2WD Off Roading

[jammin0921]

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

 

[ToyotaDoodz]

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.

 

[jammin0921]

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.

 

[ToyotaDoodz]

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. :becky: 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.

 

[jammin0921]

I sense your eager to start down the road to modification nirvana. :becky: 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...

 

[cloudrunner]

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

 

[jammin0921]

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

Thanks for the input! I have looked at the Nitto Terra Grapplers before and then various other All terrain tires. I enjoyed the videos as well! What is considered a small patch of mud and mud bogging?

 

[cloudrunner]

I typically will not get into any patches that are longer than my truck, momentum will only get you so far, but if you stop chances are your wheels will just spin and without the front tires to pull you our you are at risk of getting stuck. Just use common sense and you will do fine. Happy wheeling!

 

[jammin0921]

I typically will not get into any patches that are longer than my truck, momentum will only get you so far, but if you stop chances are your wheels will just spin and without the front tires to pull you our you are at risk of getting stuck. Just use common sense and you will do fine. Happy wheeling!

Thanks for the advice!

 

[Jack19]

Remember, those of us of a certain age, a lot older than you, grew up with 2WD vehicles; specifically, 2WD vehicles that were RWD. That's all there was.

2WD/RWD took us a lot of places today's 4WD owners fear to go, and (here's a big secret,) don't. I mean that very seriously.

We didn't know a 2WD vehicle, given current thinking, shouldn't take us to the places they did. But, they did; we learned to drive in ice, and snow, and mud, (with 1960s-1970s era tires) because 2WD was what we had.

That said, you didn't grow up in that era.

Learn your vehicle. Really learn to drive it, and it will serve you well for a long time.

On a personal note, because I do what I do, and you're in the 18-23 year old age group (you don't say, but refer to graduation.) Speed does not mean you know how to drive your vehicle. I left road work a long time ago, but if you want to meet my friends, they'll help you slow down. :loco:

Listen to Cloudrunner, he gives really excellent advice.

 

[KidVermicious]

I'd hate to get stuck and mess something up...

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.

 

[Brooks_M3]

Any update on how your doin, I just picked up a 2017 SR5 that's 2WD and I'm trying to gauge how realistic it is to take it off road. Thanks!

 

[NorthGawanderer]

As stated above, dont rely on speed to carry you through things. Thats how you break things really quickly (watee in sparkplug wells, over heated tranny, cracked evap cannister) and always have a 4wd buddy. I wish I had seen this post 3 months earlier... would have saved me alot of time, money and embarrassment.

 

[pipo6007]

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

Thanks for the insight. Always wanted to take my 2wd somewhere good to off road. I didn’t know they were allowed in the Ocala National Forest. Big Cypress 4x4 is required to buy the permit. Do you have more videos and pictures?

 

[cloudrunner]

Here are a few pictures of Old Grey. Sadly, I sold him last week. I bought a 2016 TE last December and did not need two trucks.

 

[Bumbo]

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?

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.

 

[pipo6007]

Here are a few pictures of Old Grey. Sadly, I sold him last week. I bought a 2016 TE last December and did not need two trucks.

Looks jacked up!

Do you have anymore info on the Ocala National Forest? I was looking it over last night to plan a trip for next year. What trails would I be able to do in 2wd? It says OHV permit/pass or something along those lines for some trails. Or does that apply to all trails?

 

[cloudrunner]

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.

 

[cloudrunner]

Looks jacked up!

Do you have anymore info on the Ocala National Forest? I was looking it over last night to plan a trip for next year. What trails would I be able to do in 2wd? It says OHV permit/pass or something along those lines for some trails. Or does that apply to all trails?

It was about 9" over a stock 4Runner, in the end I had 34" Nitto Trail Grapplers, an Icon Stage 2 lift, 4"lift spindles in front, 3" Icon Overland Springs in the back AND a 1.5" Body Lift.

I never got a permit of any sort. We would just ride around the logging and fire roads, most trails lead to a main artery (paved street) that will take you back to civilization.

 

[pipo6007]

It was about 9" over a stock 4Runner, in the end I had 34" Nitto Trail Grapplers, an Icon Stage 2 lift, 4"lift spindles in front, 3" Icon Overland Springs in the back AND a 1.5" Body Lift.

I never got a permit of any sort. We would just ride around the logging and fire roads, most trails lead to a main artery (paved street) that will take you back to civilization.

Oh I see. So you never went on the OHV trails. This is where I saw the info.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/ocala/passes-permits/recreation/?cid=STELPRDB5160490