If you could do it all over, or if you could do it for someone else...

[Throwback]

I'm getting close to paying off my 2014 and have said up to now I would not put other money into it until I have the title in hand.

I'd like to hear how those of you who have done all the usual mods and actually off road your 4Runner would do it if you were starting again from scratch.

My desire is a no-nonsense, extremely reliable, set-it-and-forget-it, comfortable daily driver, family wagon, weekend warrior. I want to keep this truck and let my son drive it in 15 years. I have no desire to fool with rebuilding shocks and things like that. I don't want it to be uncomfortable on the street at it's truly 98%+ asphalt use versus dirt from a mileage perspective.

How necessary are the lifts, bumpers, sliders, winches, etc? How much of all that is worth the hard earned dollars, other than looking awesome in the garage?

Thanks in advance guys.

 

[LandCruiser]

My Toytec Ultimate/Bilstein 5100 lift actually rides better than when it was stock. True story.

 

[Hybryd40]

My desire is a no-nonsense, extremely reliable, set-it-and-forget-it, comfortable daily driver, family wagon, weekend warrior. I want to keep this truck and let my son drive it in 15 years. I have no desire to fool with rebuilding shocks and things like that. I don't want it to be uncomfortable on the street at it's truly 98%+ asphalt use versus dirt from a mileage perspective.

I think you answered your own question. Keep it the way it is. ^^

By the way. Kudos for the discipline of waiting. I didnt have your self control = )

 

[phillyd2]

I would bet that over 95% of actual real world owners don't mod at all. And a good 75% that do mod, do it mainly for 'looks'. So that answers your necessary question.

set-it-and-forget-it? Not sure how things such as different wheels, skids or even some suspensions require any more maintenance than the parts they are replacing.

Your truck. Your bucks. Do exactly what you want to do with it without regard to what some clown online thinks about it.

 

[Engineer]

*Recovery gear (means different things to different people but think, straps, traction mats, a good ol shovel all the way up to a winch)
*265 or 275 AT tires
*Sliders (if you are ever going to be on the type of trail that requires them) - saves money if that's the case as they really do prevent body damage
*Air compressor - dropping the tire PSI makes worlds of difference

That would be the order I recommend

 

[MossJenks]

I think if you really need anything you know it. If you think something would really help you do it and if not don't. If you're looking at something and thinking "hmmm, everybody says I should do this but I can't for the life of me figure out why" then you don't need it.

I agree that 75% of people do these things for looks. And of the remaining 25% most of them don't NEED most of their mods. There are plenty of people who say "I want to go off-road" and dump a bunch of money into a big lift, sliders, skids, bumpers, winch, etc. and while they DO go off-road they never do anything nastier than a poorly maintained fire road. Similarly, there are plenty of people who say "I want to go camping" and spring for an RTT, an ARB fridge and a dual battery setup - and they camp 3 or 4 nights a year at campgrounds in good weather.

So my advice is to really think about what you like and don't about your truck and then look at things you might do to improve it. For off-road use Engineer's list is pretty good. I do quite a bit of off-roading on some medium-nasty trails and that's really all I'm doing. I put a winch on my truck only because I'm involved with an off-road recovery group and it's sorta a requirement to participate but otherwise I have some cheap recovery boards, pick, shovel, recovery strap and some shackles. Tires. I've only had my 5th gen for a few months and I've bashed my rocker trim pretty badly so sliders are going on as soon as they're fabricated. Bumpers would be nice but too big of an investment - I'll wait until I bash my bumpers to replace them - so probably never. Air is good but don't bother with permanently mounting an expensive air compressor until you decide that your cheap portable unit isn't doing everything you want it to. I do runs with some pretty built trucks and almost everyone just uses a little portable unit.

Suspension - do you bottom out much off-road? Do you dislike how soft the stock ride is? Then get yourself a lift with some beefier shocks and higher-rate springs. There are plenty that are just as reliable and maintenance free as stock - and they're the cheap components to boot! But if you like the ride and you never bottom out then don't do it. Shocks do wear out so once you're over 100k miles you might think about replacing them - but that's true for any car.

 

[Jhalko]

Good tires and go, the truck is far more capable stock than most of us believe. On easy to moderate trails you will be fine. Just depends on what you intend to do, you can always add more stuff later if needed. There is no shame in turning around on a trail, I’ve done it many times along the way.

