Off Road Help

[Hoppa Killa]

Hello All,

So I finally made the jump and bought a brand new 4Runner (2015 TE) This is not only my first 4Runner but my first off road vehicle. I've been into cars and bikes for a long time so of course I've got that itch to do some aftermarket work ... But I'm not sure where to start. Honestly I've never even been off roading before and I could use a run down on the basics ( I got myself stuck a few weeks ago, now I second guess everything ). I live in North Mississippi, if anybody's familiar with the terrain I'd love some pointers. I know this is more of an interdiction but I kind of figure I need help from people that know the stock setup personally.

Thanks all. Look forward to being a part of the community.

 

[Jhalko]

Get new tires and read the manual.

Then spend a week reading stuff on this site.

Great looking truck.

 

[Hoppa Killa]

Get new tires and read the manual.

Then spend a week reading stuff on this site.

Great looking truck.

Thanks man, I love it.

So is there a set of tires that have been known to work better or people prefer. Or do I just need some Mickey Thompsons. I don't want to go mudding or anything just trail rides and I'd like to keep my gas mileage as good as possible because I've got a 300 mile commute to drill.

 

[Lexusbstrdchild]

^What that guy said. Start basic, then add to your build what you think you need for your adventures. Be prepared to have a wallet full of receipts...

 

[Lexusbstrdchild]

Thanks man, I love it.

So is there a set of tires that have been known to work better or people prefer. Or do I just need some Mickey Thompsons. I don't want to go mudding or anything just trail rides and I'd like to keep my gas mileage as good as possible because I've got a 300 mile commute to drill.

If I were you I would be looking at AT tires. I always see good things about Cooper AT3s. [MENTION=66316]1engineer[/MENTION] has them, so they must be decent . Now be prepared for a "my favorite tire" party...

 

[1engineer]

Spend a few weeks here reading. You will soon learn what you need to fit your specific application.

 

[alfonzo]

Define your plan.

Personally, I chose the lift, bumpers and skids before I chose wheels and tires.

Last week, I swapped out the 3.73 gears for 4.56 gears. It feels like I am no longer towing an imaginary trailer; I run 33" tires now.

Read the forum for 3-9 months before you decide your build. There is a wealth of information here. Read, read read.

good luck

 

[Jhalko]

Thanks man, I love it.

So is there a set of tires that have been known to work better or people prefer. Or do I just need some Mickey Thompsons. I don't want to go mudding or anything just trail rides and I'd like to keep my gas mileage as good as possible because I've got a 300 mile commute to drill.

Many opinions on tires, search for the threads, most common are cooper at3, Goodyear duratrac, and bfg ko or ko2. Stock 4Runner is amazing and a trail even more so, with good tires it'll get you through a lot. If you know how to use the electronic doodads correctly you'll be ahead of many folks. Serious when I say you can spend weeks reading this site... If you take your time you'll figure out what you need for your situation with experience and reading this site.

If you search always put "5th gen" in front of your search terms, much more effective. I recommend reading the modifications quick link, when I joined I read through every build thread as well, there are a lot more now but it's good reading.

 

[Hoppa Killa]

Hey Thanks Guys,

I'm gonna study up I just have to sift through the supercharger/bs threads. I guess I'm gonna have to find my happy medium.

 

[3wbdriver]

I'm thankful to see someone is still drilling. I was laid off in March, and am waiting for the call back. Have fun with the build, and take baby steps.

 

[Jernik]

Here is the link to 1engineer's tire review. Post 17 I think is where the meat is, but read through it. Sounds like any offroading you might do will be pretty mild, so really a stock 4R TE with some good AT tires will probably be more than enough. Anything more than that will honestly be "want" driven over need (unless you start to get serious about offroading).

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/114342-tires-2.html

 

[Intruder]

Take a look around for any local off roading groups. See what they're about and if any do stock-friendly runs. Go with them and learn. After you take it off road a number of times you'll start to figure out what you should upgrade first.

 

[wfo9]

There is a lot to learn about off-roading and there are many different types of it. It's tons of fun even though it is relatively slow paced compared to other motor sports.. The key is getting out there and doing it, but there are some things you can read up on first to gain some working knowledge of the equipment and techniques.

Start with learning how a part time 4wd system works. High vs Lo... (4Lo will be your typical mode). Open vs locked differentials. Make sure you understand that you have a locked center diff. Then dive into how the rear locker and a-track work in your trail edition (separately and together) . It is very important to understand how these interact to get the most out of your truck.

A lot of off-roading is driver skill and knowing the terrain, vehicle, and its limitations in that terrain. To do wild stuff... you basically need to become one with it and more or less know where all the limits are.

From a raw capability perspective there are two things that dictate what a vehicle can do off-road
- Traction
- Ground clearance

An experienced driver can get the most out of a vehicle, but there comes a point where the vehicle itself is just limited in these two areas. Every modification made to an off-road vehicle usually relates back to increasing traction or ground clearance. it is as simple as that.

