4runnerTonga

I own a 1999 v6 4runner. Great vehicle but there I find on the highway it has terrible passing power...or even maintaining 110km/h. The smallest increase in gradient will make it shift from 4th to 3rd. The previous owner put on stock 17inch steelies from a fj with 285 (or 265)/70/17. Would this be the cause of the power loss on the highway? Would putting on the stock 16s with the same overall tire diamter be significantly better? I can't see the extra 1 inch or so over stock size affect the power that much so I thought the increased rotating weight must be the problem?

Thanks!

badattitude

I have 1999 4runner with the stock 16" aluminum wheels and 265/75/16 tires. My passing power is fine, nothing to write home about though. When I pass it will kickdown a gear a get going but it's not fast. It is fast enough where it has never been a concern for me.

You may need a tune up, plugs, wires maybe some seafoam? How many miles on you truck? I have 117,900.

4runnerTonga

I have about 155k km on the truck. I was thinking plugs and wires might be in order. Other than the highway issue, everything else seems fine.

nothingbetter

I could see the larger rotational weight effecting fuel economy but I couldn't see it playing into passing power a whole bunch.

99blackSE

iTrader: (1)

Stock size is 265/70/16 correct? If that's the case you're about 7% larger than stock if you're running 285/70/17 so that's not too serious, unless you have tall gears. Just going from 29" to 31" tires with my 4:10s it felt like I was down 15-20 hp. Put in the 4.56s and it came back to life.

kmcmahon93

when i bought my truck i had a set of outlaw I 15x10 with 31x10.50 BFG A/T. that was with old 22re with 50K and i had absolutly no passing power or power at all! well i bought another set of outlaw I 15x10 with 33x12.50 BFG M/T, with a brand new 22re i just put in a month ago. A tad bit more power but still not feeling right. what can i do with gears or ANYTHING! i need to be able to go over 70mph when i got the peddle to the radiator!

nothingbetter

For a 33" I would reccommend a 4.88 if your sticking with that tire size or a 4.56 if you'll be using both the 31s and 33s. Read through the forums about gearing and your bound to find your answer and learn a lot in the process. The 22 will never have huge power unless its heavilly modified so either get used to it or its time to swap in a different engine!

IanB

17" steelies will be way heavier than 16" aluminum wheels, combined with the heavier tires and greater overall circumference (7%), it could very well be the reason your truck feels underpowered. You could try swapping to a stock wheel/tire setup for a day if you can find someone willing to help you out, and then you'd know for sure if that's your issue, or if you just need a tuneup or something else.

kmcmahon93

where do yall recomend i find some gears at? i need to keep a strong 4 low, i always got to pull people out of holes they shouldnt touch.

dropzone

iTrader: (6)

any reputable outlet...Marlin, Trail-Gear (I am running their 5.29's), Randy's Ring and Pinion, East Coast Gear Supply (which is in NC)

highonpottery

iTrader: (1)

^^and pick up some lockers so after you pull them out, you can show them how it's done

togg

looking for new rims for my 04 tacoma (after market) . do i need to go to 17 inch bcuz of the brake calipers? i need to have the same offset. any suggestions/

leroybrown

i have a set of aluminium 15 x 8s that weigh about the same as my 15 x 10 steelies. i picked up one in each hand when i tried a set of 33 12.50s on my 10" rims. i was really surprised... thought the steelies would be noticeably heavier. one thing i can say is that 33-14-15 boggers on 10" steelies makes my truck feel like a flintstones car needing a little pedal power. when i used to switch back to my 33-12.5-15 discoverer stt's on the 8" aluminiums, it was like i just installed a turbo. i'm putting it down to the tires. i've since changed the gearing to 5:29 and am about to purchase 35" km2s. i hope they will be a lot lighter because i can't afford to lose any power with the 3L. has anybody tried a 12.5" tire on a 10" rim aired down?

tlrskunk

How aired down? I run 23-25 on the street and don't touch my pressure when i hit the trails.

leroybrown

well, with the bias ply tires i like to run 10-12 lbs ... aired down of course. they wear out super quick on asphalt. grippy but without beadlocks bring 2 spares and air up when you're on the second.

moroza

If the overall diameter of the tire is larger, then you've essentially geared up, and there's less torque being transmitted to the ground. So yes, that would feel like less passing power on the highway and more engine effort (like a downshift) required to maintain a hill.

If not, then heavier wheels, due to higher rotating inertia, will reduce passing power (acceleration: the wheels rotating at an increasing rate), but will not affect ability to maintain a hill (no acceleration: wheels rotating at a constant rate). If you've ever played with sports cars, it's the same as a lighter flywheel vs. a heavier one. Passing requires power, of which torque is a component; maintaining a speed requires only torque. That's why big trucks get away with 200hp even though they're pulling tens of thousands of pounds, and that's why turbodiesels feel barely any slower with a substantial load or going uphill. Wheel size affects torque and power; wheel weight affects only power.

leroybrown

Gederven; what an eloquent explanation. i would have just said that heavy stuff makes you go slow. with my stock gears and the swampers there were a few times that the truck would stall going up a really steep incline(getting unstuck) in first low. even with lots of clutch. i don't have that problen anymore with the 5:29's. i'll re-post when i get the 35's. i'm hoping that that the lighter tires will balance the new height. anyone reading this looking for taller tires; i would not put 35" swampers on my 2.8l diesel. just not enough oomph.

john4wd

Every 4x4 I've own I just put on 30x9.50 BFG All Terrains and I do great on my 87 22R and on a 97 cherokee with a 4.0 and my past 84 xtra cab 22R, and in a few months I'll have a set of 30x9.50 BFG All Terain TA KO's on my current 93 22R-E, All of them and the 93 had and have steelie wheels, I do great with 30x9.50 on steelie wheels, plenty of passing power. These vehicles are my past and a current DD on occasionally off road, And I have never gotten stuck yet, someday I'll get stuck ;}LOL I don't do mudding because it tears up your vehicles up and doesn't prove your driving skills or smarts...

LGs_Woody

yes itll start to tear up stuff, but so does rock crawling, and i have to disagree on proving driving skills. anyone can go mudslingin, but just like rock crawling, if you have better driving skills, then youll end up further. i had a 93 yota on 31" 10 ply street tires and no lie would out crawl people in lifted trucks on 35s, ive even outcrawled my buddys f250 that was on 40 in groundhawgs, so yes it does show driving skills wen you can do all that.