Need 3rd gen purchase advice please

[flygirl0344]

So I've had two 3rd gens and currently have a '99 limited, 2WD-all stock,zero mods so have no exp w/4Runner 4WD's. I'm thinking of buying the indentical 4RNR i have now but a 4WD w/the following mods. Can anyone take a look and tell me if the mods look good, meaning are appropriate for a 3rd gen 4WD and they didn't install upgrades that are for a kia sport! lol
The seller said it does have an oil pan leak but that was the only issue he new of.
Thanks in advance.

Freedom Off Road UCA
Bilstein 5100 front
Toytec rear struts
Toytec rear spring HEAVY DUTY (for towing/firmer ride)
2.5" Susp lift

All below w/in 5k miles:
New Timing Belt/Water Pump/Thermostat/Pulleys
New OEM Gas Cap
New OEM Radiator and Hoses with coolant flush
New OEM Evap Canister and evap hoses
New 1x OEM Ignition Coil Pack
New OEM Spark Plug Wires
New OEM 2x Lower Ball Joint (both sides)
New OEM Clockspring
New OEM Intermediate Steering Shaft
New Fuel pump
New Spark Plugs
New Valve Cover gasket (upper and lower)
New Power steering pump
New Rack and Pinion
New Leather Seat Upholstery for Driver and Passenger Seats

Tundra Big Brake Upgrade (New rotors, Pads, calipers from Tundra)

285/70/17 BFG KO2 load C
Wrapped to 5th Gen TRD Off Road Rims 17s

 

[desertegal7]

if i understood you right then the potential 4runner you are willing to buy already having those upgrades / maintenances already done.

if its that the case then its nice to have, periodical maintenance almost complete. you may check/change diff, transmission, transfer fluids.

lucky you got all the handling hardware replaced and tundra brake upgrade,,
you only need to install a snorkel to complete the build.

since tires are bigger you may consider regearing differential

 

[flygirl0344]

yes, the upgrades are already done but my question is with the upgrade list, do they look like appropriate 3rd gen upgrades? Meaning the correct stuff based on the description for a 4runner ..brakes, springs, struts, etc Or should I not even be concerned with that b/c if they weren't appropriate, they wouldn't fit on the truck...?

And how will I know if the rear end would need re-gearing?


thanks!

 

[Bad Luck]

yes, the upgrades are already done but my question is with the upgrade list, do they look like appropriate 3rd gen upgrades? Meaning the correct stuff based on the description for a 4runner ..brakes, springs, struts, etc Or should I not even be concerned with that b/c if they weren't appropriate, they wouldn't fit on the truck...?

And how will I know if the rear end would need re-gearing?


thanks!

All the upgrades/maintenance listed is appropriate for a 3rd gen. The maintenance performed (radiator/lower ball joints/timing belt) should have you caught up on major maintenance. The only other thing I would recommend is front and rear diff fluids, transfer case fluid, and transmission fluid (several drain and fills OR transmission flush). I would ask the seller for parts receipts or repair receipts for what is listed.

Stock gear ratio with 33's will be fine since you are in Florida where it's flat and sea level. If you do want to regear keep in mind that front and rear differentials will need to be regeared which is a couple grand without adding any lockers.

 

[flygirl0344]

bad, excellent! thanks for that very helpful reply. My last (hopefully) question is would you feel more confident in buying the 4RNR w/ the mods @ $7k (3ook miles) or buying another stock 4RNR at $7k 158K miles and doing the mods yourself?

oh and i moved to phoenix soooo, not so flat here, hence me wanting a 4x4!

 

[RandyBobandy]

I like that list of upgrades a lot, sounds like the owner knows what he’s doing. The C load 33s are a big plus too, I have E load 33s and want to switch to C next time I need tires

 

[Bad Luck]

bad, excellent! thanks for that very helpful reply. My last (hopefully) question is would you feel more confident in buying the 4RNR w/ the mods @ $7k (3ook miles) or buying another stock 4RNR at $7k 158K miles and doing the mods yourself?

oh and i moved to phoenix soooo, not so flat here, hence me wanting a 4x4!

