Read until I'm confused on lifts......

[m1kefries]

I've been reading all I can about the different lift options, to the point I'm getting confused. I've got a 2007 SR5 and ultimately would like to run 33" tires. I feel like that size has the best balance for my tastes. I'd also like to retain a slightly visible rake.

I've got a set of FJ springs and need new shocks so ordered the Bilstein 5100's front and rear (maybe I'll get them next month...). I'm sure I probably need more lift in the back to get the 33's under there comfortably. I was thinking along the lines of the 1.5" lift spacer from daystar.

With the order delay on the bilsteins it's got me thinking I might be better off just getting a complete 3" setup from somebody like toytec since it will all be designed to work together....... Not sure which way to go now am I over analyzing this or what?

 

[THEROK]

I've been reading all I can about the different lift options, to the point I'm getting confused. I've got a 2007 SR5 and ultimately would like to run 33" tires. I feel like that size has the best balance for my tastes. I'd also like to retain a slightly visible rake.

I've got a set of FJ springs and need new shocks so ordered the Bilstein 5100's front and rear (maybe I'll get them next month...). I'm sure I probably need more lift in the back to get the 33's under there comfortably. I was thinking along the lines of the 1.5" lift spacer from daystar.

With the order delay on the bilsteins it's got me thinking I might be better off just getting a complete 3" setup from somebody like toytec since it will all be designed to work together....... Not sure which way to go now am I over analyzing this or what?

there are def those much more knowledgeable than i but i'll share my experience because my 4r is my first lifted anything. in fact, i've always sought to go low baby (porsche 911 guy here). i know how things can get a bit daunting with all the crap info out there so let me distill it from a conservative setup vantage point that's worked out perfectly (factory like).

I have the full 5100 setup with OME rears which gets me the typical 2.5/1.5 lift. it sounds like the 5100s are on perpetual backorder. my 4x4 shop told me these 5100s were designed to be a drop in replacement with the stock 4R setup so not sure why people go with FJ springs. prob nothing wrong with it, but i didn't want to mix.

i run 265/65/18 BFG AT KOs on oem 18" wheels as u can see above. you're going to want to go higher than 2.5 for 33s, but understand there is a give/take here.

my mpg tanked from 17-18mpg to 13-14mpg mixed city/hwy driving. if i went w/ 33s, the additional weight and aero hit i couldn't tolerate as i'm already feeling a little guilty driving such a gas guzzling car close to stock H2 efficiency which is absolute dog sh!t. i immediately noticed the weight as well. i didn't like the feeling of accelerating slower though with the v8, the hit is not as bad as with the less torquey v6. as a speed guy, i have no desire to go heavier/bigger wheels for this reason.

but i wholeheartedly agree that 33s look better than 32s so to combat the less aggressive size, i decided to keep the running boards because it visually balances out the slightly shorter sidewall by making it look a bit lower than without RBs. in your case, i'd def go with the adjustable coilovers at 3" and whatever the dudes hererecommend for the rear. you do not want much more than 1.5" in the rear as that'll have way too much of a nascar/dragster rake which looks horrible.

so at the end of the day, i'm super happy with my results. i can cruise on the hwy on road trips as it's still lexus smooth, pound the urban pavement hittin up the nightlife all the while enjoying the rugged good looks of a nicely lifted truck that doesn't look overbaked.

good luck man! enjoy the process

 

[THEROK]

I really loved the look of this truck which got me amped to do something about my staid stock setup:

I believe this dude is running 33s. even with 32s, i had to do some trimming off the mud flaps and move the front fender liner forward. it still rubbed a little at full crank, but no longer after about 10K miles on the BFGs. yes, it's that close.

 

[CJ3Flyr]

First welcome.

:iagree: with THEROK 100% on the 32's for a 4Runner. Some options would be 255/70/18, 255/75/17, 275/70/17 or 275/65/18. The stock gearing and brakes still work really well. 33's mean you'll want gears, you can't carry a full sized spare and more cutting no matter how much lift you have.

4th gen 4Runner's do very well up to 3" of lift in the front. Over that you need new upper control arms to get a good alignment and that gets into more money than most want to spend.

