Lift Gate Struts, Door Speakers, & a Hitch
09/02/2022
By far the steal of the day was this hitch from my trip to B.Y.O.T. They had a 98 4Runner that I wanted to get the front bumper from but it wasnt in great shape, luckily it had a hitch. After the Labor Day discount it only cost me just over $10. I also got a few extra recovery points and some bolts I had missing from the skid plate. Like everything I touch, I gave the hitch some TLC. Pressure washed it, then treated the rusty spots with "Rust Blast". After some wire brushing and more cleaning I shot some black paint on it. Installed it all and I couldnt be more happier with my $200 discounted hitch.
Also cut some nylon bushings and installed the new "Strongarm" Struts. What a difference those make, the lift gate is better than new.
KBS Coating Rust Blast
Painted and Cleaned hitch Installed
New Bushings and Struts
Later in the afternoon I wanted to get the rest of the stereo finished. I took the door panels off to give the factory speakers a much needed upgrade. This was a perfect example of a 30 minute job that took 2 hours. I ran into 2 issues. First I spent way too much time trying to figure out how to make the rear speaker bracket work. I wound up using the dremel to cut some tabs off and then drilling my own holes. Then in the front doors I wasn't expecting the tweeters to T off of the main wiring. I stripped a small section then soldered the tweeter line in. Some electrical tape and a zip-tie later it was all wrapped up.
Much Needed Upgrade
Rear Speaker Bracket Installed
Tweeter Connections
Finished Front Door Install