What to do?

gary.h

gary.h

Active Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2013
Location
Colfax
So my wife joined me during the Xmas day ride and it was her first time ever offroad. The mud made it challenging and exciting for me but caused her to have a panic attack. She was crying at times thought i was going to flip us over. I dont think she is ever going again and she told me that my truck is too nice to be taken offroad. My response to her is that i am going to sell it and get something that she doesnt have to worry about me getting a ding in. So here is what I need:
-must have four doors
-must have a manual transmission
-must be wheelable in semi-stock condition and something that i can build up

With that checklist i have two candidates, along with some pros and cons)
-xj
Good: kind of hard to find with a manual, frnt and rear solid axles, great aftermarket, torquey engine
Bad: weak factory axles, thirsty engine, unibody construction (not necessarily bad but just not a fan)

-3rd gen 4runner with 4 cylinder
Good: pretty easy to find with a manual, reliable engines (fuel efficient 4 cylinder), great aftermarket support, body on frame construction
Bad: ifs (sas would be in its future)

If you have had either please speak up and help me decide. If you have an alternative vehicle that i may have not thought of then please let me know.


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XJ:
The rear axle can easily be swapped out for something stronger (8.8 or D44)

4Runner:
If you are willing to wait and drive a distance to get it, you might find one that already has a SAS
 
why a 4cyl 3rd gen 4Runner? I've driven Tacomas with the 4cyl, and was pretty disappointed in the power, the 3.4L V6 is very reliable and much more powerful than the older 3.0L in 1st and 2nd gens. fuel efficiency isn't that bad in the V6, mine averages 16-19mpg spending on how or who ( 16-17mpg wife driving, 17-19 with me driving, but I use cruise and 5th gear, she does not use cruise and sometimes forgets the 4-5 shift.....) I pull a 3500lb camper with this vehicle as well, and get about 15mpg doing so, currently about 194k on the clock.

3rd gen 5spd 4Runners are getting harder to come by, 96-2000 were the only years, none after mid '00 ( not saying you couldn't convert one using Taco parts if desired ) most all were SR5, many with 15" wheels ( smaller brakes, 3.90 gears and 225/70r15 tires :eek: ) look for one with 16" wheels ( V6 Runners mostly ) and one with the rear locker ( mine does not have this :( )
 
why not an older gas powered dodge 2500? if its 98.5-2002 it will have the small rear doors but will be similar in size to what you already have, which I assume you like since you got it. An older gas truck like that can be found cheap.
 
06redwagon said:
So my wife joined me during the Xmas day ride and it was her first time ever offroad. The mud made it challenging and exciting for me but caused her to have a panic attack. She was crying at times thought i was going to flip us over. I dont think she is ever going again and she told me that my truck is too nice to be taken offroad. My response to her is that i am going to sell it and get something that she doesnt have to worry about me getting a ding in. So here is what I need:
-must have four doors
-must have a manual transmission
-must be wheelable in semi-stock condition and something that i can build up

With that checklist i have two candidates, along with some pros and cons)
-xj
Good: kind of hard to find with a manual, frnt and rear solid axles, great aftermarket, torquey engine
Bad: weak factory axles, thirsty engine, unibody construction (not necessarily bad but just not a fan)

-3rd gen 4runner with 4 cylinder
Good: pretty easy to find with a manual, reliable engines (fuel efficient 4 cylinder), great aftermarket support, body on frame construction
Bad: ifs (sas would be in its future)

If you have had either please speak up and help me decide. If you have an alternative vehicle that i may have not thought of then please let me know.


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Click to expand...
You spelled Christmas wrong
 
drkelly said:
4Runner:
If you are willing to wait and drive a distance to get it, you might find one that already has a SAS
Click to expand...
This would be ideal. I dont mind driving a distance. Got my current truck out of michigan.


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Blkvoodoo that is pretty informative and quite frankly i just assumed the 6 cylinder got bad mileage. In that case i will rule out the 4 cylinder.

Stuntman i love full size rigs but i have quickly learned that east coast wheeling and full size rigs dont mix.

And yes I did misspell Christmas and for that i apologize to baby Jesus.


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85 toy said:
You spelled Christmas wrong
Click to expand...

Actually, maybe spelt it just as right:

“Xmas” is not a non-religious version of “Christmas”. The “X” is actually indicating the Greek letter “Chi”, which is short for the Greek
awww.todayifoundout.com_wp_content_uploads_2011_12_greek_for_christ.png
, meaning “Christ”. So “Xmas” and “Christmas” are equivalent in every way except their lettering.
Click to expand...
 
You have just blown my mind. Here I thought it was the lazy man's way of writing it.


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Is your current truck paid off? There's no way in hell I would sell it if that's the case. Also, if she's not going to go wheelin' with you any more then why do you need a vehicle that's not as nice to wheel?


I'd get a 4runner if you absolutely HAVE to get rid of your current vehicle.



EDIT: Waiiitttttttttt just a second. Do you currently have a freakin Power Wagon?! There are so many things that upset me about the fact that you want to get rid of that for an XJ or a 4Runner. Just keep it for a tow rig and get something small to haul around and beat the hell out of that you don't have to drive every day.
 
what ever you end up getting, plan on full tune up, timing belt, water pump and T-stat, unless there is verifiable proof ( dated receipts ) that is has been recently done.

the 5VZE uses a "special" spark plug ( has dual electrode tip and is NOT Platinum ) most folks put the wrong plugs in, they will run, but run best with the dual electrode plugs ( Denso or NGK, your choice ) the plugs are not expensive at all ( $3-4 ea X 6 ) set of 3 plug wires and 3 coil boots and some dielectric grease, you'll have a good running ride for a long time.
 
