Absalom's Cookie Cutter 4runner Builds - New and Updated!

[absalom]

It's also worth pointing out that running a proper pressure is important. I prefer 30 psi and no more

 

[TBuzz]

I have e rated ST Maxx's and they are the shiznit. Not too heavy at all and flex great. Is there any d rated tire that has a 3ply sidewall anyway. I think that should be important to be on the list for "trail boss" or whatever. It's essentially tire armor. Built well enough that a 3 ply sidewall tire doesn't bog down the ride. I mean a more robustly built rig is going to handle heavier tires better as mine now does. Nothing harsh about these e rated tires, truck rides better than my tundra.

 

[JayRolla]

E loads work fine if you keep them at 20psi or always towing 6000lb plus of weight. Other than that yes, they are stiff and not needed.

 

[absalom]

Its too bad that most of the A/T and M/T tires that are offered to me are E-rated. How much of a noticeable difference is it from C or D load?

It's substantial, to the point that'd I avoid all E loads in the future. Check out Yokohama and Treadwright.

 

[PCF4runner]

I've created the following "4runner Recipe Book" in response to an increasing number of PM's. I have received many questions asking for advice and input on building up a 1996-2002 Toyota 4runner. The question usually goes something like this: "I have saggy OEM coils, with spacers front and back. My 33" tires rub like crazy. What should I begin replacing??". I've developed a series of easily replicable cookie cutter builds. We'll cover build ups for all walks of life, all driving styles, and more importantly, all wallet sizes! Without further ado, let's jump right in!

Budget OEM Refresh

This build path would suit someone who just bought their first 4runner used. This person might be unsure of the truck's maintenance history. It tackles important, simple upkeep items, before delving into the suspension and tires. The user will end up with a very smooth running, reliable, semi-capable truck. Lighter trails, long road trips, daily errands -- all tackled with ease, just as Toyota designed. ​

• New OEM lower ball joints
  ---> If play is detected in tie rod ends, than new aftermarket tie rods should be installed.
• New radiator - not brand specific
• Complete fluid change and timing belt inspection
  • Brake fluid
  • Engine oil
  • Power steering fluid
  • Differential fluid
  • Coolant flush
• New OEM-style rubber steering bushings
• New aftermarket sway bar links front and rear
• New aftermarket sway bar bushings front and rear
• Used 99 Tall Coils front and rear
• New OEM Shocks/Struts
• New 265/70/16 highway terrain or all-terrain tires (Mounted with road-force balancing machine)

Daily Driver/Weekend Warrior - Pavement Bias

The DD/WW build is aimed at folks who spend the majority of their time on pavement, but frequently take their trucks off-roading on the weekends. Great for a family that enjoys camping, a traveling salesperson, or a hunter. Using premium OEM components where applicable, drivers can rest assured they're getting the best quality on road.​

• New OEM lower ball joints
• New OEM radiator
• New OEM inner and outer tie rods
• New OEM upper and lower control arm bushings
• Complete fluid change and timing belt inspection
  • Brake fluid
  • Engine oil
  • Power steering fluid
  • Differential fluid
  • Coolant flush
• Energy Suspension poly steering bushings
• New OEM sway bar links front and rear
• New OEM sway bar bushings front and rear
• New OEM 99 Tall Coils front and rear
• New OEM Shocks/Struts
• New 265/70/16 highway terrain or all-terrain tires (Mounted with road-force balancing machine)

Daily Driver/Weekend Warrior - Trail Bias

This variant of the DD/WW build is geared towards drivers who desire a slightly more aggressive look and the extra traction of off-road tires. Great for the guy who loves bombing fire roads, medium difficulty trails, or towing a small boat. Using premium OEM components where applicable, drivers can rest assured this build will outlast most any other on this list.​

