Bang Buck Truck - Alpine Hoo Ha's 2nd Gen 4Runner

[Alpine Hoo Ha]

Here is the beginning of a thread featuring my 95 4Runner being built and evaluated for its viability in the Overland and exploration travel application.

A major element of this thread and discusison will be to feature the low cost of buying and building a truck that can hopefully be a serious threat to most any challenging overland travel ambition or expedition mission.

More to come soon! :elkgrin:

 

[Cackalak Han]

I like both your 4Runner and the KM.

 

[CYi5]

Sweet rig, i'm jealous of your rear cargo space. Let's see some more pics!

 

[Martinjmpr]

Very nice. You don't see too many 2nd gen 4runner builds.

Yet - the prices on 2nd gen 4runners are very low. You can get into a 2nd gen runner for a lot less than either a 3rd gen or even a well maintained (i.e. not chopped up) 1st gen. Getting in at a low cost leaves more money for mods.

I'm interested in seeing how this turns out.

 

[4Rescue]

Great truck mate. Bang for the buck it's hard to beat the 2nd Gen 4 Runner. They may not be fast, but they're burly where it counts (the frame is, to me asomething to marvel at under a truck of it's size) and they go REAL well off-road. Plus you get the 4dr access I dream of in my own 4Runner. You'tr truck looks awesoem as it sits in that pic. HWat are you running for a lift? Bj SPacers and OME or Cruiser Coils??? I'll be watching this thread for sure. THere's a pretty good number of older Toyota Mini-trucks (1st-2nd Gen 4Runners and 1st-3rd?? Gen 4wd Pickups) here but not all that many 2nd Gen 4Runners so this is cool to see.

Cheers

Dave

 

[Martinjmpr]

How do you lift a 2nd gen? Didn't they have torsion bar suspensions? My Monty had a torsion bar suspension, I think there were a couple of companies that had aftermarket T-bars for a slight lift, but it was limited.

Given that there are a lot more 2nd gen 4runners and '89-'94 4x4 pickups around, I would imagine there are more suspension options, too.

What was the rear suspension on the 2nd gen? Was it leaf springs like the 1st gen or coils? If it was coil spring, was it a 2 link or a 4 link?

 

[Alpine Hoo Ha]

Hang tight

Guys, thanks a ton for the interest and question so far! I love this discussion and will be back soon to answer questions the best I can and up date this thread, FYI.

I want to do this right, take my time and make it thorough and complete as possible, so it will take a bit of time organize my thoughts and content.

I think also once I get a comprehensive modification list up, it will answer a few questions.

Looking forward to puttin out the good word on a good truck! :smiley_drive:

 

[Wheelingnoob]

How do you lift a 2nd gen? Didn't they have torsion bar suspensions? My Monty had a torsion bar suspension, I think there were a couple of companies that had aftermarket T-bars for a slight lift, but it was limited.

Given that there are a lot more 2nd gen 4runners and '89-'94 4x4 pickups around, I would imagine there are more suspension options, too.

What was the rear suspension on the 2nd gen? Was it leaf springs like the 1st gen or coils? If it was coil spring, was it a 2 link or a 4 link?

Yes they do have torsion bar suspension, there a quite a few bracket lift options all 4". There is also upgraded t bars to compensate for bumpers and winches. I ran mine with a 1.5" ball joint spacer and 80 series OME rear coils. I got about 2" in the front and 3.5" in the rear with the added benefit of extra payload capacity in the OME springs.

The rear suspension is a 4link + pan hard bar coil spring.

The 2nd gen 4runners are fantastic platforms to start with. The frame is supper beefy, very very stout IFS from the factory (if maintained and not abused) manual transfer case so no electronic gremlins. They have good cargo space and a truck style rear gate that is awesome to use as a quick table.

They are slow but in typical Toyota fashion over built.

I have 350,000kms on my stock engine and tranny with no problems thus far just good regular maintenance. I have upgraded to a 85 solid front axle and nice 63" rear leafs for that extra beef and simplicity.

I am really looking forward too see what you do with this truck, I enjoyed your ExPoordition wright up!!

Nice truck too BTW.

 

[instantninja]

ahh its nice to see another 2nd gen 4runner. well mine is a grey import surf, so the body and frame are the same, its got a 2.4 turbo diesel in it, and much like a 22re its fairly underpowered in northamerican highways, but in the dirt it pulls nicely.
put a 1.5" bj spacer in the front and a 2" coil spacer in the rear along with some dean sxt's in 255 85 16. wish i could have found it in a manual trans though, its not real fuel efficient putting around a 20-30 km/h. oh another thing i like about it is the stock LSD, which i shimmed out and the 4.88 stock gearing.

