paddlenbike
12-26-2012, 10:28 AM
I really have to thank everyone here on Ultimateyota for all of the really good advice on 4Runner maintenance and modification. I am coming up on year eight with the 4Runner and I honestly like it more than I did the day I brought it home. It is both my daily driver and my recreational vehicle. It sports only a few modifications, but these items upgraded it from "transportation" to a do-anything truck. Here are a couple of short reviews on the products that make me enjoy my 4Runner:
The Sonoran Steel System 7 lift
My 4Runner was a late-2000 production model and was shod with the 2001+ suspension, which sat lower than ever before. The rear axle was only 1" from the bumpstops, so one passenger in the rear or moderate cargo would cause the rear to bottom-out and result in a rough ride. The Sonoran Steel lift fixed that issue, gave me the clearance I needed and it takes about 450 pounds of concrete in the rear to bring it from a slight 1/4" rake to about 1/4" of sag. Now I can haul and tow without sagging the rear end and this suspension really works well on fireroads and the desert where the stock suspension held my speed back. The replacement rear bumpstops are the best part of the kit--even though I have bottomed the truck many times, I never have felt it. I actually get giggly on rutted-up washboard roads because it takes them with aplomb. Passengers have called my truck "comfy." My truck works better with this suspension and I have no regrets whatsoever.
Stubbs sliders:
They are steel, protect the body and construction/weld quality is very good. Not much to complain about there.
BFG AT tires:
I've put them through pretty much everything and have no complaints. I have a heavy right foot and they are due for replacement soon and I will be buying them again. I've had no flats, there are quite a few chunks missing and some slices in the sidewalls, have only had them balanced twice in their lifetime and they are currently sitting at 54,000 miles with another 5,000 miles left in them. I do lament the fact that the load range D are no longer available; load range E is all that is available.
TRD Supercharger w/URD 7th
This setup has breathed, quite literally, new life into my 4Runner. If the 4Runner had any downsides it was its lack of V8 power, and now it has it. The 4Runner was always torquey around town but it didn't have a lot of reserve power for passing and climbing high elevation grades when loaded. Now those two are its strong suit. It makes power everywhere, from down low to redline, it will pull any 8,000 ft grade in 5th gear with power to spare and a drop to 3rd and you can get around a slow moving car on a 2-lane road about as quick as a turbocharged Subaru Outback/Legacy GT. I can still get 21 mpg on the highway...other than the initial purchase price, there is no downside, it makes the 4Runner a ton of fun on both the highway and f'ing around offroad. It also opens up the possibilities for towing heavy loads over long distances.
I am happy the product support for Toyotas is strong and the testing and review by fellow-UY'ers has provided an excellent build-path, thanks so much for that!
The Sonoran Steel System 7 lift
My 4Runner was a late-2000 production model and was shod with the 2001+ suspension, which sat lower than ever before. The rear axle was only 1" from the bumpstops, so one passenger in the rear or moderate cargo would cause the rear to bottom-out and result in a rough ride. The Sonoran Steel lift fixed that issue, gave me the clearance I needed and it takes about 450 pounds of concrete in the rear to bring it from a slight 1/4" rake to about 1/4" of sag. Now I can haul and tow without sagging the rear end and this suspension really works well on fireroads and the desert where the stock suspension held my speed back. The replacement rear bumpstops are the best part of the kit--even though I have bottomed the truck many times, I never have felt it. I actually get giggly on rutted-up washboard roads because it takes them with aplomb. Passengers have called my truck "comfy." My truck works better with this suspension and I have no regrets whatsoever.
Stubbs sliders:
They are steel, protect the body and construction/weld quality is very good. Not much to complain about there.
BFG AT tires:
I've put them through pretty much everything and have no complaints. I have a heavy right foot and they are due for replacement soon and I will be buying them again. I've had no flats, there are quite a few chunks missing and some slices in the sidewalls, have only had them balanced twice in their lifetime and they are currently sitting at 54,000 miles with another 5,000 miles left in them. I do lament the fact that the load range D are no longer available; load range E is all that is available.
TRD Supercharger w/URD 7th
This setup has breathed, quite literally, new life into my 4Runner. If the 4Runner had any downsides it was its lack of V8 power, and now it has it. The 4Runner was always torquey around town but it didn't have a lot of reserve power for passing and climbing high elevation grades when loaded. Now those two are its strong suit. It makes power everywhere, from down low to redline, it will pull any 8,000 ft grade in 5th gear with power to spare and a drop to 3rd and you can get around a slow moving car on a 2-lane road about as quick as a turbocharged Subaru Outback/Legacy GT. I can still get 21 mpg on the highway...other than the initial purchase price, there is no downside, it makes the 4Runner a ton of fun on both the highway and f'ing around offroad. It also opens up the possibilities for towing heavy loads over long distances.
I am happy the product support for Toyotas is strong and the testing and review by fellow-UY'ers has provided an excellent build-path, thanks so much for that!