Taco-Older Tundra or 4 Runner for 4x4 Multi Purpose

[Test Center]

Got some decision making to do. Which is better for upgrading and raw 4x4. Crawling mainly but really just diverse 4x4 with a good ride on the road.

I've got three choices -
1.) buy a Taco 4x4 club cab,
2.) buy a 4Runner with all the acutriments (sp).
3.) buy a loaded short bed Tundra - a couple years old to get away from that nastie new body style?

Current truck is for sale - and expect to get about 19-20k to put towards a new rig.

Seriously abuse everything I own - trucks, boats, ATV's, camera's - almost no bounds.

Broke trani, transfer case, 2 drive shafs, rear-end, sway bar, mounts, axels... etc. Still - maintained nicely - I paid for my mistakes... even replacing the mirrors I snapped off on the way up - but on the way down by accident between trees. Anyway - since the economy is so in the toilet - and I keep breaking my truck - I have to have a new rig while I can.

Question is - which one to get. For some reason Toyo has decided to take any form of luxury out of the Taco. I saw the Taco as a resonably compact option with pretty good gas milage. Taco - double cab short bed would keep the wheel base from giving me trouble as its relatively short and still give me some interior room when needed. Nothing like what I have today - but at least maybe a compromize.

The Taco's attractive since most of my lifting & towing days are bye-bye. 4-5 times a year I'd need to drag my ATV somewhere in the west. But really - I usually end up using my truck as an ATV. Think free pinstriping. I test drove an 09 and it seamed nimble and that it would be very capable off road - like my old 88. No leather, no nav, no heated seats, no sunroof, but a bed I could in a pinch put the ATV in or haul something if needed.

The 4Runner (I've owned a 96 with Downey coils, ARB, Warn, Shocks, Air Bags for loads - etc. I like the vehicle. Long trip with an ATV - not possible without a trailer. 4x4 prowless? Looks good but they've really taken out some serious ground clearance as the 4R has progressed. Then their's the gas milage. Not that it would kill me - but the 9-13 city and 11-14 hwy will come back to haunt me if I dont' make a change. They come with the sun-roof for looking up canyons, leather & heated seats for the long trips home, navigation ... all the stuff.

Then theirs a couple yr old tundra. May still be too big. But lots of options and acoutriments I like - and can still be a real 4x4. Just have to find wider trees to go through and still deal with the fuel issue as a daily driver. Think the taco or the 4Runner would be better size wise. Just need to know which would be better.

Would need to lift enough to get comperable ground clearance to my 96' Forerunner including enough poop to carry a winch front bumper, ARB or other... bull prick, straps, tools, & gear. Need the truck or 4R level and while road worthy - have to make it back from the outback. What's your recomendations and why?

What are the lift kit options (real suspension lift - not blocks/spacers for each. Bumpers? 4 wheel prowless? Rear end suspension options. Best for slow roll rock crawling from an IFS type truck 4R, Taco or Tundra?

[Derek24]

Pick up an older Jeep CJ or a Samurai for ~$3000 if that, put another $3000 into it and you will have very capable rig that will go alot more places then a 4runner, Taco, or Tundra will ever go(except you SAS guys). Then take 9k and buy an older Tundra to pull your rig and bank the rest. Just my opnion and what i would do with extra cash.

[Test Center]

Thanks. There's a reliability factor with a Yota when a week alone at 10000 ft+ I don't get in a jeep. Thought about it - then said nahh!!! I can see me now trying to convince my wife the two rigs look good sandwiched in between the boat & ATV! If short of cash - then might revert plan- cause I looked at them (Sahara version).... but now - need to know set ability of the Yota - even in their relative IFS state and taking into consideration the longer wheel base of the taco vs the 4runner. Thinking since most of my out of state trips - are 2000-3000 mile week long poundings - where the interior of the yota is more desirable.

[DevinSixtySeven]

If you're limiting your choice to those three Yotas...here's my 2c, based on your reliability, mod wish & raw 4x4 requirements...

Skip the 4Runner. Same drivetrain as the others, but harder to modify the rear suspension from everything I've seen on TTORA, simply due to the cab. Also takes a lot more work to make it a truggy, LT, and so forth. Everything dirty ends up in the truck with you, the spare tire either winds up off the back or on the roof, the rear bumper is harder to build strong than the trucks...basically the only thing holding it back IMHO is that it has an SUV body. There are a few excellent 4R builds, but they involve cutting the back and essentially making a doublecab Tacoma of it.

Tacoma and early Tundra share a drivetrain. For raw 4x4, I'd get an 04 double cab Tacoma with a V6. If you want to keep it IFS, get Camburg's 4WD long travel and a wider rear axle (1st-gen Tundra axle is perfect). The rear suspension is easy to modify, and it's not a big deal to poke through the bed or replace the bed completely with something more utilitarian, and you'll still have the creature comforts of the larger cab. IIWY I'd go with choice #1.

If the Tacoma is too small, a 1st-gen "access cab" Tundra with the V8 is a great truck. It's more limited in stock form than the Tacoma because of the long rear overhang, and it has the same drivetrain behind a larger engine, but it's comfortable and roomy. You can fit a Q-size mattress in the bed with room for your boots at the bottom, you can pull the back seat and recline the capt's chairs all the way to sleep in the cab, it's very stable at speed and on the trail, and a good wheeler right out of the box. A simple towing receiver is usually enough to address the departure angle, and it's easy enough to cut the bedsides and build a low profile rear bumper similar to what the early Tacomas have from the factory.

-Sean

[dsrtrcr01]

Older toyota. Flat out better for raw 4x4. How about a 80's 4 runner? how about an 85 4 runner. efi and solid axle. OR newer with the 3.0 and do a 3.4 swap and a SAS. OOOHHH

[Test Center]

Yea - I had an old 88 single short bed with the r22- not SAS but did good for the time. Now that I'm ancient I need something that will work all around and still push the limits the best I can with my budget. Thinking outloud - probably best to gut an older truck - doublecab or 4Runner like my 96 and just rebuild.... but its a daily driver too that I have to plant the grandson in the back on occasion. So room enough in a pinch for stowaways and comfortable enough ride so on a 3000 mile bon-journey I won't be squirming. I'll have to do the best I can with IFS even though its not a real great articulator. What should I search for now is to get the best understanding on lift kits relative to two things? 1.) real lift - spring lift all around to clear the tallest tires and keep a little of the metal out of the manzanita. 2.) which one -or combo when looking at coil-overs for the front w/o spacers have the best geometry (that is gives you enough real travel, doesn't mess too much with stearing geometry and alignment stuff I'm into with the Titan today? Probably go through phases of upgrades while money is scarce. Coil-overs, rear coils or deaver depending on what truck i get, shock options and air in the rear to level when carrying gear. Then the bumper... winch etc. Just have to consider which yr/trk - but down to Taco / 4R still.

[DevinSixtySeven]

Honestly if you're looking at all at the taco/4R you'll find more & better information at TTORA...ttora.com...

[dsrtrcr01]

Originally Posted by Test Center

Yea - I had an old 88 single short bed with the r22- not SAS but did good for the time. Now that I'm ancient I need something that will work all around and still push the limits the best I can with my budget. Thinking outloud - probably best to gut an older truck - doublecab or 4Runner like my 96 and just rebuild.... but its a daily driver too that I have to plant the grandson in the back on occasion. So room enough in a pinch for stowaways and comfortable enough ride so on a 3000 mile bon-journey I won't be squirming. I'll have to do the best I can with IFS even though its not a real great articulator. What should I search for now is to get the best understanding on lift kits relative to two things? 1.) real lift - spring lift all around to clear the tallest tires and keep a little of the metal out of the manzanita. 2.) which one -or combo when looking at coil-overs for the front w/o spacers have the best geometry (that is gives you enough real travel, doesn't mess too much with stearing geometry and alignment stuff I'm into with the Titan today? Probably go through phases of upgrades while money is scarce. Coil-overs, rear coils or deaver depending on what truck i get, shock options and air in the rear to level when carrying gear. Then the bumper... winch etc. Just have to consider which yr/trk - but down to Taco / 4R still.

I just had twins so the truck I have pictured below is now to small. I will be building a 1986-1988 4runner next with 4 seats. Hopefully a 3.0 V6 so I can easily swap out the 3.0 for the 3.4. Independent front suspension and Deaver leaf spring rear. Here is a pic of one of my friends. So far we have installed long travel (Total Chaos) front with sway-a-way 2.5's and deaver leafs in the back with a shock hoop inside the cab holding 16 inch sway a ways, spare tire and battery. We also started a cage and have installed 2 front racing seats. I have seen 90's style 4 runner with the stock 4 link removed and deavers installed.