[Jordan7118]

As with any new ride, there is always something to fix.

I've noticed that it seems the rear coils have sagged. I'm riding 1/2" from the bumps. I believe the 4Runner ass-sag is common. What is the fix?

While I'm at it, I'm thinking about putting on new shocks. Any recommendations for a good yet not super-pricey shock for at least the rear? Dunno if I'm ready to tackle the front, as struts kinda scare me...

Picked up some 17s - gunmetal grey Sequoias. Dunno when they'll go on, as I have to decide on a tire. Thinking Nitto Terra Grappler. Any other thoughts? This is a true street-pounder, but I do need good handling in ice and snow.

It seems the rotors are warped as well. Lots of heave-ho when braking. Pondering moving to Tundra brakes. Would it be worth it? I have factory Toyota pads that came with the truck, so I'm thinking I might just buy 4Runner rotors and stick with stock. Thoughts?

Gracias, mis amigos

 

[domino]

As with any new ride, there is always something to fix.

I've noticed that it seems the rear coils have sagged. I'm riding 1/2" from the bumps. I believe the 4Runner ass-sag is common. What is the fix?

The only fix I know of for the sagging rear is new coils. Some folks find the coils out of a '99 4runner to swap in. I think OME sells a rear coil that is only an inch or two of lift but then you'd either have to do something to the front or live with the rear being higher.

While I'm at it, I'm thinking about putting on new shocks. Any recommendations for a good yet not super-pricey shock for at least the rear? Dunno if I'm ready to tackle the front, as struts kinda scare me...

I ran tokico trekmaster shocks on my '97. They worked great and are much cheaper than bilsteins or OME shocks. The fronts aren't too bad really. Except for the spring compressor breaking once , I've had good luck swapping coils in the past.

Picked up some 17s - gunmetal grey Sequoias. Dunno when they'll go on, as I have to decide on a tire. Thinking Nitto Terra Grappler. Any other thoughts? This is a true street-pounder, but I do need good handling in ice and snow.

Daniel and I ran Bridgestone Dueler REVOs a long time ago. IMO they're probably the best All Terrain tire you can buy for a 99% highway rig. They're pricey though. Terra Grapplers are good too and I think Cooper has a new A/T style tire but I don't know much about it.

It seems the rotors are warped as well. Lots of heave-ho when braking. Pondering moving to Tundra brakes. Would it be worth it? I have factory Toyota pads that came with the truck, so I'm thinking I might just buy 4Runner rotors and stick with stock. Thoughts?

Stick with the stock setup. Tundra brakes are cool and all, but completely unneccessary for your setup. The stock brakes are more than capable as long as you don't add a bunch of weight and big tires.

Gracias, mis amigos

:2cents:

 

[JWaldz]

As with any new ride, there is always something to fix.

I've noticed that it seems the rear coils have sagged. I'm riding 1/2" from the bumps. I believe the 4Runner ass-sag is common. What is the fix?

I'm with Aaron on the tall '99 coils. You can find them quite often over on t4r.org. If not, OME does make stock(ish) ride height rear coils. I think they're the 906's but not sure.

While I'm at it, I'm thinking about putting on new shocks. Any recommendations for a good yet not super-pricey shock for at least the rear? Dunno if I'm ready to tackle the front, as struts kinda scare me...

Tokico Trekmasters are awesome oem ride shocks. If you're going the '99 tall coil route and replacing front and rear coils you might as well get new front and rear shocks. OME does make comfort stock ride height shocks.

Picked up some 17s - gunmetal grey Sequoias. Dunno when they'll go on, as I have to decide on a tire. Thinking Nitto Terra Grappler. Any other thoughts? This is a true street-pounder, but I do need good handling in ice and snow.

All them high dollar tires perform well. Hit up Offroaders Tire Review and see what they say. As far as the wheels, you might need some spacers for those. They might cause the tire to hit the uca. I don't know if yours came with the 265/70s or the 265/75s but might look at the 265/75s if your buying new tires.

It seems the rotors are warped as well. Lots of heave-ho when braking. Pondering moving to Tundra brakes. Would it be worth it? I have factory Toyota pads that came with the truck, so I'm thinking I might just buy 4Runner rotors and stick with stock. Thoughts?

