sport x-reas questions

[firebirdguy]

im looking for a 06-07 sport & was wondering what guys do when the x-reas system goes bad or needs to be replaced? do you just replace the shocks with standard shocks & all is good? or do you have to do other stuff to eliminate it?

is it a good system when working right? do the sport models have normal sway bars or is that part of what the xreas does?

this will be mainly a road vehicle, no real offroading. thanks for any input on this.

 

[ScooterMD]

The presence/absence of XREAS should be 100% ignored in my opinion while considering the purchase of a used Sport. You will be very hard-pressed to find an XREAS system that doesn't need or nearly need replacement on a used Sport. OEM XREAS replacement costs well over 3k and I think I estimated over 2k just in parts if you do it myself (you can still find the Toyota XREAS parts). Comparable aftermarkets are less than half as much. The stock XREAS were not shot but definitely not in great shape on the used sport i bought; i really wish I had not seen the xreas as a motivation to choose the Sport.

 

[Inv4drZm]

I'd say it probably worked pretty well, back in the day. The couple thousand miles I had my XREAS there seemed to be very little body roll. I've since replaced the suspension with some beefier parts.

Good news is it's easy to rip out and replace with any aftermarket shocks.

Sway bars are all the same.

 

[Bumbo]

XREAS when in a healthy working condition is actually pretty nice… I very much enjoy how our newer 5th gen Limited with XREAS drives as it stays very flat through turns and body roll is very well controlled to near eliminated. Considering we bought this as a road vehicle it was very much worth having it and pleasurable to drive.

That said, I wouldn’t go out of my way to replace or fix it… like most, when the truck ages and it’s time to re-fresh I will most likely do it with regular shocks and springs. If your XREAS works, great, but if you need to replace it, it is easy to do and a well-documented process. You can also replace with regular shocks.

 

[404NotFound]

As was previously stated, the presence or absence shouldn't sway you. I bought my 4R with 140k on the clock, put another 45 on it before I touched the suspension. When I pulled it off the XREAS appeared to be all original. Was it smooth? Yes, especially considering how old it was. Was it worth $3,000 to replace? In my opinion not even close.

The most common thing I think us 4th gen guys do is the FJ/Bilstein 5100 combo. Dont quote me on that though there are a lot of lifted rigs on this forum. It's what I chose to do though, but I used Old Man Emu FJ coils.

If you dont want it to be lifted, I would imagine the suspension change would be even simpler because they would be 4Runner SR5 parts with no lift. Although I dont know if the XREAS and non XREAS trucks ride at the same height, I'd venture to guess the difference would be less than FJ coils.

 

[firebirdguy]

thanks for the info. just wanted to be sure whats involved.

i dont plan to lift it, maybe a level kit. so am i understanding i can keep the original sport springs & just replace with a good quality shock or does it need new springs like a sr5 without x-reas?

 

[ScooterMD]

As was previously stated, the presence or absence shouldn't sway you. I bought my 4R with 140k on the clock, put another 45 on it before I touched the suspension. When I pulled it off the XREAS appeared to be all original. Was it smooth? Yes, especially considering how old it was. Was it worth $3,000 to replace? In my opinion not even close.

The most common thing I think us 4th gen guys do is the FJ/Bilstein 5100 combo. Dont quote me on that though there are a lot of lifted rigs on this forum. It's what I chose to do though, but I used Old Man Emu FJ coils.

If you dont want it to be lifted, I would imagine the suspension change would be even simpler because they would be 4Runner SR5 parts with no lift. Although I dont know if the XREAS and non XREAS trucks ride at the same height, I'd venture to guess the difference would be less than FJ coils.

Fully agree with all of this. I have been in nearly the exact same boat with an 07 that had just over 140k miles when i bought it, which has a suspension that still handles ok - both on and off-road - but that I know will need replacment soon. I'm on the fence between removing and rebuilding my XREAS myself or going with the aftermarket setup, likely the Bilsteins. Just can't justify purchasing a new XREAS system. How did the Bilsteins work for you and how much did you end up spending?

 

[grave]

 

[Bluesky 07]

FWIW, I bought my ‘07 Sport in late 2014 with 96K and the XREAS is still fine at 147K. If it would be helpful to know what a stock Sport 4WD can do off the pavement, see my 2018 Toyota Trail Ride video.

 

[Bumbo]

Fully agree with all of this. I have been in nearly the exact same boat with an 07 that had just over 140k miles when i bought it, which has a suspension that still handles ok - both on and off-road - but that I know will need replacment soon. I'm on the fence between removing and rebuilding my XREAS myself or going with the aftermarket setup, likely the Bilsteins. Just can't justify purchasing a new XREAS system. How did the Bilsteins work for you and how much did you end up spending?

I would rebuild using a regular shock when its time... 5100 are pretty affordable, under $100 per shock... I've seen them as low as $75 each.

It's basically a really high quality OE replacement, on the firmer side of valving when compared to factory shock which is actually nice since it helps tame body roll. Bilstein shocks are digressive which appears to be better for street driving than heavy off-road.

I run the 5100 on multiple truck, I don't think there is anything particularly special about the 5100 other than good quality shock at a fair price. Way better than some of the budget options like Monroe.

