

Any suggestions for rock auto rear driveshaft? I am not lifted.

Has anyone figured out an easier way of getting the tcase aligned with the transmission? This is my second time taking it off and both times have taken me multiple days to get it perfectly aligned

I just finished my retrofit build but i need some help with the wiring. I used nilight 2.5 in projectors which are too small to fit my h4 bulbs, unless anyone knows of h4 bulbs that can fit into the small h1 projectors i will have to adapt to h1. '

Id rather not cut into factory wiring and i need the hi/lo harness and adapters to plug the factory plug into aswell as the hi/lo controller that comes with the projectors to an h1 bulb.

The misfire in #1 cylinder was this damaged o ring. Anybody have a part # ? Would like to get an oem if I could…

Just through a check engine, any ideas what it might be or what I should check/replace???

Firstly, my alignment is good, and my tires are not worn at all.

To describe the issue more specifically, if I'm on a road that barely slants to the right, I have to keep the steering wheel slightly turned to the left to counter it, and vice versa for the left side. It isn't terrible it's just enough for me to be bothered by it on long drives and I also worry about if it could cause premature wear on anything. I also wonder if that's just how these trucks drive because gravity is gravity.

My guess is either lower control arm bushings or front differential bushings, but I'm leaning towards LCA bushings.

I have a new steering rack with inner & outter tie rods and LBJs, upper control arms. New springs & shocks too.

I should've replaced my lower control arm bushings when I did the rack but I ran out of time. Issue was present before and after all this was replaced. Got it aligned after. When driving in parking lots or on other level surfaces, she drives straight as an arrow. Any ideas or am I on it with LCA bushings? Or am I just being nitpicky about a 25 year old vehicle?

Finally got around to installing my fresh axles and new oem Drum shoes and cylinders. Wasn’t too bad and pretty easy to adjust and significantly improved my brake pedal feel

Only rust on the vehicle, def daunting and not even close to perfect, but happy with the results. Learned alot and it was cool to full fab up a fix. Now time for paint!

It’ll probably get covered with fender flares anyways unless it looks halfway decent.