i have a stock 1990 4runner that my parents gave to me.
i want to be able to off road with it but so many people have different perspectives on what to do first. i thought the lift and tires would be the first thing needed but i realized that i dont know whats the most important thing. just trying to get some information on what is most important and what i should do first. maybe leveling kit then performance?

Kevan

 

a good set of tires. than a lift. thats your opinion to what to do first.

 

There's all kinds of philosophies but here's how I would start:

Get some all-terrain tires, nothing fancy, just a good tire like BFG AT

Go offroad! Have fun, bring another truck for safety, learn what your truck can do!

Get a rear locker like a lockrite or something

Then start compiling armor, bumpers, skidplate, etc.

Worry about big tires and lift LAST. If you can run 31" tires you can go alot of places with lockers. Big tires necessitate different gearing which is expensive, and a lift makes your truck more ungainly offroad.

That's how I would go about it.

 

well it depends on what you want to do...my 96 4runner does great with stock suspension, takes me wherever i need to go on or off road...if this is your DD, i wouldn't recomend a huge lift and huge tires (MPG will suffer), if that doesn't bother you, go nuts!!!
on the other hand, toss in a 3" susp. lift and 2" body lift and some 33s, throw in a locker, and you will have a very capable rig that looks good too

 

beat me to it!!

 

A lot of people will tell you ( and i like the thought process) to wheel it stock.
1. why put a lot of money into something until you have really found out you like it.

Once you have mastered it in stock form you wont have to ask "what now". you will know cause you have learned the limitations of your vehicle and really yourself.

Then apply money accordingly to help further your adventure in the sport.

Like B said a good set of tires. Be mindful you might be changing these up later so buy accordingly. I bought a set of used ones from a buddy who was up sizing.

Lastly read read read. Lots of info here and other sites ( Ultimateyota, TTORA, Pirate ect).
Get involved with a local 4X4 Club should be lots of resources there.

Good Luck.

 

ok so i have gone a couple of times but everytime i go something gets messed up like something always bends or breaks. i ripped a boot this last time going up browns pass (fairplay, CO) and there was one part i just couldn't get up and over. It was about a 1 1/2 foot rock ledge. would the lockers help that?

 

i have 31's already. should i go bigger?

 

Everybody has pretty good advice. My 2 cents would be ARMOR. I would get a set of sliders. That way you dont have to worry about messing up your truck to much. Maybe a front bumper too. Then basically what everyone else is saying. A good set of all terrains and wheel it stock and decide what you need for how you want to wheel it. But I would definately have a set of sliders before you go out.

Also about performance. If its a 3.0 the only performance mod worth doing for a significant difference would be an engine swap. you can improve the exhaust but dont expect anything from it and other odds and end. Agian just my 2 cents

 

ok thanks everyone

 

where is a good place to purchase lockers?

 

What [b]KIND[b/] of tires do you have ??

As already mentioned, ARMOR first and foremost.

Regarding:
That's driver skill, or lack of it.
You need to [b]learn[b/] first, along with armor.

Do you have a manual or auto tranny ?

A locker is one of the very last things that you need to worry about.

Find some others in your area with 4wd vehicles and go out with them and/or join a local 4wd club.
You'll learn a ton by watching others and how they wheel, though you can also pick up some crappy habits that same way




Fred

 

Click Me!!!! Very helpful thread on Newb mods.....

 

well if you dont want to break stuff dont go 4 wheeling. All i can say is use your head, dont show off, do what your comfortable with doing. Just last week we had a tacoma in the shop because some kid took out his brand new tacoma that his parents bought for him and drove it through some water and hydrolocked his motor. Learn your truck first, buy a repair manual too, they come in handy.

 

I can go a lot of places with a mostly stock 1990 runner. I've got 31x10.5 tires with some meat to 'em.. but they're not the best tires in the world. I've got a rear e-locker and that's the only thing I've got other than stock....

I go a LOT of places. I'm not a rock crawler by any stretch, but I am a hunting/camping fiend, so I'm out in the woods in less than perfect conditions a lot. I was wheelin in some snow and the runner did great.

You need to find out what it can do too. Don't expect it to climb rocks or run trails at MOAB, but your Runner will go a LOT of places that other's wouldn't go.