Hey guys, I received a 2013 4runner limited 2WD for graduation and have a couple questions about it and it's limitations.
1) Can I take it off road?
2) Any recommendations on what I should put on it to enhance performance? (on or off road)
3) What are it's limits?

I want to take it off road but am not sure if I can or if it will perform well.

Thanks!

--Jammin0921
2013 4Runner Limited

You will have traction control on the rear wheels only which remarkably can do quite a bit but it's not comparable to 4x4.

Another thing 4x4 gives you is a low gear range which lets you slowly walk up obstacles and it provides braking going down those same obstacles so you don't have to ride the brakes.

I've actually driven a 2x4 4runner on some of the medium trails in Colorado. It's not recommended, but many things can be done with a skilled driver.

Do some mild things and be careful and don't get over confident. Always remember your vehicle has to get you there and back.

PS, welcome to the forum.

Thanks. I've never driven off road before and I'm new to this whole experience. I have stock tires and was wondering if I should get some form of terra grappler tires? Any and all advice is welcomed. Thanks again.

I sense your eager to start down the road to modification nirvana. You might want to read through the forum here and look at other's vehicles and descriptions to see what they've done keeping in mind yours is a 2WD so some modifications will not apply.

Try some mild offroading with what you have to see what you might want to change/mod.

Alrighty, thanks. I am quite eager and slightly hesitant too. I'd hate to get stuck and mess something up...

Welcome to the forum! Congrats on getting the new Runner, that's one heck of a graduation gift.

I too am 2wd and can perhaps lend some further insight about the questions you have asked. First, don't be afraid to take your truck off-road. All 4Runners (yes, even 2wd) are very capable vehicles and you can have a lot of fun as long as your smart about it. That being said, don't ever wheel alone. You should always have a friend accompany you in your off-road excursions, preferably a friend with a 4 wheel drive vehicle.

Your domain is light trails/log roads, sugar sand, 45 degree hill climbs and small patches of mud. Leave the rock crawling, creek crossing and all out mud bogging to those with 4 wheel drive.

IMO your first mod should be a good set of quality All-Terrain tires. Most of the gents here on the forum prefer either Goodyear Duratecs or BFG All Terrains. I personally run Nitto Terra Grapplers in size 285/70/17 and I love them. I just put them through the paces last weekend in Ocala National Forest and I hung with several other 4Runners (all with 4wd) without issue.

Here are some videos from over the weekend. Enjoy!

4Runner Hill Climb in Ocala National Forest - YouTube
4Runner in Ocala National Forest - YouTube

Then you will hate offroading.

Nobody (ok, almost nobody) goes out with the intention of getting stuck and breaking parts, but it happens. It's part of the game - if you push the limits, eventually you'll find them. And you'll find them even sooner in a 2WD.

1) Absolutely
2) Tires and Air Pressure
3) It's likely more capable than you are.

One thing I've learned in years of off-road driving, is that technique and driver skill can often times trump equipment.

Being able to throw money at the problem is one thing, but you still need to know how to drive on whatever it is you are driving on.

I used to get stuck a lot in the sand, but after learning how to read the terrain, where not to start/stop, keeping the revs up to prevent bogging down... I have yet to use my traction pads once... Not saying I don't need them, but after learning a lot of hard lessons (like digging out a truck that is buried to the frame in sand), you generally start to drive in a way that is optimized for the terrain.

If I owned a 2WD 4Runner, I would build it up as a Prerunner rather than a typical 4x4 crawler build, but I also have a lot of desert around to be take advantage of something like that.

Agreed. I built Old Grey to take a beating, stout lift spindles with an Icon Stage 2 suspension. Having a solid suspension allowed me to keep my speed up in the sand. With the intake and Flowmaster dual exhaust it sounded like I was in Baja... and I loved it.