Buying a 98 4runner any advice?

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Q

qrunner

10 Year 15 Year
Joined
Jun 3, 2010
Threads
3
Messages
9
I'm looking into buying a 98 4runner . It appears to be in decent shape. Rusted bumpers etc. The frame looks good. Any advice on specific items that I should check before purchase? Thanks everyone for your advice.
140,000 miles, automatic 4wd
 
4runner.webp
Here is a pic
4runner.webp
 
Good price for the mileage. Check the FAQ on here and the buyer's guide that is linked to on T4r.org and you'll know a lot.
 
I'd look real hard at the rear frame (and everything under the truck). Maybe 'test drive' it to an exhaust shop and have them put it on a lift. I'm from Michigan, and I'd work hard to buy a 14 year old truck from almost any other state! This vehicle may have been parked over dirt its whole life, and never garaged or washed in the winter. Read other FAQs about stuff like rear axle bearings and seals, and the radiator issues with auto trans trucks.
 
Check how much rust there is underneath, you could lower the price with that. Check all fluids. There is a buyer's guide on T4R.org.
 
I have the same 4Runner, I paid $3200 for it almost 2 years ago in NJ - NJ is a great place to buy an SUV since there are no mountains no woods, the toughest driving this thing had on it was driving kids to soccer practice. It also had around 140K miles. I would try to talk them down by at least $2K.
 
When you get this or any other 3rd gen 4Runner (or Tacoma for that matter) you will need to replace the steering rack bushings. The stockers are trash and allow the rack to move around and make the thing feel like it has rubber tie rods. Get the Energy Suspension kit. It did wonders for my wife's rig.
 
Where did you purchase your Energy Suspension kit? I was not aware of this upgrade in the steering rack bushings.
 
Haggis said:
Where did you purchase your Energy Suspension kit? I was not aware of this upgrade in the steering rack bushings.
Click to expand...

You can buy right off their website. I was alerted to this by a guy at an alignmnet shop. He was professional and polite and said it would be a waste of time and money to align it before doing the bushings. So I got under there, and sure enough, I could move the rack with my hands. It was a bit work, but worth it. The sway bar bushings were poop too.
 
I agree on the rack bushings and sway bar bushings. I've replaced them on every tacoma of this generation I've had besides my current one. And they are waiting on a shelf in the garage along with new swaybar links for my 96. If you purchase any automatic 4Runner either replace the radiator or put a remote trans cooler in place of the stock built-in one. If it just had the radiator replaced it just made a strawberry milkshake. It's certainly not the end of the world for these trucks when this happens if you catch it soon enough. Our 2000 did it and after replacing the radiator, trans filter, and fluching 5 gallons of ATF through it the truck was perfectly fine. rear wheel bearings are a PITA to change but at this mileage on a stock truck they should be fine. Mine didn't go until over 200k. $6k is a bit high for a 98 that isn't perfect but I doubt someone asking this much would think 4 is a decent offer. Around here there are lots of these for sale and only the nicest ones bring that kind of money. To give an example I sold our 2000 4 runner sport that was absolutely mint but with 221k for $4500 last spring.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom