2014 TE Prem - to lift or not? Surf truck

[dmwolff]

hey all,

picked up a '14 TE premium in super white w/kdss. Order of mods thus far: ctx tint all the way around, blacked out the bumper trim pieces and roof rack (3M vinyl now, but may paint for more permanence) and put some bfg at's on. I'll pickup some black trd pro wheels when they become available. wife still not convinced that we need a gobi and led's, but i'm working on her. was also looking at the n-fab steps but actually like the oem trail running boards (i know, not cool).

I plan to use the truck as a surf vehicle - primary in the outer banks. Wondering about thoughts on lift. is it recommended for beach driving? we also live in VA, so will be doing some car camping in as many remote locations as we can find. long term plan is to use the truck for family adventures cross-country (ie- national park / coast line overland tours). no rock crawling / no "serious" offroading.

if you recommend a lift, which one? I've been looking at toytec's site but haven't formally inquired as to best setup for a '14 w/ kdss. don't want to put anything on that isn't as high quality as stock and would like there to be a noticable improvement for any mods.

much appreciated! thanks!

 

[sn_85]

Before you start considering a lift you should spend some time in it and do all the things you intend to do in it and then you'll know whether or not you'll need it. It doesn't sound like you need a lift at all and a new set of tire would probably be just fine for what you do.

There's an entire thread of Lifted pics, it's right on top with the stickies. I would check that. No need to rehash a subject which has been discussed multiple times. There are many lift options out there and each person is going to give their own subjective opinion. You just need to see which fits your budget and which will accomplish what you want.

 

[VoodooTitan]

^ agreed... now, for my subjective opinion.

Through my research i've found that even though most lifts are advertised around $1200, we'll actually end up spending around $1900 since we have KDSS, and if you lift, you'll probably want to go with new UCA's.

I recently inquired with Sonora steel about a lift that would work well in multiple environments since i'm military. If you are too, you should factor that in. Could you end up in florida for 3 years, then washington state? You'll want to be particular about aftermarket parts not rusting or getting more wear due to road salts, salt water exposure, etc. Steve with Sonora ensured me his lift would provide good protection against this issue, as it is a big issue if I have to invest that much money in a lift.

Again, really consider this option though. Do you need a lift if you're using it as a surf truck? Probably not, maybe you could use that money for a gobi rack and some lights, maybe one of those reefers for some beers, another battery to supply power, or the alternator upgrade that [MENTION=83083]rigtec[/MENTION] did a write up on... so that way, if you're out at the beach at night, you've got some good lighting and cold beers.

Also, have you seen the budbuilt sliders? they're VERY nice IMO.

 

[1engineer]

If I were building a 4Runner primarily for OBX, and I have driven it many times, this is what I would do:
1. No lift (don't need it)
2. A bit wider tire not so much taller (the 4Runner has great ground clearance)
3. A portable compressor. (either mounted or not)
4. Front hitch (for recovery and for putting rod holders in a hitch mount)
5. Wanna sell your wife on a aftermarket rack? One word: Awning so
5a. Gobi Rack
5b. Rack mounted Awning
6. Rear facing lights
7. Vacuum cleaner mod (which means permanently mounting one of these ala Honda Odyssey.

No real modifications to suspension, no different wheels but need better tires. Good luck!

 

[KevinAB]

I drive on Island Beach State Park in NJ and have no lift on my '13 SR5 (even though I'm always toying with the idea). Of all the times I've gone bouncing around in deep ruts in the soft sand, the belly of my 4Runner has slightly brushed the sand only once. And that was with 4 adults + cargo. Based on that, I can't justify a lift for that kind of beach driving.

The only real modification I've done is added a front hitch, which I'm very happy with. For the beach, I had a custom-made rod holder fabricated so it sits up and doesn't interfere with the front clearance the 4Runner has...