A: Overview of early engine

Diagnostic and Test Connectors B: Early model Fuel Pump Test

Connector w/ jumper installed C: Later model TCCS Diagnostic Connector

(orange wire plugged into it) D: Later model box w/ Fuel Pump

(FP-B+) Test Jumper installed .If anyone has a photo of this, send it in. E: TCCS Diagnostic/Timing Jumper

(E1-TE1) terminal locations F:

[Click above thumbnails for a larger image]

Note: On later model trucks, there is no separate fuel pump test connector, rather you have to use the diagnostic test connector (shown in photo C above) and follow the test procedure outlined in the Factory Service Manual, which involves placing a jumper wire between the "Fp" and "B+" terminals (see photo D). The Timing/Diagnostic jumper terminals (E1 - TE1) are shown in photo E.

The underlying problem is most likely that the winding on the circuit opening relay (see schematic above) that is energized by the ECU STArt signal is not working properly. Lacking this signal to energize the fuel pump, I get no fuel pressure while starting, until enough air flows through the AFM to trip its fuel pump contact. I hope to get the CO relay checked out and hopefully this will correct the problem.

You'll then need to buy or build a code reading/scan tool for the ECU. While you may find a down-right dearth of such tools available for the early (pre-ODBII) Toyota ECUs, many office supply stores do carry "scan tools" :)

Hint: The metal ones work the best!

Assembly and Use Instructions:

Simply unfold the scan tool .

. Precisely bend the legs to match the spacing of the diagnostic connector terminals. Early engines label them T and E1, later models may list them as T and TE1.

Shove it in.

Then turn on the ignition (but do not start the engine)

Read the flashing code(s) on the Check Engine light.

Notes:

Once you have found the diagnostic test connector, just insert a short piece of wire or even a bent paper clip into the contacts and turn the engine on (do not start it) and read the code(s) by counting the flashes of the Check Engine light as noted: For the 1985 and similar 22RE engines, this chart has the codes for the earlier ECUs (typically '85-'87) Here is a chart for the 1988 through 1995 pickups and 4Runners

A sharp eye may spot a mysterious round valve handle in the lower left corner of the picture above. If interested in what that is, you can find out more on this page.

This is what the CO relay and connector/socket looks like (notice it is labeled as Circuit Opening Relay):

Typical Circuit Opening Relay

It may be located behind/above the ECU module, behind/beside the passenger front speaker.

It is a small black box, about 2" square, likely need to pull the glove box to reach in from above. Also back there are the headlight reminder module (black box) and the wiper control module (green box).

It is a fairly expensive part and is likely only available from Toyota or used from a junkyard. http://personal.utulsa.edu/~nathan-buchanan/93fsm/engine/38circuito.pdf It is not just a simple relay, thus the high cost. It is more like 2 relays in one, there are two separate coils and one set of contacts. The CO relay kind of functions like a logical OR gate, if power is applied to one OR the other relay coil, it turns on. So the one coil is used when the starter is running (and the engine is not) and the other one is on when the engine is running and the incoming air opens the vane in the Air Flow Meter and that closes the AFM/Fp contact.



Testing the CO relay is basically like testing a regular relay, just a little more complicated by the extra coil and the different readings for each. Here is the FSM page for testing the AFM on later model engines, should be quite similar to the tests on the earlier relays:

To check the CO relay there are a few simple tests that can be done: Either disconnect the small wire to the starter solenoid or install the fuel pump test jumper, then turn the ignition key to the Start or Run position respectively and listen for the CO relay closing and opening with a loud click. You can test for ~12 volts at the Fp terminal of the relay socket while starting or running the engine . 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. Or you can disconnect the starter solenoid (small) wire and turn the key to Start.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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:

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:

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:

Priority Mail Shipping (2-3 days/US) $7.95 Express Mail Shipping (1-2 days/US) $22.00 International Priority Mail (6-10 days) $19.95

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.

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:

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:

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:

Update:

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're now offering adjustable height seat lift kits in ABS, capable of 1", 1.5, 2" or 2.5" lift in one kit, details below.

