If problems suspected, test the relay resistances (relay removed from
socket) as follows:
|
Pin 1 |
Pin 2 |
Ohms |
Relay |
| STA |
E1 |
17-25 |
n/a |
| +B |
Fc |
88-132 |
n/w |
| +B |
Fp |
Infinite/open circuit |
Off |
| +B |
Fp |
0/Short circuit |
On |
So the above ohm meter tests are of course done at no load and no power
being applied to the relay. They will tell if the relay is dead (burned
out coil or contacts), but will not tell you that the relay is 100%
operational. The relay terminals may be identified with the table below.
CO Relay Pins/Wire Colors
| Fc/Grn |
n/c |
E1/W-B |
| Fp/L.Bl |
+B/Blk |
STA/B-W |
What the above table shows is a representation of the CO Relay socket,
it'll have 5 pins and note the table is rotated 180° with respect
to the picture above:
-
The upper left pin is the Fc terminal and is connected to the Green
wire
-
The upper right pin is the E1 terminal and has a White w/ Black stripe
wire
-
The lower left pin is the Fp terminal and has a Light Blue wire
-
The lower middle pin is the +B terminal and has a Black wire
-
The lower right pin is the STA terminal and has a Black w/ White stripe
wire
To do that, you need to test it in the vehicle, under power and with a
load (i.e. the fuel pump) applied.
-
To do these type of tests, you'll need a volt meter and some way to
probe the connections to and from the relay with it installed in it's
socket.
-
And you can either install the fuel pump test jumper (on earlier
vehicles) and turn on the ignition.
-
The other test mode is to manually open the vane in the Air Flow Meter (AFM) and have the
ignition on.
-
Since both while starting and while the AFM vane is open, the CO relay
should be energized, so you should do both tests, especially if you are
having a problem in one or the other mode.
-
You can also install a jumper across the +B and Fp terminals in the CO
relay socket to send power to fuel pump for testing wiring
-
This would of course be with the CO relay removed and you are basically
bypassing the relay completely.
-
Besides the fuel pump, the CO relay also feeds power to the heater coil
in the auxiliary/idle air valve (at least on the earlier 22REs). The
coil heats up inside the valve and causes it to close off the extra air
used to warm up the engine from a cold start.
So first test is for the incoming voltage. You should see close to the
battery voltage at the input (+B) terminal of the CO relay, that is
within 0.5 volts, the closer to battery voltage the better. For
example, if you measure 12.6 volts at the battery and only 10.0 volts
at the CO relay, there is a wiring or component issue with the circuit
from the battery to the CO relay. Something is causing that measured
(12.6 - 10.0 = 2.6 volts) drop, so find out what is causing that drop
and fix it. After all, as the saying goes "Garbage In, garbage
Out". If the CO relay can't get enough voltage into it, how can it
get enough voltage to the fuel pump? A relay can only pass on the
voltage it is given, it can't magically make any higher. So, given a
decent input voltage, test the output voltage and use the same
reasoning; voltage should be within 0.5 volts of the battery. And
finally, you can test the voltage at the fuel pump and again, it should
be close to the battery voltage. If not, trace back to find out where
the drop is coming from. Now, for example, if you see like 12.4 volts
into the CO relay and only 9.6 volts out, there is an issue inside the
CO relay, likely burned or dirty contacts that are not making a good
electrical connection. You might be able to open the relay and clean
the contacts with a small file or you may need to replace the relay.
Note that the CO relay is basically like 2 relays in one. That is it
has two windings, either of which can cause the relay to turn on. This
is the electro-mechanical equivalent of a logical OR circuit, that is
if either input A or input B is on, output C will be on. In CO relay
terms, if the Fc contact in the AFM is closed OR the ECU STA signal is
active, the Fp output contact will be closed and power will flow to the
fuel pump. THis was the Toyota engineer's way of combining the need for
the fuel pump to run while starting the engine or while it was running.
While the starter is running, STA will be active and turn on the CO
relay. Once the engine is running, Fc will be closed in the AFM and
that will keep the CO relay turned on. You'll notice this is the reason
for the two slightly different test specifications for the two relay
windings, one (STA) is designed to be driven by a digital signal from
the ECU and the other (Fc) is designed to be run from a contact closure
in the AFM. So the STA winding is likely to have additional components
associated with it inside the CO relay housing to adapt it for use with
the ECU output, since relay coils and solid state circuitry generally
don't get along too well due to the voltage spikes that coils
(inductors) produce when the are turned on and off for to the changing
magnetic fields and the coils wires (remember Maxwell's Law?).
And, after tiring of fumbling around for something to jumper either the
diagnostics or fuel pump test connector, I came up with a very simple
solution. Using a piece of aluminum angle, pop-riveted to the lip of
the fender, I drilled a couple of holes to mount a pair of SPST toggle
switches. A pair of wires from each switch runs to the appropriate test
plug and now it is a simple matter to flip a switch and pull the
diagnostics codes:
 |
| Fuel Pump and Diag. Switches |
-
NOTES:
-
The switches are not stock, I ADDED them and the aluminum panel to
mount them on.
