2011 Stock Ride Height (Rear)

T

TheJimboTron

New member
Has anyone noticed that the 2011 stock ride height on the SR5 seems lower than others in the rear? Is it just mine or was the 2011 SR5 meant to be lower in the rear compared to other 4Runners between 2010 and 2014? I took it to the shop and they said there were no aftermarket changes or problems with the suspension on mine. I just recently bought it used and I'm a new 4Runner owner entirely.
 
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TheJimboTron said:
Has anyone noticed that the 2011 stock ride height on the SR5 seems lower than others in the rear? Is it just mine or was the 2011 SR5 meant to be lower in the rear compared to other 4Runners between 2010 and 2014? I took it to the shop and they said there were no aftermarket changes or problems with the suspension on mine. I just recently bought it used and I'm a new 4Runner owner entirely.
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Congrats on your purchase. In reference to your inquiry, are your observations based on visual or measurements? Also, are you running 265/70/17 or larger?
 
Measure from the center of the wheel up to the fender for the front and back and let us know.
 
mace. said:
Measure from the center of the wheel up to the fender for the front and back and let us know.
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I actually already looked into this. I measured driver side rear and from center of the wheel it's 21 inches to the bottom of the fender trim and on the passenger side it's 20.5. The service foreman at Toyota told me that Tacomas and 4Runners list on their rear suspension within 1" roughly so I understand why there are different measurements however I found another 2011 SR5 and they measured 23 on both sides so I know I'm sagging for some reason. Tire size shouldn't matter since measurement from center wheel to bottom centr trim is more accurate in measuring something like this but for now I am running 265/70R17 Dunlop AT20s which is a retarded tire let me tell you! I'll be making the switch to BFG All Terrains or Mud Terrains down the road after my lift.
 
mace. said:
21 seems about right, maybe slightly low. 23 sounds too high for stock
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I went down to the dealership and all the 2014s are super high in the back. Especially compared to mine and not just the Trail Editions. I think maybe my coils or shocks are crapped out but the thing rides so well.

Hmmmm . . . .
 
I have it all figured out now. I am installing a budget build beginner's lift. I've been a wheeler for years and have always relied on my skills instead of a lift but I've decided to finally go with a lift to make it look badass and since my coils and shocks are worn out. I'm going with adjustable 5100 Bilsteins at 1.75 inches in the front with stock coils and 2'' Super Flex coils in the back from Toy Tec Lifts with 2" 5100 Bilsteins. Mike from Toy Tec helped me figure out what I want since I want to keep the stock rake of roughly 2" after lifting. After settling it should ride about 1.5" front and 2.00" in the back. Down the road I might upgrade to OME coils since that's what I originally wanted to go with but for now to stay on a limited budget I went with this setup and Mike gave me a fat discount!
 
TheJimboTron said:
I have it all figured out now. I am installing a budget build beginner's lift. I've been a wheeler for years and have always relied on my skills instead of a lift but I've decided to finally go with a lift to make it look badass and since my coils and shocks are worn out. I'm going with adjustable 5100 Bilsteins at 1.75 inches in the front with stock coils and 2'' Super Flex coils in the back from Toy Tec Lifts with 2" 5100 Bilsteins. Mike from Toy Tec helped me figure out what I want since I want to keep the stock rake of roughly 2" after lifting. After settling it should ride about 1.5" front and 2.00" in the back. Down the road I might upgrade to OME coils since that's what I originally wanted to go with but for now to stay on a limited budget I went with this setup and Mike gave me a fat discount!
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Yes - this lift should leave you with the mega-rake.

The good thing is, if there is too much rake for your liking, you can always jack the fronts up to 2.5".
 
shaneotool said:
Yes - this lift should leave you with the mega-rake.

The good thing is, if there is too much rake for your liking, you can always jack the fronts up to 2.5".
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Will I need to adjust my headlights? If so I have seen the thread for the 2014 model but what about for a 2011? Is it different? Also, Mike at Toy Tec really suggested to stick with their coils over the OMEs I was thinking about doing but I'm worried they won't be enough extra payload since I tow once in a while and don't want sag in the back when I carry any cargo. He suggested I stay with the Toy Tex's so I wouldn't get too much lift. Any insight on this? I wanted to go with the OME Heavy 600lbs payloa capacity but that would have been a 3" lift in the back. Even the medium loads would have been 2.5.
 
