Where have you gone?

[RabidHamster]

So... I'm working on getting a 4wd tercel wagon, modifying it and using it for dual purpose, family hauler/ Moderate Rockcrawling and trail running

mod plans are : 4age(stock) , 2inch suspension lift (once skiwagons has one avail, or get my own made) .. 2inch spacer lift. 215/75/15 offroad tires (hair under 28inchs) . exo cage (bumpers, rock sliders, racks etc), with skidplates and Gearing changes to Match.

ofcourse theres alot of stuff not listed ... like extended control arms front and rear... modded axles and shafts ... but anyways

I'm just wondering what kinda wheeling excursions others have been through with their 4wd wagon? and what mods they had when they went on said trip?

[arbskynxnex]

All of my expeditions into dirt gravy were with stock equipment. Personally I think this car does fine without being lifted, since once everything is lengthened it takes less effort to bend it. Don't go in water deeper than 2 feet, the car starts to float, I was about 250 ft across a stretch of sunken road and the wheels left bottom. I drove the last 300 ft touching the road probably every 4-6 feet. My biggest issue is with the distributor, you hit a nice big mud or water pit and I could swear everybit of liquid goes straight into the sockets on that cap. You probably want to design a cover to keep the water out, or do what I did and keep some paper towels handy. Make sure you have lots of spare struts, they blow fairly regularly... well if you drive like I did, that is. :rolleyes: Skidplates would have been a nice luxury, but I was never in the habit of hitting tree stumps so I lived. The roll cage is a lovely idea though especially with how "unstable" these cars are when going sideways.

I don't care too much for sliding (sideways) in these cars, while fun, it has almost killed me more than once and did kill the car. 5 of us in the car slid around a corner completely sideways at 35mph, past the end of the turn and into the scotchbroom, which saved us. We stopped with just wheels on the passenger side on the ground, stayed like that for just 5 seconds or so, although long enough for my life to flash before my eyes 100 times when my parents found out that I wrecked their car. Lucky for me all of us fat people were on the driver's side and we landed on all four and I didn't have to run off and join the circus. It did bend the strut housing something fierce though. Moral of this story, get stronger struts, and don't let me drive.

[takza]

For going thru water....the SR5 stripes on the sides are about as deep as you'd want to go.....remove the air duct to the carb so you don't suck up the wall of water you will push up....good idea to remove the wires from the dist cap and WD40 the holes in the top and the plug wire ends.

Car does real well in sand and mud IF you keep the revs up in the range where you have some power...2.5K and up....and in EL.

If you want to go with the big tires...go with an '86 to '88 wagon to get the higher gear ratios?

If you are going with BIG changes...I'd stick with the Downey mods...it's not that easy to mod this wagon.