An Old Man Emu suspension will give you 2" or so of lift and ride and handle better than new.
Then some 33" tires and regear the diffs to match. While you're changing the gearing, have them install a locker in the rear diff.

 

Nice setup! It supposedly has some kind of 2" lift, just got it haven't looked, what i do know is it has IFS in the front and i'm concerned/curious if i need to change to a solid axle. I have no experience w/IFS offroad, only solids like i have now. I am under the impression that solids are best for crawling in the rough.?

 

You only want a mild trail rig , IFS will be more than enough.
I rock crawl with people with IFS and they do all but the most difficult stuff.

 

You seem to be the only one who gives a crap, thanks. Assumption is mother of all frackups. I assumed many Toyota experienced members would jump on the chance to be a know-it-all like me and pass on their knowledge. My experience is domestic specifically Dodge (done some upgrades and running 33's, ran out of $ for stage 2, she does alright though around here) I like Toyota they're a good product that's why I decided on Toyota instead of Jeep. If I did Jeep I'd be like everybody else & that's not me or my son. Not to mention, I wouldn't need any help.

Time to get off the stump & to the point.
I have done some research & found that this one happens to have the tow pkg option. It has a G144 axle w/a 4.88 ring gear which seems to be something people like, still digging for the spline count(27 like the front?). You mentioned to regear, do you still feel that way? According to specs, supposedly I can run 31's, but I'm still thinking about 33's so thanks for the "Emu" info. About what RPM's would you guess I'd be at on the highway w/33's and your gearing? Do the front wheels "freewheel" in 2wd on this IFS or do I need manual locking hubs to get this? I'm thinking it will be more friendly on highway if this is happening. Enough for now, I don't want to make you cross-eyed!

Thanks,
Recon

 

You may or may not have to regear for 33's, but with the auto trans its likely.
Your front axle has Toyota's ADD system, which engages/disengages one of the front axle shafts for 4wd, so you don't have free wheeling hubs. You can add some on , which will reduce drag and wear and increase mpg a bit.

 

Duh, I asked the "freewheel" question too soon. Yesterday, I did some more research and found that the front & rear are an "open diff" in 2wd like you said (my Dodge is the same way). Also, I found that there is an ADD & non-ADD version, and what they mean. Ours is the ADD version, but I have read about people doing a non-ADD conversion. I have a good idea of why they would do that, but if you know, could you give me a good explanation on the pros & cons? I look @ the cv's and I see the driver side not fully engaged, and I am able to turn that cv. Is this the ADD's doing or is there something not right? If the ADD is doing this, I don't think I care for this setup. Concerning the questionable lift, I think the 2" lift the seller was talking about is nothing more than someone "cranking up" the IFS and installing longer gas shocks to match. If this is true, I don't like this either. According to what I have read, articulation can cause cv binding and/or failure because this is not the proper way to lift, not to mention, what happens when the gas shocks leak down after age. Regarding locking hubs, I'm pretty solid on that idea. I'm thinking about keeping the 4.88's & running 31's to see how it does. Later, if it needs it, upgrading to 5.29's & 33's. The 5.29's would be putting the RPM's @ highway speed a little higher than I prefer for better MPG. Is there something I can do to offset this? Sorry, getting long winded again. Have a great weekend!
Thanks,
Recon

P.S. I've been trying to find a factory service manual download, but everything has been a dead end. Any ideas?

 

If ths the t-bars are cranked it does give you height but also a hard ride and loss of travel in the opposite direction.
You may be able to find a manual online, but they are off limits on this forum.

 

Just so you know I wasn't looking for a pirate version. I've been on e-bay & amazon and everything hard copy is junk or incomplete. I thought maybe there was a site where I could buy a registered pdf version and print it out myself. The chilton and hayes manuals are ok, I have them for my current vehicles, but they're not as good. I'm going to contact Toyota's official site and see if they can help.

 

Yes, Toyota has their TIS site where for a small fee you can have a few days access to download all you want.

 

Finally found a good book site, they had both volume 1&2 brand new factory reprints for $100 for both. I also saw a gen3 book. Might be more, but wasn't looking. In case anyone else is looking their name is "The Motor Bookstore".

 

Finally found a good book site, they had both volumes 1&2 brand new factory reprints for $100 for both. I also saw a gen3 book. Might be more, but wasn't looking. In case anyone else is looking their name is "The Motor Bookstore".

Just thought I'd update and going to keep doing so just in case someone else is interested. Will start doing pics when I feel confident I can do it right. We received the FSM's(factory service manual) today. WOW! They are the official manual, not some knock off, and they are brand new. This is the first time I have gotten the FSM's to use for any vehicle, and they are way better than any aftermarkets I've used. Volume 1 is engine only and is about 1 1/2" thick. Did some thumbing through it and found the drawings to be very detailed. Volume 2 is chassis, body, electrical and is about 3" thick. Thumbing this one reviled the drawings to be just as detailed. WOW again, I love 'em, exactly what I was looking for! I would recommend them for anyone interested in doing a build or any major work, they're the real deal and a very good investment. For any of you w/other gens or toys, they might be worth checking out. Forget e-bay and amazon.

 

Thanks for info on the "The Motor Book Shop" . I am following your thread with interest.Just bought my first Toyota .Hilux d/cab 2.8D Turbo. 1995.

Hope to see some updates soon.

 

Two years later ......... any updates or progress on this?
Just got a 95 4runner to play with and am interested on how this came out.