Hello everyone,

I'm a new 2019 TRD Off Road owner from Colorado. I am replacing a 2007 Xterra I've had for the last 7 years. I always wanted to do a small build with it but the money was never there. Now my Wife and I are pretty settled into our careers and income has improved greatly over those last 7 years. I decided to get a new vehicle to put money into vs a 13 year vehicle and knew the 4Runner would be perfect. I've spent hours reading and researching information about the 5th Gen's and wanted to get everyone's input if my thinking and understanding on some of these things are correct.

To start off, I'm looking for a compromise, which seems to be the definition of the 4Runner. I'm not hardcore or rock crawling off road. A balance of being a daily driver, highway traveler and still have decent off road ability is what I'm after. I have concerns over doing too much and having warranty claim issues, although I have read all about Magnuson Moss warranty act it still seems to come down to dealer and the situation as far as having any issues with claims. I also have concerns about addition wear or stress on parts by lifts and tires, as well as gas mileage. Given all this, I'm leaning towards a less is more philosophy for my build.

Now finally to see if my understandings are correct. If I do a 2" front and 1" rear lift/level kit it is my understanding new UCA's will not be needed to get alignment within factory spec. Also a differential drop doesn't seem to be needed either.

With a 2.5" front and 1.5" rear lift/level this is when new UCA's and a diff drop become more essential, is this generally correct? I know every rig is alittle different and there are no definitives for this stuff.

For tires, E load seems to be overkill, but very few tires come in C load. Are SL load tires really insufficient?

From all the lifts I've looked at, I think the 2.5 front/1.5 rear with 275/70/17 looks the best and most balanced. I'm just debating if it's worth having to add UCA's and a diff drop and the potential issues that can arise doing all that. Or would it just be better going with the 2/1 and stock 265/70/17 setup.

I appreciate everyone's time and input to help with my decision.

Thanks!

Idk


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I recently purchased a 2019 ORP for my wife. She picked it out right off the showroom floor because the dealer had done lift/tires/roof rack and a few other items. They did the readylift sst 3/2 lift but the ucas are stock. Obviously got it to align properly or they couldnt sell it. They did do the diff drop, cheap insurance. They also did P285/70 Falken Wildpeaks on the trd pro wheels which I recently changed cuz I didnt like 285s on a 7" wide wheel. P rated tires are sufficient unless youre really going to wheel it hard, then Id look into C rated.

I installed Bilstein 5100's with the front set at 1.75" so I could avoid UCAs and the diff drop. Cornfed 1" spring spacers for the rear and just recently had the OE sized Bridgestone highway tires replaced with 285/70-17 SL Nitto Ridge Grapplers mounted to TRDOR wheels. The first week with the Ridge Grapplers had me questioning the decision to go with 285s. It drove and handled way differently from the highway tires. After three weeks with the 285s I just miss the regular 20+ mpg I was averaging and I am happy with the tires. They balanced really well compared to the Bridgestones, ride well, and are just as quiet as the Bridgestones. The Bridgestones had way better wet grip though.

If you don't plan on doing any "hardcore" off-roading, I suggest avoiding a lift that requires UCAs and the diff drop. SL tires will be perfectly fine unless you plan on driving through areas with jagged rocks. I use my 4R to get around roadway construction sites that range from clearing wild land to inner city where a sedan would suffice. For over a year I used the Bridgestone highway tires to drive on demolished pavement, dirt, mud, and all the random construction debris without anything more than a few standard nail punctures.