First Generation Tundra?

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Originally Posted By: rslifkin
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
A 4.0L Cherokee is rated to tow 5,000 pounds. A stock Cherokee weighs 3,000 pounds so with yours lifted with gear and stuff you're probably spot on with it being 3,500 pounds. Should have some room to go, and with a tow-bar and the transfercase in neutral it should tow ok.


No way in [censored]. Flat towing with no brakes like that would be a deathtrap. XJ brakes can barely stop an XJ, let alone 2 of them... And on a trailer, you'll be seriously pushing the weight limit.

I've pulled a ZJ on a trailer behind my ZJ. It's do-able, but I wouldn't recommend it, and certainly not to do regularly. And XJs are worse tow rigs. This is a job that NEEDS a full size half-ton truck (or bigger) to do it. A V8 Dakota might be enough to squeak by safely.
I pulled a 1974 Chevy Nova on a Uhaul car-hauler with my grandfather's 1996 Cherokee 4.0L 4x4. It stopped ok, not amazing but it was ok.

Plus, I'm pretty sure you can swap Grand Cherokee brakes onto an XJ? And throw a bigger master cylinder and booster on it.
 
XJ brakes shouldn't matter (much) as the trailer ought to have brakes too.

But a bigger tow vehicle I wouldn't argue against.

I like the idea of a 'burb. Use it as a shed when not driving it. A van would be better but has that whole "harder to work on" issue, plus many vans were bought to be worked, and only get sold when used up.
 
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
I pulled a 1974 Chevy Nova on a Uhaul car-hauler with my grandfather's 1996 Cherokee 4.0L 4x4. It stopped ok, not amazing but it was ok.

Plus, I'm pretty sure you can swap Grand Cherokee brakes onto an XJ? And throw a bigger master cylinder and booster on it.


Flat towing something that ways as much as the tow rig is just a deathtrap no matter how big your brakes are. So you'd have to use a trailer. And at that point, the XJ isn't enough tow rig to keep a trailer with another XJ on it stable. 1 good crosswind gust on the highway while going around a curve and things are gonna get ugly.

To do it once is one thing, to buy one and plan to use it as a tow rig for something like that is a whole new level of stupid...
 
Originally Posted By: oemjunk
I live in NY. And have bought a few of my vehicles in Florida over the years. You just have to pay whatever the difference is in taxes when you go to register it at DMV in NY. Because our taxes are higher than any other state for no reason. Definitely a wise move. Rust is the true enemy
...


How do you get it back to NY? I don't know how I would get it back to NY without next-day-airing the title to someone I know, having them register it then do the same to get plates back to me.

Wonder how much it would be to have the 4L60 / 700R4 rebuilt?
 
Here, you just go to servicearizona.com and get a 30 day paper plate registration you tape to the back window. Should be able to drive it anywhere after that. It's like $10-$15
 
A page back -

Yes, the starter is in the V and a bit of a pain, but it is not un-doable nor a frequent thing. The header issue is a bigger pain to me, but then it is more an annoyance and not a make-or break issue; vehicle works fine with it.

I used to live in NYC and getting out-of-state vehicles bought/registered/titled is not a big deal. I would go south if you have the time; I did that several times.

The vehicle I used to tow with that had this powertrain was a 98 Landcruiser. Wonderful tow vehicle with grat stability and the torque was great, I towed through the cascades and western rockies foothills with big, high-centered loads to 6,000 lbs and it was always willing to do more.

if you feel the Tundra package may not be the ideal for you, also look at early model Sequia's. I would think they are depreciated enough now, much more than an LC, but likely not as much as a Tundra.
 
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I maintain a 2002 v8 tundra for a friend; vehicle has been bulletproof for the 80K I have looked after it; now @ 200K.

A little research I've done indicates some sort of exhaust manifold crack issue on some and badly designed front calipers (1 piston). Toyota went back and made 2 piston ones.

Neither has shown up on my friends vehicle.
 
those here saying the early tundra is just a little changed t100 are all wrong. i have owned both and the tundra is a FAR better truck and different from the t100 in almost every way. my tundra is a work truck and better than any truck i have owned in my 60 years. 12 years and not a single visit to the dealer (except the ball joint recall) however its not enough truck to tow a jeep . you need a 3/4 ton truck. drive a tundra -then drive a t100 and then tell me they are the same truck . you dont know what you are talking about.
 
Originally Posted By: super20dan
not enough truck to tow a jeep . you need a 3/4 ton truck


A 3/4 ton wouldn't hurt, but it's FAR from necessary to pull a Jeep on a car trailer that'll be under 6k lbs total, even with the heaviest steel trailer you can find (assuming open deck, not enclosed). A 1/2 ton with a good brake controller, weight distribution hitch and a properly placed load on the trailer will do it just fine.
 
They are decent trucks, just around here because everyone worships at the Nippon alter they go for a lot of money.

They are very good at rusting the local Toyota dealer is always trucking in flat beds full of new frames.


I shopped 2015 Tundra's last year and found them to be underwhelming compared to the Ram, F150, and Silverado. I'm not brand loyal though, so next time around I'll take a look at them again.
 
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Originally Posted By: rslifkin
Originally Posted By: super20dan
not enough truck to tow a jeep . you need a 3/4 ton truck


A 3/4 ton wouldn't hurt, but it's FAR from necessary to pull a Jeep on a car trailer that'll be under 6k lbs total, even with the heaviest steel trailer you can find (assuming open deck, not enclosed). A 1/2 ton with a good brake controller, weight distribution hitch and a properly placed load on the trailer will do it just fine.



