Where do I start? 03 4runner SR5

[parker.payne]

Hey everyone,
I want to start off roading but I have no idea how or where to start with converting my car. I have a 2003 SR5 4Runner. I've talked to one of my friends and he suggested getting off road tires first, then lockers, and then a suspension lift. Does everyone agree with that? If so is there anything else I need and what type of tires, lockers, or suspension kit should I get? And one more thing I am only 16 so money is a little tight to begin with.

thanks for the help!
Parker

here is a pic of my truck in case it matters
http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/255/img00009201011281311.jpg

 

[ironhippy]

That's a nice truck. To be honest, you don't need anything more than an adventurous attitude to go off roading, but that doesn't mean it's a great idea.

I strongly recommend looking locally for some type of offroad clubs. Even a local jeep club will probably be more than happy to have you tag along on some trail rides. Provided you are travelling with responsible people, their experience and tugging should be able to get you off road and through some trails. As you gain experience you can decided where you want to go and what you want to do with your truck.

I recommend going out with others before doing anything to your truck. That being said, your tires won't get you very far, but if you think you are going to lift it down the road, maybe you want to lift it before you buy new tires, but you can get away with a lot of offroading with just a decent set of all terrain tires. Putting in a locker can be less than 500$ or well over 1000$ depending on the type and brand you buy.

There is a lot of different paths you can take so you should have an idea of where you are headed before putting money into your truck, especially if you don't have much.

Keep reading around this forum, especially the 4th Generation section because you have a 4th generation 4runner.

 

[auxiliary]

You can off-road a lot with out a locker. It's an expense that I am putting off until I feel I have reached my limit. Tires and lift gets you a lot of easy places on trails and what not. If you're rock crawling then that locker will come in sooner.

I say, get tires, a lift, and then start going on trails and seeing what you need next. You'll be surprised how far you can go without that locker.

 

[ironhippy]

I say, get tires, a lift, and then start going on trails and seeing what you need next. You'll be surprised how far you can go without that locker.

Depending on what he plans on doing, tires and a lift may not be needed. I've driven off road for many miles without needing 4wd.

Tires will help, but having a lift is not a necessity to travel off road. It all depends on where you want to go.

 

[Mr. Leary]

First order of business should be to define what types / difficulty levels of terrain you are comfortable tackling and how much damage you are willing to accept or spend money to prevent. There will also be regional factors in your decision. As mentioned earlier, a good resource is the local off road club. They will have a good idea of what terrain types are most prevelent in the area and what modifications are best suited.

Next you should define the purpose of being out there. Are you trying to reach remote camping locations? Are you trying to get your adrenaline pumping in your new ride? Your truck, your choice, but the modifications should reflect the purpose for which it was built.

Next you must define a budget. Builds can rapidly spin out of control unless you limit your scope to something simple and well defined. For example, you want a truck that can take you down some simple trails and get you back home safely. Your budget should not include a snorkel, solid axle swap, or even new gearsets. It should include a set of good tires (a true A/T or a M/T), and investing in some basic recovery gear. As you learn how to wheel the truck and begin to discover the poorly performing aspects of its current configuration, you can research modifications.

This is undoubtedly your first build. Take it slowly and do your research before buying anything. There are pros and cons of many modifications and certain equipment is simply better then other equipment, which usually fetches a higher price. Chose wisely or you will end up spending the money multiple times as you replace crappy gear. A good rule of thumb is: Pay the money, cry once.

I wish I had asked the type of questions that you are asking when I was your age. My first two builds were more for looks and trying to keep up with the other guys then builds that really suited my needs. I wasted a lot of money. I've learned a few things the hard way... things that I'm telling you here.

Good luck and have fun with you build. Feel free to bounce ideas off me or ask additional questions. I will keep an eye on this thread.

See you on the trails,

Leary

 

[shawner2713]

great advice from leary...especially his rule of thumb.

I know when I first got into it I started off with just some A/T tires and was able to do a lot more than I even wanted at the time. My first mod after that was armor (sliders and skid plates). If you plan to do any moderate/rocky offroading and not just forest service roads or mud pits I think armor is the best option.
lots of opinions out there- and of course a lift makes the ride look cooler than skid plates.

But. as leary said, decide what kind of stuff you plan on doing.

 

[Bamf_CT2004]

Sell your 4th gen and find a 1st or 2nd gen. The 1st and 2nd gen 4runners have many more options and are much cheaper and eaiser to build up with the option of a SAS and dualcases. If you sell you 4th gen and get a 1st and 2nd gen you will have money left over to get mods like sliders, locker, tires, lift, bumpers, etc

Also by getting an older truck you dont feel so bad about it getting banged up on the trail. Ask anyone, and they will tell you this hobby is absolutely no fun if you are worried about getting scratches and dents. Being in the midwest, you should expect trail damage. Its alot different when you dent a quarter panel on a $3000 truck than denting a quarter panel on a $10,000 truck.

But if you must keep your 4th gen, I would recommend sliders and locker for the first mods. Then from there its all a matter of personal preference for the next mod. I have gone places with a pepboys AT and a locker that I couldnt get through with a BFG MT and open rear diff. Since this is you DD and you live in an area of where ice builds up on roads, I would highly recommend a selectable locker instead of a lunchbox. Going to be more expensive but worth it.

 

[shawner2713]

i may be vain, but i disagree. i get more of a rush from not wanting to damage my truck than from not being worried about it at all...also, i don't want to drive around a wrinkled 4runner as my daily driver anyway. if you're going to wheel it that hard where you expect frequent damage get something cheap as a weekend toy or get an old model like he said and live with a raisin. also keep in mind if you ever do anything expeditionary, a newer model will likely be more reliable unless you replace every old part on an older model. again, to each their own, i know theres people on each side of this argument and there's no right answer. do what you do. i'd love to trade my 3rd gen in for a clean 1st gen though...

and a locker will definitely help tremendously in a lot of situations, but atrac also does pretty well in a lot of moderate cases.