-
You DO NOT have to do this, I'm merely showing what I DID!
-
Also the blue electrical box in the lower right corner is the control box for an on-board welder
and that is not stock either.
-
I ADDED it.
-
Finally note that the blue box is located where the stock 22RE air
filter box is located.
-
Mine has obviously been moved
elsewhere.
And once you have read out the codes and potentially fixed the problems
associated with them and you want to clear the Check Engine Light, how
do you do that? Simple, you can either pull the "EFI" fuse in
the driver's side kick panel
fuse panel, or disconnect the battery (either terminal) for a few
minutes. Doing either of these removes power from the ECU and causes it
to reset. This both clears any stored codes, but also any stored engine
data, so the ECU will need to "re-learn" the fine tuning data
for the fuel injection system, which it will do in a few miles of
driving.
[back to the top]
When I installed my front
bumper and winch, it came with a roller fairlead. The rollers help
guide and protect the winch cable for angled pulls, but I didn't like
the fact the the fairlead stuck out so far. I found out there is a
different type of fairlead called a Hawse Fairlead. It consists of a
piece of steel with a gradual radius formed in its face. The radius
serves many of the same purposes as the roller fairlead, but since it
is both continuous in all directions and is both smaller and more
rugged, this seemed to be a better solution for me.
I ordered a Warn Hawse Fairlead and unfortunately got something that
was way too small to fit my bumper, I think it was for an ATV winch.
So, I decided to modify the front of my bumper (its made out of
3/8" steel plate) by grinding a radius in the winch cable opening.
About 30 minutes with the grinder and I had a nicely rounded hawse
fairlead opening. I also welded the nuts for the roller fairlead to the
backside of the bumper. Now, I use the integral Hawse fairlead most of
the time and in a few minutes can have the roller fairlead attached.
-
Cost:
-
A bit of grinding wheel
-
Rating:
-
/2
[back to the top]
The very first thing I disliked about my 4Runner on its test drive
before I bought it was that silly button you have to depress to remove
the key. I put up with that annoyance for nearly 5 years. One day, I
had occasion to open up the steering column housing and figured I'd
take a shot at disabling that "feature". Apparently this is
only used on certain years of trucks, but I didn't feel up to swapping
out an ignition switch from another truck and fool with re-keying
everything. There didn't appear to be anyway to remove the button, nor
did there seem to be any harm if having it pressed all the time. So I
whipped up a bit of epoxy, applied a bit around the base of the button
then clamped it down until the glue cured. It helps to depress the
button a few times to work the glue down around the button body to give
added strength.
Viola, key can be removed with one hand! Don't overdo the glue, I
trimmed off most of the excess once it set up a bit and if need be, can
easy twist the button loose. With the housing installed, you can only
see the top of the button. Another option at doing this mod is to
insert the key into the lock, turn it slightly and depress the release
pin (housing removed for access) then you can remove the lock and
access the internal mechanism that does the locking. There is a metal
piece that is released by the push button that can be removed. But
since gluing down the button works well, I did not bother with
modifying the ignition switch mechanism.
-
Cost:
-
A dab of epoxy
-
Rating:
-
/2
[back to the top]
You buy a new car and you might hear about how to break in the new
engine. There seem to be a few popular engine break-in regimens, but
most involve keeping speeds down for the first 500-1000 miles, avoid
driving an steady speeds, and change the oil at 1000-2000 miles or so
to flush out metal shavings and other contaminants.
So, why is it you never hear about breaking in the transmission or
differential gears? I suppose its assumed that if you take at easy
breaking in the new engine, the gears and other moving parts will take
care of themselves. However, if you change the gears in your 4WD truck
that's already well broken in, you should take care and break the gears
in properly. After all, you are probably upgrading the gears because
you went to larger tires and also do low speed offroad driving, both of
which mean there are more stresses on the ring an pinion gears
themselves, compared to a passenger car driving on the freeway. Also,
ther first thing you are probably going to want to do is lock those
hubs and take the rig to the local off-road area and see what it'll do!
So why do gears need a break-in period? When the gears are machined,
they may have slight surface irregularities then prevent them meshing
smoothly and also lead to higher levels of friction and heat buildup.
When the gears are installed, there are also slight variations in the
setup due to variations in the housing, gear mfg. and installer. This
all means that it is important to allow the ring and pinion gear teeth
to mesh properly over a period of time so as to minimize heat buildup.
If done too quickly, the teeth can get too hot, causing the gear oil to
break down, and leading to even high heat in the teeth, which can ruin
the heat treating in the steel and lead to broken teeth down the road.
