Handling/stability upgrade

I

INDYMAC

New member
I bought a 2012 SR5 2WD for my wife a year ago. It's a very nice vehicle with few complaints. The brakes take some getting used to, but they work well.

I'd like to improve the handling stability at highway speeds. The car jumps around alot, especially with irregular road surfaces and/or wind.

Has anyone else tried to improve the handling with a different anti-sway bar or adding front cross brace?

I just replaced the OEM Grandtreck rim guards with Michelin M/S2 265/70/17 and alignment. It did not improve the handling, and there is probaby even more tramming with the Michelins.

I'm not interested in a complete suspension upgrade, just a simple but noticeable solution.

Thanks.
 
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Add some Bilstein HD shocks and struts.....this is a straight factory replacement, not a what I would consider a "complete suspension upgrade". You also might consider 8" wide wheels.
 
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INDYMAC said:
I bought a 2012 SR5 2WD for my wife a year ago. It's a very nice vehicle with few complaints. The brakes take some getting used to, but they work well.

I'd like to improve the handling stability at highway speeds. The car jumps around alot, especially with irregular road surfaces and/or wind.

Has anyone else tried to improve the handling with a different anti-sway bar or adding front cross brace?

I just replaced the OEM Grandtreck rim guards with Michelin M/S2 265/70/17 and alignment. It did not improve the handling, and there is probaby even more tramming with the Michelins.

I'm not interested in a complete suspension upgrade, just a simple but noticeable solution.

Thanks.
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I had the same issues. Put on 4 Bilstein 5100s, front set to .85 to level (esthetics only). This FIRMS up the ride a bit. Then changed the tires to P-rated Continentals (yes, P), run them at 34#. Most importantly, had the caster set to +4 degrees. Drives great.

I too tried those Michelins - ended up taking them back as 3 shops could not balance them. Totally satisfied with the Conti's.


Titanpat57 said:
You put P rated tires back on?
Click to expand...

The tires should match the vehicle's use. I'm very happy with P-rated, premium tires.
 
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The tires are P265/70/17. Same as OEM. Castor is 3.58 on both sides. I plan to go with Bilstein HD shocks eventually. But it sure seems like it needs better anti-sway bars or a front cross brace for more rigidity.

Thanks for the replies so far.
 
INDYMAC said:
The tires are P265/70/17. Same as OEM. Castor is 3.58 on both sides. I plan to go with Bilstein HD shocks eventually. But it sure seems like it needs better anti-sway bars or a front cross brace for more rigidity.

Thanks for the replies so far.
Click to expand...

Well, you are driving a brick you know. My wife's CRV drove better on the highway than does my 4R.
 
Are you talking about a strut-tower brace? Is that effective on a BOF? I'm not sure it's that effective on a unibody in the real world.

As far as I know there are no aftermarket sway bars available.
 
INDYMAC said:
The tires are P265/70/17. Same as OEM. Castor is 3.58 on both sides. I plan to go with Bilstein HD shocks eventually. But it sure seems like it needs better anti-sway bars or a front cross brace for more rigidity.

Thanks for the replies so far.
Click to expand...

Bigger sway bars would help on the road but hinder travel off road (you have the SR5 right?) and cross bracing on a BOF will not help rigidity. In this application shocks are key to minimize body lean during cornering. I second the motion of the Bilstein shock mod for you. You will get the biggest bang for the buck with this simple mod.
 
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With my SR5 I found that the combination of installing the Bilstein 5100's, a set of P rated Cooper AT3 tires, and a good alignment made a dramatic improvement in the handling. Though I think I got lucky with the alignment because the employees at the shop that did it most of them drive Toyota trucks and know what to do. IMO this is probably the best thing that can be done to a 4Runner to improve handling. The ride of the new 4Runner reminds me of the 6000lb+ land yachts of the 70s the feel of floating on the road with no real control of the vehicle.
 
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I have 5100s and I like how the firm things up a bit.

Caster isn't as high as others here but I'm sure that would make a nice difference as well.
 
I recently had my dealership swap out the stock Dunlop Duratrek tires for Michelin Latitude Tour tires (no charge) and it improved the ride and cornering. Both are all season tires and since I do more highway driving than off-road, this was the better choice for now. Had an alignment done as well. Based on what others on here have written, I plan on installing Bilstein struts and shocks next, but may opt for the heavy duty ones instead of the 5100s. As another member told me when I first went on here, enjoy your land barge!
 
