Off roading at stock height?
- Thread starter fins59
- Start date
jeremyc74
Banned
If you're going to replace the springs and struts you can get a little extra height by using OEM Highlander springs, and Monroe struts up front.
Here's my setup with exactly that.
(From another thread)
MONROE Part # 171351 Struts up front
Highlander springs in the rear
17" wheels from an FJ or TE 4Runner
265/70-17 Duratracs
I would have liked to have put a little more lift under, but I do a lot of long distance driving with it. Where it's at now is a decent compromise between off road capability and highway manners.
jgue467
Senior Member
2wd off roadin'
Yes! Many on here do offroad their 2wd 3rd gems. I've done it, when i was a newbie who forgot to engage 4wd!
4wd is really only going to help on sand and mud - so avoid those to the extent you can and you'll have s great offroading experience.
I offroad stock, would like to give it some 'maintenance' with 99 talls soon but in general don't aim to scrape rocks around my deer lease, sure is fun 'crawling' out there! :cowboy:
Yes! Many on here do offroad their 2wd 3rd gems. I've done it, when i was a newbie who forgot to engage 4wd!
4wd is really only going to help on sand and mud - so avoid those to the extent you can and you'll have s great offroading experience.
I offroad stock, would like to give it some 'maintenance' with 99 talls soon but in general don't aim to scrape rocks around my deer lease, sure is fun 'crawling' out there! :cowboy:
4wd is really only going to help on sand and mud -
...and snow and ice and rock and dirt and uneven ground... With an open diff and no 4wd all you have to do is lose traction on one tire and all movement is lost. Go have fun in your truck, but don't expect to be able to do anything I would consider "Offroading".
...and snow and ice and rock and dirt and uneven ground... With an open diff and no 4wd all you have to do is lose traction on one tire and all movement is lost. Go have fun in your truck, but don't expect to be able to do anything I would consider "Offroading".
Stock height will surprise you - I didn't think I could make this obstacle, but I tried anyway. This is with STOCK height coils / shocks, and with slightly oversized tires (265/65/16's), and stock running boards removed. I do have an e-locker.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYDkQuP3HAs&feature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYDkQuP3HAs&feature=youtu.be
Twan
Senior Member
Lifting a rear wheel. Only mod that's not armor was bumping up to a 265/75 Duratrac from the stock 265/70.
The view at the top was nice, but the terrain is deceiving. What you can't see was massive amount of basketball sized rocks that made up the trail or the water crossing that came up over the hood. The buggy that went before me made it look so easy.
The view at the top was nice, but the terrain is deceiving. What you can't see was massive amount of basketball sized rocks that made up the trail or the water crossing that came up over the hood. The buggy that went before me made it look so easy.
Rock_Rat
Senior Member
No belly pan or front skid? Like the color.
______________________________________
2001 4Runner SR5 Sport Package 311K miles (not km!)
Airaid, Deck Plate mod, Toytec Coilovers, OME 890 Rear Springs and OME Sport Shocks, SPC Performance UCA's with a 1" diff drop, Weathertech, PIAA Lights, B&M Transmission Cooler, LC Engineering Equalized fuel injectors
Budbuilt Skid, Level 8 MK6 Bronze, -10 offset with Toyo AT II's 285/70R/17 (In work: Deadener, Carpet, Tundra Brake Upgrade, CBI Sliders)
arizona4runner
New member
This past weekend, I took my 4Runner up to Sedona, Arizona and ran some trails. I did Soldier's Pass and Broken Arrow and the trail Broken Arrow was a tough one. My truck is stock other than 265/75/16 BFGoodrich KO2's. After seeing what it could do on these trails, and believe me, it was impressive (there were parts where I was holding my breath), I decided that I have plenty of ground clearance. The modifications that will help me most will be armor, and lockers eventually. Skids, Sliders, and bumpers can save your truck from a lot of damage.
2014 Warthog
New member
As everyone else has said, stock it does a lot, has decent ground clerance etc.
No one has really mentioned what the specific benefits to lifting are though:
Front end:
Go out and look at the gap between your front bump stop and the lower A arm. It's very small and it doesn't take much to bottom out on it and when you do the front of the truck can bounce violently. For that reason you need to take things slow over uneven terrain stock. Even a small 4 inch rock can cause your head to hit the ceiling at just a few MPH
A 1.75 in lift from the bilstein 5100s or better makes the front end ride TONS smoother by giving you some actual down travel before hitting the stops on the front end.
Back end:
Now on the BACK end, that's where the runners clearance is the worst. Just simple things like dropping into a wash or creek can have you dragging your tail all over. Lifting the rear will get your bumper/hitch/exhaust pipe up out of the way more.
That is very specifically what you get out of doing a mild lift on a runner. I suffered both of those problems and have had virtually none of it since doing a 2.5/2in front/back lift. Well I still can't go fast over full-on woops. You need like 18 inches of shock travel and a longer wheel base so yeah there are still limits
So while you can get around and do a surprising amount stock, a 2.5/2 inch lift will really open the vehicle up to having some fun too!
