4th Gen Suspension Options/FAQ

[AZ-4Runner]

lift coils and saucer????

I just installed the toytec front coils with bil 5100's set at 0.85" and the super flex rear with bil 5100's I had already had a DS 1.5" rear spacer and I reused that on top of the rear 2" super flex coils. Has anyone else used a lifted coil and rear spacer with success or is that too much lift for the rear without other mods???


Im running 265/70R18 Cooper ATP with 18x9 +18 offset.

 

[alia176]

I know this has been hashed, and rehashed, but I can't see a consensus forming, so I'd like some help tackling this head on.

For every positive comment I see about Moog FJ coils for the front, I see a negative comment about the Moog FJ coils for the rear. Either fit or feel is off for almost every post I see.

Is there an alternative to the Moog FJ rear coils that people go to as a second choice? I'm not a serious off-roader, just a gravel or dirt road on the weekends. But I love hearing people talking about the flatter turns, less bounce, etc. Or am I way off on people saying the Moog's don't fit on the rear axle?

Just wanted to point out that "flatter turns and less bounce" is all shocks, not coils. FYI. Coils are strictly for weight carry capacity and vehicle body movement is all about the shocks.

 

[fredericroumi]

Little question here...Just bought an ‘03 V8 Limited and the back end seems to be jacked up too high! After reading up on it a little and checking the truck I noticed that the bracket on the rear right (near the bag) is broken. I was able to locate the switch it has to be connected to but turning it one way or another does nothing.

However, at this point the position (on the dash) is at neutral and it does go up and down when operating from the height adjustment button.

That said, and keeping in mind that I don’t want to necessarily “fix” the issue and I can definitely do without the height adjustment feature, is there a way to adjust the “normal” height to have the truck sitting straight and keeping it this way?

Thanks for your help!!!

 

[Inv4drZm]

Just wanted to point out that "flatter turns and less bounce" is all shocks, not coils. FYI. Coils are strictly for weight carry capacity and vehicle body movement is all about the shocks.

The flatter turns part is mostly springs though. They support the weight of the body so when you turn, the weight transfers more to the outside springs so they compress more and give body roll.

 

[Toyot@]

So is it true that if I have an 07 4Runner and I put on TRD wheels, I could put on 275/70/R17 tires on the with a 3/2 spacer lift with no problems? And also, just to get the wheels flush with the body, what wheel spacers would I use?

 

[jrm]

should be able

So is it true that if I have an 07 4Runner and I put on TRD wheels, I could put on 275/70/R17 tires on the with a 3/2 spacer lift with no problems? And also, just to get the wheels flush with the body, what wheel spacers would I use?

to do that with a puck lift w/o spacers

 

[joneblaze]

Would love some input/advice from the forum here -

I am in the process of getting '16 Trail wheels fitted to my 4G V8 and it's obvious my original shocks are gone at 145k miles (cuffing on my tires too).
Have been reading up on the aftermarket options and leaning towards 5100/stock springs as many have done.

Mainly for road driving with some planned mild/moderate off-roading occasionally.

My question - is it advisable to stick with stock springs with 145k mi worth of wear and sag on them or should I bite the billet and include aftermarket coils with my 5100's? If aftermarket is advised, which ones? I don't plan on adding weight to the car with bumpers/winches/armor. I'd like a light lift look similar to a 5100 on 1.75" with stock coils set up.

Many thanks!

Jon


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[Rodtheviking]

Would love some input/advice from the forum here -

I am in the process of getting '16 Trail wheels fitted to my 4G V8 and it's obvious my original shocks are gone at 145k miles (cuffing on my tires too).
Have been reading up on the aftermarket options and leaning towards 5100/stock springs as many have done.

Mainly for road driving with some planned mild/moderate off-roading occasionally.

My question - is it advisable to stick with stock springs with 145k mi worth of wear and sag on them or should I bite the billet and include aftermarket coils with my 5100's? If aftermarket is advised, which ones? I don't plan on adding weight to the car with bumpers/winches/armor. I'd like a light lift look similar to a 5100 on 1.75" with stock coils set up.

Many thanks!

Jon


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I would replace the springs, you have to take the strut apart so why not save yourself the trouble of doing it again when you find the stock springs are saggy. New top hats too while you are at it.

For stockish ride height I have heard that the Wheelers/Eibach T1 fronts and T12 rear springs are pretty darn close. You could always do the FJ coils and set the clip up to the height you want too. I personally don't like the idea of pre loading springs but many have done it, just personal choice.

Me? I would do the Wheelers springs in the front with the OME 2895E springs for the rear with the 5100's and call it done.

