Help choosing 3" lift. Thinking of 881/906 with Bilstein 5100.

[drewbux]

Hi everyone, I'm a noobie here (16 years old) and was wondering what the right lift for my vehicle would be. I just got a new 2002 4runner 4WD, and I want to get a 3" lift.

I'm currently thinking about getting 881s in the front and 906 springs in the back, followed with the Bilstein 5100 shocks. I don't go off roading often. I will be off roading maybe once every few months, and it would be dirt trails. I don't have a budget, but I want something thats reliable, looks good and rides comfortably.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you guys, so happy I could join the 4runner family as my mom and dad both have the 2018 models

 

[drewbux]

Bump

 

[Kanoe]

Since no one else chimed in....

Don’t you have another thread currently about this same topic?

On to the point. I have the 2906s. Lots of us do. Good springs for load carrying. Maybe a little stiff empty but not horrible. Not 3 inches though. They are a 2 inch spring. Maybe more for you if you are super clapped out at the moment. Good fit for the 4600 or 5100 shocks.

I have a different front set up so can’t offer much there except that it’s commonly done.

My personal opinion is that you will not call the setup you have chosen “comfortable”. I think somewhere between truck like and jarring is where you will find it without adding lots of weight. But opinions vary widely.

Good luck.

 

[Endlessblockades]

Hi everyone, I'm a noobie here (16 years old) and was wondering what the right lift for my vehicle would be. I just got a new 2002 4runner 4WD, and I want to get a 3" lift.

I'm currently thinking about getting 881s in the front and 906 springs in the back, followed with the Bilstein 5100 shocks. I don't go off roading often. I will be off roading maybe once every few months, and it would be dirt trails. I don't have a budget, but I want something thats reliable, looks good and rides comfortably.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you guys, so happy I could join the 4runner family as my mom and dad both have the 2018 models

Yes - check out the Sticky suspension thread.If I had done that first, I may have made a more nuanced choice. That said, I have 5100s with 881/906 on the bottom perch. That combo is more like 2" front / 2.5" rear and fairly level. As was mentioned, even though the 906 is considered a 'medium' weight spring, the ride is FAR from plush and does better with a couple hundred pounds (and doesn't sag with it). Like Kanoe said, there are a lot of opinions about ride feel and I'm not experienced enough to offer much in that dept. Just happy to be off road....

 

[drewbux]

Yes - check out the Sticky suspension thread.If I had done that first, I may have made a more nuanced choice. That said, I have 5100s with 881/906 on the bottom perch. That combo is more like 2" front / 2.5" rear and fairly level. As was mentioned, even though the 906 is considered a 'medium' weight spring, the ride is FAR from plush and does better with a couple hundred pounds (and doesn't sag with it). Like Kanoe said, there are a lot of opinions about ride feel and I'm not experienced enough to offer much in that dept. Just happy to be off road....

Thanks so much for the reply! I appreciate it. I’ll check it out. I don’t plan on having much weight on my 4runner. I’m planning on a just roof tent. Do you wish you got anything else for your springs / shocks? I’m trying to research more into this combination.

 

[drewbux]

Since no one else chimed in....

Don’t you have another thread currently about this same topic?

On to the point. I have the 2906s. Lots of us do. Good springs for load carrying. Maybe a little stiff empty but not horrible. Not 3 inches though. They are a 2 inch spring. Maybe more for you if you are super clapped out at the moment. Good fit for the 4600 or 5100 shocks.

I have a different front set up so can’t offer much there except that it’s commonly done.

My personal opinion is that you will not call the setup you have chosen “comfortable”. I think somewhere between truck like and jarring is where you will find it without adding lots of weight. But opinions vary widely.

Good luck.

Thank you so much for the knowledge! I’m up for anything. Don’t have a budget , but also I’d only be on the road 90% of the time. I wouldn’t be carrying much weight with me, maybe one passenger most times and a roof tent. I just want to know what’s best for my car and would provide a good 2.5-3” lift

 

[Kanoe]

Thank you so much for the knowledge! I’m up for anything. Don’t have a budget , but also I’d only be on the road 90% of the time. I wouldn’t be carrying much weight with me, maybe one passenger most times and a roof tent. I just want to know what’s best for my car and would provide a good 2.5-3” lift

2.5 to 3'' is getting up there in terms of what is good for the vehicle. You are pushing the spot where you might need to do more upgrading to support the lift.

I think the difficulty is that the set ups in this height range may not be considered "comfortable Daily Drivers". Most lifts seem geared toward armored and heavily kitted out trucks with added weight.

Those looking for a comfortable DD seem to go for OEM or OEM equivalents but then you don't get the lift you are after.

Decisions, decisions. Have you read through Absaloms great lift thread for ideas? Absalom's Cookie Cutter 4runner Builds - New and Updated!

 

[Greaser]

I just installed this exact setup on my '00 with stock bumpers. Also did the diff drop kit though everyone says it's not really necessary. As for the ride quality, maybe my standards are different than some of the other posters but I find the ride quality to be a big improvement over my clapped-out OE suspension. It still rides like a truck, but it's much more controlled and planted. Haven't taken it off road yet so these observations are based on rolling around mediocre roads.

 

[drewbux]

I just installed this exact setup on my '00 with stock bumpers. Also did the diff drop kit though everyone says it's not really necessary. As for the ride quality, maybe my standards are different than some of the other posters but I find the ride quality to be a big improvement over my clapped-out OE suspension. It still rides like a truck, but it's much more controlled and planted. Haven't taken it off road yet so these observations are based on rolling around mediocre roads.

Thanks man! Seems legit

 

[Malcolm99]

I agree with everything said above, but my 906's sagged a bit after a year and got 1.5" spacers to make up for it, ride great no weight in the back at all, up front I used OEM 99 tall coils and 4R Bilsteins 3rd notch, 5100 all around so bit to much preload up front but decent ride once it was broke in, if you go higher than 2.5" in the front your lower ball joints are at max range of motion in one direction and won't last long. Change the LBJ's with OEM while doing the lift. And take a look at how much range of motion the LBJ has, it ain't much at all!.

 

[antlicious]

ome 883 front, 890/891 rear. make sure to get extended travel 5100 shocks for rear (33-187174). will give you a most definite 3 inch lift. unless you want to pour more money, then go with king shocks or icon.