Questions for Daily Driver…

Hey all! 2nd post here but scrolled around a ton and greatly appreciate all the info here - it’s fantastic!

My question is this:

I daily drive my 4Runner (17,000miles per year roughly)

I also want it to be useful, rugged, and look good while doing so, but also not hinder it from being a solid daily driver that I can run around in for many miles per day.

What do you folks think about running a full length roof rack (which would be ran empty a lot of the time - only big uses would be kayaks, luggage for trips, maxtracs when needed, etc)?

2nd thing is Rock Sliders - what do you all think in regards to rock sliders for a daily driver? (I guess my biggest concern here is the price for true sliders, when I am mostly just using them as steps if I am honest with myself! But do have a slight use for them for the very light to moderate trails around my area and they would be there in the event I ever decided to push it a little further.) Sliders just look better and are clearly more functional than 99% of the running boards/side steps on the market.

Just wanted to get some ideas from the professionals here and see what your thoughts were on this.

(Not looking for brands or anything by the way, I technically may already have some picked out but just trying to be smart about it all)

Thanks in advance for the great help!

 

I have AP sliders on mine and don't seriously wheel but would rather have them than not. Neither of those really affects daily drivability. Plenty of people around mod just for looks.

 

I have sliders (RCI) on my daily driver. Drive about the miles you drive (maybe a bit more). Only "issue" is getting in and out of the vehicle. If the sliders are muddy (not very often) it can dirty your pant leg. Using the slider as a step isn't great since it's too tall for that purpose. Hasn't really bothered me in the 33,000 miles I've used it this way. My wife doesn't like them because it makes it harder for her to get into the vehicle.

Like the poster above, I don't wheel hard, but would rather have them (and skids) for that one time I drop onto a rock. I'd rather it hit the slider once in its life than crush the body there. I've scraped my sliders enough I'm happy I have them too.

I don't have one, but I've heard a roof rack can affect your mpg. Driving that much, it might be reasonable to question that purchase and use crossbars to carry the Kayaks etc.

 

rock sliders are good if you intend to go off-road, but they are additional weight. As per roof rack - I found that full size roof rack is not very good for carrying canoes or kayaks, I carry canoe on Thule crossbars I installed on factory roof rails. But I remove crossbars for winter. If you have snow in your area full size rack would collect a lot of snow and ice. Also roof rack height might a be consideration if going to some underground parking.

 

My wife daily drives our 4R. I've got RCI kickout sliders. I really like them. My wife does too. They work great as a step into the driver's seat, and because of the kickout at the rear it makes accessing the roof very easy. Speaking of roof, I also have the RCI full roof rack. TBH, it's quieter than the stock rack. Even with the sunroof open. The front air dam really works. I haven't noticed any decrease in MPG on the highway either. And, to round it all out I went with RCI again for full skids underneath. PITA to install by myself, but it's all worth it for the protection and for ease of oil changes. No more dropping the front skid. BTW, the sliders are very easy to touch up if contact is made when they do their job. I use Rustoleum matted black hammered in the rattlecan. It matches the powdercoat almost perfectly. Oh, and the grates on the top of the sliders are bolted on, so they're removable for cleaning or if I know I'm going to be in lots of mud. Nice feature.

 

With my use now I'm thinking of Aluminum sliders since they are half the weight of my RSG steel ones. But then I think if I happen to get a good hit it needs replacement, unlike steel ones.

 

Wow this is some good stuff for sure. Hadn’t really thought about the snow piling up there if I were to get a roof rack and we do usually get a few good snows that like to hang around a while so that’s a good point to consider.

Also very interesting about the kayaks doing better on just cross bars. I have looked into just getting something like an LFD cross bar kit to try out and see if that suits my needs so maybe that’s the better option all things considered honestly. Something to think about for sure!

I am pleased to hear that rock sliders though seem to be pretty useful. I should have prefaced as well by stating that I have running boards there now and they do ok for the intended purpose of being solely a step, but would like something that looked better and maybe could serve double duty. Wife has predator steps on hers and while I love the look I want something different/better. (FWIW, wife says she hates my current running boards because they are “too high”. So that’s also circling through my head thinking of how high sliders sit.)

 

Pro tip: Buy sliders when they go on sale. Black Friday and Memorial Day are the best times for them. I got my All-Pro sliders on Black Friday sale through Wheelers Supply for under $800$ shipped.

