thanks for all the info guys. I havent really looked into the 100 series landcruisers but ill take a look. Im really just wanting to get a vehicle that i can rely on and build and have for a long long time.
Thanks The kid, that was just the kind of specific information about years i was looking for. Is there a year or drive train that i want to avoid?
yeah 2wd's lol... no not really i personally wouldnt shy away from the 3.4l, sure it has a timing belt, but so what, do you think the 2.7l 3rz doesnt have some sort of timing system? it has a chain witch means the guides can and will wear out and then you will have chain slap ect. not a bad motor but i think the 3.4 5vze is a better motor, its a noninterference motor, so IF the belt brakes, nothing will happen other than your motor will simply stop running. i have seen guys run these motors over 200k on the original belt. i personally would not change the belt until the water pump starts leaking. i have never seen or heard of a water pump out last a belt, and you have to pull the belt to replace the water pump so yeah. the 3.4l is not a power house, but its adequate, deffinantly more power full than the 2.7 3rz motor. but neither motor is a bad motor.
yeah the radiators have the trans cooler in them(for the auto/slushbox trans) but again that is easily taken care of with either a new radiator and or a stand alone trans cooler(id recommend getting one with a small electric fan so in stop and go traffic or low/slow speed off-roading you dont over heat things -i have a perma-cool 13515 and id recommend it as the trans cooler to go with if your gonna do a single stand alone.
i personally would also avoid the 2001-2002 years just because they start to get really reliant on electrical systems and sensors ect. im old school and like manual trans(although sadly my 4runner is an auto -and all LCs are autos too) and manual shift transfer cases ect. but i do like some of the features of the multi mode, especially for driving on wet roads, and snowy roads, its a little bit more of a forgiving and driver friendly system -basically and AWD system, but standard 4wd systems work just fine -its all preferences. if i could chose what 3rd gen 4runner i wanted, again id take a 1999 SR5 highlander, 5spd, w/rear locking diff.
while my rig does not have the factory rear locker, i had an ARB in mine(untill i blew it up -long story and 100% my fault but ARB took care of me and went out of their way to keep me more than happy), and with a lockable rear i was pretty much limitless(within reason- and sometimes out of reason), even with no lift. i would go places and over things that i was amazed. it makes a night and day difference, and even if you dont need it but once a year, its gonna be more than worth it that one time. -but no i would not make that a deal breaker, if you are getting everything else you wanted with it besides the locker, because again you can either retrofit in a factory Elocker from another 4runner, or you can install a ARB locker( they can be comparable in price).
something to note on rigs that have the lockers, and this is typically more true with limiteds, but for the most part accross the board, the 4runners that came with the locking rear diffs, came with 4:30 gears, and the open diff models had just 4:10s. while not a huge difference, once you go up in tire size to say like a 285 or 305 the 4:30s will be nice, and or with the added weigh of expo gear they will be nicer. again like with the locking rear diff, i would not change from a 4:10 up to a 4:30, no if i was gonna go through all the hassle to regear id go to at least 4:56 or probably 4:88 and do it once and call it done. -all 8" diffs(84-95 possibly earlier, and with 4runners it goes through 4th gen 4runners i believe) will fit into a 4runner houseing(locking diffs are slightly different and require either a modification to the axle housing or an axle housing for a Elocker set up -the Elocker diffs are the same in the tacomas as the 4runner, but the none locking diffs are not.
http://home.4x4wire.com/erik/diffs/
as far as the LBJs go, yeah its an issue, but not if you take care of your truck, so many people just ignore them and or forget about them. a lot of people think that the only part on your vehicle that should wear out and need replacing are tires, breaks, oil and gas... and even some of those get forgotten about... its a wear item, it will fail if never replace, your car will run out of gas if its never replaced, your motor will die if the oil is never changed, you will crash or have a flat if you never change your tires. lower ball joints are no different, they just last longer, so they get forgotten about. toyota recommends replacing them at 120k miles. there are several manufactures of them, and i have seen several of those aftermarket manufactures have issues with their parts, were they will fail or start failing in unheard of time ie too fast, like less than a year -unacceptable in my book. i only use toyota oe parts for stuff like ball joints ect, they have proven that they can last for at least 50k miles and thats good enough for me. i change mine out about once a year, its $160 and some change(my father inlaw is a toyota tech at a dealer so i get parts and discounted rates) so probably like $200 for you idk maybe less. but if you ask me its cheap insurance and preventative maintenance. i wheel my truck a fair amount from recreation to work (work for local sheriffs office doing search and rescue), and with all the extra weight and the lift i have(these units were not designed to be used at the constant different angles and geometry associated with lifts) i just chose to be proactive and not let this become an issue of question or concern for me, call me paranoid ok whateve, but id rather be safe the sorry. -no sense in losing a rig over a lack of maintenance.
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/149467-official-lower-ball-joint-write-up-thread.html
