Help choosing lift for 2002 4runner

[drewbux]

Hi everyone, I'm a newbie (16yrs old) and i just got my first 4runner - hoping for some help on choosing the right lift. Its a 2002 4runner 4wd.

I’m looking for something not too expensive, but not something like rough country. I want to run a 2.5-3 inch lift and run 285’s with my car as well. I don’t have a budget, but I also don’t plan on using my car every weekend to off road... maybe just once every month or two months. This is probably a very over asked question, but any help would be appreciated!

(p.s. I heard Sonoran steel kit 1.2 & bilstein 5100 lift kits are good. Can anyone back that up?)

 

[Dom8706]

Hi everyone, I'm a newbie (16yrs old) and i just got my first 4runner - hoping for some help on choosing the right lift. Its a 2002 4runner 4wd.

I’m looking for something not too expensive, but not something like rough country. I want to run a 2.5-3 inch lift and run 285’s with my car as well. I don’t have a budget, but I also don’t plan on using my car every weekend to off road... maybe just once every month or two months. This is probably a very over asked question, but any help would be appreciated!

(p.s. I heard Sonoran steel kit 1.2 & bilstein 5100 lift kits are good. Can anyone back that up?)

You should be able to put 285s on without a lift and not have any problems if i recall correctly. Bilstein 5100s are definitely the most popular shock absorbers for our rigs. Usually those with the OME 906 springs in the back and 881/883s in the front. There are a ton of good options out there though. Are you planning on adding a lot of aftermarket weight in the future? What kind of off roading are you planning on doing?

Here is some EXCELLENT information on lift kits put together by Steezemcqueen. It helped me a lot on choosing my lift.

Make sure you buy a diff drop kit and install it the same time you install your lift. Also make sure to get an alignment afterwords too.

 

[lord rigatoni]

SRQ Fabrications is selling Old Man Emu lift kits for 3rd gens for like $750, which is a really solid price for a high quality lift kit. They also give you options from 2” of lift up to 3” and they also have the option for coils that can support extra weight if you plan on adding a bumper and winch.

1996-2002 3rd Gen 4Runner 5100/OME Lift Kit

You can get pretty creative with lifting a 3rd gen. You can swap different coils from different Toyota ORVs like the FJ80 land cruiser (‘91-‘97).

Check this thread out. it goes into great detail the different ways you can go about lifting your truck.

3rd Gen 4Runner Lift Information and FAQ's

 

[Devbot]

Some advice: If your ball joints are old and worn, replace them at the same time. They won't like riding at a new angle. Specifically the lowers, no need to get two alignments. New upper control arms aren't technically needed, but they help greatly with alignment and typically offer more clearance in one way shape or form. Same goes for sway bar end links - they might be too short at 3" and you'll experience some shitty noises as a result.
I also found that the u-joints on my driveshaft (oem) similarly did not like being worked at a new, steeper angle. I was unaware it's highly recommended to buy a new shaft and avoid replacing the joints, and I can attest it is hell on earth and not worth it at all. I wouldn't say buy one preemptively, but if you notice vibrations with throttle and/or after certain speeds, know this could be your culprit.
I highly doubt you can run 285s on stock height.
I would browse the Lift FAQ and any related threads that pop up, scour around the website looking at pictures, take notes if needed. A lot of it is subjective, but there's plenty of good information between the opinions

 

[Dom8706]

Some advice: If your ball joints are old and worn, replace them at the same time. They won't like riding at a new angle. Specifically the lowers, no need to get two alignments. New upper control arms aren't technically needed, but they help greatly with alignment and typically offer more clearance in one way shape or form. Same goes for sway bar end links - they might be too short at 3" and you'll experience some shitty noises as a result.
I also found that the u-joints on my driveshaft (oem) similarly did not like being worked at a new, steeper angle. I was unaware it's highly recommended to buy a new shaft and avoid replacing the joints, and I can attest it is hell on earth and not worth it at all. I wouldn't say buy one preemptively, but if you notice vibrations with throttle and/or after certain speeds, know this could be your culprit.
I highly doubt you can run 285s on stock height.
I would browse the Lift FAQ and any related threads that pop up, scour around the website looking at pictures, take notes if needed. A lot of it is subjective, but there's plenty of good information between the opinions

I swear i came across a couple posts about people running 285s on stock suspension with a little trimming. Could be wrong though.