Quite a different climate and terrain from Florida then! I still wouldn't recommend a regear for 33's unless you are wanting to add a traction device or have additional armor weighing you down or are frequently towing. Just my $0.02 on the subject.

I wouldn't hesitate to buy the one with 300k miles, but I also do all my own mechanical work and have access to a vehicle lift. The lower mileage one is probably due to for most (if not all) of the service maintenance that was done on the 300k mile 4Runner. If you are able to do all the maintenance work on your own then timing belt/lower ball joints/radiator/fluids with OEM or OEM equivalent parts should be achievable for about $1200ish.

The only thing that I personally would avoid is the Limited 4wd trims for 96-00. They use an electric actuator for shifting the 2wd/4wd portion of the transfer case and I always had issues with my Limited going in/out of 4wd. That's a personal preference so take it with a grain of salt. Some people never have an issue, but I live up to my name.

EDIT: Keep in mind that for a bilstein lift like what's on the 300k mile 4Runner it would be roughly $1000 so take that into consideration as well. If I only had enough money for the vehicle itself and a little bit of maintenance money I would go with the 300k mile 4Runner.

 

[flygirl0344]

Bad, this is so incredibly helpful! You were so thorough in your reply and added additional commentary that I also was wondering ab but forgot to ask!

Ok so I’ll reach out to him again today and ask ab the leak underneath. If it’s rear diff vs oil pan is that a big deal? I’m guessing yes.

Also what do you mean your pref is to avoid limited trims from 96-00? But you’d still buy the one I’m considering even tho it’s a limited?

And based on the mods I listed, what do you think all of those cost him?

Thanks a million!

 

[Romeo1]

I like that list of upgrades a lot, sounds like the owner knows what he’s doing. The C load 33s are a big plus too, I have E load 33s and want to switch to C next time I need tires

Do it. So worth it. Load E is complete overkill and an unnecessary tire casing construction for what a 4runner needs. I don’t miss my E’s even a little. This current set has been an improvement on ever category except cost and 3pmsf. We never go past 38-40psi ever. Actually an SL 3 ply sidewall would even be better, but that doesn’t exist anywhere from what I’ve researched, so LTC it is.

Frickin sucks that the tire availability in C and 3ply side wall is a joke though. Especially in 265/76r16. I only found 1 MT tire. 285s in 16 load C are non existent. A handful of 285 options in 17. Toyo MT and nitto ridge grap make an option in 285/75/17.

I keep getting my eye drawn to the 35x11.5 terra grappler though. It’s the only one on load C. 6 tenths of an inch taller than the toyo MT 34.1” 285/85/17 tire. If nitto, bfg, or General made a 285/75/17, LTC, 3 ply side, it would be such an easy decision. Them toyo mt’s are great, but you can definitely tell they are a harder rubber.

I wished I could get a 33-34” tire in 16” load C and 265 or 10.5 wide that wasn’t an interco tire. That would be so damn sweet. But, It it doesn’t exist unfortunately.

 

[Romeo1]

bad, excellent! thanks for that very helpful reply. My last (hopefully) question is would you feel more confident in buying the 4RNR w/ the mods @ $7k (3ook miles) or buying another stock 4RNR at $7k 158K miles and doing the mods yourself?

oh and i moved to phoenix soooo, not so flat here, hence me wanting a 4x4!

Well, what’s the condition of the rest of the vehicle on either one?

I bought mine with like 365k. But I got it cheap cause it had issues that I fixed myself.

I kind of like mine unmodified, but that’s just me. That said, it does have lots of the right mods. Who ever did it did their homework or knew why they were doing.

 

[Romeo1]

Does either one have an e-locker? That would maybe be my biggest thought if your planning and actually wheeling it. Not the end of the world if not, but a great place to start from as that pushes you into 4.30 gears also.

 

[Endlessblockades]

bad, excellent! thanks for that very helpful reply. My last (hopefully) question is would you feel more confident in buying the 4RNR w/ the mods @ $7k (3ook miles) or buying another stock 4RNR at $7k 158K miles and doing the mods yourself?

oh and i moved to phoenix soooo, not so flat here, hence me wanting a 4x4!

