Modification priority list for performance

sprocket47 said:
I totally appreciate the difference between an MT and AT tire. I guess I thought it was size that was being pointed out as a non-upgrade from stock. I prefer a 255 or narrower sticking close to the 32" diameter.

If my rig has a CAI then it's encapseled in some sort of freak factory package that looks just like a standard air filter setup. Definitely not the open K&N concept. But if it isn't going to help, then there isn't any point in worrying about it.

So first priority: airbags and suspension (Bilstein)

Also - I know what rock crawling is and what it takes. That was a joke...
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Where is the stock intake pulling air from? The inner fender right? The Cold Air from the inner fender, not Hot Air from the engine compartment.
 
1engineer said:
Where is the stock intake pulling air from? The inner fender right? The Cold Air from the inner fender, not Hot Air from the engine compartment.
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Seriously? You know exactly what I'm talking about. I love when pretentious people try to give advice and assume we're all small little common folk.
 
flyboysgt said:
While it isn't like adding a supercharger to your truck, apparently the TRD intake does help. Gains are minimal, but it has been dyno proven on this forum that there are gains to be had. I don't know why people keep telling you otherwise. Like I said, its just not going to be a ton. I wish I could remember the poster that was kind enough to do the dyno runs. I know he drove it through an epic river forging! Maybe someone will be kind enough to link it for you.
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The gains are minimal. Which means that that $200 piece of plastic could better be spent on the difference for supreme for several months and you could enjoy a more economical, feasible difference in fuel economy, rather than a different filter box.

The stock filter draws cold air out of the fender as 1engineer said. I believe the burden of proof for increased dyno results based on the TRD CAI lies with you, as you're claiming it makes more than a negligible difference, no?
 
nb rob said:
I think he was responding to flyboysgt's comment....
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I believe 1engineer quoted who he was talking about....

nb rob said:
The gains are minimal. Which means that that $200 piece of plastic could better be spent on the difference for supreme for several months and you could enjoy a more economical, feasible difference in fuel economy, rather than a different filter box.

The stock filter draws cold air out of the fender as 1engineer said. I believe the burden of proof for increased dyno results based on the TRD CAI lies with you, as you're claiming it makes more than a negligible difference, no?
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First off...the TRD intake is approx. $420..(that's USD since you're in Canada). 2nd....When I use my decoder ring to determine what you were trying to say in your first paragraph, I am guessing you meant his money could be spent better elsewhere. Please re-read my original post. It expressly says that the gains are minimal. With that said, I am sure the OP is a big boy and can spend his/her hard earned money however they please and doesn't need financial tips from you. Oh btw, thank you for explaining how a cold air intake works. I had no clue! (That's American for sarcasm). Ever think maybe the engineers at Toyota didn't design everything perfectly in order to drain the last bit of power out of a piece of equipment? That wouldn't happen though, right? All engineers are perfect! (That's sarcasm again).
 
you need to relax buddy. Your condescension is amazing. Please don't assume I'm stupid because I'm from Canada.
 
nb rob said:
you need to relax buddy. Your condescension is amazing. Please don't assume I'm stupid because I'm from Canada.
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nb rob said:
And the OP was inquiring about where to spend money.

If you can't handle adult conversation than maybe you should take your decoder ring and get lost.

That's canadian for "scram you arrogant jabroni"
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No one said that you were stupid. Since you felt it was necessary to explain how a cold air intake worked, I wanted to make sure that there wasn't a language barrier and all. I believe I handled the conversation very well. In fact, I had no such problems what-so-ever. I think I'll stay for a while, thanks. :flamewar:
 
<a href="http://s1262.photobucket.com/albums/ii615/kelseyreder/?action=view&current=1ba44c2f06176444d933f23c7f0283a3_zpseclggzic.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1262.photobucket.com/albums/ii615/kelseyreder/1ba44c2f06176444d933f23c7f0283a3_zpseclggzic.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos" /></a>
 
Hellamatic said:
<a href="http://s1262.photobucket.com/albums/ii615/kelseyreder/?action=view&current=1ba44c2f06176444d933f23c7f0283a3_zpseclggzic.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1262.photobucket.com/albums/ii615/kelseyreder/1ba44c2f06176444d933f23c7f0283a3_zpseclggzic.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos" /></a>
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WOW !:smash: [MENTION=66316]1engineer[/MENTION] is probably one of our most esteemed members , he can be a bit dry, however he speaks from his engineers heart he keeps his stuff oem because that's him . Straight shooter ! Hard to get some peoples edge over the big net ! But he's well-meaning , there are plenty of guys & girls here who have built awesome 4runners . That's why most say drive them for awhile get the feel of your 4r because we all drive & think we're REALLY good drivers & off-roaders . I know it's time consuming but the build threads have some the most bad-ass builds going , guys have spent thousands of dollars getting THEIR rigs how THEY like them !! I built mine how I like MY likes & needs . I know everything 1engineer says is correct do I always listen to him NO but it's not because I don't think he is wrong about stuff but how I want to have my 4r ! Anyway Op sounds like you know where you're headed so chill & enjoy our collective smartass, salty, sometimes ruthless chatter & definetly take nothing personal please !!!:hurt: Do yourself a big favor & look & search at all these cool builds you'll see what you need without firing the natives up . And I built my own trd intake for 260$ & I don't give a FUG if it don't do shite :flypig:Thank you & welcome ! Was that ok Greg ?
 
