XREAS out, FJ springs + Bilstein 5100s in

A

AKmoney

New member
Subject says it all... I haven't taken it in for an alignment yet (I'll do that in a few days when I get back from a quick biz trip) but after doing some brief driving around the neighborhood I have to say the ride quality is excellent. Not harsh or rough at all and it seems more damped and less "jiggly" than with the stock suspension (101K miles and no signs of any XREAS leaks).

Here are the before/after measurements. I have the 5100s set to the 0.85" setting. The tires are Goodyear SilentArmors in the stock size (265/65-17) inflated to 35psi and measurements were taken from the ground to the center of the wheel arches on the fenders:

Before/After/Net Lift
Front Left: 84.5cm/88cm/3.5cm (1.38")
Front Right: 84.7cm/88.5cm/3.8cm (1.5")
Rear Left: 90cm/92.3cm/2.3cm (0.9")
Rear Right: 91cm/92.5cm/1.5cm (0.6")

Ground clearance under the front skid plate is up close to 1.5" as well. I think it looks WAY better now, too. This is exactly what I wanted: a mild lift to increase ground clearance up to what Toyota originally spec'd it at in the brochure. Thanks to all who answered my questions earlier about this suspension stuff!

lift1.JPG


lift2.JPG


lift3.JPG
 
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How does it handle on twisty roads? I am leaning toward the same setup as yours but I like how the XREAS compensate for rolling effect in turns. Does the new setup handle just as well?

What did you do with the XREAS?
 
I just made the swap today so I can't comment on how the handling will change while cornering. Based on what others have said there won't be much change. I do expect some difference, if anything because when you lift a vehicle you're also lifting the center of gravity.

I completely ripped the XREAS system out. There's no going back...
 
love the stance, i am looking to do the same this summer when i am off. Just a bit extra height and hopefully a little firmer ride. perfect look!!!
 
i did this a while ago. had a leaky xreas so the new setup was better, but a fully functional and nonleaking xreas handles much better than the fj/5100 setup. I can't talk about offroading comparisons bc i never did any
 
Eastcoastrunner said:
i did this a while ago. had a leaky xreas so the new setup was better, but a fully functional and nonleaking xreas handles much better than the fj/5100 setup. I can't talk about offroading comparisons bc i never did any
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My opinion is that the XREAS does not handle any better at all, but it was a little more plush and not as stiff. Cornering and handling are every bit as good with the FJ Billies. I was worried about it, but have been pleasantly surprised.
 
It's great to get other opinions of the two setups (FJ+5100 vs. XREAS). I am leaning towards FJ + Daystar spacers + XREAS but want to get as more inputs before going forward with it.
 
cmoua said:
It's great to get other opinions of the two setups (FJ+5100 vs. XREAS). I am leaning towards FJ + Daystar spacers + XREAS but want to get as more inputs before going forward with it.
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I'm not sure I'd go w/ FJ+DS spacers+XREAS. I'd imagine you'd be at well over 2" lift at that point and the XREAS shocks aren't going to be tall enough (suspension travel wouldn't have enough articulation) to offer decent offroad performance. I could be wrong, though. I'm new at this stuff. :)

BTW, I've had a chance to put some mileage on the new setup and I'm pretty happy with the ride. It's definitely not as plush as the stock XREAS suspension on pavement but it did nicely offroad and it's far from harsh. It isn't any stiffer than the suspension on my BMW 335i.
 
AKmoney said:
I'm not sure I'd go w/ FJ+DS spacers+XREAS. I'd imagine you'd be at well over 2" lift at that point and the XREAS shocks aren't going to be tall enough (suspension travel wouldn't have enough articulation) to offer decent offroad performance. I could be wrong, though. I'm new at this stuff. :)

BTW, I've had a chance to put some mileage on the new setup and I'm pretty happy with the ride. It's definitely not as plush as the stock XREAS suspension on pavement but it did nicely offroad and it's far from harsh. It isn't any stiffer than the suspension on my BMW 335i.
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That's the kind of feedback I am looking for. I do not like the plush ride any way so I think going with the FJ coil + 5100 would be good.
 
FJ springs

Hey guys first thanks for all the input on this. 4 runner XREAS system out and it's handling bad.. Ordered the 5100's but where can I get the best deal on the FJ springs and what year FJ???? Thanks again Boys!!!
 
Nespoli said:
Hey guys first thanks for all the input on this. 4 runner XREAS system out and it's handling bad.. Ordered the 5100's but where can I get the best deal on the FJ springs and what year FJ???? Thanks again Boys!!!
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check the classifieds here and on the fj cruiser forum, you should have no trouble finding a set. the coils from any year work, the lower miles on them the better
 
Does anyone else find the classifieds less than easy to navigate?

