2003 Toyota 4Runner Sport V8

Looking good. If it's any consolation my 2015 v6 4Runner only gets 17 on avg.

looking good! a one inch spacer above the drivers side rear spring will level it out if it bothers you!

It's not bothering me too much how it is sitting. I got the trim packers with the OME suspension. The real question is if I want to go to a larger tire or not now.

I think tomorrow it's going to go on the beach. I just spent the last 30 minutes lubricating my reels and getting my tackle sorted. The kayak is loaded, too, but getting it up on top of the 4Runner is a bit more of a challenge than getting it on top of the Forester. I am hoping that the parts for the trailer come in soon.

Hit the beach. Didn't catch anything, though.

I thought picking tires for a car was hard. Picking them for a hybrid street/offroad rig is much more difficult. Given that most of my off-road driving is sand, I am leaning towards getting some regular light truck A/T tires. Having too aggressive a tread can actually dig you into the sand and get you stuck.

I'm also on the lookout for an extra set of wheels. Around here, black and chrome wheels seem to be taking over the truck/SUV aftermarket, so I am hoping for some OEM takeoffs at a reasonable price.

I used Toyo ATII's on my truck I wanted a light AT tire. I liked them.

I'm running the Treadwright Wardens on my 99. Basically their version of the BGF ATs from a couple years ago. They're HEAVY but pretty affordable, being retreads and all.

This set was an iron clad bitch to balance but the Guard Dogs I had on my 87 pickup were much easier. Makes me think I got a funky set. That said, the balancing issue is the only problem I've had. Those tires have seen some pretty serious 4x4 action with no flats, missing lugs, etc.

Java, what size are you running? I was thinking of going to 275/75-17 up from my 265/65-17s. However, I was looking on Craigslist and it looks like somebody just bought a new T4R and took off the stock Dunlops and they have the for sale.

I put kuhmo at51s on the 4Runner this past fall. Really happy with them so far. Good in snow/ice and surprisingly quiet for a fairly aggressive tread pattern.

In reply to Brett_Murphy:

Im currently running 265/70/17 Duratracs. Like I said the AT II's were on a different truck. I dont think you will get a 275/75 on there without a body lift. or a lot of rubbing. I ran a 275/70 and it fit with a suspension lift and wheel spacers, but just barely. I went down in size but up in aggressiveness of the tread.

Stock dunlops suck.

The thing with the tires and use is that driving in loose sand works better with a less aggressive tread pattern and wide section width from what I understand. I do air down, too. Highway manners also play into it. I am thinking that if I start going to Uwharrie I may need a second set of tires or I'll have to do it on compromise units

Take a read of this. Its very interesting testing on the tall/skinny vs wide tire.

http://www.expeditionswest.com/research/white_papers/tire_selection_rev1.html

Adn yes i do understand a very aggressive tread will get you into trouble in sand if your not careful. You might look into the Duratacs, Im very happy with them, they are on the aggressive side though

That was some good reading, Java. The 265/70/17 size seems pretty appealing now.

Brett_Murphy wrote: That was some good reading, Java. The 265/70/17 size seems pretty appealing now.

IMO its a very good "all around" size, with the v8 you would probably be ok bigger, but on mine any bigger and i lose more power than its worth.

the 275/70 was a good fit with a small lift ad spacers, I ran Goodyear Silent Armour, they were a much milder AT tire. Got a lot of miles out of them too

It is very hard getting a Hobie Pro Angler kayak on top of this thing.

I am still using the same tires I've had, but driving on the beach and seeing two people get stuck using knobby offroad tires when they just dug down into the sand really has me thinking that my idea above about having two sets of tires is the way to go. I've never had it off-road on a rock/mud trail, but it's something I want to do.

I'm thinking of doing the Uwharrie off-road driving school before I make any final decision.

When I was picking up a boat I bought a couple of weeks back, the power steering made a noise when cutting the wheel. I checked the reservoir, it was low, so I filled it up and drove back home. I just got around to fixing it, as I've not really been driving the 4Runner much.

First, Toyota put hard lines where they could. This meant that the part that was leaking was a small elbow of 3/8 size line, instead of some weird molded line like I've seen on other cars. Second, access was easy, as they left access points that a human being with full sized hands could easily use to get at both sides of the line. Fifteen minutes, some of which was spent looking for things, a bit of new hose out of the stock in the garage, two new clamps and it was fixed.

FJ wheels and new Cooper Discoverer AT/3. It took forever for the tires that were on it when I bought it to wear out. They were still a bit above the wear bars, but were replaced mainly due to age.

How’s the ride with the OME stuff compared to the old XREAS setup? 

I'm running unning those same tires on my ZJ. Doing well so far.  The FJ wheels look great on there.

Turbine said:

How’s the ride with the OME stuff compared to the old XREAS setup? 

The original suspension was so incredibly worn that putting pogo sticks and rubber bands on it would have been an improvement, so I can't say what a healthy to healthy state comparison would be.

With the OME setup now, it is a bit stiff with one person in it, according to my wife. Loaded with four people and gear, it's quite comfy. 
When I drive it solo, I think it is soft and cushy, but my tolerance for a stiffer suspension setup was calibrated in things that make your teeth rattle.

Today I was greeted with a nice squeak when I started the 4Runner. I think the belt tensioner may be a bit sticky.

Squeak was just moisture from torrential rains, most likely. I'm keeping an eye on the antifreeze level, just in case.

I did a drain and fill on the transmission fluid today. Just the pan- I think it was a bit overfilled from when I did the timing belt.  After that, putting it into drive resulted in a bit of a thunk. Got the level just right while hot this time around and it seems to shift a lot smoother. 

Nothing goes wrong with this thing, so I don't have to do much to it. This is a boring thread.

I just drove it on a 1600 mile trip, towing a utility trailer, with a kayak and a canoe on the roof and worried about nothing. There was nothing to worry about. I think I averaged 13.8 MPG. We brought a 4x4 Polaris ATV up to my BIL and brought back some possibly antique wood furniture on the trailer.

I thought I was going to hit 300k miles on this trip. We got close, but it didn't happen. I'll certainly post a photo of the odometer when it happens.

Your photos aren't working I'm afraid

Is it a 4x4? My '08 4Runner is the v8 too and I get about 15mpg city and 17 or 18mpg highway. 

with a kayak and a canoe on the roof 

like this?