Nevermind - everything I said was already said better! Except please share the model/trim and color of both and the rust situation if any.

 

[Bad Luck]

Bad, this is so incredibly helpful! You were so thorough in your reply and added additional commentary that I also was wondering ab but forgot to ask!

Ok so I’ll reach out to him again today and ask ab the leak underneath. If it’s rear diff vs oil pan is that a big deal? I’m guessing yes.

Also what do you mean your pref is to avoid limited trims from 96-00? But you’d still buy the one I’m considering even tho it’s a limited?

And based on the mods I listed, what do you think all of those cost him?

Thanks a million!

You’re quite welcome! Limited trims for 96-00 use an electric actuator to shift the transfer case in and out of 4wd. My previous 4Runner was a 2000 limited and the transfer case always took some time to shift in/out of 4wd. Most of the time it took several shift attempts to get it to change. I exercised it frequently in the hopes that it would get better but it never did. My current 4Runner has a standard j shift so no electric shift motor for the transfer case at and I’m much happier with it. My experience with the limited transfer case seems to be less common. It’s my personal preference.

I would highly recommend shifting it from 2hi to 4hi to 4hi locked and making sure the system is operating like it should before buying it. The 4wd indicators on the instrument cluster will go solid once the requested transfer case setting is achieved. If it flashes give it about 10 seconds or so before putting it back to the previous setting and trying again. I found that changing settings while driving was the most likely way to get it to shift.

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO SHIFT BETWEEN HIGH AND LOW RANGE WHILE MOVING! ONLY SHIFT BETWEEN HIGH AND LOW RANGE WHILE STOPPED AND THE TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL!

Parts only for the mods listed including wheels and tires would be around $4000 give or take. That’s not including any labor costs if he had a shop perform any of it.

 

[gamefreakgc]

I hate to be a downer but $7000 for a 4Runner with 300K miles on it is not worth it. You are overpaying by several thousand dollars. There's no guarantee that the engine and transmission will last much longer at that stage. I do think the previous owner did do a lot of the big maintenance items but that's 300,000 miles over what, 21-25 years? So it has been driven roughly 12,000 to 15,000 miles every year for over two decades? That means bearings are worn out. The bushings are worn out. It will creak, rattle and things are coming loose. All rubber hoses are deteriorated. The engine is losing compression. The valves will be out of spec. The transmission clutch plates are worn out (if an auto). Need I go on? Sure, he replaced some items and upgraded the suspension but there's a lot more to a vehicle than that.

I see most major engine damage happening between 300K to 400K miles. I think you'd be buying a time bomb. Go for a lower mileage 4Runner.

 

[Rushthezeppelin]

The only thing that I personally would avoid is the Limited 4wd trims for 96-00. They use an electric actuator for shifting the 2wd/4wd portion of the transfer case and I always had issues with my Limited going in/out of 4wd. That's a personal preference so take it with a grain of salt. Some people never have an issue, but I live up to my name.

Just wanted to add onto this particular point. I am a 2 weeks T4R owner and first time 4wd owner. I originally as a point of convenience looked at used car businesses for my 3rd gen (I was very intent on getting that 5vz) and after a week and a half thought I found the right truck. 297k but great documented service history 2000 (or maybe 2001 can't remember for sure) Limited. It was great condition interior and already had the A/Ts that I've already enjoyed for winter driving on my Nissan Rogue (Falken Wildpeaks). Dealer negotiated it down to 7,900 and was giving me an offer on the Rogue that would have gotten me nearly 3k in equity. I know there was a price I was paying for dealing with dealer sale but was really happy with the service the dealer was giving me. Long story short he give me time to think this over and even let me borrow the truck for a weekend. He was honest in the ad that there was an issue with the 4wd indicator light being stuck on blinking. I took it one a Friday for a full weekend test drive and immediately took on a longer drive where I noticed the gas gauge was going down quick. Decided to find a spot where I could drive back and forth on gravel in 2hi and 4hi. After researching on here I had a good idea that the blinking light could be everything from a position sensor that just needed some contact cleaner to a full on transfer case and/or front diff actuator. From cheap cheap cheap to probably close to a grand in repairs. Anways after finding a section Friday where I could place my phone under the car and record I found out that the front drive shaft was spinning in both 2hi and 4hi which means the truck was stuck in 4wd. I notified the guy at the dealer and he begrudgingly told me that his boss said this thing will be sold as is, no discount based on my finding. Was bummed about it since that had the multi-mode and the rear e-locker.

