bottle286

I have been checking around the forum and the net for a couple days looking for tips on modifying my 97 runner (2wd auto) and i havent found much. I just want to make my truck more offroad friendly without destroying my highway ride completey. I go offroading frequently but not as a sport (even though i enjoy it very much). i just want to be able to go more places off-road, but i like to go on road trips too. However im having alot of trouble finding the right equipment for the job even though it seems i have been searching all over the net for it. The biggest problem i have found so far is that decent shocks dont seem to exist for a lifted 97 2WD 4Runner. Hopefully i just havent found the right sites yet.

Originally my plan was:
-Lift Kit
-Shocks
-Springs (maybe)
-Tires
-Locking Diff

Any comments or suggestions would be very much appreciated =)

Thanks
-James

jimbo74

wo will find that not much exists for the 4x2 toyotas, and we dont get much love on this site, its more geared to the 4x4 guys... however there is still hope.... sure there will be tons of guys here saying why dont you jsut get a 4x4, well sometimes it just isnt possible, i know.. my truck is an 85 pickup that is 4x2, and i have done a good amount of stuff to it...

im not sure what suspension system your truck uses, but its struts up front correct? and not shocks/tbars, or coils? if tis coils you might look into getting longer ones, if its struts i dont know really what you can do ther than a spacer.. if its tbars the ycan be cranked a little bit.... not sure if they make it for your truck, but on my 85 that has tbars, i have 4" lifted spindles. i also have a 3" bodylift that may be an option for you. www.4crawler.com is the best place to go for a bodylift. gears are good as is a locker... hope some of this helped out... and welcome to the site

aowRS

James,
There are a ton of options for you. All of the 4WD suspension lifts should work fine with your 2WD - it's the same suspension setup. If your truck has that 'low 2WD look' - why not consider buying a new set of front and rear Toyota coil springs for a "1999 4WD, V6, automatic 4Runner".

As you research a bit more into YotaTech, you'll learn that the '99 4WD version had the longest coils from the factory. Mate those with a new set of Bilstein front and rear shocks and your truck will have a whole new lease on life. I did this exact same changeover to my '01 4WD, as Toyota started lowering the ride heights again in '01. I have a strong suspicion that your 2WD sits even lower than my '01 4WD did stock. Here is a pick of how mine now sits. I have the coils that I mentioned, the Bilsteins, and a set of 275/70/16 Bridgestone Dueler A/T REVOs. If you want a more aggressive lift, do some reading on here and you should be able to install anything applicable to the 4WDs.



Andreas

User 051420

This thread will answer all of your questions. Like mentioned above, your front suspension is the same as my 4wd, except you have no front differential, nor cv's. I don't recommend you do a spacer lift with your 2wd coils, as you won't get the full lift, being that the 2wd coils are shorter. The TRD Tundra coil lift seems to be the hottest thing around for our trucks, and it really is great!

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f31/suspension-lift-faq-44741/

bottle286

Thank you so much for the feedback. So if i get '99 4WD Springs and some nice, more flexible shocks, will that give me enough ground clearance to be safe? I havent been able to find a "body lift" but i have found a few coil spacers which apparently dont wory with the rancho RS5000 shocks i had in mind. Again thanks for bringing me closer to a fix=)

-James
97 4Runner
04 599
93 RX7

User 051420

If you have the low looking 2wd springs, you'll gain 1" by swapping to the 4wd coils.

These are pretty cool too. Maybe 2.5" over 2wd height.
http://performanceproducts.com/Produ...producttype=20

http://performanceproducts.com/Produ...productType=20

Nitro Hotpants

Try this, it's fun:

http://fastq.com/~sschaefer/2WDto4WD...sion/index.htm

bottle286

i am going to play dumb for a post just so im completely positive what im getting is correct from what ive read.

I can purchase Tundra TRD Springs and shocks built for a tundra without any other modifications or '99 4WD springs and shocks without any other modification.... is this correct? Sounds like pretty good news to me if im even partially correct.

i guess my next step would be to start researching tires =)

lv4runner

I've got a 2wd and went with the Old Man Emu springs and shocks. Got about 3 inches of lift out of it. I can post a pic if you want. It handles great on and off road.

jimbo74

www.4crawler.com for a body lift.....

bottle286

Well i have to tell you man your truck is beautiful and perfect and someday i will be able to have a 4WD runner, but as of right now i just need a little fix that will get me out of my college/part-time job days w/o killing myself offroad somewhere and still be able to take me traveling on road as far as my heart desires or at least until monday, lol. She's my baby, just a fun weekend truck id say. It was a HUGE change coming from a 93 RX-7, i was constantly putting more and more money into it just to fix her all the time, if i thought of it a head of time i would have a truck very simmilar to yours right now but when i was 16 all i could think about going fast, and thats all i did was do 130+ on the highway way to often until my first ticket. I also couldnt bring it on any trips because of frequent break down and just forget being able to go offroad at all. I am in school right now for the soul purpose of being able to travel as much as possible and i will need a truck to get me through (alive) all my misc. adventures. When my car broke down shortly after the ticket i looked for about a month for a 4WD Runner but didnt have any luck, since i live in the southeast i guess. So i settled for my 2WD, but dont get me wrong, a runner is exactley what my life needed right now

sorry i doubt you were looking for my life story but when i was looking at your pics it made me think, lol.

-James

bottle286

I checked out that old man emu website and the price seems pretty decent. That may be exactley what im looking for. Soft or medium shocks? Medium or heavy duty springs? I use my truck mainly for street driving but i go offroad regulary. I would love to see some pics, maybe even some action shots?

-James

Bigkahuna808

I have a a 2wd and have done pretty much everything I can, to get a dencent ift out of my truck. You can check my sig on what I have done. Im looking into a LSD or a locker for the rear as well. I just havent gotten arround to doing it. I also have a Tundra lift sitting on the side that I might install that if I dont get that fabtech front lift for cheap

bookman7

i was wondering if you had any pics of your install