 

[Alpine Hoo Ha]

Beginnings

My love affair with 2nd Gen 4Runners began fairly ignorantly as the extent of my wish list was only 4 things:

1. It needed to be a Toyota
2. In needed 4 wheel drive
3. It needed to be a 5 speed
4. It needed a have a V6

I was clueless to anything else...

Bigger tires: "huh?" Lockers: "whats that?" Winch: "Don't talk about my sister that way!" Roof top tent: "I prefer to sleep IN my house" 3rd Gen 4Runner: "can't afford one of those"...

This was before I had discovered the world of formalized world adventure travel, Overland Journal, Expedition Portal, Yotatech, and all other influential resources that shape ones vision of the ideal rig or at least what to do with the one you have.

But at the time, and being blissfully ignorant, the 1995 4Runner I found for sale in parking lot at my school was everything I had ever dreamed of.

$3600.00 later she was mine, complete with 165K on the clock, a few "leaks" to quote the seller, and bald tires. She wasn't perfect, but what love is?

A few days later new BFG ATs upgraded the "Maypops", white lettering out, and it was time for mud. I didn't know any different, so I never even considered a different tire size, or how white lettering out really wasn't my
preference as my tastes refined. All I knew was she was a truck and she could go in the dirt, and I would no longer have to feel such a pavement pansy when it snowed!

I was promptly out getting stuck in the central Florida sand, and loving every minute of it. When you are small town dirt kid at heart, it is pure elation when you buy your first 4x4! Especially when having been pavement bound. My previous vehicle was a single speed road bicycle, and my car before that a very urban VW Jetta.

A move to Montana from Florida really help that warm fuzzy satisfaction of being a 4x4 owner in the mountains justify my pride.

It was these simple pleasures of owning a truck, that for all I knew could take me anywhere I wanted to go.

Then came the fateful day I found an early copy of the overland journal at a Prescott coffee shop. Soon after I was addicted to Yotatech, looking for ways to take my simple rig to the next level.

I will say though, it was always the hope and hunger for exploration that inspired upgrades to the truck, not upgrades that inspired the need to use them.

Next post will include the latest evolution of my "Vehicle Philosophy", and why the 2nd Gen 4Runner fits the bill... in more ways than one. And later on, detailed list of my repairs and modifications, the trucks pros and cons, and few products I have found essential.

Tour on! :elkgrin:

 

[Martinjmpr]

How are the head gaskets? That's the only drawback I could think of. Maybe the HG problem is exaggerated?

I worried a lot about HGs on my 99 Subaru Outback with its HG-failure prone 2.5. Never had a problem in 80,000+ miles.

But I still worried.

BTW, a bit off topic but I sure saw a lot of 2nd gen 4runners in Alaska....

 

[Alpine Hoo Ha]

HG Taboo?

Ya, the head gasket is probably one of the single biggest drawbacks to this truck as far it being worth what you paid for it.

Toyota recalled the truck for that issue, and most trucks have had the repair done. In my experience and understanding, and if the job was done right it shouldn't be an issue for the reasonable life of the motor.

I have almost 220K on my engine w/ no major issue and hope to baby it to 300K.

If you call a dealer you can verify the recall repair was performed with the vehicles VIN number.

Aside from overall lack of power, and hassle to work on, I am satisfied with my 3.Slow. It ain't fancy, but she runs and its the bang for buck that lets me get out on the trail... and to work.

Thats interesting about a bunch of 2nd Gens in AK. I'm constantly amazed at home many of these trucks there are out there. Most are pretty beat. I think its a testament to how long they last, even when abused.

:smiley_drive:

This was a stop in Zion NP when I moved from Montana to Prescott. One of those "I had everything I owned in my car" moments... and 3 bikes on top... "Beverly Hill Billys tune playing the back ground"

 

[Rexsname]

Good to see you back! I love the fact that you are doing this truck 'on the cheap'.



Are you back in PCT?




REX

 

[Overland Hadley]

I will say though, it was always the hope and hunger for exploration that inspired upgrades to the truck, not upgrades that inspired the need to use them.

Good philosophy.


.

 

[Overland Hadley]

Next post will include the latest evolution of my "Vehicle Philosophy", and why the 2nd Gen 4Runner fits the bill... in more ways than one. And later on, detailed list of my repairs and modifications, the trucks pros and cons, and few products I have found essential.

:lurk: