TRD Supercharger.... Worth it?
- Thread starter adkinsadam1
- Start date
What does the super charger do to your mpg? I know Toyota has had them for years. I never bothered with them but again never drove any Toyota supercharged either .
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That's a loaded question. For myself...I averaged around 15-16, but I drove the piss out of it. I live in Texas and kept the speedo over 80 on the highways and interstates though. If it were driven modestly...I could see it getting 18-19. In my opinion, the stock 3.4 is underpowered given the weight of a TR4. The supercharger definitely makes up for the anemic health that the stock 3.4 puts out. The biggest question you should ask yourself is: will I be able to keep my foot out of it? I was unable to even though it was just my work truck, and one of my other vehicles is a 700 horsepower Jeep SRT8.
brillo_76
Elite Member
Around here with normal v6 I get between 14 to 16 mpg. That isnt even horsing it. Just hilly in my area with lots of up and downs.
Old Toyotas were always under powered due to their weight. You think the 3rd gen 4 runners were bad. You should have had a 1983 5 speed with non EFI they definitely wouldn't won any speed records. Which was livable. The major issue I had with mine was trying to stop the rig.
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trackntrail
New member
100% worth it for me. 14-16mpg depending on hwy/city mix.
TRD Gen2 SC, URD 7th and headers really wakes up an armored truck on 35s with a stock auto and 4.30's. Plus the sound :laugh:
TRD Gen2 SC, URD 7th and headers really wakes up an armored truck on 35s with a stock auto and 4.30's. Plus the sound :laugh:
UnderFire
New member
If everything is bought at retail price and you're spending upwards of $5,000 dollars to get to the point where you're running 8 psi, I'm sure it isn't worth it. I'm going to be into mine closer to $1,500 running 8 psi and I'm hoping it makes a big difference like 5 psi on my turbo RZ made. If it doesn't cut it I'll spend another $500 and setup water/meth and slap the 2.0" pulley and and send a rod through the block.
Any time someone who drives even a bone stock 4runner or Tacoma brings up gas mileage I just find it laughable. People pay a premium for a vehicle you know damn well won't hit 20 MPG and fuel cost suddenly becomes a concern. A vehicle that's a third of the price would easily get 30-40MPG and save you money hand over fist, so sell your yota and buy a civic or two.
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Any time someone who drives even a bone stock 4runner or Tacoma brings up gas mileage I just find it laughable. People pay a premium for a vehicle you know damn well won't hit 20 MPG and fuel cost suddenly becomes a concern. A vehicle that's a third of the price would easily get 30-40MPG and save you money hand over fist, so sell your yota and buy a civic or two.
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UnderFire
New member
So true [emoji23], some of these guys have never driven a vehicle that struggles to hit highway speed and it shows.Around here with normal v6 I get between 14 to 16 mpg. That isnt even horsing it. Just hilly in my area with lots of up and downs.
Old Toyotas were always under powered due to their weight. You think the 3rd gen 4 runners were bad. You should have had a 1983 5 speed with non EFI they definitely wouldn't won any speed records. Which was livable. The major issue I had with mine was trying to stop the rig.
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The only additional complexity aside from the initial install, comes from a nose cone oil change which should be done every 100k miles. The additional cost of the premium fuel can also be offset by the better fuel economy that you can see when your TR4 isn't constantly hunting for lower gears to maintain speed on the slightest of grades. Assuming you aren't always hammering on it.
jross20
New member
Agreed, and for the price of one? Forget it.
The 180ish hp is good enough for me in this girl.
brillo_76
Elite Member
I couple of times. I was beside people because they stopped too fast. It was either beside them or hit them. I could barely hit 55 on a hill around my area. Even in 4th the old girl struggled. Yet the rides ran forever.
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gamefreakgc
Elite Member
What does the super charger do to your mpg? I know Toyota has had them for years. I never bothered with them but again never drove any Toyota supercharged either .
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Relatively nothing. It doesn't go into boost unless you are really gunning it since it has an internal bypass valve until a certain amount of throttle applied. There's been some cases (depending on terrain & driving style) that people have gained about 1 MPG's due to having to use less throttle. Not common though.
I bought mine with it on so I don't have before & after numbers.
brillo_76
Elite Member
So similar to the vtech on some Honda engines when it kicks the extra valves and really increases HP and Torque. They also require premium gas as well. Understandable.
