Quick questions before starting my build

[cdrewferd]

Hey guys. This is an awesome site. I've had my 99 4Runner for about 8 years and am ready to start building it. I know that I'm going to build the front and rear bumpers as well as sliders. I have a few other thoughts that might work out cool if I can pull them off. Here are my questions though.

1. 285's or 315's?

I was really thinking about doing the 315's, but I'm not 100% sure they'll be worth all the work. I plan on wheeling every couple weeks, and hopefully a couple snow trips as well.

2. 4.88's or 5.29's?

I know it depends on the tire size but gears just confuse me. This is going to be my daily driver, so it still needs to be able to run 70-75 on the interstate. Not loosing too much gas mileage would be nice, though I know it's going to happen.

3. Tires

Like I said, this will still be my DD and it has to perform well in everything. My big issues are the packed snow and icy roads we get here in the Denver area during snow storms. I don't mind putting up with the sound of a mud tire, but I want to make sure that they won't be total crap on ice.

I'll be locking the front when I do my gears. Hopefully I can get started in the next month or 2 with ordering parts. I will start a build thread when I have more to post.

Thanks for all your help.

 

[cdrewferd]

Anybody have any thoughts?

 

[Park]

Depends on if its a daily driver. Yes, bigger tires and the gearing would be nice but it really just come down to how practical you want your build to be. Personally Id go smaller on wheels. I dont think 4runners look good with anything bigger than a 33.

Edit:
Re-read your post - stick with stock gearing. Lower gearing isnt a necessity w/ those sizes, were not Jeep owners

 

[Doc2012]

Give it some time before you bump.

We all have lives too, ya know.

Tire choice: Depends on what you want.

285's are good, 315's are good too. 315's will give you a slight bit more ground clearance, but not a whole lot. 315's will also break more CVs, if you give it too much skinny pedal going over obsticles. You'll have to do some trimming as well; more so with the 35's than the 33's.

Question for you....

Why not go with 255/85? Litttle bit taller tire; most measure 33.5", narrower, so it doesn't kill gas so much, and good road manners. Not to mention a little cheaper.

As far as gears:

Again, bepends on what you plan on doing with it.

As your DD, 4.88's will do you fine up to a 37" tire, which you'll probably never see. it will keep the RPMs in a good range, and your tranny won't be searching for gears, assuming it's an automatic.

5.29s would be good for a 37"+ tire. If you put them on with 33's or 35's, your transmission is going to be having to search for a gear more often than it will be staying at a steady gear.

Which brings up another point. Either way you go, you're going to have to get your speedo recalibrated. You can do it yourself, with a speedo corrector from Dakota Digital, or you can have the shop reprogram the ECU so that it reads the right speed from the ABS sensors.

I'm running 4.88s in mine, with ARB air lockers. When I have my 37s on, my speedo is 1mph off. When I have my 265's on, my speedo is 16% off. I have the Dakota Digital speed corrector, I just haven't installed it yet. Haven't had 5 minutes to be under the truck doing it.

I don't search for gears, and still get 300+ miles per tank. I get on the interstate, set the cruise at 80, and am turning about 3kRPM. I'm glad I went with the 4.88s instead of the 5.29s, but that's my personal prefrence.

 

[Doc2012]

Depends on if its a daily driver. Yes, bigger tires and the gearing would be nice but it really just come down to how practical you want your build to be. Personally Id go smaller on wheels. I dont think 4runners look good with anything bigger than a 33.

Obviously you haven't been paying attention......



I think she looks sexy with the 37s on her. They look like the truck should've came with them. LOL.

(Completely ****ing with you. No harm intended.)

 

[Park]

Geeze.....what gears are you running? (sorry for threadjack OP)

 

[cdrewferd]

Doc, thanks a ton.

The 255's may be a good option. Not sure I really want a 11-12" wide tire.

This will be my daily driver. My brother has a Cherokee on 35's, so I don't want to have to struggle to keep up with him. I really want to lock the front, so might as well re-gear at the same time.

Recalibrating the speedo shouldn't be a problem. I'll either do he Dakota Digital, or pick up a Scan Gauge.

Oh yea, I'm running 17" Sequoia/Tundra wheels. Not sure if that affects the choices that much or not.

Sorry for bumping so soon. I'll wait longer next time.

 

[Doc2012]

Geeze.....what gears are you running? (sorry for threadjack OP)

Read post 4.

Doc, thanks a ton.

The 255's may be a good option. Not sure I really want a 11-12" wide tire.

This will be my daily driver. My brother has a Cherokee on 35's, so I don't want to have to struggle to keep up with him. I really want to lock the front, so might as well re-gear at the same time.

