'06 V8 - Lift front or lower rear? Handling changes?

[RedRacer]

My new 2006 LTD V8 has the "nose down" look like all the other ones on the road. Everyone on this site talks about lifting the front suspension 1" to level the truck but I am wondering about lowering the rear 1" to level it.

There must be a good reason why Toyota decided to leave the nose of a 4x4 SUV model down and my guess is that it helps aerodynamics and on-road handling. Since my 4Runner will never see any extreme off-road use I won't ever need the front end to be higher than stock and I don't want to kill the way it handles.

Has anyone thought about this before? Has anyone lowered the rear on a Limited with the fancy rear suspension?

 

[jeremysoca]

redracer

It is my understanding toyota left the nose lower on our runners to meet crash safety standards. Its a bumper to bumper crash thing.

 

[Even Steven]

My new 2006 LTD V8 has the "nose down" look like all the other ones on the road. Everyone on this site talks about lifting the front suspension 1" to level the truck but I am wondering about lowering the rear 1" to level it.

There must be a good reason why Toyota decided to leave the nose of a 4x4 SUV model down and my guess is that it helps aerodynamics and on-road handling. Since my 4Runner will never see any extreme off-road use I won't ever need the front end to be higher than stock and I don't want to kill the way it handles.

Has anyone thought about this before? Has anyone lowered the rear on a Limited with the fancy rear suspension?

Raising the front end an inch will not hurt handling. I have a one inch leveling lift and the handling and ride seem exactly the same to me. In my opinion, installing a small leveling lift is a win-win situation because it makes a 4Runner look much better without any downsides.

BTW, I still have a few leveling lift kits for sale, $110 shipped. See my other thread for pics/details:

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=28234&highlight=leveling+lift

 

[T?@\7]

imho if you are going to lower it, in any manner, than you probably wasted your money on the 4x4. Def raise the nose!

 

[RedRacer]

Re: redracer

It is my understanding toyota left the nose lower on our runners to meet crash safety standards. Its a bumper to bumper crash thing.

This is common conclusion but I am sure there are other vehicles in the truck and SUV class that have much higher bumpers so I doubt that this is the reason. Also, if it was for bumper height reasons why didn't Toyota lower the rear end to match the front

Those of you who think I want to "slam" my 4Runner are on the wrong track and lowering the rear by 1" will not kill it's off-road abilities.

 

[jbs]

Re: Re: '06 V8 - Lift front or lower rear? Handling changes?

In my opinion, installing a small leveling lift is a win-win situation because it makes a 4Runner look much better without any downsides.

One downside is that as soon as you load it up with gear the back will be lower than the front, since most cargo weight is supported by the rear suspension/axle.

 

[Even Steven]

Re: Re: Re: '06 V8 - Lift front or lower rear? Handling changes?

One downside is that as soon as you load it up with gear the back will be lower than the front, since most cargo weight is supported by the rear suspension/axle.

The back end is more than one inch higher than the front. So installing a one inch leveling lift on the front will still allow the rear to be loaded down without making it lower than the front.

Besides, most people do most of their driving without excessive weight in the back.

 

[jbs]

Re: Re: Re: Re: '06 V8 - Lift front or lower rear? Handling changes?

The back end is more than one inch higher than the front. So installing a one inch leveling lift on the front will still allow the rear to be loaded down without making it lower than the front.

Besides, most people do most of their driving without excessive weight in the back.

Obviously it is a good option for many people, or it would not be such a popular modification. I was just pointing out that load capacity can be a consideration when deciding whether to level the vehicle.

I believe the stock rear springs have a rate of 180lb/in, so having less than an inch difference between front and rear doesn't give you much capacity before the rear is lower than the front.

If this is just the occasional trip to Home Depot, no big deal, but for extended camping trips, towing, or hauling the family on vacation, it may be an issue...

 

[RedRacer]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: '06 V8 - Lift front or lower rear? Handling changes?

I believe the stock rear springs have a rate of 180lb/in, so having less than an inch difference between front and rear doesn't give you much capacity before the rear is lower than the front.

My LTD has X-REAS and rear air so a sagging rear isn't ever going to be an issue, plus I don't tow and will rarely carry more than two rear passengers and some luggage.

I am pretty sure that the rear can be lowered and I am still going to investigate further...

 

[4by4th]

Every time I load the 4Runner up with gear and passengers and/or pull the boat, I'm very happy that it looks fairly level and doesn't sag like the Cherokee did in it's earlier trailer pulling days before the addition (now removed) of coilover shocks. There's no way I would consider modifying the suspension of my 4Runner to level it out while empty, but that's just based on my use of the Runner which is mostly highway driving to and from work with an occasional weekend getaway or cross continent vacation expedition.

 

[Even Steven]

Every time I load the 4Runner up with gear and passengers and/or pull the boat, I'm very happy that it looks fairly level and doesn't sag like the Cherokee did in it's earlier trailer pulling days before the addition (now removed) of coilover shocks. There's no way I would consider modifying the suspension of my 4Runner to level it out while empty, but that's just based on my use of the Runner which is mostly highway driving to and from work with an occasional weekend getaway or cross continent vacation expedition.

To each his own, but I'd rather have my 4Runner looking good for the 99% of the time I'm driving it unloaded. If it sags for the other 1%, oh well...I'll just have to deal with it. Fortunatetly for me, it doesn't seem to sag in the rear even if it's full of gear and luggage. The only thing that makes it sag at all is a boat trailer, and even then it only sags a bit.

 

[Even Steven]

4by4th,

So what happened to your '04 that the dealer had to change out the engine at 70,000 miles?