4" Lift? Motorcycles? Towing? Tuff Country? Trail premium

[RunningLife]

Ideally, my ideal set up would be:

Trail Off Road Premium with KDSS

Unfortunately I can't afford it brand new and the only one for sale in my area is a 2016 trail off road premium without KDSS and a full 4" tuff country full suspension lift. All terrain BF Goodrich off-road/snow/ice tires. AMR 17" matte black wheels.

That being said, I live in the Pacific north west where I like to go snowboarding but will never do any type of off roaming other than driving on snow. I plan to use this as a daily commuter. I'm concerned about the wobble as a daily driver and the increase roll potential as I plan to use a hitch motorcycle carrier (not tow trailer) cross country and do some motorcycle riding and camping.

1) has anyone have had any experience with a 4" suspension lift on a 5th gen?

2) I can't seem to find any reviews on a tuff country 4" lift for 4runners, I just assume nobody does them because it's so high? I believe it's 4" front and 2.5" back but I could be wrong and 4" all around. Is tuff country good?

3) if I wanted to lower it back to stock, is it worth doing? Will it feel like an OEM again?

4) how does suspension lifting affect my towing purpose if using a hitch carrier?

5) does adding suspension lift add wobble? I'm concerned about the comfort of long distance traveling, 2000 miles plus.

Thanks in advance guys. Great community. Been reading a lot of helpful posts. Hopefully I'll be able to contribute once I get more experience with the 4runner family

 

[WVhillbilly]

What motorcycle and what does it weigh?

That would be my biggest concern from a safety standpoint.

Unless you could find used suspension parts from someone here it wouldn't be cheap to put if back to stock.

I'd look out a little farther away and try to find what you want, instead of getting something that might not suit your needs.

 

[RunningLife]

What motorcycle and what does it weigh?

That would be my biggest concern from a safety standpoint.

Unless you could find used suspension parts from someone here it wouldn't be cheap to put if back to stock.

I'd look out a little farther away and try to find what you want, instead of getting something that might not suit your needs.

Motorcycle and carrier weighs no more than 450lbs

 

[WVhillbilly]

You'll be up close to max tongue weight, and the lift is going to raise your center of gravity.

Unless you're set on getting this 4Runner you might want to search for another one or plan on putting it back to stock height.

 

[RunningLife]

You'll be up close to max tongue weight, and the lift is going to raise your center of gravity.

Unless you're set on getting this 4Runner you might want to search for another one or plan on putting it back to stock height.

I think youre right, the 4runner is a beauty though, i mean look at it lol

https://seattle.craigslist.org/est/cto/d/2016-custom-white-4runner/6517587246.html


Thanks

 

[WVhillbilly]

it is nice.
I think with a bit of shopping around you could get a new one for that price though.

 

[S p a r k y]

I think youre right, the 4runner is a beauty though, i mean look at it lol

https://seattle.craigslist.org/est/cto/d/2016-custom-white-4runner/6517587246.html


Thanks

That Tough Country “full” suspension lift is a front “full” spacer lift!

 

[WVhillbilly]

New 4Runner, same money.
https://www.toyotaofbellevue.com/new-Bellevue-2018-Toyota-4Runner-SR5-JTEBU5JRXJ5527776

 

[Sleeter]

You should be able to get a new trail premium for close to or better than that price, also that "lift" is garbage and so are the wheels IMHO.

 

[t4warner]

That Tough Country “full” suspension lift is a front “full” spacer lift!

Second this.

That used 4runner is super expensive! I bought my TRDOR OTD for less. Then again, different markers i guess.hwell:

 

[Jaem94]

Like everyone is saying. You could find a new one for less I bought my trd off road premium (no KDSS or sunroof) for 37.5k +ttl so if i were you and we’re going to put the suspension back to stock. I would save up the extra 2-3k for brand new!

 

[chillfancy]

Too expensive. I got my 2014 TE premium KDSS for ~31k with 40k miles.

A motorcycle carrier is going to be close or above the maximum rated tongue weight (due to the lever arm created.) I would recommend a trailer if you need to haul at 400+ lb motorcycle.

 

[Jetboy]

Tough country suspension is crap. I'd stay away from it and look for a better quality suspension. I put a set of TC upper control arms on and they were literally worse than OEM geometry for lifted 4runners. I spoke with them about it - they're just a few miles down the road from me, basically they don't care. They think 1 degree of caster is plenty to have good highway manners. That means they don't have the slightest clue about suspension geometry. They focus on show trucks, not on vehicle performance. The result is that it will drive like crap.

That lift, to me, would make that 4runner worth less than a stock one. You'll just have to throw everything away anyway to make it a good daily driver. If you're not going off road much, find yourself a nice clean used one that's totally stock and put a decent suspension on it. For around $1500 you could have a very good suspension setup with Dobinson, TRD Pro aftermarket, or Bilstein, shocks, real springs, and some decent upper control arms and the result will be a 4runner that has a lift AND performs very well on the street and in the dirt.

Then buy yourself a trailer. Hitch carriers are not a good idea unless your motorcycle is a CRF250R. Even then it's pushing what I'd want on a carrier. I do own one, but I only use it for short local trips to take my wife's scooter to the inspection center.

Or consider a tacoma. Might fit your needs a little better.

 

[Titanpat57]

Tuff Country is crap

 

[tri4cy]

I have a white 2016 TEP that I use to haul my motorcycle hitch hauler! I ride an enduro so my bike sits around 225lbs wet. I didn't feel comfortable carrying much more than that. I hauled it from Iowa to Leadville last year on stock suspension and it wasn't very fun. The stock suspension was way too soft and which made me a little nose light and harder to maintain a track. I felt safe but didn't feel comfortable adding any more weight than that. I could just be a wuss though I just upgraded my suspension to a 2.5" lift and stiffer springs. Unfortunately I haven't used it to haul the bike yet.

Another concern I'd have over that lift is at 4" I would expect after market UCA's. As others have mentioned...I'd probably move on.