Best lift for around $2500?

57buick said:
$2500 just go with KINGS extended travel coilovers and aftermarket UCA like SPC and you will never need to upgrade again in the future whatever mods you do.

KINGS are the best you can get and with the adjusters you can fine tune the ride and height at any time on the fly. I love being able to just turn a knob and set for soft or hard suspension in about 30 seconds and KINGS are progressive valving (as opposed to ICON digressive valving) and a reason why every offroad race vehicle or crawler uses KINGs, they are the best
Click to expand...

If you can find me a complete set of Kings all around for $2500 ill buy them now. The kits ive seen run about $4500
 
If you dont offroad all that much, or not doing anything super rough, a $2000+ lift is a waste.
I spent $700 on the Eibach Pro Truck lift (shocks and coils) and installed myself.
I am VERY happy with the ride. Better ride than Bilstiens, which I find too stiff.
That extra money could be spent on wheels, tires, bumper, winch, roof rack, etc.
I just think you could spread the money out on other mods and get more bang for your buck.
 
I forgot about the Kings price hike. I got mine new in open box for around $2400 from some guy off insta. Filthy has front and rear adj with 3" OME springs for $3100. You wont need ucas unless youre pushing 3"+ lift and/or wheel size.

Like I said, go take some trips with the stock runner and see what you like to do, then build accordingly.
 
ayeyothisiskyle said:
I forgot about the Kings price hike. I got mine new in open box for around $2400 from some guy off insta. Filthy has front and rear adj with 3" OME springs for $3100. You wont need ucas unless youre pushing 3"+ lift and/or wheel size.

Like I said, go take some trips with the stock runner and see what you like to do, then build accordingly.
Click to expand...

Grew up in the desert so im drawn to a little bit of speed. But when we are out i have 2 kids in the back too so we dont do anything crazy. Personally the stock suspension is far too soft for anything offroad. Plush on the road though.
 
priced out a set you referred to with the extended travel, and the proper 2.5-3" front and 2" rear all in shocks, springs and UCA's with out adjusters, and I'm north of 3.6k. adjusters increase the price about another $500+, really not a point in kings if you don't have the adjusters. King is top shelf for sure, but there is a price for top shelf as we know.
 
Toytec

Just purchased the Toytec Boss 2.5 performance kit with SPC UCA/s and Rokmen Trail Lower links for around $2500 without installation. Will be installed the end of the month so will update in a couple months
 
I paid $2300 for my front KINGS and SPC control arms together from Filthy Motor Sports a few months ago. Then just ordered my KING rears this week for $1072 shipped from Total Automotive. I did it in two stages to spread out the cost so yea front and rear together around $3400 but I still stand by if you have $2500 to spend get the KINGS and never have to upgrade again.

If you need to wait for the rears for a couple more months so be it, it's worth it.
 
King Shocks OEM Upgrade Kit | Toyota 4Runner | 2010 +
[King KDSS:Non-KDSS 4Runner (25001-278)]
[King F Adj:Add Front Compression Adjusters (A)]
[King F Ext:Extended Travel (EXT)]
[King F SPG:650lb. Springs]
[King UCA2:Add SPC UCAs (For Endurance)]
[King R SPG1:No Rear Springs]
[King TUN:Standard King Shocks Spec. Valving] 1 $2,315.00 $2,315.00

Subtotal: $2,315.00
Tax: $0.00
Shipping Cost: $0.00
Grand Total: $2,315.00
 
After speaking to Bilstein direct, a few shops and vendors, i think im going with a 6112/5100 set up with OME springs in the back.

The 90 day warranty of the Bilstein 5160 threw me for a loop, especially after numerous shops noted leaking issues and failures. Multiple shops also sides with Bilstein over Dobinsons but i personally think thats simply due to them not being as popular in America (yet).

The 6112 and 5100 have a limited lifetime warranty which is a bonus as well.
Thank you to those that shared their 2 cents.
 
Interesting to hear about the 5160's. Unrelated to that, but I just talked to a shop about install on the two and they said that the rear might be slightly lower with that combo. I'm looking to be level without spacers.
 
safdSA said:
Lots of good thoughts in this thread.....and others of course. I recently got a '19 SR5 and initially thought to get Kings. I paused and realized that while I'm sure awesome, I probably would never utilize all its performance. I'm looking/trying to decide between Bilstein 6112/5160 set up, Dobinson, or Eibach. They all seem good, just different. Dobinson being a twin tube vs monotube is the biggest difference/pause to me
Click to expand...

I have been in a similar boat.

Initially I was thinking 6112/5160. I have only driven the stock Pro setup once and it handled great in town but the ride was very firm over small bumps. Generally, I have come to think that it is a case of if everyone says the sky is blue maybe it is actually blue (so good, not great).

I like the Eibach over 5100s as everyone reports a much smoother ride. But it is still a basic monotube shock. What gives me pause is their "Stage 1" lift. It is a 2.75 or so to 1" leveling kit. This is obviously for looks. I can use the shocks and the rear springs with Dobinsons front coils and I am sure it will be fine for me

EXCEPT

We drive a lot of miles in the desert. This is not about obstacles, it is about constant dips, washes, erosion, water channels, whatever. The suspension has to work hard or you have to go seriously slow over what is otherwise easy terrain. But what is easy to drive is not necessarily easy on the suspension. By contrast, a trail that may be harder to drive, with obstacles, may actually be just fine on the stock shocks.

And so, Dobinsons Monotube with no RR in the front and RR in the rear is what I currently favor.

jtice said:
If you dont offroad all that much, or not doing anything super rough, a $2000+ lift is a waste..
Click to expand...

I agree that it is the distances and speeds (not necessarily racing speeds) that have us look into something better.

