Newbie question

[JoshXCski]

I want to buy a toyota and i am struggling between what to get. I am looking at 89 - 94 4x4's but cant decide between 4 cylinder or V6? Any suggestions? i want to put a small lift on and runn 33's. I was wondering what the differences between the 4 cyl and V6 are and if you can swap a v6 in easily? thanks for the help

Josh

[JRTX4WDLH]

If you have the money for a 6-cyl I'd go ahead and get that which will keep you from wanting to swap out an engine later. I'd be more concerned about having IFS instead of the staight axle. Just my .02.

[dajabr]

What do you want to do with it?

[JoshXCski]

I would like to use it as my daily driver but also be able to do some off roading with it. I would also liek to be able to tow with it. Nothing too too serious but i am concerned that if I get a 4 cylinder and 33's i wont be able to push the tires and tow with it? any suggestions? any differences is models from 89-94? thanks

[JRTX4WDLH]

How much you planning on pulling as far as weight? Going to 33's with a 4-cyl and plan on towing you will probably have to re-gear with like 488's. I have a 4-cyl 4runner and am planning on running 33's but not towing anything and could probably get away with stock gearing but it will take less effort for the engine if I go with 488's. I'm not sure what stock gears are for that year model.

[JoshXCski]

If I regear could I still drive 70 on the highway?? and I wont be towing anything too heavy... a fiberglass drift boat without a motor... thanks

[Travota_85]

If you go with the V6 it will cost more money to get lower tcase gears or a dual tcase, but if thats not a concer V6 sounds good. With 33 I would say go with 5.29s if you want to tow with it if you get a V6.
I have 33s and 4.88s and wish I would have gone with 5.29s

[JRTX4WDLH]

I had a buddy that just bought a Toy with 5.29's and he was just driving on the road and shattered teeth on his R&P. He was running 33's I believe also. Needless to say he is running 4.88's now and haven't heard any complaints. My buddy said the teeth on the 5.29's are weaker but for wheelin I bet it's a better crawl gear also.

[JoshXCski]

What do the 4 cyl and V6's usually come with for gears? Does it depend on the year? I am looking for one from 89-93. 5.29 gears would turn the tires easier than 4.88? are there any gear sizes in between?

[JoshXCski]

About how much does it cost to replace the gears? it is not something you can really do yourself is it?
thanks

[JRTX4WDLH]

Not really I would not recommend it unless you've done it before. You wouldn't have to re-gear immediately but it would help you further with power especially if you went with a 4-cyl. I knew a guy who thought replacing a gear was just a bolt it right in kind of thing but he wound up replacing the brand new set he just put in because he ruined the first set.

[dajabr]

I have the 22re 4cyl and stock gearing. I have pulled cars out of the snow and loaded it up, but if you want to have that kind of power at high speed while towing something substantial, you either have to regear the 4cyl or get a 6. You can get an older 4cyl truck and swap in a 5mge, 7mge or 7mgte inline 6 and get tons of power. Swap the turbo 7mgte if you have the beefier 6 cyl drivetrain to handle the torque. Apparently old 4runners with this engine swapped in are incredibly powerful. I'd get the 5mge or the 7mge, don't need the turbo.
The stock V-6 would be the easiest way out.

[Travota_85]

JoshXCski- gears definatey are not cheap to do. The gears themselves may not cost to much, but don't get the cheapest gears you can find cuz they'll break, many people say Yukon gear is the best. Instalation is where some cost comes in, it was about $200 fort each third member but would have cost much more if I hadn't pulled the thirds and brought them to the shop.

[JoshXCski]

For me my main concern with getting a 4 cyl is that I have 33's and still be able to go 70 mph on the highway. Also be able to tow something that is pretty light 2-300 lbs. could a 4 cylinder do that without swapping gears? thanks for the help

Josh

[Oatmeal]

I'm probably bucking the tide here but, for the kind of use you mentioned, I would get a V6 with an auto trans. The auto would be a little more forgiving of the 33" tire and stock gearing (I believe it's 4.30:1 for the auto vs 4.10:1 for the manual) you could probably get by with that gearing and still do light towing but, I'd invest in a bigger trans cooler. Just my 2 cents:)

[AZWILDYOAT]

I have a 92 22r-e wih 5.71's and 33's. I can easily do 70 on the freeway, not to mention tow just about anything. If you are gonna make this a respectable rig go with a 4 cyl. but if you are just gonna do some light wheelin go with the 6 cyl. Either way get a manual. The truck your looking at probably has 4.56 gears.