If interested, 4Crawler Offroad can now supply you with 1", 1.5", 2" or 2.5" tall seat lift spacers and longer-than-stock grade 10mm metric bolts for an easy bolt-in seat lift, as shown below. Each kit includes 2 spacers (or stack of spacers) and 2 longer than stock bolts and washers to lift the rear of one bucket seat:

Seat Lift Kits, 1", 1.5", 2" Seat Lift Installed

And our new adjustable height kits, 1"-2" and 1" - 2.5" (1"-2.5" has a longer bolt and 1 extra 1/2" spacer). The adjustable height kits are ideal if you are unsure of the height seat lift works best for you. Using the power of 3D printing, the spacers can be stacked securely up to the desired height and then any left over spacers are used on top of the seat bracket to take up the extra bolt length. You start with the 1" spacer on the bottom, add 0 or more 1/2" spacers on top of that, then fill the top spacer recess with one washer. Then the seat bracket sits atop the spacer stack and any remaining spacers sit on top and a second washer is used under the bolt head to secure everything together.

1" - 2" Adjustable Height 1" Lift 1.5" Lift 2" Lift

If concerned about air bag sensors, you may wish to disconnect the vehicle battery during installation. In most Toyota vehicles, there are typically 3 air bag sensors, 1 in each front corner between the radiator core support and the front fender. The 3rd sensor is located in the center console area, below the radio.

First step is to remove the original seat bracket bolts with a wrench or socket. For Toyota, this will be 14mm or 9/16". Be aware that the bolts may protrude below the vehicle floor. As such, they can pick up dirt and rust from that exposure. Be sure to check that the threaded hole is free of debris and that the new bolts can spin down without binding. If dirty, try blowing the hole out and keep running one of the original bolts in and out of the hole until it's nice and clean. You don't want to have the new bolts gall up inside the threads because those are typically nuts welded to the floor of the vehicle. If you apply too much force, you can break that nut free.

Then lift the rear of the seat up and slide a seat lift spacer under each end. 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 snug, around 5-10 ft.lb. (7-11 Nm) torque should suffice. Unlike the stock setup where you have the steel seat bracket bolted directly to the steel floor pan, the seat lift spacers offer a small amount of compliance to help keep the bolts from loosening up under road vibration. The bolts just need to be tight enough that they will not vibrate loose. Do not torque the bolts to the factory specified value as that assumes you have the seat bracket directly on the steel floor panel. Be sure to check them after 100 mi. or km. of driving to make sure they've not worked loose. And check your side and rear view mirror adjustments as you might need to correct those prior to driving.

With the adjustable height spacers, you'll generally need to run all the spacers or you may find the threads on the bolt bottom out in the nut below the floor pane;. If you find you want to run with a shorter lift height and want to eliminate the stacked spacers on top of the seat bracket, you can pick up shorter bolts at a good hardware store or contact us and we can supply shorter bolts.

A seat lift kit consists of: One pair of ABS plastic spacers to raise the rear of the seat bracket up off the floor. They are only loaded in compression, One pair of bolts and washers of suitable length, in the same grade/strength as OEM for safety 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.

Will fit either driver or passenger bucket seat Order 2 kits if you want to raise both seats Can use 2 different height kits if driver/passenger are of different heights

Bench seats: Some bench seats have 2 rear brackets, (1 on each side) and some have 4 brackets (1 each side and 1 each side of the tunnel) Order 2 kits if you want to raise a bench seat if that uses 4 rear mounting bolts

Be sure to check your head-roof clearance as you currently fit in the vehicle. Typically 1" lift kit will work for folks up to 6 ft. tall, 2" kits generally for folks under 5 ft. 6 in. tall. Also available are our adjustable height kits which allow 2 or 3 different heights to be selected with a single kit if you're having a hard time deciding on one single height. After all, the whole idea of the seat lift kit is to find what height works best for you. There's no formula to tell you what that height is.

The kit will raise the REAR of the seat only , the front of the seat remains at the same height as before 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. 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. 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.

, the front of the seat remains at the same height as before Contact us if you have any questions about our seat lift kits not answered below.

