Hey guys, I have a 99 2WD that still has it's original suspension (other than front swaybar upgrade) from the factory at 265K miles. What kit would you recommend one to get if they mostly use it as a DD to and from work but also use it for family excursions to Cali's forests or deserts or for hunting? I was looking at the Ultimate Toytec kit found here but wonder if that's going to be overkill for my uses.

I've never had a lifted truck, I'm used to lowered Celica's, Miata's and 300ZX's so this will be something new to me but am honestly just wanting to use this as a first step to improving the car and sparking some new life into it, at least until an all electric 4Runner comes along

OEM shocks and springs for a 1999 4wd. Should net you about an inch lift in the front and rear (depending on how much your stock suspension is sagging currently).

There is a lot of subjectivity on this topic. You'll hear from many who will say "I have X shock from Y company and it's fantastic" and then you'll hear "I have X shock and hated it and removed it and put in Z shock and it's so much better".

The best advice is the one above. If you are using it almost exclusively for on-road driving with the occasional off-roading go with an OEM-type shock that give ride comfort on the road and decent performance off-road. I have a similar setup as I only drive in situations needing 4WD but a couple of times per year. When I do it handles just fine off-road, these are 4Runners we are talking about. You don't need a lifted 4Runner on Kings with 35" tires to drive a forestry road or go driving in the desert.

If you do decide to do some more technical off-roading then just air down your tires for extra cushion as your tires are also part of your suspension. I've done that with great success while offroading with my H/T tires (yes, highway rated tires) and OEM-type suspension. No I don't do it much but I can keep up just fine with others with aggressive tread patterns and off-road shocks with the difference that I have a pleasant and comfortable drive home afterwards.

I've done a wheeling trip, drives in the sand on Oregon beaches, scaled the Sierras, driven desert mountains in search of smoky quartz all with my stockish 4Runner. That's why we like these right? Fantastic off road capability right from the factory. The only thing it doesn't handle with my highway tires is snow more than a couple inches deep. I get stuck. A lot.

Check this thread
Absalom's Cookie Cutter 4runner Builds - New and Updated!

I took my 2WD (in my sig) farther than was reasonable to most but I had fun doing it. My goal was always to convert/go 4WD, and I finally did, via purchase vs conversion.
If I had it to do over again, a 2" lift would have been just fine.

Honestly, a semi-aggressive LT tire (Wildpeak, Hankook AT3, etc) aired down will hold it's own on everything except extreme mud, sand and snow; make sure you carry a pump to air back up.

The best 3 upgrades I did were retrofit projectors, external trans cooler and a lunchbox locker in the rear differential, the later two specifically for off roading. Monitoring the ECM/trans via OBD2 made things predictable, and allowed me to visually track performance, which was handy, too.

Whatever you decide, make sure it's easy and cost-effective to maintain, and don't skip maintenance.

Can't wait to see what you decide to do!

Unless you are going to need the extra clearance, stick with the OEM springs. New shocks - OEM, KYB or Bilstein 4600. All will be good for a mostly daily driver. My 2WD (before the 4WD swap) had 270k+ miles of daily driving and fire roads under its belt, the last 50k of which were on 4600's.

If you want to lift just a bit or need more weight capacity in the back, you can do Bilstein 5100's F/R - lift the front with the c-clip setting and use the spring of choice for the rear.

-Charlie

I played around with a couple of aftermarket setups, including some very expensive ones, and am planning to go back to OEM shocks. The ride with the aftermarket shocks was too harsh for me, made the truck very unpleasant to drive.

I'll be getting OEM Toyota '99 rear shocks (hard to beat at $45 each), and Tokico front struts (Toyota are quite pricey). Probably will get Moog '99 tall front springs with a small spacer, and OME 906 rear springs for a bit of lift.

Was in the same boat w my '98. There are enough spring/shock and lift combinations out there to make your head spin. From what I've learned, new OEM springs and shocks are what will net you the most comfortable ride. I went with the '99 tall springs to restore the OEM ride height, comfort, and add that extra inch or two that the '99's give you. The part numbers are 48131-35400 (front passenger side), 48131-35350 (front drivers side), and 48231-35210 (same for both rears). There are other springs you can get, such as Old Man Emu's (OME), but I only want to do this once and don't have time to mess around trying spring combos with different heights and spring rates.

Shocks are a bit easier to decide on (IMO). Rear shocks are pretty cheap no matter which brand you go with, even OEM. The front struts are where the OEMs get SUPER expensive over aftermarket. Bilstein 4600's seem to be the most popular aftermarket shock for guys running stock ride heights, of which category the 99 tall springs fall into, and the 5100's for lifted guys. I went with KYB Gas-Adjusts because they were a bit cheaper and my rig rarely goes off-road.

I also have KYB Gas-a-justs. They are pretty much the same ride quality for road cracks and potholes for on-road driving as OEM Tokico's, I just do not expect to get 150K miles out of them. The biggest thing that will decide if the vehicle rides soft or harsh are those front coils. If you go big or with extra weight capacity it'll be harsh, there's no way around that. That's part of the reason why you'll hear very mixed opinions on Old Man Emu (OME) coils. Some with plate bumpers and extra gear love them as it's the perfect coil rate for the extra weight but if you put them on a bone stock 4Runner your butt is gonna hurt from feeling every little road imperfection.

That's good to hear about the ride quality. Also, the power numbers on your truck are awesome.

Need some shocks, appreciate the info.

Thanks,

Have I missed something? Are Tokicos available again other than the OEM from the dealer?

If so, dang. I just bought new 4600s.

I have them on my truck now, rear shocks; bought them in February. Info in my build thread. $45 each, IIRC

The OEM part number for '99 tall rear shocks is 48531-80693, you can get them for about $45 each from Toyota - 4853180693 - Toyota Shock Absorber (Left, Right, Rear). SHOCK, REAR LEFT; SHOCK, REAR RIGHT | Village Toyota Parts, Homosassa FL

I don't see an equivalent Tokico shock, but for a '97 they list the E3740 - Please Wait... | Cloudflare

Are you guys talking rears only? If so, I've got the OEM Tokico rears also. From the wording I thought you were talking about the blue/green old style Tokico front struts which I think are no longer available...

The only front Tokicos I see are these - Please Wait... | Cloudflare

They are shown as a substitution for a '97, but not for a '99.

I don't know the difference between the '97 and '99 shocks - obviously the springs are different, but is there a difference in the shocks between the years? It'd be interesting to know, since I would like to go with '99 tall shocks for the front, but would prefer to get the cheaper Tokicos than the $150+ each Toyota.