These questions may seem rather basic, but I am not a mechanic. I don't even know what I'd be searching for on here to find the information.

I have a 1989 4x4 extended cab pick-up deluxe with the 5-speed manual behind a 22RE.

I got plenty of help here sorting out the basic performance issue (back when 45 was its top speed).

Now that it's running pretty well, and I'm using it as my everyday drive, I want to improve its performance. For me, this currently means: I want to be able to handle 65mph without down-shifting if I hit a little hill. It's all factory with the larger tire option 31 inch tires.

What would be a good way to improve the hill climbing at speed?

It has to be inexpensive and easy (I can't have the truck apart more than the weekend while being distracted by the kids).

 

About the cheapest bang for the $$$$ Is to change gears.

You can spend big $$$doing head work and exhaust

Keep the weight as lite as possible

Be happy with what you have except and live with what you have

A little over a 100 Horse power in it`s peak in a 4x4 Truck.

Interesting how this same engine in a Celica is a fun car to drive.

 

'Changing gears', I assume to mean changing the differential gears. If I did that. which way would I go (higher ratio [bigger number] or lower)?

From http://www.off-road.com/trucks-4x4/t...ion-18588.html, I get that I could have:

• 4.100 - 'Very common'
• 4.556 - '31" tire option'
• 4.875 - '31", AT 22RE'

I might get a chance around lunchtime to check the codes (if they're still intact on the firewall).

Obviously, on the highway (running in 2H), this part won't matter, but would I need to do anything to the front end for 4WD to work properly? If I change the rear diff gears, would I need to change gear somewhere up front?

Would anything happen to the speedo reading, or does it read from a wheel?

Looking online, it sounds like the work on the diff would cost $1000+ (I wouldn't be able to do the work, so I'd be paying for it). So, it looks like I'll be down-shifting on hills for a while.

 

What's your timing set to? You could advance it a bit.

Smaller tires will help too. Trade your 31s for 235/75-15s.

Or, swap in the factory 4.88 third members from a salvage truck with the appropriate axle code. And YES, gears must have same ratio front and back, otherwise crunchy bad noises occur. If you have 31s, you may already be under geared and your speedo is already off. There's calculators online if you'd like to figure out by how much.

There's a method to identifying your ratios, by jacking up the truck, turning the wheel and counting the revolutions of the driveshaft. For 31s and 33s we usually recommend 4.88. For 35s we recommend 5.29. For stock 235s, it's 4.10, which you probably have now.

Cold air intake kit might help a tiny bit. (But not really without bigger throttle body and exhaust diameters.)

That's all i can think of for cheap improvements. But even when you go to expensive ideas, improvement is still minimal. It's a slow truck.

 

Timing is, in theory, TDC. I got it pretty close to right and then took it to a mechanic (I didn't have the time to fiddle with it); see https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...-45mph-271627/.

I would expect the gearing to be appropriate and speedo to be accurate since the wheels and tires are factory sizes (doesn't mean it necessarily came off the line that way, but I think it did - there's no real evidence of anyone doing any mods, but changing wheels and tires wouldn't necessarily show).

Definitely looks like I'm still down-shifting on hills. I'm not up for altering the timing (too easy for me to botch it - see the previously mentioned thread, I managed to make it so I couldn't go up even a short hill at one point - and I need it available for everyday driving), and if I had the money to spend on the gears, I would have to spend it on a new everyday drive car that fits the kids' car seats better.

Thanks for the advice folks.

 

Short of changing gears you spending $$$ for little results. Most trucks came with 235's and 4:10 gears. Many who only want 31's to feel stock, go with 4:56's with the 5 speed and 4:88's with the auto. If you plan on having a lot of weight in it while driving maybe 4:88's is more the right ratio for you.

These truck were designed to take you anywhere. Just not fast.