Lok47

Well, this is my first post, so I'll introduce myself. I'm Andrew and I'm in AZ. I'm thinking about getting a 2nd gen 4Runner after driving one for the first time this past Sunday.

I've been thinking about getting a truck to tow my bikes (i have a supermotard and a sportbike) to the track. So i've been thinking about getting a japanese pickup when I graduate. But on Sunday, my friend wanted my opinion on a 1993 4Runner he was going to look at. So, i went with him and test drove it. I was pretty impressed by it even though it had 173,000 miles on it (he was asking 4800 for a fairly nice one). It just seemed fun to drive. But, it did make weird clunking noises when pulling u-turns. Is this normal?

I've heard the 3.0 V6 have some headgasket problems and stuff, but are they really that big a problem? I know toyotas are reliable, but from what i've researched on the boards, it seems that they seem to need a bit of care. That seems to be out of the ordinary because all the toyota my family and i have owned seemed to be very maintenance free and extremely reliable. Is it because of the off roading?

I'd like to try my hand at some easy trails and stuff, but it will mainly be a daily driver. Can the 3.0 V6 Runners handle long distance towing? Chances are it'll be towing 2-3 bikes to west coast race tracks. What do you guys think? Any problems with high mileage 4runners? Anything that i should really look for? I want a 4wd, 3.0 with a 5spd for between $4,500-$6,500. Any tips and suggestions would be awesome. I've used the search function pretty extensively the past few days, so i'd like to get your opinions.

Tofer

welcome to the forum... yes the clunk is normal, and can be fixed wiht some grease. its the steering stops making the noise. call the dealership wiht the VIN number and see if it was done. i am not sure if they will still honor the recall or not but its worth looking into. at 173k its just getting broken in. the 3.0 will last forever. regarding towing, how heavy are the bikes with trailer. the towing rating is about 1500lbs if i am not mistaken. 4runners are very capable offroad trucks even bone stock.

Lok47

The bikes would probably weight between 600-800, so it isn't extremely heavy. I think I would leave the truck stock for the most part. But thats what i said about my motorcycles

Tofer

yeah that shouldnt be a problem... yeah said i was going to leave mine "more or less" stock when i bought it too... the bug gets ya and emptys your wallet..

rocket

iTrader: (1)

Bought my 4runner 6 months ago with a 169,000 miles and it now has about 175,000. Paid $2,750 (had all options and everything worked) so i can now say it was good money spent. I did'nt even call a dealership about my headgasket recall untill last week...less than a minute later the guy said, "yep..it was replaced in Nov. 2001". So like ToferUOP said, just call any Toyota dealership with the VIN number...only takes a few seconds.

Yeah the "clunk" sound is normal when making U-turns. Far as towing goes, i think you'll be fine with anything up to 2,000lbs but definitely get the 5spd.

NathanBERG

Hello and welcome!
First off let me say, No it is not normal for the front end to be clunking at all! As far as the head gasket problems, yes the 3.0 has had a recall on the 3.0 head gaskets and should have been replaced already, However you can call your local Toyota dealer and give them the vin number to find out if it has been replaced.
And yes Toyotas are very reliable vehicles. Remember this is yota"tech" So you will find tons of threads containing mechanical problems. It's kinda like sitting in a hospital all day, you would start to think everybody on the earth is sick.

Anyway, as far as pulling the bikes, well you must know the 3.0 would not be my first choice for towing. It is a little weak and you may find the uphills a slow go. TO SAY THE LEAST. however having said that I have never pulled anything with my 3.0 so somebody else can chime in on this.

As far as high miles on a Toyota go's 173,000 is still a young pup! I am at 190700 and still running wonderfully! But it really dose depend on how well it has been taken care of. The first thing I would do before buying would be to run a Carfax on it and take it to a mechanic. In that order.

Well that's my 2 cents

Welcome and keep checking this thread for much better and more well informed info on your questions ~!

rocket

iTrader: (1)

Yes it is.

11. My 2nd gen 4Runner/Truck makes a loud popping/grinding noise when I make a sharp turn. What is this noise?

Don't worry, most of the time this noise is just the steering stops rubbing on each other. Normally there is a plastic cap covering the metal preventing this noise.
However, these quickly wear away and fall off. You can get replacement caps for a couple bucks at the dealer, but most people just grease the metal stops, or live with it.

https://www.yotatech.com/~corey/4runner_faq.htm

Tofer

yeah smear some axle grease on them and your good to go for 6 months.

Lok47

Are there any specific things I should look for when I'm checking out a used 2nd gen?

snap-on

The auto trany would be a big one.

I like mine much more than i thought i would.

Except it gets like 12 mpg. my 5speed truck gets 16.

Randomness

For the steering stops, use Marine Anti-seize. I used that 6 months ago, and even through dirt and Seattle rain, my stops still don't make any noise.

taikowaza

randomness-
can you tell me where and how you applied the marine anti-sieze to prevent the squeaks on the full u-turn in the second gen?
thanks a lot
T

Elton

i had a 2nd gen it was nice see my sig

Rock Slide

iTrader: (1)

I used to own a '95 4R. Loved every minute of it. When I finally sold it, it had just hit 100,000 miles. The truck was in such great shape when I sold it, I got $10,000.00 for it. (They have good resale value.)

The only complaint I had was the 3.0. I'm kind of a lead foot, so that's why I opted for the 3.4L for my next ride. Other than that, I had zero problems with it. I pulled many others out of the woods even w/ it being a stock 4R.

Rick F.

I had a '90 with the 3.0L, manual tranny, and I towed a 2800# pop-up camper (empty) plus a fiberglass bass boat that weighed in at almost 2000# loaded. You did NOT want to be behind me on a hill! But it was reliable and I sold it with 205,000 miles on it. A friend bought it and it now has 275,000 and still going strong, so he says.

I'd ensure the tranny is in good shape and verify the head gasket, but if it hasn't blown after 173,000 miles, it MAY be ok (but I'd still have it done if 'Yota will honor the recall). As long as you're not approaching the max towing limit (I thought it was 3,000 lbs) AND not pulling over a lot of hilly terrain you'll be ok.

I remember how embarassed I was when a rig hauling a lot of steel passed me going up a long hill on our way camping...