TRD Supercharger.... Worth it?

[Thebeastlives]

I like my trucks and suv stock and reliable and since my 3rd gen is over 25 years old and has 327k miles on it I would never boost it. Boost on any older vehicles will increase the stress on already old parts and eventually cause more untimely repairs. Someone once asked me if I would boost my Tundra or the wife's 2018 Trd 5th gen runner. Why, they were purchased for a specified purpose and performance wasn't one of them. Define what you want and expect out of your 3rd gen and what issues and repairs you are willing to deal with and you will have your answer. A boost 3rd gen for me is still slow and now less reliable so I pass on this all day.

 

[WeakSauz]

I like my trucks and suv stock and reliable and since my 3rd gen is over 25 years old and has 327k miles on it I would never boost it. Boost on any older vehicles will increase the stress on already old parts and eventually cause more untimely repairs. Someone once asked me if I would boost my Tundra or the wife's 2018 Trd 5th gen runner. Why, they were purchased for a specified purpose and performance wasn't one of them. Define what you want and expect out of your 3rd gen and what issues and repairs you are willing to deal with and you will have your answer. A boost 3rd gen for me is still slow and now less reliable so I pass on this all day.

I'm with you here. Mine has 240k on it now, and I wouldn't hesitate one bit to take off and drive it from NC to the west coast. That's one of the most beautiful things about these vehicles. I'd hate to jeopardize that with boost. It's not a race car. 4.88 gears and a 100% stock drivetrain will do the job just fine.

With the supercharger, one bad tank of fuel-- one lean condition under heavy throttle... one bad bout of detonation for any reason.. It could all be a loss. It's a major risk in my eyes, and unless I had a sub 100k shortblock, I wouldnt risk it.

 

[gamefreakgc]

I'm with you here. Mine has 240k on it now, and I wouldn't hesitate one bit to take off and drive it from NC to the west coast. That's one of the most beautiful things about these vehicles. I'd hate to jeopardize that with boost. It's not a race car. 4.88 gears and a 100% stock drivetrain will do the job just fine.

With the supercharger, one bad tank of fuel-- one lean condition under heavy throttle... one bad bout of detonation for any reason.. It could all be a loss. It's a major risk in my eyes, and unless I had a sub 100k shortblock, I wouldnt risk it.

Pssh it's totally fine boost it! I've only had to replace my engine once! Oh wait...

All kidding aside, it is true that boosting increases wear. These engines are stout and can take a lot of abuse and hold up strong but one thing that suffers is compression, it wears out the piston rings faster. At least these are not 4th Gens, Toyota stopped making the supercharger for that generation since the boosted 4Runners were breaking rods!

 

[Thebeastlives]

I'm with you here. Mine has 240k on it now, and I wouldn't hesitate one bit to take off and drive it from NC to the west coast. That's one of the most beautiful things about these vehicles. I'd hate to jeopardize that with boost. It's not a race car. 4.88 gears and a 100% stock drivetrain will do the job just fine.

With the supercharger, one bad tank of fuel-- one lean condition under heavy throttle... one bad bout of detonation for any reason.. It could all be a loss. It's a major risk in my eyes, and unless I had a sub 100k shortblock, I wouldnt risk it.

Exactly...I got other vehicles that are built from the ground up to be performance vehicles....let this old SUV live its life in the slow lane

 

[lockedlex]

I did it at 180k. I figured there were 100% of Runners with them installed from new, that now have a lot more miles than I do, without any issues. I think those with issues were the ones that installed different pulleys to increase boost.

For me, the lack of power was a safety issue. Esp, after building out my truck (bumpers, amour, winch, etc). Even before my build out though, it was pretty abysmal esp when I had cargo and people.

It's been about 2 years, 20k miles and no regrets. It's nice to be able to actually get out of my own way and keep up with many newer trucks and cars. I also felt it was all cheaper than buying a new 4runner or another used one (plus I'm not a fan of the newer ones).

I'm keeping this truck forever and have even toyed with getting a JDM low mileage engine (and maybe trans) and just keeping it in storage "just in case" lol.

 

[2chains]

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.

Can we get an update on your impressions of the Supercharger?

 

[OrRunner]

Can we get an update on your impressions of the Supercharger?

Super happy with it! It's definitely not a rocket ship, but it brings it to modern day standards of driveability. With the 7th injector and AFR calibrator it has zero ping and loads of torque, I can put it in cruise control at 60 and it won't come out of overdrive until you get to a pretty steep grade. It makes the vehicle a lot more comfortable to drive since it doesn't have to be constantly hunting for gears, and if you're at elevation it's amazing. My mileage has gone up approximately 1 mpg, typically at 17 mpg combined (rolling on 32's with e rated ko2s, 3 inch lift) which doesn't come close to making up for the increased cost of premium fuel, but the extra range is certainly nice.

Now the bigger and more important question- was it worth it?

