Upgrading already lifted 5th gen

[tke308]

Any advice is greatly appreciated. I have a 2018 TRD Off Road with a Ready Lift 3" lift/level kit and 285/70/17 tires. So far happy with the ride quality, but have had limited off road use so far. I'm wanting to get out and use the 4R for what it's designed for and I'm looking for advice on the next step. Keep in mind I'm mainly daily driving and even when trail riding it will be moderate at best.
1) Do I just upgrade the shocks with the already in place Ready Lift? If so would something like a Bilstein be adequate, and would i need to upgrade UCA's?
2) Do I scrap the Ready Lift and go to a moderate priced upgrade (OME, Toytec Bilstein, Icon stage 1 or 2).

I'm trying to get the best bang for the buck, and just wondering if anyone has just upgraded shocks on a lift/level kit.

Thank you

 

[Battle Born Offroad]

Any advice is greatly appreciated. I have a 2018 TRD Off Road with a Ready Lift 3" lift/level kit and 285/70/17 tires. So far happy with the ride quality, but have had limited off road use so far. I'm wanting to get out and use the 4R for what it's designed for and I'm looking for advice on the next step. Keep in mind I'm mainly daily driving and even when trail riding it will be moderate at best.
1) Do I just upgrade the shocks with the already in place Ready Lift? If so would something like a Bilstein be adequate, and would i need to upgrade UCA's?
2) Do I scrap the Ready Lift and go to a moderate priced upgrade (OME, Toytec Bilstein, Icon stage 1 or 2).

I'm trying to get the best bang for the buck, and just wondering if anyone has just upgraded shocks on a lift/level kit.

Thank you

Replacing your shocks with a larger 2.5 diameter coilover style will transform the ride! For a budget option, Bilstein 6112s (Similar to what comes on the TRD Pro) with Bilstein 5100 or 5160 rear shocks is a great option. No need to upgrade the UCAs with this setup.

The ICON Stage 2 is probably the most common 5th gen lift out there. It includes everything you need and will be a major upgrade over the leveling kit. We also can mix and match the pieces in this kit if you have a budget you are trying to stay under - Going for non-res rear shocks, and using the rear spacer lift from your Ready Lift kit would ave you a few hundred

We have by far the best ICON deals around, shoot us a PM and we can get you setup with a proven system at a great cost.

 

[mteolus]

Not the cheapest option but I have a Toytec Boss lift. I really like it. I definitely recommend getting aftermarket UCAs with a lift. Not required, but you can have some issues with alignment without them. If you have KDSS, make sure you have someone qualified to install the lift. It's a drive for you, but I used Tandem Automotive in Ft. Worth for the lift. Highly recommended. http://www.tandemauto.com/ Whatever lift you choose they can do it.

Once you do upgrade, check out this park: http://www.hiddenfallsadventurepark.com/4x4

 

[tke308]

Thank you Battle Born. I'll PM you as I get closer to pulling the trigger. Still waiting on the new bumper to ship and install so probably not too far out.

Thank you too mteolus. I've heard Hidden Falls is awesome. I'm in new home sales and off Monday/Tuesday and had looked previously and saw they are only open Thur-Sun. One day I'm going to take some time off and just head up there.

 

[Battle Born Offroad]

Thank you Battle Born. I'll PM you as I get closer to pulling the trigger. Still waiting on the new bumper to ship and install so probably not too far out.

Thank you too mteolus. I've heard Hidden Falls is awesome. I'm in new home sales and off Monday/Tuesday and had looked previously and saw they are only open Thur-Sun. One day I'm going to take some time off and just head up there.

Which bumper are you purchasing? If it weighs 200lbs+ over stock or if you plan to add a winch, we highly recommend bumping up the front spring rate.

We can help you in choosing the correct parts for your needs, feel free to PM us anytime

 

[tke308]

Southern Style Offroad slimline with the stage 2 clearance. Bumper shouldn't cause a weight issue, and haven't decided if I'm going to add winch, but would probably prep for it.

 

[cutty01]

I'm confused. You already have a lifted and capable truck - you don't go off road that much - and it's your daily driver? Go out and drive it like that, man! Gets some skillz and experience and once you feel you've outgrown your current setup, then upgrade. Even at stock configuration your 4Runner will be more capable than what your skill level is now.

Some other things to keep in mind:
- Upgrade your UCAs when you can't get the alignment withing specs. If yours are in spec now at 3" then keep it stock. Usually 3" and above is when people consider swapping out their control arms.
- Icons and the nice shocks supposedly require maintenance at 25~35k miles. Do you really want the down time while the shocks are being rebuilt?

 

[sn_85]

I'm confused. You already have a lifted and capable truck - you don't go off road that much - and it's your daily driver? Go out and drive it like that, man! Gets some skillz and experience and once you feel you've outgrown your current setup, then upgrade. Even at stock configuration your 4Runner will be more capable than what your skill level is now.

Some other things to keep in mind:
- Upgrade your UCAs when you can't get the alignment withing specs. If yours are in spec now at 3" then keep it stock. Usually 3" and above is when people consider swapping out their control arms.
- Icons and the nice shocks supposedly require maintenance at 25~35k miles. Do you really want the down time while the shocks are being rebuilt?

I agree with this!!!
[MENTION=284827]tke308[/MENTION], there is nothing stopping you or the 4Runner from going off-road besides yourself. If you want to go out and use the 4Runner for what it was designed for then just go do it. Don't take this the wrong way but a stock 4Runner is more capable than you right now. You don't need an aftermarket suspension to go off-roading. Granted a spacer lift is not optimal but it should be fine for right now. Go take it off-road, get some experience and skills, and then find out what you need to upgrade. The only upgrade I'd recommend at this time is a good set of all-terrains and some sliders.

I used the stock suspension for 15k miles before I upgraded to OME. Used the OME for 10k before getting Icons. Now I'm considering going back to something more basic that doesn't require rebuilding and closer to stock size tires. Learn from mine and others mistakes. Keep the ride stock as long as you can. It's really easy to get caught up with all the built up 4Runners and drool over IG builds.

Good build thread to follow here
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/264573-basic-runner-build-keeping-stupid-simple.html

 

[tke308]

Thank you all for the advice and keeping me grounded. I probably needed the reality check. I never leave any of my vehicles stock and as much as I enjoy the good project y’all are right I need to get out and use what I’ve got first and figure out what I need based on experiences. It originally started by me thinking about just shocks and the bling got me all caught up. Likely will make some changes, but probably further down the road.

 

[jhguth]

if you don't offroad, upgrade it by simply removing the spacer lift