2022 Trd Sport 2wd

New to the 4runner world, currently hitting trails in Reno and now wish I would’ve waited for the 4x4 to be shipped.. Making the best of it, currently all stock just a Comp Pro leveling kit and been hitting trails all weekend with the 4x4.. got stuck once but it was my own mistake, tried to make tried to make a 3 point u turn in the middle of the mud/snow..

 

Any suggestions on how to make this 2wd adventure more durable and enjoyable would be grateful.. I know with better all terrain tires would be a lot better.. anything else????

 

1. Traction mats
2. Hi Lift
3. Shovel & Ax
5. Winch if you can afford it!

OR

Sell it and buy a 4WD.

 

Thanks for the input, currently ordering traction mats and hi lift..

 

Best advice.. Toyota should not make 2wd 4Runners in the first place..

 

At the time of purchase the only 4x4 in the area or nearby was the trd pro lime going for $80k+. I currently live in Oakland CA we dont have any trails or snow so I didnt think about it till now.. ‍♂️

 

I’m curious, how are you guys using a high lift jack on a stock 4Runner with plastic front and rear bumpers?

 

Good question. Everyone always recommends them, but IMO they're basically useless on a stock rig. For winching purposes, a heavy duty come-along would be superior.

I carried one of those around in my ZJ for years, and only used it once, and was only able to do so because I had sliders.

 

Cancel the hi lift, it's useless for your purposes.

 

It sounds like you need a wrench, but you bought a hammer.

 

Hit a few more trails today truck did great no issues at all..

 

Wheel your 2WD and have fun. A big percentage of wheeling success is more due to the driver than how the rig is set up. Your 2WD will not be able to do everything a 4WD can do, but you might be surprised what you *can* do. And when you get a 4WD you'll be that much ahead of the curve. Buy some better tires, get some sliders, and hit the trails. Make sure to go with friends if you hit the gnarly stuff...

 

I don't want to sound like a J@ A@, but I still believe with the crazy used market price OP is not going to loose lot of money selling the 2wd and look for a 4wd. When I was thinking to sell my 2019 and buy a 2022 not only my local Toyota 4x4 group gave me info about dealers with no markup a sales manager him self comment to contact him for no markup buy. (But I decided to keep my 2019 though). My point is it is hard to believe that op can't find a 4wd.
As for the trim choice I prefer SR5 with 7 seats which has just about similar price but more practical. 7 seats are good to have "in case", the 4wd selector is easy to use by lady drivers (my wife hates the TRD shifter) and the front bumper has way better clearance. I'm not denying the fact TRD models are better off road. Also as far as I've seen 4wd models have better ground clearance 9.6 vs 2wd have just 9.0 clearance.

 

will keep it for atleast a year or 2 till then I will upgrade the tires and continue hitting trails.. will keep the page up to date on all the trails and possible upgrades

 

If you have the tow package, you can insert a trailer hitch as a jacking point. As for the front or sides....

$47 Hi-Lift Sport Utility Vehicle Jack LM-100 Lift-Mate, 5000 pound capacity

https://www.amazon.com/Hi-Lift-LM100-Jack-LM-100-Lift-Mate/dp/B00042KGWG

Works great.

 

Thats cool, but it seems like it would be a hell of a lot easier and safer to just jack up one corner with a bottle jack to change a flat tire.

 

Hi-Lifts can kill or maim you in weird and unexpected ways. Not to mention there is literally no way to use it on any stock 4runner. I really don’t think it should be on the OPs list of things to get. Especially considering he needs to self-limit the terrain he goes on with his tires and 2wd.

@Slopemaster is right, a bottle jack and a big pad to put it on will do. Just practice using it safely before it’s needed. Those can kill you too, but in much more predictable, less surprising ways.

Regarding 2wd choice…a 2runner is fine to explore a whoooole lot of areas off the beaten path. You can certainly get plenty of enjoyment with what you have.

That said, you might get the bug…you might want to go places you know you shouldt without 4wd, then you might want to start spending some serious coin on mods. Here is my advice. Do not mod this 2runner, at all. Enjoy it and leave it stock. Spending money on recovery equipment is fine though (traction boards, hitch/receiver shackle, snatch straps if you are with others, maybe even a hitch mountable winch).

But, when you want a 4runner, find one and sell the 2runner for basically the same price you bought it. If you really get the “bug” you might want to go for the Off Road trim with rear locking differential. Then you’ll basically have the best vehicle available in the US for off road travel.

 

This is great advice!

 

1. I took my '68 Corona on many a dirt trail. As said before, driver expertise is a BIG factor. Take it east and learn.
2. A Hi-Lift is useful in many ways you can't imagination until you need to. If you stick to a bottle jack=get a good hydraulic one.
3. Never used a come-along but a heavy duty one sounds like a good idea.

 

Thanks for all the input, Im going full on with this new hobby.. Just purchased Mittybilt All Elements Ramps and Ironman Recovery Kit.. Still undecided on new AT tires

 

You really need to buy a Tire Plug Kit and an Air Compressor.
That tire and wheel combo is not good for going off of pavement.

I've used this Tire Plug Kit from Amazon to plug 3 tires over the past 3 years. I put everything in the kit into smaller military canvas medical bag and trash canned the huge plastic case.