 

[joneblaze]

I would replace the springs, you have to take the strut apart so why not save yourself the trouble of doing it again when you find the stock springs are saggy. New top hats too while you are at it.

For stockish ride height I have heard that the Wheelers/Eibach T1 fronts and T12 rear springs are pretty darn close. You could always do the FJ coils and set the clip up to the height you want too. I personally don't like the idea of pre loading springs but many have done it, just personal choice.

Me? I would do the Wheelers springs in the front with the OME 2895E springs for the rear with the 5100's and call it done.

Appreciate the response, Chris [MENTION=143333]Rodtheviking[/MENTION]

These the correct ones - https://wheelersoffroad.com/product...-off-road-437502/wheelers-t1-front-coil-pair/ ?

I assume in my case of wanting a "light" lift, I would buy the T1+12 spring kit and install with the 5100's on the lowest perch, allowing the springs to provide the lift instead of the shock? Is this the "optimal" set up, doing away with pre-loaded/shorter travel with the shock on a higher perch?

Also, the new top hat reco is a good call - after 145k in SoCal weather I'm sure the inside rubber bits are all hard and crackly - any suggestions on what to get? OEM or is there a cheaper, quality aftermarket option?

Many thanks

Jon

 

[Rodtheviking]

Appreciate the response, Chris [MENTION=143333]Rodtheviking[/MENTION]

These the correct ones - https://wheelersoffroad.com/product...-off-road-437502/wheelers-t1-front-coil-pair/ ?

I assume in my case of wanting a "light" lift, I would buy the T1+12 spring kit and install with the 5100's on the lowest perch, allowing the springs to provide the lift instead of the shock? Is this the "optimal" set up, doing away with pre-loaded/shorter travel with the shock on a higher perch?

Also, the new top hat reco is a good call - after 145k in SoCal weather I'm sure the inside rubber bits are all hard and crackly - any suggestions on what to get? OEM or is there a cheaper, quality aftermarket option?

Many thanks

Jon

Usually with "lift" springs they recommend the lowest setting since the spring height is usually taller or more coils etc. to achieve the lift.

Most places you can order from will assemble the struts and springs with new top hats (KYB or MOOG) for not much more, saves you a big hassle. I would check with whoever you order from.

And remember this is lift over stock height, your 4runner has most likely sagged a bit so it will be a little more than you think, lol. I installed 3 inch springs on mine and was surprised to see about 4.5 inch over my measured height. Its settled some now to 4 inches, hopefully a little more soon. :wacko:

And a OME light set-up would also be a good choice, the 2884 and 2895E with the OME shocks, a little more money but its the industry standard for quality lifts.

 

[4RunnerIRL]

Hi everyone, I'm a recent 4Runner buyer (07 Limited V8) and been reading this thread. Lots and lots of very useful info! My truck is non-XREAS and has 78K on the clock. I'm going to go with a mild lift kit and would like opinions on the below. Will be doing minimal off road, maybe some forest roads and will be driving in the snow come winter. 99% onroad/highway (Crappy NY highways that get beat up in winter though, which have large potholes!)

- Upgrade standard parts and get a spacer kit: Blistein 4600HD with MOOG springs, then maybe a small spacer lift to get some height. Should have good onroad handling which is my priority, and a good budget solution. Can always remove the spacer kit if I want to go back to standard height. Any feedback on MOOG springs for the 4runner? Are they stiffer than standard OEM?

- Lift with shocks/coils: Blistein 5100s with Wheelers T1/T12 coils. Would probably get me the 2.5" front and 1.5" on the rear between the springs and setting the front shocks to highest setting. As the springs are higher sprung I assume this would improve handling. Are the 5100s similar rate/stiffness as the 4600 HD?

Which do people think will work better in the long run and improve the handling and give me a lift? Also, as it's a 10yr old car I may replace the bushings. Any other parts to potentially replace while I'm at it?

Thanks everyone!

 

[joneblaze]

Usually with "lift" springs they recommend the lowest setting since the spring height is usually taller or more coils etc. to achieve the lift.

Most places you can order from will assemble the struts and springs with new top hats (KYB or MOOG) for not much more, saves you a big hassle. I would check with whoever you order from.

And remember this is lift over stock height, your 4runner has most likely sagged a bit so it will be a little more than you think, lol. I installed 3 inch springs on mine and was surprised to see about 4.5 inch over my measured height. Its settled some now to 4 inches, hopefully a little more soon. :wacko:

And a OME light set-up would also be a good choice, the 2884 and 2895E with the OME shocks, a little more money but its the industry standard for quality lifts.