I run a 6112 on the front and that was a really nice upgrade, one I think is worth the extra coin and still a lot cheaper than a high performance adjustable coilover.

 

[jrm]

I bought my 06' Sport

I had money set aside knowing that id be removing the XREAS system and replacing it with a conventional suspension.

I went with the 5th gen trd pro equivalent 6112/5160 with dobinson rear coils.

 

[firebirdguy]

5100 bilsteins sound like a good option to replace the xreas when needed. can i keep the sport springs or do they need to be changed to SR5? or FJ for a bit of an upgrade?

 

[Fried Rice]

+1 for the Bilstiens!

I purchased an 08 Urban Runner last year with 125k on it and a failed X-REAS. I swapped over to the Bilstiens and FJ coils and i love it. The ride is firm but comfortable and I ended up with a bit of a lift out of the deal too which I wanted due to some tendency for local flooding during heavy t-storms and hurricanes in my area.

 

[Bumbo]

5100 bilsteins sound like a good option to replace the xreas when needed. can i keep the sport springs or do they need to be changed to SR5? or FJ for a bit of an upgrade?

It doesn’t need to be changed… but you could for whatever reason that makes sense to you.

There is also the 4600, which was designed specifically for factory ride height / no lift setup. It’s supposed to be the exact same shock, but I think the 4600 has slightly softer valving from what I read. 5100 is a 0” to 2” capable shock. Fronts are good for about 2.5” but there have been reports where the start to ride worse with anything higher than that.

Personally if I was going through the trouble, I would buy some new springs from whatever company that work for what you are trying to do… My only issue with factory take-offs is age/mileage. If you have beat up fatigued FJ springs 200k miles on it, might not be the “upgrade” you bargained for. Cost more in labor to change it out.

 

[firebirdguy]

It doesn’t need to be changed… but you could for whatever reason that makes sense to you.

There is also the 4600, which was designed specifically for factory ride height / no lift setup. It’s supposed to be the exact same shock, but I think the 4600 has slightly softer valving from what I read. 5100 is a 0” to 2” capable shock. Fronts are good for about 2.5” but there have been reports where the start to ride worse with anything higher than that.

Personally if I was going through the trouble, I would buy some new springs from whatever company that work for what you are trying to do… My only issue with factory take-offs is age/mileage. If you have beat up fatigued FJ springs 200k miles on it, might not be the “upgrade” you bargained for. Cost more in labor to change it out.

great info, thanks!

i wasnt sure if the sport springs were rated too low or something to work with the x-reas. if they are in good shape i would probably just change the shocks for now, i dont offroad so all the lifts & beefy springs & shocks are not needed.

so do you mean the 5100 shocks can actually lift the vehicle by themselves? or just that they will work with a lifted vehicle up to that amount? i agree about used parts, i assume they sell a OEM replacement springs for FJ or an aftermarket spring rated close to it.

sorry for all the newby questions, this is my 1st 4runner im trying to buy so some stuff is easier explained in a new thread than searching through years of posts & comments... if anyone has questions about muscle cars or building high horsepower engines to go fast on a dragstrip, just let me know!

 

[Bumbo]

I would suspect the SR5, Sport, and Limited spring rates to all be very similar if not the exact same spring.

Maybe I am misunderstanding your comments, but you can’t keep XREAS and change the shocks at the same time. XREAS is part of the OEM shock you would be replacing… it’s basically hydraulically linked shocks which act similar to a sway bar.

Negative, the 5100 does not lift the truck, but the shock is compatible with a stock to 2” lift… that said, the 5100 does have adjustable spring perch (I think) which allows you to reposition the front spring on the shocks body which in turns allows you to lift the truck. It’s not quite the same as a lift spring where the spring is physically longer but the net effect is the same. So depending on the shock, it is possible to lift using the shock only but it’s not typical generally speaking.

 

[firebirdguy]

I would suspect the SR5, Sport, and Limited spring rates to all be very similar if not the exact same spring.

Maybe I am misunderstanding your comments, but you can’t keep XREAS and change the shocks at the same time. XREAS is part of the OEM shock you would be replacing… it’s basically hydraulically linked shocks which act similar to a sway bar.

no i didnt mean i would keep the xreas & change shocks, most people say they change springs & shocks when they remove the xreas, since i dont need different springs at this point i would just keep the stock springs & upgrade to the better shocks. i would like to level the front but thats about it.

 

[smokey7722]

I actually replaced my xreas on my '05 sport back at about 130k. Cost me about $1700 if i recall. I didn't have the time to research something that would be as comfortable and so i just kept it. The lines were good, everything else got swapped. Some (most here actually lol) would say it is a waste of money but I've been happy with it.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

 

[firebirdguy]

so what is it that usually goes bad on the x-reas system? the shocks them selves or the control module thing on the frame or both? & how do you know they are bad, do they start leaking?

seems like a ridiiculous price to repair something like the shock system that will eventually always go bad.

 

[Bluesky 07]

Yes, typically the first sign of trouble is a leaking shock. Because of how it works, any fluid loss compromises the whole system's performance. The more fluid leaks, the worse it gets.