1engineer
Moderator
Thanks for the link Curt. I meant for the new guy. Sheesh...yes, I have read the manual - a few times. Shutup [MENTION=51186]philsey[/MENTION] lol.
Your Typical Newbie Questions, or may be NOT
- Thread starter Wildvet
- Start date
Thanks for the link Curt. I meant for the new guy. Sheesh...yes, I have read the manual - a few times. Shutup [MENTION=51186]philsey[/MENTION] lol.
Curt Sauve
New member
I think Harper7 posted a while back that on all stock 5G's the rear departure angle is limited by the hitch, which is the same on all models, and the front aproach on SR5/LE is the same as the TE if you remove the air dam? Lockers are great on a modded rock/trail rig like yours, but on a stock rig?
phillyd2
Senior Member
The Trail also has different bumpers, which give better angles. As said, Lockers will depend on where its driven but I've been where I sure as hell wish I had them - before I did. Remember, mine is a LE. Look at the pic before and after the convert.
Curt Sauve
New member
I'm just stating what I've read in previous posts. You, Harper7 and alot of other guys on here have built some great rigs, but I will leave mine stock except wheels and tires, and it is plenty light off road capable, which the OP needs to know. If I want/need a rock/trail rig, I'll build a buggy, and tow it to the trail head with my LE.
Intruder
New member
I think you pretty much nailed it. ATRAC is good to have but not a replacement for a locker, though for mild off road use a locker may not be necessary (until you need it). Tires - and airing them down - will make a huge difference, but any truck has the potential to get stuck in the kind of situation the OP mentioned. It takes less than a lot of people think to get high centered or hung up on your diff. If you're going off the beaten path by yourself always have an exit plan or backup strategy. UHF/VHF is good, satellite locator is even better.
As for the capability of a completely stock 5th gen 4Runner...they do ok.
Curt Sauve
New member
I guess being a Chief Building Official, I should have known that an engineer would have read the manual, an architect, not so much.
1engineer
Moderator
I think you pretty much nailed it. ATRAC is good to have but not a replacement for a locker, though for mild off road use a locker may not be necessary (until you need it). Tires - and airing them down - will make a huge difference, but any truck has the potential to get stuck in the kind of situation the OP mentioned. It takes less than a lot of people think to get high centered or hung up on your diff. If you're going off the beaten path by yourself always have an exit plan or backup strategy. UHF/VHF is good, satellite locator is even better.
As for the capability of a completely stock 5th gen 4Runner...they do ok.
OP this a good post. [MENTION=66300]Intruder[/MENTION] I carry a satellite locator ever since I had my bad mtn bike wreck a few years ago. I have not had to use it but all I have to do if in a bad way is push a button and a SOS signal goes out and my wife is notified along with exact GPS coordinates. My wife got it for me lol as I ride a lot by myself. It will also alert local 911 emergency services.
All three models have their pros and cons but all are probably more capable than most people have the ability to use. Read, test drive and come back and ask questions. We will be here!
Curt Sauve
New member
Articulation is the same in all models in stock form, let's not lead the OP astray shall we?
harper7
Senior Member
All 5th Gens have the same bumpers. The actual bumpers are an Aluminum extrusion in the front and steel as part of the frame in the rear . The plastic bumper covers are what your talking about and are cosmetic .
Yes the LE and SR5 stock bumper covers hang lower but the hitch reciever is the lowest rear point in the rear determining the rear departure angle on all the models. That is if you don't have the factory chrome tailpipe extension ,in which it would be and what had to be on for Toyota to determine the difference in departure angles for marketing. Plastic bemper pieces also can be removed or changed as we know.
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Intruder
New member
Yup, I bought a Spot because I fish alone a lot and read a story about a guy who slipped on a rock, broke his leg, and almost died because nobody knew where he was. It lives in my center console unless I'm fishing or hiking then it comes with me. The Ham radio always comes off road too for "lesser" emergencies.
