Erkelbot
New member
So, my wife and I decided that the 4runner was just a wee bit too small for the family and we decided to swap out my truck for a GX470. I already found a good GX and picked it up last week. 2005 with 109K, timing belt was done, records were kept, air suspension was replaced, and it was rust-free & clean. All good on that end.
Now comes time to selling my 4Runner. I had a guy call on it this weekend, and swing by to test it out. He's coming from a 12 Jeep GC Laredo and is just putting on too many miles to suffer the depreciation consequences that come along with that and Jeeps
So, he's been looking at 4Runners.
Anyway, as a part of that, he wanted to take it for a drive to test it out. He gave me all kinds of lip service that he was a guy that grew up with 4WD trucks, and wanted to test the system in a parking lot. He started giving telling me that "If the 4wd is working, you should feel lurching when it's being driven in circles." I said, "you mean binding? That does mean it's working, but it also means you're wrecking your truck." I also went on to tell him that the SR5 has a LSD, so you shouldn't feel that unless you are putting some gas into it. He was skeptical and wanted to try it anyway. I told him NOT to drive fast in circles quickly, but that he was welcome to engage the 4WD and do a slow circle. He seemed unimpressed...
Then he wanted to try the 4lo, and intended to do the same stupid sh*t -- in the same dry parking lot. I told him there's no way he's doing that. I gave him a 5 minute 'here's how 4wd works', and was able to diffuse the situation. At that point, I think he thought I had something to hide. He was asking to try out the center locking diff, and I said sure, but drive straight "or find some snow to do it there..." He tried it, and found it equally unimpressive. At that point I just told him to roll straight, put it back in 2wd and we can drive back on the highway. It was PAINFUL...
Anyway, he wasn't the right owner for the truck -- obviously. I just couldn't believe how stupid some people are -- and how they can't listen to reason when someone's trying to tell them how to do it right. I have to imagine there are quite a number of trucks that suffer the fate of under-informed individuals like this -- with melted diffs from driving on the highway with it locked. Makes me REALLY scared for the 5th gens out there with weekend warriors behind the wheel who would rather talk about their fat wheel bikes on top of their trucks over reading the manual for 30 seconds...
Anyway, I thought I would share -- and vent. If anyone is in Minnesota and looking for a good 08, let me know.
Now comes time to selling my 4Runner. I had a guy call on it this weekend, and swing by to test it out. He's coming from a 12 Jeep GC Laredo and is just putting on too many miles to suffer the depreciation consequences that come along with that and Jeeps
So, he's been looking at 4Runners. Anyway, as a part of that, he wanted to take it for a drive to test it out. He gave me all kinds of lip service that he was a guy that grew up with 4WD trucks, and wanted to test the system in a parking lot. He started giving telling me that "If the 4wd is working, you should feel lurching when it's being driven in circles." I said, "you mean binding? That does mean it's working, but it also means you're wrecking your truck." I also went on to tell him that the SR5 has a LSD, so you shouldn't feel that unless you are putting some gas into it. He was skeptical and wanted to try it anyway. I told him NOT to drive fast in circles quickly, but that he was welcome to engage the 4WD and do a slow circle. He seemed unimpressed...
Then he wanted to try the 4lo, and intended to do the same stupid sh*t -- in the same dry parking lot. I told him there's no way he's doing that. I gave him a 5 minute 'here's how 4wd works', and was able to diffuse the situation. At that point, I think he thought I had something to hide. He was asking to try out the center locking diff, and I said sure, but drive straight "or find some snow to do it there..." He tried it, and found it equally unimpressive. At that point I just told him to roll straight, put it back in 2wd and we can drive back on the highway. It was PAINFUL...
Anyway, he wasn't the right owner for the truck -- obviously. I just couldn't believe how stupid some people are -- and how they can't listen to reason when someone's trying to tell them how to do it right. I have to imagine there are quite a number of trucks that suffer the fate of under-informed individuals like this -- with melted diffs from driving on the highway with it locked. Makes me REALLY scared for the 5th gens out there with weekend warriors behind the wheel who would rather talk about their fat wheel bikes on top of their trucks over reading the manual for 30 seconds...
Anyway, I thought I would share -- and vent. If anyone is in Minnesota and looking for a good 08, let me know.
