Little Bit of Everything 3rd Gen 4runner - MojaveMadMan Edition

[MojaveMadMan]

How bad are we talking the Mpg's being?

I am intimately familiar with this vehicle.

What are the road manner symptoms you don't like?

It might be time to keep the 4R the way it is and get another civic. I have a 02 4R modded, not as much as some but more than others. As well as a 05 Sequoia....every time I drive the Sequoia I tell my wife "I love driving the Sequoia" it's big, quiet, and powerful. The 2uz swap a few have mentioned is on my radar. I lost 1 mpg going from AT's 295/75/16 to MT's 285/70/17. At 65mph I average 16-17 now and 17-18 before. The city driving kills it as does 72mph +. I have the opposite rear problem sort of. My rear is to soft with **** shocks and Toytec springs.....I think I just need new shocks. The front is tight and while I'm not wining any slalom course challenges I can swerve and not loose control.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

We are talking 9 MPG on the highway... Got 12 around town last week. I actually have a bad transfer case right now, did a bunch of trouble shooting and something inside is messed up and the front drive shaft is spinning. So this is for sure adding to the problem. Swapping the case out then I need to re-evaluate.

Road manors are that it is just very lose in turns. Sways all over the place. Sway bar needs to go back on very badly. Front suspension is tight because it's basically all new. I think between the rear sway bar and big shocks on all corners this thing will be much better.

Funny we have a 4th Gen 4Runner too and I always love driving that thing. I would swap up to one but don't wanna spend the extra money haha.

I'm very interested to hear how you like the Kings, if you go that route.

I do not have the same issues with power/mpg as I have a 5 speed and supercharger, and I see 17 in traffic, 19 on the highway.

However, I have the same complaint about road manners. I dd mine, and I have the bottom end Toytec (bilstein and eibach) front, and landcruiser coils and OME in the rear. With armor, the thing still rides like a covered wagon. I laugh at myself as I actively avoid hitting manhole covers, or even small ruts in the road with my lifted, offroad vehicle, because it jars my kidneys and back so badly. I have no issues hitting those same things in my wifes car

I've heard and read really good things about the Kings. For me its less about the cost, which is high, IF I'm getting quality/what I want. I know they are a good shock, but what would ruin the whole thing for me is shelling out for a high end shock, and then finding that they ride only barely better than my current set up. However, I just talked with a guy in Durango who says he has a GREAT ride with the Kings, so I'm leaning that way.

Anyway, good luck with it. I hope you keep it and go with the Kings, though that is selfishly motivated a bit

Cheers!

Kings will be nice! My friend has a full set on his F150 and I call it the desert Cadilac haha. Rides great on and off road. That is relative to a truck though, any off-road rig will be a little ruff at times. If you want it to be nicer spend the extra on the compression adjust. You can soften it up on the road, then go harder off road.

 

[paddlenbike]

I think many of us struggle with the various compromises that revolve around a truck build. I know I do. For the past 8 years my truck has had a 2.5" lift, 265/75R16 tires, stock bumpers and skid plates and even with the supercharger and URD goodies I was able to get 21 MPG routinely on trips. Our friend's 3.0 V6 2WD Ford Escape with tiny tires couldn't get that. Last year I moved up to 275/70R17 tires on Tundra wheels and dropped the mileage to around 19-19.5. Not bad for where this truck will take me, but I know I'm only a bumper and skid plates away from 17 MPG. My goal is to keep it in a state where it will return decent mileage and enjoyable enough to drive it on 1,000+ mile trips.

Good luck with your decisions, they aren't easy.