When I got my new gears installed, I filled the axles with some cheap,
conventional 80W90 GL-5 grade gear oil. Then I let them run in 10
minutes under no load, by supporting the axle in the air, letting the
engine idle and putting the transmission in a low gear. If you are
doing both axles, don't forget about the front axle (I did that first,
with the rear driveshaft removed, transfer case in 4HI). After putting
the vehicle back o the ground, I took it for a slow spin around the
block then parked it for the night. The next two days, I drove to and
from work, sticking to residential streets (25MPH) and put about 40
miles on it that way. Then I moved up to expressways in the 35-45MPH
range, keeping trips to 10 miles or less. I also got in some good
stop-n-go rush hour traffic, which IMHO makes a wonderful gear break-in
method, stopping, starting, accelerating, decelerating, sitting, etc.
are all great for the gears. At the end of the week, and around 100
miles, I ventured up to the highway and did a few 10 mile trips at
55-65MPH for about 200 miles total.
All the above was done on the rear gears, so next, I dropped the rear
driveshaft, locked the front hubs and repeated the above steps for
another week or two in front wheel drive mode. Then after getting
around 200 miles on each set of gears, I drained the break-in oil and
filled them back up with a good synthetic oil (I chose Redline Heavyweight
Shockproof) and then did about 400 miles of easy highway driving
before I did any 4-wheeling. I hope to be moving the differentials over
to my new axles and I'll post some photos of the gear teeth when I have
them out.
-
References:
-
Randy's
Ping & Pinion has a good break-in write up
-
Cost:
-
A few quarts of gear oil per axle
-
Rating:
-
/2
[back to the top]
After everybody looked at me like I was crazy for saying that it ran
hotter with the heat on, I went to the dealership and bought t-stat
part # 90916-03070. This did the trick. What happens on the 22R and
22RE engine, when the coolant goes through the heater core it gets
cooled off enough that when it gets dumped back in on top of the t-stat
it shuts it. Therefore the temperature in the engine continues to go
up. The t-stat that I have mentioned has two valves in it, one at the
regular temp. and one smaller on at a cooler temp. If the cool water
shuts the big one, the smaller one stays open. The overshooting/spiking
temperature gauge may also appear independent of heater operation.
All this may happen because of some flow instability in the cooling
system or the lack of a by-pass hose, which on other systems, keeps hot
coolant running on the t-stat. On the subject of the overheating
thread, an engine can run hotter with no t-stat. But it would probably
be a system configured differently than the 22re. Mine runs cold when
the t-stat is removed. Just a minor change in components can trigger
this problem. In my case, I had a rebuilt engine installed. No problems
with the original engine, but the new one (block and head - same water
pump, t-stat, radiator, etc.) was enough to trigger the temperature
gauge overshoot.
So it was just something different in the coolant flow of the old
block/head compared to the new block/head that triggered the problem in
my situation. And since installing the 2-stage t-stat, I have had no
signs of that problem since and this has been 13+ years now with the
same t-stat in there. Other folks may find differing results, most have
good results with the upgraded t-stat, but in some cases there is still
some temperature overshoot going on. Why is this? Well, my feeling is
that this problem is fundamentally due to a flow instability in the
22R/RE engine. Since it is usually related to use of the heater and
that changes the coolant flow when the heater valve is open, this would
explain that effect. As noted above, if the coolant is slightly cooled
as it passes through the heater core, that cooler coolant dumping back
onto the t-stat might be enough to "trick" it into staying
closed. Before I changed to the new t-stat, I found that if I observed
the gauge reading high, if I closed the heater valve for a minute or so
until the t-stat opened up all the way, then I could slide the heater
control back to hot and all was fine. So it just seemed to be related
to the engine starting out cold and having the heater valve open,
bypassing coolant through the heater core, that cased the temperature
gauge to spike.
Another advantage of the 2-stage thermostat is that the thermal
"inertia" of a thermostat is greatly affected by the mass of
the temperature sensing element (a.k.a. slug) on the thermostat. The
normal single-stage t-stat has one big valve with a large spring and a
large slug to force the spring open. The 2-stage t-stat, on the other
hand, has a tiny valve and a medium sized valve, with tiny and medium
sized springs and slugs. This lets the smaller t-stat valve react very
fast to engine temperature changes and the medium sized valve, although
a bit slower, still operates faster that the one large valve.
A lower-cost version of this can be done by drilling one or more small
holes around the edge of the single state t-stat to allow some coolant
to flow all the time. This functions like the normal bypass hose on
other engine designs.
On the subject of thermostats (or turd-mo-stats for Toy4x4
old-timers:-), I once tried one of those "fail safe"
thermostats. A normal t-stat has a spring that holds the valve closed
and the slug forces the valve open in response to coolant temperature.
