Cars - Toyota 4Runner

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	Cars - Toyota 4Runner

The Toyota 4Runner is an SUV manufactured by Toyota, sold mainly in the United States, Canada and Mexico and built from 1984 to the present. The original 4Runner was little more than a Toyota pickup truck with a fiberglass shell over the bed, but the model has since undergone significant independent development into a mid-size SUV.

The 4Runner is sold outside North America as the Toyota Hilux Surf. All 4Runners have been built at Toyota's plant in Tahara, Japan.

First generation (1984–1989)

The Toyota pickup (upon which the 4Runner was originally based) underwent a major redesign in 1983 for the 1984 model year. Many other automakers were introducing mid-size SUVs in the mid 1980s (e.g., Ford Bronco II, Chevrolet S-10 Blazer) and the pressure mounted on Toyota to develop a competing model. Instead of developing an entirely new model, Toyota took an existing short-bed pickup body, made some simple modifications, and added a removable fiberglass top (much like the full-size Ford Bronco and Chevrolet K-Blazer).

Thus, the first generation 4Runner is nearly mechanically identical to the Toyota pickup. All first generation 4Runners had two-doors and were indistinguishable from the pickups from the dashboard forward. Nearly all changes were to the latter half of the body; in fact, because the rear springs were not upgraded to cope with the additional weight of the rear seats and fiberglass top, these early models tend to suffer from sagging rear suspensions.

The first 4Runners were introduced in 1984 as 1984 1/2 models. For this first year, all models were equipped with black or white fiberglass tops. An SR5 trim package was offered that upgraded the interior: additional gauges, better fabrics, and a rear seat were standard with the package. All 1984 models were equipped with the carbureted 2.4 L 22R engine and were all available with a four wheel drive system that drove the front wheels through a solid front axle (although this would be changed in 1986).

1985 saw the replacement of the 22R with the fuel-injected 2.4 L 22R-E engine. Additionally, rear seats were available in all 1985 4Runner trim levels, not just the SR5.

In 1986, all American-market Toyota pickup trucks (and the 4Runner) underwent a major design change as the suspension was changed from a solid front axle to an independent front suspension. This change for the American market made the trucks more driveable at highway speeds and increased the space in the engine compartment (necessary to fit larger engines, such as the V6 introduced in 1988) but arguably decreased the truck's off-road capabilities. Outside the US, the Hilux Surf also gained the new Hi-Trac suspension design, however the pickups (Hilux's)at this point retained the more rugged and capable, if less refined, solid axle configuration

A turbocharged version of the 22R-E engine (the 22R-TE) was also introduced in 1986, although this engine is significantly rarer than the base 22RE. Some of these turbocharged models (designated 4Runner SR5 Turbo) came equipped with digital dashboards and reinforced rear axles.

In 1988, the 22R-E engine was finally supplanted by an optional 3.0 L V6 engine, the 3VZ-FE. This engine was significantly larger than the original 4-cylinder offering and necessitated the IFS introduced in 1986.

Small cosmetic and option changes were made in 1989, but the model was left largely untouched in lieu of the replacement model then undergoing final development.

Second generation (1990–1995)

The 1990 model year 4Runner represented a fundamental departure from the first-generation model. Instead of an enhanced pickup truck, the new 4Runners featured a freshly designed body mounted on an existing frame. The difference is easily seen when comparing pickups and 4Runners of similar vintage: a 1984 4Runner looks remarkably similar to a 1984 Toyota pickup, whereas a 1990 4Runner shares only subtle styling details with the 1990 pickup.

Nearly all second generation 4Runners were 4-door models, however from 1990 to 1992, a 2-door model was also produced. These vehicles are extremely rare and were discontinued in August 1992. These models are similar to the 4-door models of the time in that the bodies were formed as a single unit, instead of the fiberglass tops used in the first-generation 4Runners.

Because the drivelines were still developed from the same source, however, available engines were identical. A new 2.4 L four cylinder and the same 3.0 L V6 were both available in rear wheel drive and four wheel drive layouts. The new 4Runner used the independent front suspension that had been developed on the previous generation.

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Cars - Toyota 4Runner

First generation (1984–1989)

Second generation (1990–1995)

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