Hi everyone,

I drive daily a 2006 4Runner Limited V8 with XREAS. We're at 199k miles and the vehicle rides like garbage. There is tons of body roll, it's really bouncy, every single bump rattles my poor little soul, and, frankly, I HATE IT!

XREAS is not leaking and the Toyota dealer only found one loose sway bar bushing, so I'm assuming XREAS is just showing its age and it's time to go. I would like to go the route of upgrading rear shocks/springs and new struts up front. I'm looking hard at this OME kit: OME-FJ4R - Old Man Emu Suspension (07-09 FJ & 03-09 4Runner)

So a couple of questions:
1) What sort of ride will the OME provide versus stock? I know this may be tough to answer since you don't know how my XREAS is currently functioning, so I guess I just wanna know if people are generally comfortable and feel like the OME kit would be a big improvement. The truck is my daily driver, but I'd like to improve its off-road capabilities while not sacrificing too much comfort.

2) Any other options that are comparable but a bit cheaper than the OME kit I linked?

I just did the bilstien 5100 swap. Rides amazing now, better then new.

The "X-REAS delete..." link in my sig may be of interest. I was in the exact same position and ended up with a massive upgrade for $200 total. There's no doubt the OME setup will be awesome but the problem with suspension is that it's subjective. You can lay out a grand or more on a setup that may not be what you want and there's no way to return it.

I just wasn't willing to do that and decided to minimize my risk by...well, you'll see in the linked post. In any case, while my approach takes some patience and maybe even some luck, it worked out perfectly b/c the ride and handling are terrific but even if I hadn't liked it, I wouldn't have hesitated to write off the $200 and go another direction.

Does that mean you put 5100 Bilstein shocks all around but left the original springs? Is there a guide you used?

Yes i left the original springs. Did a 2.5" spacer lift. And it rode like garbage with the xreas so got the 5100's.

I didnt use a guide. But it is pretty straight forward. If you dont know what you are really doing. I would have a shop do it.

I have done this very similar lift/upgrade when my XREAS died. At 199K you will prob benefit from new springs as well.

It will ride more like a truck, feel more like a truck, and carry loads more like a truck. It will also roll a bit more than XREAS when new as the XREAS is designed to lessen body roll with the hydraulics and check valves in XEEAS. XREAS is great if you drive mostly on road. However, an OME or other suns replacement will allow your T4R to drive more like a 4x4, off-road better, and give you a more aggressive appearance.

As others have stated this is subjective, but this is my .02 on what you are looking to do. I’d recommend getting the middle weight springs vs. the heavies unless you plan to tow. 👍🏻

I did similar to bluesky, 4600 Bils, '07 FJ springs front and rear and very happy with results. I like that the TRD springs bluesky used leveled the vehicle, mine still has a rake, had I known in advance would have used the TRD springs.

Will keep that in mind when I get bored and want a project!

FWIW, I've driven since December, about 5K miles, on my new-to-me TRD Offroad/FJ setup, mostly on the pavement but also off (video below), and it's golden. @powder hound also makes a great point about the springs. It's tempting to keep the originals, especially to save $, and it may be fine. But you're on 13-year-old metal that has carried your rig the equivalent of 8 times around the world. For me, the decision was easy b/c one rear spring was sagging about an inch (have you measured yours, left vs. right?). I also knew it would bug me to wonder all the time how much better my truck would ride if I had just gotten new springs.

Deciding what to do is tough b/c there are so many options, and we all want to think ours is best. That's not what I'm saying, I'm only suggesting getting as close as possible to a "test drive" with a new setup without committing a wad of cash. Something else you might consider is connecting with a local 4R group where you could ask people to show you their setups and maybe even get a ride around the block to see how it feels.

Some recent fun:

I did a 2.5" Daystar lift with quick strut replacements a year ago.
I never had the Xreas system, but just wanted a better look but factory smooth ride.
It has held up but the next time around, I'd likely upgrade to a real lift. We'll see in 50k miles.