Lowering 4Runner

[RadRunner]

Hey all, I know this seems unorthodox, but I have a 2WD and I'm planning to someday throw some boost on it and slap some Volk TE37s. Something like this.

In doing all that I want to get rid of body roll just a little bit for cornering. Some may say this is a truck and if you want a sports car buy one. That's just the thing! I know it's a truck and I still want it to keep that truck heritage, I just want to get rid of some wheel gap to give it that aggressive stance. So if anyone has any info on the matter, much help is appreciated.

 

[brian2sun]

I don't have any advice on lowering it, because I have obviously done the opposite with mine, but more power to ya! Different strokes for different folks. Have you thought about running a sway/support bar across the engine bay to help with cornering like the ricers do? That seemed to help out a lot with cornering on my buddy's Civic. I'm actually thinking about slightly lowering and running one of those bars on my CR-V since it's 2wd and it's not quite a cornering machine either. Besides, I already have a very capable 4x4/snow beast so I want my Honda to be low, stable, and handle the highways more like a sports car and less like a microwave on wheels.

 

[LINY4Runner]

Addco makes sway bars...check 'em out

 

[Maritimer]

Looks sweet, and a definite option in the sunshine state. I have no technical advice, though. Sorry.

 

[etc.]

That truck looks awesome!!!!

 

[Hary Gahtoe]

Addco makes one

Toyota 4Runner Handling Modifications Addco Sway Roll Bars

I'm looking for Rota offroad grid 20 wheels in 20 inch diameter, where did you find yours?

 

[Nelsonmd]

Maybe I'll be the lone dissenter, but this thing doesn't have an aggressive drive train, and just isn't a good fit for that kind of stance, you aren't really maintaining it's heritage by lowering it. It's kind of cool to hoon a car past it's limits:
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2656230
How A $500 Craigslist Car Beat $400K Rally Racers

or go way over the top:
Monster Geo Metro

But with a 4runner it is just a mismatch unless you change the engine/tranny performance.

Anyway, I won't harp on it cause I don't want to be accused of flaming or anything. I just think that to make a functional street 4runner would take alot more mods (and $$$) than just lowering it and putting rims and tires on it. Kind of like doing a 3 in body lift to make it an off-roader.

I think reducing sway first is a good idea, then decide later if you really want to lower it and run thin tires on 20in rims.

Another thing to think about it that lowering will reduce resale. I know you probably don't ever want to sell it, but that's what I said about my last car, and now I have to do a bunch of work to get it back to stock because I bought my 4runner and need to sell it (I don't necessarily regret it though, I enjoyed most of the mods I did).

I promise I am not trying to insult or flame, just playing devil's advocate.

Addco makes sway bars...check 'em out

Does anyone know a place that still sells these for the 4runner? I have looked at several links from here and yotatech on them, but no one seems to have the 4runner ones in stock anymore. That was a great article that Hary posted; read it a while back and it made me want the Addco's, but I haven't been able to find them anywhere.

 

[Pikeman]

The Adco swaybars(larger then factory) or at minimum switch to Poly bushings on factory sway bars. The strut top brace as mentioned by Brian and that should really tighten up the chasis. Whatever you do, don't cut your springs to lower. It might be a lot cheaper but is realy bad for ride quality. You should be able to contact either Eibach or even Deaver Springs to custom order a set of lowering srpings.

The 4Runner you posted as what you want yours to look like does look good. I think the owner did it justice by keeping what looks to be a 60 series tire on there instead of going to a 30 or 40 series ultra low profile tire. Having the little bit of sidewall will really help with ride.

 

[Hary Gahtoe]

Booyah Gramma

Maybe I'll be the lone dissenter, but this thing

I promise I am not trying to insult or flame, just playing devil's advocate.



Does anyone know a place that still sells these for the 4runner? I have looked at several links from here and yotatech on them, but no one seems to have the 4runner ones in stock anymore. That was a great article that Hary posted; read it a while back and it made me want the Addco's, but I haven't been able to find them anywhere.

QED.

96-02 Toyota 4Runner Sway Bars from Addco at Andy's Auto Sport

 

[Hary Gahtoe]

Suspension Advocate

Good ol' Jegs has gotta' ring a bell with Y'all

ADDCO 573 ADDCO Japanese Car Sway Bar Kits

 

[Nelsonmd]

Good ol' Jegs has gotta' ring a bell with Y'all

ADDCO 573 ADDCO Japanese Car Sway Bar Kits

Well I'll be a monkey's uncle...

Jegs was the first place I looked and I couldn't find it. Thanks for posting that.


BTW as a proud nerd, I am offended by your flagrant misuse of QED.:nerd:

 

[Hary Gahtoe]

Well I'll be a monkey's uncle...

Jegs was the first place I looked and I couldn't find it. Thanks for posting that.


BTW as a proud nerd, I am offended by your flagrant misuse of QED.:nerd:

Originally Latin meaning "quod erat demonstrandum" or "that which was to be shown or proven",

Back in the day it was our way of saying; it has been proven.:welcome:

 

[Nelsonmd]

Originally Latin meaning "quod erat demonstrandum" or "that which was to be shown or proven",

Back in the day it was our way of saying; it has been proven.:welcome:

Is there an eye-rolling emoticon...

QED's context is when that which was originally asserted has been restated after a progression of logical steps

This was less QED, more Q&A (Originally english, meaning "question and answer")


Back on topic...
Anyone else use the addco's? Any review of performance over stock other than that one link?

 

[quicksilvr]

FYI, that picture the OP posted is a photoshop. The real truck is not that low.


This is what the actual truck looks like:

 

[PhdNPrerunners]

Damn that was a really good photoshop then lol

 

[mistaj0hnny]

couple more pics

and a pic of another 4runner on volks just for the hell of it

 

[RadRunner]

Thanks for all the replies, I will check out them sway bars. Correct they should tighten up suspension for cornering and reduce understeer. I definitely don't wanna cut my springs..bad idea. Maybe if I can find springs from eibach to give it a nice couple inches of lower I will be satisfied.

 

[Donovansolis]

haha i posted this 4runner a while back just for laughs.. i actually think the owner has a yota tech acount or had? correct me if i'm wrong mistaj0hnny... but anywho... i'm probaly one of the few who's actually came across these thoughts . (besides you of course) this makes two of us lol. jk. really like those volks... apart from the sway bar mod.. i been thinkin of swappin engines.. a supra engine would be a hella of a mod. lol if possible.. who knows what i'll do when my 5vz decides too quit..(222k) but hey whatever floats your boat :lookout:

 

[biggersj]

What year is the black 4runner in the picture?

Reason I ask is because I have a black 01 that looks exactly the same but the bumper sticks out further on mine. I really like the look of the bumper in the picture and wanted to know if they were interchangeable??

 

[theizzardking]

Reason I ask is because I have a black 01 that looks exactly the same but the bumper sticks out further on mine. I really like the look of the bumper in the picture and wanted to know if they were interchangeable??

yes, you have a fat lip bumper get a pre-1999 bumper and it will bolt right up.