I've tried searching for FJ coils as well, and the issue is once coils sell the thread is still listed. I'm not sure what the point in listing it still is. If I do a google search, it pulls up old threads for FJ coils, some from many years ago. Not trying to thread jack, but find a good solution to searching for the topic of this thread.
 
I found my FJ springs on Craigslist. Cost was about $125 and that included stock FJ shocks which I didn't use, obviously...

Since I started this thread a year and a half ago I'll give you all an 18-month update:
- Although I started by saying ride quality was better than XREAS, it is not. Impact harshness is definitely greater than before. This is especially apparent at lower speeds, but once you get it up to highway speeds it's quite comfortable.
- There's definitely more brake dive and body roll than before. Some of this may be attributable to losing XREAS but it's also likely due to the center of gravity being higher. Hey, you lift a truck, this is what happens...
- Tires have since been replaced w/ Bridgestone Dueler Revo 2, LT265-70-17, so the truck sits higher than it did before. I also added White Knuckle sliders.
- Truck does great offroad, *for me*. I cleaned Fins and Things in Moab earlier this year on this setup. No need to lift it any higher (and subsequently make on-pavement handling even worse).

Updated pic:

IMAG0459.jpg


DSC01769.JPG
 
AKmoney said:
Since I started this thread a year and a half ago I'll give you all an 18-month update:
- Although I started by saying ride quality was better than XREAS, it is not. Impact harshness is definitely greater than before. This is especially apparent at lower speeds, but once you get it up to highway speeds it's quite comfortable.
- There's definitely more brake dive and body roll than before. Some of this may be attributable to losing XREAS but it's also likely due to the center of gravity being higher. Hey, you lift a truck, this is what happens...
- Tires have since been replaced w/ Bridgestone Dueler Revo 2, LT265-70-17, so the truck sits higher than it did before. I also added White Knuckle sliders.
- Truck does great offroad, *for me*. I cleaned Fins and Things in Moab earlier this year on this setup. No need to lift it any higher (and subsequently make on-pavement handling even worse).
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Great thread. My goals are just like yours. After I install the 5100's we'll have nearly the same setup.

The comment about Fins n Things was appreciated. If that setup will handle the trail with reasonable grace, that tells me a lot.
 
JB. said:
Great thread. My goals are just like yours. After I install the 5100's we'll have nearly the same setup.

The comment about Fins n Things was appreciated. If that setup will handle the trail with reasonable grace, that tells me a lot.
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Here's a link to a Moab trip report I posted earlier this year:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/166144-quick-moab-report-lotsa-pics.html

Next time I go back to Moab I'd like to try Elephant Hill. Two trails I'm pretty sure I *won't* do there are Hells Revenge and Top of the World. I'd probably want more lift, or at least more willingness to damage my truck before attempting either of those.
 
Great thread, getting ready to order up the parts to do something very similar to your setup.

Going with the 5100's front and rear but buying the springs new from rockauto. Brand new front pair of Moog FJ springs sell for under $50.

Mt XREAS system has 207K miles on it, new setup should be an upgrade!
 
AKmoney said:
Here's a link to a Moab trip report I posted earlier this year:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/166144-quick-moab-report-lotsa-pics.html

Next time I go back to Moab I'd like to try Elephant Hill. Two trails I'm pretty sure I *won't* do there are Hells Revenge and Top of the World. I'd probably want more lift, or at least more willingness to damage my truck before attempting either of those.
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So, I'm basically in this exact same situation. I installed FJ springs and a 1" spacer lift on my XREAS shocks and I think I'd like to go a half inch higher. Rather than go through the colossal ass pain of changing out the spacer again with the XREAS shocks still attached, I figured I could just change everything out with 5100s. My issue is I just got my used 07 Sport with 95k. It has 100k now and I'm actually a big fan of the XREAS and there's no signs of leaks or issues. When the time comes, I don't see myself replacing it with XREAS again due to the high cost, but I don't know if it's worth pulling out the XREAS, when it potentially could have 3 or 4 more good years left when the ride is pretty nice.

If you could go back, would you have waited till your XREAS was bad?
 
I like the OP's set-up, however being new to my '06 sport v6 which has the XREAS working good with no leaks, I'm going to have to wait till it wears out. my question is why the FJ springs, could I use the OEM's with the 5100's
 
Thanks for the post, I love the stance. I'm planning on doing the exact same setup though with MOOG FJC springs instead of used oems because I can't seem to find any around.

I just got new tires a while back (General Grabber at2) in stock size so I won't be upsizing tires for a while. Still, I think about 2" of lift in front and a touch in back will set it right about perfect for my needs.

I actually wouldn't mind a softer ride. My tired (but not leaky) XREAS (2005 with 176k miles) is pretty rough over potholed roads. I'd sacrifice some lean in the corners for a bit softer ride over the rough stuff.
 
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