hey guys, im posting cause i need some advice. i have a 1985 4runner.. its a 1st gen with the solid front axle and efi. as of now it's stock but it does have all the sr5 options. im 16 but im working so i do have some money to spend. id really like to make my runner preform better offroad. so im looking to lift it, new shocks, new tires, etc.. this is my first vehicle so i really dont know where to start, ive done alot of the small things like new plugs and wires etc. im just wondering where i should go from here. lift? shocks?... btw. i have about $500 to spend right now but im pulling in about $400 spending money every month. thanks for the help, kelly

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Welcome to the forums!

Just as a FYI, each section is visited by the same people pretty much, especially this section since it's brand new (Corey just made it today), so there's no need to double post this. I replied to your first thread, also.

where are you from?

I have a better idea...sell it to me!
No? Well, okay. If you change your mind though, let me know.

A good place to start is All Pro Off-Road . They sell a lot of stuff for the 1st gens. Since you have a solid front axle, you can do some crazy stuff.

i suggest putting new leaf springs in first... youll notice a huge difference in the ride. Its about a 3-4 hour job to do it, make sure you have someone help.

check out North West Off-Road for the springs. All they do is toyota stuff

My advice would be to stay away from NWOR.

so nwor or not? also what about lifts anyone have any suggestions? i want it to be useful as a daily driver but still able to keep up offroad

thanks,
kelly

Although I'm really juiced about something else, I want to pass along a little sage advice that was passed along to me on my first truck (CJ-5)...

First things first. Make it SAFE! Brakes, steering components, electrical. All of these are safety related and they may not seem important from the standpoint of "cool mods", you will find the need for them on your many wheeling trips to come.

After you are sure the rig is up to safety standards, tires, a rear locker and a flexy suspension would be my goals. All of which are obtainable on your budget. Pretty (bling bling) stuff is nice, but wheeling stuff is cool.

Welcome to our little slice of !

Mike

hey azrain, thanks for the advice, it's nice to see someone else from this lovely state of ours. as for the basics i just got my idle fixed and a roughly $800 brake job, took it in after i bought it for a check up and turns out that one of my seals was leaking so that was a big dissapointment after thinking i got a steal at $4300 for the truck, however other than that and the idle being a litte rough to begin with (it's near perfect now) everything is great. oh and the alignments just a tad off. but continuing on. it has 120,000 miles with the stock engine which is very low mileage as you can tell for a 85. it's had the timing belt/chain replaced also. as for what i should do next, are there any tires you suggest of any lifts, someone suggest a nwor leaf and then immediatly following someone said 'dont get nwor' so im not sure waht to do. also are there any good trails within the scottsdale phoenix area youd suggest? ive taken the b-line down to saquaro lake and tehres some cool trails down i think near butcher jones beach? thanks for the time

kelly

Wow, there is so many good places to start with your rig... This may become a point of argument with some of the more, ahem, "senior" wheelers around here (present company included), but if you are confident in the mechanical condition of your rig, tires were always first in my book.

Currently, for the terrain out here in AZ, the Goodyear MTR is the tire of choice, however the BFG line isn't a poor choice either. The bargain brands I personally couldn't have any opinion about.

Shocks are a big choice. Talk with a guy who is local here (Mike V., www.xtremeoff-road.com). Mike is a great guy and has business relationships with Raceshock (the local Bilstein dealer) and ARB / OME. He's also a good guy to deal with.

Mike

Mine's an '85 too, but it's under cover with that pickup shell on the back.

I'd say first go out and take it where you want to go. Then figure out exactly what it needs, if anything. These trucks are very capable and useful just as they are. If you're having fun, put your money in the bank!

I ran mine stock for a while. Then I found 2 mods that really make a difference off-road...