If you are keeping almost the same rake as stock, the headlights should be okay. I'm sure if you checked them, they would be slightly off from where you started but probably not enough to matter. I have been surprised that, since I leveled mine out, the headlights and fogs still seem to be effective and nobody has flashed me down yet when driving at night. I expected to need to adjust mine but haven't and won't unless something changes.

Just my 2 cents, since it's your truck - the only thing that looks worse to me than a raked 4x4 is a raked lifted 4x4.
 
could be that someone overloaded the rear .. whether it was while towing or loading something heavy back there
 
TheJimboTron said:
Has anyone noticed that the 2011 stock ride height on the SR5 seems lower than others in the rear? Is it just mine or was the 2011 SR5 meant to be lower in the rear compared to other 4Runners between 2010 and 2014? I took it to the shop and they said there were no aftermarket changes or problems with the suspension on mine. I just recently bought it used and I'm a new 4Runner owner entirely.
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You wouldn't by chance have a 3rd row seat would you?

I tow occasionally and haul stuff regularly (maybe 300-500 lb) and the stock rake levels out with not much squat. I have towed at max with tongue weight around 450 lb and again, it leveled right out. Now, if you put 600 lb in the back AND you tow with a 500 lb tongue weight then you will squat.

The guys who level their truck without adding a big ass set of springs in the back or airbags must not ever use them for utility. If you level and keep the stock spring rate in the back (spacers) then you definitely will squat with a reverse rake when towing or loading up gear.
 
T4R_Finally said:
If you are keeping almost the same rake as stock, the headlights should be okay..
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Hmmmm. Seems to me that 1.75" front and 2" rear might maintain the same rake angle, but the headlights are still going to be 1.75" higher than they were.

At a minimum, set your truck on a level surface 20' from a wall. Mark the top of the beam with some tape, and check it again post-lift.
 
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philsey said:
Hmmmm. Seems to me that 1.75" front and 2" rear might maintain the same rake angle, but the headlights are still going to be 1.75" higher than they were.

At a minimum, set your truck on a level surface 20' from a wall. Mark the top of the beam with some tape, and check it again post-lift.
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Yes, I'm actually trying to keep a near to stock rake angle while lifting the truck moderately. A slight rise in the rake angle on the back won't bother me but I don't want it to be a MEGA RAKE.
 
1engineer said:
You wouldn't by chance have a 3rd row seat would you?

I tow occasionally and haul stuff regularly (maybe 300-500 lb) and the stock rake levels out with not much squat. I have towed at max with tongue weight around 450 lb and again, it leveled right out. Now, if you put 600 lb in the back AND you tow with a 500 lb tongue weight then you will squat.

The guys who level their truck without adding a big ass set of springs in the back or airbags must not ever use them for utility. If you level and keep the stock spring rate in the back (spacers) then you definitely will squat with a reverse rake when towing or loading up gear.
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Yea I do have a third row. Why do you ask?
 
T4R_Finally said:
If you are keeping almost the same rake as stock, the headlights should be okay. I'm sure if you checked them, they would be slightly off from where you started but probably not enough to matter. I have been surprised that, since I leveled mine out, the headlights and fogs still seem to be effective and nobody has flashed me down yet when driving at night. I expected to need to adjust mine but haven't and won't unless something changes.

Just my 2 cents, since it's your truck - the only thing that looks worse to me than a raked 4x4 is a raked lifted 4x4.
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On some vehicles I'm into leveling but mostly I prefer a rake on my suv or truck. I like the look of it more.
 
1engineer said:
Your truck is 3 years old and the suspension has "settled" + you have the weight of the 3rd rod seats dropping you even futher. That's why the new models measure out higher.
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Don't forget that I said I compared the ride height to other 2011 SR5 Models. I think someone pointed out that the previous owner may have overloaded the thing when towing and they did it to often.
 
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