The slug has a sealed chamber with a temperature sensitive medium in it
that expands when heated. The typical t-stat failure mode is that the
chamber leaks or swells, preventing the t-stat from opening. The fail
safe thermostat has a catch that is engaged when the t-stat valve opens
fully and then the valve is held open. I guess the idea is that if the
engine ever does begin to overheat, the t-stat locks open and prevents
further damage. Well anyway, I had installed one once, and it worked
fine. One day, I lost the silicone oil out of my fan clutch (didn't
notice this until later when I popped the hood and saw the results) on
a hot (100F) day. I recall seeing a slight temp rise once, but nothing
too bad. Some weeks later, on a cool night, I turned on the heater and
got almost no heat. This is when I popped the hood, saw the oil sprayed
all over and put two and two together. Pulled the t-stat out and sure
enough, it was latched open, so I guess it did its job. However, I now
had to replace the t-stat, since once it locks open, it can't be
reused. But I guess this also shows the engine runs cooler with at
least a wide open t-stat in it.
 |
 |
| 90916-03070 |
09916-03078 vs. 90916-03070 |
-
NOTES:
-
-
$35-$40 for a 2-stage thermostat, Toyota P/N: 90916-03070
-
The above pictured 2-stage unit was purchased 3/25/03, it was in stock
at my local Toyota dealer
-
The stock is thermostat listed for my '85 22RE is #90916-03078 and is
pictured in the right image (upper left corner)
-
Both are stamped 88°C (190°F)
-
Both the 070 and 078 thermostats are the same diameter, use the same
o-ring gasket and have the little "jiggle" breather valve
Rating:
/2
Why 2 numbers? The first is what I found in an old e-mail I had saved
and was the p/n I ordered at my local Toyota dealer in 1998. Later,
someone send me the 2nd number given to them by a Toyota parts counter.
My guess is the older p/n was superseded by the new p/n, apparently
both fit the thermostat housing, both open at 88°C, if it looks
like a duck and sounds like a duck, its a duck!
And, in case you think I'm making this all up, there is an honest to
goodness Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) issued by Toyota for this
very problem:
TSB: 029032787
22R-E Engine Temperature Overshoot
It says:
Some 1984 pickup trucks and 1983-1984 Celica models, equipped with
22R-E engines, may experience a condition called "temperature
gauge overshoot". After starting a cold engine the temperature
gauge will indicate a higher than normal engine temperature for a short
time just prior to the thermostat opening. After the thermostat opens,
the temperature gauge will return to the normal range. A new double
valve thermostat has been made available to reduce temperature gauge
overshoot.
And calls for part number 90916-03070 which according to the TSB
replaces 90916-03055.
Now, why they say this only affects 83-84 engines is beyond me (there
may be other TSBs) but my '85 has this exact problem and this part
corrects the problem. I have been running the same thermostat now for
at least 7 years, it is still working fine, I suspect that the smaller
t-stat valve handles most of the temperature fine tuning and saves the
larger valve for the large adjustments. This division of labor saves
wear and tear on the moving parts and with two valves, you have a sort
of built-in redundancy of function. I have heard you can also drill a
small hole (1/16" or so) in the base of the thermostat flange and
get a similar effect.
Now this hard to find thermostat is now
available for purchase on-line (currently out of stock) for a cost of
US$32.00 plus shipping:
-
Note:
-
Thermostat does not include o-ring/gasket.
-
You can pick one up from any parts dealer or re-use the old
gasket if it is in good shape.
It is under the thermostat housing (or neck) beside the valve cover. A
sure fire method to locate the thermostat on most engines is to follow
the upper radiator hose from the radiator back to where it connects to
the engine. Usually the t-stat is located right there:
 |
| 22R/E T-stat Location |
In the above image, the t-stat housing is between the EFI intake plenum
and the valve cover. It is painted red in the above image, buried
beneath a few vacuum lines. With a cool engine. mark and remove the
lines to access the cover and drain a quart or two of coolant from the
radiator drain valve. Disconnect the temperature sender(s) wires, the
upper radiator hose and remove the two retaining bolts (12mm head).
Lift off the housing, take note of the old t-stat orientation (i.e.
which side is up) and then remove the old t-stat and gasket.
Check that the gasket surface is clean and smooth, install the gasket
around the t-stat, drop it in place with the "slug(s)" down.
Replace the housing and apply some anti-seize compound to the bolt
threads and insert them. Tighten them down snugly, replace the vacuum
lines and electrical connectors and refill the cooling system. Run the
engine to temperature with the radiator cap off to allow any trapped
air to vent, then put the cap on and check for leaks.
Also a good idea to test a new t-stat prior to installation. Drop it in
a pot of water on the stove and use a thermometer to see at what
temperature it opens and that it opens fully. I will usually test the
old t-stat as well, to see if it was defective or not.
Note:
You may find 1 or more temperature senders screwed into the neck of the
thermostat housing. What do these various senders do you might ask?
Well, it all depends on what sort of setup your truck has.
-
If you have A/C, there is a thermo-switch in the housing that feeds the
A/C Amplifier (behind the glove box). That switch is used to shut of
the A/C compressor if the engine coolant temperature rises too high (to
prevent overheating).
-
If you have an automatic transmission, you may have a sender there that
feeds the ECT computer. It is used to sense engine temperature and lock
out use of overdrive until the engine has reached it's normal operating
temperature.
