New owner in Seattle and first suspension question

[fishcrow]

I just traded in my '11 Tacoma for a '15 SR5 and have a suspension question.

Along with a bunch of the accessories from the TRD Pro, the dealer had already installed a 3" Revtek lift kit on the truck before I purchased it in order to fit 285's. The tires still rubbed a bit and I knew that I would be pulling the lift kit eventually so I asked them to replace the tires with 275s.

The question - what should I replace the Revtek with? I would only like 1-2" of lift as I plan on mounting a Gobi rack and it won't fit in my garage otherwise... My thought was for a cheap solution just add a set of Bilstien 5100s. Or on the higher end, maybe an entry level suspension kit from Icon.

I don't do any serious offroading or rock crawling. My thing is fly fishing in really remote locations. I spend most of the time on _really_ shitty forest roads and mudhole infested trails getting to even worse improvised boat launches on the Olympic Peninsula to launch my raft. Planning on more trips to remote desert rivers in OR/ID going forward.

It's my DD so I'm looking for a better ride both on and offroad. Thoughts?

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

 

[Keith_PDX]

I saw that in the showroom when I picked up my 2015 TEP there on Saturday. Congrats. Hopefully you talked them down quite a bit on the price.

 

[Volley]

I assume the Revtek is a 3" lift? So removing it will only net you 1" if you're looking for a 1-2" replacement. Are you sure the Gobi stealth won't clear?

 

[jasonv]

the standard seems to be bilstein 5100's plus spacer or springs in the back

the front's can be set at 1.75 or 2.5 inches with stock springs, and the back would need 5100s (not adjustable) with a spacer (most common seems to be 1.5 from daystar or 1 inch from cornfed) or new springs (Sway A Way or SAW are the most common i see).

i can't help you with part #'s for the springs though, hopefully some one can chime in, or you can search (set aside a few hours), or you could call toytec

i use mine in a similar manner, no rock crawling or any of that shit, but tons of highway driving and shitty forest roads, snow and mud. i went with a spacer and shocks in the back and find it works fine. i was wary of new springs as from what i can tell the actual amount of lift can vary widely.

 

[3wbdriver]

So much shit in just one thread. Wow. Our FAQ can be helpful at times.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/165065-5th-gen-4runner-lift-buyers-guide.html

 

[Seattle206]

Nice buy. Maybe I'll see it on the road some time.

 

[jasonv]

So much shit in just one thread. Wow. Our FAQ can be helpful at times.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/165065-5th-gen-4runner-lift-buyers-guide.html

the helpfulness of this link is way overstated, its like a reflex for you guys. its merely a list of manufacturers/retailers, with bare bones product copy info copied and pasted, with no "real world" opinion at all. i mean thanks to the guy who compiled it but i am confident not a SINGLE person has ever used that post as their single, end all, definitive answer to what lift they are going to use.

i guess you guys should put some sort of sticky/faq that says in order to have a question answered you should have posted it 3 to 5 years ago.

 

[fishcrow]

I read the link as well as spent a couple hours searching the archive before posting. My question isn't about the lifts, it's about the real world application. The guide says nothing about that.

Appreciate your feedback in your post above.

the helpfulness of this link is way overstated, its like a reflex for you guys. its merely a list of manufacturers/retailers, with bare bones product copy info copied and pasted, with no "real world" opinion at all. i mean thanks to the guy who compiled it but i am confident not a SINGLE person has ever used that post as their single, end all, definitive answer to what lift they are going to use.

i guess you guys should put some sort of sticky/faq that says in order to have a question answered you should have posted it 3 to 5 years ago.

 

[Greedy]

Welcome to forum, nice rig. I am running toytec boss co's up front. You can adjust to whatever height u need. They have a lower spring rate (600 lbs) which is softer than a majority of other aftermarket options out there. It has a pleasant feel for a daily, but is still great for nfs roads and mild trails. Cost is reasonable and install is easy.

 

[Saker]

Another option could be the 6112 Bilstein Kit that has 5 circlip grooves for adjustment like the 5100's has and has 600# Eibach Springs made for Bilstein. I never owned the 5100's, but understand the ride is much better due to different valving and the size of the shocks.... a massive 60mm piston.
You could couple the 5100's or the 5160's for the rears with or without spacers to your specific liking.

My T4R has 6112's/5160's installed in the middle circlip groove that gives the front a 2" lift so it makes the truck appear level. No forward or reverse rake.
One could use the 2 circlip groove for probably 1.25 ~1.5" lift.

They ride really good on road and off road as well.....

