Best 4WD system of 4runners

[emelianenkov]

Look guys, haha, I understand all of that. This thread is simply about comparing 4WD systems. All I'm saying is that the V8 full time system is ready to handle things sooner than the V6 system. How many V6 owners here leave their truck in 4Hi all the time? I'm simply saying that an unexpected need for 4WD may turn up where the driver isn't quick enough to switch in time. And yes, you have better chances maintaining control hitting a patch of black ice in 4WD than RWD.

I wouldn't worry about black ice. The Toyota vehicle stability system handles slippery surfaces with ease. I've hydroplaned many times without any issues in 2WD (I hate my new tires, but that's a different thread). Driving in 4Hi all the time with a V6 is stupid IMHO. It's a waste of gas. If you hit black ice, you hit black ice. It doesn't matter if you have two or four wheels pushing you; You're still moving at a constant velocity with every wheel spinning at an equal speed. Once the drive wheels' output has matched air resistance and kinetic friction in the opposite direction, logically, all 4 wheels are doing the same amount of work.

4WD vs. 2WD vs. black ice is really a question of the driver's abilities, not the vehicle's drive train and where it exerts it's force.

Good day to you sir.

 

[MikeInNH]

I wouldn't worry about black ice. The Toyota vehicle stability system handles slippery surfaces with ease.

Even with stability control...black ice can be very tricky..especially going around a curve over 30mph. Black Ice is NOTHING like hydroplaning....NOT EVEN CLOSE.

 

[emelianenkov]

Even with stability control...black ice can be very tricky..especially going around a curve over 30mph. Black Ice is NOTHING like hydroplaning....NOT EVEN CLOSE.

Oh I know. Black ice is some serious stuff, but the specific scenario given was on the highway. I know VSC isn't an invincibility cloak haha.

2WD or 4WD, it doesn't matter; if you hit ice, no matter how your car is propelled, it will react almost exactly the same.

 

[Black ICE]

Look look look........

I know that NJshadow guy spread some serious BS about me but it's not true! I didn't take his girl in high school and I'm not the same slick I used to be.

I too drive a 4runner and the 4 wheel drive systems are perfect. Just please watch what you guys say about me as I'm still here. Also that blk-4runner guy is the coolest member here!

 

[ohnoitsthecops]

Ahhh I am sure glad this ice/snow thing you guys speak of doesn't show it's face around here unless it's at the very toP of a mountain

 

[emelianenkov]

Look look look........

I know that NJshadow guy spread some serious BS about me but it's not true! I didn't take his girl in high school and I'm not the same slick I used to be.

I too drive a 4runner and the 4 wheel drive systems are perfect. Just please watch what you guys say about me as I'm still here. Also that zstampe guy is the coolest member here!

Now I get the trash talking.... Haha clever

 

[Sants]

Wooops!

Why is the v8 4x4 "the best"? It's no different than the v6 minus the v6's select ability of 4 or 2 wheel drive.

Meant to say v8 4x4 here. Not that it is the best!

I thought my parents 98 was more capable the my 04 v8 is. I preferred that system to what is in the 4th gens. Have driven both in good amounts of snow and mud and the 3rd gen i thought was better.

I look at it like music. Sometimes analog is just better!

 

[crackiswack]

Meant to say v8 4x4 here. Not that it is the best!

I thought my parents 98 was more capable the my 04 v8 is. I preferred that system to what is in the 4th gens. Have driven both in good amounts of snow and mud and the 3rd gen i thought was better.

I look at it like music. Sometimes analog is just better!

Did you have the center diff locked?

 

[Jay12]

Look NJshadow93, I heard you were smearing my name on this forum and I feel bad for our past. I know we had a rough time in high school when Sally let me take her to prom after you had already asked her. I wanted to come on here and publicly apologize. I see that you have said bad things about me a few times now and I dont think its really fair to do that since all this happened some time ago. I just wanted to get that off my chest so please take my apology and realize that I could pop on you at any time whether you have "superior" v8 4wd or not. Anyway I just wanted to say that....

Oh ps: Sally and I are married with 3 beautiful kids now. Thanks for letting me take her to prom, you know how slick I am with the ladies!!!!!

Sincerely, your former enemy,
Black ICE

That was hilarious!!! Almost fell off my chair I laughed so hard.. :thanks::guitar3:

 

[Sants]

Did you have the center diff locked?

Yep!

 

[kobresia]

I think the best 4WD system is a V6 with broken/disabled VSC.

I drove around for a few years after one of the wheel speed sensor wires on the rear axle somehow got severed, before I knew (or cared) how to reset the yaw sensor to complete the repair.

ABS still seemed to function well enough, but some corners on my gravel-road commute just are more graceful with a little bit of selective rear traction loss. I'm somewhat annoyed that the throttle cuts-out and I get the dumb alarm so frequently (I don't need the computer to tell me I'm drifting), but I guess my tires are probably lasting a little longer.

It's clear that the computer just hates fun.

 

[emelianenkov]

I think the best 4WD system is a V6 with broken/disabled VSC.

I drove around for a few years after one of the wheel speed sensor wires on the rear axle somehow got severed, before I knew (or cared) how to reset the yaw sensor to complete the repair.

ABS still seemed to function well enough, but some corners on my gravel-road commute just are more graceful with a little bit of selective rear traction loss. I'm somewhat annoyed that the throttle cuts-out and I get the dumb alarm so frequently (I don't need the computer to tell me I'm drifting), but I guess my tires are probably lasting a little longer.

