What lift options give the smoothest ride?

[yellowssm]

I have seen alot of threads on different kinds of lifts, spacers, coils, springs, and some say they ride better, some ride worse, some handle better, front end dips when braking etc.

Here is what im looking for in a lift (in a perfect world at least)
The most important thing is to keep the ride nice and smooth like it currently is (or even improve it if possible) as this honestly wont be a hardcore offroader just mostly street. I plan on using Michelin LTX M/S2 to also help with a smooth quite ride. Id also like to fit 275/65/18 or even a 275/70/18 if possible.

Id like it to handle like OEM, but less body roll would be a plus and I dont want any of that nose diving under hard braking like ive read about.

I dont mind the daystar, fj cruiser, 5100 combo or even going full on coilovers I just want to get the 2 above things covered. Also what would these options roughly cost?

 

[chucknorris]

If you have read about the pros/cons of all the various lift options out there. Then you need to make a decision based off of all of the information you have read/researched.

For example, if Kit A has been noted as creating nose dive under braking and thats not what you want, then Kit A should no longer be considered in your options.

From what you have posted as your requirements, a simple spacer lift and rear spring kit should do just fine. If you have XREAS, you can keep it to maintain close to stock ride. If you dont, then you can keep stock shocks, or upgrade to OME or Bilstein.

Not sure how much larger of a tire you can go with 18's, consult with the lift company you choose to go with to confirm largest tire size that specific lift will allow for.

The cost could range anywhere from $200-$2,000, again, depending on what type of lift you choose to go with.

 

[ARK_SWAMP_RIDER]

Do you currently have xreas? If you have it, the number one question is if you want to keep it or not. If you want to keep it, I'd say FJ coils and a spacer lift would be your best option. If not, consider the following.

The issue you run into is that ride quality is very subjective. I just swapped to OME's which some consider way too stiff. My 4runner drives/rides FAR better than ever before. By this I mean that it's tight in turns, no body roll (even less than with xreas), no nose dive when braking, handles bumps in the road very well, and so on. In my opinion it's way better than stock.

Before I put the OME's on (I used OME coils and Bilstein 5100 shocks) I had the 5100's combined with FJ coils. This rode good, but didn't handle curves or braking very well at all. Pretty much everyone who has used this setup loves it and says it was less body roll and nose dive than with xreas. I'm the opposite, I really missed xreas. After the OME swap though, I only wish I would have done it sooner. I use to be a huge advocate of the FJ swap, and still believe it's an excellent option IF you can get the coils at a reasonable price. The FJ setup became popular because it was a great bang for the buck. We could get a full set of coils for under $50, several of us even got them for free. Now, I've seen folks asking over $400 for use OEM shocks/coils. That's crazy, no way it's worth even half that. Again, reason FJ setup was/is so popular is because it was really affordable and does offer some improvements on road along with a little lift. With the prices now, I feel it is become more money than it's worth. It wasn't until I got the OME's that I realized just how bad the 5100/FJ coils were (xreas/fj setup was much better, and most really like it, not sure if something was off on mine or what).

Before the 5100/FJ setup, I had xreas/fj coils/spacers. This was a great setup, not quite as good as the OME that I have currently, but better than the 5100/FJ setup IMO. Reason being is that I noticed less body roll and nose dive. Straight line driving was very similar to the 5100/FJ coil setup.

There's my experience with various setups over the last two years. Right now I'm running the stock rear (unable to use rear coils with my air suspension). The perfect setup for a dd IMO would be 5100's with OME coils up front and Toytec Superflex coils in the rear. Several have noted the rear OME's as being bouncy or too stiff if your vehicle is at stock weight. The Toytec's are a great option because they are between stock coils and OME in terms of stiffness. People really seem to like this setup, don't know that I've heard of any complaints.

If you have the coin, you can do a coilover setup, but if you see little off road use I feel it's wasted money. You can get a setup that performs just as good on road (and will handle it's own off road) for much less money.

 

[yellowssm]

Do you currently have xreas? If you have it, the number one question is if you want to keep it or not. If you want to keep it, I'd say FJ coils and a spacer lift would be your best option. If not, consider the following.

The issue you run into is that ride quality is very subjective. I just swapped to OME's which some consider way too stiff. My 4runner drives/rides FAR better than ever before. By this I mean that it's tight in turns, no body roll (even less than with xreas), no nose dive when braking, handles bumps in the road very well, and so on. In my opinion it's way better than stock.

Before I put the OME's on (I used OME coils and Bilstein 5100 shocks) I had the 5100's combined with FJ coils. This rode good, but didn't handle curves or braking very well at all. Pretty much everyone who has used this setup loves it and says it was less body roll and nose dive than with xreas. I'm the opposite, I really missed xreas. After the OME swap though, I only wish I would have done it sooner. I use to be a huge advocate of the FJ swap, and still believe it's an excellent option IF you can get the coils at a reasonable price. The FJ setup became popular because it was a great bang for the buck. We could get a full set of coils for under $50, several of us even got them for free. Now, I've seen folks asking over $400 for use OEM shocks/coils. That's crazy, no way it's worth even half that. Again, reason FJ setup was/is so popular is because it was really affordable and does offer some improvements on road along with a little lift. With the prices now, I feel it is become more money than it's worth. It wasn't until I got the OME's that I realized just how bad the 5100/FJ coils were (xreas/fj setup was much better, and most really like it, not sure if something was off on mine or what).

