Today is the first day I've driven my 4Runner since I bought it and fixed it, but even though I have nothing to base it off of, it just seems really unnaturally slow above ~40. It's got the 3VZE and it has 33s with stock gear ratio which I know is not ideal, but I would think that would only affect starting from a stop. It does just fine in 1st and 2nd gear, a little slow in 3rd, but it gets up the RPMs, but in 4th and 5th, I can't get any kind of acceleration whatsoever. Not even on a flat road. It just stays steady or slows down actually. Is something wrong or am I just used to driving my little Honda?

 

Depends on what gear ratio "stock" is. The later 3vze 4runners with manual transmissions came with 31" tires and 4.56 gears, so going to 33's for me was noticeable, but not too big a deal. If your '88 has 4.10 gears and was factory set up for 29" tires, the 33's are not going to work well without regearing. 4.88 would be ideal.

The non-ideal gearing will be more noticeable in the higher gears. In 1st and 2nd, there's enough excess torque to mask the rear-end gearing problems. In the higher gears, that's not the case.

 

Ohh, okay. That makes sense. So, do you think that's the problem or could it be something else too?

 

Well, that's hard to tell with the info we have. Find out for sure what the axle gearing is first.

The 3vze isn't known for stupendous power and acceleration, but it should accelerate well in 4th and even 5th on level ground.

One other thing, though. The power band for that engine is 3000-4500 rpm. If you're upshifting at 3000 rpm and trying to accelerate at 2000-2500 rpm in the higher gears you're not going to be very impressed. If I'm trying to accelerate briskly, like getting on to a free-way, I don't upshift until the rpms hit 4000. That keeps the engine in that optimum power band while you need it. Time enough to let the rpms drop when you get up to speed.