HaveBlue

I will be buying a 1st gen 4Runner within the next 6 months, or so. I was wondering if the BFG 265/75R16s on my '96 will fit on the 1st gen (with a 16" rim, of course). Will I encounter any rubbing?

Thank you!

Toddski

Hey there Alan. Not sure if they will fit.
Might have to crank the t-bars in the front a bit and maybe do a shackle switch in the rear.

Make sure you let us know when you get your rig.

HaveBlue

The first thing I'll do when I get home from purchasing my new rig will be to let everyone know.
I already have a lot planned for it. Like I said, I'd like to swap my BFGs from the 96 to the 1st gen and get some nive street tires for the 96. Then, I'll probably lift the 1st gen 2". After that, I plan on replacing the engine with the EFI Pro Stroker engine from LC engineering. 147hp@4900 rpm! Front and rear bumpers after that. A winch and in-cab roll cage. And probably a supercharger from LC Engineering with a heavy duty radiator.
I've thought about the possibility of dropping in a Vortec V6, but I've had real bad experience with GM engines.

jx94148

That's a 31.6" tall by 11" wide tire. Yes, I think it will rub. Cut or pound down the fenders to make them fit. I suggest not cranking tortion bars, too hard on CVs and boots. Body lift is cheap and easy to make them not rub as well.

Robinhood150

If it's going to be a trail toy, why not throw some mud tires under there? Keep the bgfs on the 3rd gen to look cool.

Steve

martin

I have 33x10.5 BFG's on my 88 and they fit fine. In the rear I added longer shackles and in the front used a BFH to make room on the inner fender wells. To fit 33's you will definately need to make room in the fender wells up front. I do believe you could get away with out the shackles in the rear. The tires tuck up in the rear wells very well. Here is a link for some info.

33's on 1st gen.

Martin

Fahrenheit 451

I have an '85 4Runner with the LC Engineering EFI Pro motor with the stock crank, not the stroker. If you get one, I strongly suggest you make sure you have the cash on hand to get your ECU reprogrammed at the same time (about $500 with shipping and insurance). The setup that LC calls for of changing your MAS settings 3-5 clicks either richer or leaner really doesn't work. I did that on mine and as a result I have washed out rings to the point I got so much blowby that my headgasket has to be replaced. Joy :mad:
I had noticed for a while that I was losing antifreeze, but it appeared to be from a loose fitting going to the heater. Wrong! Now I have a nice blend of oil and antifreeze in my radiatior and am hoping to keep it cranking along until I can get a new gasket installed.
Also, keep in mind that stroker motor requires the pistons to be notched to clear the valves. The first time your motor hiccups or farts for whatever reason you're going to pound the valves against a piston.
That extra $600 or so for the stroker only ups the motor 12hp (and a new crank granted), but it could also buy you a LOT of trouble. You would probably be better off putting that $600 into lower gears in the diffs or transmission.
Or, if you really want to stick some meats under the truck and need the hp to turn them over save up for a switch to a 3.4.
It might not cost much more than the stroker. By the time I got all the extras installed on my EFI Pro, I had over $5k in it.
Of course, only a couple years after getting my motor I had a Toy builder say he would put a 3.4 in mine for around $3k. CRAP!

HaveBlue

Wow!
Thanks for all the input!

Fahrenheit-
Thanks for the heads-up on the LC Engineering motor. Now that you mention it, a 3.4L does sound kind of nice. And I have access to a complete 3.4L for $2,000. But, that would mean I would have to buy the transmission, too. However, I could get a 5 spd. It would be more work, but it would be really cool. Then I could buy another supercharger *drool*.

Seriously, though. If I did opt for the 3.4L, I would have to have the tranny to accompany it. Would you get the manual or auto? The auto would probably be far easier to install, no master cylinder etc. But the manual would provide more torque to the wheels.

Geez, all these questions and I haven't even bought the rig yet.

Fahrenheit 451

As far as auto vs. standard that seems to be a raging debate with 4 wheelers lately. More and more the automatics are being favored especially by rockcrawlers since it is a fluid coupling that results in much less mechanical breakage. However, automatics really like to "run" and when it comes to doing descents it is my understanding that no amount of lowering gearing will keep them from running away from you. You just don't get the same sort of compression braking effect out of them. Apparently, there is some way of forcing the autos to lock up which helps, but it can also be pretty hard on the transmission. Again, this is just from stuff I have been reading about lately on customizing rigs in various fashions.
I think as far as the difficulty involving swapping a 3.4 with consideration to an auto or standard the real question would be what was there before. If you buy an older Runner with an auto and want to stick a standard in it, then you have to go back through and add all the bits and pieces. You would likely also have to relocate the crossmember and modify the drivelines. Changing from standard to auto would certainly require some mods as well including I think a different radiatior.
Likely the best bet is to decide which you want first, standard vs. auto, find out the necessary requirements of a 3.4 then go hunting for the appropriate Runner to put it in. After a quick look around on the net, it also looks like mating up an auto to a Marlin Crawler (if you are so inclined) is a load of work so the standard might be the way to go in that scenario.

Mattimus

Where are my torsion bars and how do I raise/lower them??

jx94148

Chris Geiger did a great writeup on T-bar crank.

ORC Tech page.