Yet Another 4x4 Page
"4x4" in upper case is "$X$" Life is good no matter what, after your lowest low is your Marlin Crawler!.Contents:
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General 4x4 Information
- On-line gear calculators
- How to drive in:
- 4-Wheeling Intro
- Toyota 4Runner Links
- 4x4 Links
- Synthetic Gear Oil Info
- Vendor Links
General 4x4 Information:
Here you'll find information on topics related to 4x4 vehicles, such as:
-
Some general 4x4 information:
- Information for the beginning 4-wheeler
- A Glossary of 4x4 terms
- All you ever wanted to know about wheels and tires, but were afraid to ask!
- Mark Whatley has an excellent 3-part series on water crossing techniques:
- Toy4x4 list tests sports cars for Dateline
- Signs that you may be a Hard Core Four Wheeler
- The rec.autos.4x4 FAQ =;^}
- Places to get your 4x4 off the beaten track, including:
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Information on my Toyota 4Runner:
- Technical Information
- Suspension Upgrades
- Bumper Installation
- Cheap Tricks
- Take a look at my Reader's Rides page for links to other 4WD sites
- Here's some 3D models I've collected relating to 4x4 vehicles:
4-Wheeling Intro:
If you are just getting started in 4-wheeling, or have been away from the activity for a while and are a bit rusty on the do's and don'ts, here's some basic information to get you on ('er I mean off) the road in a safe and responsible manner and get you and your vehicle back in one piece:
- Most important is to start with safety:
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Five Safety Tips When Taking
Your Vehicle Off-Highway
- 5 More Safety Tips When Taking your Vehicle Off-Highway
- Now that you understand some important safety issues, time to dig into some driving technique:
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The Nuances of Off-Highway
Driving
- True Life Bonehead Experiences, Part 1
- True Life Bonehead Experiences, Part 2
- True Life Bonehead Experiences, Part 1
- So, feeling pretty confident and ready to lock 'em up and get dirty? How about a quick test...
- A 4-Wheeling Test (looks like the answer link is broken, but I'm sure you got all of the right)
- Now that's you've passed the test, you are ready to go, but what happens if you get stuck?
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Aftermarket Accessories for
your 4WD Vehicle, or Always Be Prepared to Get Unstuck!
- Aftermarket Accessories for Your 4WD Vehicle Always Be Prepared to Get Unstuck Part Two: The Winch
- Want more information, search the Internet:
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4WD-101
- 4-Wheeling "How-To"
- Here's a glossary of 4-Wheeling terms
- Off-Road.Com has a good collection of information
- As does 4x4Wire.Com
- I find Google.com is a very good search engine
- 4-Wheeling "How-To"
- If you prefer some hardcopy information, or prefer a book format that you can take on the trail with you, here's a few good books on the subject:
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4-Wheel Freedom - The Art of Off-Road Driving, by Brad DeLong
- The Byways Guide Series, by Tony Huegel have good route descriptions for the beginning wheeler
- The Backcountry Adventures series by Massey and Wilson are also good
Choose
from the above and hundreds of other popular 4X4 Handbooks, Videos,
Trail Guides, Maps, Mapping Software, GPS, Bumper Stickers, Decals and
More. All in stock ready for same day shipping via Priority mail at
discount prices. Visit Now!
- The Byways Guide Series, by Tony Huegel have good route descriptions for the beginning wheeler
- So time to find a buddy to get out and go wheeling with.
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Join a 4WD club, most states have 4WD associations with member clubs.
- If you can't find one, try the United 4 Wheel Drive Association (UFWDA) and they'll probably know of a club in your area.
- Most associations sponsor various 4-wheeling events and some hold safety clinics where you can get hands on experience.
- If you can't find one, try the United 4 Wheel Drive Association (UFWDA) and they'll probably know of a club in your area.
