Front End Help / Questions

mountain mike

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Hello Guys, hoping you can direct me on some front end questions I have on my T4R. It is a 2001 with 215,000. I am getting ready to buy the Toytec Ultimate or Boss kit in the next few weeks and shortly after add 33’s. Pretty sure I am set on the 33’s. I keep thinking I would like a 34’s or 35’s but I have been advised that once you go over 33’s things will start to fail at a much faster rate.

Since the T4R has 215k on it and I will have the front suspension apart when I put on the Toytec kit I thought it would be a good idea to replace some of the front end. I was thinking I would replace the LBJ’s which were done at 60k under the recall but not since. I was also thinking of replacing the CV’s while I’m in there with the ones from Napa. I have read some people would only go OEM on CV’s but I don’t think I can justify the extra cost to go OEM. It looks like Camelback wants nearly $400 a side and the Napa ones are just over $100 a side with a lifetime warranty. Should I replace the CV's or just leave them alone?

Is there anything else I should address while I am in there? Bushings? Inner/outer tie rods, etc? I should add I have already bought a set of LR UCA’s which will address the UBJ’s. I also bought some heavy Trail Ready bead locks so with the addition of some MT/R’s my wheel/tire combo will be very heavy. I will say I am a little OCD and don’t mind a little extra work/money as long as the truck will benefit from it.

I currently drive the 4RnR about 3 days a week and will be using it to explore old mines in the Colorado Mountains so it will be used off-road a few times a month during the months I can access the mines. In addition a trip to Moab and Ouray once a year is also on the list, although I haven’t made the trips in the past few years. My main goal for it will be to get me to the mines and then home safely. So reliability and safety are my biggest concerns.
 
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Stretch the boots on the CVs and re-clamp them after your lift. Then check it daily for boot health and grease splatters. If you start to notice either, get the reboot kit from Toyota. If you do eventually end up with bad CV, Napas are cheaper and free replacement, but keep trail spares on hand.
 
Yea reboot the OEM axles if you can as they lasted 215,000 and the napa axles would probably go quicker with the lift than the rebooted OEM axles. I would suggest the Napa axles but I know that there will be a couple forum members who chime in OMGeez , Napa axles are just cheap Chinese junks... How dare you put a Napa premium part on to replace your 13yr old quarter million mile OEM 4runner parts... But they are the same guys who also build their trucks without OEM bolt ons cause its cool.. :) I honestly had no problems with Napa lifetime axles on previous 4runners wheeling.. Never broke one or an OEM axle but I also don't go superman on the throttle when wheeling so I don't break one. In the end , you won't find a better axle than a Lotus which is a beefed up OEM but like you stated price is $400-500 a side vs $100 with the warranty.. Don't get me wrong, I run OEM axles on my lifted 4runner but I've also ran the Napa premium and the only difference I can attest too would be the pricetags and the fact I wheeled hard enough without failure with both...
 
And as far as other issues addressed with the lift in the front I also got the LR UCA's at 240,000 to replace the ball joints and for the added alignment. I would suggest the OEM lower ball joints, I do know they are a VERY critical part of our 3rd gens so quality was nothing I would risk with those. I got OEM outer tie rods and inners, again I paid the extra for OEM quality on these as I understand the OEM vs aftermarket quality and given the fact my original parts had 240,000 its safe for me to say that OEM will last the life of my truck I imagine just fine. The axles can also be critical when lifted but I suggested the Napa Premium for the price/warranty reasons since if it does break, your not out $500 an axle. I do understand the quality. The bushings I used were off of wheelers or toytec one of those sites, really can't remember without looking and I also had it aligned a few times after an issue the first time. Its a whole front rebuild as I had the rack serviced and only thing I am not doing is running my drive line up front until I get a new front differential or rebuild and regear.
 

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