1996 Model 4runner Need Help to Modify

gilly4x420

New Member
Joined
Jan 31, 2007
Location
Raleigh
Hey yall, im pretty new to 4x4 but its a hell of a lot of fun the few times i have gone. I own a 1996 Model Toyota 4runner. I'm looking to make it better at offroading. Right now everything on my car is stock. I was wondering if any1 could give me any advice on what i need to modfiy.

My friends say i should get a body lift 3-4", but i cannot find any body lift at or above 3" ANYWHERE on the internet, not even ebay. Could any1 tell me where i could get that type of lift for a 1996-2002 4runner model? Because everywhere they seem to have those lifts for models before and after 1996-2002. it's actually really frustrating lol.

any advice on the multiple things lol i covered in the above space would be greatly appreciated. thx in advance.

also i one more thing: i really need to get to learn all the names and functions of everything inside a car that makes it work, like gears and stuff (? lol) and yea. if anyone could send me a link to a good website so i could learn how mycar works i would appreciate that a lot. thx.
 
I would not do a body lift more than 2" because of stability issues. You can also pick up cheaper 3-4" suspension lifts. Also some 31-33" a/t or m/t tires would help out.
 
Tires and a suspension lift. In that order.

Go find someone who's got a project going on and see if they'll let you help work on it. You'll learn a lot that way.
 
as far as a body lift try 4crawler.com many diff. susp. lifts out there. spacers,ome,trunda/lc coils? its all out there. also try yotatech.com loys of info there
 
I do believe with the 3rd gen 4runners its easier to do a 2" body lift than a 3" because after 2" you run into some difficulties with wires and such not being long enough. Your lift options would be to either get coil spacers for the front and rear (revtek, downey, and cornfed makes them), or go with a new strut. Fabtech, dirt logic, sway-a-way, and Old Man Emu makes new struts for these. On my 3rd gen 4runner I have the 3" Revtek coil spacers. Do not plan on getting 3" inches with these. You realistically end up with about 2", but I have rubber circular bushings on both ends of my spacer which gave me about 2.5". This is just my DD, but its nice to have a non-stock 4runner. The steering and driveability is not affected with the coil spacers. A buddy of mine has a '99 4runner with the OME struts (0-4"), warn lock-outs, ARB bumper, and a detroit truetrac in the back.
 
I vote you get some 31"BFG all terrains first and then wheel it for a while. You'll learn what you can't do and what needs to be modified. A lift and bigger tires are definatly good mods, but a pretty expensive proposition. I'm not much for body lifts because they mess with gear shifter and bumper placement as well as stress your body mounts more because of r the torque applied while wheeling. I wheel a stock Toyota Hilux and have found that I can do most of what I want. What I have found is that I lift a wheel first and lose traction. So I'm going to put in a locker. (This fun little item replaces the differential that spins the wheel with the least amount of traction with a "locked" gearset that spins both wheels reguardless of which wheel has traction.) The differential is the round thing in the center of the axle.
 
He's right. Lifts on the 3rd gen runners, unless you'e willing to throw down some change, are for cosmetic purposes only. There have been a handful of people who have SAS'd a 3rd gen, but I highly doubt you would be interested in that route at this time. I wouldnt go with a body lift either, but if you are serious about 4wheeling, get the Downey lockout hub kit (because 4runners have auto hubs, if you go higher than a 3" suspension the CV angle is too steep, so not only does it buzz, but the hubs keep trying to lock in over bumps), the Downey 0-4" adjustable kit, and a detroit in the rear. You could go most places you would want to take a late model vehicle/one with nice sheetmetal.
 
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