1993 4Runner for Offroad Prep.

[proj-r]

Hey Toyota peoples...

This is my first post here. I am a hardcore SUBARU nut and now I am getting into more serious offroading in the 4Runner. Our 1993 4Runner is my wife's. She has had it since 1995 and it just hit 110,000 miles. Since it has needed $$$ dumped into it to keep it on the road, I thought I would dump some more money into it to keep it "off-the-road".

So.... The mods so far

I currently have the K&N intake.
Smittybilt nerf bars
kenwood mp3 player and cd changer w/ cassette
Stainless Rocker panels
1" lift springs in back

SO MY QUESTION IS :

I'm looking for the Smittybilt modular brushguard with straight bar for light protection.
It looks like the Grizzly brand bar looks the same. Which is better ? Which fits better for 1993 4Runner Gen.2 ?

Thanks.

 

[turboale]

Hello,
Glad to see your starting to take the 4Runner off-road. Don't get too into it, you might forget about the Subaru!:jk: . Your on a 4Runner page, couldn't help but dog the RU a little bit. Anyway... I don't know how hard core your wanting to go with your truck, but it doesn't seem like you are wanting to go to crazy seeing as it is your wife's. In that case I would say go with the brush guard and not a Bull bar, but seriously they don't do crap. They only hamper your approach angle, weigh down the front. They do however look good and give you the ability to mount some driving lights. With a bull bar, you get better aproach angles, get to mount lights as well as a winch. I would then get some real skid plates (females don't understand when you break something off road) then with the extra weight up front your going to want to crank the torsen bars to lift the front up a bit. In all hoesty. The nerf bars are doing more harm than good off-road. They will just get hung up on stuff and could potentially do more dammage to your truck than if they weren't there. I would get some real sliders. Basicly, because its your wife's truck I would protect it, then get recovery gear. They never like it when you come back from a trip and you don't have their car with you. One thing you should get her to do is get some Bridgestone Duller A/T Revos. Read my tire page on my site.

Good luck on transforming the wifey's truck!

Site

 

[Thai]

For more info on Dueler REVO:

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=174

Thanks.

 

[proj-r]

Companies to order from ?

So far I have been ordering from Performance Products here in L.A.

They don't have a front skid plate for the (1993 4Runner without a lift kit.)

I want a thick aluminum front plate and a rear diff guard or whatever is available for my 1993 V6 configuration.

I am now thinking about the Smittybilt front and rear bumpers instead of the guards. Any experience with how well they hold up ? My main reason for wanting the bumper-guard isn't for offroading actually. On 2 different occasions I have been at high speed 80 mph+ on the freeway, only to have tire carcass debris come flying along and smack the grille and hood, cracking the grille, dinging the hood and shattering the lower valance !! It seems that the Smittybilt will protect well against those kinds of random attacks.

I now have replaced the lower valance with the later model fog light cutout valance. I hate that soccer mom "i have every guard on my giant ass truck for the supermarket carts" look.

I realize that most guards don't do crap. but.... those smittybilts are great shopping cart protectors for my wife as well as steps.

So..... for now I need to get another 20,000 miles out of the tires before I get into those Duellers.

I would really like a 4Runner specialist in the western states outside of California so I don't pay tax ! I have Performance Products when I really need something locally. But tax + shipping is lame.

Also ? Sometimes the 4runner is grouped into 2nd gen and 3rd gen, etc...
But sometimes the product listings are only 1996-on. For bumper guards and skid plates is there really a difference ?

P.S. My wife was born and raised in Texas and her Dad is a motorhead so he had her on a motorcycle at age 5 and on ATCs and ATVs all of her life, so she knows how to handle her truck. She does have a tendency to practice offroading on unsuspecting curbs and sidewalks, seemingly unintentionally and unconcerned ;-) with the terrain.

 

[turboale]

Sounds good.
Ok, first off... you forgot to add in the performance products mark-ups+tax+shipping. Think of it as a sharper image of car stuff. Why pay for all that advertising? Get your stuff from a smaller company and save some $$. My recomendation is Mike at xtremeoff-road.com He has pice matching so even if you find it cheaper, he will beat it. No matter what your buying, give him a call and tell him Austin Kent with the white 98 sent you.
Secondly... yes, there is a difference in year. The third gens started in 96. For bumper stuff they changed in 99 b/c they decided to put a bigger bumper on it and make it stick out further so there is a difference there too. You will want something for 93-95. Thats the second generation and there shouldn't be any differences there except for the engine. I don't know about protectoin for 2nd gens. Haven't really reasearched it seeing as I have a third. Crank up those torson bars and get some bigger tires to protect the truck from all that down down 4x4ing .