seads505
Junior Member
Here's the platform: 2000 4Runner Limited 4x4 automatic 4.30 gears 185K miles 255/70R16 Michelin LTX MS2 (came with these from previous owner).
Didn’t find a heck of a lot of information or write-ups on using stock FJ suspensions for lifting 3rd gen 4Runners, so I decided to document this to help out others who may be contemplating something similar...these parts are fairly common since many FJ owners opt to lift their new rigs as soon as they get em home!
I spent a lot of time researching lift kits and countless hours reading build threads to help make an educated decision on what l really wanted to do with my 2000 4Runner 4x4 Limited in terms of a lift. How high do I want to go? How hard/soft do I want this thing to ride? Which manufacturer or brand do I want? How much is this going to set me back? All these questions were running through my mind, and it’s kinda overwhelming how many options there are for lifting these trucks. My initial desire was to have around a 2” lift, so that narrowed my focus a bit. Then I decided I was going to settle for a bit more lift and go with the Sonoran Steel 1.2 Kit, which I feel is one of the best kits out there for our generation 4Runners in terms of the R&D that went into it and the awesome support items that they fabricate in terms of brake line extensions and supporting suspension geometry modifications.
It wasn’t until a late night craigslist search when I saw a guy selling a complete stock suspension from a 2013 4Runner. A quick search on T4Rs website made it appear this wouldn't work due to the front shocks having the bottom eyelet to shock body extension being too high and not a whole lot of info on the rear springs and how much of a lift to expect. I was chatting with one of my best friends, who also happens to be one of the most knowledgeable people I know about everything Toyota. He mentioned he had picked up a complete stock 2007 FJ Cruiser suspension (less than 500 miles) from a buddy of his who immediately lifted his new FJ back in 07. He had them sitting in his house for a rainy day, I guess...he didn’t have plans for them anyway...He suggested we just throw the rear springs on to see if it would work and what result we would see...can’t hurt, right? And the rear suspension is super easy to take apart. Time to stop the internet quest for all the answers and actually get my hands dirty!
Half an hour later, we had the rear suspension apart and the springs out of my 4Runner. Here’s a comparison of the tired old 4Runner springs next to the new FJ ones:
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3857/15388744551_8966428cb6_z.jpg" width="640" height="426" alt="DSC_0318"></img>
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3908/15205247800_b08584af04_z.jpg" width="640" height="426" alt="DSC_0317"></img>
I wasn’t terribly excited when I saw these...as you can see, the FJ rears are slightly shorter but the bar diameter is definitely larger and the overall diameter of the spring is appreciably larger. I was nervous that the top isolator was too small, bit they actually fit!
Here’s a side by side of the two showing the difference in diameter
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3850/15391910195_44c9b3137d_z.jpg" width="640" height="426" alt="DSC_0320"></img>
"Brilliant" (fellow member here on T4R) did some additional measurements and has some more good info in his build thread: (LINK)
Here’s the before and after REAR ONLY:
Before:
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3927/15391378386_bf087d0bb6_z.jpg" width="640" height="426" alt="R_Side_PreLift"></img>
After:
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3930/15414076712_7c25960699_z.jpg" width="640" height="426" alt="R_Rears_Only"></img>
The FJ rears netted me about 1.5” of lift (unsettled) and after a quick test drive, the ride was noticeably more cushy, yet more controlled in terms of body roll. Keep in mind, my old springs were the OEM springs with 185K on them. I have not tested the FJ rears’ load carrying capacity, but I imagine it should hold up well. I have the matching stock Tokico rear shocks from the FJ but they are too long on the compressed length (approx. 15.5" vs 12.4" on the stock rears) to safely run, although the additional extended length would be awesome...so for now and until I can find a nice rear shock option which offers more extension and the same compression length, I'm gonna run the stock 4Runner rear shocks.
Just for comparison, here's the difference between the FJC rear coils and the OME 906:
FJC............190 lb/14.88 in
OME 906....220 lb/14.96 in
OK, so we know what the rears did, let’s try the fronts...taking the front end apart was really straight forward...make sure you disconnect the sway bar to allow the lower control arm to easily droop and help get the coilover assembly out more easily.
Here’s the comparison of the two systems out of the truck:
<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2948/15205389377_b01dae740a_z.jpg" width="640" height="426" alt="DSC_0325"></img>
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3879/15391895285_efb3d33db6_z.jpg" width="640" height="426" alt="DSC_0329"></img>
Knowing that the stock FJ shocks would net waaaay too much lift, I opted to throw the stock 4Runner shocks into the FJ coils. The front FJ Springs on the stock shocks netted me about 1” of lift. More of a rake than I would like to see, so I pulled the trigger on two brand new front Tundra adjustable Bilstein 5100s (part number 24-188265). Based on this read: http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-g...omparison-tacoma-5100s-vs-tundra-5100s-2.html it appeared these would be a great option for me and leave me some room to grow, should I want more of a lift down the road.
Here’s the Tundra 5100’s all assembled. I ended up setting the snapring on the second groove and the result was what I was looking for.
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3893/15388687161_5a92eb13fd_c.jpg" width="532" height="800" alt="DSC_0334"></img>
Here it is installed (you like them brakes!):
<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2941/15388680601_9a3b368a9a_z.jpg" width="426" height="640" alt="DSC_0337"></img>
And here’s the final stance:
<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2945/15391846515_3ac19bdc47_z.jpg" width="640" height="426" alt="DSC_0339"></img>
The pre/post measurements (center of hub to bottom of fender flare):
Front:
Before: 19.5" After: 21"
Rear:
Before: 20" After: 21.25"
I'm loving the very slight rake and with some slightly bigger tires, she'll be ready for just about anything I throw at her...I plan to run 265/75R16 Maxxis Bighorns on this rig at some point down the road, but these tires have so much life in them I really can't justify that right now...and heck, they've carried me successfully through more obstacles than I thought they would as-is.
The whole thing ended up costing me $330 ($150 for the FJ F/R springs and $180 for the adjustable Tundra 5100s) + $95 for an alignment for a Grand Total of $425!
Feel free to ask questions if I missed anything and I'll try to get the info you're looking for.
PICS UPDATE:
7/2015 with 265/75R16 Duratrac Load Rage C, Custom Homemade Rear Bumper, and CBI Front Bumper (not shown is full Savage skids and sliders, a must-have with this mold lift):
<img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7395/26884277486_f110897f6a_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_1323"></img>
<img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7242/26824024252_b047b17a03_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_1328"></img>
<img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7257/26850163301_32ed854ca6_z.jpg" width="640" height="443" alt="IMG_1335"></img>
OBLIGATORY GOLDEN CRACK PIC:
9/2015 - Moab, UT
<img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7411/26644950850_6b1c37724c_z.jpg" width="640" height="408" alt="image"></img>
Didn’t find a heck of a lot of information or write-ups on using stock FJ suspensions for lifting 3rd gen 4Runners, so I decided to document this to help out others who may be contemplating something similar...these parts are fairly common since many FJ owners opt to lift their new rigs as soon as they get em home!
I spent a lot of time researching lift kits and countless hours reading build threads to help make an educated decision on what l really wanted to do with my 2000 4Runner 4x4 Limited in terms of a lift. How high do I want to go? How hard/soft do I want this thing to ride? Which manufacturer or brand do I want? How much is this going to set me back? All these questions were running through my mind, and it’s kinda overwhelming how many options there are for lifting these trucks. My initial desire was to have around a 2” lift, so that narrowed my focus a bit. Then I decided I was going to settle for a bit more lift and go with the Sonoran Steel 1.2 Kit, which I feel is one of the best kits out there for our generation 4Runners in terms of the R&D that went into it and the awesome support items that they fabricate in terms of brake line extensions and supporting suspension geometry modifications.
It wasn’t until a late night craigslist search when I saw a guy selling a complete stock suspension from a 2013 4Runner. A quick search on T4Rs website made it appear this wouldn't work due to the front shocks having the bottom eyelet to shock body extension being too high and not a whole lot of info on the rear springs and how much of a lift to expect. I was chatting with one of my best friends, who also happens to be one of the most knowledgeable people I know about everything Toyota. He mentioned he had picked up a complete stock 2007 FJ Cruiser suspension (less than 500 miles) from a buddy of his who immediately lifted his new FJ back in 07. He had them sitting in his house for a rainy day, I guess...he didn’t have plans for them anyway...He suggested we just throw the rear springs on to see if it would work and what result we would see...can’t hurt, right? And the rear suspension is super easy to take apart. Time to stop the internet quest for all the answers and actually get my hands dirty!
Half an hour later, we had the rear suspension apart and the springs out of my 4Runner. Here’s a comparison of the tired old 4Runner springs next to the new FJ ones:
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3857/15388744551_8966428cb6_z.jpg" width="640" height="426" alt="DSC_0318"></img>
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3908/15205247800_b08584af04_z.jpg" width="640" height="426" alt="DSC_0317"></img>
I wasn’t terribly excited when I saw these...as you can see, the FJ rears are slightly shorter but the bar diameter is definitely larger and the overall diameter of the spring is appreciably larger. I was nervous that the top isolator was too small, bit they actually fit!
