What gen is the best for off-roading?

I have a '99 SR5 and I love taking it off road. I know 4-5 people at work that have 4runners of all different generations and we all talk about which is best. What do you all think?

Kire4Runner said:

I have a '99 SR5 and I love taking it off road. I know 4-5 people at work that have 4runners of all different generations and we all talk about which is best. What do you all think?

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Good question. I look forward to the posts this thread generates. The answer's certainly not 4th gen, though.

Personally I think it was the 3rd gen between 99-02 that made the best off-roaders out of the 4Runners. Good options and equipment, plus the aftermarket parts to enhance them was neverending...

For a hardcore strictly off-road rig it would have to be a pre IFS 1st gen.

Solid axles are easiest to lift and install lockers in. It's also the smallest, has metal bumpers and, hell, the ROOF comes OFF......essential for good offroading

First qualify your question.

Stock or modified? If modified is it moderate or extensive modification?

What type of offroad? Sand, mud, rock crawling or expidition?

That's getting a little too specific. I'd have to break that down into 10 polls to get all the possibilities covered. Let's say the gen with a moderate level of modification allowable for all off road conditions...

Then I would pick the 4th Gen. Once you overcome it's biggest issue, ground clearance, with a lift it does really well. The ATRAC does wonders once you get to know it.

Also with a V8 or 245hp V6 it does wonders in the sand and other stuff. Doing long distance expidition driving none of the other gens will be able to keep up in terms of handling on rough road.

On rocks a well modded 1st gen would probably be the pick.

Re: Re: What gen is the best for off-roading?

JB. said:

...The answer's certainly not 4th gen, though.

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Why?

I've owned 1st and 2nd gen. before my 4th. What experience tells you the 4th is certainly not? Curious.

Re: Re: Re: What gen is the best for off-roading?

04Runner said:

Why?

I've owned 1st and 2nd gen. before my 4th. What experience tells you the 4th is certainly not? Curious.

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Experience? Well, you've certainly got me there. It's quite possible I piped up too soon. Wouldn't be the first time.

1. I was assuming stock. 2. After reading many accounts of what 3rd gens are capable of and noticing the substantial difference in stock angles and clearances, the 4th gen was already #2 on my list. My knowledge of 1st and 2nd gens is extremely limited.

I'm still looking forward to any more discussion this thread generates. Bulldog makes some good points. I'm glad someone is stickin' up for the 4th gen. And I think he's right about the ATRAC. I don't have the experience to compare, but I've crawled up loose, rocky ascents that were a solid 20 degrees (granted, aired-down, off road tires) with hardly a peep out of a spinning wheel. I'm just glad none of the rocks were more than 8 inches. Makes me wonder when the heck I'd ever need a locker.

One thing for sure. I'm very happy with the incredible combination of highway worthiness and off-road ability.

In my 1st gen I blew clutches every few years from too much torture on the trails, but the truck was a ute and seemed very light. It tended to travel over sand real easy. I had a 5" lift with Old Man Emu suspension and it crossed creeks and rocks well effortlessly. It was a bear on the highway. Side winds would blow me all over the place and cornering was something you did with respect. Got mud, sand and water inside the cabin several times. Was coo to be able to just hose off the inside. I definitely pushed this vehicle harder than my other two Runners.

The 2nd gen had a GM 4.2 ltr dropped in after the 4cyl blew up from towing a ski boat. I ran on dual LPG/gasoline which was great for keeping fuel consumption down. This truck rocked, with the V8 although gear ratios (with V8) were not good for highway. Seat and carpeting kept the noise level down when travelling to a trail. Off road it was awesome. The fiberglass canopy was great for camping in the back instead of carrying a tent etc. I had a 4" lift on this truck and it was still quite surefooted.

The 4th gen does a lot of "thinking" for you when offroad (not that I've done a lot yet). Not sure whether I'd rather have manual transmission or not - I am getting very use to the auto. As mentioned, clearance is the major issue. Me thinks the weight might be an issue when tackling steep dunes/hills although the torque of the V8 should compensate. As I get older I appreciate the creature comforts of the 4th gen when travelling to the trails. Loss of interior space (err length) compared to the previous gen.s is a negative. I can't fit my 10 ft malibu board in the 4th gen.

Access to the rear storage area is worse on the 4th gen. Grabbing recovery gear from the back in the ute was derrr...easy, in the 2nd gen just turn a handle on the window and reach in, on the 4th gen you've got to push a button to lower the window or lift the whole back tailgate.

Just some thoughts.