Before the 5100/FJ setup, I had xreas/fj coils/spacers. This was a great setup, not quite as good as the OME that I have currently, but better than the 5100/FJ setup IMO. Reason being is that I noticed less body roll and nose dive. Straight line driving was very similar to the 5100/FJ coil setup.

There's my experience with various setups over the last two years. Right now I'm running the stock rear (unable to use rear coils with my air suspension). The perfect setup for a dd IMO would be 5100's with OME coils up front and Toytec Superflex coils in the rear. Several have noted the rear OME's as being bouncy or too stiff if your vehicle is at stock weight. The Toytec's are a great option because they are between stock coils and OME in terms of stiffness. People really seem to like this setup, don't know that I've heard of any complaints.

If you have the coin, you can do a coilover setup, but if you see little off road use I feel it's wasted money. You can get a setup that performs just as good on road (and will handle it's own off road) for much less money.

I do have xreas and could go either way on keeping or swapping out, whichever gives me the smoothest ride and handling.

Also I mean smooth ride like I dont want a bouncy truck feel. I like the way it rides now. So you have ome springs and 5100 shocks?

also if I go ome/5100 setup how much lift can I get?

 

[zimm]

XREAS sucks, ditch it.

Go with a quality coil over up front, and upgraded springs/Bilsteins in the rear.

My Icons ride BETTER than stock. My 62 year old mother who drives an infiniti FX45 even commented on the ride- "Oh this truck rides nice!".

And you can accelerate over speed bumps.

 

[ARK_SWAMP_RIDER]

Zimm hit it, I feel the same way with the 5100's and OME. Mine is not bouncy at all. It soaks up bumps way better than stock, bumps are hardly felt as compared to stock. How much lift you get from the OME depends on which coils you get. How much lift are you wanting? How many miles on your xreas? As far as tire size, even a small lift should let you fit 275/65/18's. A 3/2 lift and some work should let you fit the 275/70/18's (that's the size I'm going for if I can find some 18" limited wheels).

 

[zimm]

Zimm hit it, I feel the same way with the 5100's and OME. Mine is not bouncy at all. It soaks up bumps way better than stock, bumps are hardly felt as compared to stock. How much lift you get from the OME depends on which coils you get. How much lift are you wanting? How many miles on your xreas? As far as tire size, even a small lift should let you fit 275/65/18's. A 3/2 lift and some work should let you fit the 275/70/18's (that's the size I'm going for if I can find some 18" limited wheels).

Thanks!

I forgot to add, some coilovers (like the icons) are adjustable for lift. You can run stock ride height up to 3". In fact they allowed me to level out the truck as it was sitting 1/2" off left to right.

 

[yellowssm]

Zimm hit it, I feel the same way with the 5100's and OME. Mine is not bouncy at all. It soaks up bumps way better than stock, bumps are hardly felt as compared to stock. How much lift you get from the OME depends on which coils you get. How much lift are you wanting? How many miles on your xreas? As far as tire size, even a small lift should let you fit 275/65/18's. A 3/2 lift and some work should let you fit the 275/70/18's (that's the size I'm going for if I can find some 18" limited wheels).

the ome/5100 sounds like what I am looking for but you also said Toytec Superflex coils in the rear. if some people say its stiff in the rear with ome's than that sounds good too. My xreas has 75k on it. Id like as much lift as I can get really. 3 inches sounds good to me. what does a little work mean to fit 275/70/18? I hate rubbing as I have plenty of that on my bmw lol. I rather go with the smaller 275/65/18 and not worry about it. whats the best places to shop for this stuff online?

 

[Casper421]

I have 885's with the toytec spacer and 5100's at normal ride height and i got about 3.5" of lift and 2.25" of lift with superflex coils. Im glad i ditched my XREAS early. This setup rides much better than stock!

Check out 4Runner 03-2011 - Toytec Lifts: Toyota Lift Kits: FJ Cruiser Lift Kits, Tacoma Lift Kits, Tundra Lift Kits, 4 Runner Lift Kits, Sequoia Lift Kits, Toyota Truck Lift Kits

 

[ARK_SWAMP_RIDER]

I think you need to determine a budget and go from there. Coilovers are definitely the "best" option, but I think something like the 5100/OME setup will be just as good on the street for less money. Coilovers are definitely better off road and also adjustable, but you'll have to decide if that's worth the extra money for you. At 75k, your xreas *could* go at any moment, so I'd probably opt for replacing it IF you can spare the money. Adding FJ coils and a spacer lift will improve the ride some with stock xreas, but not as good as replacing it (but that comes at an additional cost).