A little more than a month later I started looking into private sale and somehow stumble on a 98 5 speed with 270k and a lift and bigger tires for 7k. In retrospect I'm glad I went with something that is basically purely mechanical other than the position sensor on the 4wd even though it has no rear or center locker. When you are dealing a vehicle this old, while it is Toyota electronics you are dealing with, you still have be mindful that it is extremely old electronics that could have been subjected to very harsh conditions. I suspect with that Limited the biggest problem was that it was too much of a mall crawler and the 4wd wasn't engaged at least once a month which can cause the electronic actuator to seize up. So far with the 98 I've had it two weeks and I've been in 4lo for an extended period twice and it's worked flawlessly.

Sorry if that is long winded but those are my two cents as a newly minted 3rd gen owner (to distill, get as much mechanical as you can afford even if it means sacrificing a factory locker for the time being). Also massive grain of salt with my rant.

 

[aontkos]

I hate to be a downer but $7000 for a 4Runner with 300K miles on it is not worth it. You are overpaying by several thousand dollars.

I was immediately leaning toward this when I saw the list of repairs made within the last 5,000 miles. I mean, good maintenance is key, but if the seller doesn't have a good reason for doing all of that work and then selling it shortly after, then it would raise some red flags with me. A few of the repairs listed are basic maintenance on a vehicle that old (shoot, I've done these too), but they could also indicate a problem that the previous owner is still chasing.

Ah, the fun of buying a used vehicle...

All below w/in 5k miles:
New Timing Belt/Water Pump/Thermostat/Pulleys
New OEM Gas Cap
New OEM Radiator and Hoses with coolant flush
New OEM Evap Canister and evap hoses
New 1x OEM Ignition Coil Pack
New OEM Spark Plug Wires
New OEM 2x Lower Ball Joint (both sides)
New OEM Clockspring
New OEM Intermediate Steering Shaft
New Fuel pump
New Spark Plugs
New Valve Cover gasket (upper and lower)
New Power steering pump
New Rack and Pinion
New Leather Seat Upholstery for Driver and Passenger Seats

 

[Romeo1]

Good old parts cannon!

Well, there could be some valid reasons. They may have been chasing evap issue. It could also be that the guy just wanted everything baselined. I am kind of that way with mine, I just change everything.

Maybe they ran out of money? Maybe they decided that old vehicle ownership wasn’t for them? Maybe they couldn’t figure it out? Maybe they got divorced? Maybe it was funded by Biden Bucks? Who knows.

Regardless, I would at least make sure that the OBD monitors I have completed their run cycle. I realize that not everybody knows how to do that. I just carry a little blue driver dongle with me and plug it in and scan the vehicle. If the monitors have been reset, then I’ll throw up a few flags. I use that to my advantage, though I don’t view that as a problem, depending on what else is going on that said, my pricing is adjusted accordingly and I do so in cash with a willingness to walk if I have to.

It’s probably worth discussing just to make sure people don’t have their rose colored glasses on. But, I think expectations probably need to be realistic. These vehicles are incredible and about as reliable and long-lived as it possibly gets. But, there’s still things that it will require if you want it to be at a high level of fitness. I bought mine with way more miles in rough condition, but I also bought it pretty cheap at $2000 because it had issues. All fixable, and everything but the bodywork done by me. My $2000 4runner is more like a $10,000 4runner now….eeek! I probably should total up my receipts, one of these days, but I’m scared to look. But it’s armored, has a nice suspension, a winch And what not. It’ll be really nice once I get this front suspension job done hopefully this weekend. I have like $1500 in new cat converters to install while I’m there too. I really hope I can get the rusty nice loose on the manifold, otherwise that’s gonna be a fun job.