Unless you're planning to go up to 285s or do A LOT of towing I'd stick with stock stuff. No need for the tundra stuff.

Gracias, mis amigos

:saw::welder:

 

[Jordan7118]

Aaron and Waldo - thanks for the input! That's what I needed to find out.

I do have a 1" strut spacer I bought with the intent of putting on Timmy for the front. Would you consider this to level it out? Guess I could try different rear coils and see how it sits and go from there. I'll price out shocks and see what's up. JBo said brand-new factory shocks are surprisingly cheap. He may have meant for a certain vehicle and not the 4Runner. Dunno.

Thanks for the words on the brakes. I think you're right about sticking with stock stuff. Never had a problem with the brakes on Timmy, and I towed a heavy load a couple times. Just gotta plan ahead and be smart with weight distribution on the trailer.

Waldo, I think the rims should be okay on clearing the UCA with tires. I run the same rim on Timmy with 275/70s, and they clear fine. I do rub frame at full lock to the driver side. I'm kicking around the idea of running a narrower tire - 235/80R17 is a tall skinny. But, I'm not real sure how that size would do for snow and ice. These tend to be dually tires, so I also think they might be kinda stiff / 4Runner not heavy enough. Thoughts?

Again, thank you for your input! Just what I needed

 

[Jordan7118]

Another thing I've noticed is that the 4Runner sits much much lower than Timmy. I guess I didn't think there would be that much of a difference. I'm thinking a little lift might be okay. I'll take a picture of them side-to-side if I get a chance. It's a big difference!

 

[Jordan7118]

Good grief. With all the information and commentary on lifts for the 4Runner, you can spend days trying to figure out what is best!

Tundra front struts / LC front coils on rear seem to be a reasonable way to go, but do I want that much lift? What else would I have to replace if I went that tall? Shocks would be taken care of on front with the swap, and longer would be needed on rear. Diff drop? Alignment?

Sorry for all the questions. This is definitely new to me. Again, I appreciate ya'lls insight!!!

 

[swimmerzack]

jordan i had the nittos on the tundra and it literally saw only pavement i only got 22k out of them which was about a yr's worth of driving for me.......I gonna go with the Falcon A/T now.

yes the tundra caliper upgrade is amazing even with smaller tire size, its a huge difference.

 

[Jordan7118]

Only 22K miles?! Dang't, man! I've heard of others getting great mileage out of their Terra Grapplers. Weird...

As for the brake upgrade, I think I'll just stick with stock for now. Maybe in the future I'll upgrade. Who knows.

BTW, I like your sig change

 

[jujew]

Old Man Emu are affordable springs for the rear. But I have nothing to compare them to since they are all I've owned. And regarding the Tundra break upgrade, do it! I went through 3 sets of rotors before making the switch. Wish I would have done it sooner! Front struts are not difficult at all, and most auto parts store will loan you a spring compressor. An aire compressor an pneumatic tools are a must for this project.

 

[Jordan7118]

Josh, do you still have your stock rear springs? Your 99 Highlander had the rear coils that are ~1" taller.

Dang't... I'm on the fence about the Tundra brake upgrade...

 

[ARK_SWAMP_RIDER]

I've had great results with Firestone Destination ATs, great on road and are surprisingly good off road. I really considered the terra grapplers on my 4runner but read too many negative reviews on tread wear. Most seem to be on heavier vehicles, but not all.

If you stay at stock height, OEM shocks are probably a good low cost choice. I bought a set of factory rear shocks for $30 each for my 03, way cheaper than expected for OEM parts.

 

[domino]

Good grief. With all the information and commentary on lifts for the 4Runner, you can spend days trying to figure out what is best!

Tundra front struts / LC front coils on rear seem to be a reasonable way to go, but do I want that much lift? What else would I have to replace if I went that tall? Shocks would be taken care of on front with the swap, and longer would be needed on rear. Diff drop? Alignment?

Sorry for all the questions. This is definitely new to me. Again, I appreciate ya'lls insight!!!

I think the tundra/LC setup would be taller than you'd like. Plus it would be a pain for Anna to get in and out of every day. '99 coils would be the best bet for your lady's daily driver if you can find a set in good condition for a decent price. I wouldn't waste your time with a diff drop. It may have some benefit for guys who are out wheeling with big lifts, but I don't think it would make any difference on a pavement pounder.

