Yet another suspension question... sorry

[ToolUser1]

I have a 2011 TE w/ ~50k miles. Standard suspension. Not used much in summer save for occasional road trips, light trailer towing, beach use, etc. Not much off road. Lots of use in the winter - heavy snow, skiing, hauling, etc.

Where I'm at: the general mushiness of the suspension and the severe nose-diving with even light braking has finally got on our collective nerves enough that the whole family is ready to trade it in - maybe for a GX or Landcruiser from about the same year. This is a truly terrible suspension, even compared to the 2000 4Runner (with original suspension!) it replaced last year. Makes the whole family wish we kept the '00 until it rotted away.

So my question is if I get the Bilstein 5100s will it firm up the suspension enough that I'll be happy with it? Will it eliminate the nose diving? The general annoying squishiness? What if I went to the 6112? I definitely want to keep the stock ride height, just much, much firmer.

I'm really not the type to turn over cars quickly - typically 10-15 years - but I simply can't stand this suspension and my wife basically won't drive it. If I spend a little on upgrades will I be happy or should I give up and move on? I realize it's a 100% subjective question, so I'm just looking for opinions...

Thanks in advance for any insight...

 

[Throwback]

What tires are you running? P-metric tires have a lot of flex under the 4Runner and a good Load Range C LT tire coupled with the 5100s would probably get you a noticeable improvement, especially for the dollar.

However, if it's really *that* bad you might just be better off trading it in for something different. If you can afford it why not be happy with your car?

 

[nglayton]

I have a 2011 TE w/ ~50k miles.

What color is it? Maybe I will take it off your hands.

 

[GearJunkie88]

I'm happy with my 5100s, but I also replaced springs and put some C-load tires on all at the same time. For a few hundred dollars you could give the 5100s a shot. If they don't make you happy, you haven't lost a lot when you trade it in.

 

[ToolUser1]

What tires are you running? P-metric tires have a lot of flex under the 4Runner and a good Load Range C LT tire coupled with the 5100s would probably get you a noticeable improvement, especially for the dollar.

Should have mentioned it - I have two sets of tires: the Goodyear Duratracs it came with (load index 115), and a set of Michelin Defender LTX (also load index 115) I got for summer use and that from prior experience are great tires. In terms of daily use the biggest difference between the two is road noise, not handling. No difference in sponginess.

I've also tried running higher air pressure in both sets of tires, up to 40 PSI, with no real difference in sponginess.

This seems to truly be a suspension problem to me.

 

[ToolUser1]

I'm happy with my 5100s, but I also replaced springs and put some C-load tires on all at the same time. For a few hundred dollars you could give the 5100s a shot. If they don't make you happy, you haven't lost a lot when you trade it in.

That's what I'm thinking - I'm just hoping to hear from folks who think the 5100s (or some other shock) really solved the problem. I don't want to do shocks, not be happy, try springs, not be happy, try different shocks, not be happy... you get the picture.

 

[Throwback]

Well since it's completely subjective the only way to do something once and guarantee you'll be happy if to go test drive another vehicle and if you like the way it drives, trade for it.

 

[MossJenks]

Well since it's completely subjective the only way to do something once and guarantee you'll be happy if to go test drive another vehicle and if you like the way it drives, trade for it.

Agreed. I think you're on the right track but can't tell for sure what would make you "happy".

The beast does way nearly 1000 pounds more than a 3rd gen. My 5th gen definitely feels way more "truck" than any of my earlier Runners. Part of that's the weight and a big part for me is the auto transmission - this is the first auto I've ever owned!

You could always do the shocks, then do springs later if you thought you needed more. But it's always going to feel more "truck" than a car-based SUV. A GX or a Cruiser isn't going to solve the problem - they're heavy trucks too.

 

[MyanRagahis]

So my question is if I get the Bilstein 5100s will it firm up the suspension enough that I'll be happy with it? Will it eliminate the nose diving? The general annoying squishiness? What if I went to the 6112? I definitely want to keep the stock ride height, just much, much firmer.

I can tell you my 6112s have gotten rid of my nose dive. They're cranked up to max setting so they ride a little harder than the rear, but I'm sure at stock height would get rid of nose dive and feel much better. I'm also sure the 5100s at stock height would behave the same. People seem to talk good about them.

Trying to remember and compared to my stock suspension, when I had just the 5100 rears and no lift springs, the rear had better highway manners than stock shocks. Rear/ride is more controlled and less sway left and right with the rear. Going over a speed bump and coming back up from compression over a speed bump feels really good. Goes back to height without any bouncing around. That could also be due to my toytec springs in the rear now too. Improved ride overall. Try it out!

 

[ToolUser1]

Update

So I looked at the GX460. The newer ones are out just on looks so I test drove a 2012. The handling was vastly better than my Trail but I just couldn't live with not being able to change the fan speed without navigating through three levels on the touch screen, or having to press a button to lower the 3rd row seats and then waiting while a very slow electric motor actually does the job, sloooowly. Argh. So that's out too.

Then I tried an older 2003 GX470. Seems like it might be a good option for me. Handling still much better and fewer superfluous electronics than the 460. But finding one in New England with low enough mileage to satisfy my wife might be tough. 2007 looks like it might be the last year of a dead breed.

So I went ahead and swapped out the suspension on my TE with Bilstein 5100s on Saturday - $360 for a full set from 4WheelParts seemed like a cheap test.

The rear swap was a cakewalk - maybe 20 minutes per side. The front was a little more complicated but I was able to get the strut out by just disconnecting the upper control arm ball joint and sway bar mounts (not the end links). No need to mess with the lower arm. I had access to a full size strut compressor so swapping the shocks was super easy. Total time under three hours.

For general info the original rear shocks compressed at 28lbs of pressure, the new Bilsteins compressed at 70lbs, so more than 2x difference. I forgot to test the fronts.

Overall there's a big improvement. Much, much less nosedive during braking at highway speeds, a bit less body roll in corners, etc. But I probably would have been happier going with the next level up, at least for the front shocks. I'd say it's about 80% of what I was looking for, and that's probably good enough for now. I may keep an eye out for a perfect condition '07 GX but I'm no longer in a hurry.

Thanks for all the input.