-
If you have a turbo-charged engine (22-RET), there may be a sender
there that feeds into the main EFI ECU that is used to affect the turbo
operation in case of engine overheating.
[back to the top]
Want to replace that inadequate, leaking stock steering damper? Well,
you'll need to get the rod end out of the tie rod first. If Liquid
Wrench and the BFH don't work (never seen it work yet) take out
the trusty Hot Wrench (i.e. torch, propane that is) and heat the
stud until the grease/boot on the other side just starts to smoke. Put
down the Hot Wrench and grab the BFH and one or two taps
and it'll fall right out. You don't want to heat the tie rod itself,
just the end of the stud.
Same trick works on tie rod ends and other stubborn tapered studs. The
heat causes the stud to expand and it also helps loosen whatever is
holding it in, then the brief delay in setting down the torch and
picking up the hammer lets the metal cool/shrink a bit and the rest is
history.
Hot tip:
The factory steering damper has a set of rubber bushings on one end and
what appears to be an honest-to-goodness tie rod end on the other end.
Before chucking it in the dumpster, take a hack saw and slit the loop
end and pop that rod end out. You'll have a spare rod end and boot for
your parts box! Not exactly sure if it is replaceable, but the nut,
boot and retaining spring are worth saving.
Cost:
Next to nothing
Rating:
/2
[back to the top]
I love the power windows in my 4Runner, makes it easy to roll them up
in the dust or down to hear the spotter's instructions. One thing that
I don't like is that you need the ignition on to operate the windows.
If it was just the ACC, I wouldn't mind so much, but the ignition, come
on!
A quick look at the wiring schematic for my model, shows there is a
relay that is powered by an ignition lead that connects the power
window switches through a circuit breaker to the battery. I guess this
must be some sort of security or safety feature, but it seems that if
you just jumper across the relay contacts, the windows will operate any
time you want. Since the power is already fed through a 20A breaker,
there is no electrical safety problems involved. I fashioned a short
piece of 12-ga wire with a spade lug on each end end that fit into the
two contacts where the relay plugs into. Just be sure to jumper across
the relay contacts and not the relay coil.
The relay and circuit breaker are behind the kick panel on the driver's
side, above the cruise control module (see photo below). My circuit
breaker was bright yellow and the relay was above it. The heavy black
wire shows where I jumpered my relay contacts. I used crimp-on,
uninsulated spade lugs to insert into the relay socket.
-
NOTES:
-
The green wire is my source of switched 12V power, which I run to a
terminal block and then attach various loads needing switched power. It
is not needed for this modification, I only mentioned it here because
its in the picture.
-
On later model trucks, there is a full relay control box for the power
windows, unlike the switch-only setup on the '85 and earlier models. If
so, the relay module will be located in one of two places. It'll either
be inside the driver's side window, near the switches, or under the
dash near the e-brake handle. If one of these two setups are present,
any wiring mods will need to be done by re-powering the relays there
and this simple one-wire jumper will not work.
-
There are typically two other relays in that area. Towards the back is
the turn signal flasher relay and in the middle, the tail light relay.
Cost:
Crimp-on wire terminals and wire - under $1
Rating:
[back to the top]
I've got the driver's side Sport Seat (must have a bazillion
SR-5s in the fabric) in my 4Runner. I really like it's adjustability
and comfort. My only real complaint is that its not well suited for
off-roading. I'm not short (at 6') but I felt like I was sitting down
in a hole in the seat. The back of the seat was too low and the forward
adjustment of the back rest is too far back for my liking if I wanted
to look over the hood to see where I was going.
Looking around the seat frame, I saw that the frame just bolts to the
body floor in back. I pulled a bolt (M10x25mm 1.25 pitch) and figured I
could get a longer bolt and stuff some thick washers under the frame. I
used 8 - 1/8" thick washers to give me about 1" of lift. I
basically measured my head clearance (to the roof) and split the
difference. While 1" doesn't sound like much, it makes a world of
difference in visibility. Also, the highest setting on the seat back
adjustment is now more upright which gives a much better off-road
driving position.
I also have a 1" seat lift on the passenger side as well. The
actuator cable under the passenger seat broke (a common occurrence on
the 2-door 1st generation 4Runners), so in order to replace it, I
needed to pull the seat out. With the seat stuck back, it was nearly
impossible to get to the two rear bolts. So after replacing the cable,
I installed spacers under the seat supports. The added space under the
passenger seat should make fixing the cable next time it breaks a whole
lot easier.
By raising the rear of the seat, you can also help to alleviate lower
back pain on long drives. A seat lift kit will cost much less than
expensive orthopedic cushions for the seat. Note that the front of the
seat frame is typically mounted into a raised section of the floor with
horizontal bolts. So it is not possible to raise the front of the seat
as spacers there would slide the seat forward and that would make the
rear mounting holes not line up.
Parts:
16 Fender Washers
2 10mm bolts
-----------------
Rating:
 |
 |
| Seat Lift Kits, 1", 1.5", 2" |
Seat Lift Installed |
Update:
- Will this kit work on my vehicle?
