What gen is the best for off-roading?
- Thread starter Kire4Runner
- Start date
No. Spend the dough for show. Buy the OffRoad and buy mods if you are for real.
chromatika
New member
Mostly Stock: 3rd gen with rear locker
Built: tie depending on use - 1st gen (or SAS 1st/2nd) for rock crawling and 4th gen long travel for milder wheeling / high speed / overland
Built: tie depending on use - 1st gen (or SAS 1st/2nd) for rock crawling and 4th gen long travel for milder wheeling / high speed / overland
All day, find me at Azusa OHV, Johnson Valley, Barstow BLM, and Anza, Traction Control off.
I'm interested in this as well. The only times I've been out to Lake Irvine was for the Mountain Bike Over The Hump race series which was on the West side of the lake I believe.
There were several hills but mainly single track around the campground area. Nothing that made me think "this would be awesome for 4X4."
TXCrawlDaddy
New member
Inv4drZm
Senior Member
It has the lowest ground clearance out of the box. Put a lift on it though and it's the same as the rest.
And only the 2009 Trail Editions (which are really hard to find) came with a rear differential locker, but those can be added aftermarket as well.
I would say the best is the 4runner you own, because otherwise (gasp!) you'd be in a Jeep!
Seriously though, I think any IFS truck requires a locker to do serious trails. Not enough suspension travel to reliably keep all wheels on the ground when it gets uneven. So, if you want to go stock, you have to stick with the generations that could be bought with a locker. My next criteria is ground clearance and approach/departure/breakover angles. Hard to beat the 3rd and earlier generations for that, just because of their smaller size.
Once you start adding your own stuff, you can build about anything you want. My lowly 2nd gen, with mods (see signature), holds its own on some pretty gnarly trails.
Seriously though, I think any IFS truck requires a locker to do serious trails. Not enough suspension travel to reliably keep all wheels on the ground when it gets uneven. So, if you want to go stock, you have to stick with the generations that could be bought with a locker. My next criteria is ground clearance and approach/departure/breakover angles. Hard to beat the 3rd and earlier generations for that, just because of their smaller size.
Once you start adding your own stuff, you can build about anything you want. My lowly 2nd gen, with mods (see signature), holds its own on some pretty gnarly trails.
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rsquaredatx
New member
Wasn't surprised to see the poll lean towards 3rd gen. My family had a 2nd and a 3rd gen...That 3rd gen could get through some of the gnarliest snow and mud the farm could throw at it...almost all stock. It also made it through several camping trips in private lands that other vehicles always got stuck in. I won't bother mentioning a couple other stock vehicles that could usually make it through as well...don't want to start a flame war...but they were NOT jeeps 
Nice I have 86 turbo
love my 3rd gen....not super crazy..adding a winch ...on order...waiting for it.
my youngest son has a 2017 taco that we will put a small lift on, and a winch..he loves it. My oldest son share ownership in a highly modded taco with dana axels front and rear to name a few mods....that beast has gone anyplace...but its in Oregon with him so I dont get to play with it anymore
my youngest son has a 2017 taco that we will put a small lift on, and a winch..he loves it. My oldest son share ownership in a highly modded taco with dana axels front and rear to name a few mods....that beast has gone anyplace...but its in Oregon with him so I dont get to play with it anymore
Thebeastlives
New member
I think all 4 runners out the box are great for offroading ..period. Stock a 4 runner is a beast on the trail as long as it is in capable hands. Too many offroader have zero skills and will fail in just about any vehicle. If you are hitting serious terrain no stock vehicle made is capable of covering that trail. You can modified any 4 runner to handle serious fast desert running, rock crawling, mud runs or sand dune running. How much money or damage you want to incur is up to your wallet or stomach. I have used my 3rd, 4th and 5th gen to offroad in the snow sand mud desert etc and they have all been exception vehicles in stock form. When the terrain get really serious I used my dedicated offroad vehicles for those adventures and tow them to the location. I can and do keep up with our Jeep crew in the 4 runners and have far less on the trail issues. But when the terrain goes beyond stock I grab dedicated offroad vehicles.
WMU53
New member
Offroad?