• New OEM lower ball joints
• New OEM radiator
• New OEM inner and outer tie rods
• New OEM upper and lower control arm bushings
• Complete fluid change and timing belt replacement
  • Brake fluid
  • Engine oil
  • Power steering fluid
  • Differential fluid
  • Coolant flush
• Energy Suspension poly steering bushings
• New OEM sway bar links front and rear
• New OEM sway bar bushings front and rear
• New OEM 99 Tall Coils front and rear
• New OEM Shocks/Struts
• New 265/75/16 all-terrain or mud-terrain tires (Mounted with road-force balancing machine)
• 1/2" Body lift

Budget Trail Crawler

The 4runner is an astonishingly capable truck in stock form. Bolting on a well sorted, moderate lift only serves to enhance it's technical trail prowess. This build is a more affordable version of the bread and butter lift for the 3rd gen, as seen below. Repeated 1000's of times, it rarely disappoints and is guaranteed to get it's owner through all but the most technical trails. It's also a build with some trade-offs. The truck's center of gravity will be raised, it's acceleration reduced, it's braking power diminished, and it's on road comfort affected. Long distance driving tends to become more tedious and fuel stops more common. Take the truck off-road and it all starts to make sense. Rear articulation is nearly unlimited and obstacles seem less intimidating than before.​

• New OEM lower ball joints
  ---> If play is detected in tie rod ends, than new aftermarket tie rods should be installed.
• New radiator - not brand specific
• Complete fluid change and timing belt inspection
  • Brake fluid
  • Engine oil
  • Power steering fluid
  • Differential fluid
  • Coolant flush
• New Energy Suspension poly steering bushings
• New aftermarket sway bar links - front
• DIY Extended rear sway bar links - rear
• New aftermarket sway bar bushings front and rear
• Used 2002-2004 Toyota Tundra TRD front springs (paint color code - yellow yellow, yellow blue)
• New Bilstein 5100's for Toyota Tundra (set to 2nd perch)
• Used 1991-1996 Toyota Land Cruiser front springs
• New Monroe Sens-a-Trac 91-96 Land Cruiser rear shocks
• DIY Adjustable panhard bar
• New 285/75/16 mud-terrain or all-terrain tires
  • Avoid E load rating tires if possible
  • Always mount with Road Force balancing machine
  • Choose All-Terrains for snowy, icy, and sandy terrain
  • Choose Mud-Terrains for rocky, muddy, and loose snow terrain
• 1" Body lift

Bread and Butter Build

In this build, we open up the purse strings a little more to create the true 4runner Bread and Butter Build. Copied a million times over, this build will provide many years of reliable service. Sure, there are more civilized directions to take (we'll touch on those next) but few other builds provide the capability that this does for this price.​

• New OEM lower ball joints
• New OEM radiator
• New OEM inner and outer tie rods
• New OEM lower control arm bushings
• Complete fluid change and timing belt replacement
  • Brake fluid
  • Engine oil
  • Power steering fluid
  • Differential fluid
  • Coolant flush
• Energy Suspension poly steering bushings
• New Light Racing (SPC) upper control arms
• New MDT extended sway bar links front
• New OEM sway bar bushings front and rear
• DIY Extended rear sway bar links - rear
• New or Used 2002-2004 Toyota Tundra TRD front springs (paint color code - yellow yellow, yellow blue)
• New Bilstein 5100's for Toyota Tundra (set to 2nd perch)
• New Toytec Superflex rear springs
• New Toytec Bilsteins matched to above springs - rear
• Sonoran Steel or Toytec or DIY Adjustable panhard bar
• New 285/75/16 mud-terrain or all-terrain tires
• New 1-1.5" wheel spacers
• New 285/75/16 mud-terrain or all-terrain tires
  • Avoid E load rating tires if possible
  • Always mount with Road Force balancing machine
  • Choose All-Terrains for snowy, icy, and sandy terrain
  • Choose Mud-Terrains for rocky, muddy, and loose snow terrain
• 1" Body lift

The Ultimate

The name of this build is something of a misnomer. The build itself will not leave you with a class leading trophy truck, nor will it give Ferrari a run for it's money. I call it the ultimate because I believe it represents what these trucks should be. Simply put, completely capable in all categories: no more, no less. I set out to create a truck that would be equally at home bombing down a desert trail at 80 mph as it would be escorting your teenage daughter to her first prom. A truck that creates lasting memories and takes us to places we never thought possible, with those closest to us. These trucks represent so much more than just four chunks of rubber and a heap of metal. Let's give them the respect they deserve and build them to their fullest potential.​

