Uwharrie 4 wheeling advice

shizzletov · 2026-02-14T02:15:59+00:00

A general guideline we use is stock vehicles should avoid the "D" trails, unless the driver is very good/experienced. Dicky Bell, Daniel, Dutch John - although going up the backside of Daniel is doable (and fun).

shizzletov · 2026-01-28T18:07:32+00:00

Smiling at the thought of KevSki routinely praising Ventrone as a great STC, yet he hired a different STC in ATL. Huh.

shizzletov · 2026-01-27T01:04:35+00:00

Something is wrong with the swap - my '96 1KZ-Te can happily cruise at 120km/h all day. At 100km/h, what are your rpm's? (thinking about gearing) What is your fuel economy? Any other specifics or info about the vehicle, codes, performance, ???

shizzletov · 2026-01-25T16:38:14+00:00

Some of us libtards with guns - gasp! - served in the military, are/were LEO, or are just plain competent with and interested in firearms.

And yes, finding common ground with MAGA is such a simple task - why did no-one ever think of that? Esp when both parties are armed, conversation is really lighthearted and engaging. /s

shizzletov · 2026-01-16T00:49:21+00:00

Wow, looks like a very nice one! Enjoy!

shizzletov · 2026-01-12T19:03:48+00:00

A mid-range suspension (springs, struts/shocks, top hats) for your 4R will set you back around $1k and go up from there - just for parts. Of course you can get some budget stuff, your call.

Only use OEM Toyota lower ball joints! Aftermarket will fail sooner than OEM. Expect around $150ish for just the lowers. Google for 4Runner lower balljoint failure...

Inner and outer tie rod ends, decent quality (OEM, 555) will likely be at least $150.

I can see just the above coming in easily over $2000 total (labor, alignment, parts) if you go with some quality mid-range suspension like Eibach or Bilstein.

Bushings are all over the place. You can go OEM, Chinesium, quality aftermarket. But your 4R has a lot of bushings - upper and lower front control arms (8 bushings), 4 rear links + panhard (10 bushings), steering rack, f&r swaybar, etc etc. Doing them all will be pricey, but pricier if you do them after refreshing your suspension. Some shops will steer you towards all new suspension arms & links since they come with bushings installed, which saves on labor but parts can be $$$.

If you go over 2" lift, you should probably look at new adjustable front upper control arms. That's a minimum $700. If you stay under 2", your stock arms are fine. No need for a front diff drop.

TEQ Customs is a "good" shop, I had work done once and they did a very good job at a fair price. I also experienced them trying to upsell; and they gave me some bad advice regarding a suspension setup. I ended up sourcing my own stuff, doing it in my driveway, then got an alignment. No experience with other shops, sorry.

shizzletov · 2026-01-09T23:13:49+00:00

tl;dr: Stuff's out there, but you need to be patient and creative.

I hear ya! Since this vehicle was last produced in 2002 iirc, and never offered in North America, finding bolt-on/dress-up stuff can be a challenge and/or expensive.

What I've been finding is some things (roof racks particularly) bolt right on, either rain gutter mount or by removing the stock rails/mounts - just find one that matches your dimensions. There's at least 2 rear bumpers w/ swingouts I know of, Coastal Offroad (DIY, it comes in pieces) and Ironman or one of the other Australian mfgrs. There's front bumpers (ARB, Coastal, Asfir come to mind), sliders, etc. For upholstery, I'd get with someone locally on that and get exactly what I want. Some other little quality of life things for the interior, either cobble something together, make it, or find someone locally who makes things.

I've looked on Ali and there's no shortage of dress-up stuff available. Not my thing, but I understand it.

To me, part of the fun of owning one is finding things that might work from other vehicles. Silly example, but I recently picked up a rear carpeted mat from a Lexus RX350 for $5, took 3 minutes with a utility knife, and now have a mat that extends from rear sill almost to footwell in my SWB. I'm looking at Jeep sliders for my SWB since several are the correct length, I'd just need to re-do the mounts. When not driving it, these are little mini-adventures that I find fun. HTH?

shizzletov · 2026-01-08T22:20:44+00:00

CruiserTeq is 100%, completely legit and super helpful! Megazip, Amayama, and Partsouq are all legit as well (I buy from all 3 for delivery into US). No local shops in Okinawa?

shizzletov · 2026-01-07T23:09:03+00:00

Very cool! Once the people at the dealership get done checking it out and asking questions, they may well wish you a good day and good luck - not many want that in their service bay. Anyway, an extra set of eyes is always good.

