One question about 2001 OEM rear shocks and 99 OEM tall rear springs
 

I have read a ton of posts regarding suspension in the last few days on this forum. I have not seen this specific question answered… if I missed it I apologize in advance.

One of my rear shocks broke. I have about $1,200 in repairs in progress on my 2001 4WD Limited 4Runner, so I am not upgrading the suspension at this point. My 4Runner has the Daystar spacer kit, a 1” body lift, and 285/75/16 Mickey Thompson Baja MTZ P3 tires.

All I want to do right now is to buy the 2001 OEM rear shocks from Toyota and get those installed with 99 tall rear springs. I have a little bit of suspension sag in the rear and the 1” taller 99 rear springs will help with that. In addition, I will be installing a Shrockworks rear bumper with jerry can mount in the near future so that is another reason for the taller 99 rear springs. The Shrockworks bumper is taking up too much space in my apartment, so that will be my next project.

My question is should I buy the 2001 OEM rear shocks from Toyota to pair with the 99 talls or do I need to buy the 99 OEM rear shocks from Toyota instead?

Again, this is just to get my 4Runner back on the road with a little more height in the back. In the future I want to install a complete King suspension kit all around, so I don’t need aftermarket alternatives at this time.

Thanks!

From doing more research it looks like the 5100 Bilsteins are a nice option to pair with the 99 rear tall coils. At $175 they are not much more than the OEM rear shocks.

Are the OEM shocks Tokico?

OEM shocks are Tokico's. The OEM shocks will be the same compressed/extended length for all years. The valving probably changed slightly between the years, but I don't see it making a noticeable difference. Either year OEM shock will bolt up just fine.

You can actually use the 5th Gen rear shocks on the 3rd Gen. There a bunch of them on the market for like $50/pair. That will be a cost-effective solution until you get your Kings.

And just for reference, that’s what I’m running on my 02 Runner now. You only need to do very minimal mod to the shock bushing.

Here’s a link for reference (see post #24) for the mod I mentioned.

5th gen rear springs purple pink on a 3rd gen

If you are going to install a shock works bumper with Jerry can holder the 99 talls'would be insufficent. Ome 906 or 890's would be a better option with bil 5100.

Yeah oem is basically all the same and you can’t go wrong with the bilsteins. Good luck with the kings if your getting the Tacoma/ 4runner ones I would suggest buying them from somewhere that valves them for your setup. I just got installed some off the shelf ones and I’m not impressed.

I agree with going the 5th gen rear suspension route. I see them on Craigslist regularly for cheap, coils and shocks. I'd go that route if I were you.

Not sure what your ultimate goal on rear lift height is, and if you sold on Kings then rock on.

I would like to recommend the Dobinson coils for your rear though. They handle more weight and I love the ride now.

For reference I started with FJ coils (similar to 99 coil height) but when weighed down they basically leveled with the front. The Dobinsons keep me with rake when I have approximately 150 lbs of gear and 3 small passengers in the back seat.

Just some food for thought. Good luck with your mods.

Thanks for all of the helpful replies. I decided to stay OEM for right now. There is a photo of all the parts with the part number labels visible below. I also typed the part numbers below.

The total cost of the parts listed below was $370. I placed the order online and picked the parts up at my local Toyota dealer. The price was exactly the same as Camelback Toyota. The price of the steering bushings kit was $28 delivered from Amazon.

For my 2001 4WD Limited I went with the 99 tall rear coils (red/yellow). I selected the rear shock absorber listed for a 1999 4Runner SR5 4WD with 16” wheels. There are several Toyota part numbers for rear shock absorbers (probably any of them would work), but I thought it would be best to use the 80693 shock.

I may end up with some extra washers and retainers, but I wanted to make sure that my mechanic has everything that he needs. I am also getting an Energy Suspension rack and pinion bushings kit installed at the same time. My out the door price estimate to get the rear shocks, rear springs, and the steering bushings installed was $500. It was more than I thought, but I can walk from my apartment to my mechanic’s shop in 5 minutes. I’ve shopped his rates around town in the past. He is always the lowest and does quality work quickly. In addition his estimates are always on the high side. My guess is that I will end up paying less than $450.

Hopefully this post is helpful to other forum members wanting to do this same replacement.

(2) 48531-80693 rear shock absorber
(2) 48231-35210 rear coils (99 tall)
(4) 90385-19007 bushings
(2) 90948-02119 cushion retainer
(2) 90948-03011 washers
(4) 90948-A2004 retainers
(1) 03639-07526 Energy Suspension rack and pinion bushings kit (black)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...a98cfdb7_b.jpg[/url]1F955C29-7D5E-4FF1-897B-6015A0A8A143 by Gregory Keith, on Flickr[/IMG]

5th gen shocks are too long with stock length bump stops, so be careful there. They would be a reasonable, cheap interim shock though - just don't go flexing them or jumping them off road...

-Charlie

would you happen to have the extended and compressed lengths of the stock 5th gen shocks?

Hi. Possibly you would help me. I recently wreaked my ‘99 and just bought a 2002 and I’d like to get it up to the height clearance my ‘99 had; what would you suggest, just oem springs?
Thanks!

It depends what your goals are for your 4Runner. The ‘99 tall springs are only going to give you a very minimal lift. I also have a Daystar 2.5” spacer lift and a 1” body lift which allows me to run 285/75/16 tires (33”).

No, but this link might help:

Jross's Shock List

You can also just compare the 5100 specs between the two models - they are about 2-3" longer compressed and extended.

-Charlie

Thank you, I just want to take it to ‘99 stock height.

Everything was successfully installed today. Total labor cost was $500 (same as the estimate). My 4Runner drives and steers so nice now. Obviously replacing 21-year-old coils, shocks, and steering bushings will make a dramatic difference. Everything removed today was original from the factory. My 4Runner has almost 220,000 miles. I’m so glad I went with the ‘99 “tall” rear coils - looks so much better without the rear end sag. My original 2001 coils were shorter from the factory plus a little tired and rusty.

I highly recommend the Energy Suspension rack and pinion bushings kit. My mechanic said that they went in without a problem. My steering is so tight and precise now.

My next project is to refresh the front suspension. I already have OEM parts selected in my Toyota cart.

[IMG]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...8d2f05f3_b.jpg[/url]driver side by Gregory Keith, on Flickr[/IMG]

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...75a925dc_b.jpg[/url]passenger side by Gregory Keith, on Flickr[/IMG]