w/ an SR5 and 15" wheels, it's a good chance that you have 3.90's. you should have at least 4.30's for 265/75-16's.

i would have loved to keep my SC, but in selling it, i was able to completely pay for a regear AND A FRONT LOCKER. i have about the same acceleration w/ the regear as i did on stock 4.10's and the charger.

gearing makes a BIG difference.

 

Just look up the specs for your vehicle on here:
http://www.top4runners.com/ja/runhist3.html

Most likely you have 3.90's where most 16" rimmed 4runners will have 4.10's (lockers have 4.30's)
I agree with Andy, it makes a HUGE difference in available torque.

 

You have to run premium gas, plus fuel mods are essential if you want reliability and a dependable rig. That is more $$$$. Regear is a one time cost.
It is all about economics and YOUR priorities

I think he didn't care about the extra power since the re-gear brought his usable power back after the addition of larger tires.

 

i didn't want a street racer () and i also didn't want the extra power w/ a front locker. i don't care to snap CV's any easier that a stock runner...

for me, a regear was $500 in parts and about $300 in labor. add in the price of the front locker and you know what i paid.

for a SC, you have about $1300-1500 for a used charger, then add another $900 for a 7th injector kit or $1000 for a URD kit. then on top of that, add another $500 for a valve body upgrade for the auto transmission.

for me, the $800 regear, a front locker, a few bucks left over, and running 87 octane VERSUS an eventual $3000 and the REQUIREMENT of 93 octane was easy.

the power is nice, but i personally didn't need it.

 

Yeah, pretty much.

In all honesty, I don't street-race my rig. I like my clutch, so you will hardly ever see me try and launch on someone (not only that but it is just stupid to race around in traffic). I got it because I got sick and tired of not being able to pass without taking my life into my own hands. We also go North into the mountains a lot, and the power increase is unbelievable over stock. You just lower your foot, even in 5th gear, and fly up the hills - even at high elevations fully loaded. It really is amazing once properly tuned (otherwise the ping will drive you nuts and grenade your motor). It is really cool to be able to tune this thing with my laptop. You would not believe how much timing has to be retarded in the 2K - 3K range though.

Re-gearing is huge. I would take care of that first. Don't mask the problem by stuffing more air and fuel into the motor. Besides, a SC'r with a tuning set-up like mine will run you around $2500. Gears are far more affordable.

 

Another difference is my ride came with an e-locker (4.30s) so with the addition of 285s, I didn't really feel a huge loss in power. If I could do it all over, I would not have installed the s/c, regeared to 4.56 and pocketed the difference.
However, once I cough up the $500 for the vb upgrade, I am done with s/c mods. It is fun and with gas prices droppping I can actually drive my truck with less remorse/ guilt.

 

I'de say regearing is the best place to start, then do the supercharger and you won't have any more problems with power.

 

Awesome. Thanks for all the info.

I'm actually happy with the power of the truck most of the time. If regearing will get me this comfort even on slight inclines, it seems like the best way to go. Now off to searching for prices and such.

 

Imagine the guys that drive the 3.0s. Power was my main consideration for staying away from a 2nd gen.

 

sign up at http://www.pirate4x4.com forum and immediately PM username PORC (alex at http://www.performaceoffroad.com) and see what prices he can get you on yukon 4.56's. w/ 4.56's you'll be fine w/ 32's or 33's.

you could also look for some 4.30 diffs and then just swap them w/ yours and then sell yours as cores on ebay.

 

I'd probably go this route if I were doing it.

 

if i were going to stay w/ 32's, then that's exactly what i'd do.

 

Just curious, is there a huge price difference between 4.30 and 4.56? I can't stop with this modding thing and eventually may go to 33's but not in the near future. Would going 4.56 and never going to 33's be an issue?

BTW, you two (bamachem and MTL4unner) rock. Always helping a newb like me...

 

I have actually been thinking about swapping my 4.30s for 4.56. I am not sure what the difference would be like--that is power, shift points, mileage.

I guess I could find all those answers, but when I am actually ready to pull the trigger I will get more in depth.

It would be nice to drive a 4r with 4.56s, but sometimes that is not available and you have to follow the numbers and trust the gearing charts

 

Not all E-locker equipped 4Runners have 4.30 gears.

My '97 SR5 5 speed, came with the optional 16" alloy wheels, 265/70 R 16 tires, 4.10 gears, and E-locker.

 

That would be new because according to the specs sheet for 1997, lockers came with 4.30 gears.

Look up the specs on yours in the link:
http://www.top4runners.com/ja/runhist3.html

It says, "4.300 w/ optional P265/70R 16 tire package and all models with locking rear differential".
Now maybe the info is wrong.....could someone else confirm?

 

Well, according to the Monroney sticker (window sticker) it has the 4.10 gears, with the 265/70R16 tires, alloy wheels, chrome wheel arch molding, and it also has the E-locker.

Maybe the 4.30's were on auto tranny 'Runners.

I do know that 2nd gen 'Runners had lower axle gearing, when equipped with an auto tranny.

 

may be true that 4.30s were only auto, bc a lot of the time 4.30s are associated with limiteds w/ lockers, and weren't all limiteds automatic?

 

Yes, all 3rd gen Limiteds are auto tranny equipped.

I bought an SR5 because it had the manual tranny option.

 

No wonder mine will kick into passing gear at 80 - 85 and pull up a hill! (97 Limited w/e-locker)