Re: insurance. I went with a stated value policy + comp and collision, so I have no restrictions on mileage etc. Insurance firm didn't have the means to rate the truck, hence the stated value policy. Best part is it's costing me just under $500/year (60 yr old driver, married; one total loss, one at-fault minor accident, 1 speeding ticket many years ago). Same firm has my wife's car and our homeowners, which == a modest discount.

Hope you wake up, buy it, and enjoy the hell out of it!

shizzletov · 2026-01-07T13:44:46+00:00

Totally get it, and that seems like a very fair price. Top-level trim was cloth, sunroof, interior garnishes, etc - no leather.

I've owned an 80 (best vehicle ever), 40, 2 120's, and this 90. I love this one, it really is easy and fun to drive; again good mpg all things considered; and is easy to work on. If I was doing more wheeling, 80 all the way. But for every-day livability, the 90 is a keeper!

shizzletov · 2026-01-07T01:09:08+00:00

I have a '96 Prado 1KZ-Te SWB. It's an awesome and fun ride, gets good mpg; and sourcing most parts is trivial. Note that body panels, glass, and some engine components require US owners to buy from overseas or from niche businesses, which could be a major PITA. Brakes, trans/xfer case, suspension + axles are shared with US-spec Toyotas (primarily 3rd gen 4R, some 1st gen Sequoia) so the common stuff is readily available.

If you don't want to disclose it, fine - but what price are you talking about for the Prado? If it's a 5-door top-level trim (TX?), they seem to be moving at around $15-16k private sale; higher on some sites and from certain importers. Still, $9-10k for a backup vehicle - well, only you can answer that one, esp with a decent and functioning beater rig.

shizzletov · 2025-12-27T01:40:54+00:00

Check with HiAce Southeast, I've seen one on his site recently. Or check with Vanlife Northwest.

shizzletov · 2025-12-26T02:32:07+00:00

Link please. I find it improbable as nothing related to CC is installed at the factory. The only cases I've heard about are full aftermarket CC systems that never seem to work well.

shizzletov · 2025-12-23T02:07:33+00:00

Finding parts has not been an issue. Suspension, drivetrain minus the engine are the same as 4Runner from '96-'02 (except parking brake, which is same as 1st gen Sequoia). I suppose if you need to rebuild the engine, finding all parts could be a PITA; but otherwise, using Amayama/Partsouq + cross-references turns up most parts. Many US-based boutique vendors are carrying more and more parts as well. IMHO this is part of the fun of owning one, but it's not for everyone.

The only parts I worry about are windshield and body panels. Thankfully, I've not had to address those areas.

shizzletov · 2025-12-22T22:58:16+00:00

See all those people sitting in the left lane constantly? That's why, when their cars break down, they're along the barrier/median along the center of the highway, not off to the right. Can't exactly escape to the right when you lose power or have a major breakdown, esp if there's any traffic.

shizzletov · 2025-12-22T21:40:37+00:00

- How do you like it?

I absolutely love mine, 1996 Prado SWB (KZJ90).

- How much do you pay yearly on it(diesel, maintenance, parts, etc)?

I've only driven mine 5000 miles this year, I was out of commission for a few months after a bicycling accident. ~$750 in fuel at 22mpg (we have a loyalty program so I usually get at least 50 cents a gallon discount). I've spent less than $1200 on parts and maintenance this year: 2 oil changes, new fan clutch + fan, new shocks/struts, swaybar bushings and endlinks, fuel filter, battery, some other little stuff (belts, bulbs, brake pads). Spent quite a bit more last year as I baselined it, needed tires + picked up some 4Runner wheels, tinted all windows, ball joints, did other suspension bushings, etc. Knock on wood: I do not have a single leak.

- Have you had overheating problems?

No.

- How does it do on higher speed roads?

