ZR2 Owners Thread
- Thread starter Bikemobile
- Start date
I know how you feel. I had mine from January 2003 to January 2010. I still want to get another one someday...
Corvus
New member
Another Gunnison valley ZR2
Bikemobile, I know your truck. I've seen it around the corner from my girlfriend's house. You've probably seen my rusty ZR2 around.
When I get another vehicle reliable enough for the daily driver, the ZR2 is due for a front end rebuild. I don't know why mine seems to eat even the high-end ball joints so quickly. I'm at about 230,000 on the original engine, but I've been through 3 sets of ball joints, 2 idler arms, one set of tie-rod ends, 3 sets of tires, and 4 alignments in the last 50,000 miles. Hopefully, a rebuild with low mileage knuckles, control arms, new Moog bjs, and energy suspension bushings will put an end to that.
Cheers!
Bikemobile, I know your truck. I've seen it around the corner from my girlfriend's house. You've probably seen my rusty ZR2 around.
When I get another vehicle reliable enough for the daily driver, the ZR2 is due for a front end rebuild. I don't know why mine seems to eat even the high-end ball joints so quickly. I'm at about 230,000 on the original engine, but I've been through 3 sets of ball joints, 2 idler arms, one set of tie-rod ends, 3 sets of tires, and 4 alignments in the last 50,000 miles. Hopefully, a rebuild with low mileage knuckles, control arms, new Moog bjs, and energy suspension bushings will put an end to that.
Cheers!
Bikemobile, I know your truck. I've seen it around the corner from my girlfriend's house. You've probably seen my rusty ZR2 around.
When I get another vehicle reliable enough for the daily driver, the ZR2 is due for a front end rebuild. I don't know why mine seems to eat even the high-end ball joints so quickly. I'm at about 230,000 on the original engine, but I've been through 3 sets of ball joints, 2 idler arms, one set of tie-rod ends, 3 sets of tires, and 4 alignments in the last 50,000 miles. Hopefully, a rebuild with low mileage knuckles, control arms, new Moog bjs, and energy suspension bushings will put an end to that.
Cheers!
Back when I had mine I did a lot of research on them. I can't tell by your picture for sure, but did you crank your torsion bars? If you crank them too much you can burn through front end parts really quick.
Corvus
New member
No, Z-height is within 1/8" of factory. It rides better that way anyway. My theory is that front-end parts are an all or nothing proposition. If you replace one worn thing without replacing another, the worn part you left causes slop that wears out the new part more quickly. My budget and free time has kept me from a complete overhaul in the past, but I'm pretty sure that's the answer.
1stDeuce
Explorer
I'll chime in as a former owner of a GMC Highrider (ZR2). I bought mine 9 months old with 20k on it about a year after I got out of college. It was an '98, with no 3rd door to rattle, and a 5-speed, which was exactly what I wanted! I offed the crappy aftermarket wheels that came on it and tossed a set of MT/R's on old 5-spoke wheels on it at about 40k miles, and heated the spring on the gov-lock so it would engage sooner. (Like ALL the time... Oops, a little too much heat...)
It towed and hauled more crap than I care to think about, and never once complained. I put superlift upper control arms on the front for added droop somewhere along the line, and cranked the bars, but less than an inch, if at all. i put some extended shackles on the back, but it still sat lower than any other ZR2 that I saw... I think the PO must have hauled cement in it or something. I wheeled it up in Ontario and the UP of Michigan, and took it to the dunes, and did LOTS of back roads. Had it in water deeper than I should have several times in Canada.
I sold it with about 120k miles on it when I decided that using it like a 3/4 ton truck was just not so smart. Still had stock balljoints in it when I sold it, as well as tie rods and idler IIRC. There was just beginning to be some play in the lower balljoints, but it drove fine. I greased it a LOT though, which may have helped.
Honestly, in 120k miles, I can only recall replacing two things... The right front wheelbearing was howling at about 60k, and the pilot bearing in the trans seized at about 80k. I even sold it with the MT/R's, which still had about 1/4" of tread.
I know Toyotas a little better now, and for what I know I'd do with it, I'd still take a ZR2 over a Tacoma.
Only picture I have handy, from a trip to Batchewana, Ontario. Wow, the rack I built for kayaks would have been perfect for RTT mounting... If only I had known!
It towed and hauled more crap than I care to think about, and never once complained. I put superlift upper control arms on the front for added droop somewhere along the line, and cranked the bars, but less than an inch, if at all. i put some extended shackles on the back, but it still sat lower than any other ZR2 that I saw... I think the PO must have hauled cement in it or something. I wheeled it up in Ontario and the UP of Michigan, and took it to the dunes, and did LOTS of back roads. Had it in water deeper than I should have several times in Canada.
I sold it with about 120k miles on it when I decided that using it like a 3/4 ton truck was just not so smart. Still had stock balljoints in it when I sold it, as well as tie rods and idler IIRC. There was just beginning to be some play in the lower balljoints, but it drove fine. I greased it a LOT though, which may have helped.
Honestly, in 120k miles, I can only recall replacing two things... The right front wheelbearing was howling at about 60k, and the pilot bearing in the trans seized at about 80k. I even sold it with the MT/R's, which still had about 1/4" of tread.
I know Toyotas a little better now, and for what I know I'd do with it, I'd still take a ZR2 over a Tacoma.
Only picture I have handy, from a trip to Batchewana, Ontario. Wow, the rack I built for kayaks would have been perfect for RTT mounting... If only I had known!