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Welcome to the 4Runner fam, everyone here has helped me a lot when I started modding the Pro. My current mods are in my signature, feel free to ask me any questions you may like, there is no such thing as a dumb question. :cheers:
 
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sprocket47 said:
Coming from the Xterra world, I'm a little surprised by some of the responses. I'm thinking the 4Runner folks are more into looks than performance (this isn't directed to all responses). I put a cold air intake system on my xterra and it made a world of difference then a performance exhaust was even better.
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Dalko43 said:
I would also point out that the 4runner's throttle was purposely designed to be very progressive, meaning you really have to push the accelerator pedal down hard to get some grunt out of the engine....this may cause the vehicle to seem slow on the road, but I promise this type of pedal feel really makes all the difference on rough terrain. In fact, the entire vehicle feels extremely capable on rough terrain, and I think the engine is absolutely fine the way it is for that kind of driving.
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After all the angst I almost feel silly posting, but I figured I'm chime in with my experience. I have a 4Runner and my wife has a Nissan Pathfinder, and the problem isn't in the power (or lack) from the 4Runner. You touch the pedal on the Nissan and it takes off, and I'm guessing your XTerra was the same.. You have to mash on the 4Runner for the same response. This gets both of us in trouble when we switch vehicles.

However, pressed to the floor they have about the same power. It's all in how the computer responds to the pedal movement. We've never had a drag race, and if we did the Nissan would probably pull ahead a bit, but that's not what the 4Runner is for. She has plenty of power where it counts. I've pulled a heavy 25-ft pontoon up a very steep ramp in 2H (so steep trailer was submerged but rear tires never got wet). You put her in 4Low and she'll pull anything you need it to pull.
 
sprocket47 said:
I totally appreciate the difference between an MT and AT tire. I guess I thought it was size that was being pointed out as a non-upgrade from stock. I prefer a 255 or narrower sticking close to the 32" diameter.

If my rig has a CAI then it's encapseled in some sort of freak factory package that looks just like a standard air filter setup. Definitely not the open K&N concept. But if it isn't going to help, then there isn't any point in worrying about it.

So first priority: airbags and suspension (Bilstein)

Also - I know what rock crawling is and what it takes. That was a joke...
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I may have come off as somewhat snarky in my last post to you. If so I apologize; I tend to have a somewhat dry sense of humor, but that doesn't translate well over the internet sometimes.

Here is what I meant:
Unless you are considering doing some serious upgrades to your suspension, I would stick with your stock tire size (265 70 17). You could probably get away with something in 275 or 285 70 17, but generally speaking when you start changing tire size you need to fiddle with the suspension, alignment and even the speedometer (depending on the delta in tire sizes).

255's are a narrower tire, and while there is nothing inherently wrong or bad about that, they generally don't offer the same amounts of grip as a wider tire (except perhaps in deep snow situations). Honestly, unless you are planning aggressive off-road trips into MOAB or very challenging muddy/rocky trails, your stock tire size is more than adequate and there are plenty of good A/T tires available.

As for the CAI and exhaust: I'm sure they offer some improvement in throttle response and HP. The point that I and many others have made is that the the amount of additional HP and performance you get really isn't worth the money you spend; your money would be better spent on suspension, tires, skids, tools, recovery gear, gas, ect.

Does that make sense?
 
wfo9 said:
Yea, stock skids are a no go.

The typical order I would recommend for a multi purpose trail rig. (again these depends on your needs and after level 1 the daily driver starts to suffer a bit with piss poor mpg. 0 = best on the road with highest reliability. 4 = best on the trail. Everything is a compromise.

Levl 0:
- stock
- min Recovery gear
- better tires

Level 1:
- Lift + 33" tires + UCAs
- Skids
- Sliders

Level 2:
- Gears (4.56)
- Front air Locker, Rear if you don't already have one
- Bigger MT tires (34")
- LT rear springs, brake lines, lower control arms
- Bumpers
- Winch
- Springs up front to handle the added weight

Level 3:
- LT front (requires CV axles, LCA, UCA... Coil overs valved for new ratio)
- Custom Fenders or major cutting clear the tires
- 35" tires
- Custom rear axle to match the track up front
- Lefty dual speed trans case

Level 4:
- SAS
- 3Link rear
- Trailer
- LS1 swap
- Exo cage
- Another truck to daily drive :ballchain:
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This info would be useful as a sticky, maybe in the Off Road section. With A LOT of expansion in the Level 0-1 area which is where most people live.

"Better Tires" can be anything from an AT or MT tread in the stock size (31.6") to wider and/or taller. To go much wider (285-70-17 and above) you also need wider wheels. And so on.
 
Agree ^ ! OP sounds like he has an idea , my humble advice would be 6112 & 5160s 255/70/17 cooper stmaxx & call it a day ? Then all spend all your $$ on gear ! IMFHO
 
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