As for tires, you're going to read a lot of reviews from guys with full size trucks complaining about treadwear. That's really not an issue with the much smaller 4runner. I read all sorts of things about the cooper stt's wearing out after 25k on silverados and dodges, but I'm pretty sure I would have gotten 50+ out of mine if the truck hadn't been totalled.

 

[Jordan7118]

I've located two full sets of 80-series springs and one full set of LX450 springs, so I'm thinking about cutting down the LX springs to get the ride height I want. They're a little softer than the 80-series springs. That way, I have plenty of length to get what lift I need and have two choices on spring rate.

I thought about the lift issues you speak of - Aaron - with Anna having trouble gettting in. However, this thing sits really low and has full factory running boards. My main issue is do I want to commit to this lift thing. I could always try to get the rear off the bumps and then go from there. First priority is to get it off the bumps. So annoying!!!

I've heard great things about the Terra Grapplers. John Bomar - the guru of tires - highly recommends them. He had them on his diesel 4Runner and said they wear like iron and hook up well. Dunno. We'll cross that bridge when these Michelins wear down further, but they wear like iron, too

As for the factory replacement shocks, I've heard the same. Cheap and Toyota quality. However, I may spring for the Trekmasters based on ya'lls recommendation. Sounds like I can't go wrong either way.

Thanks for the input, fellas!

 

[colsoncj]

Sounds like you have the coils figured out... Shocks from the factory seem to work well.

On the tires... I've ran a lot of different brands and types on my DD's and tow rigs... Nittos didnt last real long on a Tacoma. Michelin LTX M/S worked pretty well on a 98 runner I had. Best tire I've found is what Aaron called... Dueler A/T Revo's. They are pricey, but last a long time, hold up well, wear well, and get great traction year round. They've pretty much turned into my go-to tire for anything I'm keeping that isnt a car. I have drove a 99 Runner with Goodyear Forterra's on it (weird tread pattern). They drove nice, great traction. I've considered giving them a try the next go around on my car (they have truck and car sizes).

 

[LDT98]

Man I wish you would have posted this up 3 weeks earlier and I would have handed over all my stock suspension off my 99 4runner I had laying in the garage. But things were getting crowded and I decided I was never going to get around to selling them so off to the trash can they went springs, shocks, struts, and all. Anyway as you know I've had one or two of these 4runners in the past and have built each one a little different. If your wanting a nice clean stock 4runner for daily driving that will get you around in inclement weather then in my opinion don't waste your time and money on any kind of lift.

My recommendations:
Tires- BFG TA/KO's
Rear sag- Stock 99 springs and run OME shocks or something comparable
Brakes- Buy the nicest brake setup that O'reilly's offers (it's a life time warranty so if your rotors ever warp you take them back in for new ones) they worked great with my 4runner even running 35's.
Hight issue- Take off the stock running boards and weld on some cheap trail-gear sliders you will be amazed how much taller it looks by just taking off the stock steps.

However if you lift it that's a whole new story.

 

[Jordan7118]

Well, poop, Anthony... That's how it always works out

Thanks for the advice. I think I'm headed down the path you suggest. OEM rear shocks are ~$30 a piece, so I think I'm going to do that. As for fronts, I'm not sure. They're ~$115 or so per corner for those struts. Plus coils...

Dunno if I can justify taking off the running boards, yet. Maybe some day.

Working in small bites on this one

Again, thanks for the input!

 

[JWaldz]

I say slam it to the ground on bags, murder it out all primered with limo tint. Then add those fender scoops on the side, some stripes down the center and finish it off with a chrome flame steering wheel and rear view mirror. Yeeeaaaa man, that would be the Tits McGee. You'd be throwing that dick everywhere lol.

 

[Jordan7118]

:lmao:

Best part is the last line. It's clear that you've taken the Tosh.0 to heart, and for that, we thank you!!!

 

[JWaldz]

Found this on T4R, sounds like it's right up your alley. Be SURE to ask him the color codes on the coils to verify they are truly the tall coils. I've seen people be mislead before and end up wasting money.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/sale-suspension-wheels-tires/117355-fs-99-talls-tokico-shocks.html

 

[Jordan7118]

Sweet. Thanks, Waldo! You're the man!