Outer Limits 4x4 Board

I am thinking of getting a mid '90's 4runner, for commuting a short distance, but more to do some more camping. All i have heard from people ( admitadly non toyota drivers) is that the front diffs are horribly weak. Is this true. I have a mate with an SR5 hilux IFS and he has never broken one and uses it quite hard. If this is an issue, Does a Locker rectify it. I don't want a car that I am going to always have to fix. Most of the off road stuff I will be doing is not comp stuff, but the Snowy's Region and the Wattagans.

Gday mate,

Do not get a V6.

I had a 4 runner for about 18 months with a V6 and it was nothing but problems.

Get one with the 22r or deisel and you should be good.

If you must get a V6 make sure you get a later model that has had the head gasket repairs done.

Other than the engine problems i really liked the 4 runner. It still has that car feel to it but is plenty capable offroad.

Hope this helps

Dave

Thanks dave,
I was looking at getting the 2.8L diesel. I know they are slow, but the journey is part of the fun. And you see a lot more when going slow!

ZOOK92 wrote:I am thinking of getting a mid '90's 4runner, for commuting a short distance, but more to do some more camping. All i have heard from people ( admitadly non toyota drivers) is that the front diffs are horribly weak. Is this true. I have a mate with an SR5 hilux IFS and he has never broken one and uses it quite hard. If this is an issue, Does a Locker rectify it. I don't want a car that I am going to always have to fix. Most of the off road stuff I will be doing is not comp stuff, but the Snowy's Region and the Wattagans.

Surely you heard similar things about the Zuks diffs ..

Ha, i see what you mean. But are they as weak as they say, or with most driving, is it just fallacy? By the way Zook wheel bearings go bang.

you heard correctly

they are very weak. putting in an arb locker strengthens them up a bit though.

jes

For the average 4 wheeler they are fine. You just have to be aware not to land the wheels on a grippy surface under full throttle. I have never broken one although I dont do hardcore wheeling. A locker in the front is good to lose the momentum required without one so this does help you to drive it a little easier.

Have had my diesel 4runner for 4 years, regularly go offroading and have recently fitted a front auto locker. To date have not even broken a cv joint let alone front diff.

I think it is as much the way a car is driven as general strength. If you like heaps of right boot, bouncing off rocks and endlessly spinning wheels then it wouldn't matter what car you had, you would eventually break it.

Can't comment on the petrol engine in the 4Runners as have never driven one, but have heard that they are tough on juice (as most 3 l v6 petrol pushing 1.9 tons of steel around would be) as well as the head gasket problems mentioned previously. But the diesels can also have head and overheating problems. Remember you only ever hear of when people have problems with their cars, no one posts on a forum saying hi, just wanted to let all you know that my car is running fine. I'm sure you could find plenty of 4Runners both petrol and diesel that are running ok and have done for ages. Same with front diffs, would be plenty of cars around that are regularly offroaded and front diffs are going fine.

If you go diesel option, be prepared for great economy at the expense of woeful performance. But I love how a diesel that is prob designed off 1980s technology can match fuel figures with a 2006 computer controlled engine. I rarely get over 10 ltrs / 100 kms.

Off road low range is where the diesel shines, happy to run at 1500 rpm all day and use stuff all fuel.

Overtaking on highway requires careful planning as jamming the foot down to get in front of that car before the oncoming one hits you is not an option.

One thing I will say is that some steering components can wear out quick (again could apply to other vehicles as well). I am coming up for idler arm no 3 in the 4 yrs of ownership. But this is likely because torsion bars are wound up a little. Another common problem is rear elec window malfunctions, commonly because relays blow out. Not a big problem to fix though.

When considering buying used, the main thing I would consider is popularity. There are heaps of 4Runners around, in Newcastle I would pass at least 2 or 3 on any trip. And they are just hiluxs anyway, which there are even more of. Benefits are parts availability and plenty of knowledge and experience around about problems and fixes.

904Runa,
Thanks for that, it is exactly what I wanted to hear. I understand all cars have there issues, this is a given, but I drive like a Grandma, so breaking components should hopefully be limited.

Go the 4runner..... get lockers though


Ricky

my front diff went bang at fraser over christmas........its had a very hard life and done 280 000 so i reckon thats not bad.

and 2.8 diesals are the way to go heaps of torque but will still reach 130 - 140 on the highway.........downhill

I had my front diff go bang aswell, but it was getting a workout in the process so it wasn't a surprise. Since then i have fitted an ARB Air Locker to the front end and done the same track (and hill) with relative ease. Are the front diffs weak? Well depends what you're going to compare it to, it may not be the worlds strongest diff, but it isn't going to explode on you when you try to climb a gutter, it's the same diff that your mate has in the front of his Hilux.

Guess it also depends on how big your budget is aswell.

I've only blown 1 centre in 4yrs and i wheel reasonably hard it's got a lokka in the front which makes breaking them more difficult most of the diffs break when a wheel is lifted at full noise and hits the ground causing a very sudden stop and a truck load of strain on the little centre

About to install a front auto locker on mine. If you like the extra luxury and power go a 3ltr surf. But of course being an import it helps to pay attention how the previo9us owner has treated it, service history etc... Cheers.

Thanks guys for all your help. It was the convincing I needed. Now i can put the fear of driving down a gutter and blowing a diff out of my mind.

Thanks guys for all your help. It was the convincing I needed. Now i can put the fear of driving down a gutter and blowing a diff out of my mind.

Do just that. Unless you go pretty hardcore you shouldn't break any diffs.
What you wont here about much is their superior ground clearenc. A 4 Runner on 33s has better clearence than a patrol on 35s.
With my 33s fitted I have 265mm clearence to the rear diff and 295mm clearence to the front crossmember.

The V6 returns 13l per 100km and it a very sweet engine, it only suffers compared to a diesal when steep declines require low 1st (very slow) or steep inclines require low first (very toey).

I contacted Toyota on the head gasket issue most were fixed under a customer support exercise.

Finally, and at the risk of upsetting some hardcore blokes, the 4 runners and Surfs are a pretty damn capable 4WD.

Oh, and they are very popular so aftermarket gear is readily available.

Cheers

ive got a 84 runnr had 2ltr now 2.4 22r , shes fine and with a headjob and weber got lots more pwr. just found a dude in usa who makes perf. heads cams and webers etc . ive done 350000 and never had a diff or box problem not even a clutch yet!like others have said its how ya drive em.i run 16inch 235 75's so get better top end cruising.lsd would help. these motors can be turboed and injected too.!