so i recently just purchased a bone stock 88 runner and want to up grade it to wheel it iam 16teen and on a very limited budget and want to know what the best upgrades i can do are and yes its my daily driver i want to keep the ifs i hope it to look like the attached photo with a bull bar and a winch and a spare tire rack off the rear bumper. Its got the 22re with a 5 speed manual with 150 thousand miles

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is it the v6 or 22re?
you can put a cold air intake on it, and an free flowing exhaust.....(flowmaster,magnaflow,borla) that right there should help out

Best upgrade keeping it IFS. I would go with tube bumpers or at least rock sliders if you're wheeling it. Trail-gear has very nice rock sliders for the first gens. I just put them on my own.


Rear locker would be very very useful as well. I'm amazed at what kind of places I can get myself into with the locker

AWZ, is that your roll on paint job?? It looks good.

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Once you get started on upgrades it just won't stop next thing you know you have invested over 3k... Having A toy is not cheap.. Once is a Toy always a Toy.. & also has its ups & downs like adding a lift getting 33" tires or bigger but have in mine anything bigger than 33" is recommend to go with bigger gears.. big tires equals bigger gearing, bigger gearing equals big pockets its kind hard running stock 4:10 on 33" well atleast for me it is you tend to have a lag going up inclines... its kinda a hobby that you cant or better know as a never ending game bcuz theirs always gonna be upgrades no matter what life throws at you.. if I wear you I'll go big OR go home lol I would do SAS 5:29 Detroit lockers front & rear, 4.7 dual cases & mics stuff on the outside to get that nice look that way you have the best of both worlds a great running truck that will take you thru anything you point it too & the looks that will make anyones head turn best of luck

Here is mine



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If it's your daily driver, don't go crazy. A good all terrain tire like the BFG A/T is an excellent place to start.
You can fit 31's on a stock truck.
32's without much work.
33's will require some sort of lift, suspension or body, and they will throw the engine's power band off enough that you'll notice some power and MPG loss.

Yep that's the roll-on paint job after I polished and waxed it. turned out better then I expected

I've had my 86 for about 15 years now!
Over those years It's been through a couple of transformations!
When I bought it in 1992 I installed an Add A Leaf in the rear to get rid of the sag, Installed Rancho RS 5000 Shocks, Pre-Runner bumpers, Polished alum. wheels, 30x10.50x15 Pro Comp M/T tires, custom tonneau cover, re-upholstered seats, and drove it!
After attending a few Moab Jeep.... I mean... TOYOTA Safari's and, joining the WILDYOATS 4x4 club, I decided to trade the IFS for a SAS... Thanks to ROCK LOGIC 4X4 for opening their shop about a block away from my house and after spending about $5000 for all the goodies such as...
SAS, Toyota E Locker, U-Bolt flip kit, Extended Alcan 4" springs, Cross Over Steering, Long travel Doetsch Tech Shocks, FJ 40 Rotors, 35" BFG Mud Terrains.... Hell, I can't remember everything!!!
But you get the idea! Over the years I've put about $10-$12,000 into it...
and it's always been my daily driver.... NEVER a trailer queen!!
I'll tell ya..... It's been worth every penny!!
The first pic... the day after ROCK LOGIC 4X4 finished the SAS(March 2003), at the WILDYOATS... YOTAFARI in Moab, Utah

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Thanks for all The info guys you gave me some good ideas and where's the best place and cheapest place to find a soft top for my runner

no lift required for 33's

I can tell just from looking at that picture that this truck is lifted. To much clearance on the front skid plate.

The best soft top for the $ is Soft Topper. About $550 shipped, at least it was about 3 years ago....

First upgrade I would do is a 2" body lift. Generally run less than $100.

Turn up your front torsion bars to clear 32" 's without rubbing. Free.

Put some left over rear coil springs from another vehicle between your bumpstops & the rear springs for a cheapo rear lift. There is a thread around somewhere on this upgrade.... Free for me at least as I re-used the springs from my Wife's '97 when I replaced the springs. They are a bit too tall, but work O.K. I think I read the Jeep Grand Cherokee ones are a better fit.

Search C. list for some cheap rims & tires in a 32" size.

Sliders would be next. Trail Gear, as mentioned above make decent ones for relatively cheap. ( I have them )

Aussie Locker in the rear.

Winch & winch bumper in the front.

4.7 low range in the transfer case.

That pretty much sums up what I did to mine over the past 3-4 years, and I tried to do it on the cheap same as you.

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