rakkasan79

hey all. this may be a dumb question but since i'm unsure of the answer i'll ask anyway. will i lose ground clearance on my 3rd gen if i go from 265x75x16 to 32x11.5x15?

tc

Depends on the brand and specific tires. According to Tire Rack for BFG A/T, they are both 31.7" tall, so no, you would have pretty much the same ground clearance as now.

Unfortunately, I think a 32" is about all you can fit on a 3rd gen with no lift. If you have 1.5"-2", you should be able to fit a 33x10.50-15 or 255/85-16.

terrybo3

Hey TC... I just bought a 2" lift (just coils and bj spacers) for my '95. I need the coil springs, definitely. Should I just use those and not the bj spacers, or should I sell the kit and buy stock height HD coil springs? I want to put 33s on eventually. I bought the lift before reading this thread...not too bad at $140, though. It's a Toytec 2" lift.

pkt1213

iTrader: (1)

Question is, if you have a 3rd gen V6 with the 16" wheels or, someone correct me if I am wrong, any 3rd gen with 16" wheels, you won't be able to fit a 15" wheel over your brakes. I know the SR5s and Limiteds came with larger brakes than the 4cyl ones.

tc

There are significant pluses and minuses to the BJ spacers. Read the thread in the second gen forum and see different people's experience - only you can decide what's right for you.

If it were me, I would install the BJ spacers and uncrank the tbars to level out the truck.

SWPERIC

i LOVE this thread. HUGE help but i have questions that i have searched and searched on and not been able to find a straight answer.

I understand that armor and lockers should be #1 but my stock shocks r going and i have ordered some bilsteins to replace them and i was going to replace the springs while i was at it. should i get keep my stock height? or get a 1" lift spring kit? also i need new tires before winter anyway and i need 2 to figure out how big of a tire i can get on my stock rims with the above recommended shock/spring combo. i just figure if i have 2 replace them, i might as well upgrade for a few bucks more.

looking for some advise. if anyone knows any good threads, can you please post a link here.

AxleIke

If you are already buying new springs, buy the lift.

Fink

x2

If you're already having to replace them, then go ahead and do it right.

Fink

SWPERIC

can anyone recommend a spring package 2 get to go with my bilstein shocks? ive seen the performance products ones but thats about it. ive trusted eibach with my street cars for years but of course they dont make anything for my truck. keep in my that this HAS to b my daily driver. again sorry if this has been covered in other threads. i cant seem to find vehicle/application specific info for my 2002 4runner limited. thanks all.

tc

Check out the lift options at www.sonoransteel.com for your '02 third gen.

Fink

Are you wanting lift?

If so go with OME (Old Man Emu) you can get them through Wheeler's Off Road or TRDParts4U.com (PM Strap22 on this board).

I ran them on my old 3rd gen and couldn't have asked for a better ride/off-road ability. They performed well on the street as well as in the rocks.

You can also get kits that are already pieced together from Sonoran Steel.

Do a search on here for "3rd gen OME" and see what you come up with.

Fink

jeff-CO

Excellent thread AxleIke, awesome video, tc.

I'm in Thornton/Boulder, and just took my bone stock 94 truck to Lefthand Canyon this past weekend. I tried a couple of the rocky areas in the first 100 yards of Carnage Canyon and quickly realized that everything you're saying here is true:

- my speed was too fast even in 4low, so I was on the clutch a lot and bumping into obstacles too fast.
- My tires were spinning often on the rocks and hills due to open diffs
- I only had a couple clearance issues, but it was more due to poor navigation.

Anyway, if I ever convince my wife to let me spend any money , I'm going with ARB air lockers, body armor (LOVE the rear bumper, tc!) then 33's if I can make'em fit like you guys suggest. My truck seems to have tons of room in the rear - we'll have to see about the front.

Thanks again,
-Jeff

BTW, I'm a total newbie at this - I got my first truck a few weeks ago, and would appreciate PMs with any tips or links: driving, mods/pics, videos, trail sites/maps, etc.

GSGALLANT

I agree in general with the original post, however, with a 2001 or 2002 4Runner, I disagree about the lift portion of the post. Those years of 4Runners are the lowest out there. Maybe the 2003+ are lower still... not sure.

The fact that the belly of the truck is so low means that I get hung up on many obstacles that other comparable trucks just glide over. I've ordered the Sonoran Steel system 1.2 lift, and I can't wait to install it.

As far as lockers, I will be buying some in the future (at least a rear locker), but for now, the traction control system on my 2002 works pretty well if it's used properly except on the worse of trails.

AxleIke

If you armor the bottom, you don't have to worry about it, and the gears and lockers will allow you to drag. There is a point where you do need a lift. Eventually you will get to a point where you cannot go any further because you are hanging so badly it's stopping you.

But, if you have gears, lockers, and armor first, you can really get up a lot of stuff that will hit your belly, but not hang it.

These were set up as some guidelines for folks just starting out. If you feel that you need a lift, you should get a lift. This isn't the end all be all of modification direction. Just stuff to think about.

kennyboy019

Ok, possibly dumb noob question.

When your talking about lockers, do you mean for the rear or the front? I already have front lockers and I know their stock.

tc

You are confusing locking hubs (what you have in the front) and locking differentials.

A locking hub engages the axle shaft to the wheel, allowing drive instead of just freewheeling.

A locking differential ensuures that power is distributed to both axle shafts simultaneously.

kennyboy019

Yes, the locking diff was what I wanted. I have 87 so I have the manual locking hubs.

dud122

hi all
very informative thread here, answered a lot of questions for me. I just bought an 02 tacoma double cab, 4x4 - stock. going with your priority list of mods i decided to hold off on the lift. 1. drivetrain - since it came with the rear locker i'll move on to saving up for some armor (smart?) 2. armor - probably sliders then front bumper then rear. 3. i will need to get new tires before i get too far down the list of armor so here are the questions...

can i fit 33's on this truck without lifting it?

what is a good mud and rock tire that will spend most of its time on pavement?

would 33's cause me to modify anything other than a possible lift?

what would be the best way to lift it 1-2" without having to do too many other mods and extensions?


thanks a lot

AxleIke

A good mud and rock tire is not going to be an ideal choice for a "most of the time on pavement" tire.

First question is: Where are you located? The type of terrain is going to be the most important factor in determining a tire. For example, if you live out west, and see a lot of dirt and rock, and once and a while some mud, an all terrain would work well for you. But if you live out east or in the PNW, you will need a pretty serious mud tire.

Before the 33 question can be answered, we'll need to figure out the type of tire.

The rest of your questions can be answered in the 1995.5-2004 taco section. Lots of good info there.

first_toyo_owner

hey i have a 90 4runner 2 door now I have been looking to make it more trail worthy after I pay off the loan heh. but as it sits right now i still use it as a day to day vehicle. Should I just focus on tires and armor. I got new shocks in it but its stock and I don't want it huge due to what everyone has said in this post. it can go over most stuff I want it to. But with rubbing all you need is a sawsall and a hammer? sounds easy enough i guess but i take it you need to cover up the cut marks as well? sorry if these questions are dumb lol I am still learning