[Spider]

I had an 88 22re (4cyl) with 35's and 5.29's. It hauled some ass on flat land and pulled most hills damn good, as long as it was empty. But I tell you when you strap a trailer with a sand datsun on it and they weigh about as much as the toyota does itself, it is 55 on the highway and 20 over the mountains, I ran about 1/8" from the red line on the temperature gauge the whole trip, and that was with a oil cooler. So I was running 9 quarts of oil instead of 5 , and it still ran hot. as for the mud it still sucked ass, could barely get enough wheel spin to clean the mud off the swampers. I had to stay in four low 90% of the time because you can't shift out of 1st.

I would go with the v6.

Now these comments were based on a stock motor with about 168 psi compression straight accross the board, new injectors, timing chain. I don't believe there was any issues with the motor. Just a lack of power from the 4cyl.

Ed

[robrocketanski]

now i know i had no power but i ran an all stock (except lift) 91 4cyl 5spd on 33x15.5 swamper sx's and 35x14.5 thornbirds. it went 70 down the highway and in 4 low it would spin them ok, just ok. i put 50k on the swampers (you couldnt see where the tread had been anymore) and another 15k on the tbirds. the truck still runs great with 160k on it now. i did change the oil a few times. in fact i flat towed a fullsize blazer from half way to wendover into slc on the 33x15.5s i couldnt go much over 40 or so and ran pretty hot too.

[Spider]

I would say if you had a raptor in the back and a banschee on a small trailer a 4 cyl toyota would probably work out pretty good. Might want to bump the gearing a little to put a good set of tires on, but I wouldn't try to pull a 5th wheel with it! :)

Ed

[84 4Runner]

I would say go with the 22RE. I may be wrong, but from what I know the 22REs (4 cyl) are more reliable than the 88-94 6cyl engines.

You should be able to do 70 on the freeway with 33s with a 22RE just fine. If you plan on towing, you will have to re-gear. I would say you should count on $400 for gears + $ for install. If you don't plan to go bigger than 33s, then 4:88s should be ok. Go for 5:29s if you plan on going any bigger.

[toy4wd]

The auto and the standard had the same gears 4.10:1. If it is an auto and came from the factory with 31" tires its got the 4.30: but to regear this you got to get a third member from a truck with 4.10's. Thear are less eng mods for the V-6 But I got the V-6/Auto and 32" tires and 4.10's I hit 75MPH on the interstate with a 400 pound 4-wheeler in the bed, or a 500 pound boat, its not that bad you can live with the 4.10's but you want to go to 4.56 for gas.

[clint marsh]

anybody ever ran a gear splitter? I don't know anything about them other than you can shift them on the highway and they really help to tow. I know the idea behind them. (just adding another set of gears behind the tranny) I often wondered why people never talk about them or whether or not the are worth anything or if they are even applicable. A long lost acquaintance ran one in his 3/4 Ford and it seems like it would have been real useful in towing and wheeling. maybe it is just what this guy needs

[bodo]

I will match Alabama red clay to any mud in the country and a stock 22re with 260,000 miles on it cleaned 36x14.50 Groundhawgs just fine. I did and still do have 4.88's and Detroits and I go where I want to when I want to.

As for the 3slow I don't know because I've stroked my 22re (that's still not running right) and I can do anything my buddy can do with a 3slow. They didn't get that name for no reason and atleast there is plenty of info about changing the HG and other things you'll constantly be doing (kindof like a domestic) when owning one. If you do get a 6 do yourself a favor and atleast find one with a manual so you don't get passed by ants when you're on a freeway hill.

[yota711]

most of the v6's had 4:56's i believe in the third gen. trucks. i have owned 3 4cyl 5spds, a 3.0 auto, and now i own a 93 v6 5spd. ill tell you this. do not buy a v6 AUTO. they SUCK. the transfer case is junk. if you want a v6, make sure that you find out everything about it. head gasket recall, timing belts, everything. the 3.0 i have now is acctually the best 3.0 ive every seen. it keeps good oil pressure and runs real smooth. toyota people would save that its probably 1 in a million that you find a motor like that that is a v6. i would go with the 4 banger. the 22RE is one kick ass motor. just regear to 4:88 if you dont want to go any bigger tire size in the future, or 5:29's if you do. if you do decide to go v6, then make sure it has manual hubs. not that auto or ADD bullshit they started putting on the trucks. the ADD is an easy swap to manual hubs, but the auto is a little more tricky. all said and done, go with the 4 banger 5spd, gear it to 4:88 with 33's, put your 2in BL on it (if you plan on staying with the IFS) to clear the tires when going offroad and call it good.