Intruder
New member
Wait... there's a supercharger?!
What, you didn't get yours yet? Mine showed up the other day but I haven't had time to install it or take pictures of it or anything else. Yeah, that's the ticket...
5th Gen Performance Mods
- Thread starter 1engineer
- Start date
What, you didn't get yours yet? Mine showed up the other day but I haven't had time to install it or take pictures of it or anything else. Yeah, that's the ticket...
1engineer
Moderator
No because gearing does not increase your prime mover efficiency or power. It takes what you have and redistributes existing torque. Like putting on smaller diameter tires. On second thought it could increase overall efficiency and power in specific applications but only if you had already changed existing operating parameters like increasing existing tire diameters. If you re geared with stock size tires you would decrease efficiency. So yes and no lol.
Last edited:
Intruder
New member
Would those rub? Or would I need spacers with them?
bimrunner
New member
I've heard you just need to extend the body mounts.
bimrunner
New member
Are you one of those strange attorney/engineers?
Zdoggy
New member
I'll post up:boxing:I am new here to 4runners and off-roading but I chime in with lots of history modifying performance cars and being very happy to step into roomy, quiet 4runner for about 3 weeks now
and let's face it, it's a slug :mad2: I wholeheartedly agree that if it's not forced induction then it's not going make your 4runner noticeably uuuhhh faster? I am interested to see proof as well if someone has some. I haven't researched it at all but are there any aero kits available for the 4runner to reduce ah man never mind!!! Lol. Aahhhh but the human nature you touch on. Funny stuff huh? Provide someone with absolute proof that something is terrible for engine performance....but sounds cool...the sound wins in many cases! So I'm not saying that sweet sounding intake for your 4runner is terrible for your engine but I guess I'm saying that human nature trumps as the ultimate performance mod, and with all of the listed mods makes them in essence, effective if the owner is stoked? Rambling I know, I apologize. To sum it up: the 4runner is not a high performance vehicle. Expensive Forced induction ie turbo or supercharger will be the only way to notice a vast difference in engine performance. I am obviously talking about power here, not efficiency. With more air you need more fuel blah blah blah:hunter: oh man I need to go to bed. 20 min of sleep in 48 hours got a 2 week old baby ugh good night!:dizzy: here's my other baby I just sold to get into the 4runner 
and let's face it, it's a slug :mad2: I wholeheartedly agree that if it's not forced induction then it's not going make your 4runner noticeably uuuhhh faster? I am interested to see proof as well if someone has some. I haven't researched it at all but are there any aero kits available for the 4runner to reduce ah man never mind!!! Lol. Aahhhh but the human nature you touch on. Funny stuff huh? Provide someone with absolute proof that something is terrible for engine performance....but sounds cool...the sound wins in many cases! So I'm not saying that sweet sounding intake for your 4runner is terrible for your engine but I guess I'm saying that human nature trumps as the ultimate performance mod, and with all of the listed mods makes them in essence, effective if the owner is stoked? Rambling I know, I apologize. To sum it up: the 4runner is not a high performance vehicle. Expensive Forced induction ie turbo or supercharger will be the only way to notice a vast difference in engine performance. I am obviously talking about power here, not efficiency. With more air you need more fuel blah blah blah:hunter: oh man I need to go to bed. 20 min of sleep in 48 hours got a 2 week old baby ugh good night!:dizzy: here's my other baby I just sold to get into the 4runner Attachments
oljedi11950
New member
If you would've searched you would clearly see !!!!!!!!!!!!! :sleepy:
I agree that gearing does not increase your prime mover efficiency, if one were to consider your prime mover as an engine and not the full power-train. Gearing can put the prime mover into the higher power band at lower speed thereby increasing the total average power available at the wheels over a given speed range (0-115 mph electronically limited... don't run dynos in 4 as you will hit this limit). The trade off will be about a 1:1 of higher power band vs. efficiency. As 1E states, if you re-gear (4.555 vs. 3.727) with stock tires you can decrease efficiency, but you will increase the total power under the curve (be faster). You will cruiser along on the freeway at a (less fuel efficient) higher RPM but you will have more power available due to that higher RPM.
Put two off the assembly line identical 4Runners against one another and just re-gear the diffs and you will see a measurable difference in acceleration and effieicney between the two 'identical' vehicles.
Power is constant through a drivetrain, and gearing gains access to that power sooner or later. I don't care about your torque!
:roadkill:
Randyman...
New member
Agreed - Gearing can affect resultant performance. I guess it just depends how you define performance (as anal as I am, I'd still look at driveability and user-experience over the ultimate accuracy of defining your "prime mover efficiency"). We know our T4R's can hit the speed limiter before we reach redline in 5th gear, right? I'd be willing to sync the two and end up with more leverage
Last edited:
Jernik
New member
Just a thought on your mileage bump... I'm not sure on the 4Runner, I haven't paid as much attention, but in other vehicles I've noticed a little mileage bump around 5K miles, maybe 1-2 mpg. I assume it may be the parts "settling in" or it starts to "loosen up" with use. But like you, no hard data, just something I noticed on the mpg lie-o-meters.
wfo9
New member
The biggest problem with the 4runners performance and ability to improve on it is the locked ECU. The motor itself has some real chops lurking in it (even in NA form). They just made it completely inaccessible, Toyota SOP.
