Prepping your 4R for some "rugged" surfaces...

[ShooterMcGavin]

NooB here. I might have a stock 4Runner soon... When you are planning to do a little "rugged" driving, how do you prep your ride?

Lower tire PSI? How low, and for what surface types?

Anti-roll bars? Do you disconnect endlinks?

Anything else? ...like slightly over-fill the engine oil, for steep inclines/declines? Move spare tire to a different location other than under the rear, to improve rear ground clearance?

I'm looking for some tricks of the trade. Thanks!

 

[fourwd1]

I give it a good wash and thorough wax job.

 

[SR5Runner97]

Sliders will save you if you're talking rocks. Lower PSI is for sand. Which DON'T GO THROUGH SAND if you don't have rust. Sand is not that friendly. Moving spare tire is good. It can be a real pain if youre going over tall surfaces.
PNW?! Where from? I'm in Vancouver taking classes at clark college.

 

[fourwd1]

You already answered most of your questions. DO as you suggested.

Airing down tires depends on what you are wheeling in. Different pressure for different, conditions, tire and wheel combo, etc.

 

[ShooterMcGavin]

I give it a good wash and thorough wax job.

Before or after your offroad adventures? Maybe both
I should have guessed that air PSI is totally dependent on terrain, tires, conditions, etc.

Sliders sounds like a good idea, at some point along the upgrade path. I'm from just outside Seattle. Do you come up this way?

What about disconnecting anti-roll bar endlinks? Is that crazy, or typical?

 

[KidVermicious]

Lower PSI is for sand.

What? Lower PSI is for any offpavement surface where you'd like more traction, or a less jarring ride.

For washboard or other high speed dirt, 25 PSI or thereabouts is a good place to start. The lower you take your PSI, the softer the ride and the bigger your traction patch, but your handling will suffer and if you go too low you risk blowing a bead.

Pop your swaybars if you need more articulation. If you don't, don't.

 

[SR5Runner97]

What? Lower PSI is for any offpavement surface where you'd like more traction, or a less jarring ride.

QUOTE]

I didn't give a full answer sorry. At least I wasn't wrong. :wave:

 

[dapslappy]

NooB here.
Do you disconnect endlinks?

Me too.
This is what I do. There may be a better way but this is simple, takes 10 minutes.
Front :14mm socket. 14mm wrench. Rear 12 mm socket. 14 mm wrench. Wrench to hold bottom of end link. Socket to undo top nut. I remove washers and bushings. Rotate sway bar, holds itself up. Loosely zip tie end links to lower control arms in front. I zip tie rears also but can't remember how. I'll figure it out and let you know next week. Def increases articulation. This plus reducing my air pressure to 25ish makes ride more comfortable, less bouncy, and I think it performs better. I have a stock 99 LTD.
I'm ok with the spare. I assume it provides some rear under protection.
I'm pretty sure you don't want to mess with the oil level.
I creep along slow. Speed and reverse are precursors to damage.

 

[ShooterMcGavin]

...Pop your swaybars if you need more articulation. If you don't, don't.

Do you disconnect swaybar endlinks on a per-obstacle basis? ...or maybe I misunderstood. I would think it would be easiest to do it at the beginning of an excursion, when you know you'll be going into poorly maintained trails and off-trails.

Hey slappy, thanks for the input. I will have to try your advice.

 

[KidVermicious]

Do you disconnect swaybar endlinks on a per-obstacle basis?

Oh hell no, that'd be a PITA. I don't run front or rear sway bars at all on my '85, and I've got the stock sway bars on my '99, and they both stay that way. The 1st gen gets enough abuse that I just leave them off (takes a small amount of getting used to when cornering), and the 3rd gen doesn't see enough to dirt to justify taking them off. If it did, I'd take them off and see if I could tolerate the road manners, and if not I'd install a set of quick disconnects.

But even if I had disconnects, I wouldn't be taking them off and putting them on per obstacle. I'd take them off when I air down and put them back on when I air up.

 

[Kurtis]

I used to disconnect my front sway bar when I went wheeling and didn't run a rear one. I have quick disconnect end links that I never put on anymore since my '97 is my trail rig. So no more sway bars for me. My quick disconnects are for sale in the classifieds section if anyone is interested.