4runner vs. pickup
 

i have a 91 toyota regular cab and am thinking about getting a 4runner and i was wondering about the pros and cons of a 85 4runner

The 85 4Runner:
-solid front axles
-22RE motor
-removable top

a con would be the rear end tends to sag a bit more than the pickups cause of that heavy top.

but other than that the runners are amazing! :rockin:

There's already a thread on this in the Offroad Tech forum.

Suffice it to say that everyone with a 'runner wishes they had a truck, and everyone with a truck wishes they had a 'runner.

i have a runner, and want a p'up, just to cut the heeeeeeck.. :nono: out of it!
:banger:

I want to have both also.

1st gen 4runners are "thee" original capable suv... way ahead of themselves for the timeline...i think the perfect expedition would envolve a 85 xcab & 85 4runner packed to the tee with gear...2 people in each rig...4runner would also carry a photographer/translator.

both would have floatable miltary trailers but the heavier one would be given to the xcab because of longer wheelbase.

in short-short...you can do ALOT w/ one and the possibilities of teaming up with similar vehicles is good because they share similar parts like a truck! ;)

Pros:

Solid front axle (nice for wheeling, rivals IFS for strenght in stock form)
Removable top (well, thats just awsume)
Available electronic fuel injection (Yes it was an option)


Cons:

Solid front axle (drives rougher on the road, depends what you want the truck for)
Interior not as nice
the 22re used was only use for 2 years (or so), parts are not as easy to find.

I alway thought it was stronger...?

Anyway I'd love to have an 85 4Runner, but I wouldn't wanna give up my truck for it.

I don't. I wanted a runner and bought one. Can't do anyting with a pickup that i can't with the top off. Yes, I had my son's 4wheeler in the back once and the top was on. Dry cargo area is a major plus to me. So with all due respect, I'm a 1st gen runner fan.

Solid axle is stronger. I think he meant ifs in stock form rivals solid axle in strength; I think.

Stock to stock, solid axle is NO stronger than IFS.

Spend about $1000 upgrading to Longfields and high-steer, and the SFA is WAY stronger than you will ever get IFS.

Thanks TC :good:

My factory removable sunroof is nice :) about 1/10th as good as a removable roof though ;)

just curious why do you say this? i thought the 8'; ring gear and 30 splines would be alot stronger than 7.5' ring gear and 27 spline? also with no ball joints?

i have never had an IFS so i dont have any comparison but have seen stock toyotas in moose buggies with 46 inch ag tires on them with out breaking (a moose buggy is any light truck with giant floatation tires to go through the swamps and permafrost up here to get the moose out. really slow and only mud for those of you that were going to ask)

just curious

The stock birfs are not that strong.... They compair to the IFS cv axles in strenght.

does anyone have actual torque numbers of cv verse birfields? i am curious. i know the angle affects the strength also and the cv has two axies it rotates on where as the brifield only changes angle on one axis. i never thought of them as comparable but i could be wrong....

The two axis vs one axis thing is moot - the joint still has to move in 3D so to speak. Kinda hard to explain in words ... or type while I'm making the hand motions ...

want a runner, own a runner, love my runner!
I've got an '86 and love it. An '85 would be ideal for me because it comes with a solid front axle and I plan on using mine for wheeling, but thats the same whether you are comparing pickup or 4runner.
Other benefits with the 4runner (1st gen) is the extra seating, enclosed cargo space, and overall badassness of cruisin with the top off!! Cons would be that yes, the back end sags because the suspension was designed for the weight of the pickup bed and now there's a fibreglass top also.

Generally I've found that if you want a vehicle to seriously modify and use for hard core off roading then get a pickup. If you want it for lighter duty wheeling and camping and such then a 4runner would probably serve you better.