Towing with 3.4 4runner?
 

My Dad has a 98 4Runner 2wd auto with the 3.4. We use it to tow our pop up camper and as his DD. We are considering a bigger camper that is going to be around 4-6k lbs. What would yall do as far a towing this on long trips with the 4runner. Do any of you tow like this with your 4runner? What upgrades will help tow but not decrease gas milage?

Make sure to get a nice big aftermarket tranny cooler, that tranny will get HOT with that much weight being towed. Also, make sure the trailer has brakes, and you have a brake controller.

Horsepower and Torque wise- intake and exhaust MIGHT get you 10-15hp, but that's peak HP. Not much else you can do but supercharge with URD, but then you need the VB upgrade too. Figure 6 to 7 grand to make it a supercharged beast.

Toyota rates the 3rd gen 4Runners for towing up to 5,000#. I towed a 4,000# trailer extensively with our '98, and that's about as much as I'd care to tow with a 3rd gen 'Runner.

3rd gen brakes are very marginal for towing and I twice totally lost the brakes on our '98 descending long, steep grades using 2nd gear.

It sounds to me like you're contemplating pushing that '98 past its design limits. That's seldom a wise thing to do. I'd look for another truck to do the job you have.

I tow a 3500 lb boat on the weekends with my 4runr and it does well with everything stock, but i added the tranny cooler just to be on the safe side. Also the 4runr brakes are mariginal even with the boat I have. You may want to look at bamachem's tundra brake upgrade, I'm contemplating that mod.

I tow a 3000 lb camper and a 2500 lb boat with my mostly stock 3.4L. I'd be hard pressed to say that I'm comfortably happy towing 3000 lb. plus additional gear. It's not bad flat out but any moderate hills and she'll strain. I also agree with saulgoode's comment about the brakes. I've left racing stripes in my shorts a few times during abrupt/panic stops. That's a lot of weight pushing such a light vehicle (with marginal brakes to begin with).

Either upgrade the 4Runner or get a full sized "something else".

Rick

Hi PB11090....I went through the same question a couple of years ago. Here is the link to the discussion....hope you find it helpful.

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f2/towing-advice-needed-42934/

James