I think you'll be happy with 5100's and a rear spacer combined with FJ springs. It sounds like you're on way to a very cool ride on a budget. If you decide you want to spend more $$$ the Toytec Ultimate is popular and has great bang-for-the-buck.
:cheers:

 

[rook]

You are definitely not over analyzing.

As CJ and ROK pointed out, 32's are an ideal mod.. it creates a more capable truck without major modifications needed - call it bang for the buck.

If you are already thinking about upgrading your choices, then do it... otherwise you'll end up wondering "what if" and in two months you'll be posting in the classifieds. As for what is right for you, that is a whole 'nother set of questions. If you start out with a goal of fitting 33's then that is a good start. Find the tire that is right for your 4Runner's needs and plan your build around it. We could tell you what to trim, chop, nip/tuck etc... but until you've chosen the ideal tire, the rest is immaterial. That being established, what are your intentions with the truck? Do you plan to mud, wheel or just go overland? What type of a budget do you have in mind?

When you get into 33's there are other things to consider. Mainly because the need for mods increase. You will need a quality shock - oem will not cut it. 33's are much heavier and your truck will need a quality shock to control them on all types of terrain. 33's also vary in diameter and width. Take a 285/70/17 and compare it to a 33x12.5x17. Big difference when it comes to fitment.

As for the confusion. Lets eliminate one option - spacers are out. That leaves you with two main options: a factory replacement type system, like Bilstein or OME, or adjustable coilovers. The latter being a more expensive option, but more adjustable to your needs.

Read this suspension guide for our trucks. It will explain a lot. Suspension Wiki

 

[034RUNNER]

I believe this dude is running 33s. even with 32s, i had to do some trimming off the mud flaps and move the front fender liner forward. it still rubbed a little at full crank, but no longer after about 10K miles on the BFGs. yes, it's that close.

I'm only running 32's and trimming had to be done up front; the triangle had to be cut (thankfully got it done so clean that you can't tell even if you look closely) away. The front mudflaps HAD to go. I pulled off the rears originally but didn't like the look; threw them back on and have not had problems yet- going on about 2 weeks with the truck lifted so far. I'm happy with my 32's right now but the real test for me is winter....so I'll have to get back to you.

 

[THEROK]

I'm only running 32's and trimming had to be done up front; the triangle had to be cut (thankfully got it done so clean that you can't tell even if you look closely) away. The front mudflaps HAD to go. I pulled off the rears originally but didn't like the look; threw them back on and have not had problems yet- going on about 2 weeks with the truck lifted so far. I'm happy with my 32's right now but the real test for me is winter....so I'll have to get back to you.

you're corroborating what i have experienced. i like the mud flaps there so i kept them all around. i had to make a triangle cut for the front tire mudflaps as it was rubbing at not even full lock.

as for winter duty, it's all about the tires. hopefully you made the right decision and have a set of snows depending on how snowy it gets in your neck of the woods.

here in the PNW, we don't get extreme anything so no need for snows really. just extreme gray skies and drizzle. awd and BFGs will suit me just fine. it's awesome. i didn't think i'd like this toyota so much when first bought it. i love it more with the lift and tires.

i spent about $3K including labor with all new parts.

P.S. Those look like BBSs? I used to run BBS LMs on my other cars. love BBS!

 

[m1kefries]

Everyone thanks for the feedback and keeping me sane....... I hadn't really given much consideration to the added weight of 33's and upgrading the gearing to compensate. I don't think that is where I want to take this truck. Most of my driving is on road with some beach cruising to surf cast being the furthest off road this truck is likely to go.

034Runner I really like the look of your rig and that's what I'm shooting for. So I'll wait for the 5100's and add a spacer to the rear to achieve the lift and look.

Now on to tires...... I've had the BFG AT's on several trucks in the past and love the aggressive look and they have great wet and snow traction. The down side is they crush gas mileage. Also considering the Wrangler silent armours and the Hankook's folks have been talking about here. Any feedback with regard to mileage and on road handling would be appreciated.