While the above solution of stacked washers worked, it was a real
hassle to get two stacks of washers to all line up to drop the bolts
through with one hand while holding up the seat with the other hand. So
4Crawler Offroad designed some spacers, shown above. Note that the
installed image is of the 1" dia. white spacer used in the
prototype (still in use on our shop truck after 15+ years). The current
production spacers are made of a black ABS plastic which is a a tough
plastic commonly used in protective sports gear like football helmets.
The ABS plastic can easily be painted if you want to color match it to
your vehicle interior. And due to customer demand, we'll be offering an
adjustable height seat lift kit in ABS, capable of 1", 1.5"
or 2" lift in one kit, details shortly.
If interested, 4Crawler Offroad can now supply you with 1",
1.5" or 2" tall seat lift blocks and longer-than-stock grade
10mm metric bolts for an easy bolt-in seat lift, see picture above.
Installation:
If concerned about air bag sensors, you may wish to disconnect the
vehicles battery during installation. Installation is easy, just use a
14mm wrench or socket or adjustable wrench to remove each of the
existing rear seat bolts, note how tight ther were installed. Then lift
the rear of the seat up and slide a seat lift spacer under each end.
Then insert the longer bolt and washer supplied in the lift. You'll
need a 17mm wrench or socket to tighten the new bolts. Tighten them up
like they were before or consult your vehicle's service or shop manual
for proper torque. The bolts just need to be tight enough that they
will not vibrate loose. Be sure to check them after 100 mi. or km. of
driving to make sure they have not worked loose. And check your side
and rear view mirror adjustments as you might need to correct those
prior to driving.
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This is the same material used on the 4Crawler Offroad body lift kits. No worries
about washers shifting or rusting.
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If interested, seat lift kits
are available which include:
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One pair of 1", 1.5" or 2" tall UHMW-PE blocks, the
blocks are used as spacers to raise the seat bracket off the floor,
they are only loaded in compression, so are essentially unbreakable as
UHMW has no upper compression loading limit. One pair 10mm fine thread
metric bolts of suitable length, in the same grade 8.8 strength as OEM
for safety
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Note, raising the rear of the seat 1" will only tip the seat
bottom about 2°, so generally does not cause you to slip forward
in the seat, it is tilted backwards by a greater angle than that.
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Will fit either driver or passenger bucket seat
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Order 2 kits if you want to raise both seats
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Can use 2 different height kits if driver/passenger are of different
heights
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Order 2 kits if you have a bench seat which has a total of 4 rear seat
mounts
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Need to use the same height for both kits
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Be sure to check your head-roof clearance as you currently fit in the
vehicle.
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Typically 1" lift kit will work for folks up to 6 ft. tall,
2" kits generally for folks under 5 ft. 6 in. tall.
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The kit will raise the REAR of the seat only, the
front of the seat remains at the same height as before
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Why the rear of the seat only? Well think about how you sit, it is your
b*tt that determines how high you sit, if you lift your b*tt up, you
raise your head up higher. If you lift your thighs, your head will stay
in the same place.
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Also, the front seat bracket bolts are typically run horizontally into
a raised portion of the floor, so putting a spacer under that bolt
would only move your seat forward, not up. And since those front bolts
are more horizontal, the front of the seat bracket simply pivots around
those front bolts when you raise the rear. Since the front seat mount
bolts are in a horizontal orientation they resist the front-back forces
while the vertical rear bolts resist the up-down forces. And also note
that the seat belts are not attached to the seat at all.
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If you are unsure of what height kit you might need, try test fitting
some blocks of wood under your rear seat bracket and do a test
"sit" in your driveway. That way, you can see how one height
or another feels to you.
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Known to fit:
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'84-'95 Toyota 4Runner
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'84-'95 Toyota pickup
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and likely the T-100 pickup models
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'82-'85
Toyota Celica
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FJ
Cruiser and likely the 4th gen 4Runner seats.
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2005+ Tacoma pickups seem to have the vertical rear seat bolts so the
seat lift kits fit these models.
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Also seems to work with the earlier model Lancruisers, basically any
model with vertical 10mm (thread diameter, 14mm head size) rear seat
mounting bolts.
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Note that this kit requires that the rear seat bolts insert vertically
into the floor, not at an angle like on the '95.5 - '04 Tacoma pickups
and 3rd gen. 4Runners, so of course it is not applicable to those
vehicles.
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Honda Crosstour and likely other Accord-based models.
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For other vehicles, will this
kit fit? Here is how to find out:
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Look at the back of the seat bracket where it is attached to the floor.
Do the bolt(s) there go straight down into the floor? If yes, the kit
may work, if not, it won't work.
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If the bolts are vertically oriented, what size are the bolts (length
under the head and diameter/thread pitch)?
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If the bolt length is around 1"/25mm and the thread size is
M10x1.25 (a bit over 3/8"), then yes, the kit will fit.
