ground clearance TOYOTA 4RUNNER 2005 N210 / 4.G Owners Manual

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Scrapping of your Toyota
The SRS airbag and seat belt pretensioner devices in your
Toyota contain explosive chemicals. If the vehicle is
scrapped with the airbags and pretensioners left as they
are, it may cause an accident such as fire. Be sure to
have the systems of the SRS airbag and seat belt preten-
sioner removed and disposed of by a qualified service
shop or by your Toyota dealer before you dispose of your
vehicle.
Onpavement and offroad
driving tips
This vehicle belongs to the utility vehicle class. Utility ve-
hicles have a significantly higher rollover rate than other
types of vehicles. This vehicle will handle and maneuver
differently from an ordinary passenger car because it is
designed for off −road use also. In addition, this vehicle
has a higher ground clearance and center of gravity than
that of an ordinary passenger car. This vehicle design fea-
ture causes this type of vehicle to be more likely to rol-
lover. Failure to operate this vehicle correctly may result in
loss of control, accidents or vehicle rollover causing death
or serious injury. Be sure to read “Off −road vehicle precau-
tions” on page 282 in Section 2 and “Off −road driving pre-
cautions” on page 313 in Section 3.

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This vehicle belongs to the ut ility ve-
hicle class, which has higher ground
clearance and narrower tread in relation
to the height of its center of gravity to
make it capable of performing in a wide
variety of offroad applications. Specific
design characteristics give it a higher
center of gravity than ordinary passen-
ger cars. This vehicle design feature
causes this type of vehicle to be more
likely to rollover. And, utility vehicles
have a significantly higher rollover rate
than other types of vehicles. An advan-
tage of the higher ground clearance is
a better view of the road allowing you
to anticipate problems. It is not de-
signed for cornering at the same
speeds as ordinary passenger cars any
more than lowslung sports cars de-
signed to perform satisfactorily under
offroad conditions. Therefore, sharp
turns at excessive speeds may cause
rollover.CAUTION
Always observe the following precau-
tions to minimize the risk of serious
personal injury or damage to your ve-
hicle:
In a rollover crash, an unbelted per-
son is significantly more likely to
die than a person wearing a seat
belt. Therefore, the driver and all
passengers should fasten their seat
belts whenever the vehicle is mov-
ing.
Avoid sharp turns or abrupt maneu-
vers, if at all possible. Failure to
operate this vehicle correctly may
result in loss of control or vehicle
rollover causing death or serious
injury.
Loading cargo on the roof luggage
carrier will make the center of the
vehicle gravity higher. Avoid high
speeds, sudden starts, sharp turns,
sudden braking or abrupt maneu-
vers, otherwise it may result in loss
of control or vehicle rollover due to
failure to operate this vehicle cor-
rectly.
Offroad vehicle precautions

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7. Raise the vehicle high enough
so that the spare tire can be
installed.
Remember you will need more ground
clearance when putting on the spare
tire than when removing the flat tire.
To raise the vehicl e, insert the jack
handle end into the jack (it is a loose
fit) and turn it clockwise with the han-
dle.
CAUTION
Never get under the vehicle when
the vehicle is supported by the
jack alone.
8. Remove the wheel nuts and
change tires.
Lift the flat tire straight off and put it
aside.
Roll the spare wheel into position and
align the holes in the wheel with the
bolts. Then lift up the wheel and get
at least the top bolt started through
its hole. Wiggle the tire and press it
back over the other bolts.
—Changing wheels

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Twowheel drive models—
(a) Towing with wheel lift type truck
From front—Use a towing dolly under the
rear wheels.
NOTICE
Never tow a vehicle from the front
with the rear wheels on the ground,
as this may cause serious damage to
the transmission.
From rear— Place the ignition key in the
“ACC” position.
NOTICE
 When lifting wheels, take care to
ensure adequate ground clearance
for towing at the opposite end of
the raised vehicle. Otherwise, the
bumper and/or underbody of the
towed vehicle will be damaged dur-
ing towing.
 Do not tow with the key removed or
in the “LOCK” position, as the
steering lock mechanism is not
strong enough to hold the front
wheels straight while towing.
(b) Using flat bed truck Fourwheel drive models—
(a) Towing with wheel lift type truck
FULLTIME FOUR WHEEL DRIVE
MODELS
Use a towing dolly under the wheels not
lifted by the truck.
MULTIMODE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE
MODELS
From front—
Use a towing dolly under the
rear wheels.
NOTICE
Never tow a vehicle from the front
with the rear wheels on the ground,
as this may cause serious damage to
the transmission.
From rear— We recommend using a tow-
ing dolly under the front wheels. If you do
not use a towing dolly, place the ignition
key in the “ACC” position, put the trans-
mission in “N” and the multi −mode control
switch knob in “H2”.
NOTICE
 When lifting wheels, take care to
ensure adequate ground clearance
for towing at the opposite end of
the raised vehicle. Otherwise, the
bumper and/or underbody of the
towed vehicle will be damaged dur-
ing towing.
 Do not tow with the key removed or
in the “LOCK” position when tow-
ing from the rear without a towing
dolly. The steering lock mechanism
is not strong enough to hold the
front wheels straight.
(b) Using flat bed truck

