Dot_Tom's '17 MGM TRD OR Progress page

[EddieV4runnin]

Thanks! It's not terrible. I've driven slower vehicles but I agree you need gears if going over 285s. I can tell the 4Runner doesn't enjoy trying to power the extra weight and I do a lot of highway driving.

My 3rd's have been on order for 2 months at ECGS. They keep telling me "oh we are waiting on cores. we promise yours is next" when the reality is, I think I'm getting skipped over but hopefully I'll get my 4.56's soon.

Thanks for the reply, My 4Runner is my daily driver, low MPG doesn’t bother me I just didn’t want to buy a 295/70r17 and hate myself for not regearing first. I compared the Ridge Grappler tire sizes and a 285/70R17 is .5 inches shorter than a 295/70r17. Didn’t think it would make much of a difference on acceleration. Did you move up to a 295 because the 285s looked too small? From what I’ve been reading everyone’s been really happy with the Nitto RG. I’m running KO2s now but those run small compared to other tires of the same spec. I’m going to be ordering the RGs for my next set.

 

[dot_tom]

Thanks for the reply, My 4Runner is my daily driver, low MPG doesn’t bother me I just didn’t want to buy a 295/70r17 and hate myself for not regearing first. I compared the Ridge Grappler tire sizes and a 285/70R17 is .5 inches shorter than a 295/70r17. Didn’t think it would make much of a difference on acceleration. Did you move up to a 295 because the 285s looked too small? From what I’ve been reading everyone’s been really happy with the Nitto RG. I’m running KO2s now but those run small compared to other tires of the same spec. I’m going to be ordering the RGs for my next set.

Happy to help. Mine is my daily also. I bought it back in July '17 and already have 35k on it. The gears will be welcomed with open arms, ha!

I started out with 285 KO2s and they were great. They do run very small when compared to the 285 RG's in person. The actual comparable numbers don't do it justice. KO2's are small. The 295 RG's are a bit taller, wider, and look much beefier than the RG's in 285. I went with 295/70 instead of 305/65 because I wanted the height vs the width. 305/65 are about the same height as 285, just wider.

I ran 285 RG's for a couple weeks and still, they looked too small. The 295 is the perfect height and width IMO. Not too big to cause problems like a 315 but just right.

KO2 vs RG- I am very happy with the RG. Quiet, grippy, balances very well, and so far with about 5k miles very minimal wear. I will say they seem to show wear more from trail riding than my KO2's did.

Next tire? I'm hopeful the new BFG KM3 comes in 295/70. If not, I am sure I will just stay with the RG's in 295.

If you go 295, definitely buy the gears. It's not about the MPG's more than it is the power. 295 will put you just barely lower than factory gearing with 4.56.

And here's a picture just for fun from my recent windrock tirp.

 

[AWasson]

Happy to help. Mine is my daily also. I bought it back in July '17 and already have 35k on it. The gears will be welcomed with open arms, ha!

I started out with 285 KO2s and they were great. They do run very small when compared to the 285 RG's in person. The actual comparable numbers don't do it justice. KO2's are small. The 295 RG's are a bit taller, wider, and look much beefier than the RG's in 285. I went with 295/70 instead of 305/65 because I wanted the height vs the width. 305/65 are about the same height as 285, just wider.

I ran 285 RG's for a couple weeks and still, they looked too small. The 295 is the perfect height and width IMO. Not too big to cause problems like a 315 but just right.

KO2 vs RG- I am very happy with the RG. Quiet, grippy, balances very well, and so far with about 5k miles very minimal wear. I will say they seem to show wear more from trail riding than my KO2's did.

Next tire? I'm hopeful the new BFG KM3 comes in 295/70. If not, I am sure I will just stay with the RG's in 295.

If you go 295, definitely buy the gears. It's not about the MPG's more than it is the power. 295 will put you just barely lower than factory gearing with 4.56.

And here's a picture just for fun from my recent windrock tirp.

Dumb question, but what mpg were you getting before, and then now?

 

[wtmtnrunner]

15052 lt295/70r17 121/118q 121/118 q e

Just went to BFG's site and this is the part number for the 295, looks like a nice tire, more details now on their site.

 

[dot_tom]

Dumb question, but what mpg were you getting before, and then now?

No dumb questions here.

Before MPG with 285's- I could expect 16.5 average. Some highway trips would yield over 17 some city trips would be mid to upper 15's.