Here’s a side by side of the two showing the difference in diameter
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3850/15391910195_44c9b3137d_z.jpg" width="640" height="426" alt="DSC_0320"></img>
"Brilliant" (fellow member here on T4R) did some additional measurements and has some more good info in his build thread: (LINK)
Here’s the before and after REAR ONLY:
Before:
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3927/15391378386_bf087d0bb6_z.jpg" width="640" height="426" alt="R_Side_PreLift"></img>
After:
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3930/15414076712_7c25960699_z.jpg" width="640" height="426" alt="R_Rears_Only"></img>
The FJ rears netted me about 1.5” of lift (unsettled) and after a quick test drive, the ride was noticeably more cushy, yet more controlled in terms of body roll. Keep in mind, my old springs were the OEM springs with 185K on them. I have not tested the FJ rears’ load carrying capacity, but I imagine it should hold up well. I have the matching stock Tokico rear shocks from the FJ but they are too long on the compressed length (approx. 15.5" vs 12.4" on the stock rears) to safely run, although the additional extended length would be awesome...so for now and until I can find a nice rear shock option which offers more extension and the same compression length, I'm gonna run the stock 4Runner rear shocks.
Just for comparison, here's the difference between the FJC rear coils and the OME 906:
FJC............190 lb/14.88 in
OME 906....220 lb/14.96 in
OK, so we know what the rears did, let’s try the fronts...taking the front end apart was really straight forward...make sure you disconnect the sway bar to allow the lower control arm to easily droop and help get the coilover assembly out more easily.
Here’s the comparison of the two systems out of the truck:
<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2948/15205389377_b01dae740a_z.jpg" width="640" height="426" alt="DSC_0325"></img>
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3879/15391895285_efb3d33db6_z.jpg" width="640" height="426" alt="DSC_0329"></img>
Knowing that the stock FJ shocks would net waaaay too much lift, I opted to throw the stock 4Runner shocks into the FJ coils. The front FJ Springs on the stock shocks netted me about 1” of lift. More of a rake than I would like to see, so I pulled the trigger on two brand new front Tundra adjustable Bilstein 5100s (part number 24-188265). Based on this read: http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-g...omparison-tacoma-5100s-vs-tundra-5100s-2.html it appeared these would be a great option for me and leave me some room to grow, should I want more of a lift down the road.
Here’s the Tundra 5100’s all assembled. I ended up setting the snapring on the second groove and the result was what I was looking for.
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3893/15388687161_5a92eb13fd_c.jpg" width="532" height="800" alt="DSC_0334"></img>
Here it is installed (you like them brakes!):
<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2941/15388680601_9a3b368a9a_z.jpg" width="426" height="640" alt="DSC_0337"></img>
And here’s the final stance:
<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2945/15391846515_3ac19bdc47_z.jpg" width="640" height="426" alt="DSC_0339"></img>
The pre/post measurements (center of hub to bottom of fender flare):
Front:
Before: 19.5" After: 21"
Rear:
Before: 20" After: 21.25"
I'm loving the very slight rake and with some slightly bigger tires, she'll be ready for just about anything I throw at her...I plan to run 265/75R16 Maxxis Bighorns on this rig at some point down the road, but these tires have so much life in them I really can't justify that right now...and heck, they've carried me successfully through more obstacles than I thought they would as-is.
The whole thing ended up costing me $330 ($150 for the FJ F/R springs and $180 for the adjustable Tundra 5100s) + $95 for an alignment for a Grand Total of $425!
Feel free to ask questions if I missed anything and I'll try to get the info you're looking for.
PICS UPDATE:
7/2015 with 265/75R16 Duratrac Load Rage C, Custom Homemade Rear Bumper, and CBI Front Bumper (not shown is full Savage skids and sliders, a must-have with this mold lift):
<img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7395/26884277486_f110897f6a_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_1323"></img>
<img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7242/26824024252_b047b17a03_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_1328"></img>
<img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7257/26850163301_32ed854ca6_z.jpg" width="640" height="443" alt="IMG_1335"></img>
OBLIGATORY GOLDEN CRACK PIC:
9/2015 - Moab, UT
<img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7411/26644950850_6b1c37724c_z.jpg" width="640" height="408" alt="image"></img>
Last edited:
