Hey guys,

I've recently acquired a 2001 4runner and am looking to do some proactive maintenance on some of the front end parts, also I'm looking to do a suspension lift in the next few months or so(have the cash, just want to know my way around the new truck a little before I do bigger upgrades). Its an automatic with 140k on it, the timing belt has been changed, and it's had regular oil changes etc, the transmission shifts smoothly and the steering feels reasonably tight, although I have no baseline to compare it to.

How I will be using the vehicle:
It will mostly be used as an expedition type vehicle, I'm a field geologist and I spend my summers in the desert, driving around on pavement to dirt roads from excellent(40-60mph) to awful(30+ years without a grader, tons of washouts), to complete offroad use(driving up drainages, and dry falls, need to clear or get around 10-12 inch rocks frequently). I am usually out alone so I wont be doing much technical crawling, if I really need to get somewhere I hike, but sometimes its a long way to the base of the range(where the rocks are). I will also be using it on pavement for 8 months of the year where it will see fewer miles, but still be driven daily.

I've got about 8 months and some cash set aside to get it field ready and I've got a shopping list of upgrades and stuff I'd like to address; (1) I've noticed a slight clunk somewhere in the front end when I hit bumps on pavement, and I just noticed it looks like at least one of my sway bar bushings is shot, I plan on replacing those and the endlink bushings in the next few days. (2) I want to do a tundra brake upgrade. (3) I want to have more front wheel travel and rear axle articulation, also I'd like the truck to sit a little higher, I've been looking at the sonoran steel 1.2 system because I like the trac bar setup.

I'm mainly looking for advice on what I should replace now so I don't have to make a lot of repairs over the summer when it causes me to spend time making repairs rather than field work. I've read that that the lower ball joints are a common point of failure, so I think I will be replacing these at some point, my gut tells me to make sure all of the front end and steering parts are solid before making any modifications.

Thanks guys!

welcome. there is a wealth of info in this thread

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-ge...w-members.html

ok so id recommend getting armor and a winch first before a lift. hear are my reasonings for this;

fist off a winch will get out out no matter what, you can have the biggest lift and the best tires and lockers ect and you can still get stuck, the winch will be your best tool to get unstuck. a winch will get you out of what lockers got you into.

and second the armor will protect your vehicle from damage it may sustain on the job(in your case)- off roading ect. while yeah you could go get a 3" lift right off the bat and some bigger tires, but you would still be vulnerable to damage, not only to the body(doors getting jammed and wont cant open ect) but the crucial drive train components, like transmission and transfer-case, and the fuel tank. a few hundered (less than a thousand) dollers here will save you a ton of money down the road(trail) when you dont have to replace a transmission because it got smashed on a rock and you broke the case open...

with the two, the winch and the armor what every your cant drive over, you can easily winch over and slide over. just make sure you have a good battery and dont skimp on the winch, trust me you do not want that thing taking a crap on you in the middle of pulling yourself out, cause if you do go out alone a lot you will want a good winch. id recomend a Warn, they make arguable(really not arguably at all) the best winch hands down. and they will back it for life. ask me how i know.

once you get this stuff done then id look at getting a slight lift and bigger tires. as far as tires go, id really only look at mud terrain tires, they are gonna do better for what you are after and they still will do just fine on the hwy. also with doing the armor first and then the lift you wont waste any money of buying a lift that cant hold the weight of the armor. then once you get the lift and bigger tires on, you might want to look at regearing depending on how much weight in gear and tools ect you plan on dragging around with you all the time.

the two major things id look into replacing right off are the radiator and the lower ball joints. you might want to look at the steering rack bushings as well -go with poly bushings there. and id add two B&M 70264 trans coolers to help keep your tranny cool with the the weight of the armor and the fact that the armor acts as a heat shield, only it holds the heat in and cuts down on the air flow to help cool things.

keep us updated and if you have more questions, dont hesitate to ask.

welcome to the site