I never go off road alone and I've been stuck more times than I can count. A winch is good, but that's assuming there's something sturdy close enough to winch off of. Recently a guy around here spent a cold night on the trail because he lost a bead on one of his tires. He went to winch out of the rut he was in to try and change it, but sheared the bolt holding the line onto his spool because he pulled too much line off. The next day he'd been walking for 5 hours to get back out when my friend spotted him and gave him a ride back to where the RCMP search team was based.
Jeremy556
New member
Did I say they weren't?
The TE has big sway bars to greatly reduce body roll, while retaining the same articulation of the other models without big sway bars.
That said, the GX models with KDSS get better ramp scores than non KDSS. It would be interesting to ramp a stock KDSS TE and an SR5.
phillyd2
Senior Member
F'ing Eggheads :becky:
You are of course correct. Guess I should had said the LE has less clearance due to the skirts.
OP, before you buy used, look at prices of new ones. Unless you are going to buy from a private party, it is not worth buying a used one from a dealer. When I first started looking for a 4R I looked at used ones. Found an SR5 I really liked. It was a 2010 with 36,000 miles on it. Had been wrecked twice, and the dealer was asking 36,500 for it. I bought a brand new 2012 SR5 with the premium package and 3rd row for less than $1,500 more than the used one. Of course, some haggling on the price will be necessary.
BigredTEX
New member
Not sure what I can add to this thread except maybe some clarification for the OP.
All models have ATRAC, which is a traction control system using the ABS system to distribute power to the wheel(s) with the best traction. It is a relatively capable system, but not a miracle worker. The LE has full time 4WD with a locking center diff. The SR5 and TE have part time 4WD, while the TE has the addition of a rear E locker.
I am an aggressive off-roader with my TE (non KDSS) and the only mod is a 3" lift and 33" off road tires. In this configuration I have found only one incident when a winch was need and I have that on my to-do list. In stock form all three models are very capable off road, but more aggressive tires are a must. KDSS, which is only offered on the TE, is a system that effectively eliminates the sway bars allowing for more articulation. Another feature of the TE is a more durable interior material. If you are planning to get into mud I would recommend it over the leather of the LE or cloth of the SR5.
My preference, in descending order of off road capability are 1) KDSS equipped TE, 2) Non KDSS TE, 3) SR5, 4) LE. Not trying to offend anyone, but that's how I see it for the vehicles out of the box. You can make any of the models match or exceed the TE by going aftermarket, but that's why I went with the TE in the first place, so I wouldn't have to.
All models have ATRAC, which is a traction control system using the ABS system to distribute power to the wheel(s) with the best traction. It is a relatively capable system, but not a miracle worker. The LE has full time 4WD with a locking center diff. The SR5 and TE have part time 4WD, while the TE has the addition of a rear E locker.
I am an aggressive off-roader with my TE (non KDSS) and the only mod is a 3" lift and 33" off road tires. In this configuration I have found only one incident when a winch was need and I have that on my to-do list. In stock form all three models are very capable off road, but more aggressive tires are a must. KDSS, which is only offered on the TE, is a system that effectively eliminates the sway bars allowing for more articulation. Another feature of the TE is a more durable interior material. If you are planning to get into mud I would recommend it over the leather of the LE or cloth of the SR5.
My preference, in descending order of off road capability are 1) KDSS equipped TE, 2) Non KDSS TE, 3) SR5, 4) LE. Not trying to offend anyone, but that's how I see it for the vehicles out of the box. You can make any of the models match or exceed the TE by going aftermarket, but that's why I went with the TE in the first place, so I wouldn't have to.
For what its worth, I also have a 99 4R that does have the e-locker. Had it since brand new. In 14 years of owning it and doing some pretty heavy off-roading, I have only used the e-locker once to get out of a situation. And even then, there was another way out. The few other times I've used it was just to play around with it. It is a nice feature to have, but sometimes they never get used.
whodat
New member
Welcome to the forum!
A lot of good advice already given in previous posts.
Basically, you're looking for a particular 4R model, for a good price, to do moderate offroading now and serve as a daily driver, and to potentially upgrade later to do more serious offroading.
