Alright well ill start off by telling you that im 17 and just got a 1999 runner with 120,000 miles....as for now i need some ideas on lift kits....i know that runners are known for the sagging rears and i want to stop that...also i am looking to get enough clearance for 33in tires. In addition to this im looking for some suggestions on body armor and a locking diff as well as 4.88 gears. Hopefully you guys can help me out....

 

the search button will help you out the most.

www.sonoransteel.com

 

First off, I'd like to welcome you to Yotatech. Many of the questions you address are found by simply searching. Also since many of the modifications you ask very in cost, I highly recommend you address all of us your needs in what you plan to do with your 4runner. Lifts can range in price from real cheap to OMG it's expensive. Also there are many different technologies found in the various lifts available.

This is also the same for armor so more details will be needed to better assist you.

In the meantime, check out the search feature and plug in some simple key words and go from there. I'm sure over the course of searching, you will find a lot of information that will overwhelm you.

Good luck and welcome aboard. I hope you sincerely have deep pockets because it's been known to drain many of us.

 

For the most part just trail riding...i live in new england...there alot of snow and ice...and alot of mud with some rocks along the way...i have a $3000 budget at the max...hopefully you guys can give me some help from there.

 

Try doing a search for:

Tundra lift
OME lift
Sliders
tires are whatever your friends use (since terrain makes a big difference).

Good luck

 

Any chance i would be able to get 4.5-6in of lift? and would it be good to invest in 4.88 gears with a locking rear dif?

 

the lift kits provided by sonoran steel in addition to a 1" body lift from www.4crawler.com will fit up to 35s if you feel the need to go that big.

 

That's a lot of lift... You can go w/ a combo lift (suspension and body). That's what most here go with to fit bigger tires.

As others have suggested, search for the Tundra lift and 4crawler body lift.

As far as regearing and adding a locker, there's also pretty recent threads on this and related prices. Plan to spend quite a bit on the suspension and regear. You'll probably use your whole budget.

 

well that sounds good....does anyone know of any site with good wheel and tire packages?

 

where in new england are you located?

 

Connecticut...ive only recently gotten really into this offroading stuff...im addicted...

 

I really dont think 6" of lift would be a good idea on a 4Runner, I would think the center of gravity would just be too high and would want to flop. Like its been said, with about 4" or less of lift, you can fit 35"s.

 

monty,

check out the community section for 3rd gen 4runners. there are tons of pics and specs written by each owner. PM them directly for more info. you will probably realize very quickly that no one wants a lift as high as you want and for good reason!

bob

 

IMHO there might not be much left of your $3000 budget before getting to 33x12.50 or larger tires on a 3rd gen unless you have a high level of mechanical ability and access to a wide variety of tools. These trucks are incredibly capable in stock form, and the envelope is exapnded considerably with a few critical mods - which IMHO are NOT lift and bigger tires.

What kind of condition are the tires currently in - will they need replacement soon?

Here's what I would recommend and why:

Armor - skids, bumpers, sliders. No matter how much lift, there are bigger rocks! Consider also that this money will potentially save much more if you were to take a rock through a transfer case or oil pan! This can easily be $2000.

Lockers - no other mod will increase your off road capability as much. If you know for a fact you will end up with bigger tires, you may want to regear at this time. I just did ARB's and gears in my 2nd gen for about $2000 - but it could be done cheaper with lunchbox lockers. (see where I'm going here?)

Gas - wheel the crap out of it and find out exactly what you NEED for the kind of wheeling you enjoy and is prevalent in your area.

Wheels/tires/lift - if you determine a SAS is what you need, you haven't spent much money yet on stuff that won't work with the new front setup

I would look around on here, get some ideas, and then post up an overall plan and people will let you know how it will work.

 

Monty, good to hear that you're enthusiastic about offroading (I can smell the hole burning in his pocket ) Also when you're looking at suspension stuff, your 4Runner is pretty much the same as a 01-04 Tacoma (remember that your rear suspension uses coils NOT leaf packs like the tacomas).

 

In addtion to all the advice already given, a #1 rule to live by when modding your truck is:
"Lift as much as needed, but as little as possible".

(In other words, you don't want 6" of lift)

 

Does anyone have suggestions for skid plates and other protection?

 

monty,

search "skid plate" and "skid plates". as far as armor goes, search "stubbs", "demello" and in more generic terms, "sliders"

bob

 

www.budbuilt.com for skidplates

 

im in CT too we should get together to hit some trails