Okay so i'm kinda new to the yotatech site, awsome site btw, and have been doing my research on 4runners and dont know which one(s) I should look for. HELP!

First of all i just want one thats the better all round model because it will be my DD. Also i am gonna start getting into the wheeling aspect of it now. As far as i know, living in Prince George BC, the trails out here are all big mud holes and full of clay not many rock trails.

Mods that i will be planing if it helps out will be:
1) 2 inch bl from 4crawler with a new body mount bushings kit.
2) 33x12.5 Mud-Terrain™ T/A® KM tires.
3) full on bush bumpers front and rear and sliders.
4) warn m8000 winch and all recovery gear.
5) all small mods like rear diff breather mod.
6) maybe a 2inch d/t lift.
More mods will come when i reach the limits of my runner ie. lockers, 4inch sl, 35 or 36s cashflow is an issue for these after all above

Thanx for your input and willing to take any advice.

Jordon

 

i personally like the 1st gen.they r cheaper in price and there is more after market.if u go 1rt gen look for an 85 22re.the second gen r more expensive but they r more up to date in comforts.i think if u went 1st gen the price difference u would pay less. would modify u closer to what u mention in mods.

 

2nd gen are more user-friendly but if you plan on wheeling, I've heard owners complain of the top-heavyness and all the glass.

 

This should get you started
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f120...mation-121264/
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f120/toyota-faq-66255/
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f120...er-buy-133055/

 

after all of the nickel and dime problems that didn't affect the cars function but really pissed me off i'll probably avoid 1st generations for the rest of my life. To name a few: the heater control levers (small white fulcrum clip that falls off, then the whole assembly never goes back together right), the rear window (quit working, replacement parts from toyota are around $300(relays & switches), the rear window wiper quit working, the washer fluid pump corrodes and develops a hole that drains all of your washer fluid onto the highway, window regulators ware out etc.

Even with all of that I sold the rig (an '87) a little over a year ago for $2g. Then I bought an 89 pickup (1st year of the new generation) because most of the previously mentioned problems had been engineered out by Toyota.

Good luck

 

2nd Gens are more new age where as the 1st gen is so primative. they both can do the same amount of off roading. the only plus with the first gens is that the 84/85 4Runners have Solid Front Axles. And being an experianced Quesnel/PG trail rider, Solid front axles are a plus. but IFS can do the same but you have more moving parts that can be broken on some of the trails around the Caribou

 

you have more than a few members in bc on here, jay31 is one i can remember off the top of my head. coednaked is another, im old and my memory isnt that good! im sure they can get you sorted out and help with the seat time.

lee

 

i wanna move to canada for the free healthcare and the many yotatechers that live up there

 

i saw a truck from cali this past wednesday, the day of the nasty storm we had in souther ontario. he didnt look too happy! not sure if it was all the snow, the cold, wind or the drivers!

it was one of those caddy p/u's, maybe his '4wd' wasnt working!

lee

 

If its a DD, then 2G is what you want. You'll commute to work and get groceries with it so it'll be on pavement 99% of the time. The 2nd gens are more comfortable and a bit easier to drive, IMO
The main drawbacks, increased weight and IFS,won't be noticed unless you are off road. And they won't stop you from having fun.

 

1st gens are half pickup half suv so its the best of both worlds.. also they have a removable hardtop that cant be beat

 

There are a few things to consider

1) Stock rear leafs (1st gen) versus stock rear coil springs (2nd gen). The Leafs are easier/cheaper to modify and some feel a more "flexy" option - let the debate begin. But there are also some extremely good coil springs out there. The front IFS are virtually identical with a few minor difference in things like the Torsion bar nuts (the 1st gen's have a locking nut, the 2nd gens do not - not really anything worth mentioning).

2) Creature comforts - more on the 2nd gens - the 2nd gen SR5 bucket seats are about as good as it gets in almost any Toyota compact truck or 4runner.

3) Do you like the removeable top?

4) 1st gens are a little more prone to rust than 2nd gens but either wayyou live in PG so you'll have rust issues with either unless you take care of the rig big time.

 

if you need alot of space cause i dont know the soze of your family than go with a 2nd generation 4runner but the 1st generations are in my opinion are the best cause of the removeable top

 

1st gens are cheaper to modify than 2nd gen largly because you can buy off road parts for the pick-up and stick it on the 1st gen 4Runner where as the 2nd gen is so different from the pick-up that you can only share engine parts and 4WD parts. the 1st gen is lighter but has reduced quality because it is so much like a pick-up. the 2nd gen is more powerful stock than the 1st gen.

 

thanx guys im having trouble finding anything older than a 91 that runs and is not in too bad a shape should i hold out for a 84-85 or just find a 2nd gen and go that route?
also has what engine would i want to look for because i have heard that the v6 is hard to do a d/t lift with and you get driveshaft vibrations (not a good thing since it will be my DD)?

also i dont know of anyone in PG using a CB radio when wheeling should i invest in one or not?

 

Can you explain how the 2nd gen is more powerful than the 1st? I'm pretty sure both the 22re and 3vze in both of them were roughly the same (but could be wrong).

 

Same engines, different vehicle weights- 2nd gen being heavier. Feels less powerful.