Recommendations for lift, tires and all of the good stuff

[326XRX]

97 4runner limited, silver. No mods or upgrades. Looking to 2.5"-4"lift and some easy mods for gas mileage to compensate for new tires after the lift. Also looking for a brushguard, light rack etc.

I have read through most of the previous posts but am looking for some *must haves*. Let me know your thoughts and any advice would be great.

Thanks for the help.

PS. Anybody know any godd places for some 2.5-3.0 trails in Seattle area and or dunes?




[Edit - Good Times - Clarification on the thread title]

[corax]

Welcome aboard! Sorry I can't help you out with the 3rd gen info (no experience them yet), but I'm sure someone else will be able to.

[Seanz0rz]

welcome to the site!

i think we need to know more about where you want to go with this vehicle. hardcore offroad trail rig? well built daily driver? expedition vehicle?

for lift kits, that depends on what you want out of the vehicle, but i highly recommend www.sonoransteel.com system 1.x

[Small_words]

I second what Sean said about Sonoran Steel. Steve, owner, is responsive and his products are good. As for fuel mileage, try doing the Seafoam treatment a few times, clean the Mass Air Flow sensor regularly, and change the O2 sensors. The seafoam treatment is under the Wiki section
http://www.ultimateyota.com/index.php?option=com_openwiki&Itemid=60&id=seafoam_usage

[Seanz0rz]

i plan on doing the seafoam treatment this weekend, so ill give you a full rundown on its effects.

must haves:
CB radio
GOOD towstrap (go to an offroad place, the ones from pepboys are OK, but not great)
full size spare tire
knowledge of how to use your gear
www.treadlightly.com (http://www.ultimateyota.com/index.php?option=com_bannersmanager&task=click&bid=14) - read it, follow it!

[corax]

Make sure the tow strap does NOT have those metal hooks on the ends - get one with fabric hoops and a shackle or two

like these
http://www.northerntool.com/images/product/images/331729_lg.gif
http://www.nates4x4.com/catalog/images/shackleCM.jpg

[oly884]

Glad to see some more Seattle people on the board, welcome!

[326XRX]

A well built daily to expedtious vehicle i guess. I am not looking to go to the extreme, but have fun.

As far lifts and what I want out of it. I want added clearance without having to rip out the IFS. From what I have heard it is pretty costly.

My running boards and body trim all all connected as far as "clean lines" is concerned. Personally the factory boards are useless. I want to keep "clean lines" but have clearnce. Can these be removed with out messing up the exterior?

[326XRX]

I already have the shackles and tow strap. I am from Northern Michigan and those are a must. Thanks for the tips.

[Seanz0rz]

ok so you are in the same frame of mind as me then, a great expedition vehicle that doubles as a daily driver. all my mods kept the vehicle very streetable. i would most definately go with steve's system 1 then. http://sonoransteel.com/store_complete_liftkits.html#System_1.2 . if you do not want the rake (rear higher than front), http://sonoransteel.com/store_complete_liftkits.html#System_7.2

as for the body trim, im not intimately familiar with the limiteds, but im positive someone will answer your question soon.

tires, most of us run 285/75r16 with this lift. any bigger and you are going to start needing a body lift to keep the tires out of the wheel wells. what brand/style is up to you, lots of debate on what you should buy. id stick to something you recgonize and i dont think you will be disappointed.

for gas mileage, im going to assume you have the most common 4.10:1 gear ratio. my highway mileage was around 20-22 with out my roof rack and other accessories added on, but with my larger tires. unfortunatly my city mileage took a hit, and is currently in the 12 mpg range. luckily i mostly drive long stretches on the freeway, and average about 17-18mpg. keep your foot under control and you can cruise at 65-75 very comfortably, and get excellent (for this vehicle) mileage.

[Ric]

as far as the lift, Id check out www.toyoteclifts.com also do your research, look on other boards/forums, see what others say about the lifts, the companies, and the prices :thumbup:

[Seanz0rz]

i agree with ric, toytec provides great products too, and sponsors this site!!! (sorry for not mentioning them)

[oly884]

I just got front coil-overs for my truck from Steve @ Sonoran Steel, and let me tell you that they are perfect! Steve is a really good guy and I also got my front bumper from him. He's a stand up guy!

[troyboy162]

A well built daily to expedtious vehicle i guess. I am not looking to go to the extreme, but have fun.

As far lifts and what I want out of it. I want added clearance without having to rip out the IFS. From what I have heard it is pretty costly.

My running boards and body trim all all connected as far as "clean lines" is concerned. Personally the factory boards are useless. I want to keep "clean lines" but have clearnce. Can these be removed with out messing up the exterior?


the truck in stock form serves that purpose very well. i went just about everywhere with just some 265/75/16 mud terrains. you will need a solid 3.5" lift to clear 285' if your not ready to cut and pound areas in the wheel well a little. 3" if you dont mind pounding

are you already bottoming the truck out on obstacles? i had to really try to finally bang up my underside and those were dedicated wheeling trails that are hard for the sake of being hard. if you just want to go out and explore, id stay stock for reliability and drivability

[Ric]

Im just saying check other boards, not just this one, look at the response of the different vendors, just cause i like Co. A, doesnt mean they are the best, customer service, price, etc. means a lot. good luck in your research.