A great place to start with getting the most out of your truck off-road is the tires. The stock tires are not really off-road tires. You probably need something better to do anything significant. An AT tire is a good place to start. You will also want to air down the tires to get the most out of them. (the amount to air down depends on the tire and how stiff the sidewalls are, you will just need to experiment - don't go too far down and lose a bead). If you live in a really muddy wet area... there is no substitute for mud terrains. Anything else will just pack up quickly and become pretty useless.

The next thing to invest in is recovery gear and technique. There are many options and techniques to learn about. A powered winch is really nice to have, but there are many recovery techniques that don't require it (and are often better). (come along, manual winch, snatch straps, tow straps, traction mats, shovel, hi-lift....) It's best to go out with other vehicles and utilize each other for recovery. Sometimes a winch is the only way out.

Eventually, you will probably want to investigate a lift to get better ground clearance. The need for this depends on the terrain...

The list goes on and on, but that should get you pointed in the right direction.

Like others said, find a local group with reasonable mature like minded people (sometimes this is hard to do, but they do exist).

 

[Hellamatic]

X2 on [MENTION=66300]Intruder[/MENTION] 's advice. No matter where you are, you should be able to find a local 4 wheeling group to tee up with. At the very least you should be able to find a Jeep group (they're everywhere.) Unless they're dicks, they'll likely be happy to let you tag along. As mr intruder said, if you have it out a few times, you'll quickly learn what you need!

 

[3wbdriver]

This is a good place to start. There is a group in Jackson. It doesn't hurt to look around your surrounding states either. I am a member of 3 different groups right now and looking at a 4th out of Shreveport.

CHAPTERS | TLCA

 

[BobsTrail]

Nice truck, my favorite model.

Going with a group really helped me get started.
Hold off on mods until you have been out a number of times to find what you really need/want.
I`m getting by very well on stock tires aired down until they wear enough to justify replacing with ATs.
Read this forum as others sugested and get this book and read it cover to cover two times.

__________________________

 

[Hoppa Killa]

There is a lot to learn about off-roading and there are many different types of it. It's tons of fun even though it is relatively slow paced compared to other motor sports.. The key is getting out there and doing it, but there are some things you can read up on first to gain some working knowledge of the equipment and techniques.

Start with leaning how a part time 4wd system works. High vs Lo... (4Lo will be your typical mode). Open vs locked differentials. Make sure you understand that you have a locked center diff. Then dive into how the rear locker and a-track work in your trail edition (separately and together) . It is very important to understand how these interact to get the most out of your truck.

A lot of off-roading is driver skill and knowing the terrain, vehicle, and its limitations in that terrain. To do wild stuff... you basically need to become one with it and more or less know where all the limits are.

From a raw capability perspective there are two things that dictate what a vehicle can do off-road
- Traction
- Ground clearance

A experienced driver can get the most out of a vehicle, but there comes a point where the vehicle itself is just limited in these two areas. Every modification made to an off-road vehicle usually relates back to increasing traction or ground clearance. it is as simple as that.

A great place to start with getting the most out of your truck off-road is the tires. The stock tires are not really off-road tires. You probably need something better to do anything significant. An AT tire is a good place to start. You will also want to air down the tires to get the most out of them. (the amount to air down depends on the tire and how stiff the sidewalls are, you will just need to experiment - don't go too far down and lose a bead). If you live in a really muddy wet area... there is no substitute for mud terrains. Anything else will just pack up quickly and become pretty useless.

The next thing to invest in is recovery gear and technique. There are many options and techniques to learn about. A powered winch is really nice to have, but there are many recovery techniques that don't require it (and are often better). (come along, manual winch, snatch straps, tow straps, traction mats, shovel, hi-lift....) It's best to go out with other vehicles and utilize each other for recovery. Sometimes a winch is the only way out.

Eventually, you will probably want to investigate a lift to get better ground clearance. The need for this depends on the terrain...

The list goes on and on, but that should get you pointed in the right direction.

Like other said, find a local group with reasonable mature like minded people (sometimes this is hard to do, but they do exist).

Hey thanks for all the great information everyone. I really appreciate the quick response time and the all knowledge that I already have to gained. I was worried I was gonna get blasted, I'm gonna look for some groups if anybody else see this and is in the area of Oxford or a couple hours Id like to maybe meet up and get some in field pointers.

 

[eddie333]

Before you go dumping money into it... Drive it a bit Offroad. Do some small trips; then decide what suits your needs best. Do not just buy all the Offroad gear everyone else has because you think that's what you need too...

 

[Ron4RNevada]

First year of off roading:

Good off-road tires in the stock size.

Then go out with a small group a lot - experience.

 

[jhebert9]

Off Roading

Tires would help. If Mississippi is like Louisiana you'll be in mud rather than rocks/bolders/snow. Mud grips help if you run in a lot of mud, but mud grips are noisy and rough on the family car. AT tires are not as good in mud, but are a good compromise for traction, ride and noise. GET FAMILLIAR WITH THE 4WD CONTROLS and practice in a field before you get in to "serious" stuff. You might also look into a winch on front, or a portable winch mounted on a frame for the reciever hitch.