lesha30

Hi guys,

I got '91 4Runner V6, 2WD. It's a city truck. I bought it 2 years ago and it still had the ORIGINAL shocks from 1991!!!!!! A couple of months ago (before I found this forum) I've made one HUGE mistake. I've listened to a friend of mine and changed my stock shocks to a set of KYBs Gas-A-Shock. Those are probably the stiffest shocks on the market today!!! I mean, It corners and holds the road like a dream, but I feel EVERY LITTLE hole or bump on the ground with my whole body. It seems that instead of shocks I have 4 big bolts!!! So, since my back can't take it anymore, I've decided to change the shocks again. I've done a search and found a lot of good stuff about the Bilstein shocks, but it turns out that I can't really afford them at this time.
So, I was wondering if it's worth to change it back to the stock shocks (the new ones of course)?????? If any of you still have a stock suspension on your 2nd gen. rigs, let me know how do you like it. How is the ride???

P.S. what I'm looking for is just a comfortable, soft, everyday drive.

Thanks

Unhappy99

Hold on there buddy. The Bilsteins are stiffer than the KYB Gas-A-Just, which are not particularly stiff IMO.

If the ride of the KYB is too stiff, then I suggest the Gabriel Gas Ryder LT.

If cushy is truly what you're looking for, get a Buick.

p.s. What tires are you on? Is the pressure set to the door jamb plate spec?

lesha30

Is there a difference between stock shocks and Gabriel Gas Ryder LT??? Gabriels are cheaper (only 24.99 ea.).

Scofco

I still have the stock shocks on my 2nd gen, though I am trying to fix that, I still love how the thing rides with them. I think it rides very much like a car. That's the only reason I hate them. I'm just trying to get my truck to feel like it's supposed to.

Unhappy99

Hmmm....One of you wants to get rid of cushy shocks, the other wants cushier shocks. Surely the two of you can work out a deal?

IMO, Gabriels are a little stiffer than factory, just enough to dampen the absurd (IMO again) factory pitch and roll. They are substantially cheaper, and have a lifetime warranty as well.

lesha30

But they are MUCH softer than KYBs, right?

Unhappy99

Yes, they are much softer than KYBs, and they'll even get a little softer as they break in over a couple of months. I think the bigger question is whether they are soft enough for what you want, and I think they'd be close. Although nothing beats a set of factory shocks for Buickness.

Try the cheapest thing first, set your tire pressures to spec. High tire pressure gives a stiff ride, you'd be surprised what difference just 4 or 5 psi makes.

lesha30

Thank you so much for your replies. I've lowered the amount of air in my tires from 32 psi to 28 psi and the ride is MUCH better (although there is a notisable loss of performance on the freeway. But, once again, the ride is MUCH better. I was wondering how much more air I could let out for more comfortable ride??? I have 235/75/15s.

Thanks again

Unhappy99

DO NOT go below the posted door spec. This is the safe operation limit, as defined by Yota. Going lower will give a softer ride, but will overheat the tires, the Ford-Firestone way.

What is meant by 'loss of freeway performance'? Handling should get sloppier with slower steering response. That's the price you pay for a softer suspension, be it tires, shocks or springs.

Bolt on the Gabriels, then play with tire pressure in 2psi increments. You'll find a happy medium between cushy ride and steering response