RE: Toyota 4Runner Question
Hey folks, I need a little help with the 2002 Toyota 4Runner I just purchased. It has the 3.4L V-6 and auto transmission, along with the electric locking differential, skid control, traction control, etc. But, my question is about the Sport Edition package on the truck. I remember reading (somewhere) that the Sport Edition comes standard with 4.10 gearing. Can anyone confirm that, or tell me the easiest way to confirm it?
By the way, this is a pleasure vehicle, not a tow vehicle. Of course it does have a factory tow receiver, brake light wiring harness, and a 5000 lb tow rating, so does anyone have any experience pulling a pop-up with one of these critters? I don't think it will handle my fifth-wheel!
Thank you for the help!
I'd recommend a Toyota specific forum like www.tundrasolutions.com to answer your questions. They have a towing forum with a lot of info.
RE: Towing with the 06 Tundra DC
There's still some confusion here.
Pre 2007 Tundras, like the one the OP is asking about, were never claimed to be able to tow 10k.
Also, the pre 2007 Tundras had a much higher reliability ratio than that of the post 2007 models. At first the 2007's had alot of crankshaft issues with the early ones, supposedly due to some bad castings by the people Toyota contracted it out to. However, those and other problems are slowly being weeded out and it's slowly moving it's way back up the reliability list.
Now granted my 2005 can't tow 10k, but I also get much better gas mileage with it while not towing anything than any other full-size pickups on the market at the time. I haven't checked recently, but I'm guessing it's still doing better.
To me, thats a worthy sacrifice since it's also my daily commuter.
And since I only tow a little 21' TT with it, it suits my needs.
Dave,
I think you're referring to the infamous "camshaft problem". There were about 20-something bad camshafts, most caught before the engines were installed and never released to the public. A few made it to the public and these folks were given new engines. I have not heard of a "crankshaft problem". There was also a run of bad torque converters that were installed in 2007 Tundras during the summer months last year, but this was corrected in later 2007 Tundras.
The pre-2007 Tundras had a very bulletproof divetrain; I had a 2000 model which I used to tow the trailer in my sig. Most of these trucks were rated to tow about 7200 lbs, but I consider 6,000 the max.
RE: The good people of Sydney NS
I want to thank you all for your support, I could not believe my eyes when I saw all the post that followed and what a "mess" it had become.
I will locate the Fax of the Transmission shop and send them a copy (the corrected one by tropicalgeezer).
And YES if I will have a good story in the future I will post it-hopefully with better grammar.
You can park your rig next to mine anytime.
RE: The good people of Sydney NS
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is really harsh!!!!! Not everbody is a grammar expert. Our paper here in Daytona Beach Florida would probably print that and leave it as is. If everything was edited to be grammatically correct they wouldn't have time to put out a paper! I have read editorials that were not as good as the OP's, grammar and all.
Me, myself is not very edgmacated:)
Paul B
Expert? I'm not looking for an expert. I'm just looking for something that isn't painful to read. "Me and my wife" is about as red-neck as you can get. This is a colloquial expression that should never be produced by a keyboard.
“Me and my wife” is not an example of colloquial speech.
While it is incorrect grammatically, examples of a colloquial expression are generally words (such as "y'all" or "gonna" or "wanna"), or phrases (such as "ain't nothin'", "dressed for bear", etc). Hope that helps.
RE: Towing with the 06 Tundra DC
I had an 05 Tundra and pulled my Aljo 250LT with it quite well. I weighed it once loaded and it was 6,200 lbs. This was right at max for my truck. I always felt that it was really a 7/8 pickup truck. Not quite a full size truck. It really had to work hard in the hills and was at about 3500-4,000 rpms to keep up with traffic. I never once had an overheating or tranny problem.
Just my 2 cents.
Bill
Same result here as I've got the same trailer as Bill. The truck will do the job, but you'll get the feeling it's at its limit. Nice strong drivetrain but not big on torque and hp by today's standards.
RE: I forgot my camera!!
I think it's notable because of - in my opinion - the irresponsibility of the Tundra advertisements. With phrases like, "If my dealer knew what I'd towed with this truck, he'd probably void my warranty," they seem to be encouraging a reckless disregard for safety. They show giant trailers that are stripped on the inside and equipped with good brakes that imply the truck is doing a lot more than it should.
They all do some form of deceptive advertising, but the Toyota ads are the most egregious at actually encouraging borderline safe usage. Most Chevy commercials are just likely to get the driver stuck in some mud if an owner tries what he sees on TV.
They are great trucks. . . when used within their capabilities.
fickman,
Texas is supposed to be Super Duty country, what are you doing driving a Chevy! :)
RE: Towing with the 06 Tundra DC
Has anyone been towing a 5500lb plus trailer with this vehicle regularly? I got a new trailer and was wondering what others have done to make this a better tow vehicle. I want to change the Differential gears; has anyone done this? I will also get a tranny temp gauge; does anyone know if there is one I can get that plugs directly into the factory tranny cooler?
Thanks,
Jon
Jon,
I towed the trailer in my sig (right at 6,000 lbs loaded) with my old 2000 Tundra with the 4.7 V8. Your rig will do OK on the flats but will be slow on the big hills. The '06 Tundra had a few more horsepower than the 2000 models. A good weight distributing hitch with sway control is a must. I'd go with the Reese Dual Cam setup for what you're doing. You don't need a tranny gauge or extra cooler if you have the factory towing package. Most Tundra forums recommended that you tow with overdrive off, which is what I did. You won't win any races, but the truck can handle it. You'll find a lot of Tundra specific info at www.tundrasolutions.com. Check there for info on the gear change.