Very helpful - thank you. I might very well just do it "right".

 

[fredericroumi]

Little question here...Just bought an ‘03 V8 Limited and the back end seems to be jacked up too high! After reading up on it a little and checking the truck I noticed that the bracket on the rear right (near the bag) is broken. I was able to locate the switch it has to be connected to but turning it one way or another does nothing.

However, at this point the position (on the dash) is at neutral and it does go up and down when operating from the height adjustment button.

That said, and keeping in mind that I don’t want to necessarily “fix” the issue and I can definitely do without the height adjustment feature, is there a way to adjust the “normal” height to have the truck sitting straight and keeping it this way?

Thanks for your help!!!

Anyone?

 

[laufer]

Coil springs from 5th gen largely equivalent to FJ

On my V8, I used virtually brand new springs from a 2013 5th gen SR5 and got results similar to FJ springs (plus Bilstein 5100s set at .85). My lift numbers are a little higher than average (1.75 front and .75, .5 rear) but it was a very saggy suspension so I think the results are right in line.

This might be relevant info for page one.

[MENTION=44866]ARK_SWAMP_RIDER[/MENTION]: I completely agree with JB...this should be "front-page news". :nod:

Last week, my trusted mechanic replaced XREAS and RAS on my 2004 4WD V8 Limited with the following parts:

• Metal Tech rear air to coil conversion kit (directly from MT)
• Bilstein 5100 front and rear (from BoostProjects/Amazon)
• slightly used coil springs from a 2016 TE (the "new FJ springs") (from eBay)
• front and rear sway bar bushings and links (from CarID)

The suspension upgrade came out exactly as I had hoped: supple yet firm, approximate lift 1.25" front (with the Bilsteins set to .85") and 0.5" in the rear. Ride height is 20"/20.5" F and 21.5"/22" R with the tank full. This gives me exactly the lift I need for going to 32" tires in the future and provides a supple yet firm ride. I tried it out on the Iron County Recreation Trail (UP of MI) and really like the way it rides.

Both front springs are the same, marked white-orange and with the extra wrap (p/n probably 4813135650). Both rear springs are also the same, marked orange-pink, 373mm (14 11/16") in length (2mm shorter than the stated length for the FJ rears). (Pix included below.)

IMO anyone having trouble looking for a decent set of FJ springs should consider getting springs from a 5th-gen 4Runner instead. They are widely available and relatively inexpensive.

References:

• http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/162125-coil-rates-oem-4runner-oem-fj-moog-others.html
• http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/149388-lift-question-fj-springs.html
• http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/228835-oem-front-coils-different-sr5-vs-te.html

 

[Jgr4runnee]

03 4 runner lift options

Hey guys, I just bought an 03 4runnner for my first car. I am trying to put on 305/70/16 tires and was wonder what lift kits would be a good match? I have very little expierence with these kinds of things seeing as it’s my first car, so I could use some wisdom. And my budget is around 400 btw it’s 4wd v8 thanks

 

[wtcnbrwndo4u]

Hey guys, I just bought an 03 4runnner for my first car. I am trying to put on 305/70/16 tires and was wonder what lift kits would be a good match? I have very little expierence with these kinds of things seeing as it’s my first car, so I could use some wisdom. And my budget is around 400

Those are some pretty big tires, I'd almost guarantee you'd need a body chop to fit those without rubbing.

For $400, your best bet is Bilstein 5100s all around set to 1.75", with spacers in the back to match the height. That wouldn't include springs (which probably should be replaced at this point anyways). Doesn't include install.

 

[Jgr4runnee]

04 4runner lift kit

i Don’t need a 3inch lift necessarily then? And I would rather spend less and have more for this car.

 

[wtcnbrwndo4u]

i Don’t need a 3inch lift necessarily then? And I would rather spend less and have more for this car.

No, you need at least a 3" lift, if not more. The 1.75" setting more or less doubles, it's not reflective of the actual setting.

 

[theoutbackdream]

Currently have Bilstein 5100's @ 1.75 with FJC Moog's all around + a Daystar 1.5" rear spacer in the rear.

Has anyone done Bilstein 5100's @ 2.5" with FJC moog's all around + Daystar 1.5" rear spacers?

Would I need UCA's and anyone have pictures? I want to see how much reverse rake there is..

 

[Jason B]

i Don’t need a 3inch lift necessarily then? And I would rather spend less and have more for this car.

You could do the 3/2 kit I have on sale right now, and that would do it.

More pics/feedback here:

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/229041-lift-leveling-kit-holiday-season-sale-4.html