You drive a Santa Fe now and it served you well, so ANY stock model of the 4R will serve you well if you want to continue to do what you did with the Santa Fe, and then some.
A lot of us use the 4R as a daily driver. It may not be a comfy ride as the Santa Fe (not sure, but I'm guessing it's a unibody and better ride), the 4R drives like a truck, so take that into consideration. Some of us modded the bejeezus out of it, and still drive it as a daily driver, you take a few hits in the mpg, but still very doable, the more you mod, the more your mpg will go down (adding weight, bigger tires, etc etc, search on this forum and you'll find a lot of threads about that). But still, very doable as a daily driver, I'm getting around 15-16 mixed with 287/17/70 Duratracs, and a SW front bumper. Not bad for me. Your driving method determines you mpg too, so take that into consideration, I drive like a grandpa
As mentioned before, look at the price of a new 4R and look at the price of a used one. The 4R holds it value very very well, so pay a few more thousand and get a brand new one is my opinion on that.
It really depends on what you want to do and how much you want to spend on the 4R in the future. Clean slate to work with in the future, go with the SR5. KDSS, gadgets and a rugged look, go with the Trail. Luxury and torsion diff- go with the Limited. If you like luxury, but also like the look of the trail, how deep is your pocket? Because you can certainly make a Limited look like a Trail like some members here. All are very capable in stock form for your moderate offroad needs, no question about that, however I will add though, a good AT tire will go a long way, the stock tires are not great for offroading, so the first minimum mod I would recommend is to get some AT tires. First time this year driving in snow with AT tires, and wow, big difference in handling vs the stock tires. Don't get me wrong, I was able to get through snowy and icy conditions with stock tires, but I was going very very slow. With Duratracs, I was driving my normal speed with normal handling, but I slowed down anyways because driving "normal" speed in the snow is not a safe thing in the city during snow storms.
Test drive test drive test drive. You'll see noticeable difference between the different models. I didn't mind the "nose dive" with the SR5, but others do/did, so slam on the brakes and see what you think of it. If possible, test drive a Trail with KDSS, a lot of members love it and says there's a lot less body roll during cornering. The Limited has better cornering than the SR5 too, per members on this forum. Go test drive them, come back here and tell us what you think, and ask more questions, we'll give you our experiences and opinions, and you could go test drive again to confirm/test what we tell you, and come back again and ask away. There's only so much we can tell you, it's up to you to test drive it and see how much you like/hate about it.
A lot of good advice already given in previous posts.
Basically, you're looking for a particular 4R model, for a good price, to do moderate offroading now and serve as a daily driver, and to potentially upgrade later to do more serious offroading.
You drive a Santa Fe now and it served you well, so ANY stock model of the 4R will serve you well if you want to continue to do what you did with the Santa Fe, and then some.
A lot of us use the 4R as a daily driver. It may not be a comfy ride as the Santa Fe (not sure, but I'm guessing it's a unibody and better ride), the 4R drives like a truck, so take that into consideration. Some of us modded the bejeezus out of it, and still drive it as a daily driver, you take a few hits in the mpg, but still very doable, the more you mod, the more your mpg will go down (adding weight, bigger tires, etc etc, search on this forum and you'll find a lot of threads about that). But still, very doable as a daily driver, I'm getting around 15-16 mixed with 287/17/70 Duratracs, and a SW front bumper. Not bad for me. Your driving method determines you mpg too, so take that into consideration, I drive like a grandpa
As mentioned before, look at the price of a new 4R and look at the price of a used one. The 4R holds it value very very well, so pay a few more thousand and get a brand new one is my opinion on that.
It really depends on what you want to do and how much you want to spend on the 4R in the future. Clean slate to work with in the future, go with the SR5. KDSS, gadgets and a rugged look, go with the Trail. Luxury and torsion diff- go with the Limited. If you like luxury, but also like the look of the trail, how deep is your pocket? Because you can certainly make a Limited look like a Trail like some members here. All are very capable in stock form for your moderate offroad needs, no question about that, however I will add though, a good AT tire will go a long way, the stock tires are not great for offroading, so the first minimum mod I would recommend is to get some AT tires. First time this year driving in snow with AT tires, and wow, big difference in handling vs the stock tires. Don't get me wrong, I was able to get through snowy and icy conditions with stock tires, but I was going very very slow. With Duratracs, I was driving my normal speed with normal handling, but I slowed down anyways because driving "normal" speed in the snow is not a safe thing in the city during snow storms.