For me personally, yes, but I'm also willing to admit that this is a passion project that I expect to be buried with one day. I added up my receipts the other day and lets just say I'm so embarrassed I'm not going to share that number on an anonymous internet message board. On the other hand, I have a vehicle that performs as good or better than something that just rolled off the line, and fits me like a glove. For me it's worth it.

 

[2chains]

Thanks for the update! Just sold my 2015 and trying to decide on 2021 or GX460. Really like the v8 on the GX but really prefer the look of the T4R!
Thinking about the supercharger on the T4R still puts me at a lower price than a new GX...

 

[gamefreakgc]

Thanks for the update! Just sold my 2015 and trying to decide on 2021 or GX460. Really like the v8 on the GX but really prefer the look of the T4R!
Thinking about the supercharger on the T4R still puts me at a lower price than a new GX...

Since you are asking for opinions... wait until the 6th Gen 4Runner. That's not going to be 2021, but perhaps 2022. The 5th Gens are terribly overdue for a change, the are 11 years on the same generation! I can't think of any other vehicle ever that's gone 11 years without a redesign.

If you are in a pinch for a vehicle now, definitely go for a 3rd Gen. Reliable and consistent and it'll sell for exactly the same money in a few years that you can buy it for today. Not very many vehicles can match that!

 

[2chains]

Since you are asking for opinions... wait until the 6th Gen 4Runner. That's not going to be 2021, but perhaps 2022. The 5th Gens are terribly overdue for a change, the are 11 years on the same generation! I can't think of any other vehicle ever that's gone 11 years without a redesign.

If you are in a pinch for a vehicle now, definitely go for a 3rd Gen. Reliable and consistent and it'll sell for exactly the same money in a few years that you can buy it for today. Not very many vehicles can match that!

Actually been pricing out those 3rd gens...here they go for $12,000+ with 250,000 kilometres. Crazyness!

 

[lkuiper36]

ive been thinking about adding some sort of charger on my 98 SR5 4runner but im not quite sure what, im not trying to do anthing too expensive. i know that superchargers are expensive but are they actually worth the money ?

 

[JCruz]

I think I want to supercharge, but my engine and trans have 250k miles on them.

I think id spend the money on a rebuild of those first.

 

[gamefreakgc]

I think I want to supercharge, but my engine and trans have 250k miles on them.

I think id spend the money on a rebuild of those first.

Hunt junkyards and car-part.com and see if you can snag a used one. $3500 for a new one just isn't worth it anymore, not when some 4Runners on the road aren't even worth that much!

My 4Runner enjoyed somewhere around 150K miles of supercharged fun before it started to show some wear. The extra heat from the charger will cause the valves to wear down a little faster, nothing dramatic but it does happen. More prone to cracked valves too if you really beat on it often. As far as the transmission goes, the supercharger puts out a lot more heat in the engine (normally comes with a 170* thermostat vs 190* stock) and this heat is also increased in the transmission. A good quality synthetic transmission fluid with frequent checks will keep it running smoothly. There's no inherent risk to the transmission other than heat.

My experience has been is if the compression is good in all cylinders and is mechanically sound, mileage doesn't matter. If you have cylinders with low compression or other issues, the supercharger will exacerbate them.

 

[ptrhahn]

Is this actually a TRD supercharger, i.e.: a Toyota part that doesn't void warranty? I can't find where to buy one, only people talking about it.

 

[Bad Luck]

Is this actually a TRD supercharger, i.e.: a Toyota part that doesn't void warranty? I can't find where to buy one, only people talking about it.

I feel extremely confident saying that all 3rd gens no longer have any warranty from the manufacturer or dealer so this is a non-issue.

 

[Twisted Sid]

I feel extremely confident saying that all 3rd gens no longer have any warranty from the manufacturer or dealer so this is a non-issue.

But what about that extended vehicle warranty that I'm always getting calls about?

 

[Bad Luck]

But what about that extended vehicle warranty that I'm always getting calls about?

I’ve been trying to waste their time for years. Apparently my 4Runner is too old lol they always hang up once I tell them the year/make/model which is rude!

 

[Makitso]

Since adding a TRD supercharger I now know that my 4R has
a 108 mph speed limiter, and it works!

 

[gamefreakgc]

Is this actually a TRD supercharger, i.e.: a Toyota part that doesn't void warranty? I can't find where to buy one, only people talking about it.

TRD dropped their supercharger line about 6ish years ago. Magnuson, the original manufacturer (Toyota didn't ever make the supercharger) makes it without the logo. Here's a link to their online store: MP62 Toyota 5VZ-FE 3.4L V6 Supercharger System – Magnuson Superchargers.

I'll warn you now though, the recent price hikes makes the supercharger not worth it anymore. You are better off buying a 4Runner with one already installed. $4,000 after taxes is straight up robbery. For reference when I bought mine, most 4Runners were going for about $5500 with 200K miles in good condition and I paid $7000 for mine, so you could say I paid a $1500 premium for the benefit of a supercharged engine. In today's market I would expect that premium to be around $2000 extra.