200k suspension upgrade

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Runnerfamily

New member
I have a 2003 Sport 4x4 with over 200k miles on it.

The front end is getting that "loose" feeling consistent with either ball joints or tie rods going out, and I also want to replace the old shocks.

What I ultimately want:
-2" lift
-New UCA's
-A 200k mile truck that feels/drives like new!!!

This is a daily driver that sees little off-road time and lots of highway time. I want the added lift for the extra clearance during my occasional off-road excursions.

Question for the group:
What is the best route for achieving my desired results. I want to do it in the least expensive route, but I also plan to put another 100-200k miles on it so I want decent quality. Is there a company that makes a "kit" for this type of thing?

I'm debating a spacer kit with new shocks and new UCA's, and having the tie rods and ball joints replaces at the same time...

Thanks for your advice!
 
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I'd recommend Icon coil overs with Camburg uniball UCAs in the front, and Icon shocks in the rear in combination with a spring of your choice. A lot of people like Toytec and OME springs in the rear. The Icon shocks are amazing for the price, and the Camburg UCAs give you a lot more room for adjusting alignment. But that's the setup I run so I might be biased hahaha
 
Macaque said:
I'd recommend Icon coil overs with Camburg uniball UCAs in the front, and Icon shocks in the rear in combination with a spring of your choice. A lot of people like Toytec and OME springs in the rear. The Icon shocks are amazing for the price, and the Camburg UCAs give you a lot more room for adjusting alignment. But that's the setup I run so I might be biased hahaha
Click to expand...

yeah if you have an endless money pit to dig into at any time :becky:

how about bilstein 5100s (height adjustable front) with eibach/toytec superflex rear coils

or FJ suspension swap if you wanna do it on the super cheap

and SPC LR UCA unless you prerun hardcore and need a uniball

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/102272-4th-gen-suspension-options-faq.html
 
did anyone else click on this thread thinking somebody had $200K to drop into a suspension upgrade?

200k miles....that makes much more sense...
 
Thanks everyone for the replies!

[MENTION=55855]zopperman[/MENTION] - Your idea seems like a winner, but can you (or anyone with more knowledge than I about this) elaborate on doing a complete FJ swap. Does that mean buying OEM FJ replacements (something tells me that OEM Yota is not cheap) or just buying used FJ parts from the junkyard?

If I do the 5100's and Superflex coils in the rear, do I still need to do UCA's?

Thanks again everyone!
[MENTION=84223]JustSomeName[/MENTION] - If only... :)
 
Last edited:
A 2" lift is easy to do with very little money. FJ coils + Billies will cost about $400-500 and give you 1-1.25". Bigger tires (265x70) will get you the rest of the way. Fully stock, fully highway capable (better than factory ride in fact).
 
Runnerfamily said:
I have a 2003 Sport 4x4 with over 200k miles on it.

The front end is getting that "loose" feeling consistent with either ball joints or tie rods going out, and I also want to replace the old shocks.

What I ultimately want:
-2" lift
-New UCA's
-A 200k mile truck that feels/drives like new!!!

This is a daily driver that sees little off-road time and lots of highway time. I want the added lift for the extra clearance during my occasional off-road excursions.

Question for the group:
What is the best route for achieving my desired results. I want to do it in the least expensive route, but I also plan to put another 100-200k miles on it so I want decent quality. Is there a company that makes a "kit" for this type of thing?

I'm debating a spacer kit with new shocks and new UCA's, and having the tie rods and ball joints replaces at the same time...

Thanks for your advice!
Click to expand...

I'd also vote for the FJ swap or a set of Billies. That 4th GEN suspension sticky has all the info I think.

As for tie rods and ball joints - I'd figure out what exactly is worn, but assuming it's all original with 200k, I'd guess they all have some wear. If you're doing a 2" lift you don't necessarily need a new UCA for alignment purposes.

And based on my experience, I'd inspect the following for wear:
-inner and outer tie rods
-Upper AND Lower ball joints
-Lower control arm bushings (start soaking the LCA alignment bolts now with some PB Blast,etc since there's a good chance they'll be locked up) You'll need a new alignment regardless of whether you replace bushings or not if you're changing the ride height.

Good luck and post up some pics after the swap!
 
Runnerfamily said:
Thanks everyone for the replies!

[MENTION=55855]zopperman[/MENTION] - Your idea seems like a winner, but can you (or anyone with more knowledge than I about this) elaborate on doing a complete FJ swap. Does that mean buying OEM FJ replacements (something tells me that OEM Yota is not cheap) or just buying used FJ parts from the junkyard?

If I do the 5100's and Superflex coils in the rear, do I still need to do UCA's?

Thanks again everyone!
[MENTION=84223]JustSomeName[/MENTION] - If only... :)
Click to expand...

the fj swap generally consists of replacing the front and rear coil springs with those off of an fj cruiser. if you look on fjcruiserforums.com and in the classifieds here, you can find people that are selling stock fj cruiser suspension parts, but be vigilant, they go quick. some have purchased oem, but unless you can't find parts period, or the only ones you can find have a ton of miles on them, look for the used stuff. the rule of thumb is 3" of lift or more, and you might need UCA's , [MENTION=55855]zopperman[/MENTION] is running a daystar (spacer) lift on top of fj suspension, and he has UCA's. i am running a 3/2 spacer lift, around the same lift height as him, maybe a little less, and i do not have aftermarket UCA's. when you lift it, ask yourself how high, what its gonna be used for, and how worried you are about feel, and that will decide if you need them. under 3" of lift, save the money for the UCA's. Good luck!
 
wnelax04sr5 said:
the fj swap generally consists of replacing the front and rear coil springs with those off of an fj cruiser. if you look on fjcruiserforums.com and in the classifieds here, you can find people that are selling stock fj cruiser suspension parts, but be vigilant, they go quick. some have purchased oem, but unless you can't find parts period, or the only ones you can find have a ton of miles on them, look for the used stuff. the rule of thumb is 3" of lift or more, and you might need UCA's , [MENTION=55855]zopperman[/MENTION] is running a daystar (spacer) lift on top of fj suspension, and he has UCA's. i am running a 3/2 spacer lift, around the same lift height as him, maybe a little less, and i do not have aftermarket UCA's. when you lift it, ask yourself how high, what its gonna be used for, and how worried you are about feel, and that will decide if you need them. under 3" of lift, save the money for the UCA's. Good luck!
Click to expand...

ya this. I have UCAs because I bent my spindle and UCAs are cheaper and easier than a new spindle and they corrected my alignment to a T. I wanna lift my front a bit more. I'm looking at a set of Icon or Radflo coilovers next spring.... :D

Moral of the story is you'll probably always want to go higher.
 
zopperman said:
ya this. I have UCAs because I bent my spindle and UCAs are cheaper and easier than a new spindle and they corrected my alignment to a T. I wanna lift my front a bit more. I'm looking at a set of Icon or Radflo coilovers next spring.... :D

Moral of the story is you'll probably always want to go higher.
Click to expand...
[MENTION=101009]Runnerfamily[/MENTION] pay attention to that....mine is lifted, and i have suspension parts waiting to go on just to get a little more height...
 
zopperman said:
Moral of the story is you'll probably always want to go higher.
Click to expand...

Yep. But go too high and all the other drivetrain issues popup. Seems like the 3-3.5" range really is the max for suspension lift without doing drop brackets and extended shafts, etc
 
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