Newbie!!

[theizzardking]

It seems to be the place to go if you want to bro out your truck. I wouldn't go there. One, they obviously don't specialize too much in import 4wd's as they're all on one page. And two, the only two 3rd gens they have as examples of their work are done with spacer lifts.

Stick around here. We'll figure out exactly what you are looking for so you can order it yourself and then like others have said, I'm sure there are some local cats out there who'll help you install it for some food and beers. Good to put a hand in yourself because you're gonna learn that much more about your ride if you do.

haha yeah, i saw those things and thought c*ck trucks......your much nicer with your words....


back to the op:
what do you do with your truck?
do you plan on spending alot of time off road or do you plan on doing very little off road stuff or a bit of mix of both?
knowing your driving habits may help us figure out what you really need as well...personally i'm not as hardcore as some of the guys here i'm like 80% on road and 20% off road when i get the chance. i'm also more into the "overlanding" thing as opposed to the whole running trails thing, which raises another question, what do you do when your off road? is it wash board roads,logging roads? or is it tight muddy trails with deep ruts? all of this stuff can make a difference on which lift you want to purchase.

side note on the penis trucks...

also has anyone ever, ever seen a massive super duty diesel on a proper 4x4 trail? i don't think i have to be honest.....

 

[VA4runnerchic]

haha yeah, i saw those things and thought c*ck trucks......your much nicer with your words....


back to the op:
what do you do with your truck?
do you plan on spending alot of time off road or do you plan on doing very little off road stuff or a bit of mix of both?
knowing your driving habits may help us figure out what you really need as well...personally i'm not as hardcore as some of the guys here i'm like 80% on road and 20% off road when i get the chance. i'm also more into the "overlanding" thing as opposed to the whole running trails thing, which raises another question, what do you do when your off road? is it wash board roads,logging roads? or is it tight muddy trails with deep ruts? all of this stuff can make a difference on which lift you want to purchase.

side note on the penis trucks...

also has anyone ever, ever seen a massive super duty diesel on a proper 4x4 trail? i don't think i have to be honest.....

no i wont be off-roading much at all. it will mainly be for looks. i guess there might be an occassional time here and there i might but it wouldnt be anything like climbing rocks and sh*t or deep muddy trails! haha it would be very "easy/simple" type stuff. i would like to take it muddin' tho

 

[the great him]

not to confuse you but id look at the OME(old man emu, from ARB) stuff, their shocks and their coils as well as the toytec and sonoran steel kits. they will all be good quality and good riding systems.

 

[theizzardking]

this is what im going for!
second pic has running boards!! ;-p

which one do you like better, i think those maybe 2 different lifts and tires sizes on there..... personally i think the one on the right might be a bit overkill for what you plan on doing and you may get a better ride from a lift that isn't so high.....



anyone want to help me with this one?
let's play the guessing game, what are these trucks running as far as lifts and such?

 

[SRSRunner]

Like I said, there's got to be someone close, that's a haul for me.. look up NE4RA on facebook- its open to the public, and its all ny/pa/de/md/va 4runner owners most of em are on here too though.
As for that shops web page... in a word.. gay..

Neither one of those trucks looks like it has more then 2.5 -3 inches of lift, but the one also has a body lift and what appear to be 33's.. My truck is really over kill for no more then I get to wheel it. With that being said, an OME kit and some 32s would probably be the best fit and the cheapest unless you can find someone looking to unload some springs.

 

[VA4runnerchic]

which one do you like better, i think those maybe 2 different lifts and tires sizes on there..... personally i think the one on the right might be a bit overkill for what you plan on doing and you may get a better ride from a lift that isn't so high.....



anyone want to help me with this one?
let's play the guessing game, what are these trucks running as far as lifts and such?

i like the one on the left the best!!!

 

[VA4runnerchic]

Like I said, there's got to be someone close, that's a haul for me.. look up NE4RA on facebook- its open to the public, and its all ny/pa/de/md/va 4runner owners most of em are on here too though.
As for that shops web page... in a word.. gay..

sweet thanks...ill look them up!

 

[VA4runnerchic]

which one do you like better, i think those maybe 2 different lifts and tires sizes on there..... personally i think the one on the right might be a bit overkill for what you plan on doing and you may get a better ride from a lift that isn't so high.....



anyone want to help me with this one?
let's play the guessing game, what are these trucks running as far as lifts and such?

overkill? really? it doesnt look that much higher than the other one!
preferrably the higher the better but in all reality i cant go all balls out! haha

 

[the great him]

this is what im going for!
second pic has running boards!! ;-p

well the one on the left has a 2" body lift and appears to be running 35s on 18" wheels can speak for the type of suspension lift as i cant see anything, the one on the right is what appears to be a 3-3.5" suspension lift, no body lift and running 285s on the stock 16 wheels, id bet that the one on the right will go more places than the one on the left, it looks to be done right, but again you cant see anything to be definitive. who knows the one on the right could be a spacer lift and the one on the left could be a TT kit with a BL to clear 35s... and be a serious lift