RE: A/C Blowing Hot
After running for about 10 or 15 minutes the air conditioner on my 2006 Silverado 2500HD starts blowing very hot air, this happens on auto or manual, towing or not, no matter what temp I set, just wondering if anyone has any ideas why this may be happening.
I plan to get it in to the dealer ASAP but would like to have some idea beforehand if possible
Thanks
Several things could be the cause but the first thing I would check is whether the A/C compressor clutch is engaging when you hit the A/C switch.
RE: Removing Road Tar
WD 40 gets my vote.
So after you use the WD-40 what do you use to remove that film off the paint job?
Wax should take care of the film after you use the WD40.
RE: Largest Chevy Dealership Fails-Repair Vehicles Locked Inside
This is what I heard about Bill Heard Chevrolet in Orlando:
This dealer actually has a 50 million dollar law suite against them due to unfair practices. They would take your car keys from you when you went to look at a new car and not give them back until you bought a car or called 911 to get the police to make them give you your keys. They also would sell you a car and take your trade, then a couple of days later tell you your financing did not go through and your trade-in was already auctioned, but for the same money they would give you a cheaper car.
That's why you NEVER, EVER, give your keys, a credit card, or even your driver's license to a car salesperson. They can claim "insurance reglulations" (as they do when requesting your driver's license) all day but don't fall for it. They have the right to look at your license to make sure you have one, but that's it.
I run into this garbage every time I'm car shopping and have never, EVER, handed over any of those items. I tell them I'm not handing over anything and if they have a problem with that, then that's fine, I'll take my business elsewhere. Their next move is always to take me to the vehicle I want to test drive.
BTW, the old "hand over the keys trick" is really old and I didn't know dealerships still used that one; haven't seen that one in about 25 years. That one's for suckers.
RE: Rusted drive shaft
I never understood why Chevy did that, ie, doesn't paint certain components on the underside. My old C-20 Crew Cab was the same way, but you could add the a-arms and most of the front suspension. Brand-new and covered with orange rust straight from the dealership. Probably doesn't hurt anything as other say, but it doesn't look good.
RE: Good time to trade?
With high diesel fuel prices and this volitile economy is this a good time to consider trading up on a diesel truck?
Prefer 1 ton SRW. What about availability and selection? Are dealers and mfg. really cutting good deals now or should one wait awhile?
FWIW, and I know this is a different part of the country, but Mark Christopher Chev in So Cal has 18 Crew Cab LTs (2008) with the Dmax/Ally that they're selling for $29,995.
RE: A real newbie question
Hi
I own a 1998 Toyota 4Runner LTD V6 3.4L that came with a tow package...transmission cooler, heavy duty alternater etc. I love this vehicle and really not looking to upgrade it. I was also looking at an Ultra Lite TT to possibly get into RV'ing for the first time but I'm not sure my 4Runner can tow a TT. The FunFinder 189FBR I'm looking at is reported by the seller to be 2,790lbs dry weight but I think it's closer to 3,000lbs. My 4runner is rated to tow 5,000lbs but I hear it's a terrible vehicle to tow anything. I'm not really into a tent traler or crossover. Can anyone offer any advice or alternative TT which might be better than the Funfinder?
Thanx
If you stay with something 3,000-3,500 lbs dry you'll be OK. You won't win any speed contests but you can still go out and have a lot of fun. There are quite a few trailers available in this category. Stay with something around 19 ft. or so. For a more specific information I would recommend you go to www.tundrasolutions.com. This is a Toyota specific forum and they have forums there for the 4Runner. Check out their towing forum and you'll get a lot of specific information from 4Runner owners that tow along with their experiences.
RE: I need some opinions on tires.
Thanks for all of the great advice and opinions!
The tire size I need is 235/65/17 which seems to be an expensive size. The Michelins start at about $180 and go up from there. I'll check out some of the others mentioned. The Goodyear Fortera sounds interesting with the high consumer rating but the BFG's I'm sure are considerably cheaper.
Thanks again!
I agree with the others that the Michelins are probably the best but you'll find they're probably the most expensive. They were about $160 each for my the wife's SUV that I posted above. The Bridgestones were the OEM tires on the vehicle and we got great mileage from them on the first set. I found the second set of the Dueler HT's for about $99 each. I used to sell BFG's years ago and they were very good tires too.
A buddy of mine is a tire dealer and he sells a lot of Coopers, which seem to be a very good tire too. I've never owned a set but he says they're a good tire.
RE: Tundra tow vehicle search
It’s a great time to by ANY truck right now. We’ve been very pleased with our ’07 Crew Max. Did you get the Double Cab or the Crew Max?
RE: I need some opinions on tires.
Check out the Bridgestone Dueler HT's. We got over 50K miles out of our last set on the wife's Infiniti QX4. Good price too.
RE: Tundra grade 5.7v8 for towing trailer and fifth wheel
Also, if you do decide to go with a fiver, the guidlines are all in the owners's manual. Don't get a CrewMax for a fiver; it's not recommended per the manual.
Definitely! Payload drops to about 1160 for a CrewMax. Even 1595 will be tight for most 5ers, as you have to consider LOADED pin weight, not "dry."
I also recommend the towing mirrors. If the trailer you're pulling isn't long, you can get away ok (but just ok) with the regular mirrors, but the tow mirrors are way better. (Our truck was ordered with towing mirrors but came with regular; we towed once with them while waiting for the dealer to get the towing mirrors in to swap them out.)
Payload's an issue on the CrewMax, but the short 5.5 ft bed is a bigger one.
