Looking at 86 4runner SAS and need advice (1 Viewer)

[tgell001]

I had my heart set on an FJ80 for rock crawler build that can accommodate my growing family (1st in the way) , but I stumbled upon a 1986 1st gen that's got a Bolt on SAS kit, geared and lockers. The price is right but I have some concerns.

1. I've never wheeled or owned a leaf sprung front end truck or SUV and the ride was bumpy! I know it's not my sequoia but there were frozen ruts from snow melt and it was so rough it gave me a headache. I can picture that all day on the trail and just calling it quits. Is this just the nature of leafs, or are they too stiff, or will reduced tire pressure remedy this?

2. Where are the problem areas I should look at for not so visible rust (frame or otherwise) for when I go back with cash?

3. I see a lot of people wheel 22re trucks but never see anyone really push these runners. Is that just my experience or is there a fundemental reason.

4. It's an original motor and auto trans with 137k. Hardly ever see autos, is there a reason?

5. Anything I should look at outside of the normal fluid check that you'd do with any vehicle?

 

[msahr]

"Bolt on SAS kit" what? That sounds a little weird. I've never heard of such a thing. Since it's a 86 I guess you could... but you're still talking about spring hangers/shackles etc.

The 22RE isn't the most powerful engine and an auto trans would just emphasize this.

As for not pushing these... well the whole Toyota rock crawling scene started with 22RE rigs with manual and lower gears, lockers, etc. Many many years of build threads all over the place (pirate4x4.com marlincrawler.com ih8mud.com ttora.com etc...)

Low miles for an 86. Ask about the timing chain tensioners how long since checked or changed.

Mine only has very slight rust in the wheel lips nowhere else but it's an Arizona native.

 

[pappy]

If this is going to be a family vehicle I would get the 80-series. Hopefully it's an FZJ80 instead of an FJ80. Nothing against the 3FE (I own and love mine), but the 1FZ is a much better power plant.

 

[msahr]

If this is going to be a family vehicle I would get the 80-series. Hopefully it's an FZJ80 instead of an FJ80. Nothing against the 3FE (I own and love mine), but the 1FZ is a much better power plant.

I would agree. I love my 4Runner and it was OK for family stuff when my kids were "kids" (they're now adults) and I wouldn't want to ride back there. The back seat isn't the easiest to access even with the fold-and-slide front passenger seat. For 2 people, though... it's practically unstoppable with the right set up.

 

[tgell001]

Sorry I mixed terminology. By "Bolt on" I meant off the shelf style, not custom. Has high steer, lockers, 5.29s, 35 Baja claws with nice wheels and it would cost half of what a bone stock fj80 would run.

Trust me, I know the FJ80 is the superior rig for my needs, but there's an allure to the soft top and weight advantage.

Thanks for the heads up on the tensioner, the chain was making no noise at all, I guess that's a good sign, but would be PM I wouldnt have to do

 

[Mudder]

Leaf spring will never ride as soft as coils. But if it was bad enough to give you a headache it may need new shocks.

 

[ntsqd]

I ran OME fronts on my '84 Xcab along with Bils 5100's. That worked well enough to chase desert racers for 15 years or so. Yeah, coils would ride better, but with the right springs and the right shocks a front leaf can work pretty good. Driving off road like that does tend to hammer the lower trunnion bearings. I went thru several sets. You can tell they're done when the steering starts to feel notchy or like it has detents in it.

The truck came to me with unknown front springs, an add-a-leaf in the rear, & 8 (!) single shock per tire Rancho 5000's on it. It rode like what you're describing, and for a while I thought I'd made a mistake. Taking one of each pair off the truck made a big difference, but it still wasn't great. Then I had to use Roger Brown's OBW to weld the RF upper shock mount back on in Saline Valley. The 5100's & hoops went on as soon as I got home & got the parts.

 

[tgell001]

Thanks everyone, I know this thing will need work. Thats kind of the point. I have a kid on the way and will be stuck at home for a few months and would like something to tinker on. I'm a pretty competent mechanic and have a lot of friends to lean on for support. I think this toy is has all the meat and potatoes for a steal. Hard to justify opening my wallet for an Fj80 thats nice to beat the s**t out of it haha

 

[zembalayan]

I would frankly recommend the 80 series over what you are looking at. I do have and still wheel a 5 speed 1993 22RE 4Runner, which is great for two or three people, but when the four of us (mom and two little kids) roll with all of our gear, it is not at all comfortable like our 80 series is. In fact, I bought our 80 series mainly because of the lack of space in our 4Runner (although there are many other very good reasons).

Also, I would caution: if you did not grow up driving older 4 cylinder Toyotas, and you didn't learn to love them for what they are, you will likely have to adjust to their significant lack of power and how slow they really are on the interstate and driving uphill at any sort of elevation. Desperately trying to hold 45-50 miles per hour @ 4000+ RPMs while blocking traffic in the right lane is quite common. I will say that I am accustomed to this lack of power, especially since I used to commute between PHX and Flagstaff in a 22RE Automatic 1990 4Runner in the early 1990s. My 22RE auto 4Runner felt so much more gutless than my current 5 speed 22RE--we used to joke about what a mistake it had been for Toyota to produce the heavier 2nd generation 4Runner with an auto (I thought I had the only one!). That being said, I have made the long haul from SF to Moab twice in mine (a built rock crawler), doing so most recently with a 4 year old. We wheel in the Sierras mostly so it's been very good and very reliable for our purposes. It could be a daily driver, but I don't--I drive the our 1997 FZJ80.