• New OEM lower ball joints
• New OEM radiator
• New OEM inner and outer tie rods
• New OEM lower control arm bushings
• Complete fluid change and timing belt replacement
  • Brake fluid
  • Engine oil
  • Power steering fluid
  • Differential fluid
  • Coolant flush
• New/used TRD Supercharger with supporting mods
• Energy Suspension poly steering bushings
• New Light Racing (SPC) upper control arms
• New MDT extended sway bar links front
• New OEM sway bar bushings front and rear
• DIY Extended rear sway bar links - rear
• New King or Icon or FOA or Fox 2.5" Shocks
• New King or Icon or FOA or Fox 2.5" Coilovers w/ springs
• New King or Icon or FOA or Fox bumpstops - front/rear
• New Toytec Superflex rear springs
• Sonoran Steel or Toytec or DIY Adjustable panhard bar
• Rebuilt 4.88 3rd member/clamshell from ECGS - front and rear
• New 285/75/16 mud-terrain or all-terrain tires
• New 1-1.5" wheel spacers
• New 285/75/16 mud-terrain or all-terrain tires
  • Avoid E load rating tires if possible
  • Always mount with Road Force balancing machine
  • Choose All-Terrains for snowy, icy, and sandy terrain
  • Choose Mud-Terrains for rocky, muddy, and loose snow terrain
• 1" Body lift

Very useful thanks! Wish i came across that when i just had mine :thumb3:

 

[GangsterOfLove]

Our trucks don't weigh near enough to justify the extra load carrying capacity that these tires offer. What we end up with is, a stiff ride, with heavy tires. E rated tires are more expensive, less compliant, less comfortable than D or C rated tires. They do hold an incredible amount of weight though, it's pretty astonishing how capable they are in the right application.

'tis true.

I run E rated tires on my work truck and it weighs 10,000# before I hitch up the travel trailer. No problems, as long as I keep 80# of air in them.

Great lists - thanks!

 

[scrapper]

Mr. Know it all. Aka "OP"
Ok, so my mom bought me my first vehicle (a 3rd gen T4R) unfortunately instead of the Jeep I planned on naming Yota-killer. But hell....it's free so whatever - screw her.
How big can I go on tires without suspension mods since I'm going for aesthetics and I've already allotted my birthday & gramma's x-mas money for wicked-cool. Bad ass interior, led mood-lighting and a touch screen system with hard core tunes bangin gansta thug bass? You front like you know it all yet i would bet my half-sister's alleged virginty you ain't even down with my homies at "worldstar"

 

[JeepKiller]

[MENTION=89595]scrapper[/MENTION] Thought you were serious for a second.... :rofl:

 

[scrapper]

[MENTION=89595]scrapper[/MENTION] Thought you were serious for a second.... :rofl:

That's what I'm here for - I'm the one trick pony, good for an occasional chuckle but useless for credible information. A one hit wonder, one-liner extroidanaire.

 

[AZBub]

That's what I'm here for - I'm the one trick pony, good for an occasional chuckle but useless for credible information. A one hit wonder, one-liner extroidanaire.

like this thread. Where's that monkey covering his mouth emoji when you need it.

 

[Kmurt]

Mr. Know it all. Aka "OP"
Ok, so my mom bought me my first vehicle (a 3rd gen T4R) unfortunately instead of the Jeep I planned on naming Yota-killer. But hell....it's free so whatever - screw her.
How big can I go on tires without suspension mods since I'm going for aesthetics and I've already allotted my birthday & gramma's x-mas money for wicked-cool. Bad ass interior, led mood-lighting and a touch screen system with hard core tunes bangin gansta thug bass? You front like you know it all yet i would bet my half-sister's alleged virginty you ain't even down with my homies at "worldstar"

Truer words have never been spoken.

