I just rolled over to 232k on my 01 4WD SR5 (manufactured Dec 00).

While I can do most of the work myself, I'm at a complete loss on what to buy.

With the high mileage and other maintenance needs awaiting to be attended to, I want to get the best bang for my buck without blowing out the bank and keeping things simple as possible.

I mostly just putt around town to and from work, with an occasional "off road" adventure in rural Nebraska.

Oh and not sure if it helps but the rotors are for 15" rims but it has the 3 spoke 16's on it paired with 265/70R16 tires, so it might be a bit of an oddball.

Im also not looking for a lift or anything, just to get regain some comfort and stability back.

I'd say just get a new set of quality shocks for standard ride-height. When doing the front suspension, it would be an excellent time to replace the the lower ball joints with OEM parts - an Achilles' heel on these trucks. If the rear end droops - as they often do with age - a new set of stock-length coils to go along with the shocks would fix that. For street driving, make sure your sway bar bushings are looking good. If they seem tired, a new set can make a noticeable difference with cornering and general sure-footedness. You can get a bushing kit, or new end link sets for a reasonable price. The wheel/rotor size has no bearing on anything - these came with 16s stock in many trims.

All good stuff. OEM, KYB or Bilstein 4600 are all good options for a stock height and stock-like ride. Good for comfort and will get you where you need to go.

I'd be a bit surprised if you have a 15" wheel 2001 4WD - I don't think they were doing 15" wheel 4WDs by then... If your speedo reads slightly higher than your actual speed (say shows 70 when you are going 68mph by GPS), then you have the correct size wheels/tires on there. The door sticker will likely still say 15" wheels/tires - ignore that...

-Charlie

I would say you are right. All 01/02 were 16" wheel/V6 package in US Market.

As far as springs/shocks go. You can run 5th Gen TRD Pro Springs for the rear, get some Front Springs for a 1999 with 16" wheels, and some KYB Monomax for shocks. That would be right about 450 bucks and put you about 1" over your stock 01 height, but still well within factory specs. The 5th Gen springs are also thicker for the rear, so they will hold up better with weight and not sag. Many members have reported their Moog or Ac Delco rear springs have sagged within a year.

I picked up my 5th gen springs for 60 bucks on Facebook 4Runner group for my area. If you need a set, I can probably find a half dozen in my local area and put you in touch with someone who could ship them to you.

KYB Monomax can be had from Shock Surplus for 265 for the entire set of 4 -https://www.shocksurplus.com/products/kyb-monomax-monotube-gas-strut-shocks-set-1996-2002-toyota-4runner-1

You can go with Moog, Ac Delco, or a Swedish company called Lesjofor for around 65 bucks plus shipping from Rock Auto. Personally I would go with the Swedish made springs - Ac Delco and Moog both make their springs in China - More Information for LESJÖFORS 4192522

Yeah I was a bit surprised when most part stores kept automatically selecting the smaller rotor size even though I had 16" rims, but guess I thought about it too much. I did the speedo vs GPS method as you suggested and it checks out that things are correct, even about the door sticker.

Did some inspecting after work tonight and realized that me left sway bar linkage, well... isnt linked anymore. So I will most likely get an entirely new sway bar, linkages, and bushings so its all new up front. The pervious owner replaced the sway bar and right linkage back in 2014, but that's many miles and years ago.

Also pardon my ignorance, as Ive previously just owned econo-boxes driven into the ground, but do I the just need upper and lower ball joints or do I need the whole new lower control arm?

Id greatly appreciate a set from a group as it seems even the aftermarket scene for 5th gen rear springs seems fairly expensive.

Oh and its the same exact shocks for both fronts and rear right?
I just want to make sure Im not putting myself on another wild goose chase.

front and rears are different

Not sure why you’d need a new sway bar, just get new kinks and if you want an upgrade, throw in energy suspensions bushing kit.

Start with the lower ball joint, it bolts onto the lower control arm so it is easy... get new bolts while your at it. The upper ball joint is a much more advanced service but not impossible if your up to the task and have access to the right tools.

Unless yours is a rust bucket, the control arms should be fine. If anything, the bushings may need replaced

Check out mtbtim’s you tube channel (aka timmythetoolman) for all of these. He gives detailed instructions, part numbers, handy tips and even tool recommendations.

It’s likely the entire front end needs some live but I’d start with the above.


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I installed “sensen” (Amazon) rear shocks with moog springs and preassembled front strut/coils about a year ago as a stopgap to get me through til I was ready for a lift. Also added airbags in the rear. I’ve really been impressed with the performance for the $260 it cost. The bags have prevented sagging and allow me to adjust the rear if I have a lot of cargo etc.

The ride height is about the same as a ‘99 and I’m running 265/75r16’s with no issues


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Only the lower ball joints are of critical importance. I did both UBJ and LBJs on my rig just because.

If the actual sway bar is still hanging down there, all you need are the end links with bushings and maybe a set of 2 sway bar bushings as mentioned above. Easy to find from any major online parts warehouse.

Are the end links broken, unbolted, or missing entirely? Having trouble understanding that situation....

Wow. When those are REPLACED your rig is going to feel so much better when you throw it into a corner at speed!

I was under mine at lunch a couple hours ago in my work parking lot....you don't need to go fancy on the end links but I couldn't help myself....

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Check the stamp on the calipers. if it's S13WM, then the rotors and calipers are for the 16" rims. If not,

consider doing the TBU mod. You'll surely get a big performance increase in braking