If you want a nice daily driver you can skip bumpers/winch and other boat anchoring weight.

A nice lift can ride as well or better than stock, but you have to decide if you want the cost.

Congrats on paying off your truck!

 

[Hybryd40]

My apologies to the OP if I am the clown. What I meant to say was that your vehicle is not going to be anymore maintenance free then what it probably is right now. Best Mileage is probably right now. No excuse but I hadn't had my coffee yet this morning = )

A set of 5100s and a little more aggressive 265 or 275 series tire would be a great start

 

[MossJenks]

Your first post was fine, Jeff, and good advice. Nothing to apologize for.

 

[6172crew]

If dobbinson made the comfort springs that lifted ony 1.5" I would look at swapping springs but I dont need a 3" lift. I have KDSS so I'm stiff from the factory. I have only been able to confirm from one member here hat swapping to TRD pro shocks/springs made it stiffer than stock on the KDSS equipped riggs.

 

[vjack]

If you want a no-nonsesnse daily driver, just keep it stock. Even putting A/T tires is going to have compromises (worse handling on pavement, worse MPG, louder). The ground clearance, 4x4, and ATRAC on a stock 4Runner is perfectly capable for a wide range of off-road activities.

If you are worried about getting stuck, your first piece of kit should be some self-recovery gear. Either Maxtrax (or similar) or a hand winch / come along / hi lift jack with the appropriate straps & chains

 

[Throwback]

Thanks for the input so far guys. Much appreciated.

I owned a '14 TE with KDSS for 6 months before trading it for my non-KDSS current TE. We do a lot of forest service road riding and running a washboard FS road at 20mph+ with the KDSS locked up was just brutal. The non-KDSS truck with stock everything feels like a trophy truck in comparison. That's one reason why I'm hesitant to lift this one.

I've turned around on several trails because of too many big rocks or too big of a chance of high-centering since I'm all stock. In those instances it would be nice to have more clearance, but I like the plushness and flex of the factory suspension. There is a fine line though - going downhill on a rough trail the heavy nose sometimes feels like it compresses the front suspension too far.

I keep a Viair compressor, tire plug kit, shackles, two recovery straps, and extra heavy duty bottle jack with me all the time. I had to help a guy change a tire on a trail one day and the big jack was nice to have. I should probably add a shovel to the kit.

 

[sandcrawler]

I'm getting close to paying off my 2014 and have said up to now I would not put other money into it until I have the title in hand.

I'd like to hear how those of you who have done all the usual mods and actually off road your 4Runner would do it if you were starting again from scratch.

My desire is a no-nonsense, extremely reliable, set-it-and-forget-it, comfortable daily driver, family wagon, weekend warrior. I want to keep this truck and let my son drive it in 15 years. I have no desire to fool with rebuilding shocks and things like that. I don't want it to be uncomfortable on the street at it's truly 98%+ asphalt use versus dirt from a mileage perspective.

How necessary are the lifts, bumpers, sliders, winches, etc? How much of all that is worth the hard earned dollars, other than looking awesome in the garage?

Thanks in advance guys.

personally, i think you're already halfway there — you gave it 4 years in stock form to really consider what it is and better refine what you'd like it to be.

you don't mention what your mileage is now, but the OE suspension wears over time so think about that factor.

everything really depends on you, who you are, and what you want/plan to do. good tires, recovery gear, and a set of real, quality sliders will go a long way. if you plan to keep it forever, consider a good aftermarket suspension a further investment in its longevity.

 

[Jetboy]

It's really hard to know what your usage is, so it's hard to make any type of good recommendations.

For me - I would put a winch bumper on rather than hidden winch. I'm already on bumper cover #2, and have #3 already bought and ready to put on in my garage. A winch partial bumper like SSO's would be my choice.

I would absolutely have a winch. IMO it's the single best mod you can have for offroading after good tires. You'll never not have one once you've had it. I would do that before any other mods.

That will depend on what you want. I would not buy fox again if I started today and were paying full retail. I'd probably go with OME BP51 or if going cheaper I'd look at the MRR setup from Dobinson. I WOULD buy adjustable height coilovers. I do adjust mine somewhat often. I like to keep the height low for daily driving. Then put it up a bit for offroading. I don't need max height for going to work. I do need it once or twice a year and it's just part of my trail prep.