 

[RoyBell]

Daily Driver/Weekend Warrior - Pavement Bias

The DD/WW build is aimed at folks who spend the majority of their time on pavement, but frequently take their trucks off-roading on the weekends. Great for a family that enjoys camping, a traveling salesperson, or a hunter. Using premium OEM components where applicable, drivers can rest assured they're getting the best quality on road.​

• New OEM lower ball joints
• New OEM radiator
• New OEM inner and outer tie rods
• New OEM upper and lower control arm bushings
• Complete fluid change and timing belt inspection
  • Brake fluid
  • Engine oil
  • Power steering fluid
  • Differential fluid
  • Coolant flush
• Energy Suspension poly steering bushings
• New OEM sway bar links front and rear
• New OEM sway bar bushings front and rear
• New OEM 99 Tall Coils front and rear
• New OEM Shocks/Struts
• New 265/70/16 highway terrain or all-terrain tires (Mounted with road-force balancing machine)

Any suggestions on endlinks? Are MOOG acceptable vs OEM?

Trying to replace the bushings/end links front and rear and having a hard time finding replacements. ES offers greasable front swaybar bushings, is that really needed over non greasable?

 

[Chuckles89]

Any suggestions on endlinks? Are MOOG acceptable vs OEM?

Trying to replace the bushings/end links front and rear and having a hard time finding replacements. ES offers greasable front swaybar bushings, is that really needed over non greasable?

I have these for the rear and they are really beefy: Amazon.com: ACDelco 46G0453A Advantage Rear Suspension Stabilizer Bar Link Kit: Automotive

Here are the same brand front ones. I have no experience with them, but they are a little cheaper than the moog ones Amazon.com: ACDelco 46G20513A Advantage Front Suspension Stabilizer Bar Link Kit: Automotive

I have front and rear Prothane bushings (similar to ES) and they made a huge difference in handling. There is so much less body roll and they were well worth the extra money.

 

[1985taylor1925]

Its too bad that most of the A/T and M/T tires that are offered to me are E-rated. How much of a noticeable difference is it from C or D load?

My Cooper discoverers A/Ts are Standard Load, and really a great tire for the price. I went from Cooper Discoverer E Load H/Ts, to the SL load A/Ts, in the same size, and the ride is certainly better even though the tread is more aggressive. A stock weighted 3rd gen with E load tires is a wooden roller coaster

 

[gclark14]

Mr. Know it all. Aka "OP"

Ok, so my mom bought me my first vehicle (a 3rd gen T4R) unfortunately instead of the Jeep I planned on naming Yota-killer. But hell....it's free so whatever - screw her.

How big can I go on tires without suspension mods since I'm going for aesthetics and I've already allotted my birthday & gramma's x-mas money for wicked-cool. Bad ass interior, led mood-lighting and a touch screen system with hard core tunes bangin gansta thug bass? You front like you know it all yet i would bet my half-sister's alleged virginty you ain't even down with my homies at "worldstar"

This is gold

 

[RUE]

hello boss man,

just wondering if when you indicate the lift height at the end, does that mean thats how much lift it will end up being? Or, do i need something like spacers?

thank you sir!

 

[AZBub]

if you look at the OP this post tells you nothing other than to replace wear and tear parts. There is a sticky that's better suited for info on lift crap.

 

[absalom]

if you look at the OP this post tells you nothing other than to replace wear and tear parts. There is a sticky that's better suited for info on lift crap.

This is just an "ingredients list", if you will, for what parts are needed for each specific style of build. I believe, that like any upgrade, you should use all resources available to you, to make the the best decision.

 

[amalik]

[MENTION=79826]absalom[/MENTION], good thread here.

Who makes polyurethane bushings I can throw on aftermarket swaybar links for the front?

energy suspension product site only shows me swaybar bushings, no link bushings.

 

[RoyBell]

[MENTION=79826]absalom[/MENTION], good thread here.

Who makes polyurethane bushings I can throw on aftermarket swaybar links for the front?

energy suspension product site only shows me swaybar bushings, no link bushings.

I got some prothane ones from amazon.