Long Travel Vs 4WD

I’ve have a 99’ Prerunner for 4 years and never had the opportunity to put any money into. I’m finally in a position where I can and not sure what I want to do. I love my truck and it has a ton of sentimental value, also I love working on trucks. Should I do a 4WD swap or go with a LT kit?

 

Why not both?

Depends on where you’re at and what you want to do with the truck. If you like going out in the desert and driving fast, hitting jumps, etc, I might start with long travel. Any other uses and I personally would swap it to 4x4 first.

There are a number of things you can do along the way to make both easier/better (i.e. gusset 4x4 spindles before you install them, regear front diff before install, etc)

 

40s and tons if you're dropping money

 

@drr I’m from California so a 4x4 isn’t very necessary, I’ll be doing most driving on pavement and dirt roads. Will it be harder or more expensive to convert to a 4x4 after adding a LT?

 

Youll need longer axles if you go 4wd and LT. Being from Cali as well i say go longtravel and drive the truck that way. You can go a lot of places in a 2wd LT truck. That being said i sold a prerunner to get a 4wd and LT is basically a hole you dig and shovel money into it.

 

Yeah I agree with @GlitterGulch LT is a big money pit, also a lot more maintenance to keep it running like it’s supposed to. It would be more expensive to convert a 2wd LT truck to 4x4, you’ll need modified Tundra axles, heimed tie rod extensions, etc, but you would need all that stuff anyway.
LT is going to be more expensive than a simple 4x4 swap, but if you’re willing to put the time and money into it seems like an LT prerunner is a good direction for you.

 

Really hope you didn't mean that; California offers a stupidly amount of opportunities to go out and off road.

If you don't realize that, you can do away with 4x4 or long travel all together.

Anyway if I were you, I'd take the truck out the way it is and become familiar with it. Helps to go with a buddy in case you get stuck. Learning to go places in a 2 wheel drive will make you that much better when you finally convert to 4 wheel drive.

As you become more and more comfortable with going off-road, you learn what your vehicle is capable of as you gather parts for your 4 wheel drive conversion.

 

LMAO... He said he's from CA, so 4wd isn't really necessary?



That's about 1/3 of the places you're not making it through without 4wd.

 

Okie dokie @Sperrunner

 

@Mart141

You never stated what part of CA you're from?

I say this because you could run into some members local to you to get your truck outdoors.

 

It's the only solution

@jbrandt would agree too

 

Lol I'm from California and most of the places I go offroading requires 4wd. I live pretty close to the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Being from California has nothing to do with not needing 4wd. Just depends on what you're doing with the truck.

 

BJ spacers >>>

 

They make 4wd LT kits. Js

 

You're California-ing wrong. It's easily a top 5 state for 4x4.

 

Funny thing is... I said those places are where you're not making it through without 4wd.

I didn't mention...

Some of those places, you're not making it through without 4wd AND LT (or SAS).

And some of those places, you're not making it through without 4wd, AND LT (or SAS), AND 37s, AND two lockers.

 

Thats what i thought^

Id say,
If you wanna hit whoops: LT
If you wanna backcountry camp: 4x4

 

OP is going to come back with all us Californians dog piling about all the places you can go off road