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REPLACING YOUR TIRES
When replacing a tire, use a tire of
the same size and construction,
and the same or greater maximum
load as the originally installed
tires. Also, on fourwheel drive
models, all the tires must be the
same brand and have the same
tread patterns.
Using any other size or type of tire
may seriously affect handling, ride,
speedometer/odometer calibration,
ground clearance, and clearance be-
tween the body and tires or snow
chains.
Check that the maximum load of the
replaced tire is greater than 1/2 of the
Gross Axle Weight Ratings (GAWR)
of either the front axle or the rear
axle, whichever is greater. As for the
maximum load of the tire, see the load
limit at maximum cold tire inflation
pressure mentioned on the sidewall
of the tire, and as for the Gross Axle
Weight Ratings (GAWR), see the Cer-
tification Label.
For details about the side wall of the
tire and the Certification Label, see
pages 293 and 296.
CAUTION
Observe the following instruc-
tions. Otherwise, an accident
may occur resulting in death or
serious injuries.

Do not mix radial, bias belted,
or biasply tires on your ve-
hicle, as this may cause dan-
gerous handling characteris-
tics resulting in loss of control.
 Do not use tires other than the
manufacturer’s recommended
size, as this may cause danger-
ous handling characteristics
resulting in loss of control.
Fourwheel drive models:
Do not use tires of different
brands, sizes, construction or
tread patterns, as this may
cause dangerous handling
characteristics resulting in
loss of control.
Toyota recommends all four tires,
or at least both of the front or rear
tires be replaced at a time as a set.
See “If you have a flat tire” on page
335 for tire change procedure.
When a tire is replaced, the wheel
should always be balanced.
An unbalanced wheel may affect ve-
hicle handling and tire life. Wheels
can get out of balance with regular
use and should therefore be balanced
occasionally.
When replacing a tubeless tire, the
air valve should also be repl aced
w i t h a new on e.

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WHEN TO REPLACE YOUR WHEELS
If you have wheel damage such as
bending, cracks or heavy corrosion, the
wheel should be replaced.
If you fail to replace a damaged wheel,
the tire may slip off the wheel or cause
loss of handling control.
WHEEL SELECTION
When replacing wheels, care should be
taken to ensure that the wheels are re-
placed by ones with the same load ca-
pacity, diameter, rim width, and offset.
Correct replacement wheels are available
at your Toyota dealer.
A wheel of a different size or type may
adversely affect handling, wheel and bear-
ing life, brake cooling, speedometer/odom-
eter calibration, stopping ability, headlight
aim, bumper height, vehicle ground clear-
ance, and tire or snow chain clearance to
the body and chassis. Replacement with used wheels is not rec-
ommended as they may have been sub-
jected to rough treatment or high mileage
and could fail without warning. Also, bent
wheels which have been straightened may
have structural damage and therefore
should not be used. Never use an inner
tube in a leaking wheel which is designed
for a tubeless tire.
CAUTION
Observe the following instructions.
Otherwise, an accident may occur re-
sulting in death or serious injuries.
Do not use wheels other than the
manufacturer ’s recommended size,
as this may cause dangerous han-
dling characteristics resulting in
loss of control.
Fourwheel drive models:
Do not use wheels of different
brands, sizes and types, as this
may cause dangerous handling
characteristics resulting in loss of
control.
When installing aluminum wheels,
check that the wheel nuts are tight
after driving your vehicle the first 1600
km (1000 miles).
If you have rotated, repaired or
changed your tires, check that the
wheel nuts are still tight after driving
1600 km (1000 miles).
When using tire chains, be careful not
to damage the aluminum wheels.
Use only Toyota wheel nuts and
wrench designed for your aluminum
wheels.
When balancing your wheels, use only
Toyota balance weights or equivalent
and a plastic or rubber hammer.
As with any wheel, periodically check
your aluminum wheels for damage. If
damaged, replace immediately.
Replacing wheels
Aluminum wheel precautions