Snow Driving:
4 wheeling doesn't have to stop when the snow starts falling, it just changes. The 97-98 winter was my first real opportunity to drive my 4Runner in real snow (unlike that plowed/sanded stuff that coats major highways :-). Here's some hints I found useful when driving the unplowed white stuff:
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Air down those tires
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One spring afternoon, the sun and warm temperatures had softened the
2-3' Sierra snow pack to Slushy consistency. I hit the
start of the snow, which had some fresh tires tracks in it, dropped
into 4-Hi and got about 1 truck length before stalling and digging in
(this was at highway pressure). So, I aired down my 33x9.50 BFG M/T
tires to 10 PSI, which is lower than I had ever gone before. This got
me going, but I found I had to keep the tires spinning faster than I
was traveling to maintain my momentum. At the bottom of the hill, I hit
a deeper stretch of snow and stopped. I tried digging out in front of
the wheels then behind and all I did was dig in deeper. I ended up
winching myself out. After turning around, I faced the daunting task of
climbing up the hill I had so much trouble getting down. I decided to
air down the tires to 6 PSI. I was truly amazed that the same hill I
was spinning tires on coming down, I now crawled up without slipping at
all. Even in the spot where I had high-centered before, I could hear
the axles dragging through the crust (as I was sitting an inch lower
now) but I didn't even slow down. In colder, harder snow, I've had good
luck at 13-15 PSI.
- To summarize, the softer the snow the softer the tire.
-
One spring afternoon, the sun and warm temperatures had softened the
2-3' Sierra snow pack to Slushy consistency. I hit the
start of the snow, which had some fresh tires tracks in it, dropped
into 4-Hi and got about 1 truck length before stalling and digging in
(this was at highway pressure). So, I aired down my 33x9.50 BFG M/T
tires to 10 PSI, which is lower than I had ever gone before. This got
me going, but I found I had to keep the tires spinning faster than I
was traveling to maintain my momentum. At the bottom of the hill, I hit
a deeper stretch of snow and stopped. I tried digging out in front of
the wheels then behind and all I did was dig in deeper. I ended up
winching myself out. After turning around, I faced the daunting task of
climbing up the hill I had so much trouble getting down. I decided to
air down the tires to 6 PSI. I was truly amazed that the same hill I
was spinning tires on coming down, I now crawled up without slipping at
all. Even in the spot where I had high-centered before, I could hear
the axles dragging through the crust (as I was sitting an inch lower
now) but I didn't even slow down. In colder, harder snow, I've had good
luck at 13-15 PSI.
-
Easy on the gas
- As soon as you begin to lose momentum, get off the gas. Try to shift to reverse and ease back then take another run at the obstacle/soft spot. If you can't move backwards of forwards, you are stuck. Spinning the tires will only make it worse. If you get off the side of the track, back up far enough so that you can get your tires back on the track.
-
Winch under power
- I was once stuck with both axles hung up on the firm crust. I spooled out the winch cable, wrapped a strap around a tree and took up the slack. As the cable tightened, the front of the truck sank and the 9000 lb. winch stalled. So, I fed the control cable into the cab, put the truck in gear and eased off the clutch. With the front wheels now turning, the front end just popped right out of the snow. While snow doesn't cause the suction effect that mud does, it does tend to freeze up around axles, tires, etc. No amount of straight line pulling will free you, but getting the tires turning and biting into the snow in front will get you out.
Some recommended reading:
- Bill Burke's article on how to "Get a GRIP in the Snow" and also "Winter 4-Wheeling Tips".
Toyota and 4Runner Links:
Here are some excellent net resources for the Toyota 4Runner:
- The Toyota Factory Service Manual is indespensible
- Off-Road.com's Toyota 4x4 Home Page.
-
The Toyota 4x4 mail list used to be an excellent resource.
- Digest back issues are also available.
- Barney archives many technical threads on his web page.
- The 4x4wire.com Toyota section
- Toyota 4x4 Pickup Discussion Group
- YotaTech has an excellent set of on-line forums
- Voy Forums hosts the All Toys Discussion Group
- FJ-60/2 owners will find loads of information at the SlowSpeed.com forums
- 4x4 4U's Toyota 4Runner Owner's Forum
- The Minnesota Toyx4's Toyota-Only Links Page
- If you have 100k miles or more on your Toyota, check out Toyota's 100K Club.