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If the bolts are a different size, let us know the bolt specifications
and we can see if a custom kit can be designed for your application.
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If "vertical orientation" throws you off, look at it this
way:
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If you unscrewed the bolt, could you slide a spacer between the seat
bracket and floor and have the bolt still line up with the hole in the
floor?
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And if you were to hold that bolt above the hole in the floor and then
dropped the bolt, would it fall down that hole?
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If the answer to the above two questions are yes, then your seat
bracket is suitable for a seat lift.
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If you use this kit on a vehicle not listed above, let us know so we
can update the fitment information.
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We try to list every vehicle we have heard these kits will fit based
upon customer feedback. If you want to know if the kit will fit your
vehicle, simple check how the rear of the front seat is attached to the
floor, as noted above.
Use the convenient on-line ordering buttons below to place an order:
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1" / 25mm (p/n: Toy1inSeatLift) - US$12.00/kit plus postage
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1.5"/ 38mm (p/n: Toy1.5inSeatLift) - US$19.00/kit plus postage
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2" / 50mm (p/n: Toy2inSeatLift) - US$22.00/kit plus postage
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Multiple
Item Order link if you want to order a seat lift
with other items or multiple heights
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1" seat lift kit for US delivery
- $4.00 for first class postage
- via First Class mail (5-7 days - US only) |
1" seat lift kit for US delivery
- $6.00 for Priority postage
- via Priority Mail (2-3 days - US only) |
1"/25mm seat lift kit for Intl. delivery
US$33.00 Priority international postage
- via
International Priority Mail (6-10 days) |
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1.5" seat lift kit for US delivery
- $4.00 for first class postage
- via First Class mail (5-7 days - US only) |
1.5" seat lift kit for US delivery
- $6.00 for Priority postage
- via Priority Mail (2-3 days - US only) |
1.5"/38mm seat lift kit for Intl. delivery
US$33.00 Priority international postage
- via
International Priority Mail (6-10 days) |
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2" seat lift kit for US delivery
- $4.00 for first class postage
- via First Class mail (5-7 days - US only) |
2" seat lift kit for US delivery
- $6.00 for Priority postage
- via Priority Mail (2-3 days - US only) |
2" seat lift kit for Intl. delivery
US$33.00 Priority international postage
- via
International Priority Mail (6-10 days) |
Seat Lift Kits for the (2007-present) Jeep JK Wrangler:
These seat lift kits use the M10x1.50 thread pitch used on the Jeep
Wrangler front seats. Again, be sure to check the the rear seat bracket
bolts go vertically into the floor and use that size bolt. There are
some JK models that use a larger bolt, likely 12mm (FYI, 10mm is just
over 3/8", 12mm is just under 1/2"). If you have such a
vehicle, contact us with the bolt information and we can see if we can
come up with a custom kit for that application. We have kits in both
1" (US$15.00/ea.) and 1.5" (US$25.00/ea.) height, each kit
consists of 2 spacers, 2 washers and 2 longer bolts, generally suitable
to raise the rear of a single seat. The kits look similar to the Toyota
seat lift kits (see above photos) except for the different bolt thread
pitch.
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1" JK seat lift kit for US delivery
- $4.00 for first class postage
- via First Class mail (5-7 days - US only) |
1" JK seat lift kit for US delivery
- $6.00 for Priority postage
- via Priority Mail (2-3 days - US only) |
1" JK seat lift kit for Intl. delivery
US$33.00 Priority international postage
- via
International Priority Mail (6-10 days) |
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1.5" JK seat lift kit for US delivery
- $4.00 for first class postage
- via First Class mail (5-7 days - US only) |
1.5" JK seat lift kit for US delivery
- $6.00 for Priority postage
- via Priority Mail (2-3 days - US only) |
1.5" JK seat lift kit for Intl. delivery
US$33.00 Priority international postage
- via
International Priority Mail (6-10 days) |
1st gen. 4Runner Center Console Update:
One issue I've encountered, and recently did something about, was that
the seat lift left the center console too low to comfortably rest my
right elbow on. I lived with this for about two years, then after
breaking my motor mounts on a wheeling trip, I discovered that the
broken mounts had allowed the rear transfer case flange to tilt up and
into the rear heater hoses. If you have a dual transfer case in a
4Runner, you know what I mean. I even had a 1" body lift at the
time, but there was only 1/4" at most clearance between the
spinning flange and the rubber hoses.
So, how to kill two birds with one stone? Simple, raise the rear heater
(and thus the center console) about 2". This will place the rubber
hoses right up under the floor board, and lift the console to a more
comfortable height. M6x60-1.25 bolts and a wooden spacer block work
great. To the brass heater core tubes, I soldered on a 1/2" NPT
threaded adapter, screwed in a 1/2" brass street elbow and a
1/2" hose barb fitting to drop down through the floor and turn the
sharp corner so the rubber tubing will connect in a straight line.
