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Writing this to help future buyers make their decisions
Link to Photos of the Mods & Gears
CAMTuning + Cobbs Accessport - 11/10. The best mod of the bunch and the only that increased quality of life by the most. When we first picked up the 4Runner there were two things we did not enjoy. 1. From a stop, the car seemed to be unable to overcome its own inertia. It lurched into gears and this would not improve even if one floored it. 2. When passing on the freeway, there was always 1-3 seconds (depending on where you began on the power band) before the power was delivered. After Cam tuned the 4Runner, the driving experience changed completely. It can launch off a stop and it passes even with a flicker of the pedal. It is responsive and it feels much smoother overall. In future builds, this will be my first modification. Would buy again and will buy for all future builds.
Dissent Offroad Low Profile Bumper - 9/10. Solid bumper that mounts lights, winch, and even a license plate. Well made and extremely useful add-on for the utility it provides. Everything about it is great, from the recessed recovery points to the additional mounting points for aftermarket lights. Would buy again.
Baja Designs S2 SAE Pods - 4/10. I did not see any additional lighting when I used it on a dark highway with my OEM headlamps on. Perhaps thats the point of the SAE designation and I completely missed the point. I suspect this is only really useful in snowstorms. I will update the score when that time comes. Would not buy again.
Baja Designs Squadron Pros - 8/10. It can light up the whole sky and woods. I suspect it would be even brighter if it were not tucked behind the grille and other lights. Would buy again.
Westcott Designs Low-Profile Roof Rack + Molle Panels - 10/10. It is not great value for a Canadian. The shipping and duties are painful. Despite that, it is well made and thought out. There is no play, rattle, or even any noticeable wind noise. Everything about it is precision designed. Would buy again. Note: WD has a annual 15-20% off sale, take advantage of it!
WARN Industries VR EVO 10s - 10/10. This unit came with a wireless module and remote, so do not make my mistake of purchasing those add-ons. Its performed a rescue quickly and efficiently without any issues. I don't think this is any better than the Harbor Freight specials, but perhaps may have better post-sale serivce. Hopefully it will never get to that. Would buy again.
Agency 6 Billet Shackle - 9/10. I bought this just for looks, it's a barbie accessory. It does not do anything that the OEM Warn shackle wouldn't, in fact, it can not simply clip into D-rings or recovery points, you must use a soft shackle. So it does even less. Still, it is well made and powder coated. Would buy again.
Agency 6 1.5" Fairlead - 9/10. Again, does not do anything extra, just bought it for looks.
Dissent Offroad Rear Bumper + Swing-outs - 10/10. The rear bumper is rock solid and neither the panels nor tire even shift when negotiating uneven terrain. Have not heard or felt any rattling on the freeway. Opening and closing is assisted by a powerful gas strut, even my wife has no issues. Everything is low profile and thoughtfully designed. The design follows the lines of the vehicles nicely. The construction and welds are very well done. I expect it to out survive the 4Runner. Would buy again. Note: Dissent Offroad seems to be very busy. As such, I did not have the most positive experience with their customer service. The bumper did not come with a designated instruction manual. And although the order was delayed a few times, I was not annoyed by this, I was concerned by the lack of communication. Still an outstanding product, but make sure to bake in some time into your planning to buffer for these potential delays.
Roadvision Rear Combo LED Lights/Dissent Combo LED Lights - 10/10. I can not get these to wire to the rear headlamps correctly. But even then, they are bright and work extremely well. They are also extremely cheap compared to other options. Would buy again.
Agency 6 Rear Hitch Soft Shackle Block - 9/10. Works as intended, well built and powdercoated well. Looks great and good value. Would buy again.
TowWorks Hitch Receiver Lock - 10/10. After buying one that was too short, this was perfect. No rattling or play. Would buy again.
Bunker Industries Traction Board + Mount 11/10. For the price it punches way above its weight class. I have used the boards for many rescues and it is great at what it does. The mount itself works well with no play or rattling. Would buy again.
Agency 6 Shovel + Mount - 2/10. I bought this for utility and now it will likely remain on for looks only. Several issues with this: the edge does not taper, so it has terrible digging ability. It is heavier, but much worse than lighter competitors. It's powdercoated texture actually allows dirt, mud, snow, and ice to adhere to it easily. It is one of the worst shovels I have ever used. And during a snow rescue, it was so awful, I ended up digging with traction boards instead of it. This was after wrenching it off the side of the rack and fiddling with the knobs. I am sorry, but this is one of the worst pieces of gear you can buy for your car. Get an aluminum avalanche shovel instead. Buy this for your enemies.
Agency 6 Billet Grab Handles - 9/10. It looks great and does what it needs to do. Well made. But the truth is, I do not need these and they don't help in any meaningful way. Would not buy again.
CaliRaisedLED OEM Switch Panel Bracket - 5/10. It looks alright but the lack of instructions meant I fiddled with it to get it to clip into place properly. I have spent an hour trying different configurations, but none of them allow it to lock flush with the rest of the dash. It is secure, but the fitment is off. Would not buy again.
Auxbeam RA80 Switch Panel - 7/10. It is a fussy panel. There is no way to toggle lights on so that they come on with the ignition. Or perhaps I wired or am using it wrong. Would love to be corrected here. But installation is easy and it works well. Would not buy again, will upgrade.
If you have any other questions or comments, please let me know. Hope this helps!
