1999 TOYOTA 4RUNNER ground clearance

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Part 2
INFORMATION
BEFORE DRIVING
YOUR TOYOTA
Off- road vehicle precautions
Break- in period
Fuel
Operation in foreign countries
Three- way catalytic converter
Engine exhaust cautions
Facts about engine oil
consumption
Twin ground electrode spark plugs
Brake system
Brake pad wear limit indicators
Luggage stowage precautions
Your Toyota's identification
Theft prevention labels
Suspension and chassis
Types of tires
Off- road vehicle precautions
This vehicle is one of the class of ve-
hicles which have higher ground clear-
ance and narrower tread in relation to
the height of their center of gravity to
make them capable of performing in a
wide variety of off- road applications.
Specific design characteristics give it a
higher center of gravity than ordinary
cars. An advantage of the higher
ground clearance is a better view of the
road allowing you to anticipate prob-
lems. It is not designed for cornering
at the same speeds as conventional
two- wheel drive vehicles any more than
low- slung sports cars are designed to
perform satisfactorily under off- road
conditions.
CAUTION
Always observe the following precau-
tions to minimize the risk of serious
personal injury or damage to your ve-
hicle:
Avoid sharp turns or abrupt maneu-
vers, if at all possible. As with oth-
er vehicles of this type, failure to
operate this vehicle correctly may
result in loss of control or vehicle
rollover.
Avoid loading any items on the roof
that will make the center of gravity
even higher.
Always slow down in gusty cross-
winds. Because of its high center of
gravity, your vehicle is more sensi-
tive to side winds than an ordinary
passenger car. Slowing down will
allow you to have much better con-
trol.
Do not drive horizontally across
steep slopes. Driving straight up or
straight down is preferred. Your ve-
hicle (or any similar off- road ve-
hicle) can tip over sideways much
more easily than forward or back-
ward.

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ÐLoosening wheel nuts
4. Loosen all the wheel nuts.
Always loosen the wheel nuts before rais-
ing the vehicle.
The nuts turn counterclockwise to loosen.
To get maximum leverage, fit the wrench
to the nut so that the handle is on the
right side, as shown above. Grab the
wrench near the end of the handle and
pull up on the handle. Be careful that the
wrench does not slip off the nut.
Do not remove the nuts yetÐjust unscrew
them about one- half turn. ÐPositioning the jack
Front Rear
5. Position the jack at the correct jack point as shown.
Make sure the jack is positioned on a
level and solid place. ÐRaising your vehicle
6. After making sure that no one is in
the vehicle, raise it 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 vehicle, insert the jack handle
extension in to the jack (it is a loose fit)
and turn it clockwise with the handle,
making sure the handle remains firmly
fitted onto the jack handle extension. As
the jack touches the vehicle and begins
to fit, double- check that it is properly
positioned.

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210
From rearÐ
Place the ignition key in the
ºACCº position.
NOTICE
When lifting wheels, take care to
ensure adequate ground clearancefor towing at the opposite end of the raised vehicle. Otherwise, the
bumper and/or underbody of thetowed vehicle will be damaged dur-ing towing.
Do not tow with the key removed orin the ºLOCKº position, as the steering lock mechanism is not
strong enough to hold the frontwheels straight while towing.
(b) Using flat bed truck Four- wheel drive modelsÐ
(a) Towing with wheel lift type truck
From frontÐ
Manual transmission:
We recommend using a towing dolly
under the rear wheels. If you do not
use a towing dolly, release the parking
brake, put the transmission in neutral
and the transfer in ºH2º.
Automatic transmission:
Use a towing dolly under the rear
wheels.
NOTICE
Never tow a vehicle with an automatic
transmission from the front with therear wheels on the ground, as this
may cause serious damage to the
transmission.
From rearÐ 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 ºACCº position, put the trans-
mission in neutral and the transfer in
ºH2º.
NOTICE
Do not tow with the key removed or
in the ºLOCKº position when towingfrom the rear without a towing dolly. The steering lock mechanism is not
strong enough to hold the frontwheels straight.
(b) Using flat bed truck

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Checking and replacing tires
Tread wear indicator
CHECKING YOUR TIRES
Check the tire tread for the tread wear
indicators. If the indicators show, re-
place the tires.
The tires on your Toyota have built- in
tread wear indicators to help you know
when the tires need replacement. When
the tread depth wears to 1.6 mm (0.06
in.) or less, the indicators will appear. If
you can see the indicators in two or more
adjacent grooves, the tire should be re-
placed. The lower the tread, the higher
the risk of skidding.
The effectiveness of snow tires is lost
if the tread wears down below 4 mm
(0.16 in.). Check the tires regularly for damage
such as cuts, splits and cracks. If any
damage is found, consult with a techni-
cian and have the tire repaired or re-
placed.
Even if the damage does not appear seri-
ous, a qualified technician should examine
the damage. Objects which have pene-
trated the tire may have caused internal
damage.
Any tires which are over six years old
must be checked by a qualified techni-
cian even if damage is not obvious.
Tires deteriorate with age even if they
have never or seldom been used.
This also applies to the spare tire and
tires stored for future use.
REPLACING YOUR TIRES
When replacing a tire, use only the
same size and construction as original-
ly installed and with the same or great-
er load capacity.
Using any other size or type of tire may
seriously affect handling, ride, speedome-
ter/odometer calibration, ground clearance,
and clearance between the body and tires
or snow chains.CAUTION

Do not mix radial, bias belted, or
bias- ply tires on your vehicle. It
can cause dangerous handling char-
acteristics, resulting in loss of con-
trol.
Do not use tires or wheels other
than the manufacture's recom-
mended size.
Toyota recommends all four tires, or at
least both of the front or rear tires be
replaced at a time as a set.
See ºIf you have a flat tireº in Part 4 for
tire change procedure.
When a tire is replaced, the wheel
should always be balanced.
An unbalanced wheel may affect vehicle
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 replaced with a
new one.

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CAUTION
Do not exceed 50 km/h (30 mph) or
the chain manufacturer 's recom-
mended speed limit, whichever is
lower.
Drive carefully avoiding bumps,
holes, and sharp turns, which may
cause the vehicle to bounce.
Avoid sharp turns or locked- wheel
braking, as use of chains may ad-
versely affect vehicle handling.
Replacing wheels
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 damaged wheels, the
tire may slip off the wheel or they may
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 ab ility, 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.