New here, my 1994 Toyota 4Runner SR5 Safari truck

Booosted Supra

Observer
1994 Toyota 4Runner SR5 overland/expedition vehicle

I stumbled across this site randomly. I am a frequent user on Yotatech.com. Just figured I'd share my truck. Its a 1994 Toyota 4Runner, lifted on 37 inch tires with lockers front and rear. My truck has always been geared more towards expedition out doors, camping, geocaching, 4 wheeling etc. Its nice to finally see a forum with other rigs like mine, Safari trucks have always been a favorite of mine hence the direction I took with my truck. It is still IFS and yes it does more than handle the 37 inch tires, I have been in many big debates with it over on Yotatech proving who I can wrong, that there is a such thing as capable IFS. Hopefully you guys like the truck because I have never seen another 4Runner like mine. The truck is 197k and ticking(V6 that I love) and believe it or not daily driven 60 miles a day and to the trails on the weekends. The mods list is very long so if there is any specific questions let me know.

-Dave

5-16-1011.jpg

rc3.jpg

rc1.jpg

rc5.jpg

rc14.jpg

rc19.jpg

rc18.jpg

rc9.jpg
 
Last edited:

Booosted Supra

Observer
Nice truck! I'm suprised I've never seen it on YT before.

I am kind of low key over there, I only have a 3 or 400 post count, its a great site don't get me wrong but the advice given to people is always the same SAS this, 3.4 swap that when you CAN make both capable and reliable, no one wants to hear it over there though so I get kind of disapointed with the advice given because it seems no one thinks outside of the box ya know?
 

GabAlmighty

Observer
Go to wherever you're hosting the pics and you should be able to edit them down in size.

That's a wicked looking truck. Love that you're going against the grain too. Have you upgraded the cv's or anything to handle the 37's?

Do you have a build thread for it somewhere?
 
I got lots and lots of questions but GabAlmighty's questions might answer most of mine :) DO you have a build thread!

Man oh man you give me lots of ideas awesome RIG
 

Booosted Supra

Observer
I unfortunately do not have a build thread anywhere, most people hate my truck haha because its "top heavy" and i guess its not a rock crawler? Most people I know are against mud, hate hate hate hate water, but love rocks and washouts. I built my truck to be good ALL around because my definition vs many around my area is that 4 wheeling should be everything nature throws at you. As far as the CV shafts and the 37's I have broken 1 CV shaft in 6 years and I even put the truck up on 38.5x15x15 boggers to prove a point a year ago. I have talked to a couple of the guys at RCV and I will most likely be going with their shafts for an extra piece of mind whenever they are done product testing. I plan on going down to a 36 or 37 m/t or a/t also.

Honestly I love the truck I have had it and been building it for 6 years and I just incorporate/fabricate idea's I see into the rig itself. The line risers for instance, that truck was taught to me from a local DII driver after I kept breaking windows on tight trails. The shovel and ax mounts on the hood I picked up from a D90? I pretty much look at Safari rigs and just take ideas and make them happen ya know? Anyway glad you guys like the truck, if you got any other questions lmk

The truck is far from done, I still plan on doing something as far as a rear bumper, an exhaust snorkel which I think I'm working on tomorow, 5 speed swap with twin sticks and I am going to ditch the rear goofy factory 4 link set up and put a TG leaf spring conversion on the rear etc

If there is any assistance I can help with Toyota's lmk I am a Toyota(I switched and work for Lexus now same thing) Auto Tech by trade=)
 
Last edited:

4Rescue

Expedition Leader
I know what you mean about YT. Lots of good guys/gals and alot of good tech IF you sift through the garbage eh ;) , the standard answer there IS, SAS then 3.4 or 3rz swap it... Course that's not a bad idea for most Toyotas, it's a pretty solid recipet and when you're all tallied up you'll probaly have less into it then fixing poorer quality mods and paying for gas in a motor that can't haul all that around. I'm already sad I didn't do the 1KZ-T swap in my 4Runner right now.

I don't think you should SAS it, just step down to a lower lift (Is that a bracket lift on it??? If so I'd get rid of it personaly) and maybe some 35's. PLus some skinnier tires too, it'll drive SO much better and won't follow every little grove in the road not to mention you'll get back some pressure on the ground so you don't float all over the place. I would bet if ya lowered it, and put some skinnyier tires on it it'd actually go a hell of alot better nearly everywhere BUT the mud and sand... Plus you'll get back some milage with it not acting like a huge sail with all that gear up there and being aso high up. These trucks already have aerodynamic issues, but put that much lift on them and watch the gas drain out of the tank by the minute.

EDIT: I guess it's NOT really all that tall, it's just the tires that make it look that way. Still I'd get rid of the bracket lift asap beofre something goes BOOM. I realize you're trying to prove what IFS can do and that's fine... but it really is going to die eventualy. Espescialy if you really push it on some hard terrain like that found out west. Like I said, don't sas it, just get rid of those tire's and tone the suspension down and it'll be a better truck for it. I LOVE the bar/tube work and the ladder. THat's just plain sweet. I want a ladder on my truck now...I WANT ONE!!!!

Sure is a cool truck though, I love body work/buld. The rhino-lining on the bottom and the rest of the body looks great IMO. I like the rack and other stuff alot. Just needs some suspension lowering and some better tires IMO. Off-camber has got to be a bit scarry... I think my trucks as tall as any 4wd EVER needs to be with just 2.5" of lift. Plus it flexes REALLY well.

Cheers

Dave
 
Last edited:

Booosted Supra

Observer
Yes the truck does have a bracket lift on it, it has a real old school Superlift full subframe, not the bolt together pieces of junk most newer lifts have, so it is really really beefy and strong, zero complaints with it. I am also running 1.5 BJ spacers with the torsion bars relaxed, I can actually stuff my tires into my fenders and have decent down travel for IFS. I don't really agree with that being an issue, but I do hear where you are coming from. Those pics are from Rausch Creek Offroad park in PA actually. Off camber situations believe it or not are not that sketchy, the feel of the top heaviness is not really bad, I have driven stock Xterra's that feel worse for some reason. I have actually gotten to the truck to the point that my IFS out performs my rear coils and ghetto factory 4 link. As for the boggers I couldn't agree with you more, I think boggers are HIGHLY over rated. They have been on craigslist for some time for trade, I miss my 36's. The drive of the truck on the highway, the truck actually has zero pulls, I drive the truck everyday, no wanders or anything I have it dialed pretty well for my needs, gas mileage I still average 14-16mpg which is still better then a stock ford ranger I seen at the Philly auto show last weekend haha. I am running Yukon Gear 5.71's in the truck, the weakest link of the 4Runner is the automatic trans, the A340H is what makes the truck under powered, I will be swapping in a R150F. My old 3V powered 5 speed truck would do circles around my Runner haha, but when the runner gets up and going it does cruise very well. I Think the 3VZE is a very strong and capable and reliable motor AS LONG as the HG was done properly. I have had zero issues with that, HG recall was done in 97` with 60k on it and I have had the truck since 80k and wheeled it and drove it and now pushing 197k. Motor is stock minus the Doug Thorley headers I put on last weekend. All and all the truck does do and perform very very very well in all the terrains I throw at it, water being my favorite. It will do wash outs, rocks, water, mud, sand zero issues. The roof rack is custom built there is a build thread for that over on YT. As for the ladder? Believe it or not that was a joke from a friend that worked out, that is a trash picked bunk bed ladder that happen to match the body lines haha

-Dave
 

Forum statistics

Threads
189,989
Messages
2,922,911
Members
233,209
Latest member
Goldenbora

Members online

Top