Current setup with 295's - I expect 14 mpg. I did 500 miles yesterday to Alabama and back to Georgia and saw 14.1. City drops down to about 13 mpg.

Just went to BFG's site and this is the part number for the 295, looks like a nice tire, more details now on their site.

Thanks! Looks like I'll be snagging a set in 295 later this year to try out.

 

[dot_tom]

About 2 weeks ago I received my new third and clamshell with the 4.56's installed from ECGS. Took about 2 months to get. I was told '17 & '18's have a bit different thirds and they needed to wait for a newer third to come in??? ehh, I'm just glad I finally got them in.

Install was super easy. Nothing too hard about it, just time-consuming. I used a write-up/DIY for an FJ and it worked great. My friend Bryan helped with handing tools, lifting stuff, and drinking beers with me. These parts are heavy!

The rear was definitely the easiest end to do.

Did the rear on Thursday night when the gears arrived. Did the front the following Friday evening. Tip: Make sure to jack the vehicle up high enough to give you plenty of room and use big heavy duty jack stands.

After install, you can immediately notice how much power this thing has gained back. 295 and 4.56's bring back plenty of torque. I couldn't imagine how the 285's are but I plan to go up to at least 305's later this year.

Now that I am past the 500-mile break-in period I can comment on hwy manners. This thing will cruise at 80 mph no problem and pass with ease. The MPG has gotten worse for me. Probably because it's easier to mash the gas and get results. City is around 12.5-13 and hwy has been around 14 mpg. They say not to change gears for MPG, change them for the power and that has been clear.

I have not been offroad with the new gears but I like everything about the new setup. I was on the fence between Supercharger or Gears and this was the cheaper route to get power back to the ground.

 

[dot_tom]

I also got married on 5/18! We eloped and it was perfect. I feel for any guys dealing with bridezillas!

 

[arehman11]

Congrats on the marriage! Definitely have enjoyed your build thread and love your 4R.

Question, do you have a diff drop since you are sitting at 3" in the front?

 

[dot_tom]

Congrats on the marriage! Definitely have enjoyed your build thread and love your 4R.

Question, do you have a diff drop since you are sitting at 3" in the front?

Thank you! I do not have a diff drop. Since my setup has settled I am actually at 2.5" front and rear. I see 4Runners on a weekly basis with more lift than mine. Yet I run 295's and 17x9 -38 wheels with no rubbing. The other day I was next to a 5th gen on 285's and he had a good inch on me. I like keeping the rig as low as possible. Suspension travel is a great thing, up and down. Everything I read said no need for diff drop on 3" lift. So I never bothered with it and I have zero driveline vibrations or binding.

 

[DeepSea]

About 2 weeks ago I received my new third and clamshell with the 4.56's installed from ECGS. Took about 2 months to get. I was told '17 & '18's have a bit different thirds and they needed to wait for a newer third to come in??? ehh, I'm just glad I finally got them in.

Install was super easy. Nothing too hard about it, just time-consuming. I used a write-up/DIY for an FJ and it worked great. My friend Bryan helped with handing tools, lifting stuff, and drinking beers with me. These parts are heavy!

The rear was definitely the easiest end to do.

Did the rear on Thursday night when the gears arrived. Did the front the following Friday evening. Tip: Make sure to jack the vehicle up high enough to give you plenty of room and use big heavy duty jack stands.

After install, you can immediately notice how much power this thing has gained back. 295 and 4.56's bring back plenty of torque. I couldn't imagine how the 285's are but I plan to go up to at least 305's later this year.

Now that I am past the 500-mile break-in period I can comment on hwy manners. This thing will cruise at 80 mph no problem and pass with ease. The MPG has gotten worse for me. Probably because it's easier to mash the gas and get results. City is around 12.5-13 and hwy has been around 14 mpg. They say not to change gears for MPG, change them for the power and that has been clear.

I have not been offroad with the new gears but I like everything about the new setup. I was on the fence between Supercharger or Gears and this was the cheaper route to get power back to the ground.

Bummer it didn't help MPG but like you mentioned, it's probably because you're mashing the peddle now :biggrin1:

 

[dot_tom]

Bummer it didn't help MPG but like you mentioned, it's probably because you're mashing the peddle now :biggrin1:

Yea I'm curious how the MPG will change once the new wears off. Hopefully I can get a good trip in soon and see how it really does geared up on the highway and how it climbs in 4LO.