Recalibrating the speedo shouldn't be a problem. I'll either do he Dakota Digital, or pick up a Scan Gauge.

Oh yea, I'm running 17" Sequoia/Tundra wheels. Not sure if that affects the choices that much or not.

Sorry for bumping so soon. I'll wait longer next time.

No problem man.

I've got some opnions about locking which first, but thats for tomorrow.

Post up stats about your Runner.

Engine, tranny, ect....

 

[cdrewferd]

Opps, guess more info would be a good thing.

3.4 auto
Factory rear locker
17" 10 spoke Sequoia/Tundra rims
255k

Next weekend I'll be replacing the following, provided everything goes well.

Upper and lower ball joints
Inner and outer tie rods - inners will depend on if I can find a new steering rack
Passenger wheel bearing
Lower control arm bushings
Possibly installing my 1" body lift

On the rack, mine is leaking. Can I replace the seals, or should I just try to find a rack with around 100k on it?

 

[Doc2012]

Opps, guess more info would be a good thing.

3.4 auto
Factory rear locker
17" 10 spoke Sequoia/Tundra rims
255k

Next weekend I'll be replacing the following, provided everything goes well.

Upper and lower ball joints
Inner and outer tie rods - inners will depend on if I can find a new steering rack
Passenger wheel bearing
Lower control arm bushings
Possibly installing my 1" body lift

On the rack, mine is leaking. Can I replace the seals, or should I just try to find a rack with around 100k on it?

Ok. That helps a alot.

LBJs are a definate if you plan to lift. There are a million and one options it seems like for our 4Runners. Again, most Tacoma front end stuff will bolt right up to our 4Runners, so thats a bonus. Then there's the stuff from the Tundra's and Land Cruisers that will work as well.

READ, RE-READ, AND READ AGAIN the lift sticky. 99.999999999% of your questions will be answered in that sticky; from which lift suits you, to what to expect when you do lift.

Personal prefrence when it comes to the rims; I would go back down to 16".
That way, you've got more meat to protect the rim.

The E-Locker is a great thing to have, just make sure you keep engageing it every now and then so the motor doesn't freeze up. You can reagear to 4.88 in the back and still retain the factory e-locker, IIRC.

For the front, I highly recommend a selectable locker. ARB air locker; if you want my advice. I'm running both front and rear ARBs, and absolutely love them. I need them, I hit a switch. I don't need them, I turn the switch off. That easy. Don't have to worry about them popping, catching going around corners, anything like that. Can't even tell they're in there, UNTIL you need them. Which, is the way I feel it should be.

If you're regearing, do them both at the same time. You'll end up breaking stuff if you regear one and not the other, and try to use the 4WD.

Another thing that I'm a huge fan of is the Manual Hub conversion. If you're doing the UBJs and the LBJs, as well as the bearings on the hubs that are on it currently, hold off, and get the manual hub spindles. All you have to do is replace the UBJ, and they go right in. Competely bolt on. The CVs are different, but they will still work with the front diff. Just the hub side is different. You can retain the factory ADD, or do a simple by pass to the ADD that I can explain if you'd like.

Actually, check out my Mod thread. It's got my opnions of the MHC in there, and a write up of how to do it. I'm working on pictures.

As far as the rack, I personally would get a reman'd rack. Check RockAuto.com.
I would rather spend the money on a new rack, with all new seals, and ITRs, rather than have one thing go wrong, then something else. Know what I mean?

 

[cdrewferd]

Thanks. Guess I should fully list out my plans. Like I said, I've been waiting to build this 4Runner for 8 years, so I've been researching it for a long time.

SS 1.2 lift
ARB front
4.88's - probably
Custom front & rear bumpers
Custom sliders
Whitson full length rack
LED lights
35's - hopefully

I don't think I really want to do the manual hub conversion. I just don't really see the point. Yes your CV's won't be spinning all the time, but that's the only thing that gets you. I did the manual conversion on my 93, and it wasn't worth the time to do it.

 

[Doc2012]

I don't think I really want to do the manual hub conversion. I just don't really see the point. Yes your CV's won't be spinning all the time, but that's the only thing that gets you. I did the manual conversion on my 93, and it wasn't worth the time to do it.

If you break a CV on the trail, and are in a really tough spot, You can just pull that CV out, cover the holes, then keep going until a safer spot.

You don't HAVE to run CVs; so if you're getting your front diff worked on, you can still drive it.

And, I'm exhausted already, damn early ass work days, but it looks more BA. I like having to get out and lock my hubs. It tells me the shit is about to get real, and that I better be ready. Not like just pushing a button.


There's more reasons. Just can't think right now.....