The best thing about a mini truck is the myriad options for gearing, etc. Mine has an R151F trans, a Marlin dual ultimate, 5.29s, on 35"s so I t is quite slow. I guess I should mention that it has a custom SAS, 80 series axles front and rear, ARBs, armor, an internal cage, and other stuff that makes it morbidly obese, but it was and always will be super slow.

Good luck with your project(s) ;-D

 

[ntsqd]

I don't know, my 22R/5spd truck was slow but it wasn't that slow. I've never thought an auto behind any small displacement, low HP engine was a good idea. I'm not convinced it's a good idea behind this 3.0L. I frequently got the best mileage out of all of the rigs on the many long distance off-road trips that I took the '84 on. Usually I was the only carb'd rig. I ran 4.88's & 33-10.50's on that truck the whole ~125k miles and ~20 years that I owned it.

That said, the rear seat in my '88 4rnnr will seat two adults, but I wouldn't ask them to do that for very far. I would probably take the position that the 4rnnr meets the immediate need while looking for the FZJ80 to build into the rig to have for when the kids get bigger.

 

[pappy]

I would frankly recommend the 80 series over what you are looking at. I do have and still wheel a 5 speed 1993 22RE 4Runner, which is great for two or three people, but when the four of us (mom and two little kids) roll with all of our gear, it is not at all comfortable like our 80 series is. In fact, I bought our 80 series mainly because of the lack of space in our 4Runner (although there are many other very good reasons).

What he said (deleting the meat). I love the 22RE in my 4R. But, get real. I've become speed blind. I accept the fact that I'm the slowest vehicle on the highway. I accept the fact that I'm downshifting, flooring the throttle, and running that poor engine close to red-line going up hills. I accept the fact that at 5000 feet elevation where I live it's a dog on the road. I accept the fact that I can't keep up with my buddies, many of which drive FZJ80's. I accept the fact that I can't fit two reasonably-sized humans in the back seat ... in fact with the two doors just getting them back there is a PITA. I also accept the fact that I've owned the truck for 29 years and there probably isn't a bolt I haven't touched. Is it perfect after 32 years and 410000 miles? Hell no. But I absolutely love that truck, and will probably die in it.

This truck is perfect for my needs (single old man who loves Utah and Baja beyond belief), which is why I keep it.

That said, I would recommend you get the 80. Think long term ... and that is coming from a fella that has gone the long term. The aftermarket supports the 80-series just as well as the older trucks, and probably better.

 

[Devils Paw 80]

You're gonna rock crawl with a baby? I don't think an SAS truck would be a good choice as a DD kid hauler.

Two doors is indeed a hassle for getting a kid in and out. My wife didn't like it, which is a big reason I went from an '85 4Runner to a FJ62 many years ago.

But we didn't/don't drive much, so the terrible MPG wasn't such an issue. If you can afford the upfront price, maintenance costs and gas guzzling of an 80, it would probably be a better choice.

 

[coryc85]

Boy this is the exact thing I struggle with every couple of months, well sortof. I already have the 1988 4Runner and 2 small boys, 3 & 5. I do not daily drive the truck. Getting the kids into the back is not a ton of fun, but I have a soft top and that makes it easier to reach through the side and help them buckle up. BUT, they absolutely love riding around in that thing, and so do I. Not much power, not much speed, but I'm not in a hurry anyway. I keep getting the bug to get something bigger so the whole family can fit, but then I go down the rabbit hole of spending lots of money on a 4 door Tacoma or a newer 4Runner, or maybe a 100 series...but then I wonder if I would be so willing to go down a tight trail with tree branches scraping my paint off. And then that circles me back around to just keeping what I have, its fun, its reliable, and pretty much does what I need. Now, if I were daily driving it, I would not love it and I'd probably opt for something else.

 

[jgranthevagrant]

Reading this thread makes me wonder if anyone has bought the altitude kit for the 22re. It is listed in the Owner's Manual. I notice my 22re is way slower at altitude in the Sierras than it is at sea level at home, so I was thinking of trying that kit before I go back to altitude.

 

[KLF]

The altitude kit for a 22RE is a V8 swap.

 

[pappy]

Reading this thread makes me wonder if anyone has bought the altitude kit for the 22re. It is listed in the Owner's Manual. I notice my 22re is way slower at altitude in the Sierras than it is at sea level at home, so I was thinking of trying that kit before I go back to altitude.

I believe that kit (HAC) was for the carbureted trucks. I seem to recall my California 22R had it automatically installed. The ECU on the EFI engines automatically compensated for altitude.

 

[tgell001]

Well I bought it, sat down with the wife and talked about cost/benefit, and decided getting my foot in the door with the cheaper of the two options was the way to go. Also understanding that it wont be a family thing for a year or so, might as well save the money where I can. Plus, since I dont have to spend money on suspension upgrades and wheels/tires, if I decided to unload it I wont lose my ass. Plus, I can tow it with my sequoia and a rented uhaul and not have to worry about buy/storing/maintaining a trailer, or buying a new truck.

1986 "rusty"

• tgell001
• Jan 18, 2017

 

[coryc85]

Congrats, I like it!

 

[tgell001]

I've started to cut, treat and paint. Eventually will done inside and out all custom by summer time. Worth a build thread once I get a little further or does no-one care?

 

[pappy]

Worth a build thread once I get a little further or does no-one care?

Do not pass go. Do it!