Croatian kid the truck is not paid off. I get what you are saying about her not going but i like to keep my wife happy. Do i want to get rid of it? Kind of, its size is a bit of a hinderance off road. Dont know if you have ever seen Morgans power wagon but it has a few battle scars already. Before i bought the truck i wanted to get a yota but she talked me into getting something newer and bigger. At the time she thought going offroad was driving on a gravel road.

Blkvoodoo a complete tune up is definitely a given.


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As mentioned above by Croatan Kid, why not keep the Power Wagon for a tow rig/nicer truck and look for a cheap XJ to take on the trails.

You can pick up a decent one (stock or lifted) for cheap. I've owned probably 10 or more XJ's and I've never paid over $700 for a single one of them. Keep an eye on craigslist at least once a day, be patient and be willing to drive a couple hours if necessary to go get one.

The stock 8.25 rear axle in the XJ's are pretty decent. I've had no issues with the 8.25 on 33's, both open and welded.
 
Wellll.....if it isn't paid for, I guess I can let you slide this time :D However, like I said, it'd be awesome to keep it around for a spare ride, tow rig, etc. Drive it on the weekends or whatever you want really. It's geared, locked, and winched....what's not to love? Plus, it's a full size and the room is awesome. It looks like you have a camper shell, so you have dry, covered, cargo area.

I suppose it just depends on your money and how good of a deal you can score on a new rig. I'd still go for the 4Runner. I don't care for uni-body rigs.
 
Unibodies kind of scare me as well. Looks like a 4runner is where it's at. The PW is great. It is fun to drive and I get compliments on it daily. However I really hate the thought of having 3 vehicles at our house since our driveway sucks and the garage could barely hold a kids powerwheel (literally it is the smallest two car garage I have ever seen, it should be illegal to make them this small). On the bright side, if I get something cheaper and not have to worry about a payment then that means I can buy goodies for the new vehicle.
 
I'd go for the 4runner, but my opinion might be biased. Full frame, you can find some with selectable lockers, no c-clip rear, and more room than an XJ.
As far as IFS goes. I don't know how much or how hard you plan on wheeling it, but the IFS holds up just fine with 31-33's and you can still do everything in uwharrie.
Finding a v6 5speed could be a little challenging though.

I have also owned an XJ and a couple ZJ's. My 4runner has not had half the amount of problem's as the jeeps gave me.
 
06redwagon said:
Stuntman i love full size rigs but i have quickly learned that east coast wheeling and full size rigs dont mix.

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This is ENTIRELY dependent upon both your driving style and your regard for sheetmetal. I wheel a full size, and will probably never wheel anything else. I wheeled for years with nothing more than scratches and scuffs. Then I quit caring about the sheetmetal, and wheeling became a lot more fun. I'm currently looking another Dodge Crew Cab to turn into a trail rig.

Duane
 
Good chance you get an XJ/4runner and decide to start wheeling often. Before long something happens and you can't drive it home and your wishing you had a tow rig and you miss your power wagon. And/or you get REALLY into wheeling like lots of us did and you decide you want to keep building and building and go to places further away. Could be next year could be 3 years, either way I'd keep the truck so you can really enjoy wheeling and not absolutely have to have that vehicle running at all times. After the truck is paid for you can start modifying whatever you end up with while still having a nice reliable truck. Wheeling becomes an addiction if you do it too many times. Then you start thinking "I bet I can make it up that" and you'll be glad you can tow it around after you've modified to the point of no more street driving.

With that said XJs are really cheap and literally everywhere you look. They have some disadvantages but they are so common that parts are everywhere and so many people wheel them that if your in a bind on the trail needing a part you don't have, it's a real good chance another guy comes along that does have it.


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kaiser715 said:
Actually, maybe spelt it just as right:
Click to expand...
I am just a country boy from North Carolina. I don't know Greek or Latin and I don't need to. He admits that he thought it was a lazy mans way to spell it. In this country it should be spelled Christmas. They can spell it the way they want in Greece.
 
i vote Tacoma!! now to be certain i think we need to see pics of said scared "wife" :eek:

scared to death!!!!!
 
XJ high pinoun D30 8.25 rear, whatever flavor of lift, cheap mts and a few other small upgrades(tie rod and such) , and it would do very well for the money. Keep the power wagon for a tow rig. The 4 Runner,s are great vehicles, but I doubt youll like the ifs.
 
Like Phil said, XJ is the way to go, guys who wheel XJ's carry spare parts galore... because they are very readily available. If you break, you have good chances of bumping into someone with the part you need.

Im a die hard cherokee guy though, unibody or not, just a great platform for a budget rig... or a not so budget rig.
 
Duane-I am not afraid of a little scratch or dent but I definitely don't want to experience major carnage. I see you have a ramcharger. I would love a k5 or a full size bronco but getting car seats back there would be a major pain.

Green Machine and Jason-I would love to have both but I got 3 kids in daycare so I need to pick another truck to go wheeling or keep the PW and stay on pavement. I originally got the PW knowing that it was pretty capable and wouldn't need building up. Much higher up front cost but very little investing later. The next truck will have a much lower cost up front and I can build it over time. I am a pretty conservative wheeler. I don't like rock bouncing or damaging what mother nature has given us. I will try an obstacle twice and if ain't working out then I go around. So hopefully I will not have to ever experience a major break. Whether I go xj or yota, it will be built up over time to make it more durable. Personally, I also think a rig that can tackle obstacles and then drive back home gets extra cool points.
 
keep the truck pick up a xj on the cheap put a used budget boost on it throw some 31s on it and youd be set for most places to wheel conservatively and could do it under a grand it ya shopped smart.
 
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