[back to the top]
While trying to find the resistor
pack to fix my inoperative blower motor, I looked all over under
and behind the dash. That time, as it turned out, was not wasted. I
found that if you pull the two screws attaching the glove box hinges to
the dash out, the whole glove box can be taken out, revealing all the
guts inside the dash. A real handy way to get to a lot of the stuff
back there. And if you look up (w/ head on the floor) where the glove
box was, you'll see the little light bulb that is *supposed* to
illuminate the box when it is open. Mine didn't, but now it does. It's
a mini-bulb, same one (Sylvania #74 bulb) that is used behind the
heater controls. Is it a coincidence that there are two of these bulbs
and they come two to a package?
Speaking of the heater control lamp, mine was also burned out. To get
to that gem, you simply have to slide the heater controls to the
middle, pull the knobs off and then pry out the plastic face with a
small screw driver. The mini lamp socket is behind the face. I found it
is not very well supported from the back and when I pushed in the bulb,
the socket popped out. It works best if you slide one finger up from
behind to hold it in place while pushing in the tiny lamp.
Cost:
Varies, minimal
Rating:
[back to the top]
When I bought my 4Runner, the previous owner commented he was having
trouble with the passenger side power window. Had taken it to a shop
several times, all sorts of checks were done but the problem persisted.
It worked fine from the driver's side switch but the passenger side was
intermittent.
I pulled off the switch by unscrewing it from the back of the door
panel. It turns out that the switch sandwiches the door panel, the
front piece has the rocker and the back piece has the electrical
contacts. In my case, both of the screw holes were badly stripped and
the problem was when the rocker was pushed, the spring force would
separate the switch halves, preventing the contacts from mating.
I took off the front piece and filled it up with epoxy and let it cure.
Then I used a Dremel tool and drill press holder (forming a simple but
effective milling machine) to mill out the epoxy enough to allow the
back piece to mate to the front. Then I re-drilled the screw holes and
re-attached the switch to the door. Works like a champ now!
Well, it worked for a few years anyway. When the switch started acting
up again, I decided to tear it apart again, thinking the screws had
stripped out again. Turns out they were fine, the earlier epoxy repair
was still holding up fine. So, its was time to investigate the
underlying cause of the problem. Looking at the passenger side switch,
I figured out how it works. Basically, it does all the interlocking to
prevent simultaneous operation by the driver and passenger side
switches, which might cause a short circuit. All the switch does is
provide power and ground to the power window motor, one polarity to
raise it, the opposite to lower it. The passenger side switch has 2
pairs of contacts, one normally closed and one normally open. The
normally closed contacts pass the signals from the driver's side switch
to the passenger side motor, the normally open ones drive the passenger
side motor directly. This all functions via the rocker in the passenger
side switch and its position inside the switch assembly itself.
So what does this all mean? I found that while the driver's side switch
would work the passenger side window just fine, it did not work from
the passenger side switch. Turns out the rocker had worn the pivot
point in the switch face a little deeper over time, this let the rocker
move away from the contacts just enough that it could no longer close
them when depressed. Simple fix was to build up the pivot point with
some JB Weld, which is shown below:
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| Window Switch Repair |
After reassembling the switch, I found it worked perfectly from the
passenger side (Woo Hoo!) but no longer worked from the driver's side
(Bummer!). Then it dawned on me that it was the rocker being perfectly
centered in the housing that was key, as if it were too far from one
side, those contacts were not made up and no power would flow. So I
carefully whittled away the built up JB Weld until the rocker was
perfectly centered and both driver and passenger side operation worked.
Took a half dozen tries to get it dialed in, but now its finally
working as designed. And, an added benefit is that the passenger side
window now goes up and down faster, since the switch is making better
contact, there is less resistive loss in it and more power is getting
to the motor.
Cost:
Minimal
Rating:
[back to the top]
Mine was worn out, leaving a tattered cloth backing that allowed the
foam to yellow and shred in the sun. Also the front latch was broken
off and the hinges were very loose and the whole thing rattled with
every bump.
Unscrew the hinge, take off the base plate and the cushion will lift
off. Carefully remove the old vinyl, you'll need it for a pattern on
the new vinyl. Go to fabric store with the old vinyl and try to find a
close match. You'll need six inches or so, but they want to see you a
yard. After ripping out the seams on the corners, flatten out the old
vinyl on the new and trace a pattern for the new piece. I found it best
to iron out the old cloth backing and tape up any tears get the best
fit. Also, it works to fold the old vinyl in half lengthwise and take
the average between the edges. Be sure to include some index notches
when cutting out the vinyl to make it easier to sew.
Sew up the corners, turn the cover right side out and you are ready to
install it. I added a piece of 1/4" closed-cell foam over the
existing foam after trimming off a like amount to fill in where chunks
were missing. Screw everything back together, get a new latch (if
required) and you now have a very handy place to rest your arm while
driving.
Rating:
-or- if you don't have a friend that sews :-)
[back to the top]
===>> 
[Last updated: 24.September.2016]
Visitor #
1241779
since
28.AUG.2001