Long term capable suspension suggestionsm

[nodixe]

I have a 98 4 runner with a v6 5 speed and I plan on driving it till the wheels fall off so I am looking for a long term suspension solutions with particular attention to durability (as opposed to comfort). I live on Hooper Valley Indian Reservation in Northern California. The bulk of my driving is 1.5 hr drive to and from work with at least two passengers. It breaks down to 10 mins pavement drive uphill normal speeds, 35 mins dirt road up & downs 3rd gear 50mph max, and 45 mins drive mostly uphill mostly 4 hi 2nd gear creeping speed with about 10-15 mins of 4-lo 1st gear crawling speed. Most of the roads are unkept logging roads with LOTS of rocks/bumps but on weekends I drive to Eureka (nearest city) which is a 1hr 15min drive on highway and will spend the next 3 days at hwy speeds. So what would be best for this application: coilovers or was? Or should I should I replace stock suspension to keep that geometry?

 

[chuck norris]

Keep it as close to stock as possible. For shocks you can do a heavy duty aftermarket that has the same dimensions as stock. I like KYB Monomax's. For springs, just get new OEM springs. You can do "99 tall" springs if you want it a little taller than a stock 98, it's about 1" of lift.

That's all I'd do in your case. Keep it simple and it will be durable.

 

[TCMach]

A good set of coilovers will last as long if not longer than a stock setup. Yes a lifted truck puts slightly more strain on bushings and blah blah blah. But If you keep up with your truck you don't need to worry. I'd go with a mild lift (under 3 inches) and some 32s and you would be golden. Plus it will ride better on the rocks and such

 

[BrianSD_42]

I've had my Sonoran Steel suspension for almost 5 years now. No problems yet.

 

[nodixe]

Thank you for all the responses. I am months away from doing lift but figured I better start planning now. These mountains have killed many vehicles, but Toyota seems to last and last. So I love the stock reliability but I definitely need little more ground clearance so been shopping around. I like the sonoran steel lift kit since it used all toyota parts (1.2). But coiliovers are also in this price range and if I'm considering those, I might as well look into a straight axle swap. My first plan was to slowly gather parts then replace entire suspension at once so it would be like new lol. I'm not sure if its feasable or even needed but for now I'm gonna start with up/lo ball joints, tie rod ends, and bushings and go from there...