1st, I ordered a LockRight differential locker and put it in the rear axle. They're affordable (about $230), they're pretty easy and fun to install yourself, and they make a huge difference off-road--more than any tires or lift in 90% of trail situations. With this add-on, you can go places in 2wd that stops 4wd's without one. You can go places with little bald tires that stops trucks with brand new huge mudders and no lockers. The LockRight makes it act a little different on the street, but after a month, you'll be so used to it and forget it's there. This is one of those really useful mods if you go offroad.

2nd, a lower low-range gearset for the transfer case. This makes all the difference for being able to negociate tricky obstacles in a controlled and effective manner. I went with the 4:1 gearset from Advanced Adapters. A 4.7:1 is also available but wasn't when I bought one. You may have to do more grinding to install the 4.7:1 though. This mod is cheaper and easier than running 2 transfer cases, and really adds capability to these trucks. You can climb steeper, crawl over rocks more easily...I don't regret either of these mods one bit.

There are also many "cheap tricks" you can add. I added a hand throttle made of old bicycle shifter and cable, 50-watt reverse light bulbs for turning around in the woods at night, I removed the front swaybar, and some other things that cost nothing or very little.

If you feel like your truck needs something, think of these useful mods that make a bigger difference than all the chrome or decals in the world.

Have fun with your truck. It's a one-of-a-kind.

Eric

Oh, and if you really want to change the suspension (I haven't), look at OME (Old Man Emu) 50mm system from ARB in Australia. It costs more than most but it is the real thing. These springs and shocks are made specifically for the vehicle you put them on. They make 3 different types of leaf packs for each vehicle...light, medium, or heavy. I read a review where the put lights on the front and mediums on the back along with OME shocks on an '85 4Runner and it completely transformed the truck. It increased suspension flex, made the suspension much more absorbant, and completely eliminated bottom-outs. How both are possible, I don't know. I'm sold!! If I ever replace the suspension, this is the way I'm going.

Eric

ya you kind of got me thinking now Young, so far no matter where ive gone i've never come upon anything that i cant do, so im wondering if i should put money into a lift new tires new gearing then and a rear locker. i mean my friends all have jeeps with lifts but i probably have more ground clearance than them anyway with only 235/75/15 tires, however they do look kinda like rubber bands = \. so now i have to decide should i spend money on new tires $500+ or if i should just leave them. also as of now the truck looks ok. it would look much better with a lift, but i could be putting the couple grand taht i would spend on all that stuff towards a new car (probably a new 4 runner) i have about $5500 into it right now and it runs great, and handles good off road, now i just have to decide if i want to invest more money into it that i probably wotn get out. however if i do get new tires i could always put them on a new car shoudl i get one. what year do the 3rd generation 4runners start, and also waht are the stock rim size for 2nd and 3rd generation 4runners because i would like to know if it's 15 so i know if my tires will fit on them. and finally my dad told me the v6 in the early 2nd gens was pretty weak (we had one) anyone know when they started getting better?

An '85 4Runner is like the holy grail of Toyota 4x4s. Everyone wants them. Its a Do It Yourselfers dream because with some wrenching skill it can be made into an unstopable offroader with very little investment.

If I were you i'd look into a simple add-a-leaf type lift. Pro Comp leaves are about $25 a pair. A pair up front and a pair in back will give you about 1.5 inches of lift. Combine that with a 1.5 inch body lift and you can probably fit 33" tires. Then you will need to get new differential gears to re-gain your acceleration and spedometer accuracy. Get 4.88 ratio gears if its an automatic, 4.56 if its 5 speed. While you have the diffs open you might as well put in a diff locker or two. The Toyota electric locker is a great option because they can be found for around $300-$400 in junkyards.

All of those things are really cheap if you do the work yourself. Re- gearing and tire mounting obviously need to be done by shops. If you have a shop do it all it gets expensive quickly.

Good luck and have fun. Welcome to the world of YotaTech.

i think you just made a bunch of folks jealous with that statement and now they're not gonna help you

haha jk, but really. nice rig you have there. i'd say the things to do would be a rear locker, mild lift and some good tires. at least that's how i'd proabably start.

honestly i dont know why people dont like them...

ive had nothing but quality service from them. Theyve never messed my order up or anything.