 

Mine doesn't get wheeled nearly as much as I would like. No sliders for me but definitely a full-length roof rack and it has great utility. SUPS, Kayaks, full sheets of plywood / drywall, etc.

 

What type of rack do you want?

I run a Yakima Megawarrior with extension during the spring, summer, and fall. I chose this setup because I like being able to transport kayaks without removing the traction boards. I also wanted something I could remove in the winter.

Mine is attached to the factory side rails with L channel and carriage bolts, so it's much more solid than being attached with cross bars.

It takes me about 20 minutes to install or remove, so I have the option to remove it and save some fuel if I won't be needing it for awhile.

Flat sliders probably provide a better step. But, even my angled sliders work for climbing in and accessing the roof rack. Some folks will claim that they do not function as a step, but when I had mine off last year for a while, everyone who rode In my 4Runner commented that it was easier to get in when they were on.

I would coat the frame with fluid film or WoolWax before installing to help prevent any rust from developing under the mounting brackets.

 

Very interesting.
I’m going to look up that Yakima rack. I like the fact that it doesn’t have to mount to the cross bars as well.

I feel like I would like a full length rack for both functionality and looks, but having no experience with one I could be wrong.

As far as sliders, I am also going to look up those All Pro ones too. That price on sale sounds fantastic honestly.

 

OP I think our use cases might be similar. I DD mine and use it for light - moderate off roading on trips about one month total out of the year, a few weeks or a few days at a time.

I don't have sliders, mainly because of the weight, the expense, but mostly the annoyance of having to straddle them to enter / exit. I can see sliders being useful for some applications including using them as steps if you need steps, or if you are a rock crawler, but for the type of off road stuff a DD will be doing I think they are excessive and unnecessary.

I also think a basket or crossbars provide more utility than a flat roof rack. They are also exponentially cheaper, and there is no hit on fuel economy and minimal wind noise. As I have said in other threads, a rack is to bolt shit to. A basket / crossbars are to put things in / on. If your use case is kayaks, you want a decent set of crossbars, not a flat rack. I have both; long Inno crossbars set up for two kayaks, and a second set of crossbars set up with a Yakima basket and ARB awning; neither of which I leave up all the time. I throw them on when I need them, which also is nice for DD because it keeps things stealth.

 

I say do the mods. Sounds like you have been wanting to get it done. My recommendation is that you get all the goods from the same supplier that way you can maximize on discounts and shipping fees etc..etc. Wescott designs is solid, so is RCI and Victory 4x4. I am sure there are others. Plenty of you tube videos out there if you are a DIY.

 

It was a bit of a custom job to get it attached directly to the side rails, but nothing complicated. Here's a link to my build thread where I show how I did it:

https://www.4runners.com/threads/th...ll-of-my-money-went.12919/page-16#post-263894

 

I have had 3 different roof racks and wind drag is the main issue. Noise and power loss/mpg at highway speeds. I do a lot of highway travel 75 mph+ which is already a problem in the 4r. Yakima basket was cheapest and easiest but also worst for wind drag. Full steel rack was better but heavier in weight. Low profile is the current and best compromise in my opinion. Lightest weight and least wind drag. It's actually quieter with sunroof open than no roof rack highway speeds. The fairing built into the low pro racks work channeling the air flow.

Height also the low pro allows me to fit into my personal and parking garages with a lift. Other racks this was a problem.

Sliders are a toss up if needed for your use. Just be aware it only takes 1 hit for the sliders to pay for themself. Very costly to fix rocker panel damage if you are going off the beaten path. But yes the weight adds up each incremental mod. I tried to keep my weight low and still ended needing a regear to make me happy how I use the rig.

 

I would investigate wind noise for your prospective roof racks.
I found stock used ($300) steel rock rails. They are strong and not overly heavy. They do not contact my legs entering or exiting. Round tubes seem 1/8" (11 gauge) thick. I found round plastic caps to close the 4 open ends. U-Brackets to frame are 1/4" thick. Fasteners are high grade probably grade 5 or 8. I cleaned up minor rust and mounted myself. They will protect rocker panels from rocks, medians and curbs.

 

I have these as well. Got them from a member and for FREEEE. They arent heavy duty like aftermarket ones. But still add light protection.

And I agree with another member. A full rack is kind of overkill for kayaks/canoes/lumber. Cross bars on the oem rack work great.

 

Sounds like the best consensus for my use might be running cross bars for now. I currently have the stock cross bars but I may look into doing something like the LFD off road cross bars since they maybe have a little extra functionality (maxtrac mounts and various mounting holes for being creative).

