So to start yall off this is my 85 4runner i bought 2 years ago with the help of my parents eventually we did engine maintenance, runs good now, radio and alarm, next will be interior but after interior I want to dig into suspension I am about to be 17 and will be getting a job so I wanna start getting opinions and where I should go with the build because I don’t wanna do tons I wanna stay with toyota axles and I also don’t know what shocks to run etc. So 84-85 guys let me hear your opinions!

 

Hey, welcome aboard!
These trucks were new on the lot when I was 17. They were great then and they still are!
Good luck with it!

 

that truck looks straight and clean, appears to be a real keeper... watch out for leaks in the upper windshield area, it'll run down inside the windshield pillars and rust out from the inside, which is very difficult to repair... truck cover is a good idea, also because the sun will rot out the interior plastics and rubber, much of which is unavailable these days... even simple things, like that rubber seal that goes around the fold-down door in back, has been oos for a long time.

you'll eventually have to do maintenance on the solid front axle, which can be a pain in the neck, but if you are going to go 4-wheeling it's a good time to think about upgrades... locker, chromoly axles, etc... similar for the rear axle, what people do there is first put a v-6 rear end in there, if it doesn't already have that pumpkin in it: https://www.lceperformance.com/category-s/23291.htm

so you'd be upgrading the better rear axle.

hopefully it's the 22re? not carbed? if you looking for parts, pick up a backup 53ex igniter, they have been oos for a while now and if it dies the truck will not run... i carry it with me in the truck, because mine died and left me stranded.

 

Yup and now it’s 39 years old and im 17 so really glad to own it thanks a lot!

 

yeah as most 4runners like mine have plastics like the dash, seatbelt plastics and some of the hardtop covers are cracked or have broken tabs I do look forward to eventually replacing them if I ever find them but as to the point of the igniter mine had a problem with the starter which I’ve replaced and alternator works and has a brand new battery it hasn’t gave me no problems dying yet. As far as leaks nothing has leaked on me yet but I do look forward to replacing the trim on the windshield. But as far as the suspension I took her wheeling and she performed above my expectations so I know I already want to start digging into replacing front axle parts and for rear end I want to go for a comfortable ride but also be able to wheel and have fun what’re your recommendations on shock setup?

 

in some threads here, people have not had good luck re-installing the windshield chrome, which is a bummer because it looks good, especially on darker color trucks, like the blue ones... i think that the procedure is to weld in metal to fix the holes at the top of the windshield frame, then buff everything to clean metal and glue the new windshield in?? there is a big thread on it out here somewhere, i'm really not looking forward to the job, i already have those rust holes.

my truck has body lift and spring lift, with taller shock towers installed, so i'm running bilstein 5150's, i believe it is... not sure what options there are for stock height... the front axle housing on these trucks tend to bend pretty easily, so don't drive it like a trophy truck aka fast thru the whoopty-whoops at glamis, and don't jump it... once the housing is bent it's difficult to remove the axles and in the worst case, can't stab the axle back in... i ended up having to buy the trail gear housing because of that, $$$$... people weld in reinforcement panels on the factory axle housing, but that also bends it.

solid front axle is what you want for rock crawling, and with the underpowered 22re, these trucks aren't going to win any races, but the gearing options for crawling are unlimited... looks like you are in california? lots of offroading places to go, i'm by the beach in san diego county so i have to drive for awhile to get to the good spots.

 

yeah I dont know what to do with axles that’s why I look through forums and people either go with dana 60’s fj80 axles or trailgear toyota axles but it’s hard to tell nowadays because most forums are from over 10 years ago and as for leafs do you know how hard it is to run chevy 63’s because if not I heard pickup leafs are somewhat nicer to throw on the runner. As for shocks I would like bilsteins but it’s always a debate between ome or bilsteins but I have a probably realy noob question but how would king smooth body’s fit? And also yes im from socal california close to a lot of trails.

 

where to start with a stock truck? hard to tell since i got mine already modified, then had to redo a bunch of it... a couple of engines, a transmission, front axle housing, etc.

1) make it reliable
2) evaluate front axle, when was it last rebuilt? does it have a locker?
3) rear axle: is a v6 axle? does it have a locker? get the v6 housing and rotate the axle by relocating the spring perches
4) brakes; if nothing else upgrade as things go out, aka t100 booster, bigger diameter master, etc.
5) if it's stock there are a lot of shock options, but stock bilsteins are expensive, maybe run whatcha got until you put some lift on it
6) look for a straight intake plenum/throttle body assembly from late 22re's, i'm running one it passes california smog

yeah the toyota scene is a whole lot smaller than it used to be, not nearly so many parts, junkyards in particular don't have much from the '80's or even the '90's

i think that you gotta make sure that you are happy with a truck that's built to go slow, which for rock crawling is exactly what's needed, but it's not for everyone

 

and wrt the front axle, yeah, it may not be worth it to do a toyota front these days... if i knew dana axles i'd be evaluating those as an option, but if the axle housing you got now isn't bent, which would be a miracle lol, it might be fine to build it and run it for awhile, especially if you can find some used parts.

the problem with the big axles is that they have huge pumpkins so poor clearance over rocks, and they are really heavy, which is bad news with a weak 22re.

 

Welcome, I am also new here.