Wish I had pics on digital that i could post but all mine from those years gone by were 35mm.

I relize that there are people who swear by newer T4R's. I myself own a 1986 IFS T4R. I feel, through person experiece of course, that these are the best for offroad use. They can go from stock beast in nothing flat. They are cheap to buy and cheaper to fix, plus parts are a dime a dozen. Since the engine is actually visible under the hood, without all the plastic crap, they are also easy to work on. You really dont even need a lift, as I am (temporarily) clearing 34's with my stock suspention. They rarely rub and I didnt even have to pinch a fender. They are more than capable off road with nothing but tires. By far the best thing about the first gen T4R's is the fact that you can knock a mirror of on the trail and not have to call up Toyota and spend $500 for one mirror. If you get a dent in the door, pull the door panel and punch it out. I go offroading with a kid who has a 99 T4R and he wont follow me anywhere. He once got a scratch on it and had to leave the trail and buff it out because he couldnt stand looking at it. Not a good offroad machine.

1st gens are arguably the best when it's near stock but the 3rd gens WITH the diff lock hold their own nicely while doing it in comfort especially the '99-'00 years since they have the 1" advantage over the other 3rd gens.

yotatilla said:

I go offroading with a kid who has a 99 T4R and he wont follow me anywhere. He once got a scratch on it and had to leave the trail and buff it out because he couldnt stand looking at it. Not a good offroad machine.

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Hey man,fault the driver not the vehicle but yes I'm a little more careful with mine but it's also my DD but I'm don't mind a scratch or two.

Not intending to flame anyone...just for discussion...but...

Comparing the generations based on how much damage you are willing to inflict is not really relevant to their off-road capability. In 10-15yrs the 4th gens will be in the same situation as the 1st and 2nd gen. now - that is old, maybe beaten up, and likely to have had several owners. My guess is that in 15 yrs time the 4th gen owners will care less about their body panels than they currently do.

I know from experience that as I have bought increasingly new (expensive) 4x4's I have treated them with more dilligence, but that doesn't negate their off-road ability - as Ron said above - that's the owner/driver, not the vehicle.

I have been in sand, snow, and mud and my 3rd gen has never gotten stuck. It does real well in 4wd. Just got new pirelli A/T scorpions so it should do even better then my A/W tires. now it just needs to snow!

4wheeln98 said:

I have been in sand, snow, and mud and my 3rd gen has never gotten stuck. It does real well in 4wd. Just got new pirelli A/T scorpions so it should do even better then my A/W tires. now it just needs to snow!

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Don't get too excited yet. I had the Pirelli A/T Scorpions on my Bronco and although they were great in the rain and on boat ramps, I was VERY unhappy with them in snow. In fact, the BFG A/T's I had on the truck before I bought the Pirelli's did much better. Plus, they didn't flat spot in the winter. The Pirelli's drove like they were square tires for the first 5 miles or so in cold weather.

I've never driven previous generations off-road, but my 4th Gen. is very capable. In terms of off-roading mods, I only have Terra Grappler Tires and a 2.5" lift, but at a recent run in the snow, I was the only 4Runner that never needed the assistance of a tow strap:

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/showthread.php?threadid=14984

If the course was more technical I'm sure I would have needed help too, but as described by my fellow off-roaders that day, I "walked" over all the obstacles without any problems.

Personally i believe that the 1st gens(esp '95s) are most capable. considering the fact i drive a second and usually go out with my friend who had a 3rd i know they can compete too. but after seeing 1st gens with simple, inexpensice lifts that will go through anything ive been convince they are most capable offroad. the only time the cant compete is when you are doing high speed offroading when that ifs comes into play. i dont see how a 4th gen can be in the running. i have yet to see one in action but they just dont look very offroad-able. im sure that big'ol V8 is a huge plus but unless you have plenty of extra money to put into one i dont think that they could keep on an actual trail.

3rd gen all the way (99-02 w/ factory e-locker) in the stock category

if you raise them all the same, it would still be the 3rd gen. lockers double your capability

if the 3rd gen isnt locked, then perhaps atrac would win...BUT 3rd gen's with lockers will spank some atrac ass (and it all depends on drivers, some are the best...most are terrible)

Hope y'all don't mind a Tacoma guy gettin in on this thread, but it's been my experience that vehicle make and model is not the primary factor while negotiating obstacles while off-road. Driver skill is the key! You can give a person with very little offroad driving experience a built to the hilt rig but it still won't make him anymore knowledgable in picking proper lines or making his offroad driving ability any better.

Just my two cents!