Hey folks, complete newb to all things suspension related, and have been reading a ton of stuff on here trying to figure out my best route. The confusion has only increased....
I have a 2005 4runner V6 4WD with 200k on it. In need of new tires, and while I was at it, thought about lifting/leveling the vehicle as well. I dont do much off-roading, but do hit fire roads in the mountains frequently, with detours down lesser maintained side roads occasionally as well. I like to explore areas, but not trying to rock crawl or attempt any seriously technical trails while doing so. I dont think I need anything "high performance", as my current setup has mostly taken me wherever I wanted to go without any issues. I drive in fairly heavy snow conditions for half the year as well.
I mainly want to level out the front with the rear, but as Ive never replaced the shocks/struts, thought it was a good time to tackle that as well. It does seem to be riding soft and unresponsive off road and in corners going up and down the mountain pass. It would be nice to add a little ground clearance, but Im also not looking to have a noticeably "lifted"/agressive looking vehicle.
Current thoughts were adding a leveling kit, new shocks and going to a slightly taller tire (255/75R17).
Also have seen a lot of info on the Bilstein 5100. would getting those negate the need to get a leveling/lift kit? What would these offer in terms of ride performance, on and off road? Unnecessary for my needs?
The Daystar 2.5/1.5 seems popular, would it be best/cheapest to just get that and replace factory shocks?
Just looking for a little more guidance on the best route to take. My budget for new tires, shocks,lift, etc) is about $1500, but less is always nice.
Thanks for any help!