Thanks

Mike

 

[CJ3Flyr]

Mike, is yours a V6? If so the 255/75's are sweet! My mpg actually improved, no they weren't too skinny ARK_SWAMP is enjoying his Hankooks and many are doing fine with the GYWranglerSA. The RevoII and the Toyo A/T are offered in 255/75 too. This is a great article that will make you more open-minded to a slightly narrower tire: http://www.expeditionswest.com/research/white_papers/tire_selection_rev1.html IMHO keeping the rolling resistance down helps mpg and keeps the adequate V6 feeling adequate... I never felt like I "killed" my performance with big tires. That claim was backed-up by good mpg numbers

 

[rook]

Everyone thanks for the feedback and keeping me sane....... I hadn't really given much consideration to the added weight of 33's and upgrading the gearing to compensate. I don't think that is where I want to take this truck. Most of my driving is on road with some beach cruising to surf cast being the furthest off road this truck is likely to go.

034Runner I really like the look of your rig and that's what I'm shooting for. So I'll wait for the 5100's and add a spacer to the rear to achieve the lift and look.

Now on to tires...... I've had the BFG AT's on several trucks in the past and love the aggressive look and they have great wet and snow traction. The down side is they crush gas mileage. Also considering the Wrangler silent armours and the Hankook's folks have been talking about here. Any feedback with regard to mileage and on road handling would be appreciated.

Thanks

Mike

From your performance needs, you really do not need a heavy LT rated tire. There are many good p-metric all terrains available - even up to 33"

I got good mpg's with a set of Toyo AT's - 32's

 

[m1kefries]

Mike, is yours a V6? If so the 255/75's are sweet! My mpg actually improved, no they weren't too skinny ARK_SWAMP is enjoying his Hankooks and many are doing fine with the GYWranglerSA. The RevoII and the Toyo A/T are offered in 255/75 too. This is a great article that will make you more open-minded to a slightly narrower tire: Expeditions West: Tire Selection for Expedition Travel IMHO keeping the rolling resistance down helps mpg and keeps the adequate V6 feeling adequate... I never felt like I "killed" my performance with big tires. That claim was backed-up by good mpg numbers

Chris thanks for the link to that article, it was a great read. I guess I knew a lot of that stuff, but there were certainly things I did not know and I love learning new stuff. It also helped re-enforce some of the ideas I'd already started formulating with feedback from this thread as well as others.
I've ordered a set of Goodyear Wranger Silent Armours from Tire Rack. They had a great deal on the 255/75/17, $535.00 for all 4 shipped and a $40.00 mail in rebate.
http://www.jeepsunlimited.com/forums/images/smilies/roadkill.gif

 

[rghrdr18]

My 4Runner and BF's

I put on a set of BF MT 305/65/17 on my SR5 with the Revtek from LeSchwab and I am pretty happy with it so far. (about 15k on both) When I had my 90 4runner had the OG BF MT and had to change gears, but haven't yet on the new one. Gas mileage has been fairly the same but don't want to go only halfway so...

Do I need new gears then?

 

[G.I.G.]

If you have any doubt, I would go with the bigger lift and 33" tires right off the bat. Below are a few pics of my 4R with the OME lift and 33" Goodyear Silent Armors.

You can still fit a full size spare with 33's (barely, but it will fit). You loose a little umpf, but that can easily be overcome with a CAI and/or exhaust down the road when you can afford it. Braking, handling, and everything else is fine. To me, a 3" lift and 33" tires is a perfect balance between practicality, affordability, functionality, and looks. Below is a link to my build thread with more details on my lift. Hope that helps.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/gallery/64741-g-i-g-s-build-thread.html

EDIT: I forgot to add that with the spacers and the bigger tires, I did have to do some trimming so the tires wouldn't rub, but you can easily do this yourself in no time. The OME setup maintains the perfect rake, IMO. It levels out the truck, but still maintains a little rake. I see a lot of guys with coil overs that have them extended too far out, creating a perfectly level or even reverse rake which I don't think looks very good on our 4Runners.

 

[chaz]

i think ur gonna like the combo of the FJ springs with the 5100s, this will give u the 3 in. up front if u want/need combined with the 1.5 spacer out back should give u enough to clear 33s. Front Bilstein 5100 shocks, FJ Springs, And Daystar 1.5" Rear Spacers Installed -Pics - Toyota 120 Platforms Forum