4runner Lifts
04-04-2008, 08:59 AM
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4runner Lifts
Hey, i'm a newbie and i just resently bought a 97' 4WD 4runner. I've been researching suspension lifts and I'm finding it hard to find them. My last vehicle was a jeep wrangler and lifts for it were very easy to find. I have a couple of questions that may be stupid, but I am new to toyota and I have not a clue. I would like to roll with 35's and i need to know how much lift i need. I have looked at the sonora steel 1.2 lift and it seems to be my best bet. Is that a good one? Is there some other lift that is cheaper? I have also noticed that some of you guys are using Old Man Emu springs and shocks, and all different brands. How do you guys know that that product will fit your 4runner? I'm used to just buying a package and it having everything i need. preferably i would like to just buy a package, thats why i'm leaning twords The SS#1.2. I have no problem putting on a small body lift with a suspension lift to accommodate the larger tires. I just need to know how much of a body lift i need. Also my drive line. How high can i go without affecting it or may steering? Any help from you guys is much appreciated!
Thanks, Jake
Thanks, Jake
04-04-2008, 09:22 AM
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i have thirty five and no body lift. one of two i think. its not that bad to do. my set up is: OME 883 springs with a toytec.com top out spacer and OME shocks in the front. and in the rear i have OME 890 springs and a 1.5in coil spacer and OME shocks. you will need a front diff drop but other custom front and rear bumpers really help clear bigger tires on toyotas... and it still drives dead straight. heres a pic for ya of my ride with that set up.
04-04-2008, 09:28 AM
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Well will i need to get beefier bumpers right off, or can I still clear 35's with stock bumpers. I plan on getting bigger rock slider bumpers, just not so soon. i'm sorta on a buget.......
04-04-2008, 11:22 AM
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I am unfamiliar with Sonoran Steel lifts. When I first bought my 4Runner and wanted a lift I called www.toyteclifts.com with my questions. They helped out a lot with every question I had concerning a lift. I ended up going with their OME3RUN kit and a the diff drop. Turned out to be a very cost effective and great lift.
I also added a 3" Roger Brown body lift because I wanted to be sure that my 33's would not rub without trimming. They still do slightly at certain flex points but normal driving conditions are awesome. I run 33x12.50 SSR's on 16x8 AR Mojaves with 4.5" backspacing.
I can fit 35's with this combo of lift but I choose not to because this is my DD and I would really like to re-gear before going to such a large tire.
202020 I am curious as to if you re-geared your 4Runner? Is that an AT or MT? What kind of gas mileage if you did/didn't re-gear?
I also added a 3" Roger Brown body lift because I wanted to be sure that my 33's would not rub without trimming. They still do slightly at certain flex points but normal driving conditions are awesome. I run 33x12.50 SSR's on 16x8 AR Mojaves with 4.5" backspacing.
I can fit 35's with this combo of lift but I choose not to because this is my DD and I would really like to re-gear before going to such a large tire.
202020 I am curious as to if you re-geared your 4Runner? Is that an AT or MT? What kind of gas mileage if you did/didn't re-gear?
04-04-2008, 12:33 PM
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It's going to be tough on you to weed through the personal opinions and find what is going to work for you. If you have a question about the Sonoran Steel 1.2, call them and ask away.
This is from the Sonoran Steel site and discusses what you need BL-wise to fit 315s. You might not have seen this when you first hit their site...
This is from the Sonoran Steel site and discusses what you need BL-wise to fit 315s. You might not have seen this when you first hit their site...
Originally Posted by Sonoran Steel
15. Looking for even more lift/height. You can combine any of these suspension lift kits with a 1" or a 1.5" 4Crawler/Rodger Brown Ultimate body lift. The 1" and 1.5" sizes are easy to install and will not cause you any grief. Over 1.5" and the job becomes much more involved. We do not recommend body lifts for 96-02 4Runners over 1.5". The reason you do not need to go over 1" or 1.5" is that to fit tires larger than 33" which can be fit with just the lift kit alone, you would need to move the front and back of the fender openings wider as well. A 2" or 3" body lift is just going to raise the arches of the wheel well higher without letting you add a larger tire, which would require the front and back of the fender openings to increase as well. The 1996-2002 4Runner is a heavy truck to begin with, the key to building a good off-road truck is to equalize lift with width. So when you go up 2.5" on a suspension lift lift and 1" on a body lit you need to widen the track with 3.5" backspaced wheels and 12.5" wide tires. There are no wheels wide enough to equalize the vehicle over this combo. So a smart build would be to stick with a Suspension lift for 33" tires or below and a 1" or 1.5" Body lift along with a good amount of metal cutting for 35" tires. Put a body lift on that is too high/more than you really need is just going to get you flopped on your side a lot faster.
