Stone Stock 2015 Limited - Off Road Capibilities?
- Thread starter Khjphoto
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fattire
New member
The shocks ARE the X-REAS system. There is literally nothing else to it. Springs, c/o hats, etc are all standard stuff. If you remove the shocks though, you remove X-REAS.
Now...you could remove the X-REAS shocks and swap to something standard. Lots of folks do that when X-REAS starts to leak out of warranty (happened on my 4th Gen; tons of posts in that part of the forum). From a lift perspective it really won't get you anything.
EDIT: Nothing else to X-REAS besides the shocks and the oil lines you mention. Just wanted to be clear on that.
Jhalko
New member
The canisters attached to the side of the frame is what I'm talking about in addition to the lines. Basically you can remove the shocks, put in a new suspension without taking the whole system off. Im not saying it would have any function, just that the shocks are all that has to come out.
See here:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/109009-removing-x-reas-limited.html
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fattire
New member
Ahhh....you're absolutely correct. It has been such a long time I forgot about the items on the frame rails.
There are check valves in the lines that are supposed to prevent the system from draining when the shocks are disconnected. In my experience they don't work too well though.
Intruder
New member
Because you're going to want to air down on the trails. When you air down, the more sidewall you have the better. If it wasn't for the brakes being so big I bet a few of us would be running 16" wheels for that extra inch of sidewall.
jwkilgore
New member
Because rubber sidewalls flex. If you want looks and stiff sidewalls for better cornering (i.e., a sports car, or a "mall crawler"), then you go with tall wheels with short sidewalls. This combo has less rubber to flex so it's stiffer.
If you want a softer ride, you want shorter wheels and taller sidewalls for more flex. This also helps when off roading, whether you air down or not. Going down a rocky road on full-pressure 20's can jar your teeth out. Going down the same road on aired-down 17's is much more pleasant. The tradeoff will be poorer highway cornering.
And finally, I believe there are maybe four or five tires made in the stock size (245/60R-20), and all of them are highway tread. Highway tread tires aren't much good offroad. You can go up to 275/55R-20 for a much better selection, including lots of good AT tread tires. They are a good bit wider, very slightly taller, and it should mount right up with no modifications... except many big-box tire shops won't install them on stock 7" wide wheels because most tire brands recommend 7.5" wide wheels or wider for that tire size.
Going to 17's opens up a much better selection of tires in a huge price range, along with a larger range of possible sizes. See this thread: http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/156378-going-bigger-5th-gen-tire-fitment-guide.html
As for a recommendation, I'm partial to Cooper AT3's for a good all-purpose mixed-use tire that has a decent milage warranty. They are available in both 275/55R-20 and all three direct-fit 17" sizes (see the "green" sizes in the chart at the link). If you need snow traction in PA you could go with the Cooper ATW's, which are basically AT3's with more siping. Other people will recommend BFG KO2's, but they don't have a mileage warranty. There are other options (General, Nitto, Hankook, etc.), and about as many opinions as there are people.
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I bought a set of Trails on the classifieds for $400. OEM 17x7.5 inch wheel. Plasti-Dipped them and they look awesome when fitted with my K02s (stock size though)
So you're not interested in lifting it, but you don't want the Limited because it's not enough of a hardcore rockcrawler? :wtf:
Firstly, the Limited is the same basic platform as the Trail and TRD Pro, with full-time 4wd instead of part-time; add a rear locking diff, and you have all the capabilities of the Trail, and potentially more if you consider the Limited's center diff an added advantage, which many do.
Secondly, any 4runner will be good enough, in stock form, to handle 95% of the roads you will ever encounter in North America. If you really want to be able to tackle that last 5%, you'll be looking at adding a lift, bigger tires, potentially a front locker (though ATRAC may allow you to muscle through most terrain), ect. The only major difference between the "hardcore" models like the Trail and TRD and the rest is that the former have a rear locking diff, which gives you a head-start in the modding game.
All that being said, if you want something that can occasionally get you over rough terrain but will probably spend 99% of its time on pavement or gravel roads, a SR5 or Limited would be more than enough. 4wd low, or 4wd with center diff locked for the Limited, combined with smart driving will get you over most obstacles. I have a trail and I've only had to use the locking rear diff 6x: 4x because I purposely went through some terrain that required it (there were bypasses) and 2x because I actually needed to get unstuck or out of rough terrain.
The locking rear diff, while a potent tool, is akin to a fire axe you sometimes see in the emergency fire stations in hallways: you rarely have a need to use it, and if you do, its because you don't have any other options.
Jetboy
New member
Yes to the 17" wheel. And 285/70/17 is the largest size tire you can fit without significant trimming.
Jetboy
New member
FWIW, the Trail edition also has better skid plates, crawl control, multi terrain select, and most importantly KDSS. I can't for the life of me figure out why they didn't put kdss on the limited like the GX460 has. The GX460 and trail with KDSS are much better on the road than a limited with XREAS. It really is the best of the best mechanically. Best highway suspension. Best offroad suspension. And all the offroad goodies. But the limited has the nicer interior and the smart key. A few things I'd really like to have on my Trail.
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