T4R_KAI said:
After speaking to Bilstein direct, a few shops and vendors, i think im going with a 6112/5100 set up with OME springs in the back.

The 90 day warranty of the Bilstein 5160 threw me for a loop, especially after numerous shops noted leaking issues and failures. Multiple shops also sides with Bilstein over Dobinsons but i personally think thats simply due to them not being as popular in America (yet).

The 6112 and 5100 have a limited lifetime warranty which is a bonus as well.
Thank you to those that shared their 2 cents.
Click to expand...

But the million dollar question is if that's true for people who remember that the 5160 is a shock of 0-1" lift and not more. The warranty is an issue and I wonder if it has something to do with Billstein realizing that people will use the 5160 just as they do the 5100, meaning more lift.

I don't see the point of the 6112/5100. The rear needs the better shock if anything due to the ride being worse in the backseat in the first place.

All in all, tons of people fall for the aftermarket nonsense: you need this and you need that even for "mild" or "occasional" offroading. LOL. You need nothing for serious and frequent offroading other than tires. The stock setup will get the job done. The question is HOW. And the answer is, not comfortably enough in bigger rocks due to clearance limitations and not comfortably enough on faster desert terrain due to suspension limitations. But can it do it? Sure. There are very few trails that a lifted 5th gen will do that a stock Trail/TRD series one won't. The difference will be in the how, not where.

As for Dobinsons twin tubes, if they are fine in Australia, they are fine for me. I don't care if monotube is a newer design, it does not mean it is always better for a specific use. But I think I could justify capable monotubes due to how we actually use the 4R.
 
Last edited:
JohnWick said:
All good points mast4r
Click to expand...

Thanks, though the reality is I am not sure which way I will go either. I favor the Dobinsons MRR right now but that's it.

I suppose that Eibach mono or Dobinsons twin tubes would be just fine for us.

But like everyone else I am tempted to have something "more like it" even if those long drives in harsh desert are not the majority of our offroad driving.

Plus, the Eibach mono and the Dobinsons twins are cheap and dispensable and there is no bothering with maintenance....
 
MAST4R said:
Thanks, though the reality is I am not sure which way I will go either. I favor the Dobinsons MRR right now but that's it.

I suppose that Eibach mono or Dobinsons twin tubes would be just fine for us.

But like everyone else I am tempted to have something "more like it" even if those long drives in harsh desert are not the majority of our offroad driving.

Plus, the Eibach mono and the Dobinsons twins are cheap and dispensable and there is no bothering with maintenance....
Click to expand...

Agree, for most, what is stock is more than enough and in most cases aftermarket upgrades are complete overkill. So....Ill be doing Icon coilovers and dk UCA's with 285's in case there are larger than normal potholes on my commute to the office.
 
MAST4R said:
I have been in a similar boat.

Initially I was thinking 6112/5160. I have only driven the stock Pro setup once and it handled great in town but the ride was very firm over small bumps. Generally, I have come to think that it is a case of if everyone says the sky is blue maybe it is actually blue (so good, not great).

I like the Eibach over 5100s as everyone reports a much smoother ride. But it is still a basic monotube shock. What gives me pause is their "Stage 1" lift. It is a 2.75 or so to 1" leveling kit. This is obviously for looks. I can use the shocks and the rear springs with Dobinsons front coils and I am sure it will be fine for me

EXCEPT

We drive a lot of miles in the desert. This is not about obstacles, it is about constant dips, washes, erosion, water channels, whatever. The suspension has to work hard or you have to go seriously slow over what is otherwise easy terrain. But what is easy to drive is not necessarily easy on the suspension. By contrast, a trail that may be harder to drive, with obstacles, may actually be just fine on the stock shocks.

And so, Dobinsons Monotube with no RR in the front and RR in the rear is what I currently favor.



I agree that it is the distances and speeds (not necessarily racing speeds) that have us look into something better.



But the million dollar question is if that's true for people who remember that the 5160 is a shock of 0-1" lift and not more. The warranty is an issue and I wonder if it has something to do with Billstein realizing that people will use the 5160 just as they do the 5100, meaning more lift.

I don't see the point of the 6112/5100. The rear needs the better shock if anything due to the ride being worse in the backseat in the first place.

All in all, tons of people fall for the aftermarket nonsense: you need this and you need that even for "mild" or "occasional" offroading. LOL. You need nothing for serious and frequent offroading other than tires. The stock setup will get the job done. The question is HOW. And the answer is, not comfortably enough in bigger rocks due to clearance limitations and not comfortably enough on faster desert terrain due to suspension limitations. But can it do it? Sure. There are very few trails that a lifted 5th gen will do that a stock Trail/TRD series one won't. The difference will be in the how, not where.

As for Dobinsons twin tubes, if they are fine in Australia, they are fine for me. I don't care if monotube is a newer design, it does not mean it is always better for a specific use. But I think I could justify capable monotubes due to how we actually use the 4R.
Click to expand...

all of the websites that offer the 5160 and the bilstein site specify 0-2" lift for the 5160
 

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tm965 said:
all of the websites that offer the 5160 and the bilstein site specify 0-2" lift for the 5160
Click to expand...

T4R_KAI said:
You'd be correct. I spoke with someone at Bilstein yesterday an they confirmed this.
Click to expand...

Indeed, their site says 0-2" for 4Runners.

I also noticed BillsteinLifts listing them as 0-1" for Tacoma or Ram.

The specific range aside, what Shock Surplus told me when I asked was that the 5160 bad rep is not deserved and that problems usually happen when people have too much lift for them. Apparently, I somehow made up the 0-1" range myself.

So, the question is whether people using the 5160 within the specified range have had too many issues.
 
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