Duplicate threads have been merged. Kelly, when starting a topic please keep it in one forum only, thanks.


NWOR is not a good shop to deal with. You will receive absolutely no customer service at all after they get your money, and good luck if you have to return something. As for their springs, they suck. Trust me, I've dealt with them in person and they're a-holes.

My $.02.

First I would never suggest that you do tires first. Why pay money and put on good tires if you plan to lift it later for bigger tires??

I am giving this advise based on my own mistakes. If possible, decide where you want to end up with your rig. How far do you want to go with the modifications??? Proper gearing and lockers will do more for you than a set of tires and set you up for future mods. Without a lot of custom fabrication you can go up to a 6" suspension lift and 2" of body lift. This would allow you to easily run 35" tires and perhaps 37" tires. If you want to run 35" or bigger tires on a 4banger, go to the 5.29 gear sets. Yes you have to do both ends and yes, you should put your TADs in at the same time to save on labor. Save up some money and do this step first. If finances are tough, lock-rite or a Detroit locker in the rear and True Trac up front. If you got some bucks to spend, a selectable locker front and rear is the ultimate. you'll get far more bang for your buck than any new spring set up or tires.

The advantage is that you are then ready to start lifing and adding bigger tires and you'll have the guts of the job already done to support the new changes.

I wasted a ton of money going through multiple sets of tires and lifts till I got where I finally wanted to be, AND I wasted about 3 or 4 differential services changing gears, then to LSD then to locker's etc.

You re-gear and lock that rig and you'll kick the pants of any of the guys with big tires and lotsa lift running stock gears and open diffs. Now without a lift I would recommend a good set of rock slider to protect you, you'll need them :o)

Sounds like Gibby says only crack the diffs open once and do gears and locker(s) at the same time but keep it on 28" tires. Wheel that and save up or pay back the credit cards till the 28"s are worn out and then get lift and tires at the same time and be done. Am I reading that right upndair?

That's clearly the most economically feasable but you end up with 5.29 gears and 28" tires for three years.

Look for regional forums that are not vehicle specific. You will probably find plenty of slightly used sets of tires in the 31" to 33" range because no one applies Gibby's proposed strategy.

Its up to you. Lockers, 5.29 gears on 28s unlifted or 35s and lift with 4.10 gears and no lockers. The only other solution is to save up $8000 while you drive a pure stocker and pay for it all at once when the time comes.

Throw a crawler transfer case in and you can delay the gears/lockers even farther.

It really boils down to the fact that you have to pay to play.

Neither would be liveable in my opinion. I ran 33s and 4.10s for a couple years, barely doable. 33s and 5.29s is just a little bit low, I'm moving up to 35-36 soon though.

You have a good point about looking for used tires. He can probably fit 31s, perhaps 32's without a lift. You can find lots of these around, even at your local tire store. Tire's under 33" are plenty available. I have 2 sets of 35s hanging around on rims waiting for someone who wants to get into a bigger set of tires for 1/2 price (hint hint anyone).

Running 5.29 gears on 28s would be a little tough for 3 years but I think he could find a set of 31" swampers for about $200 bucks for a set. I got a set of 33x12.50s from Les Schwaab for $200 mounted on rims.

If you choose this route you can run a cheap set of tires while you save up for the lift and massive meats.

I've sat on this pedestal a few times because of the mistakes I've made. I personally threw in the garbage about $7,000 - $8,000 in modifications that I eventually did not use because I upgraded or in labor for things I had done over and over again. In the diffs alone, I spent $1300 in labor to get where I am know with 5.29s with dual ARBs. I also went through 5 master install kits at about $200 each.

The dual lockers and gear setup will run far superior on the trail but a little tough on the highway. Running 35s with a lift and 4.10s will also be very tough on the highway (I'd prefer the former), look very good on the pavement and suck off road. I've done the poser route -I wish I hadn't. In all reality, I wish I'd started with a cheap 85 solid axle pickup or 4Runner and NOT a brand new 194 4Runner. I would strongly suggest that you don't run 35's with 4.10 gears with a 4banger. You'll never get out of 3rd gear!