What is off road?! When the road turns to gumbo after a rain? When the snow is sooo deep you keep it between the trees? When you leave an oil lease road and drive the cutline?
Off road requires a short wheel base, winch and the correct tires for the occasion and driver experience. When I state winch it needs to be a durable setup, Schrockworks works, not a winch bolted onto an aluminium plate bolted onto the front area. Chains for winter tire assistance.
I dragged a trailer with two quads, 2800 lbs., through 27 kilometers of gumbo with the 2006 V6 and Michelin LTX tires. No mud terrain tires because it wasn't supposed to rain all night. Haha. Winched twice in pouring rain and the stickiest gumbo I've driven on/through. The performance of the Michelins was outstanding. The trailer tires were the weak link as they collected mud and no longer spun after the first 100 yards. I now have two mud chucking trailer tires that are carried as spares. Would have been better off with skis. The 4 Runner never failed across three one lane wooden bridges with steep approach and departure. Also required is an articulating hitch. Pick one you can work with for the job at hand. When I finally made it to the gravel road it was like arriving at an oasis.
Would this be possible with an EV SUV ? I'd like to be on site to follow the EV test vehicle.
The 4 Runner is a capable off road ride. Just be prepared for the road you drive that is no longer a road but has gone off. Hahaha.
What is off road?! When the road turns to gumbo after a rain? When the snow is sooo deep you keep it between the trees? When you leave an oil lease road and drive the cutline?
Off road requires a short wheel base, winch and the correct tires for the occasion and driver experience. When I state winch it needs to be a durable setup, Schrockworks works, not a winch bolted onto an aluminium plate bolted onto the front area. Chains for winter tire assistance.
I dragged a trailer with two quads, 2800 lbs., through 27 kilometers of gumbo with the 2006 V6 and Michelin LTX tires. No mud terrain tires because it wasn't supposed to rain all night. Haha. Winched twice in pouring rain and the stickiest gumbo I've driven on/through. The performance of the Michelins was outstanding. The trailer tires were the weak link as they collected mud and no longer spun after the first 100 yards. I now have two mud chucking trailer tires that are carried as spares. Would have been better off with skis. The 4 Runner never failed across three one lane wooden bridges with steep approach and departure. Also required is an articulating hitch. Pick one you can work with for the job at hand. When I finally made it to the gravel road it was like arriving at an oasis.
Would this be possible with an EV SUV ? I'd like to be on site to follow the EV test vehicle.
The 4 Runner is a capable off road ride. Just be prepared for the road you drive that is no longer a road but has gone off. Hahaha.
04rnr
New member
My first choice Id say 1st gen, IF, its a SOLID AXLE (1984-85) bullet proof motor, LOTS of aftermarket.
My second choice is 3rd gen with the E-Locker, narrow enough for tighter trails, strong enough for trails rated up to an 8.
The 4th gens are good but only a very few of the 2009s have the E-locker, I think the 5th gens are just to big for somes of trails..
My second choice is 3rd gen with the E-Locker, narrow enough for tighter trails, strong enough for trails rated up to an 8.
The 4th gens are good but only a very few of the 2009s have the E-locker, I think the 5th gens are just to big for somes of trails..
BayAreaT4R
New member
3rd gen of course
I will take a built IFS over a solid axle any day. My FJ cruiser with Fox 2.5 was just as good as my 2014 JK wrangler with Fox shocks.
My jeep is a handful on the highway, the FJ was better than stock. My Jeep beats me to death an rock strewn trails. My FJ did not.
I did Poison Spyder, Hells Revenge, and many others with both as I am a Moab junkie. I have decided to sell my Jeep and go with
a 2021 4 runner and build it like my FJ. It will be just as capable as the JK, but a lot more comfortable onroad, and offroad.
My jeep is a handful on the highway, the FJ was better than stock. My Jeep beats me to death an rock strewn trails. My FJ did not.
I did Poison Spyder, Hells Revenge, and many others with both as I am a Moab junkie. I have decided to sell my Jeep and go with
a 2021 4 runner and build it like my FJ. It will be just as capable as the JK, but a lot more comfortable onroad, and offroad.
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