This rig is abysmal to drive on the interstate

Mine drives pretty good on the freeway. I usually cruise at 85mph and it’s very stable.

 

I had same issues with my 2009 tacoma when I bought it new and 22 4runner, wandering/wouldn't stay in lane, was a nightmare to drive. I did the upper control arms with adjustable caster balljoint as thats what was offered back then and put better tires on the tacoma,made a huge difference. On the 4runner, i did the high caster upper arms with billstein 5100s and it rides much better. I will say driving a domestic truck suv is a lot different than the 4runners.

 

I bet the 4runner feels more flighty than a lot of domestic trucks because the of the 4runners relatively short wheelbase. On top of the ifs geometry and pillowy bushings.

From everything I hear though, a 4runner runs straight as ocean-liner compared to jeeps.

Absolutely agree. The nature of this beast is much more happy tossing you off the road, than say, any other road focused SUV or car.

I mean I may be exaggerating a bit, but that double fisted white knuckle grip you mentioned is for real. On my 18 highlander, I can drive through similar conditions and hardly even need to wake up from my nap!

 

I find the BMW "tiring" to drive. Yeah, the 21" wheels and rubber band tires are rough and yes, the car handles like it's on rails, but that's not what bothers me. It's twitchy. That razor sharp crisp handling means ANY input and the car goes that way. I feel like I'm walking a 9-month-old Jack Russell terrier on a leash... "Let's go there! What's over there?!"

 

Between my 17, 20, and 23 Pro’s none of them had any of those’s issues. Both 20 and 23 lifted with 285’s and handled really well for the caster not being in. My 23 tracks really good weather I’m doing 55 or 75 on the highway.

 

My 24 Pro has none of those issues. The TRD roof rack will grab some air in a heavy wind, but it doesn't move around at all. I can cruise anywhere in 70-80 with zero issues. What you're describing is more what my JL Rubicon on 37s was like.

 

If you are coming from a car or unibody small CUV you will think that the 4R blows as a highway vehicle, but once you get used to the consistent way it wallows around, it's actually kind of comforting and engaging.

Toonces FTMFW!

 

My 2024 TRD OR doesn't either. Just finished a 2000 mile road trip and it was a pleasure to drive it.

 

Assuming the "wild ride" isn't component wear related, road condition related, or coriolis, then this may simply be an "expectations exceeds capability" thing?

 

It's a vehicle with a tall ride height meant to go off-road. If one wants a sports car handling, one should buy a sports car.

 

Hear is my comparison between my 4runner Pro and my C7 Z06 they both handle very well. Lol

 

Sell it then

 

As a retired GM employee all I have to say is I hate GM vehicles because they insulate you to much from the road. They feel like a boat. I get car sick when riding as a passenger in a GM vehicle.

 

Why did you buy a truck when you obviously prefer a car?

 

Drive a 70's or 80's Jeep CJ for a week and you will be amazed at how the 4R drives!

Kidding aside, as others have noted your troubles are likely related to worn components. Hope you get this solved and you will be happy with your purchase.

 

Have you had your aligned? If so care to share the specs?

 

So far has all the characteristics of a fly-by troll thread. And successful. Low post count, no OP involvement other than the first post, mercurial topic.

 

I think he’s asking a legitimate question, which is “is this ride quality normal?”

Interestingly, it seems responses here are around 50/50 yes and no. That includes one favorable comparison to the handling of a corvette c7 Z06 lol. Very very interesting.

I think that expectations play a huge part in how satisfied drivers are in the 4runner driving experience. KDSS and Xreas may play a part in this too.

If we compare normal trim 4runners in good mechanical condition (without the above suspension handling aids), I really don’t think it’s possible to say they have the same pitching, rolling, tracking and turning characteristics as other road vehicles sold in the US. To be clear, I don’t think it’s fair to characterize handling on flat straight roads on calm days, because you can’t assess handling when the vehicle is experiencing zero forces. So what I’m saying is, the 4runner is absolutely different than most other road cars, regardless of opinions or perceptions. That doesn’t mean you can’t perceive it as normal.

I think some comments here reflect an expectation that a short(ish) wheelbase truck chassis is going to feel like this, so they view it as normal, stable, and pleasure to drive. Because they are completely used to driving it, they might suspect something HAS to be wrong on another 4runner if the owner complains of wandering.