For sliders, the weight, cost, and frame mounting might even be a little overkill for my needs honestly after reading some of this.

I do however, like the look of the stock/oem sliders. I do wish they stuck out just a little further to use them as a make-do step, but beggars can’t be choosers!

 

You can get almost 2 stainless unistruts from grainger for the price of LFD, they work as good.

 

You can find crossbars (OEM, LFD, etc.) for cheap sometimes in our classifieds or on Offer Up. I got a set of LFD crossbars for $50

 

Thanks for that comment. May go check out the for sale section on here just to see if I come across a deal. Depending on the price , may be worth it just to try something at the very least.

To all that have commented here thus far, thank you very much by the way! This is all incredibly helpful in determining what route to go and bringing up things I hadn’t thought about.

 

The OEM crossbars will work, especially just for 1 kayak, but for just a little more you can get decent aftermarket bars that extend past the edge of the roof and allow for a lot of extra capacity... plus the OEM ones are not flat; they are slightly curved, which is kind of annoying for carrying anything that is flat (eg lumber). I run Inno square bars and the appropriate towers but Thule, Yakima, probably several other make aftermarket bars. I tried the LFD ones and didn't think much of them; they are the same length as stock and their only benefit is being flat and having some holes in them to mount stuff. They will also require a fairing because the are very loud.

 

The unistrut is brilliant.

 

I have the Prinsu Pro roof rack full length. I don't have anything to compare it to. So, my biased decision is that I loved it. After this weekend, I have a love-hate relationship. I added my cargo bin (Thule Motion XL) on top and I had to remove the bars to attach it. The Thule has recessed crevices. This was not fun. I had to loosen each screw, and bolt that didn't need to be removed. This will allow the release of each bar that I needed to be dislodged. So if you decide to mount some thing like this please take this into consideration when choosing a rack.

I do want rock sliders as well, however I have a wife and kids, ages (4)and (6). The stock side step is allowing my kids to enter. Im also wondering what is a good rock slider(s) to choose so its enough to step to get into the vehicle.


***This is just a picture of a thule motion xl not my roof rack nor my vehicle.

 

The unistrut is pretty awesome. I had never heard of that but have searched that and seems pretty solid and cheap too. I like that.

Also, in regards to the sliders being a step. My wife is only 5’ with shoes on and my son will be 6 next month. I want something that is useful because we take it everywhere we go. So finding that good in between has definitely been challenging but also is what makes this site so helpful.

 

Some rock sliders are better at being side steps than others, but none of them is as good at being a side step as actual steps. If you’re wife depends on the utility of the side steps that you already have on the vehicle, and you don’t plan on any driving that would risk dragging your sills, then my advice is to keep the side steps.

 

A note about full length roof racks. I have the Frontrunner Slimline IIs and like many other full length racks if you have a sunroof that the forward crossbars will block the sunroof opening. I suppose I can remove the one crossbar that blocks the sunroof opening on my rig but I’m using it to mount recovery boards.



As for wind noise and MPGs, honestly even without a fairing my rack doesn’t really add much noise, in fact I believe the awning hanging out on the side contributes more to wind noise and MPG hit (about 1-2) than the height does. Part of it is because the rack sits right at the windshield’s slipstream. If/when I decide to add a fairing I’ll be sure to follow up here with the results.



And oh yes, Unistrut is a fine general purpose material to work with. Something a bit more polished would be to go with 8020 extrusions. Give them a look, lots of possibilities and for a reasonable cost the extrusions can be cut to dimensions of your choosing.

 

If you just want steps, look at these. I love them. Mine came with the OEM trail rails like HungryHawk above. Completely useless IMO. The Tyger steps are well made and easy to install. It literally took me 30 minutes to remove the trail rails and install the Tyger steps.

$179 Tyger Auto 3.5" Rider Running Boards Compatible with 2010-2024 Toyota 4Runner (Exclude Limited; Nightshade; TRD Sport; 10-13 SR5) | TG-SS2T35248 | Side Step Rail Nerf Bars

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089Y73M7Y?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

 

This is all fantastic information. Thanks to all that have posted as well!

I think I have a better idea of which route to go for me too. I think I will probably just stick with steps/running boards for the time being and try some of these different crossbars and see what I can play around with (such as unistruts, LFD Offroad, or even just the stock versions I have)

 

I need something like this for my 21 SR5