I think where potential gaps occur with individuals is when a person buys an old car, and expects a new car experience Without being able to do the work themselves or just being independently wealthy I guess to pay someone else. To me, my ownership experience has been fantastic. And yes, I’ve done a lot of work. In fact, I just got finished replacing all of the seatbelts in the car. the last guy that owned it acted like it was a nightmare for him, because he had to spend too much at the repair shop with drive lines and a steering rack …… so it’s all relative I guess. I don’t even know if I had to pay somebody for all this work or what it would even cost. Oh, Lord, I can’t even imagine. I would easily have 10 K, in just labor, maybe more. But it’s all really fresh now. Lots of new parts throughout the whole vehicle. engine and transmission run fantastic, but if I get to the point where it’s not, it won’t be a big deal. I’ll pull them out, re-power and go again.

 

[Romeo1]

You’re quite welcome! Limited trims for 96-00 use an electric actuator to shift the transfer case in and out of 4wd. My previous 4Runner was a 2000 limited and the transfer case always took some time to shift in/out of 4wd. Most of the time it took several shift attempts to get it to change. I exercised it frequently in the hopes that it would get better but it never did. My current 4Runner has a standard j shift so no electric shift motor for the transfer case at and I’m much happier with it. My experience with the limited transfer case seems to be less common. It’s my personal preference.

I would highly recommend shifting it from 2hi to 4hi to 4hi locked and making sure the system is operating like it should before buying it. The 4wd indicators on the instrument cluster will go solid once the requested transfer case setting is achieved. If it flashes give it about 10 seconds or so before putting it back to the previous setting and trying again. I found that changing settings while driving was the most likely way to get it to shift.

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO SHIFT BETWEEN HIGH AND LOW RANGE WHILE MOVING! ONLY SHIFT BETWEEN HIGH AND LOW RANGE WHILE STOPPED AND THE TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL!

Parts only for the mods listed including wheels and tires would be around $4000 give or take. That’s not including any labor costs if he had a shop perform any of it.

I am kind of a J shift fan myself. I don’t have any experience with the other style. An open transfer case all wheel drive would be super sweet to have though for the high speed rally. But I’ve had too many bad experiences in my life with electronic four-wheel drives Dating back to the 90’s Chevys. Makes for a sucky day when your electronic four-wheel-drive leaves you in a terrible pickle. Since then, my policy has always been mechanical four wheel drives. What sucks is now practically every vehicle is an electronic four-wheel-drive these days. Even the ones with levers, most of them are just moving an electronic actuator.

My work tundra really caused me some hell here a couple years ago over a unit wheel bearing causing issues with the ABS speed sensor. Somewhere in the FMVSS wisdom, they decided that if yaw control isn’t able to be maintained, we’re just gonna limp everything out in the name of safety. I would argue vehemently that the opposite is true. It’s a huge safety issue doing that as you could be up in the mountains somewhere, have a tire chain wipeout a speed sensor wire, and then your super EFFED. I’ll because some pencil D@&$?!ed bureaucrats decided it’s for the children…..

Shit, even the Jeeps now are having electronic issues as guys have to buy a taser harness to work around the stupid Dana sensor that will prevent lockers from working. That’s a shit day when you’re in the middle of some rock garden in your lockers decide not to work because of the federal motor standard baby!

 

[flygirl0344]

Well, what’s the condition of the rest of the vehicle on either one?

I bought mine with like 365k. But I got it cheap cause it had issues that I fixed myself.

I kind of like mine unmodified, but that’s just me. That said, it does have lots of the right mods. Who ever did it did their homework or knew why they were doing.

Here’s the .. issue.. the truck is 5 hours away from me so i haven’t seen it in person yet. It looks solid from the pics but you know how that goes. I have a cpl undercarriage vids and the owner shifting from 2wd to 4wd but I can’t get them uploaded..? And of course I wouldn’t buy it site unseen.

 

[flygirl0344]

Does either one have an e-locker? That would maybe be my biggest thought if your planning and actually wheeling it. Not the end of the world if not, but a great place to start from as that pushes you into 4.30 gears also.

No e lockers..