Good luck on your choices.

I hope the 16 year old is still reading. There is a ton of good qualified oppinions in this thread.

For a 16 year old whos peers don't understand gear ratios and crawler boxes, I have to recomend some tires in the neighborhood of 31 or 32 inches. If he can learn to drive offroad with decent 32s, open diffs and stock gears he will be one heck of a driver in 6 years when he has 37s, two lockers, two transfer cases and an exocage.

Get some slightly used, cheap but good bigger tires and be smart with your money. In the long run you will be a better wheeler for it.

That was probably the best piece of advice yet. Get a set of decent 31" or 32" tires that are used. Then get out and have some fun learning to drive while you save your money up.

In the mean time, there's enough money to be spent on additional trail supplies. i.e. recovery strap, winch accessory kit (I recommend that you have one even if you don't have a winch. Why should the guy who's nice enough to pull you out, have to use his equipment?), tools, trail side emergency supplies and survival equipment and the one thing that we all forgot to mention, a good CB!

Man I wish I had to do this all over again and was in this guy's shoes. I could have built my rig for 1/2 the money, twice as fast if I'd known then, what I know know. And he get's to start with the dream machine of the stock Toyotas!

wow thanks for the replys guys, they've all been really helpful. so heres the deal, right now i've got about $700 to spend on my truck, but i gotta just get some freon and stuff so, say i've got $650, and every month after ill have an additional $400 or so, should i start lifting it now, and then i go to 33's from my 235's heh. any suggestions, what should i do to lift my truck, what locker should i get (im thinking the toyota e-locker if i can find someone in az to help me with the welding (hint hint).. im willing to pay for whatever supplies if you could help me with the install and even some labor costs. whats the best way that i should lift my truck, i hear that the lift kits dont have much flex, so im looking for another way to lift it. thanks for the replys in advance

kelly

p.s. i've been wheeling it in mud, rocks, etc with my 235 so i cant imagine how much fun i can have with 33's

OK. I'll lay out my plan as if I was you. Find a used set of 31 or 32" offroad tires (I don't think 33s will fit yet. The controvery on body lifts is ongoing, but for about $100 or less, you can get a 2" body lift and then you'd fit 33's. Oh yeah and throw away your sway bars. This will leave your gearing a little on the high side, but useable.

Next, I'd install some body armor, including quality sliders and bumpers - you'll need em :o)

Next, I'd save up for the gears and lockers. ARB is my locker of choice but the E-Locker is coming on strong. Have these all professionally installed. Installing lockers and ring and pinion sets is not the place for rookies.

After that I go with the lift and tire up to 35's or bigger.
Lifts actually increase flex, not decrease flex.

Somewhere in hear you need to find a winch as well.

There are those that say that the low gearing of a dual transfer case should come ahead of the lift and tires. I'm 50/50 on that one.

There's my $.02 which sometimes is all it's worth!

ok first off, is anyone here in az selling any good 31 or 32 tires used? and as for the sway bar removal is that going to affect my onroad driving much (liek turning will my truck dip alot). I have armor front and back link to pictures below. i would like to get some rock sliders (any suggestions on what brand to buy?) how much are ARB lockers? are they electric? and what gearing do i need to go to if i plan on 33's or 35's later on (4.88 i think)? i know lifts will increase my flex but i was talking to soemone and he said the lift kits are very stiff and he suggested


X (9:02:49 PM): not an off the shelf lift, but different parts from differnt trucks. 98 chevy 1500 rear springs, jeep wagoneer rancho lift springs up front
X (9:02:57 PM): toyota electric lockers
X (9:03:08 PM): pro comp es9400
X (9:03:10 PM): shocks

well ya. just responding

kelly


side (no top) side w/ top front back