San Diego Test Drive

Hey there - I up in north county and want to lift and go 285s but I am trying to find someone who would be willing to let me test drive their 4r with 285s for a 6 pack of beer or a gift card to in and out or something. I know it’s an odd request but i really want to test drive before i commit to the full suspension lift and 285s. thank you for considering.

 

Welcome. I’m pretty sure a member will be willing to help in your area.

 

Thanks I really hope so! I love my rig and they way 285s look but just want to get a hands on feel for what i would be jumping into before I commit!

 

I don't have 285's (have stock tires and wheels) but have a Bilstein 6112/ 5160 lifted 2023 ORP. I'm in Escondido. Happy to drive you around to give you a feel of how it drives. We can discuss you driving it after we meet. No need for anything in return. We're a little sensitive to letting people drive our cars. We cautioned our daughter about letting her boyfriend drive her car and this was the result. (Not his fault. Everyone is fine. Only minor injuries, but insurance dropped her since she wasn't driving)

 

Just heads-up,

• 285/70R17 tires itself feels different. BFG KO2 LT285/70R17C feels different than Falken Wildpeak AT3W P285/70R17SL to Toyo OC AT3 285/70R17SL.

• Same story for suspension. They are very different. Atleast between Bilstien5100 vs OME Nitro sports vs Ironman FCP vs ELKA 2.5DC vs TRD Fox stock vs TRD Fox with spacer or spring lift. Adjustable height also give a different feeling.
• UCA adjustment + alignment also have different feeling.

And so many other things.. So having experience with one 4runner may not be...................

 

Very valid point. Especially non family and friends. My 4runner was crashed when dealership driver was driving/ returning it home after service.

With family and friends things are little different but don't know how insurance work in an accident. Other than I drive my friends 4runners I do drive some expensive vehicles like BMWs, Rivians, Porsches belong to my friends. Pray that nothing happens, not even a chip on windshield.

 

After this accident, I learned my understanding of how liability insurance worked was wrong. I had always thought "liability follows the driver" and "comprehensive and collision follows the car". Apparently, if you let someone borrow or drive your car, you're essentially letting them borrow your insurance (according to my daughter's insurance company).

Even knowing that, I have plenty of people I'd let drive my cars- friends and family. I've driven everything from Lamborghinis and Ferraris to "regular" cars that someone let me borrow so letting those people drive my cars is no problem.

 

Question: Why do you want a lift? The reason I ask is because a lift isn’t what you need to fit 285.

Watch all of Kai’s vids for an explanation. They will help you understand how IFS works. Try this one first…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAYGdcKSA3o

 

I have watched all of his videos. they are great. 285s just doesn’t look proportional without ~2in lift in my opinion.

 

With my personal experience this video is great theory but not practical to me. I'm a happy customer 4x4shop installing lift with necessary parts and just trim plastic to clear 285s. Removal of mud flaps and BMC is not my choice. Yes, I'm stupid not to agree with an expert like Kai.

 

You’re not stupid! If you were your rig would look like mine

I think the point is that most folks don’t know enough about how IFS works and don’t understand the shortcomings of the popular 285 recipes touted on the Internet.

But if people arm themselves with knowledge they’ll find a better solution fit for their needs.

 

the one part i didn’t get was do you still need high caster ucas to make sure you don’t have to head towards bmc? i do mostly desert 4x4 with little to no real rock
crawling. i don’t want to get a bmc

 

You're looking to get 285/70-17 i.e. 33"? That's a tiny step up over stock 32" tires, not a "commitment".

 

Since you're in San Diego, stop by The Truck Shop (sdtruckshop.com) in Miramar. From previous forum posts, they seem to be the go-to place for Toyota and Lexus off-road guys. They'll set you up exactly the way you want. TE Motorsports is in Escondido so might be closer for you. They seem to have good reviews but I don't think I've ever seen someone post that they took their truck there.

 

Among the reputable shops, I’d also recommend taking to Accutune, El Cajon I think, as they can help steer you through the options to achieve your goals.

 

I’m down in Bay Park. You can drive mine around. Here is my thread with what I have done. Still a work in progress. She’s heavy.

https://www.4runners.com/threads/5th-gen-build-a-baja-resilient-daily-driver.36058/

 

OP, if you find someone to let you drive their 4Runner, promise me you'll run over all the hookers & pimps that are crawling the streets during the day in San Diego. That town has gone down the shitter.

 

thanks

thank you

 

that be awesome!I will DM you

 

thank you

 

Hey now. Get your facts straight! Hookers and pimps are the least of our problems. Homeless and addicts out number them 5-1.

 

Would you feel better if I called them homeless-addict-hookers?