Others, like me, didn’t really know what to expect going in, because it’s their first 4runner experience coming from more modern road cars. I ended up liking the experience and view it as fun, lively, and a hoot. But others might compare it to every other car they’ve had and think it’s horrific by comparison. Which might be a reasonable opinion. I hear this happens very frequently with new jeeps buyers, where people want them so bad, but are disappointed to find out what it feels like to drive two solid axles on a day to day basis (not that I’m saying 4runner dynamics are the same as a jeep).

I’m intrigued by the comparison to the corvette lol. It might have been tongue in cheek, but it might not be that far off. I’ve played around with the 4runner at slower road speeds, and it seems to really feel like underneath the tall ride-height and soft bushings, there’s a really neutral handling rally car hiding underneath. It seems that if it had a little more power (or at least a manual transmission to allow for more controllable front/rear weight transfer), you’d really have a vehicle that could very nicely balance between oversteer and understeer at the ragged edge of traction.

 

It is a brick on a truck frame

 

To wit, a completely black iced, banked, curved highway overpass w/ close to zero traction for dozens of yards gave me (brief) time to reflect on this very topic. I rode out it to the other side in a surprisingly neutral way. Slow motion yaw and slight steering inputs were on the menu lol.

 

It is nowhere near as bad as my twin I Beam Ford. That is real wandering

 

It feels like it just wants to rotate perfectly around center doesn’t it?

 

Seemingly.

 

The 4R does make you pay more attention to the road at highway speeds, but it's not difficult to drive. I would never use the word abysmal to describe either of the 4Rs I've owned.

While driving, I sometimes forget if I'm in the Tundra or the 4R. This is a good thing given my 4R's platform was developed ~15 years ago. I only really notice when I need to accelerate harder, and the 4R doesn't go much.

I have 255s on and they really help with staying on higher gears on incline.

We've had 2 trips from Minnesota to California and I really enjoyed driving the 4R.

As for body roll, it can be wallow-y, but being smooth with the gas and brake pedals really does wonders with controlling how the suspension behaves.

 

You can always buy a unibody, low profile wide tires with a big wheel size, lower ground clearance and center of gravity, wider-stance and lighter vehicle with slippery aerodynamics and and it will be a completely different driving experience.

I bought a truck and love the feel of driving a truck.

That said, I don’t find driving the 4Runner as bad as you describe so your truck might have some issues.

For me it is solid, stable, no vibrations or anything, comfortable, tracks straight. But you can’t change directions suddenly, wind does cause it to drift, but I can easily take highway twists at speed and such just entries and exits need to be smooth and not sudden.

 

Agreed. I'd say that an emergency maneuver at speed is not a strong suit.

 

Having driven a number of cars long-distances, the 4Runner (stock) doesn't really stand out much in highway ride quality to me in either direction.

It's softer, taller, a tad bouncier (I consider these neutral differences) but it tracks straight and doesn't require more corrections than I'm used to. And I considered the '16 Sorento it replaced and previous vehicles a fine highway cruiser - except maybe an '01 RAV4 but that was just OK. (I rented a third-gen Equinox once and the highway ride was fine too)

 

Even with every improvement possible/available, my diesel still has some DUI(Dodge Under the Influence) steering. The joke is you don’t steer an older straight axle Dodge, you guide it.
Our 5th gen 4R does get pushed around a little under high cross winds, it has a fair amount of side sail area. Other than that it drives just fine.

 

This is the reason I run studded winter tires now lol

 

2022 Off Road Premium 18k miles. Bought it new about 2 years ago, and i love everything about it …even how normally it tracks on the interstate, going 65-85mph. i came from a 2011 Nissan Titan and that was all road noise and rattle city. this runner just cruises down the road, so easy to keep it straight with just my pinky at the bottom of the wheel. sometimes I turn left, sometimes I turn right, always smooth and simple. theres also a constant hum in the car (not the steering wheel) from Pearl Jam or maybe some Allman Brothers. currently 12mph tail winds and i just step further into the skinny pedal, Moving Forward. awesomly fun to drive. i have had one alignment, new tires (Goodyear AT) and got them balanced. is this ride quality normal?