No one has really mentioned what the specific benefits to lifting are though:
Front end:
Go out and look at the gap between your front bump stop and the lower A arm. It's very small and it doesn't take much to bottom out on it and when you do the front of the truck can bounce violently. For that reason you need to take things slow over uneven terrain stock. Even a small 4 inch rock can cause your head to hit the ceiling at just a few MPH
A 1.75 in lift from the bilstein 5100s or better makes the front end ride TONS smoother by giving you some actual down travel before hitting the stops on the front end.Back end:
Now on the BACK end, that's where the runners clearance is the worst. Just simple things like dropping into a wash or creek can have you dragging your tail all over. Lifting the rear will get your bumper/hitch/exhaust pipe up out of the way more.
That is very specifically what you get out of doing a mild lift on a runner. I suffered both of those problems and have had virtually none of it since doing a 2.5/2in front/back lift. Well I still can't go fast over full-on woops. You need like 18 inches of shock travel and a longer wheel base so yeah there are still limits
So while you can get around and do a surprising amount stock, a 2.5/2 inch lift will really open the vehicle up to having some fun too!
64rat
New member
Oh, offroading at stock height is devilishly fun. It can drop jaws, even with swaybars attached.
I did the fence line this weekend at hf with the exception of one hill. I'm stock with 265/75/16's. I totally agree, i was able to hang with my buddies jeep and he has sliders,a lift, bumpers and a winch.
ShooterMcGavin
New member
At stock height, you will be shocked what you can accomplish! Good tires are pretty important.
Make maintenance your first priority. With the help of this site, you could even lift your truck for pretty cheap. For reference, I am at stock height, with a suspension lift sitting in the garage.
gamefreakgc
Elite Member
I know this thread is getting beaten to death...
The most important parts and upgrades for hard-core offroading are in this order:
1. Armor - Protect your 4Runner from breaking!
2. Tires - Bigger tires give you more ground clearance, NOT lift
3. Recovery/Safety - Winches/bumpers
4. Lift - This does not raise your axles, so doesn't give true ground clearance. Mainly to run larger tires, which does give clearance at the axle.
That being said, most people lift for the "coolness" factor, if one indeed does think it's cool. I do not fall into that group.
The most important parts and upgrades for hard-core offroading are in this order:
1. Armor - Protect your 4Runner from breaking!
2. Tires - Bigger tires give you more ground clearance, NOT lift
3. Recovery/Safety - Winches/bumpers
4. Lift - This does not raise your axles, so doesn't give true ground clearance. Mainly to run larger tires, which does give clearance at the axle.
That being said, most people lift for the "coolness" factor, if one indeed does think it's cool. I do not fall into that group.
jeremyc74
Banned
Lift gives you additional clearance everywhere except the rear differential. It's a stretch IMO to say most are just doing it for aesthetics. Besides that, you can only increase the tire size a limited amount without it.
gamefreakgc
Elite Member
Yes, that is true. However ground clearance is still measured from the point closest to the ground, so it's not helping a whole lot. That's why I added the note on lift, for those who actually are building an off-roading rig, lift is so you can run bigger than 32" tires.
Around where I live, a fair amount of people lift and still run stock sized tires. Most are waxed and polished with chrome and such and look to have never even seen a mud puddle their whole life. There's also a very odd fad showing up around here where they put tiny passenger car tires on huge Fords and lift them about 2 feet. I really don't get it.
jeremyc74
Banned
Sure, if you're strictly talking about specs on paper. Out in the real world getting high centered happens all the time, and the clearance at the center of the rear axle has absolutely no bearing on that whatsoever. Adding clearance to the center of the vehicle is important. You can put a tire on an obstacle to clear it with the rear diff in a lot of cases, but if you're going over a steep bank you need clearance at the front bumper, through the center, and at the rear. A lift gives you additional clearance in all three of those spots whether you've changed the tire size or not.
Idiots are going to do what they're going to do. You seem to be saying that because there are these posers out there with suspension lifts that that's all they're good for, and it's really not the case. Like most automotive trends these kind of things get started for a real purpose and then get taken to extreme by morons chasing some sort of scene.
Twan
Senior Member
Hard to see under there, but I've got the Savage full skid set, Lotus RCAM skids, and 4xinnovations DOM sliders. The Lil' Skip gas tank skid is next on the to do list.
lucky1-T4R
New member
Thread resurrection...
Beat it up while stock so you know what you need? Ok. Got it. Time to beat this thing up.
Beat it up while stock so you know what you need? Ok. Got it. Time to beat this thing up.
I"ve got a stock '99 SR5, and have a very small frame of reference, as this is my first proper offroad vehicle, and I've been on trails exactly once. But I was recently out with a built FJ Cruiser, lifted LC80 and a lifted Jeep and the LC owner noted a couple times that he was surprised at how my 4Runner did, completely stock except for 265/75r16 tires.
So I'd say 'go for it!'
So I'd say 'go for it!'