General 4x4 links:
-
Clubs and Associations:
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Toyota Land Cruiser Association:
Member #6648.
- Many shops offer discounts to TLCA members, check it out.
- Feel free to contact the TLCA Truck Tech Editor (that would be me) for questions regarding Toyota 4WD mini-trucks
- Here are the archives of all the recent Truck Tech articles...
- CA4WDC lists lots of good 4-wheeling information for California:
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Toyota Land Cruiser Association:
Member #6648.
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Forums and Web Sites:
- 4x4Wire.com
- Off-Road.Com
- YotaTech.Com
- Toyota120.Com
- 4x4 4U maintains a good 4x4 web site.
- The Pirates of the Rubicon web site is excellent
- The Offroad mailing list used to be a good source of off-road information, but it dried up some years ago.
- US Automobile Museums Map
- WJ Markerink has an excellent description of traction-aiding differentials.
- A really nifty gear ratio calculator.
- Roy Schmaus maintains some useful information on automotive batteries.
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The engine oil FAQs Part1
and Part2
are helpful in understanding engine lubrication.
- The Engine Oil Bible is another valuable resource on this subject.
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The Ultimate Poseur's Sport Utility Page
is fun reading and has some useful information.
- For grins I looked into getting a "MALLRUNR" personalized license plate, but its already been taken!
- For California driver's here's some handy links:
- There are a few USENET newsgroups that have Toyota/4x4 information:
Synthetic Gear Oil Information:
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I use Redline Gear Oil in
my Toyota 4WD drivetrain, it costs about $7-8/qt. and you can order it
by clicking on the links below (if you can't find it locally for that
price - its good stuff, but I wouldn't pay $10 or more for it!):
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MTL or MT-90 in the manual transmission:
- GL4 rating, I find MT-90 makes the tranny run quieter than MTL and it shifts just as smooth.
- You want to avoid running a GL5 oil in the transmission. The EP additives in a GL5 oil can attack the brass synchro rings on transmissions not rated for GL5 oil (the Toyota transmissions are rated GL4/GL5) and they can make the oil too slippery for proper synchro operation (shifting will feel sluggish - and this does apply to Toyota transmissions).
- Another minor advantage of the MT-90 oil is that it has a much milder odor than conventional gear oil and I find I perodically get a whiff of gear oil fumes inside my truck if the crosswinds blow from just the right angle and speed. I do plan to add breather hoses to both the transmission adn transfer case shifters at some point, since they do not have that in stock form and instead vent hot air up past the shifter.
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75W90 or 75W90NS Gear oil in the transfer case:
- GL5 rating
- You can also run MT-90 (GL4) in the transfer case, especially if you are worried about the transmission and transfer case oils mixing.
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Heavyweight Shockproof Gear oil in the differentials:
- GL5 rating (note Hypoid = GL5)
- 75W90 or 75W90NS gear oils also work fine
- I've also run Shockproof oil in the transfer case, it worked fine, but I don't think its really needed for the simple bevel cut gears in the transfer case.
- You can also run the lighter weight Shockproof oils as well, I would just watch that the cold weight (1st number) is at least 75W.
- I like the heavy weight oil because it has the most of the shockproof additives for greater gear tooth cushioning and it sticks, I have an axle I drained over 2 years ago and there is STILL a film of red shockproof coating the inside!
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I also run Water Wetter in the radiator:
- It doesn't make a thermostatically controlled engine run any cooler, but it does eliminate hot spots caused by cavitation and it greatly reduces the surface tension of the coolant.
- Summit Racing also carries Redline oil and has a fixed $7.95 handling charge for free UPS Ground shipping
- My Oil Shop is another good on-line source, use dealer code 675421 to get an additional 10% off
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Disclaimer:
- These are the oil types, weights and grades that I use.
- I based these choices on my requirements and reading the Redline Oil web pages for product descriptions and applications.
- You may have different requirements than me. I encourage you to read the Redline pages, evaluate your needs and make your own choice. I find my choices of oils works very well for my needs.