It's clear that the computer just hates fun.

I can't agree more! I put a VSC/TRAC mod in, and it's nice to be able to spin the wheels in 4WD without the diff locked. Also, leaving some nice 11's in 2WD is always fun too!

4WD with a locked diff is great off road, but locked diffs hate pavement. I decided on putting the mod in after I almost got T-boned by a lifted F-350 turning out of my school's parking lot two winters ago (when New England actually had snow). I'd rather a little bit of wheel spin and full use of my throttle, than have the computer control my throttle. Scariest experience to date.

 

[emelianenkov]

This is probably a dumb question, but logically, couldn't someone with a v6 drop in a v8, utilizing the 2 and 4WD transfer case? I'm thinking that it would solve a bit of the v8's fuel economy issues. Honestly, I don't understand why Toyota would put selectable 2/4WD in a v6, but limit us to full time 4WD in the v8.

I'm not going to be swapping a v8 into my truck because I think the v6 has enough power to suit my needs and driving style. But if Toyota had incorporated the selectable 2/4WD in a v8, I probably would have bought one.

Now in about 15 or 20 years when my truck dies, I have to choose between a v4 and a v6 for the next one.... Are you ****ing kidding me!?

I digress. Ponder my engine swap and let me know if I'm a complete dumbass or just an average fool

 

[MikeInNH]

Actually it probably would be cheaper to buy a V8 and replace the tranny and transfercase.

 

[emelianenkov]

Actually it probably would be cheaper to buy a V8 and replace the tranny and transfercase.

That seems fairly easy except you need to rewire the v8 to be able to use a 2hi/4hi/4lo switch.

Why haven't people tried this?

 

[crackiswack]

That seems fairly easy except you need to rewire the v8 to be able to use a 2hi/4hi/4lo switch.

Why haven't people tried this?

Seems like it would take quite a while to recover the cost due to the incremental increase in gas mileage seeing as how the 2wd v8 gets 15/18/16 while the full time 4wd gets 14/18/16

 

[kobresia]

This is probably a dumb question, but logically, couldn't someone with a v6 drop in a v8, utilizing the 2 and 4WD transfer case? I'm thinking that it would solve a bit of the v8's fuel economy issues. Honestly, I don't understand why Toyota would put selectable 2/4WD in a v6, but limit us to full time 4WD in the v8.

I'm not going to be swapping a v8 into my truck because I think the v6 has enough power to suit my needs and driving style. But if Toyota had incorporated the selectable 2/4WD in a v8, I probably would have bought one.

Now in about 15 or 20 years when my truck dies, I have to choose between a v4 and a v6 for the next one.... Are you ****ing kidding me!?

I digress. Ponder my engine swap and let me know if I'm a complete dumbass or just an average fool

If I was going to do an engine swap, I'd probably make it a Perkins turbodiesel since they're pretty quiet, pretty light, reasonably powerful, and would be an interesting experiment. There just seem to be too many things that would either not-be-quite-right or would need to be replaced to accommodate a different engine (including a different model of engine from the same basic model), that one might as well go ALL the way.

I'd agree with MikeInNH, that the better call would be to buy a V8 and only swap the transfer case. It's substantially less work and the impact to all the other electronics, especially the computer, would be minimal if the case has the same mounting points and mates-up correctly to the engine. Take a vehicle in which the transfer case needed to be replaced/rebuilt anyway, why not try something like this?

 

[emelianenkov]

If I was going to do an engine swap, I'd probably make it a Perkins turbodiesel since they're pretty quiet, pretty light, reasonably powerful, and would be an interesting experiment. There just seem to be too many things that would either not-be-quite-right or would need to be replaced to accommodate a different engine (including a different model of engine from the same basic model), that one might as well go ALL the way.

I'd agree with MikeInNH, that the better call would be to buy a V8 and only swap the transfer case. It's substantially less work and the impact to all the other electronics, especially the computer, would be minimal if the case has the same mounting points and mates-up correctly to the engine. Take a vehicle in which the transfer case needed to be replaced/rebuilt anyway, why not try something like this?

I was really interested in a jap import 3.0L diesel 4th gen. I think I recall someone on this forum having one.

The only reason I was thinking of putting a V8 into a V6 was because the V6 is already wired to control the transfer case. That's my logic behind it.

Would be a fun little project! Definitely fuel economy isn't the objective in this scenario.

 

[michaelreed]

Dude, IT IS THE SAME DARN SYSTEM plus one more mode!!!

The V6 has the VERY SAME LOCKING TORSEN CENTER DIFF!!!! You can run the V6 in 4WD on a dry highway just like you run your V8. You don't have to run the V6 in 2WD. It just gives you one more choice.

For goodness sakes.

Kind of off topic here, but I have a quick question. I'm kind of a noob to 4runners, I've only had mine 6 months. I was talking to my roomate (he has a jeep) and he was saying it's bad to drive in 4wd when its not snowing/ wet whatever else. Just curious, what makes it so the 4runner can be left in 4wd, but not in other vehicles?

 

[jimithing]

Kind of off topic here, but I have a quick question. I'm kind of a noob to 4runners, I've only had mine 6 months. I was talking to my roomate (he has a jeep) and he was saying it's bad to drive in 4wd when its not snowing/ wet whatever else. Just curious, what makes it so the 4runner can be left in 4wd, but not in other vehicles?

You wouldn't want to lock the differential unless your tires are able to spin a little like snow or sand. You might also see if your friend is familiar with the Torsen differential used in 4Runners (and other cars)

Torsen - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia