New to me: 87' 4Runner 4x4 SR5 22RE-5spd

[defrag4]

New to me: 87' 4Runner 4x4 SR5 22RE-5spd

Hey fellas,

I finally made a decesion on my expedition vehicle that will be taking me from the top of Alaska all the way to the southern tip of Argentina.

Found this one on craigslist listed for $3500 with a freshly rebuilt 22RE, new transmission, and new clutch. The guy who sold it to me was very honest and clear what had and had not been done and the current issues. I offered $2800, he countered at $3K and we had ourselves a deal.

I drove it home from Sacremento about 2.5 hours and it ran great, no overheating no problems whatsover.

It currently has a 3inch BL on it and an add-a-leaf and 33inch BFG Mudd Terrains.

Anyway, Ill post more later lets get on to the pics!

First thing I would like to tackle is the suspension, I want to make sure it will be relialbe. I have heard alot about the OME as being the best of the best but it is fairly expensive for my budget.

What would you guys suggest? I have some pictures of the leaf springs if you would like to see their current condition. The shocks seem fairly stock, Toyo somethings

 

[zidaro]

Nice, 3K is a good price and the 1st gen. 4runner will take you where you want to go.

Before getting too much advice on suspension, you may want to describe the places you would like to see your rig tackle and the type of driving you will do, as well as are you planning on keeping the IFS or SAS like so many do with the 80's toys? are you heavy on the pedal and a fast driver, or do you like to stroll along down a trail?
what is your budget? Full kit or want something more customized for you (pieced together from multiple companies)?

The more you can describe your situation, the less of a general blanket answer you will get. My favorite questions are the ones asking "what is the best expedition ...." with no clue as to what it may be used for. There is no right answer.

enjoy the rig, sounds like you have some great journeys planned already. Build a Toyota strong and it will take you anywhere and back.

aaron

 

[CA-RJ]

I'd say leave it as stock as possible. That way if you have an issue, you can get parts for it at any shop. There's nothing you'd need a lift for anyway. Anything bigger than a 31" tire will also zap any power you thought you had to begin with unless you plan to regear.

 

[defrag4]

Yep, from my research on Expo I am going to stick as close to stock as possible. I am planning on selling these tires to downsize to something in a 31'

I am not planning to anything crazy, mild offroading, forwarding a few small rivers, going down rutted and steep and muddy roads, typical south america stuff. Definitely sticking with IFS, in reality I just want to know which parts to check on the stock suspension to ensure they are sound and will hopefully not fail on me in the field. I am budgeting around $500-$750 to get the suspension in shape

I am considering getting a front bumper w/ winch just in case, I would like to be able to unstick myself if jammed up in the mud.

I am going to build a sleeping platform in the back for me and my gf with storage underneath, I will probably end up removing the roll-bar for extra room as well.

 

[Ruined Adventures]

You're crazy if you want to take an old 4runner to South America...

Just kidding. My GF and I are preparing for a very similar trip in a very similar rig. When do you plan on starting your journey? The earliest we're leaving is January 2012. Maybe instead of investing in a heavy bumper/winch you should just have another 4runner follow you with some tow straps :sombrero:

I recommend going on a few mini-adventures in your rig to see how it drives when fully loaded with your gear. Slow & steady is definitely the theme for these trucks.

 

[BLKNBLU]

Yep. Stock as possible for a trip like that. I would suggest checking your tie rod ends, ball joints, idler arm, and control arm bushings. If you end up replacing any of that stuff except the idler arm I would get it aligned after the work.

I am happy with my Marlin front bumper and Smittybuilt 8K winch combo. Some will poo poo the SB winch, but for the price I am very satisfied. I'd really consider a locker if it is all possible in your budget.

The idler arm is really easy to rebuild if it needs attention at all and will save you some cash. If a bunch of stuff needs replaced there is a really good package on e bay that has gotten good reviews on Yotatech and it includes an idler arm. I'll go look for links to all that stuff now. Good luck and have fun!

 

[jh504]

Yep. Stock as possible for a trip like that. I would suggest checking your tie rod ends, ball joints, idler arm, and control arm bushings. If you end up replacing any of that stuff except the idler arm I would get it aligned after the work.


The idler arm is really easy to rebuild if it needs attention at all and will save you some cash. If a bunch of stuff needs replaced there is a really good package on e bay that has gotten good reviews on Yotatech and it includes an idler arm. I'll go look for links to all that stuff now. Good luck and have fun!

What he said^

I am going through my truck right now and will be rebuilding my idler arm as well replacing control arm bushings. The idler arm can be rebuilt for less than $10.
Also check out your locking hubs. They may need a rebuild as well, mine sure did.

 

[LaOutbackTrail]

Nice! Your new truck is the monochromatic-opposite twin of mine!

If I were to do the trip you are doing, I would:

Tires-
A: Leave my 265/75-16 tires and regear to 4.56 or 4.88
B: Swap to 31x10.50 15 or 235/85-16
All are very common tire sizes everywhere. I'd buy a new mud terrain.

