I have a 2004 SR5 V6 4X4 with 145,000 miles. My suspension was worn, so I decided to replace the springs and shocks/struts.
My goals: A better ride (increased stiffness without being jarring). I think stock 4Runners look low, almost station wagon-ish, so I wanted a minor lift (nothing crazy). Aside from aesthetic reasons, I also wanted a slight increase in clearance for off-roading. I don't off-road for the sake of itself, but as a means to an end. Hence, I didn't have a need for the highest tech suspension.
After much research, I decided on Old Man Emu suspension parts. OME is perfect for my needs. I went with 884 springs upfront and 895E springs in the rear. For the struts/shocks, I went with their nitro sport line. Sorry guys, I won't be able to post pictures for a good while, but I thought some of you would like to hear about my experience with the 895E springs and nitro sport shocks, as both seem rather rare around here.
First of all, I've read from many sources that the nitro sport shocks are stiffer than OME's regular nitro shocks. I've also read many complaints about the stiffness of OME shocks. Immediately after installation, the ride on my 4Runner was rather truckish, but even then it wasn't that bad. After 2,000 miles, the ride is absolutely gorgeous in all conditions. My theory: it's not the shocks that are too stiff, but the fact that people are putting 895 springs in the rear without any additional weight. The 895E spring is more heavy duty than stock, while appropriate for stock weight vehicles. The 895 spring is designed for vehicles with constant additional weight.
The lift was about three and a half inches up-front and three inches in the rear, and it has settled about half an inch all around. It is very aesthetic. It looks level without being nose-high (if anything, it keeps just a touch of rake, which is perfect IMHO). The ride is great, whether on the road, in the dirt, or over bumps. It sways less in turns, and nose-dive is gone during breaking. The willowy feeling is gone and there's an appreciable stiffness in the ride, yet it doesn't have the harshness of an unloaded pick-up truck.
I moved from the Lake Tahoe area to Bozeman, an 800 mile trek. I had about 800 pounds in the car, and was towing about 3,000 pounds. The suspension did just fine. Even with all the weight, it still didn't sit as low as a regular 4Runner. The trip also helped settle the suspension.
In conclusion, I am very happy with this suspension. It doesn't stand-out as a lifted truck, yet it doesn't have the low look of our stock trucks. I certainly couldn't go back. I'm already very used to it, and stock 4Runners seem even lower than before. This is the way they should have come from the factory. For the record, I'm running 265/70/17 tires, which look great. The stock tire size may look a tad small, but I had the 70 series tire before the install, so I'm just guessing.
Pictures below. Please note on the third one down, the truck is sitting on a bit of an incline, which makes the truck look nose-high. The truck is level. Tire size is 265/70/17
My goals: A better ride (increased stiffness without being jarring). I think stock 4Runners look low, almost station wagon-ish, so I wanted a minor lift (nothing crazy). Aside from aesthetic reasons, I also wanted a slight increase in clearance for off-roading. I don't off-road for the sake of itself, but as a means to an end. Hence, I didn't have a need for the highest tech suspension.
After much research, I decided on Old Man Emu suspension parts. OME is perfect for my needs. I went with 884 springs upfront and 895E springs in the rear. For the struts/shocks, I went with their nitro sport line. Sorry guys, I won't be able to post pictures for a good while, but I thought some of you would like to hear about my experience with the 895E springs and nitro sport shocks, as both seem rather rare around here.
First of all, I've read from many sources that the nitro sport shocks are stiffer than OME's regular nitro shocks. I've also read many complaints about the stiffness of OME shocks. Immediately after installation, the ride on my 4Runner was rather truckish, but even then it wasn't that bad. After 2,000 miles, the ride is absolutely gorgeous in all conditions. My theory: it's not the shocks that are too stiff, but the fact that people are putting 895 springs in the rear without any additional weight. The 895E spring is more heavy duty than stock, while appropriate for stock weight vehicles. The 895 spring is designed for vehicles with constant additional weight.
The lift was about three and a half inches up-front and three inches in the rear, and it has settled about half an inch all around. It is very aesthetic. It looks level without being nose-high (if anything, it keeps just a touch of rake, which is perfect IMHO). The ride is great, whether on the road, in the dirt, or over bumps. It sways less in turns, and nose-dive is gone during breaking. The willowy feeling is gone and there's an appreciable stiffness in the ride, yet it doesn't have the harshness of an unloaded pick-up truck.
I moved from the Lake Tahoe area to Bozeman, an 800 mile trek. I had about 800 pounds in the car, and was towing about 3,000 pounds. The suspension did just fine. Even with all the weight, it still didn't sit as low as a regular 4Runner. The trip also helped settle the suspension.
In conclusion, I am very happy with this suspension. It doesn't stand-out as a lifted truck, yet it doesn't have the low look of our stock trucks. I certainly couldn't go back. I'm already very used to it, and stock 4Runners seem even lower than before. This is the way they should have come from the factory. For the record, I'm running 265/70/17 tires, which look great. The stock tire size may look a tad small, but I had the 70 series tire before the install, so I'm just guessing.
Pictures below. Please note on the third one down, the truck is sitting on a bit of an incline, which makes the truck look nose-high. The truck is level. Tire size is 265/70/17
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