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OrRunner
New member
Resurrecting this thread since I can now offer an informed opinion on it- and yes! Totally worth it. Recently installed supercharger, URD 7th injector kit, and AFR calibrator. Ran it for a week with just the s/c and it was pretty good but definitely pinged a bit here and there when crowding the throttle and most of the gains came at higher RPMs. Installed the 7th injector and AFR calibrator and it is an absolute dream to drive now. For the most part the change is unnoticeable- at lower speed/throttle levels it's the same, where it shines is higher speeds and at altitude or on hills. The increase in power in 4th with the torque converter locked is exactly what these trucks need to feel modern- set the cruise control and let it run. If you need a little "oh shit" power to get out of the way of something you have it. Want to tow? No problem.
With the URD kit I don't get any pinging at any RPM, it runs smooth and powerful on the preset tune. I may get it dyno-tuned at some later time, but as of now I don't see any need to.
With the URD kit I don't get any pinging at any RPM, it runs smooth and powerful on the preset tune. I may get it dyno-tuned at some later time, but as of now I don't see any need to.
eddielasvegas
Member
Thanks for your update OrRunner.
Did you install a TRD SC or one from Magnuson? I know they are the same, just curious how new your SC is.
I'm gnawing at the bit for this set up, but spending 4 grand on a vehicle that's worth 8-ish just does not seem like a smart thin to do.
Eddie
Did you install a TRD SC or one from Magnuson? I know they are the same, just curious how new your SC is.
I'm gnawing at the bit for this set up, but spending 4 grand on a vehicle that's worth 8-ish just does not seem like a smart thin to do.
Eddie
OrRunner
New member
Magnuson supercharger, bought new with the URD kit on Black Friday sale.
It depends on how you look at things, even a cheap new car is 20k, if I can get modern car drivability for less than that I’m still doing ok. I’ve done a lot of work to my truck- touchscreen double din, backup cam, coilovers, led interior and dash lights, HID retrofits- to make it comfortable and modern. I have no intention of getting rid of it, so to me it’s worth it to spend the money.
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gamefreakgc
Elite Member
Yeah, and if you look at it this way, to lease a 2020 4Runner it's about 700 a month with good credit (more if you buy, around $850). To keep your current old car, it's free. In 5 months you've "saved" enough for a new supercharger.
ChicoPerrico
New member
Fuel Grade
DO you have to run super unleaded or will it still run with 87 octane?
DO you have to run super unleaded or will it still run with 87 octane?
I have had my 96 auto supercharged for the last 35,000 miles. My truck has 244,xxx on it now and I do not regret putting the supercharger on at all. I came from a 94 mr2 with a 3rd gen 3sge swap so the runner felt like a dog to me.
I am running the stock pulley (although it gets me 7-9psi for some reason) no additional mods other than 2 step colder plugs and ALWAYS 91 or higher octane at around 2400ft elevation. I dont get any ping and it made a HUGE difference in how it feels zipping around town and going over passes on the freeway.
I actually raced my buddy in his runner for the first time about a 2 weeks ago just for fun. He has a 02 runner with a k&n intake, no lift and stock 265/70/16" tires. I have the supercharger, a trd catback and run 33" tires with a 3" lift. From a dig, I jumped about 2-3 car lengths ahead through 1st gear (35-40mph) and then steadily pulled to about 4-5 lengths by the time we hit 75-80.
I think i could gain another 1-2 lengths on him if I didnt have a horrible slip on my 1st to 2nd shift. That is the only issue I have had arise in the 35,xxx miles I have been boosted and I attribute it to my heavy heavy foot and lots of full throttle pulls to 60. I have a new trans sitting in my garage that I picked up for $125 with just over 100,xxx miles that will get the valve body modded before getting put back in.
Once you go with a supercharger, you will never look back. It makes the truck so much more friendly as a dd to zip around town with. It did make it a MUCH easier reality for me considering I picked up my kit for less than $600 all said and done.
ChicoPerrico
New member
DO you have to run super unleaded with the supercharger?
gamefreakgc
Elite Member
Yes, a minimum of 91 octane or higher if you have it (92 or 93). That means you will be paying 30-40 cents more per gallon, forever. The price of performance.