-
My truck is not a daily driver (although it could be and
is driven daily sometimes), but it does see a lot of highway miles to
and from the trail, lots of hours of low range 4 wheeling, etc.
- So, while my truck is mainly an "off-road" truck, a typical off-road trip is 150 miles of driving to the mountains, 5-10 miles on the trail and 150 miles back. So out of 300+ miles, it sees about 3% of its miles "off-road". So hare's an "off-road" truck that see's 97% highway miles, go figure!
- While I have modified my truck for off-road use, it is no trailer queen, it drives to and from the trail. I run a drivetrain made of stock components for the most part, a stock transmission, a stock transfer case (plus a second reduction box), an a V6 rear diff and an FJ-80 high pinion front diff, sure they are not original to my 22RE 4Runner, but they are stock parts on some Toyota truck or another.
- I can go from sub-zero temps on a mountain snow run to 100+ desert heat in the course of a month, so I need an oil that works well over a wide temperature range, which I feel a good synthetic oil does.
- I also like that I don't *have* to change the oil periodically and I don't (at least on purpose). I seem to be opening up an axle or gear box every few years for some reason or another, but since switching to Redline, I've never drained the oil just to change it.
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MTL or MT-90 in the manual transmission:
- Amsoil also has a good line of synthetic gear oils
- Here's the gear oil capacities for my '85 4Runner
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Here are some tips for changing gear oil:
- Make sure you can remove the FILL plug before you remove the DRAIN plug
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Make sure the oil is hot before draining, 20 miles or so of driving
should get it that way
- I like to let mine drain overnight if possible to get all the old oil out
-
A small gear oil pump can make filling the gear box easierm insert the
pump hose into the fill hole and pump away
- Gear oil gets V E R Y thick when its cold, I like changing it in the summer or at least keep the gear oil in a heated area before use
Vendor links for 4Runner/Toyota/4x4 parts:
Here are some other vendors of 4x4 parts and accessories. Note I am not recommending these vendors, you are of course free to choose to do or not do business with any or none of them.
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- Marlin Crawler in Fresno CA. makes killer low range gears.
- All-Pro Offroad in Hemet, CA. makes an awesome cross-over steering conversion kit.
- Alcan Spring makes some great custom springs
- 4 Wheel Parts Wholesalers
- Performance Products has lots of accessories
- Wrangler Power Products Northwest has an excellent line of heavy duty electrical goodies
- Front Range Off-Road Fabrication has some interesting products
- BudBuilt crossmembers and more
- Killer Toy Tops for 1st gen 4Runner soft tops and more
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Used parts:
- Yota Yard
- Dave'z Off Road Performance
- Car-Part.com can search many junkyards across the country for used parts
- Engine Performance:
-
OEM Parts:
- 1st Toyota Parts offers discounted factory parts over the Internet.
- Metro Toyota offers discounted factory parts over the Internet.
- My local dealer is Stevens Creek Toyota n they give a discount on parts to TLCA members
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Aftermarket replacement Parts:
- Sparkplugs.com is a good source of ignition parts and O2 sensors
Caveat Emptor:
Below are some vendors who I have used but others have had trouble with. Note I am not recommending these vendors, merely listing them with some explanations of issues folks have had with them. You are of course free to choose to do or not do business with any or none of them. I feel its better to list them with some supporting information to educated folks instead of not list them and have someone not know one way or the other.
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T.A.P. Recycling has used
parts for Toyotas.
- Note that some people have had problems with TAP, getting incorrect parts or having difficulty returning them.
- I've used TAP twice and had acceptable service and got the exact parts I needed.
- Have a look on the Pirate BBS for a long thread.
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Northwest Off-Road Specialties
- Note that some people have had problems with NWOR, getting incorrect parts or having difficulty returning them.
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I've used NWOR several times and had acceptable service and got the
exact parts I needed.
- I had one issue where they messed up on a refund but one phone call cleared that up.
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[Last updated: 14.September.2023 ]
Visitor # 176561 since 10.OCT.2001