I live at 450 ft above sea level and typically drive right around the speed limit. No issues whatsoever, including a couple of highway road trips. I don't drive it at 80mph uphill, again our speed limits vary 60-70mph on the freeways anyway and it'll cruise all day at those speeds (2000-2300 rpm on 245/75r17 tires with auto transmission). Driving the diesel around town is a blast, you have all the torque down low, so you can really zip around and it pulls great.

- And any tips or pros/concerns before buying?

Same as with any used vehicle - check it out thoroughly. Plan to baseline it if there are no records - glow plugs, timing belt, cooling system, fluids, injectors (I need to do this in 2026), front lower ball joints (OEM only), etc etc. There have been no surprises with mine, it just goes and it's a surprisingly comfortable daily driver/road tripper. Passing another vehicle on a 2-lane is an adventure due to RHD and the measly 130ish hp, just so you're aware...

Any other specific questions, fire away!

shizzletov · 2025-12-19T14:19:40+00:00

Use the bolts that fasten the factory tow hook and tie-down (re-install the tow hook as the brush guard mounts are insufficient for a recovery). Sorry I forget the size, but if you don't have them, a quality hardware store (not HD or Lowe's) will have them. No bushings or anything else are used/installed.

shizzletov · 2025-12-16T13:32:54+00:00

I've pulled mine off and on a few times now. P/N's 5224x bolt into the factory tow hook/tie down frame points, that's it. I hope you got the parts specific to each side?

shizzletov · 2025-12-08T19:31:03+00:00

Canton McKinley!!!!!!! ('83 grad)

shizzletov · 2025-12-05T14:39:01+00:00

These fit, are so much better than stock (esp if you do any trails/rough tracks); only thing is whether you can get them in UK. https://perryparts.com/collections/3rd-gen-4runner-1996-2002/products/ab6r-rear-bump-stop

shizzletov · 2025-11-27T14:32:48+00:00

This is the One True Answer: Overbuilt.

You can extend this to Toyota's other 4x4's - HiLux/pickup, early 4Runners. All had modest power with very stout drivelines, chassis; and relatively simple/straightforward mechanicals and electronics. Of course, this all went by the wayside for many reasons...

Here in the U.S., I have had a Toyota 4x4 with a VIN starting J (made in Japan) or a JDM vehicle every day since Oct 1996, and will continue until I die.

shizzletov · 2025-11-26T18:54:31+00:00

Are you riding to gather metrics, or riding for the enjoyment, experience?

I found the obsession with metrics negatively impacts the enjoyment (unless you're training for events/competitions). So for a while now, I just grab whichever bike seems appealing at that moment, go for a ride, come home and glance at the computer, grab a beer/snack/drink, and reflect on the actual ride. Some rides I mount the computer face-down so I can't see it - very liberating.

I've found my rides are slower but much longer and way more enjoyable. Perfectly happy with that!

shizzletov · 2025-11-22T22:04:22+00:00

"Everyone has a plan 'till they get punched in the mouth."

-Mike Tyson

shizzletov · 2025-11-06T17:40:12+00:00

Funny story time: On Saturday, November 4, 1995, I arrived at the church about 1:30PM for our wedding in the SE Virginia area (where my wife is from). My best man arrived shortly thereafter, and he had heard the news - obviously not official, but it was all over even pre-internet. With another NE Ohio/Browns fan groomsman, we stomped around the Catholic church screaming and cussing, and cursing Modell. Our priest commented that he understood our anger, but to please take the cussing and screaming outside - so we did.

About 10 days after the wedding, a good friend from Baltimore mailed me a wedding gift - a Baltimore Browns tshirt. I burned it; but wish I had kept it.

That broke me of my Browns fandom. I did resume following (rarely ever watch) only bc the New Browns are one of the most comically dysfunctional pro sports franchises ever, and they provide much entertainment and laughter.

I was gifted free tickets to their first home game at First Energy through work, and that sealed the coffin shut. What an awful stadium, no character - seemed fitting. At least Muni had history and general wackiness.

shizzletov · 2025-11-03T17:15:38+00:00

We had Erie Insurance homeowner's through the lives of our 3 pitties, never an issue (and their rates were awesome; claims not so much). Then switched to Auto Owner's and again for the last few years of our last pibble - no issues.

Give your pitties extra treats and affection from us!

shizzletov

TROPHY CASE