1996 snow runner

warrpath4x4

warrpath4x4

Adventurer
my 2 year old named the rig, he pointed at it and said "snow" so it became the snow runner.

I have had toyotas off an on and have been looking for a new one for some time, with the family a pickup wouldnt work unless i got a double cab and i dont have that kind of coin, a 4cyl would be hard pressed to tow a trailer like i want, and a 3.0 was a negative. so i found this 96 4runner with 245K on the 3.4L, lift (3 or 4 not really sure), brand new 285/75r16, SR5 loaded with the E-locker in the rear, brand new pearl white paint job, they were asking $4K and i got them down to $3400. drove it back from Orem, UT (outside of Salt Lake) to Rock Springs, WY and got 20MPG.

only pic i have taken of it so far



Sunday and yesterday i was busy ordering parts for it.

Aisin timing belt kit with hydraulic tensioner and water pump (from rock auto for $197 shipped)
the timing belt tensioner tool
four 15W LED 60 degree flood lights
synthetic winch rope for my WARN 8274
hawse fairlead for the synthetic rope
tubing notcher

plans

winch
roof rack
swing out rear bumper
front locker (SAS down the road)
transfercase gear swap (down the road)
cargo area storage
OBA (either compressor or CO2)


so right now im just waiting for parts to come in and i am going to do the 4-hi e-locker mod
 
Martinjmpr

Martinjmpr

Wiffleball Batter
That's about the cleanest 3rd gen I've ever seen! And with 245k on it -wow!

Auto or 5 speed? Looks like a base model (non SR5.) LOVE the black bumpers!

BTW if you're interested in a set of tan Husky floor liners, PM me. I have a set from my '99 that I only used for about 5 months. I now have a 4th gen so the 3rd gen ones need to go. ;)
 
warrpath4x4

warrpath4x4

Adventurer
Martinjmpr said:
That's about the cleanest 3rd gen I've ever seen! And with 245k on it -wow!

Auto or 5 speed? Looks like a base model (non SR5.) LOVE the black bumpers!

BTW if you're interested in a set of tan Husky floor liners, PM me. I have a set from my '99 that I only used for about 5 months. I now have a 4th gen so the 3rd gen ones need to go. ;)
Click to expand...

its an auto

it is a SR5, the bumpers where painted when the body got painted

thanks but it already has new floor liners in it

i ordered up a new power inverter yesterday for the back of it
 
warrpath4x4

warrpath4x4

Adventurer
parts are starting to roll in, tubing notcher showed up today, timing kit is suppose to be here tomorrow, ordered a dimple die to build my winch mount (couldnt afford a whole set right now).
 
one80auto

one80auto

New member
Nice find. I am enjoying a similar base rig. I am anxious to see the 8274 on there and especially anxious to see what you crank out using the tube notcher. I know you said "down the road" for the SAS and transfer case but I'm curious what you might have in mind to accomplish those when the time comes. I am rattling similar ideas around in my head.
 
warrpath4x4

warrpath4x4

Adventurer
one80auto said:
Nice find. I am enjoying a similar base rig. I am anxious to see the 8274 on there and especially anxious to see what you crank out using the tube notcher. I know you said "down the road" for the SAS and transfer case but I'm curious what you might have in mind to accomplish those when the time comes. I am rattling similar ideas around in my head.
Click to expand...

i want to put 4.7 gears in the transfercase, dont plan on running duals just cause its more money and customizing of parts than i want to do.

for the SAS (if im still in the area) a buddy of mine has a 94? toyota pickup as a wheeler that he has done an SAS with toyota axles but plans to go one tons this winter. He has told me he will sell me his axles for cheap (longfields, six shooter knuckles, locker, hydro assist, diff armor, truss), now i know the punkin is on the wrong side, but what im looking at (and need to more research) is either

1) aftermarket housing to match up to the runner and just swap the shafts from side to side and move the 3rd memeber over. OR
2) when i do the 4.7 gears in the transfer case, just get a passenger side drop case and fill it with the gears, then the driveshaft will be on the correct side (need to check for clearence issues first)

But i plan on leaving it about the height it is now, and probably run coils in the front.
 
A

AxleIke

Adventurer
warrpath4x4 said:
i want to put 4.7 gears in the transfercase, dont plan on running duals just cause its more money and customizing of parts than i want to do.

for the SAS (if im still in the area) a buddy of mine has a 94? toyota pickup as a wheeler that he has done an SAS with toyota axles but plans to go one tons this winter. He has told me he will sell me his axles for cheap (longfields, six shooter knuckles, locker, hydro assist, diff armor, truss), now i know the punkin is on the wrong side, but what im looking at (and need to more research) is either

1) aftermarket housing to match up to the runner and just swap the shafts from side to side and move the 3rd memeber over. OR
2) when i do the 4.7 gears in the transfer case, just get a passenger side drop case and fill it with the gears, then the driveshaft will be on the correct side (need to check for clearence issues first)

But i plan on leaving it about the height it is now, and probably run coils in the front.
Click to expand...

Both of those options would work. You will likely have to work around the exhaust a bit, but lots of folks have stuck a passenger drop case in these trucks.

That said, your buddies axle is going to be narrower up front than your rear axle by a good bit. You'll have to run something like 2" or 2 1/4" spacers on each side to make it even out. An aftermarket housing may be the ticket (TG sells "taco width" axles, which come with the inner axles) which would allow you to swap your buddies parts over and keep the driver drop set up, and the correct width.

Keeping it the height you have now will be tricky. You can either run very, very little up travel up front, or cut the frame off and build it up higher, but get more uptravel. LOTS of info on how to keep it low on Pirate. Most of the challenge is getting decent belly clearance and good geometry (if you run coils), so it isn't squirrely on the road, and getting the axle and link brackets to stuff into the engine bay without hitting a ton of stuff.

Another option is to run an 80 series front axle and suspension, which gives you stronger birfields, an easy to attach suspension, and decent geometry. Downside is, while your buddies diff will fit in, nothing else will transfer over. You'd have to buy all new stuff to put in the housing. And, the stock 80 series front suspension doesn't flex the greatest, so you won't get a ramp champ out of it. Also, its passenger drop, but, it is a LOT cheaper to put 4.7's into a gear drive case with a transmission adapter (600 for the gears, 300 for the adapter) than to get a lefty on these trucks (Lefty is around 2grand).
 
warrpath4x4

warrpath4x4

Adventurer
tinkered around with it some today after getting in some overtime at work

washed the road grime and salts off it in the steam bay at work and taped off the rockers to plasti-dip them. i have bedlined rockers before but have never used plasti-dip, so this was an experiment.



i dont think i need explain step by step lol







i mounted this light in the rear hatch opening next to the dome light, i love this little light.



very bright light, and its magnetic, ive never had it fall and it was mounted in my rock crawler cherokee

 
warrpath4x4

warrpath4x4

Adventurer
saturday the runner was all nice and clean, well we couldnt let it stay that way so sunday we went for a drive exploring white mountain. *i only had my cell phone for pics*







not really much of any snow, only seen 2 wild horses out in the distance, but there was some mud

 
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