Skids are up to your use. If you don't need em, don't buy them. Rock sliders are a must have.

I would keep the lift height as low as possible given your needs for off road use.

Finally I'd skip the roof rack, lights, traction pads, rotopax, etc. For me - I find no value in any of that stuff and it just makes your performance worse by adding weight. But if you have a family and are going offroad - sure the roof rack makes more sense for you. I have a roof rack basket - but I've never put it on this 4runner. I did need it for my 3rd gen on occasion. This one has more room inside.
I also own a set of traction mats - and I've never used them. Probably never will. I don't have any sand near me and don't see much utility otherwise. Skip them unless you actually have some idea of when you'd use them. A set of 4 can make a nice sleeping platform laid upside down on all your gear in the back.
Frankly - if you need to carry a lot of fuel, you probably should just buy a Tacoma. It's a lot easier to setup a taco for long range off grid travel. Gas is just one of the reasons.



And my ultimate advice - find somewhere to park a 2nd vehicle, spend $5k on an FJ80. Put a nice lift and 37's on it. It'll be a lot better in the dirt, and save a lot of money by keeping your 4runner nice and clean.

 

[e60ral]

[MENTION=147450]Throwback[/MENTION] if you haven't needed mods for offroading all this time and just want something no-nonsense and reliable it sounds like keeping it stock is best for you.

my favorite purchase is definitely my fridge, i use it every day. i keep snacks in there as well as sandwich stuff to make lunch at work (i'm sometimes on project sites and not in my office), i can buy groceries during lunch time and avoid the after work rush, etc... all my friends and coworkers with kids are jealous, this thing would be perfect for keep drinks and snacks for kids. i don't know if any of that is relatable for you, but it's definitely the purchase i'm most happy with.


i've kept mine as stock as possible so i'm pretty happy with my purchases. the only things i regret are my first antenna mount (the lip mounts i have now are much better), the firestik antenna (not flexible enough, the whip antenna i have now is harder to tune initially but much more practical after), and i definitely wasted money on camping gear that had "overlanding cred" that was too bulky and heavy- light and simple is the way to go.

 

[Throwback]

And my ultimate advice - find somewhere to park a 2nd vehicle, spend $5k on an FJ80. Put a nice lift and 37's on it. It'll be a lot better in the dirt, and save a lot of money by keeping your 4runner nice and clean.

Been there done that kind of. hwell: I had a 1966 CJ5 built for trails and it was awesome for that, but only if the trails were really close to home or I felt like fooling with trailering. There was no driving two hours to get to trails or any of that, which is why I decided to just have one super comfortable daily driver with good off road ability.


I can see the winch being good to have, especially since it's usually just my wife, the dog, and I going it alone. 10+ years ago I had a F150 Fx4 with a Warn bumper and winch and it was huge peace of mind and got me out of a handful of stucks that would've ruined a day otherwise.


Now, doesn't getting a winch and even a "slimline" bumper pretty much necessitate heavier duty front suspension due to the weight?

To answer a couple other questions - Currently 45k miles. My use case is solo (with my wife) offroading more for the purposes of exploring out of the way places than conquering obstacles. Long day trips are the norm since we live an hour away from Springer Mountain and a lot of the NE Georgia forest service roads and trails. We mix the driving with hiking with the dog once we get neat places.

So no rock crawling and nothing where there's a really obvious chance of hurting the truck. That's really why I'm not involved with the local off road groups - I see all the photos they post of high water crossings, mud holes, and guys bashing trucks on rocks and I don't want any part of that.

 

[T4 Leaf]

Wow...great financial discipline OP...

I was just noticing how well my 5100s help HWY driving and handling...so I agree with the posters who say 5100s and new tires. Also, I think a mount to frame roof rack makes sense for a useful "forget-it" purchase, and can support RTTs and other hobbies...plus it looks cool

 

[Jetboy]

I do think that the winch and slimeline bumper would warrant some additional spring rate if nothing else. It doesn't have to be expensive on the suspension side. Dobinsions and a few other manufacturers have replacement springs that you could use with your OEM shocks. If you're not wanting to go fast in rough terrain for long periods of time, the stock shocks are fine. If you want a lower cost upgrade the TRD Pro shocks have been on sale for about $480 for the full set. Those would probably work just fine with the winch and leave you very similar height to OEM given the small front lift they provide.