04-04-2008, 12:39 PM
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no i did not regear. i have stock 4.3's and a 5spd. i could tell a little difference between the 33's and the 35's but not enough to regear. and i still get about 17mph highway and 14city... i have a very aggressive at (Xtreme At's) and they role so nice. i love them and well keep buyin them until they prove otherwise. lol
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04-04-2008, 02:10 PM
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no i did not regear. i have stock 4.3's and a 5spd. i could tell a little difference between the 33's and the 35's but not enough to regear. and i still get about 17mph highway and 14city... i have a very aggressive at (Xtreme At's) and they role so nice. i love them and well keep buyin them until they prove otherwise. lol
04-04-2008, 02:40 PM
#9
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I run 8" of lift and 35's and I rubbed on the fenders until I cut them. I really cannot see any possible way to clear 35's, off-road and not cut the fenders.
If you have 4.30 gears, you'll be okay. I may regear down the line, but, its not that bad.
If you have 4.30 gears, you'll be okay. I may regear down the line, but, its not that bad.
04-04-2008, 06:50 PM
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I think I'm going to go with the SS 1.2 and 33's instead. I figure running 35's is going to cost me more than i plan on paying. And put alot more strain on my brakes and trany. My 4runner belive it or not has 368,500 miles on it......Yeah and it still runs great. Same trany and everything, It's never been re-built. And i plan on breaking the 400,000 mile mark without a new transmission........cross my fingers...nock on wood
04-05-2008, 02:20 AM
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I think I'm going to go with the SS 1.2 and 33's instead. I figure running 35's is going to cost me more than i plan on paying. And put alot more strain on my brakes and trany. My 4runner belive it or not has 368,500 miles on it......Yeah and it still runs great. Same trany and everything, It's never been re-built. And i plan on breaking the 400,000 mile mark without a new transmission........cross my fingers...nock on wood
04-05-2008, 07:30 AM
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Yeah i bought the 4runner used, and when i asked the guy how many miles i thought he said 36,000.haha But then the dude was like no man 360,000 i was like dang. But the only reason i bought the thing with that many miles is cause it's in great cond. Like usually you see a car that has 100,000 or so and it has wear marks in the interior and scratches and crap, but it's unbelivable there is like none. The guy who bought it new was the only owner and the dude must have really taken care of it.
04-05-2008, 08:26 AM
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It's good to hear a 4Runner can go 360,000+ miles, the original owner drives approx. 32,700 miles per year, dang.
Some other sites for reference:
http://www.wheelersoffroad.com/96024runner.htm
http://sleeoffroad.com/products/4runner_suspension.htm
Some other sites for reference:
http://www.wheelersoffroad.com/96024runner.htm
http://sleeoffroad.com/products/4runner_suspension.htm
04-05-2008, 10:05 AM
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I hate to be retarded with these questions. But lets say i bought the 2.5 '' Old Man Emu lift from http://sleeoffroad.com/products/runner_suspension.htm
And bought the 2.5'' Daystar spacers from
http://www.wheelersoffroad.com/96024rundstrlift.htm
Would that combo work out together, or am i better of with the SS 1.2. The reason i'm asking is cause of the price. I've heard some good stuff about the Old Man Emu products. And if i could, and did go with that combo, is that to much lift just to run 33's. The reason i ask is cause i don't want it stuck up in the air with smaller tires...................You guys
And bought the 2.5'' Daystar spacers from
http://www.wheelersoffroad.com/96024rundstrlift.htm
Would that combo work out together, or am i better of with the SS 1.2. The reason i'm asking is cause of the price. I've heard some good stuff about the Old Man Emu products. And if i could, and did go with that combo, is that to much lift just to run 33's. The reason i ask is cause i don't want it stuck up in the air with smaller tires...................You guys
04-05-2008, 10:10 AM
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it would work but your cv axle angle is going to be way to great. jeeps dont have this problem due to the solid axle but us ifs trucks gotta worry about the cv angles. if you want the maxium lift without a body lift get my set up. i believe i have the most lift without a body lift... and get glassworksunlimited.com fenders and you can run 35's with only a little trimming of the stock fenders... my 2cents.
bobby
bobby