I'm completely onboard with new Bilstein HD shocks eventially after I pay off the new Michelins I just put on this 15k mile car. But my complaint is not understeer while cornering, or even nosedive. Those mediocre handling characteristics are managable and safe for my wife. It's lateral instability on irregular road surfaces at highway speeds that concern me. Throw in some wind gusts and it gets pretty unnerving.
 
INDYMAC said:
I'm completely onboard with new Bilstein HD shocks eventially after I pay off the new Michelins I just put on this 15k mile car. But my complaint is not understeer while cornering, or even nosedive. Those mediocre handling characteristics are managable and safe for my wife. It's lateral instability on irregular road surfaces at highway speeds that concern me. Throw in some wind gusts and it gets pretty unnerving.
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Alright, maybe we don't understand your unique situation then. What exactly is your complaint? Body roll in corners and body sway from wind and abrupt high speed lane changes, along with nose dive while under hard braking, can all be fixed cheaply. Much cheaper than the cost of your new tires.

As you mentioned a thicker sway bar is one way. Unfortunately that solution can cause additional problems for a vehicle designed to be taken off road. Another solution is caster adjustment but you have that sort of covered at 3.58. The best and cheapest mod is changing shocks. This will reduce and/or eliminate (and has for numerous owners) your problem, unless you have something unique you are just not articulating.
I have not heard or read of anyone yet replacing their sway bar for increased handling although it of course would help. As a matter of fact, many on here have removed their sway bars because with the suspension upgrades they made eliminated the need apparently. There are only a few ways to solve a handling problem. Shocks, thicker (or lower) sidewall tires, sway bars and suspension. The Bilsteins are your biggest bang for the buck. If I were as worried as you seem to be $400.00 or so would not be that big of a deal for shocks.
 
As I've already mentioned, the new shocks are coming. The shocks would have come first, but an unfixable flat moved the new tires forward. The castor is set high enough. And the 2wd SR5 will never see off road conditions unless my wife runs off the road due to a wind gust or road rut.

I've owned many types of vehicles over the last 40+ years. This car sort of reminds of my first one, a 1968 VW Beetle, the way it can try to change lanes on you while driving a straight line.

Also, the ride and cornering really isn't too bad with the OEM oleo shocks. It just feels like the lateral moment vector needs tightened up some more. As soon as my health improves, I'll crawl under the car and have a look around at suspension components for obvious weaknesses.

My baseline 2013 Tundra 5.7l DC 4X4 with OEM oleo shocks has very good handling characteristics for a stock truck. It's much better than the 2000 Tundra DC 4.7l 4x4 TRD that I owned for 13 1/2 years and 207k miles before. It too wandered some on the highways. I was able to fix that with a Hellwig rear anti-sway bar. It didn't affect off road for me. But I rarely went rock crawling, just hunting. I'll have to compare the new Tundra suspension components with the new T4R. Maybe that will provide an easy obvious answer.
 
INDYMAC said:
As I've already mentioned, the new shocks are coming. The shocks would have come first, but an unfixable flat moved the new tires forward. The castor is set high enough. And the 2wd SR5 will never see off road conditions unless my wife runs off the road due to a wind gust or road rut.

I've owned many types of vehicles over the last 40+ years. This car sort of reminds of my first one, a 1968 VW Beetle, the way it can try to change lanes on you while driving a straight line.

Also, the ride and cornering really isn't too bad with the OEM oleo shocks. It just feels like the lateral moment vector needs tightened up some more. As soon as my health improves, I'll crawl under the car and have a look around at suspension components for obvious weaknesses.

My baseline 2013 Tundra 5.7l DC 4X4 with OEM oleo shocks has very good handling characteristics for a stock truck. It's much better than the 2000 Tundra DC 4.7l 4x4 TRD that I owned for 13 1/2 years and 207k miles before. It too wandered some on the highways. I was able to fix that with a Hellwig rear anti-sway bar. It didn't affect off road for me. But I rarely went rock crawling, just hunting. I'll have to compare the new Tundra suspension components with the new T4R. Maybe that will provide an easy obvious answer.
Click to expand...

I think you already got that (shocks). :shrug:
 
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