runnergranny
New member
We are the happy new owner of a 3rd gen runner. I actually traded down from an 04 sequoia that was too big, shiny and I didn't care for driving 39k down the road ;-) I actually like beater cars the best, but this 4runner with 110k miles is great. Tight, clean and 3rd gen 4runners are my favorite. I love the classic style vs new ones.
Just wanted to say hi and I'm grateful I found this forum to answer any questions that come up. I've read all the threads and learned alot already. We had the rear brakes adj and cleaned, timing belt, all other belts, water pump, thermostat, transmission flush, driveshaft lube, and minor tuneup plugs only. Compression was 128 and cyl leakage and balance tests were excellent. We'll change the differential fluids at the next oil change.
It was a previous 1 owner vehicle that had regular oil changes, but nothing elses besides new pads, rotors, and master cylinder at midas which raped the guy according to his records. Dealerships had no record of it. It even had the original plugs! I was hoping to find a used vehicle with service records, but they are hard to find. This one ran smooth compared to the other 2 that I was considering.
All 3 of them had low, weak brake pedals, and the oversized tires on them turned me off to the other 2. I couldn't convince myself that the grinding noises, floor shake and rough ride were tires alone, so we went with the smooth riding one. The others were 98's with a little more mileage.
This is our 8th Toyota, so we know the quality and plan to meet it's every need maintenance wise..... and drive it into the ground at 300k+ miles. We had a camry that went almost 300k before selling for a good price that ran like new. You just can't beat Toyota's. We've even had $500. salvage title toyota's that the engine purred like a new car.
The only thing I don't like about the runner is the brakes (weak) and the seat bottom could be longer for my long thighs. Other than that, it gets me where I'm going and we can off road with it when we camp. I noticed alot of 4runner owners here are former Jeep owners. Us too. I still miss my 89 Laredo 4x4. That car had great seats.
I'm sure I'll have questions down the road, but just wanted to say hi and say that you have a great forum with many knowledgable posters. It's nice to find a vehicle enthusiast forum. I'll keep a watch on your 4 sale sub-forum for a 2nd runner for our son. I could buy 3 third gen's for the price I sold my Sequoia for, so I'm very pleased.
ps to add a quick question. I got the original equipment list from an email to toyota and it has 16" alloys, that look aftermarket. Can I put 235/75/15's on 16" rims? If so, will it lower the height of the vehicle by much? I have a set of Pirelli LT Scorpions that I took off my Jeep last year with less than 500 miles on them. I like Pirelli's in the rain and the ride is smooth, yet they have light truck tread and load capacity.
thank you.
Just wanted to say hi and I'm grateful I found this forum to answer any questions that come up. I've read all the threads and learned alot already. We had the rear brakes adj and cleaned, timing belt, all other belts, water pump, thermostat, transmission flush, driveshaft lube, and minor tuneup plugs only. Compression was 128 and cyl leakage and balance tests were excellent. We'll change the differential fluids at the next oil change.
It was a previous 1 owner vehicle that had regular oil changes, but nothing elses besides new pads, rotors, and master cylinder at midas which raped the guy according to his records. Dealerships had no record of it. It even had the original plugs! I was hoping to find a used vehicle with service records, but they are hard to find. This one ran smooth compared to the other 2 that I was considering.
All 3 of them had low, weak brake pedals, and the oversized tires on them turned me off to the other 2. I couldn't convince myself that the grinding noises, floor shake and rough ride were tires alone, so we went with the smooth riding one. The others were 98's with a little more mileage.
This is our 8th Toyota, so we know the quality and plan to meet it's every need maintenance wise..... and drive it into the ground at 300k+ miles. We had a camry that went almost 300k before selling for a good price that ran like new. You just can't beat Toyota's. We've even had $500. salvage title toyota's that the engine purred like a new car.
The only thing I don't like about the runner is the brakes (weak) and the seat bottom could be longer for my long thighs. Other than that, it gets me where I'm going and we can off road with it when we camp. I noticed alot of 4runner owners here are former Jeep owners. Us too. I still miss my 89 Laredo 4x4. That car had great seats.
I'm sure I'll have questions down the road, but just wanted to say hi and say that you have a great forum with many knowledgable posters. It's nice to find a vehicle enthusiast forum. I'll keep a watch on your 4 sale sub-forum for a 2nd runner for our son. I could buy 3 third gen's for the price I sold my Sequoia for, so I'm very pleased.
ps to add a quick question. I got the original equipment list from an email to toyota and it has 16" alloys, that look aftermarket. Can I put 235/75/15's on 16" rims? If so, will it lower the height of the vehicle by much? I have a set of Pirelli LT Scorpions that I took off my Jeep last year with less than 500 miles on them. I like Pirelli's in the rain and the ride is smooth, yet they have light truck tread and load capacity.
thank you.
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