Known to fit the following make/model vehicles: TOYOTA : '84-'95 Toyota 4Runner / Hilux Surf '84-'95 Toyota pickup / Hilux and T-100 pickup models '82-'85 Toyota Celica FJ Cruiser and 4th/5th gen 4Runner seats. Will fit 3rd gen 4Runners if the rear seat mount bolts are vertical into the floor. 2005-2019 Tacoma pickups have the vertical rear seat bolts so the seat lift kits fit these models. Review: //www.tacomaworld.com/forum/product-reviews/334521-raise-low-slumping-seat.html Note, some later model (~2014+) Tacoma pickups do not use bolts to attach the rear of the front seat to the floor, so be sure to check your truck prior to ordering. The 1995.5-2004 Tacoma pickups used a non-vertical rear seat bolt so the seat lift kits will not fit those models Also seems to work with the earlier model Lancruisers, basically any model with vertical (10mm thread diameter, 14mm head size) rear seat mounting bolts. 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. HONDA/ACURA : Crosstour and other Accord-based models CRV: Just check the orientation of the rear pair of bolts holding the front seat bracket to the floor, as noted below. MDX JEEP : 2007+ Jeep JK Wranglers and other vehicles with M10x1.50 seat mount bolts also available below. For other vehicles, will this kit fit? Here is how to find out: 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. If the bolts are vertically oriented, what size are the bolts (length under the head and diameter/thread pitch)? 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. The Jeep JK kits, below, use an M10-1.50 bolt that's about 40mm long at stock height, so order one of those kits if you need that size hardware. 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. If "vertical orientation" throws you off, look at it this way: 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? 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? If the answer to the above two questions are yes, then your seat bracket is suitable for a seat lift. If you use this kit on a vehicle not listed above, let us know so we can update the fitment information. 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, simply 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:

One kit will lift one bucket seat. If you have 2 bucket seats or one bench seat you want to lift, order two kits. Kits include a pair of spacers (adjustable height kits have additional stacked spacers) and a pair of longer than stock seat bracket bolts metric class 8.8 to replace the OEM bolts.

1" / 25mm (p/n: Toy1inSeatLift) - US$16.00/kit plus postage

1.5"/ 38mm (p/n: Toy1.5inSeatLift) - US$19.00/kit plus postage

2" / 50mm (p/n: Toy2inSeatLift) - US$22.00/kit plus postage

Adjustable height kits: 1"- 1.5" (p/n: Toy1.5adjSeatLift - US$25.00/kit plus postage) 1"- 2" (p/n: Toy2adjSeatLift - US$29.00/kit plus postage) 1"-2.5" (p/n: Toy2.5adjSeatLift - US$35.00 plus postage)

Shipping: US: First Class Mail: $4.95 - $4.95, Priority Mail $7.95 International Mail US$19.95

Multiple Item Order link if you want to order a seat lift with other items or multiple heights

1" seat lift kit / US delivery

- via First Class mail 1" seat lift kit / US delivery

- via Priority Mail 1"/25mm seat lift kit / Intl. delivery

- via International Priority Mail ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ 1.5" seat lift kit / US delivery

- via First Class mail 1.5" seat lift kit / US delivery

- via Priority Mail 1.5"/38mm seat lift kit / Intl. delivery

- via International Priority Mail ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ 2" seat lift kit / US delivery

- via First Class mail 2" seat lift kit / US delivery

- via Priority Mail 2" seat lift kit / Intl. delivery

- via International Priority Mail

By popular request, we now have adjustable height seat lift kits. The adjustable height kits are perfect if you are unsure of the height seat lift that will work best for you. These kits feature a 1" (25mm) tall base spacer and then 1, 2 or 3 additional 1/2" (12.5mm) tall stackable spacers that interlock to form a stable column. For the full height, stack all the spacers up. For less heights, remove spacers from below the seat bracket and then, if needed, stack them on top of the bracket, to "shorten" the bolt if you find the bolt is bottoming out in below the floor. If you find you want to run with a shorter lift height and want to eliminate the stacked spacers on top of the seat bracket, you can pick up shorter bolts at a good hardware store or contact us and we can supply shorter bolts.

1.5" adj. seat lift kit / US delivery

- via First Class mail 1.5" adj. seat lift kit / US delivery

- via Priority Mail 1.5" adj. seat lift kit / Intl. delivery

- via International Priority Mail ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ 2" adj. seat lift kit / US delivery

- via First Class mail 2" adj. seat lift kit / US delivery

- via Priority Mail 2" adj. seat lift kit / Intl. delivery

- via International Priority Mail ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ 2.5" adj. seat lift kit / US delivery

- via First Class mail 2.5" adj. seat lift kit / US delivery

- via Priority Mail 2.5" adj. seat lift kit / Intl. delivery

- via International Priority Mail

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. The kits look similar to the Toyota seat lift kits (see above photos) except for the different bolt thread pitch and slightly longer bolts: