1st or 2nd Gen 4Runner

[Storz]

Hey all, new to the site. I am planning on picking up a 4Runner later this fall and I'm torn between the 1st and 2nd gen trucks. I've done quite a bit of research and people seem to really like both. I plan to find a 22re powered, manual truck in either generation. Is the running gear pretty similar between the two? Did the newer trucks get stronger differentials etc?

I really like the 2 door body style of the 1st gen, and since I live near the coast being able to pop the top off and cruise on the beach really appeals to me.

However the slightly more refined 2nd gen also appeals as this will be a daily driver for me, and if I can find a 2 door 2nd gen I would be equally happy with that.

Just wondering if I could get your opinions, thoughts and advice. Thanks and happy trails!

 

[Grim Reaper]

22re 86-95 are nearly identical mechanically. The 90-95 get coil rear suspension and will ride better on the road but all other parts including axle guts are 100% interchangeable. The only motor gain is a little more freed up intake on the 88 up. its good for a couple HP.

I have a 86. I thought the top would be off all summer long. Owned it 3 years now and the top has never been off and the PO even supplied a soft top.

I have kids and if I had to do it all over again I would go with a 4 door and I may well pick up a 4 door and swap my fresh rebuilt drive train over to it if I can find one cheap.

I would upgrade the brakes on any 4cyl you get to the V6 master, calliper and rotors. MUCH better brakes then in particular the 86-89 4cyl.

I'm sort of in the hunt for another for my wife. Her 454 Suburban has to go. I would like a FJ80 to pull our Airstream camper but we may sell that as well and if so a 96 up 3.4 would be what I would want.

 

[Cackalak Han]

22RE's are great engines, but just doesn't have the power for me. And 1st Gen 4Runners are hard to find without major rust or abused (at least in my area).

I'd go for 3rd Gen. They come with a rear locker and the 3.4L. Gas mileage has been about 21MPG for me on the highway. I'm actually in the hunt for another 3rd Gen (99, 5-sp, Desert Dune, rear locker). I've had two so far and they've both been great.

 

[18seeds]

my new daily driver

now has the stock wheels on hit. It's a fun car

 

[DaveInDenver]

22RE's are great engines, but just doesn't have the power for me.

This is a subjective thing, no doubt. I like my 22R-E and don't miss the power. But that's probably my recent (as in the last 12 years) string of cars has been a '83 Civic w/ 1.5L engine, '78 FJ40 w/ 2F, '91 pickup w/ 22R-E, '96 Civic with a 1.6L, etc. I built my current engine with a Engnbldr head and some mild hop-up parts and so it's been a kick in the pants to drive. But it's still only 130HP, so power is relative. :-/

If it was up to me, I would get a '90-'92 2 door 4Runner with a 22R-E. But I'm biased towards this generation of truck. I think Toyota nailed it balancing a decent ride daily, capability, relative simplicity and most importantly they figured out how to keep them from rusting as badly. But the development history is obvious with a '90-'95 4Runner when you look at the early trucks and Cruisers, it's Toyota underneath, just with comfortable seats and you can hear your passengers. A second gen 4Runner with a mild suspension (~2", using Cruiser coils, OME shocks and SDORI ball joint spacers, you're looking at $500 for a fantastic suspension), sliders and a rear locker would be a great car.

If you are set on a 2 door, it would be easier to find a nice first gen 4Runner than a 2 door second gen.

There are improvements in the '89 and newer 22R-E, the main one Grim mentioned is the intake is a major improvement.

Coil springs are an improvement over leafs for ride, that alone might sway me.

The transmissions on all EFI trucks is the W56, although it did change a little over time. Mostly that's just where the shifter came out, the internals AFAIK are all the same. Some trucks have a forward shift position that share a mount with the transfer case shifter. The RF1A transfer case is the same in all 22R trucks (again, just shifter location changes). The axles are all identical with the only difference being width. The IFS axle is 3" wider to match the front suspension track width increase, this is true of leaf sprung and coil spring 4Runners. So the housings and axle shafts are different, but the third members are all interchangeable.

You really can't go wrong with a 22R-E 4Runner of any vintage. Main thing is to determine if a top that comes off is important or not. Beyond that, find one that is in good shape. Look for rust and do a compression check, pay the man and drive home with a big smile.

 

[Storz]

If it was up to me, I would get a '90-'92 2 door 4Runner with a 22R-E.

Thanks for all the great information, what you mentioned above is what I think I am going to go with in either 2 or 4. A 2 door will certainly be cool if I can find one in decent shape but I am not set on it. I'll definitly post up whatever I end up getting :smiley_drive:

 

[DaveInDenver]

Thanks for all the great information, what you mentioned above is what I think I am going to go with in either 2 or 4. A 2 door will certainly be cool if I can find one in decent shape but I am not set on it. I'll definitly post up whatever I end up getting :smiley_drive:

Something to keep in mind, a 2-door 2nd gen 4Runner is very much like a '89-'95 regular cab truck in size and shape. The difference is that there is a back seat, but otherwise a topper and a nice carpet kit in the back of a pickup can be a pretty close outfit in terms of storage space and what not. Finding a 2-door '90-'92 is tough and finding a nicer one only makes it harder. But they do exist. But it is easy to find very nice third gen pickups with low miles for not a lot of money.

 

[Storz]

^^ excellent points, and one thing I've learned is that sometimes its better to go with the less rare model since its easier to find body parts etc for it. If I dent up a quarter panel, fender etc on a 2-door its going to be tough to find a junkyard replacement, probably not as much with a 4 door.

How do the 2nd gens do in the sand? We can drive on the beaches here in NC and I plan to head out there quite a bit, I see they dont have a locker in the back from the factory...

 

[kcowyo]

Speaking from experience owning a 2 door 1st gen with kids, if kids are a part of your life or future, I would go with 4 door.

I think any gen 4Runner, comparibly equipped, would be equally capable in the sand, dirt or mud. I think.....

 

[4Rescue]

I prefer the 1st gen, that's why I got one. At times I wish I had four doors, but eh, when the top comes off it's all worth it. Plus For overland travel and gear hauling, I definately prefer leaf springs. Add to that she simplicity of lifting them (leafs vs coils w/ radius arms) and the general robustness of a leaf spring and it's the winning combo in my book. they're both about the same size inside, and with the 1st gen you get a roll bar to start with. then it comes down to looks which are comletely subjective, and of a personal opinion nature, but I like the Gen1 Runner/Gen2 PU body style, I think it looks more good ugly/utilitarian IMO. Either way Getting the 22RE/5spd will make you happy, Like I've said many times over on this board, EVERY time I get in my truck I smile and have a great time driving it. I truly LOVE my 1st gen.

Cons:

-The lack of metal gutters and the Fiberglass top make mounting a basket rack more difficult/troublesome because you end up drilling into the top. I'm in the process of getting an extention of my Load Warrior and hard mounting it to my top farther back, and I'm a little scared to have aleaky top come Fall...

-The top itself is quite heavy, and compared to a PU of the same year you'll notice a performance difference.

-2Doors can make access a pain in the *** at times and depending on the conditions. Like KC said, if you've got or are going to have kids, I'd strongly suggest the 4dr 2nd Gen. There are times when I wish that i had a lift gate in the rear instead of the tail gate just to have an imediate bit of shelter over the back. That said, I find my 2dr perfect for a 2 person crew, me and the GF can sleep in teh back comfortably, and when I deck the back and make my drawer system it'll be perfect.

-Alot of these old trucks depending on where you are on the continent can be in REALLY bad shape. Add to that the dwindiling number of them and the likelyhood of finding a true cherry get's lower and lower.

-the rear window on both gen's can sometimes be a real issue. Mine still has a bunch of gremlins and when it's near freezing, it just plain won't work. Again, even though it's a pain in the butt sometimes, I love being able to lower the wondow and get the air moving through the truck. that's the same in both Gen1 and 2's

-Depending on your feelings, alot of people seem to prefer the 2nd GenRunner/3rd Gen PU interior's to the earlier dash/interior. I like the interior of my gen1, but I really want to build a nice custom center console because the stock one leaves alot to be desired. I don't hav ethe SR5 deluxe model eother so I literaly have NO arm rest... Lame

Cheers

Dave

 

[Cackalak Han]

This is a subjective thing, no doubt. I like my 22R-E and don't miss the power. But that's probably my recent (as in the last 12 years) string of cars has been a '83 Civic w/ 1.5L engine, '78 FJ40 w/ 2F, '91 pickup w/ 22R-E, '96 Civic with a 1.6L, etc. I built my current engine with a Engnbldr head and some mild hop-up parts and so it's been a kick in the pants to drive. But it's still only 130HP, so power is relative. :-/

No argument here. I generally go up the canyon a lot and sometimes tow my fishing boat, which I tried to do in a 96 Tacoma 4-cyl 5-sp and it was a struggle. Had to go with a 3.4L V6. Probably because my past string of cars were Integra Type R, Honda S2000, and a few sport bikes (plus a few Honda cars thrown in there in between).

My friend does have a 88 4Runner w/ 22RE 5-sp and I love that thing. I think he picked it up in AZ or CA, so it is rust free......which is nearly impossible to find around here.

 

[Storz]

my new daily driver

now has the stock wheels on hit. It's a fun car

Very nice!!

I think its going to come down to individual cars, since I honestly can't decided on a 1st or 2nd gen, I am just going to find the nicest one that fits into my budget.

 

[dlbrunner]

Not all EFI trucks have the w56.

22re has the w56 plus gear driven t-case.

3vze has the r151F with chain driven t-case

Turbo has the holy grail. R150 + gear driven t-case.


FYI

 

[DaveInDenver]

Not all EFI trucks have the w56.

22re has the w56 plus gear driven t-case.

3vze has the r151F with chain driven t-case

Turbo has the holy grail. R150 + gear driven t-case.


FYI

Sorry, when I said EFI I meant 22R-E, since that is what the original poster was talking about. The 3VZ did come with the R151F and the 22R-TE had a R151F. Also 22R trucks came with the G52 or G54 and the 20R had the L43 or L52 behind them. But all manual hub truck with the 22R-E engines had one of the 4 versions of the W56. The '89-'95 trucks with 22R-E and ADD would have had the G58, but that's a pretty uncommon combination. Most ADD trucks have a 3VZ and would have R150F. So you are right, it's not a blanket statement, but Storz is looking at 22R-E with manual hubs, then it will have a W56A/B/C/D and RF1A gear driven transfer. It might be top shift or forward shift depending on the year, but the basic drivetrain did not change from the introduction of the 22R-E in 1985 until 1995.

 

[Dave Bennett]

I had a 1st Gen and loved that thing. But, the rarest of the rare (except for Trekkers) is the uber scarce 1990 4Runner 2 door.

http://oklahomacity.craigslist.org/car/767573927.html