Hey how do you like those Widepeak AT3s? Ive been looking at those and have heard great things about them.

 

[drewbux]

You should be able to put 285s on without a lift and not have any problems if i recall correctly. Bilstein 5100s are definitely the most popular shock absorbers for our rigs. Usually those with the OME 906 springs in the back and 881/883s in the front. There are a ton of good options out there though. Are you planning on adding a lot of aftermarket weight in the future? What kind of off roading are you planning on doing?

Here is some EXCELLENT information on lift kits put together by Steezemcqueen. It helped me a lot on choosing my lift.

Make sure you buy a diff drop kit and install it the same time you install your lift. Also make sure to get an alignment afterwords too.

Hey man thanks for the reply! I don’t plan on adding any weight on the car except for a roof tent or some roof rack with items on top. I plan on doing just small trails. Nothing big at all as I’m not that experienced, and I live in Southern California Orange County where there’s not much.

 

[Devbot]

I swear i came across a couple posts about people running 285s on stock suspension with a little trimming. Could be wrong though.

Hey how do you like those Widepeak AT3s? Ive been looking at those and have heard great things about them.

I'm almost positive you would rub the UCAs and bumper (maybe pinch weld depending on caster), but I could be wrong.
They're fantastic tires, will absolutely be snagging them again come time. Can't believe how quiet they are for A/T's, on road they're no louder than what my ex had on her Camry, dare I say. A great price too, much cheaper than K02's and those who've owned both say they perform just as well, if not better.
Would recommend anybody searching for 33s to check them out.

 

[FD7683]

Before lifting - change the lower ball joints (OEM) if theres no record of replacement. A lift with the old lower ball joints is asking for a bad day.

 

[OrRunner]

285s will definitely rub on stock suspension iF you are going offroad and flexing at all. 265/75/16 will fit with stock suspension and look good although it can also rub in certain conditions. If the vehicle is going to see offroad duty I'd strongly recommend a body lift if you want to clear 285s and have proper articulation

 

[drewbux]

285s will definitely rub on stock suspension iF you are going offroad and flexing at all. 265/75/16 will fit with stock suspension and look good although it can also rub in certain conditions. If the vehicle is going to see offroad duty I'd strongly recommend a body lift if you want to clear 285s and have proper articulation

Yeah 285’s will 100% rub with everything stock. I don’t want a body lift, as i Can just get a 2” - 3” lift and do a little punching on the firewall to fit the 285’s.

 

[Bad Luck]

Yeah 285’s will 100% rub with everything stock. I don’t want a body lift, as i Can just get a 2” - 3” lift and do a little punching on the firewall to fit the 285’s.

When you lift the front of the vehicle with a suspension lift you don't change the arc that the tire will travel during full articulation. If you put larger tires on you will need to clearance the body regardless of whether you install a suspension lift or not. Here's a good read to help understand what I'm trying to say: Clearing 35” Tires at any Ride Height - Coastal Offroad it applies to clearing any size larger than stock not just 35 inch tires as shown in the article.

 

[Devbot]

For what it's worth a friend of mine initially had some rubbing issues while doing some rock crawling, and to remedy the problem and avoid doing a body lift he got some high caster UCAs, spacers (i think?), pounded and trimmed where needed, and built himself a "high clearance" bumper that the tire has no chance of hitting. At least i think that's what the combo was, the bumper was real crucial. If you're handy with a welder, or know someone who is, maybe give it some thought. It seemed to hold up well, all considering. I'll ask him about it tomorrow and if he has more to add I'll edit the post as needed.