 

[VA4runnerchic]

well the one on the left has a 2" body lift and appears to be running 35s on 18" wheels can speak for the type of suspension lift as i cant see anything, the one on the right is what appears to be a 3-3.5" suspension lift, no body lift and running 285s on the stock 16 wheels, id bet that the one on the right will go more places than the one on the left, it looks to be done right, but again you cant see anything to be definitive. who knows the one on the right could be a spacer lift and the one on the left could be a TT kit with a BL to clear 35s... and be a serious lift

ok...gonna re-word it...i like the look of the tires on the left one but like/want the height of the one on the right! the right one looks identical to mine...so when i saw it i was like aahh sweet this is exactly what my truck will look like when its done!

 

[theizzardking]

overkill? really? it doesnt look that much higher than the other one!
preferrably the higher the better but in all reality i cant go all balls out! haha

well they are, about an inch or 2 and possibly a body lift as well, that said,

you do realize the taller you go the worse it will drive right, it's just the basic physics of the center of gravity of the truck, so you really need to decide if you want all of that ground clearance if your not going to be using it all .

like the kid said the truck on the right could probably take out the truck on the right if pitted head to head and the lower truck had better parts in it.

i heavily suggest you just go with a 3-3.5 inch lift and some 285's or 255's depending on how you like the look of each, i really do think the other one is over kill, get on that page the local guy above mentioned and try to show up at one of the meet and greets and check out some of these trucks with various lifts on them in person if you can....


i'm running a 3 inch lift and some 285's on mine and nothing about my truck looks like the stock 4runner soccer mom thing your trying to get away from.

 

[the great him]

well they are, about an inch or 2 and possibly a body lift as well, that said,

you do realize the taller you go the worse it will drive right, it's just the basic physics of the center of gravity of the truck, so you really need to decide if you want all of that ground clearance if your not going to be using it all .

like the kid said the truck on the right could probably take out the truck on the right if pitted head to head and the lower truck had better parts in it.

i heavily suggest you just go with a 3-3.5 inch lift and some 285's or 255's depending on how you like the look of each, i really do think the other one is over kill, get on that page the local guy above mentioned and try to show up at one of the meet and greets and check out some of these trucks with various lifts on them in person if you can....


i'm running a 3 inch lift and some 285's on mine and nothing about my truck looks like the stock 4runner soccer mom thing your trying to get away from.

HEY! whats wrong with the stock soccer mom look... :bigok: lol,

-my rig is stock height(actually lowered an inch with all the weight i put on it in armor) but i still have aggressive tires and so yeah. i wheel mine a fair amount and wont go more than 3.5" of lift, it gets kinda top heavy at that point and not so fun to drive on the road.

to the OP, just get a mild lift and put some aggressive mud tires on it and you will have your look

 

[SRSRunner]

Yea what they said.. 3-4 inches is plenty of lift.. There's two sides to lifting it- any amount of lift coupled with some tires will look great.. But the higher you go the more you will sacrifice in handling etc. Ive got a little over 5 up front and 6 in the back(with the body lift) no rear sway bar and a tire on top.. It's a blast off road, but I've got a lot of body roll so it can get interesting at times on pavement.. Then you add tires to the mix.. 33's again great offroad- suck on the pavement- my mpgs went from 21 to 16 and the 200lbs of unsprung weight hurt the power also.. Take your running boards off, go wheel it , that'll a give you a pretty good idea of how much lift you really "need" then go from there.

 

[Hepar]

no i wont be off-roading much at all. it will mainly be for looks. i guess there might be an occassional time here and there i might but it wouldnt be anything like climbing rocks and sh*t or deep muddy trails! haha it would be very "easy/simple" type stuff. i would like to take it muddin' tho

Even though you plan on lifting it mainly for looks, I would still not go the spacer route. Spacers are going to make it ride significantly rougher without the benefits of a rougher ride through a stiffer, but quicker responding suspension. Plus it will wear out your springs a bit faster. That being said, you don't need to get the best coilovers out there and put them on as they would go to waste. A nice middle ground would be best.

As far as being 2wd, I've said it plenty of times before that these (and many other vehicles) are plenty capable in 2wd. If you plan on throwing it into mud holes, I would strongly recommend getting a locker for the real. An unlocked 2wd in mud is just asking to get stuck.

 

[VA4runnerchic]

yeah 3-3.5 inches is what i'll do.

 

[VA4runnerchic]

HEY! whats wrong with the stock soccer mom look... :bigok: lol,

haha thanks! i am a soccer mom ;-p

 

[the great him]

i have no lift yet, got some parts to one(rear land cruiser coils) just need to find the money to get the front set up....

so for now im rocking the soccer mom look. -but it still out wheels jeeps with 6" of lift on 35s(they didnt know how to drive)

 

[theizzardking]

i personally think you should go with the complete toytech package ordered from them directly, they are billstein shocks which imo is the best ride on the 4runner, they are adjustable so you can raise or lower it to fit the tires you want or to bring it back down if it all feels too tippy for you at full height.

also order the diff drop (like $25) and pan hard bar $150-$200 to re-center your rear axle after the lift.

get the 1 inch body lift and some wheel spacers and go to teh tire shop and test fit some 35's and 33's with the spacers and see which one you like better.
really though i would not even really consider teh 35's and just start looking at 33's off the bat if i was you.

also it being 2wd mudding isn't going to be your thing regardless of what you do, 2wd's are plenty capable of keeping up on trail runs and such with the right lines but mudding is usually a different story, unless you get some 255's on there and keep it floored through every mud pit you come up too you may have some problems.

 

[VA4runnerchic]

i personally think you should go with the complete toytech package ordered from them directly, they are billstein shocks which imo is the best ride on the 4runner, they are adjustable so you can raise or lower it to fit the tires you want or to bring it back down if it all feels too tippy for you at full height.

also order the diff drop (like $25) and pan hard bar $150-$200 to re-center your rear axle after the lift.

get the 1 inch body lift and some wheel spacers and go to teh tire shop and test fit some 35's and 33's with the spacers and see which one you like better.
really though i would not even really consider teh 35's and just start looking at 33's off the bat if i was you.

QUOTE]

thank you thank you thank you!!! ha thats exactly what i needed to hear!! finally some answers :-D

 

[theizzardking]

i personally think you should go with the complete toytech package ordered from them directly, they are billstein shocks which imo is the best ride on the 4runner, they are adjustable so you can raise or lower it to fit the tires you want or to bring it back down if it all feels too tippy for you at full height.

also order the diff drop (like $25) and pan hard bar $150-$200 to re-center your rear axle after the lift.

get the 1 inch body lift and some wheel spacers and go to teh tire shop and test fit some 35's and 33's with the spacers and see which one you like better.
really though i would not even really consider teh 35's and just start looking at 33's off the bat if i was you.

QUOTE]

here i'll lay it out even better for you
start here
Ultimate lift kit for 96-02 4Runner - Toytec Lifts: Toyota Lift Kits: FJ Cruiser Lift Kits, Tacoma Lift Kits, Tundra Lift Kits, 4 Runner Lift Kits, Sequoia Lift Kits, Toyota Truck Lift Kits
in the drop down menus pick the following
front coil options: 600lb normal coils or +20 for the same 600lb coils in silver, your choice, no difference but the color.

rear coil options: OME 890 3 inch lift normal load coils

rear shock options: billstein 5150 (or at the very least pick OME comfort ride, don't go with the rancho's)

this lift kit already includes the diff drop.^

then go to this site and order a trac bar/pan hard bar
4Runner - Fully Adjustable Trac/PanHard Bar (1996 to 2002) - $175.00 : Sonoran Steel, Sonoran Steel Custom Metal Fabrication L.L.C. Custom Toyota Truck Parts

find a local shop to install all of this, then head to a tire shop and snag some
tires...

to be warned you may need to pick up some wheel spacers on the way to get your tires as some tires will rub on the stock rims without them, you have a 50/50 chance of your tire of choice fitting with out the spacers unless you do your home work first and figure out which tire with which lift and what rims your running....that said you can always get some new rims as well and not even bother with the tire clearance issue, but that's another thing altogether.

back to the lift,
so if you get all of this on and it's still not tall enough to your liking go back and add a 1 inch body lift for an over-all visual gain of about 4.5+ inches or so, but i would hold off on that and pocket the cash until you decide that the 3.5+ inches isn't good enough, then add the body lift. i have a feeling that the kit above should be enough for you.


if i had to do it all over again and i had around $1500 that's how i would do it at least, asking on a forum like this what the best lift is is kind of like asking a group of kindergartners to figure out what the best color in the whole world is..good luck on that one.....i haven't heard any complaints about the lift i listed above and i complain about mine, and the lift i posted is the one i've personally been eye-balling for over a year now.

the only reason i feel comfortable with laying things out like this on something that is really a personal choice matter is that really you'd be pretty happy with either lift kit from toytech or SS steel (the make the panhard bar i suggested, also sell lifts as well) so there's really no wrong answer, and from having billstiens on all of my other rides and the old man emu OME shocks on my ride now, i personally will only run billsteins on my truck from now on out also from my personal experience on this forum i have heard of less people moaning about their billies(if they got ones for a 4runner) then their OME's but generally speaking both camps are happy with their shocks and fully support them and saying anything else is loking for a fight......to be honest i'm nervous is even making this statement that you should buy x and x and x as it is such a personal thing (ride quality) so make sure you read fully on both the toytech ultimate and the ss lift kits
linked to here
Toyota Lift Kits: Lift Kits, toyota, 4 Runner, 4 Runner Lift Kits

i hope this helps, i can't really do much more for you at this point, you just gotta read and choose, if you have any more questions i'd be happy to help, i just don't know at this point what else could be added.