Good 4x4 for Beginner?

Hello,everyone.I love the site,and,it has become one of my favorite places to visit.I really enjoy the pics of the rides.I am sure you read my posts in the wanted section,but I have a question for you all.What would you consider to be a good off road vehicle for someone who is a very green off roader?It has to be reliable,cheap to fix,and,capable of being daily driven,albeit less than 20 miles per day,on average.I have a chance to buy a 91 Dodge Ramcharger that looks to be in decent shape,except for paint.Any suggestions?

It sort of depends on what you really want to do with it.  Do you plan to do a lot of modifications over time, and try to make it a fairly serious trail rig? My advice, Jeep or Toyota.  A ramcharger of that vintage is a fairly large vehicle, which can be a big liabil3ity on the trails.  Also, it will have some front axle issues, I think, like probably no locking hubs.

My advice is to look for something that has true part-time 4X4, with real locking hubs.  This allows you to completely disconnect the front end (driveshaft, diff, axle shafts) when driving on the road, making the road drive MUCH more pleasant.

Also, shoot for something with fuel injection.  Carburetors TEND to have issues when the vehicle gets tilted at an angle......not all do, some work fine at angles, but many dont.

Also, dont get something that you are going to cry over if it gets a dent or a scratch.  If you do much 4x4ing at all, you are going to get some minor scratches and dents along the way, if nothing else you will get "pin striping" from tree limbs and branches on the trails.

I would suggest any Toyota from 79 through about 93 or so.  Stay away from automatics.

jeeps are very good also, either the CJ, YJ, or TJ (what you usually think of as a jeep) or a Cherokee.

Their are some good things about a Ramcharger. It has a real axle in the front, although not the best with the CAD. They are pretty cheap to lift. It should have a v8 and fuel injection. It is wide for some trails and will get scratched, but it will have plenty of family room, unlike my Samurai.

 We have full size rigs in the club and my Samurai is the smallest rig. You don't have to have a Toy or Jeep, but they are popular for a reason. When you have a popular rig, you can get plenty of ideas and support. With a Oddball like I have, you have to get the ideas and support from the internet. I'm not sure what it is, but their is a Ramcharger board somewhere.   JC

Also,it looks like it is going to come down to a 87 4Runner that has tons of new engine parts,cluth,etc.,to a 91 Ramcharger that has lots of new engine stuff in the electronics dept.Both are in about the same condition,but the Toyota is $1000 more.Worth the difference?Keep in mind,mine will be driven more on the road than off,albeit less than 20 miles per day,sometimes less,and I have 3 kids,ages 4,7,and 14,and a wife(age classified).I am just looking for something fun and dependable,on and off road capable,and cheap to work on.

Restless28 wrote: I am just looking for something fun and dependable,on and off road capable,and cheap to work on.

None of the above descibes a dodge ramcharger.

The toyota might cost $1000 more but there's a reason an '87 4-runner
costs more than a '91 ramcharger. Nobody wants a '91 ramcharger

Big Red wrote: Personally, I'd grab one of the Toyota's on sale in our For Sale section and never look back.

Ditto.

Brad

I would stear away from the Ramcharger just for the size and weight.  I wheel my Scout and it is a bit much on some trails, plus the weight is always an issue...   I would definitely say that the $1000 is worth it for a good condition toy.  By getting a 4 runner you should be able to haul the fam (although with 3 in the back it might be a bit tight).  It will make a great offroader and with select mods will still be a good dependable DD.  I also have a Cherokee DD that is on 33's and it does pretty well as a DD and ok offroad.  We have to drive it to all rides as well as back to work on monday so it is still pretty mildly built.   Good luck with your search...

Edited by scoutman

I'm a bit partial to Jeeps.  Not that there is anything wrong with a Toyota, I just know Jeeps better.  This is a good place to look for them.  For a family, a Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler is good because you can fit a back seat and all of your gear in the back.  Look under the CJ section and steer clear of anything from up north.

Hey Sean!  Chime in any moment here dude... lets rally this discussion!

I love my Jeep! It fits me perfectly, but they say Jeep stands for Just Empty Every Pocket......

If you want something that is resonable to modify (pricewise), reliable, and gets decent fuel mileage... go for a Toyota.

Sorry Jake!

Restless,

 If you dont buy the 4runner and your still looking for a Toyota, you could always look into a Land Cruiser wagon like mine. Im able to fit 3 teenage boys in the rear seat and my dog in the back plus camping gear.

And then I wouldnt be the only Land Cruiser owner in the club.

Patrick

Edited by 85cruiser

85cruiser wrote:  If you dont buy the 4runner and your still looking for a Toyota, you could always look into a Land Cruiser wagon like mine. Im able to fit 3 teenage boys in the rear seat and my dog in the back plus camping gear.

My teenagers are kinda beyond wanting to go with me, unless boyfriend comes along.  But if taking the kids were still an issue for me, a TLC is exactly what I would be looking for. 

A nice FJ80 that has been driven by a high-maintenance, low-intellect soccer-mom can be had for fairly good price ("But Honey, all the other girls at the gym have Porsche Cayennes!  Be a sweetie and go trade in that nasty old Toyota.").  The early ones have solid axles well into the 90s, and many have electric locking differentials.  They have a stout engine, can tow significant weight, and have plenty of room.  Only drawback is they are all automatics, since Buffy cant figure out what to do with that third pedal.

cj8lvr wrote: Careful Doc!   I know this site is read by a ton of soccer moms!  We don't want to offend them!

Hey, I am married to a soccer-mom.  But she drives a 5-speed Toyota 4 runner.

Going to get the 4runner after noon.If I send someone the pics,will they put one up for me?

Thanks.I hope to see you all at a meeting soon.Anybody have ideas or suugestions for this 4Runner?

WOW! nice 4runner

My suggestion is lockers.  At least one in the rear.  I would recomend doing this before anything else.  It was the best modification I ever did to my Jeep.  My only complaint is that I didn't do it soon enough!

If you decide you will want to go up in tire size and find it necessary to change gear ratios, that would be a good time to do it when installing (a) locker(s). 

Doc, other 4runner guys, ya'll can probably give suggestions here on this topic if you agree.  I've got a Detroit locker in the rear of my Jeep.  I'm sure they make one for your application.

No argument there.  Locking hubs in the front?  Didn't affect streetability too much in the Jeep.  My locker is a softlocker by Detroit and it was explained to me that the teeth are cut at a slight angle rather than 90 degrees to make engaging and dis-engaging less violent.  I've only noticed it engage once or twice and it was going around a corner turning up a hill coming off the throttle and all of the planets were aligned etc.

alabamatoy wrote: Uh, no.  Front.  No affect on street driving.  Rear locker affects streetability a lot.  Plus, front is heavier, so it usually has better traction than rear anyway.

On the locker in the front or rear would depend on if it is a daily driver or not. If it is a dd I would go with a locker in the front to stay away from drivability issues. For better off road performance I would put a locker in the rear, becuase when climbing most of the weight is transfered to the rear of the truck. To get the best of both worlds go with a selectable locker in the rear. Just my opinion