crammit442

Before anyone says it, I know......use the search function. The only reason I'm asking now is because I may have an opportunity to pick up a Supercharged '99 Ltd 4Runner w/155k miles for around $5500-6000 and I need to know what I should look for if it does become available. Obviously, the rest of the truck has to check out good or the SC is irrelevant. I've driven a few that had the SC, but don't have any personal experience with them mechanically. Are they particularly difficult to maintain or require frequent rebuilds or anything else I should be looking/checking/listening for? Any obvious signs that I should run from it? Any expert info would be greatly appreciated. I'd love to have a SC 3.4, but not if it's going to end up being big trouble. If I do get it, I'll obviously be doing lots of research on it, but I may have to make a fairly quick decision before I have the time to really read up on it. Thanks in advance.
Charles

fierohink

Normal 4R issues of that vintage are Timing Belt and Water Pumps (90k miles), Lower Ball Joints (60-90k miles), Pink Milkshake (radiator failure causing severe transmission damage), terribly undersized front rotors (upgrade to Tundra hardware), and frame rust/rot. So in addition to that you need to pay special attention to a force-inducted motor. Forced induction is prone to lean running conditions and internal engine damage. SC'd vehicles are also prone to more spirited driving and the additional wear and tear that follows.

Toyota SC's need to have the nose bearings checked and replaced, I believe at 90-120k miles, but the SC guys can be more specific. A lot of people running SC's also switch to different pulley sizes (more boost), add-on fueling, etc. All of those aftermarkets push things further away from the tried and tested Toyota engineering specs.

I would suggest a thorough once over, checking compression, oil pressure, etc. not just the normal drives straight/rust check.

crammit442

Thanks for the info. That all sounds about right. I'm pretty familiar w/the typical 3rd gen is issues. As it turns out, the truck sold last night so I definitely won't be getting the one mentioned. I guess I'm back to looking for a low mileage '99-00 ltd. I'm finding a few, but most are northeast rust trucks. I'm not in a big hurry, so I can afford to take my time and be a little picky. In the meantime I'll be reading up on SC'd 3rd gens and hopefully I'll have a decent understanding of the common issues to watch out for should I come across another one. I appreciate the help.
Charles

Malcolm99

The main concern is if its an automatic you would want to upgrade the valve body, if its manual your good to go. I have never had a problem with my brakes except maintenance, they due tend to warp if you ride them though, but I'm sure if you had boost it might be something to consider. Read this, it will help you decide,. http://www.sonoransteel.com/index.ph...products_id=89