EACOOK1

So here is my first post. I have $1800 to spend on my nearly completely stock 93 v6 4runner. The only non stock item on it is a flowmaster muffler. I want the $1800 to go toward making it the best offroad vehicle possible. Show me what your list looks like. What is the #1 item.....most bang for the buck, that will make my runner more trail worthy.

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niall

lockers and armor.

EACOOK1

So what type armor specifically? Sliders, skid plates, bumpers,?

niall

Depends on your future plans and whatnot. Also what kind of locker or lockers you go with.

2 Arbs will eat that 1800 instantly. 2 mechanical lockers would be cheaper. Sliders are important, I like opening doors.

You could do mechanical lockers, sliders, and probably a rear bumper for 1800.

Richard

what kind of wheeling do you plan on doing ? or are you building a mall crawler ?

Co_94_PU

Novice to wheeling, honestly actually I steer around puddles and think you guys all have a few nuts loose. it is however contagious, and I've got my eye on a firstgen 4runner.. But here is my input anyway. You'll be suprised how quick that pile of cash will disappear. Armor and tires might just eat it all up. And of course safety first!.

The general rule would be to spend equal time/amounts on Armor/Safety, Performance, and Recovery.

Armor.. Rollbar/cage. Front and rear bumpers. Rock sliders.
Upgrades.. Tires, rims, fender trimming. Gear swap?
Recovery.. Winch, HD attachment points, and a highlift jack.

There are cheap things you can do like water proofing greases, snorkle, diff breather extensions, water protecting interior. All of these of course assume you will be fording water crossings or mud ect.

Best bang for your buck, I'd say the rollbar/cage and making sure it's all well lubed and in good working order top to bottom. Next down would be a full rust/water proofing although that is arguably the top priority, you don't want your investment rusting away because it "looks good dirty".

This will give others a better idea of what you need. What is your target terrain, desert, swamp, mountians (east coast or west coast), or plains?

EACOOK1

Honestly It will be mostly a mall crawler. I drive it every day to work. I do camp and take the family to the snow a few times a year.

As far as what I wan't it to be capable of,
I would like to go rock crawl with my buddies who have tons of money in their rigs. It would be cool to have that little old 4runner that suprizes everyone. Not sure that is possible but that is my eventual goal.

I realize that's not a ton of money to reach my goal but its what I have to start so I want to make the most of it.

Edit: this is by no means the family car. My wife has a car to tote the kids around. So even though it is a daily driver I wan't this to be a truly capable rig someday. Since I am in socal it will be mostly desert, some rock crawling, and some snow. Not much mud out here.

Richard

lunch box locker $350.00 with install kit $135.00
sliders $200.00
front $400.00
rear bumpers $300.00
total around $1400.00
bumpers and sliders can probably be found cheaper from a local shop

bone collector

buy a mechanical locker, a welder and some metal..... build your own bumper, sliders etc... you will be surprised how quickly you will find more things to make/fix with you new welder.

EACOOK1

So it looks like a locker is #1 on the list. When you guys say a mechanical locker does that mean a lunch box locker? Does it make sense to do one in the front too?

I think #2 and #3 will be a rear bumper and rock sliders. The stock receiver hangs down very low so i can see a need to get rid of that. I think I can take care of the sliders and maybe the rear bumper myself. I have a welder and my neighbor has a tube bender with several size dies.

vasinvictor

Since he said it will be a mall crawler a lunchbox locker is not ideal. You won't like it if you're on the street 99% of the time. They're easy enough to install, that if you do start getting offroad more and decide you need one, they about $390 and take a few hours to install. You can have plenty of fun without one. Get yourself a nice stereo install or something IMO. If you're in it for the looks mostly (and that's ok), I'd go front and rear tube bumpers, slider, roof basket, and some nice 31" all terrains. Don't forget some Yotatech stickers

bone collector

read this.....
http://www.yotatech.com/f120/newbie-...mation-121264/

EACOOK1

Thanks for the link. That makes perfect sense.

EACOOK1

Although it will be driven on the street daily, I want it to do really well off-road. Maybe mall crawler is not the right term. I surely won't be cruising the malls. I'm way too old for that stuff. I will be taking it offroading with some buddies.

So for the purpose of this thread I want the most bang for the buck to make it trail worthy.

If I spend $1800 on the best lockers possible and the rest of the truck looks stock I'm totally fine with that.

niall

you could throw a lift on it.

i've got a killer deal on a kit, lift the ifs front, and convert the rear to leafs.

EACOOK1

No lift. I want to keep it stock height for awhile. Maybe when I buy another car and I don't have to drive it every day.

Yamiryder

you could do 2 inch, with bj spacer for cheap. But, if you don't want to lift, thats fine.

Craig'er

Oh wow!
$1800 to spend... so many possibilities... and so much we don't and can't know.
If you can wait around and hunt the wrecking yards you will eventually get a factory Toyota e-locker for $100.
That of course assumes you can, and are willing to take it out your self, can modify your own diff housing, instal the thing (the figure out your front diff situation) and do your own electrical.
Or you can spend your whole $1800 on an e-locker mod done by a pro (or an ARB air locker)
Or heck, I'm a big fan of tires, tires being the first and best thing you can do to make your rig capable off road. My set of tires is worth almost $1800. Or you could wait for a sale, buy them used, or off an insurance company...
I'll write this assuming that you can do everything by your self.

$1800.
First buy a lockright locker. $400
Ball Joint spacer lift/ diff drop $100
OME shocks (or similar) plus shackle lift for the rear. $500?
This might be needed, might not be. Depends on how much the shocks you have on now suck, and how much travel they have left.
Which leave $800 left.
With $800, and those fairly important mods, you have some options. With $800 you could have a new, or nearly new set of 33 inch tires and be set, or go for something else.
If I'm honest I think I spent $1000 of your dollars that most everyone can agree are decent choices.
Now the rest depends entirely on what you do off road. There are a lot of guys here who think that your first $1800 should be spent on armor... and they are right, for the type of offroading they do, bouncing off rocks and what not.
There are guys (IE me) who think that tall skinny tires, an IFS and a locker are the cats @$$#.
WE are both right, depending entirely on the terrain.

niall

Probably don't buy shackles. Just sayin'

Craig'er

Opps. bad post