$28 WYNNsky Heavy Duty Tire Repair Tools Kit - 54 Pcs Flat Tire Plug Kit for Motorcycle, ATV, Jeep, Truck, Tractor

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06X15JJ4F/

I use this Viair 300P air compressor every time I go off road (weekly) to air up my tires. I go from 20 psi to 40 psi in a couple minutes for each tire.

$150 VIAIR 300P - 30033 Tire Inflator Portable Offroad Air Compressor for Truck & SUV, 12V On/Off Road Tire Pump Air Compressor Portable Heavy Duty 150 PSI

https://www.amazon.com/VIAIR-30033-300P-Portable-Compressor/dp/B000X90YUO/

I use / like this Viair air down tool. It's not as fast as an Arb tool that removes the valve stem.

$29 Viair 00033 Air Down Gauge

https://www.amazon.com/VIAIR-00033-Air-Down-Gauge/dp/B00SUMIJQM/

If you are going to go off road regularly - look for a set of used 17 inch TRD Pro or TRD Off Road wheels and tires on Craigslist or Facebook Market Place. Going off pavement in rocky terrain you want more tire and less wheel. Having 4Runner standard wheels and tires will allow you to air your tires down when going off road. Plus run more aggressive AT or MT tires.

Airing down tires off road does 3 things:
Gives you a softer ride.
Increase the tread contact to the trail, rocks, etc.
Significantly increases puncture protection.

This video goes into good detail on why airing down tires for off road use is important.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Kz8mmLkeks

On my 4Runner I have this Hitch Shackle that acts as a rear recovery point. I've used it multiple times to pull other vehicles.

$47 Rhino USA Shackle Hitch Receiver (Fits 2" Receivers) Best Towing Accessories for Trucks, Jeep, Toyota & More - Connect Your Rhino Tow Strap for Vehicle Recovery, Mounts to 2" Receiver Hitches

https://www.amazon.com/USA-Receiver-Accessories-Rhino-Receivers/dp/B06WLMF23C/
You will need to buy a hitch pin.

$6 CURT 21583 Trailer Hitch Pin & Clip with Grooved Head, 5/8" Diameter, Fits 2 or 2-1/2" Receiver

https://www.amazon.com/CURT-21583-Hitch-Pin-Clip/dp/B00H56W3TS/ref

As mentioned above get a recovery strap. You want one with loops on both ends. I have 2 and used both of them last weekend to recovery a vehicle from a creek. I have this one plus a Kinetic Recovery Rope.

$55 Rhino USA Recovery Tow Strap (4" x 30') - 40320lb Break Strength - Emergency Recovery Strap Tow Rope for Diesel Trucks, Backhoe, Excavators & More - Heavy Duty Towing Strap for Offroad (Black)

https://www.amazon.com/Rhino-USA-Recovery-Strap-30ft/dp/B08BFCVQ2C/

I have 4 soft shackles and 3 hard shackles. I would recommend you get at least 2 soft shackles. They make attaching recovery ropes / straps to vehicles simple and fast.

$33 SmittyBilt SOFT SHACKLE ROPE - SB13051-B

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KQSZL5E/

I have a cheap set of traction boards. These $40 on ebay.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/293284031849
I also have a more expensive US Action Trax set that ran $200.

Maxtrax are the best but run around $300 for a set of 2.


All the above recovery gear will work any 4wd vehicle. The 2nd used set of wheels and tires can be easily sold if you decide in the future to buy something other than a 4wd 4Runner.

Lastly carry food, water, and a method of starting fire. You don't want to be this guy:
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/man-trapped-snow-5-days-211558428.html

I carry Mountain House Meals, lots of water bottles plus a gallon jug of water, Lifeboat Rations, and a Jet burner type of stove. I also have a water filter and metal pot.

 

I off road with a guy that has a 2wd Nissan Frontier. His has a limited slip rear differential.
He gets around our hilly rocky muddy area but really has to hit the gas hard to get over rock ledges / mud.

He broke 3 out of 4 engine mounts doing a trail I consider to be pretty easy in 4wd.

He likes to wheel with me as my 4Runner is 4wd, has a rear locker, winch, and I carry a crap-ton of recovery gear. He knows that I can drag him off the trail if he breaks something.

 

Thanks for all the great info..

 

I would think that the approach and departure angles on the limited would be a big limiting factor too, 4wd or not.

 

This

 

Anytime, I love off roading and am out weekly on trail rides.



This was yesterday afternoon:

 

Looks good, im currently packing up about to head back to the Bay Area and on the way from Reno should be coming across a few good ones.. ill upload a few pics forsure

 

Great post above. I'd just add that for 5 bucks more one could buy the ARB snatch strap. I'm a little leery of the Rhino stuff, someone in a group I'm in posted a fake testing report from them.

Another good compressor is the $114 Maxi Trac compressor from NAPA. It's a twin cylinder, rated at approx 10gpm output. It's a beast. I got it for 104 with my AAA discount.

I have that same tire kit, I too packed it into a smaller pouch. Seems like good quality, though I haven't used it yet.

 

All trails in Tahoe were snowed in so drove around the Lake and enjoyed the views

 

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