I know someone who towed a full size Cherokee with a 1/2 ton truck. Which is a lot more than mine. I'd be under 6K with my Cherokee on a trailer - but tow dolly and even flat towing it are options as well.


Originally Posted By: supton
I'm guessing you can do your own R&R? Quick google indicates $900 and up if you can pull and install.

http://www.ebay.com/bhp/4l60e-transmission

No affiliation with this place, but I wonder if a "name brand" rebuilder might user better clutches and better upgraded parts than a low-bid rebuilder on eBay.
http://www.monstertransmission.com/Heavy-Duty-4L60E-Transmission_c_4038.html


Yeah - I have access to a garage and have removed transmissions before. Don't care for it after I dropped the bellhousing of a WD21 Pathfinder transmission on my hand haha. Still have a scar from that.
 
a half ton has the power to pull it but lacks the brakes to safely stop it. yes a good trailer brake set up is a must.
 
Originally Posted By: Miller88
I am toying around with the idea of getting a cheap truck for future house work and to drag the Jeep around.

Originally Posted By: Miller88
A Tahoe / Suburban would work fine.

Easy.

http://www.copart.com/us/Lot/14806146

6.0L, 4L80, AAM 925/950 axles, etc. These are a far better deal than any comparable pickup.

Run & Drives. No License Required. Fleet owned. Same place (Copart out on Long Island) where I got my Burb.

Originally Posted By: rslifkin
A 3/4 ton wouldn't hurt, but it's FAR from necessary to pull a Jeep on a car trailer that'll be under 6k lbs total, even with the heaviest steel trailer you can find (assuming open deck, not enclosed).

Interesting.

Here's my Burb (mentioned above) towing; trailer is built on 8" channel and weighs 3,000lbs.
eCfbGV1.jpg
 
Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
My neighbor across the street had one of those for a number of years, bought new. Its not as indestructible as you might think- it was never a "problem child" and gave her many years of good service, but when it went it WENT. Total engine failure, big-time, IIRC. Probably had 150k on it or so. We're so far outside of the rust belt that the frame never had an issue and she gave it to some guys that were going to do something like put a Chevy drivetrain in it... lord knows how many minutes it lasted before it turned to a pretzel, assuming they didn't just scrap it.

My overall impression of the truck wasn't very good, either. The first Tundras were basically re-badged T100s, which were pretty much regular small Toyota pickups underneath. Undersized axle, undersized frame, undersized ring/pinion, undersized brakes... not a great vehicle unless you never made any use of its full-sizedness.

I don't know why you say the "big 3" aren't a good value unless you're looking at quad-cab low-mileage trucks. For your application, SURELY you could find an ex-fleet 90s era Ram/Ford/Chevy half-ton work truck with rubber floor mats, or maybe a Ranger,Dakota, or a Colorado. Any one of them would be a lot more reliable and maybe lower initial investment than a first-gen Tundra, IMO.





We had 3 2006 Tundras in our company fleet where they actually get used as trucks. The company also got two C-1500 Chevys at the same time (2006). The Tundras did not hold up to heavy work, although they still ran ok. The 4.7 got worse gas mileage than the bosses 3/4 ton Silverado also. I vote for a domestic brand truck too. Trucks are what the USA does very well.
 
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Do some research, fly into Arizona or Texas, spend a day or 2 finding a truck (for a lot cheaper down here) and it'll be 100% rust free and take it back up there.


This wins the whole thread. All problems solved at once. You can get a standard-cab big-3 brand for a reasonable price, but totally rust-free and even when you move it to the rust belt, it'll live twice as long as a re-framed Tundra.
 
I will have to do research on which states can issue me a tag without having to go back and fourth and try to figure out something for registering it and driving it home.

Would be nice to find a rust free work truck. Single cab, vinyl interior.
 
Originally Posted By: super20dan
a half ton has the power to pull it but lacks the brakes to safely stop it. yes a good trailer brake set up is a must.


A trailer of that size / weight needs a good trailer brake setup regardless of what's pulling it. Even behind an F-550, I wouldn't pull 5k+ lbs without trailer brakes. One hard stop and it'll jackknife, even if stopping power is adequate (and having brakes on all of your contact patches with the road will produce more stopping power anyway).
 
I had an '00 and '05 V8 4x4 Tundra access cab Limited. I bought both of them new and used them mercilessly. The '00 I put 220k miles on, it required exhaust manifolds pretty early on - I put on JBA headers. Aside from that, it ate a set of spider gears off-roading 1,000 miles from home at around 120k, and a fan clutch around 140k. At some point the MAF failed - also about 1,000 miles from home, towing a 7x14 enclosed trailer. It never stranded me. I did the timing belt myself twice. It wasn't too bad, but I didn't want to do it a third time.

The only real weakness I heard about power train wise was a defect in some of the transmissions - I think it was a thrust washer?

The Tundra towed fine, and while I recommend one highly, it did get worse gas mileage than a friends similarly equipped, but 2wd, Chevy. It doesn't tow as well as a 2500 or 3500 series. I does, however, drive like a very nice car when you aren't towing.

Unfortunately, the '05 got hit before I had a significant number of miles.
 
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