Hey toy freaks, I want to buy a 90's 4runner to use as a daily driver. I was wondering if anyone knows how much one with a 3L V6 can tow. I was thinking about using it also for towing my 89 p/u out for wheeling. But if the V6 cant hack it then I will probably just go for economy and get a 4banger. Any other runner info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
MM

P.S. it will eventualy get a 3in lift and 33's

So it sounds like I won't be towing much. What about V6 vs 4 cyl as for as daily driving.

Thanks for any replies.
MM

Well it can't tow allot I can tell ya that. Towing an 89 p/u will probably be asking allot out of a 90's runner.

I think you would definatley be at the limits.. If not well over them..

I had an 89 with the 3.0 V6 in it, not enough power to get out of its own way

my wife drives a '93 with the 4 cyl.i have towed my holiday trailer and 4x4 with it and it damn near kills it

I imagine with a Manual tranny it would do ok ....the Auto sux ...Like wailer says ...cant get outta its own way ....
I looked at them long and hard but the auto turned me off ...couldnt find a manual tranny in my price range

manuals are alot easier to find in the previous generation... or throughout the 80s. much, much easier. and automatics aren't as much fun anyways less fuel efficiency, less sense of control. my 2 cents.

Whatever I get it will be a manual tranny. Is there anything I should know about gear ratio's? What trucks had different gears? Did the "big tire package" trucks have different gears or did different years come with different years. When I bought my 89 p/u it had 4:56's in it, but they may have been changed sometime before I got it. Also I will be puting in a 3in body lift (unless I can fit 33's with no lift) Is a runner harder to lift than a p/u? Putting the body lift in my 89 wasn't to hard.

Thanks again for any repies

MM

Occaisonally Toyota would put 4:37's in, but the norm was 430's into an automatic, and 410's in the 5spds.

But the carriers are all the same from 79 to 89, so 90 and up may be a different story.

79-80 = 4.37
81 =3.90
82-90ish (5spd, 4cyl) =4.10
80's-94 4 banger, auto =4.30
89-94 V6, 5spd or auto, big tire pkg (31's) =4.56

there were some (very few) trucks/runners in the late 80's that had factory 4.87, but I'm not sure what pkgs they came with.
88-later, V6, and turbo trucks all use the V6 carrier, gears and lockers aren't interchangable with the 4cyl version. You can swap the whole 3rd member though.