Hello,

I am a suspension noob and would like if someone broke down to me all the possible components I will need when replacing my suspension. Currently I have a 2022 Limited with X-REAS and while the car is still fairly new (only 30 k km) I know that one day the x-reas will fail. I have 2 questions:

1. What are the best options for on road handling and driving dynamics?

2. What are all the parts associated for replacing the x-reas system? I see shocks, struts, coils, UCA, spacers, etc. Will I need all those things or only some?

Also I forgot to add that I am open to a 1 or 2 inch lift in the future.

Thx

So, from someone who has had 3 4runners with Xreas, and others without, i can tell you my opinion for what its worth.
LEAVE IT ALONE.
Honestly the Xreas rides good, you might not realize it now until you start swapping stuff, the Xreas actually rides really nice for what it is. The on road compliance is nice, the body roll or lack of it is nice, the bump absorption at speed is nice. You dont realize how nice it is until
1) one of the shocks starts leaking and you lose pressure
2) you ride in a 4runner without it
3) you change your Xreas out for something else

My 2008 (basically same suspension and Xreas system as your 2022) started leaking around 175,000 miles and pretty much shit the bed around 195,000 miles and had to be taken out.
My 2012 we drove till about 145,000 miles and traded it in (really wish we would have kept it)
My current 2023 rides so nice

So i did all the same thing you are doing, i read all over the forums, and at the time in the 4th gen (2008) 4runner forums the general consensus was that the 2012+ Tacoma TRD Offroad shocks was the absolute best thing to replace the Xreas with because
1) it gave you about 1.75" of lift on a 4wd and about 2.5" of lift on a 2wd
2) the spring rates were different for a much smoother ride
3) the valving was different and resulted in a much smoother ride
4) people that took theirs off to go aftermarket would typically sell them at a good price
So when my 2008 shocks started leaking i started looking heavily for a set used. I eventually found a set of brand new take-offs from a guy selling them on craigslist for like $250 front and rear shocks, springs and all ready to bolt on. I scooped them up fast and put them on.
1) yes it gives you a lift as stated
2) yes the slow speed stuff is nice
3) yes it feels different, sort of in a good way
4) yes it was practically dirt cheap
The good thing was it fits, gives a lift, and rides nice. I will say the Xreas rode super nice until it started giving out and so the Tacoma TRD Offroad stuff felt like a million bucks at first but then the more i drove it i realized it was different. Its nice on slow speed gravel roads like 5-10mph you dont feel every rock, i guess the springs being softer allows the suspension to move more easily at slow speeds, but you can definitely tell they have a little more body roll. One of the things i notice the most is high speed stuff, like lets say a crack in the road or where concrete is buckling in the road and has a 2" wide strip pushed up 2-3" and you hit it at speeds. This is definitely harsher than the Xreas. Also when you load it down with a trailer, or with 5 people, or a ton of stuff in the back, the TRD Offroad stuff doesnt react as fast on big bumps and you can feel the shock bottom out, but be super slow on rebound so the rear dumps and slams the bump stop. Its really the rear i notice the most on bigger bumps, i have been thinking of changing the rear shocks for something else. Its kinda hard to explain but i will try:

When you are riding along and hit a big bump in the highway like buckled asphalt that basically looks like a 3-4" speed bump across the road, the rear suspension takes a hit and forces the axle and tire upward 3-4" into a compression stroke of the shock. The problem is, there isnt enough rebound in the shock so the spring cant forcefully push the tire back down to the road fast enough. By the time you bounce over the bump, the rear suspension that took a 3-4" compression cant rebound quick enough and you end up with the rear end still in compression slamming down on the ground bottoming out on the bump stop with the added weight. These were brand new Tacoma TRD Offroad take-off front and rear shock and spring assemblies i swapped out. If i could i would likely go back to Xreas today if it was an easy option that didnt cost a ton.

Thanks for the reply bro. Sounds like you didn't a lot of research. From what you are describing I would definitely go a different route for suspension than a trd taco one. I am wondering if there is a setup out there that has good on road manners and absorbs bumps etc.

Also I love my x reas and have no intention of changing it prematurely. I am only posting this for knowledge and to be ready when it gives out which I hope won't be for 150,000 miles.

If you watch some videos like from shock surplus and filthymotorsports they will give a pretty good idea of shocks and their damping differences as well as springing options. I have an '03 and it had xreas when I bought it used, I changed it out after a couple years to 4600 Bilstiens and FJ springs and it was a much firmer ride, which I liked for the most part and I added a 1" and then replaced with a 1/2" spacer (it's the way). The Bils are a little harsh on small bumps so recently installed Dobinson IMS and they are somewhat better. I really don't think any suspension will really give you what you're looking for on the body-on-frame design, everything else from a good working xreas sounds like a compromise. (My xreas was without the gas charge the whole time I had it so I don't know what it feels like new).
What I really think is needed is a good working LCA/UCA bushing design. IMO the ideal would be like a motorcycle swingarm, with greased bearings and seals that would give the least resistive movement, the stock bushings are very resistive to movement as they are torsionally twisting the rubber back and forth, the Super Pro bushings I installed(or Whiteline) are a step up as they allow less resistive movement, but not as free as I think they should be.

if you're going for a lift I would just remove the XREAS and put in bilstein 5100s and new springs. if you want to spend more $ then look at something higher end

XREAS for a mostly stock vehicle that spends most of the time on the pavement, and even offroads in mostly stock form is fine. my 4runner is my daily driver, in fact of the two vehicles we have, it gets 90% of the miles. XREAS is great for day to day and for the trails I do it doesn't hinder me

I got 150k miles on my first set of XREAS and hopefully I get another 150k on this set

My front right started leaking around 70k miles (it's a '15, so they'd been in use for ~8 years) and I went with 5100's. Used the 2.5" clip on the front and a 1" cornfed spacer on the rear with the stock springs got me to .5" rake from back to front. The ride is firmer and the smaller road imprefections are more noticeable but overall I like the handling and feel a lot better.

As for extra parts, that's going to depend on what you're doing, but the mounts are the same so whether you're getting a pre-built unit or swapping your own springs over you basically unbolt one and the other goes back in the same spot with the same hardware. I got new upper mounts but after inspection re-used the stock ones. UCA's could be necessary depending on the lift height but there shouldn't be any issues getting alignment in spec with stock if you aren't lifting more than 1-2".

as nice as XREAS is when it's working, I think the merits aren't worth the headache and cost down the road. if I could have gotten the limited without XREAS I would have. Toyota should have just bilstein 4600 for all trim levels except the TRD PRO... sometimes simpler is better.

when mine went out at 150k I thought about replacing with something else but that was right in the middle of covid when nothing was open and no one had any parts. so I had toyota just replace all 4 corners since minimal fluid was lost. next time they need to be replaced I won't be putting another XREAS in but hopefully that isn't for a long time