I think that would be a fine option for an upgrade - if you want more suspension height. You could also possibly just add a small top plate spacer. I'm not a big fan of spacers generally, but small spacers are just fine.

Another option is a hitch mount winch. They work well too. An you can leave at home. The downside is that they stick out a lot on a 5th gen that already has a bumper that hangs way out in front (as a result of pedestrian crash rules I think). And they're heavy and take up a lot of space in the back. But it might work just fine for you. I did that on my last 4runner and it worked great.

 

[scanny]

In my opinion all modifications depend on how you're going to use your truck, what kind of off-road trails you want to run. The more mods you have the more difficult tails you can take. Personally I didn't do any mods, just carry recovery equipment, even bought a 3 ton cable puller as a last resort. And I'm going offroad from time to time with my offroad club, but only if they say that trail is passable for stock trucks. By the way pictures offroad clubs post on the Internet are often highllights of trail runs, a lot of dangerous spots have safe bypasses, but there's no glory in posting video of how you bypassed deep hole or step rock : )
Aside of daily driving and occasional trail runs I use my 4Runner a lot for going to crown land camping, overlanding, fishing etc, so it's mostly old logging roads, normally not passable by cars. Sometimes I wish I had lift, steel bumpers, snorkel and winch, but so far worst damage I had is bent running board and few dents on skid plates. Mods are tricky in my opinion since they potentially can affect reliability and will affect fuel consumption which means that your refuelling range will be shorter.

So answering your question I would say that mods are not really a must but it depends on how bad trails are. Try stock first, see what trails you have around and what places you want to get to and then you'll see if what mods you need if any at all. Where I live we have trails rated from 1 to 5, 1 being easiest and 5 hardest. For stock 4 Runner 3+ is passable with a lot of caution and really slow, for more difficult trails lift, bigger tires and winch are must. In other words I found stock 4Runner very capable offroad and suitable for a lot of trails, but your location is different.

 

[DesertCanyons]

Mods that you need and mods you want

You're very close to having everything you need, given the two posts where you describe your use and recovery gear. And good for you not going into more debt to buy mods. I saved and paid cash for my 2015 TE with KDSS.

My mod's for the So Cal deserts were: rock sliders, full length roof top rack, Weathertech floor mats, recovery gear, a shovel, a come-along winch, Viair air compressor, RCI skid plates, ICON Stage 7 tubular lift for 3" more ground clearance, 285/70 17 AT tires for another inch of added ground clearance, remote oil filter location for easier maintenance.

That's sort of the order that I installed them too. Here's why I did it:
The rock sliders will save your under-door rocker panels from expensive damage.
I never paid for Toyota carpet mats. I bought the Weathertech floor mats shortly after I got the car.
The Baja Racks, flat utility rack has served me well. Not only can I tie camping equipment, shovels and firewood on top, I've gotten a lot of use out of it hauling lumber and plywood for home projects.
I started a thread on Recovery Gear a while ago and got lots of good responses there.
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/213078-recovery-gear-options.html
A shovel is one vital piece of equipment that everyone should carry.
The come along winch is an easy inexpensive substitute for a built-in winch on an aftermarket bumper. It weighs about 35 lbs and I only carry it when I'm going off road. Look at the American Power Pull and Wyeth Scott come along winches.
A bridle and two recovery points both front and back make the winch easy to use and recover easier whether your getting yourself unstuck or getting pulled out by another vehicle. My recovery thread has a few posts about how I added a 2nd recovery point on the back.
I mangled my front skid plate on desert rocks that I thought I could drive over. The RCI or any brand of skid plates are much stronger. The OEM gas tank skid plate is a bit of a joke.
My lift, The ICON Stage 7 was expensive and a lot of work to install with KDSS and 5 new trailing arms on the rear axle. But I got a lot of clearance and adjustability out of it. Several people have posted about easier lift options.
I could not have installed 285/70 AT tires without the lift. Tires are the most important part of gaining ground clearance.
The remote oil filter by Baxter Performance is a convenience option. It's not cheap to do, but if you have aftermarket skid plates it makes life easier. I'm about half way done installing that and hope to finish it today.

Well, these are my mods and what they do for my rig. I'll be exploring some remote desert trails this winter and spring.

The most important part of recovery from being stuck is to go with other vehicles. If you do get stuck or break down, another person can make getting out a lot easier and could go for help if needed.

Have fun,
Dave