As you can see, I did the cheap way out, twice. In the end, I could have saved a good bit of money and time if I just would have gotten a better setup from the beginning.

You can do 5100's front/rear and use OME 885's for the front, the Toytec's for the rear. The 885's gave me right at 3" of lift best I can tell (don't have stock measurements form my 4runner, but I measured another stock 4runner for comparison). The Toytec's give 2" rear, so that'll be a great combo.

Do a search for 285/70/17's. It'll take similar effort (probably less) to fit the 275/70/18's. I've not tried it so I can't say for sure. With the 3" lift, you'll need to move the fender liner forward (really easy), and possibly remove the front mudflaps and some minor trimming of the front bumper. You shouldn't "have" to run wheel spacers with the 275's (with 285's you do).

This is what I'd run if you choose not to go the coilover route. Toytec offers a 5% discount for forum members as well (you may find cheaper pricing elsewhere, just using this for example).
Bilstein Height adjustable front and matching 5100 Rear shocks - Toytec Lifts: Toyota Lift Kits: FJ Cruiser Lift Kits, Tacoma Lift Kits, Tundra Lift Kits, 4 Runner Lift Kits, Sequoia Lift Kits, Toyota Truck Lift Kits
3" FJ Lift w/ front & rear coils - Toytec Lifts: Toyota Lift Kits: FJ Cruiser Lift Kits, Tacoma Lift Kits, Tundra Lift Kits, 4 Runner Lift Kits, Sequoia Lift Kits, Toyota Truck Lift Kits

 

[yellowssm]

I think you need to determine a budget and go from there. Coilovers are definitely the "best" option, but I think something like the 5100/OME setup will be just as good on the street for less money. Coilovers are definitely better off road and also adjustable, but you'll have to decide if that's worth the extra money for you. At 75k, your xreas *could* go at any moment, so I'd probably opt for replacing it IF you can spare the money. Adding FJ coils and a spacer lift will improve the ride some with stock xreas, but not as good as replacing it (but that comes at an additional cost).

As you can see, I did the cheap way out, twice. In the end, I could have saved a good bit of money and time if I just would have gotten a better setup from the beginning.

You can do 5100's front/rear and use OME 885's for the front, the Toytec's for the rear. The 885's gave me right at 3" of lift best I can tell (don't have stock measurements form my 4runner, but I measured another stock 4runner for comparison). The Toytec's give 2" rear, so that'll be a great combo.

Do a search for 285/70/17's. It'll take similar effort (probably less) to fit the 275/70/18's. I've not tried it so I can't say for sure. With the 3" lift, you'll need to move the fender liner forward (really easy), and possibly remove the front mudflaps and some minor trimming of the front bumper. You shouldn't "have" to run wheel spacers with the 275's (with 285's you do).

This is what I'd run if you choose not to go the coilover route. Toytec offers a 5% discount for forum members as well (you may find cheaper pricing elsewhere, just using this for example).
Bilstein Height adjustable front and matching 5100 Rear shocks - Toytec Lifts: Toyota Lift Kits: FJ Cruiser Lift Kits, Tacoma Lift Kits, Tundra Lift Kits, 4 Runner Lift Kits, Sequoia Lift Kits, Toyota Truck Lift Kits
3" FJ Lift w/ front & rear coils - Toytec Lifts: Toyota Lift Kits: FJ Cruiser Lift Kits, Tacoma Lift Kits, Tundra Lift Kits, 4 Runner Lift Kits, Sequoia Lift Kits, Toyota Truck Lift Kits

There is no budget, but it sounds like a full coilover setup is just a waste as I probably will never take it off road and use it to its full potential. This is just my daily driver. After reading the link, why would you recommend 885 vs 884's?

 

[ARK_SWAMP_RIDER]

You'll get different numbers depending on which retailer you look at. Some recommend 884's for the 4x4 v8, others recommend the 885's. In reality, it really doesn't matter IMO, only thing that changes is your lift amount. The 884's and 885's have the exact same coil rate. The 885's are taller thus providing more lift.

I've not had the coilover setup, so I can't say for certain it's a waste. I always thought the OME setups were only for those off road guys and useless on a daily driver. 90% of my use is daily driving, and I love it. I was real happy with the 5100's and FJ coils. I got a new job and moved, which lead to different driving conditions. In these, I really noticed the body roll and nose dive, much more so than before. After that, I found a good deal on a set of the 885's so I figured I'd give it a shot. I couldn't be happier, they are excellent paired with the 5100's.

So, all that to say you'll have to continue reading and make that decision yourself (which kinda contradicts my previous statements, I know).

 

[mckbrew]

I keep hearing that 285's require spacers. Is the applicable only to stock rims or with aftermarket rims with less backspacing?

 

[ARK_SWAMP_RIDER]

If you get aftermarket rims with proper backspacing, spacers aren't required. I can't recall what the right backspacing is off the top of my head, you should be able to find it quickly with a search.