my truck is 100% stock
the only thing on my truck that has been changed is the oil. the seat broke but we fixed that!

Everyone tells me there is nothing u can do with a 4 banger. and if i do decide to do anything with it she will die on my a week later. (so i am told)
i want bigger tires, new rims, new shocks. and i wouldn't mind if it sat level instead of looking like its gonna take a nose dive into the pavement! and whatever else it takes to make it look better that i dont know about.

i was wondering what u guys would do if u were in my shoes and had my truck.
if u had a 100% stock 94 XLT Extended Cab. 72 k miles on it (almost)
would u guys just keep it stock?
if not what would u do to it?

 

almost as fun as a one horse open sleigh?

even with the 3.0 we meet power challenges all the time. I would invest my money in comfort on the inside ( namely Audio/video maybe leather or something custom) so that you enjoy every second you spend in her.

Then I would put money into exterior cosmetics ( toolbox, tonneau, rims, tint, custom paint)

If you really want to tuff stuff with your truck like off-roading, or drifting on the cliffs of Tokyo, you are either going to need to Turbo your set-up or swap in a whole new one. either way I'd be willing to bet it is outside of your price range. I know it's outside of mine.

 

that doesnt sound like much fun

 

well thats what u get with our 4 bangers...they was designed for fuel economy not so much as brute force...thats why they was also introduced with the 4.0...so for fun factor sell it and get a 4 liter

 

There is actually alot you can do. Im in your same shoes as you. Its tough. A part of you really wants too but the other worries about stuff breaking.

You can lift the four bangers but generally its not the most highly suggested thing to do.

But as far as the nose dive affect, you can order some level coils and they should help you level out the truck.

Stuff you can easily do, if you have the money:
New Wheels
New Shocks
New Tires (can go just a tad bit bigger then stock, but if you want like 31s or 33 inch tall tires, then youll need a suspension lift.
Tonneau cover
Exhaust
Intake
Engine Swap..
New Stereo
New Speakers.
and the list goes on.

It all depends on what you want to do with your truck. Hope that helps.

 

first thing i want to do is the tires and shocks
and what is a TAD bigger? i was thinking 235/75/15 but the people at pep boys and several other places told me that i would suffer a HUGE power loss and that it wast work it on a 2.3 they also told me i would be getting like 14 mpg
is this true or are the good folks at pep boys mistaken

 

yeah see that what most people tell me basically.
and i am starting to agree. i would really like the bigger tires and the lift and everything else. but these things just dont seem practical on my truck.
i will be buying new wheels. and shocks. my main issue at this point is should i go bigger with the tires? or just buy new tires at the same size?

 

i own a 2.3L...

 

2.3s are tons of fun, with a turbo or a volvo head swap......

 

I'm actually happy with the power in my 2.3 liter. its not a hot rod by any means but I can get the rears to light up with no problem. plus that I'm getting 26 MPG right now is good too. I live in a city with a lot of hills, and I usually still have a lot of power to get up them, only performance mod I have is a K&N Filter (If you call that a performance mod)

One issue I see is that your truck is an extended cab. thats a lot of weight to begin with, and weight can either be your friend or your enemy. you could lift it if it was a regular cab, but I wouldn't recommend it with an extended cab.

 

If you get a lift and 31''s all you will need is exhaust, cold air intake and regear. That should make you a tad bit faster than stock if you run 31's with the lift.

 

my 2.3L used to look like this...
3 Inch S lift and a 3 Inch Body Lift


thats what is used to look like

 

you can lift it and put bigger tires on it but you will need to regear the axle if you want to get anything out of it. whoever told you that you cant do anything with a 4cyl was a fool, they obviously dont know what a toyota is.

i would personally
-4" skyjacker suspension lift
-2" performance accessories body lift
-4.56 regear
-33's
-limited slip/locker
-brushgaurd
-roll bar w/ light bar

 

I lowered my 4cyl and put mustang wheels on it, along with interior mods and audio, and its fun to drive. Its not fast, but it will do 0-60mph in about 9-10 seconds.

 

Regearing is your friend. You should check though and see what gears are currently in the axle you have.

Look on the sticker door and itll give you an axle code. and just read the axle codes list found here

 

There are a lot of things you could do with your truck, but remember it is 13 years old.Do you want / need to keep it forever ? Is it your daily driver for work ? Or is it just a toy you can afford to blow money on ?
Some day you may look back and ask yourself why you spent a couple grand on goodies for an old beater when it would have put a down payment on something shiney and new.

just my 2 cents.

 

LOL this guys isnt gonna last long...Newbie with an attitude

 

^^Dont listen to those type of people, hell Ive got the newer 2.3L with 31" tires and still get 19mpg city and 24 hwy.. just level out the front with some coil spacers, exhaust, intake, and maybe regear and have fun,, thats the whole point of this customizing is to make it your own..

 

LOL guys just ignore it.. he wont be around much longer

 

He's gone.

Now where did our friend who started this thread go ?

 

hey you can do alot more to a 2.3 than you can with a 2.5. Turbo swap, underdrives, e-fan, header, etc... You got a good truck to start with. Being ext. cab, all the more reason IMO

I'm running 235/70/R15 Bridgestone Revos on my Ranger. There A/T tires +1 size over stock. I didn't see anything change, mileage nor power and shift points are still the same. Just because you got 4banger, don't mean you can't do anything to it. Check out the aftermarket out there, lots of stuff. -Mike-

 

sorry i took so long to respond back i know thats kind of rude considering i asked all of u for ur help.
what is a leveling coil and where can i pick on up at?
and where the hell do u go to "Regear"? whats something ike that cost?

 

i wouldnt consider my truck an old beater she runs great!
only 72k miles on it she has a while left on her. i need this truck to last me the next couple years. it needs new tires, and one of the rims is no more.
and i don't mind spending a couple grand on something thats going to last me a few years.
so to me the money is worth it.
and its a daily driver work and school so i am not looking for a lift. i just want bigger tires and for my truck to sit level. but i was told the bigger tires were a bad idea.

 

Leveling coil would be Front Coil springs that sit firmer and taller than your current springs. You can find pretty much every suspension part for your truck on www.SummitRacing.com.

Re-gearing should probably be able to be done at a transmition repair shop or anyone who deals with the rear re-builds. It's going to be kind of expensive, but it's a bit more than a weekend warrior job if you have never done it yourself.

 

You could probably go with 235/75/15s.. I dont think that will hurt you too much. Not sure though, dont quote me. What size do you have now?

Did you check what gears you have in your axle via the sticker on your drivers side door?