We have a vender here that has a discount for members as well [MENTION=120150]TotalAutomotiveLV[/MENTION]
I haven't seen anyone yet beat his prices.....


Here is a photo of the 6112's....

 

[Trails4]

How do you like those NFab nerf steps?

I've seen them before, but never had the chance to try them for practical use; i.e. do the steps line up correctly getting in/out of the vehicle? Do you think they'll be large enough (and again, in the right place) to load gear in a roof basket or cargo box?

 

[Mistaken]

Nice TRD Pro!

I have nothing of value to add.

 

[Intruder]

Something that'll help a lot with those FSRs is airing your tires down a bit. On Alberta's trout highway aka the FTR aka hwy 40, I air down to 25 psi and it makes the drive a lot smoother. As long as you don't drive like you're racing in the Baja, most any shock will do.

 

[shnngns]

Congratulations!! I just bought my SR5P from them about a month ago. Was actually going to call them and see how much they'd charge to install a lift and what lift they use...your post tells me the Revtek lift.

You going to be selling the lift?

 

[jrandom]

AFAIK he has a TRD Pro that has the "$1500 TRD Bilstein package" I am pretty sure he doesn't want to swap that out for yet another set of shocks. Kinda defeats the purpose of buying a TRDP, well throwing a 3" spacer lift on it seems to defeat the purpose too but...not going there.

Smoother ride even if you do go as low as [MENTION=66300]Intruder[/MENTION] suggests, even dropping 5-10 lbs will smooth your ride out. What rating tire do you have? C,D, or E, ?

For the front I do not know if the TRD Bilstiens are adjustable. Someone that has them would have to confirm but I suspect you are going to have to keep the puck albeit a shorter one.

For the rear you could just change out the spring.

 

[Nocturtle]

Its not a trd pro, dealer added trdpro accesories and 3" revtek... You can tell by the skid plate and lower bumper.

AFAIK he has a TRD Pro that has the "$1500 TRD Bilstein package" I am pretty sure he doesn't want to swap that out for yet another set of shocks. Kinda defeats the purpose of buying a TRDP, well throwing a 3" spacer lift on it seems to defeat the purpose too but...not going there.

Smoother ride even if you do go as low as [MENTION=66300]Intruder[/MENTION] suggests, even dropping 5-10 lbs will smooth your ride out. What rating tire do you have? C,D, or E, ?

For the front I do not know if the TRD Bilstiens are adjustable. Someone that has them would have to confirm but I suspect you are going to have to keep the puck albeit a shorter one.

For the rear you could just change out the spring.

 

[fishcrow]

Yes, that's right. Although they put on the TRD Pro skid plate today...

It's an SR5P with everything from the TRD Pro except the suspension. I almost had them add that too but decided to take my time and decide what to do about that myself.

I ordered a white TRD Pro about 6 weeks ago. The dealer let me know they would be unable to get one for the foreseeable future. I was not willing to do black or orange so so this was my second best option and it ended up being cheaper. Less resale value of course but I'm not planning on doing that for a long time.

Thx to everyone who has chimed in on options. It's very helpful and much appreciated.

Looking forward to getting it out on it's first dirt trip with a quick run to a remote trout stream in Northern Idaho this weekend.

Its not a trd pro, dealer added trdpro accesories and 3" revtek... You can tell by the skid plate and lower bumper.

 

[Matteblack]

Congrats on the new 4Runner! Just my opinion, I would keep the lift and re think the Gobi. I understand some people think they only want 1-2" lift and then once its done many wish they went all the way to 3." Obviously everyone is different. IMO its a great set up as is.

MB

 

[fishcrow]

So far it seems like they will work well. In addition to fly fishing, I do a good bit of surfing (sometimes both in the same day) so they will be really helpful in dealing with the boards.

The downside is that if you ever slip, they could tear open your leg pretty good. The serrations for traction on the top are pretty sharp.

How do you like those NFab nerf steps?

I've seen them before, but never had the chance to try them for practical use; i.e. do the steps line up correctly getting in/out of the vehicle? Do you think they'll be large enough (and again, in the right place) to load gear in a roof basket or cargo box?

 

[jrandom]

Its not a trd pro, dealer added trdpro accesories and 3" revtek... You can tell by the skid plate and lower bumper.

Yeah my bad. Little trickery going on there with the picture even though [MENTION=123998]fishcrow[/MENTION] said SR5 in the first sentence :doh:

About the Gobi (or other mesh covered full length racks)I hear a lot of good and bad. Good for carry ~300lbs of dynamic load. Bad a lot of wind resistance, resulting in poor mpg.

Truck still looks good as it is