Toyota 4Runner SR5 Limited

If you want to see what you can do with a 4Runner, check out this link!

http://www.4wdmonthly.com.au/forum/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=10322

Hope it works

Good power but quite thirsty, expensive complicated and difficult to work on engine, cramped engine bay, earlier model before 93 I think had head problems.

The vehicle is very capable and they are really nice on the road, the motor is thristy and not real powerful considering it's size. The earlier motors had head problems (there was a toyota recall, but not all got recalled). Most of those issue will have either been fixed by toyota or blown themselves up by now anyway...

The V6 is a pig to work on but doesn't have tooooo many problems. The body, suspension eletrics etc are the same as the surf and are very good to work on.

Here's a piccy for ya! :->

Crazy 4Runner in WA

When we brought our 4 Runner 5 years ago we had a choice of-the V6,the 4 cylinder or the 2.8 diesel 4 Runner.After talking to heaps of people we decided on the diesel.At that stage we wernt after power(luckily) and its been a great vehicle.Now we've got a camper and need a bit more grunt,Ive nearly finished installing a turbo.
Fuel consumption was the main reason for not buying the V6.
There's heaps of mods and acc. avaliable for these vehicles but like whats been said,be careful with the head problem on the V6.

Hey Bandit, can speak from experience on this one, owned a 91 mod SR5 ltd in yr 99-2000 had about 160klm, first thing I did was suspension torsion bars heavy duty springs, extractors and exhaust was fitted and 31" bfg muds as well.
Tried it out on the beach fantastic the v6 was great, should have taken a gerry can with me though. Then a couple of mates put together day trip in the bush, medioca
(spelling???) tracks, tried a little bit of a climb "BANG" there goes front diff. Replaced it with reco then went back to same place for testing, as it definatley was not difficult terrain "BANG" diff for second time. Replaced it as reco was still under wty, then was on another
4wd trip this is for the third time, a steep climb loose rocks an ruts "BANG" I bloody well gave up took the reco back for third time and sold it. My uncle purchased it off me and yes he was aware of the diff problems, but since his intended use was not 4wdring it suited him perfect.
Diagnosis:- there was no wheel travel, every time a wheel lifted in the front it would spin in the air and when it came down between the power of the V6 and the grip from the muddies it snapped the diff...
A common problem i found out later there front diffs are weak p#%s.
Though speaking to diesal owners not a worry...
12 months later under my uncles ownership the head gasket blew, cost him almost 5 gees for a rebuild...

Heres one for you, I met a gentleman by the name of Mal Blanks, if your familiar with the Bornio safari's from 1990-91-92-93-94. He was one of the bushdriver magazines 4runner drivers. This guy did the hard core stuff with moddified runners. Great watching if you can get your hands on the videos, I have them.
In conversation with him I was picking his brains on the safari, what was involved and his thoughts on the runners. In his opinion they were the biggest piece of S#!T toyota ever made, and if you watch the vids you will see partly why.
Im with him only because of my experiences...That should answer the offroad performance side of it.
Apart from that i enjoyed driving it around town very versatile comfortable driving.

sorry for being so negative but I got burnt...

Regards,

Babs

Hey Bandit what you can do to improve the 4x4 capabilities and take the load off the front is put a diff lock in the rear, highly recommended. I did a lot of reseach just recently before I purchased my new patrol, I had a 02 mod hilux ifs, so it was a concern that I was going to go through the same front end probs, found out a rear diff lock will reduce the risk of this happening hence improving your traction...
ARB air locker or Detroit locker advisable...

Cheers,

Babs