For suspension-
A: leave it how it is now (2" blocks and long AAL)- I have about 3-4" this way.
B: get an OME heavy spring pack and lift shackles

Motor and undercarriage:
New motor. No questions asked. My truck has ALMOST 300K. I've been replacing steering components as I go. Only bad parts have been the steering gear box which I upgraded with one from a 94 4runner, a tire rod, and one bad ball joint. You also need to address the transmission crossmember bracket. I still need to replace mine (AGAIN). The 22RE is a great motor. In stock form I was getting 24hwy and 17city with the 265s, lift, etc. About 21 loaded down though. I "upgraded" my intake manifold, but dropped down to 14city and 21hwy all the time, with no noticeable increase in power... Suckage. Swapping it all back tomorrow most likely.

Upgrade alternator. Run extra lights if you drive at night- VERY important you have no idea!!!

Sleeping in the truck is a good idea, but I couldnt do it. It will be HOT for the majority of Mexico and Central America. Make some mosquito socks for the windows. Have a couple truckers fans blowing on you.

Also, avoid putting anything on the roof. I get much worse gas mileage, especially in a head wind when I have gear on the roof.

Maybe upgrade the seats. My back starts killing me after a couple hours... especially on rough roads.

I would also look into bumper and winch- rock crawler style bumper is good and much lighter than ARB style. Less protection though. Lots of feral animals in Latin America so, the extra protection may go a long way that one time.

Enjoy it. I hate to volunteer other folks, but BlknBlu and Corax are our friendly neighborhood gurus for these trucks.

 

[BLKNBLU]

Idler arm rebuild - really easy to do.
http://www.4x4wire.com/toyota/maintenance/idler/

Front end kit - if you need more than one or two parts this will probably be worth getting. There are cheaper packages out there but this one got good reviews from other Toyota owners. I don't have any personal experience with it though.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ball...ptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories


Pic of the bumper - so you can see what the Marlin looks like. Plus I like to whore out pics of my rig.

My build thread - most of it is not relevant to you but it has lots of pics of my truck with the bumper and also on 31's
http://www.yotatech.com/f66/blknblus-sac-155872/index3.html

I have one other idea, but I need to get pics. It's also a budget buster and probably not necessary.

 

[RU55ELL]

BLKNBLU, your truck always makes me wish I never sold mine.

 

[defrag4]

You're crazy if you want to take an old 4runner to South America...

Just kidding. My GF and I are preparing for a very similar trip in a very similar rig. When do you plan on starting your journey? The earliest we're leaving is January 2012. Maybe instead of investing in a heavy bumper/winch you should just have another 4runner follow you with some tow straps :sombrero:

I recommend going on a few mini-adventures in your rig to see how it drives when fully loaded with your gear. Slow & steady is definitely the theme for these trucks.

we are planning about 6-9 months from now, so right around the beginning of summer 2012, are you planning to head up to the top of Alaska first to run the entire PanAm length? Im sure we could meet up along the way :costumed-smiley-007

 

[defrag4]

Nice! Your new truck is the monochromatic-opposite twin of mine!
.

some great tips! I see your wheels are the stockers off a 99 4runner, any problems with those? seems like they would be easy to come by in case i bent one up down south, I may keep an eye out in the classified for some coming up

Ya i hear you on the seats, my interior is pretty much shot and the seats are torn to crap, i think a 500lb dude owned this truck as the cushsions are compressed to nothing.

what seats are the easiest swap in this truck? i hear scion seats fit without to much trouble

 

[LaOutbackTrail]

some great tips! I see your wheels are the stockers off a 99 4runner, any problems with those? seems like they would be easy to come by in case i bent one up down south, I may keep an eye out in the classified for some coming up

Ya i hear you on the seats, my interior is pretty much shot and the seats are torn to crap, i think a 500lb dude owned this truck as the cushsions are compressed to nothing.

what seats are the easiest swap in this truck? i hear scion seats fit without to much trouble

Wheels are great. I got them from Mr. Leary when he upgraded his. Plenty around, stateside, not sure about down south. You might also look into a steel wheel. There are TONS of potholes south of about the 30th parallel... and north of the 48th.
My point is that steel wheels can be beat back into shape where some cast alloy wheels will just break.


Not sure on which seats. I have been searching, but not finding the ones I like. It'll have to be from a 2 door coupe so that the seat slides forward also. Didnt think about the scion.

 

[defrag4]

Found a toyota scrap yard nearby and am going to check it out after work today, i hear that the 2nd gen 4runner seats fit as well with just a single bolt neeeding modification. I am going to see if I can track one of those down.

The wheels I have on there are steel 15" rock crawlers http://www.4wheelparts.com/Pro-Comp-Rock-Crawler-Steel-Wheels.aspx?t_pt=100021, i think they are pretty cheap $50-$100 a wheel so I may just buy a spare of that and mount a new tire.

Any big advantage to upgrading to a 16" over a 15" rim?

 

[LaOutbackTrail]

Found a toyota scrap yard nearby and am going to check it out after work today, i hear that the 2nd gen 4runner seats fit as well with just a single bolt neeeding modification. I am going to see if I can track one of those down.

The wheels I have on there are steel 15" rock crawlers http://www.4wheelparts.com/Pro-Comp-Rock-Crawler-Steel-Wheels.aspx?t_pt=100021, i think they are pretty cheap $50-$100 a wheel so I may just buy a spare of that and mount a new tire.

Any big advantage to upgrading to a 16" over a 15" rim?

Only advantage is if you have larger rotors... which i dont yet....

I'd go ahead and set the truck up how you need to. get 31x10.50 or no larger than 32x11.50.