Test drive test drive test drive. You'll see noticeable difference between the different models. I didn't mind the "nose dive" with the SR5, but others do/did, so slam on the brakes and see what you think of it. If possible, test drive a Trail with KDSS, a lot of members love it and says there's a lot less body roll during cornering. The Limited has better cornering than the SR5 too, per members on this forum. Go test drive them, come back here and tell us what you think, and ask more questions, we'll give you our experiences and opinions, and you could go test drive again to confirm/test what we tell you, and come back again and ask away. There's only so much we can tell you, it's up to you to test drive it and see how much you like/hate about it.
Curious. What year Santa Fe is it? V6/AWD?
Awesome Forum!!!
I am amazed and almost overwhelmed (in a good way) by the suggestions and advise being offered here. Joining T4R.org has to be the smartest thing I could have done before buying the T4R.
@ Runnaz- I am seeing what you went through right now. I didnt know it would e so difficult to find a decent used T4R in DFW area. Being in Tx and all. not too far from some off roading action in any direction. People dont wanna let go of their T4Rs here. What ever is available id through dealers and they want more than what the new one is sellng for..... for A 2-3 year old car.......CRAZY:mad2:
@ BigRed- I am not too far from you , Irving.. But man its hard to find what you need. Your suggestion about the TE's durable interior is valuable to me as I have a very boisterous German Shephard. I actually have 3 three year olds, one human and one canine. The canine one is unstoppable...
If you find something decent is either a trap to get you to the dealership or in reality its already been sold but they want you to still make a call...
I am amazed and almost overwhelmed (in a good way) by the suggestions and advise being offered here. Joining T4R.org has to be the smartest thing I could have done before buying the T4R.
@ Runnaz- I am seeing what you went through right now. I didnt know it would e so difficult to find a decent used T4R in DFW area. Being in Tx and all. not too far from some off roading action in any direction. People dont wanna let go of their T4Rs here. What ever is available id through dealers and they want more than what the new one is sellng for..... for A 2-3 year old car.......CRAZY:mad2:
@ BigRed- I am not too far from you , Irving.. But man its hard to find what you need. Your suggestion about the TE's durable interior is valuable to me as I have a very boisterous German Shephard. I actually have 3 three year olds, one human and one canine. The canine one is unstoppable...
If you find something decent is either a trap to get you to the dealership or in reality its already been sold but they want you to still make a call...
Avalanche
New member
To make sure your T4R has 4WD, check for the knob that shifts from H2-H4-L4. Some 5th Gens have a lever, but I think the Limited has a dial. I have never seen a 5th Gen w/o a sunroof, either.
Here is a great video on Youtube.com going over all the 5th generation features (of the 2010 T4R). Video #60 shows the knob I am talking about for 4WD. Tons of great videos are on this. You can spend a lot of time on it.
2010 Toyota 4Runner: Transfer Case - Manual Lever - YouTube
I have had my 2010 T4R SR5 for a month and a half, and I am so happy I bought it! I was able to get one with barely 30k miles on it with a Limited package for less than $30k here in Oklahoma City with 1-owner, clean Carfax.
Here is a great video on Youtube.com going over all the 5th generation features (of the 2010 T4R). Video #60 shows the knob I am talking about for 4WD. Tons of great videos are on this. You can spend a lot of time on it.
2010 Toyota 4Runner: Transfer Case - Manual Lever - YouTube
I have had my 2010 T4R SR5 for a month and a half, and I am so happy I bought it! I was able to get one with barely 30k miles on it with a Limited package for less than $30k here in Oklahoma City with 1-owner, clean Carfax.
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