Solved my MPG problem with a new daily. Now the wife drives the 4Runner to her office a few miles away. Time for more mods and bigger tires!

 

[MinecraftGriefer]

Alot of people hate the look of the new Accord but I think they look good in the Sport and Touring models.

 

[squishmitten]

Man I'm glad I found this thread today! I used to follow your old civic build on HT before you got the ITR. This thing's coming along very nicely! And fast too! Keep up the good work man, I'll be lurking here opcorn:

 

[cutty01]

I am one of those h8rs. I am in the market right now but I don't like the look of the "uni-brow" on the new models. That said, that side profile picture that Tom took is nice looking. I have narrowed down my better MPG vehicle to either the Accord or the Mazda 6. Oh, or if my wife let's me - the Kia Stinger 365HP GT1.

Alot of people hate the look of the new Accord but I think they look good in the Sport and Touring models.

 

[MinecraftGriefer]

I am one of those h8rs. I am in the market right now but I don't like the look of the "uni-brow" on the new models. That said, that side profile picture that Tom took is nice looking. I have narrowed down my better MPG vehicle to either the Accord or the Mazda 6. Oh, or if my wife let's me - the Kia Stinger 365HP GT1.

Just black out the whole car If you decide on the Mazda 6 I strongly suggest you get the Soul Red color, it looks incredible.

 

[dot_tom]

Alot of people hate the look of the new Accord but I think they look good in the Sport and Touring models.

I wasn't a fan at first. Went last October and looked at getting a white one but just wasn't warmed up to the look yet. I used to have a '17 Accord Sport that I loved and almost bought a used one to replace my old one. Decided to go new and I'm very happy with it. New tech like the adaptive cruise control and the Apple Car Play really sold me on the new one. Plus, I'm going to be testing the new Hondata Flashpro and help in developing their 1.5t tunes.

Here is my old silver one.

Man I'm glad I found this thread today! I used to follow your old civic build on HT before you got the ITR. This thing's coming along very nicely! And fast too! Keep up the good work man, I'll be lurking here opcorn:

Hey, welcome! Glad to see you make it to this thread. I was excited to see some decent activity on Toyota forums compared to HT and NWP. I was super bummed to see NWP go away :/ You make the switch to a 4runner?

I am one of those h8rs. I am in the market right now but I don't like the look of the "uni-brow" on the new models. That said, that side profile picture that Tom took is nice looking. I have narrowed down my better MPG vehicle to either the Accord or the Mazda 6. Oh, or if my wife let's me - the Kia Stinger 365HP GT1.

Mazda 6 is really nice but I have a long history with Honda. 91 Civic Si, 98 Integra, 03 S2000, 06 S2000, 2000 Civic, 96 Civic, 96 Civic, 98 Integra Type R, 09 Accord, 16 HRV, 17 Accord, and now the 18 Accord.

The Kia Stinger is nice, but for the money, I feel like there are other options. I'm one of those guys that just hasn't accepted Kia or Hyundai.

Just black out the whole car If you decide on the Mazda 6 I strongly suggest you get the Soul Red color, it looks incredible.

I almost went Black with my accord. Black makes any car look good but I couldn't handle the upkeep. I've had two black cars and swore I would never go back. I like the gray Mazda's but that red is awesome as well.

 

[dot_tom]

Hit some trails at Windrock this past Sunday. New 4.56's are great off-road! Before I rarely used 4HI due to the low power. I just always used 4LO. Now I am able to use 4HI to get through just about everything until the going gets rough.

 

[neatoneto]

Hey Tom just went through your entire build and it sure is awesome! Great looking truck. I’m glad you were insistent on the F5’s. I just got my bronze ones in and am waiting on the 285 KO2’s to arrive.

My question to you is what UCA are you running. Depending how the new setup goes I’ve been thinking about ditching the garbage preloaded front spring and rear spacer for some OME or Dobinsons coils to get a 3/2” lift. I saw you were able to achieve 4.5° of caster but how?!

 

[DeepSea]

Hey bro do you have any photos looking down your fender line showing how wide that F5 offset is? My 295 MTZP3s are starting to get a bit too loud but I love the size and the Ridge Grapplers in that size look perfect. Our state inspection laws are a bit stringent so just want to make sure they don't stick too far out. Thanks!

 

[Kamalani Mahie]

Read through your whole thread; awesome build! Got any picks of your cb setup? Curious how you mounted it in the console. Thanks!