Link to Photos of the Mods & Gears
CAMTuning + Cobbs Accessport - 11/10. The best mod of the bunch and the only that increased quality of life by the most. When we first picked up the 4Runner there were two things we did not enjoy. 1. From a stop, the car seemed to be unable to overcome its own inertia. It lurched into gears and this would not improve even if one floored it. 2. When passing on the freeway, there was always 1-3 seconds (depending on where you began on the power band) before the power was delivered. After Cam tuned the 4Runner, the driving experience changed completely. It can launch off a stop and it passes even with a flicker of the pedal. It is responsive and it feels much smoother overall. In future builds, this will be my first modification. Would buy again and will buy for all future builds.
Dissent Offroad Low Profile Bumper - 9/10. Solid bumper that mounts lights, winch, and even a license plate. Well made and extremely useful add-on for the utility it provides. Everything about it is great, from the recessed recovery points to the additional mounting points for aftermarket lights. Would buy again.
Baja Designs S2 SAE Pods - 4/10. I did not see any additional lighting when I used it on a dark highway with my OEM headlamps on. Perhaps thats the point of the SAE designation and I completely missed the point. I suspect this is only really useful in snowstorms. I will update the score when that time comes. Would not buy again.
Baja Designs Squadron Pros - 8/10. It can light up the whole sky and woods. I suspect it would be even brighter if it were not tucked behind the grille and other lights. Would buy again.
Westcott Designs Low-Profile Roof Rack + Molle Panels - 10/10. It is not great value for a Canadian. The shipping and duties are painful. Despite that, it is well made and thought out. There is no play, rattle, or even any noticeable wind noise. Everything about it is precision designed. Would buy again. Note: WD has a annual 15-20% off sale, take advantage of it!
WARN Industries VR EVO 10s - 10/10. This unit came with a wireless module and remote, so do not make my mistake of purchasing those add-ons. Its performed a rescue quickly and efficiently without any issues. I don't think this is any better than the Harbor Freight specials, but perhaps may have better post-sale serivce. Hopefully it will never get to that. Would buy again.
Agency 6 Billet Shackle - 9/10. I bought this just for looks, it's a barbie accessory. It does not do anything that the OEM Warn shackle wouldn't, in fact, it can not simply clip into D-rings or recovery points, you must use a soft shackle. So it does even less. Still, it is well made and powder coated. Would buy again.
Agency 6 1.5" Fairlead - 9/10. Again, does not do anything extra, just bought it for looks.
Dissent Offroad Rear Bumper + Swing-outs - 10/10. The rear bumper is rock solid and neither the panels nor tire even shift when negotiating uneven terrain. Have not heard or felt any rattling on the freeway. Opening and closing is assisted by a powerful gas strut, even my wife has no issues. Everything is low profile and thoughtfully designed. The design follows the lines of the vehicles nicely. The construction and welds are very well done. I expect it to out survive the 4Runner. Would buy again. Note: Dissent Offroad seems to be very busy. As such, I did not have the most positive experience with their customer service. The bumper did not come with a designated instruction manual. And although the order was delayed a few times, I was not annoyed by this, I was concerned by the lack of communication. Still an outstanding product, but make sure to bake in some time into your planning to buffer for these potential delays.
Roadvision Rear Combo LED Lights/Dissent Combo LED Lights - 10/10. I can not get these to wire to the rear headlamps correctly. But even then, they are bright and work extremely well. They are also extremely cheap compared to other options. Would buy again.
Agency 6 Rear Hitch Soft Shackle Block - 9/10. Works as intended, well built and powdercoated well. Looks great and good value. Would buy again.
TowWorks Hitch Receiver Lock - 10/10. After buying one that was too short, this was perfect. No rattling or play. Would buy again.
Bunker Industries Traction Board + Mount 11/10. For the price it punches way above its weight class. I have used the boards for many rescues and it is great at what it does. The mount itself works well with no play or rattling. Would buy again.
Agency 6 Shovel + Mount - 2/10. I bought this for utility and now it will likely remain on for looks only. Several issues with this: the edge does not taper, so it has terrible digging ability. It is heavier, but much worse than lighter competitors. It's powdercoated texture actually allows dirt, mud, snow, and ice to adhere to it easily. It is one of the worst shovels I have ever used. And during a snow rescue, it was so awful, I ended up digging with traction boards instead of it. This was after wrenching it off the side of the rack and fiddling with the knobs. I am sorry, but this is one of the worst pieces of gear you can buy for your car. Get an aluminum avalanche shovel instead. Buy this for your enemies.
Agency 6 Billet Grab Handles - 9/10. It looks great and does what it needs to do. Well made. But the truth is, I do not need these and they don't help in any meaningful way. Would not buy again.
CaliRaisedLED OEM Switch Panel Bracket - 5/10. It looks alright but the lack of instructions meant I fiddled with it to get it to clip into place properly. I have spent an hour trying different configurations, but none of them allow it to lock flush with the rest of the dash. It is secure, but the fitment is off. Would not buy again.
Auxbeam RA80 Switch Panel - 7/10. It is a fussy panel. There is no way to toggle lights on so that they come on with the ignition. Or perhaps I wired or am using it wrong. Would love to be corrected here. But installation is easy and it works well. Would not buy again, will upgrade.
If you have any other questions or comments, please let me know. Hope this helps!
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