I can pretty much guarantee a very noticeable performance gain with proper headers + cats + Y pipe + tune.. But then again it is easy to guarantee this since I know the tune part will never happen LOL.
TRD is
It's the poser in-house performance division of the industry. They have a few cool projects, but they have no chops to bring anything substantial to the market. Most of this probably goes back to the fact that Toyota just does not have any type of performance car.
Back to what can be done. Gearing is really the only option, but you would not do this if mpg was your goal.
I can pretty much guarantee a very noticeable performance gain with proper headers + cats + Y pipe + tune.. But then again it is easy to guarantee this since I know the tune part will never happen LOL.
TRD is
It's the poser in-house performance division of the industry. They have a few cool projects, but they have no chops to bring anything substantial to the market. Most of this probably goes back to the fact that Toyota just does not have any type of performance car.
Back to what can be done. Gearing is really the only option, but you would not do this if mpg was your goal.
If anyone is interested in performance mods, they can checkout the x-runner forums. They have listed mods and Dyno charts. Some of those guys are running an ECM piggy back where they can alter a few values.
I like how 1E posted, "If all you have is the butt dyno data and "it feels faster" and "my mpg thingy said 2 mpg better" then post that somewhere else." but sadly that's the first thing that happened.
I like how 1E posted, "If all you have is the butt dyno data and "it feels faster" and "my mpg thingy said 2 mpg better" then post that somewhere else." but sadly that's the first thing that happened.
Last edited:
1engineer
Moderator
Compromise, Compromise, Compromise
Hopefully now that the 4Runner performance mod reality has finally had time to sink in, I want to talk a bit about compromise. A passenger vehicle is the study of compromise. In my opinion a CUV is the ultimate compromise as it does nothing really great but does a lot sorta good. They are fairly efficient, they ride pretty good, they handle OK, they have a fair amount of room... you get my drift. Our 4Runner is a compromise vehicle too, except it still leans towards the more rugged side of the vehicle spectrum.
Could it be faster? Sure.
More rugged? You bet.
More efficient? Absolutely.
More reliable and durable? Yes.
All the above? Never (if you want it to be remotely affordable).
With that said I want to post some pictures! The following vehicles are not as "compromised" as a standard vehicle as they are designed to meet a specific need. This will be a series of posts:
1. You want fast? Two examples: One is just brute force (Challenger Hellcat) and the other is a drivable slot car (Nissan GTR)
Hopefully now that the 4Runner performance mod reality has finally had time to sink in, I want to talk a bit about compromise. A passenger vehicle is the study of compromise. In my opinion a CUV is the ultimate compromise as it does nothing really great but does a lot sorta good. They are fairly efficient, they ride pretty good, they handle OK, they have a fair amount of room... you get my drift. Our 4Runner is a compromise vehicle too, except it still leans towards the more rugged side of the vehicle spectrum.
Could it be faster? Sure.
More rugged? You bet.
More efficient? Absolutely.
More reliable and durable? Yes.
All the above? Never (if you want it to be remotely affordable).
With that said I want to post some pictures! The following vehicles are not as "compromised" as a standard vehicle as they are designed to meet a specific need. This will be a series of posts:
1. You want fast? Two examples: One is just brute force (Challenger Hellcat) and the other is a drivable slot car (Nissan GTR)
Attachments
1engineer
Moderator
its funny, on the fj80 forums they all spend days talking about the gas mileage too . i just dont get it.
SouthernSS
New member
reliable, fast, and cheap. Can be two of those three, but never all three.
It can be cheap and reliable, but not fast.
fast and reliable, but not cheap
and it can be cheap and fast but not reliable.
Pick yer poison.
In my opinion, the best bang for your buck is the regear followed closely by a forced induction system. I guarantee Toyota ecu can handle 5-7psi all day long, but for overland offroading, adding a turbo/supercharger only complicates things further.
It can be cheap and reliable, but not fast.
fast and reliable, but not cheap
and it can be cheap and fast but not reliable.
Pick yer poison.
In my opinion, the best bang for your buck is the regear followed closely by a forced induction system. I guarantee Toyota ecu can handle 5-7psi all day long, but for overland offroading, adding a turbo/supercharger only complicates things further.
Last edited:
1engineer
Moderator
Conclusion
So there you have it: Fast and powerful, tiny and efficient and tough and strong. All of these vehicles are targeted to a specific consumer and are not nearly as compromised as our 4Runner. I just posted these pics as an example of what power, speed, efficiency and tough looks like. None of them look like a 4Runner.
So there you have it: Fast and powerful, tiny and efficient and tough and strong. All of these vehicles are targeted to a specific consumer and are not nearly as compromised as our 4Runner. I just posted these pics as an example of what power, speed, efficiency and tough looks like. None of them look like a 4Runner.
Similar threads
