HBoss

Hello all,

For the Toy 4Runners, what is the average/estimated life span of coil springs and shock absorbers?

Signs you need to change them are usually obvious, but on average when should you change them on the Runner?

Second question: For those of you using 1" lifts w/31's or 32's, have you experienced any problems with the ball joints, cv joints, etc. due to the lift?

Thx.

Al

Jason B

Coils on thirds gen. should last almost the life of the vehicle. the shocks usually go at about 45-60k in city driving, and a lot longer if you do a lot of highway.

HBoss

Thx for the reply JB. I'm going to get Bilstein shock absorbers soon and might think about getting lifted suspension later on. Have you used the Bilstein's on your rig? Do you like them?

Jason B

I have the bils on my truck and man are they SWEET. The truck corners like it's on rails now and has a very taught/controlled feeling. A very worthwhile upgrade!

HBoss

Sweet...I can't wait to get them. They will be fun to swap out too, good thing my buddy has a coil spring compressor for the front shock replacement.

Robinhood150

He he, I just changed by original shocks with 150k miles. Seems to ride a little better now.

It really depends on how you use your truck, like if you load it up with a lot of weight, or compress and extend them a lot.

Stock shocks will actually last a long time (my dealer told me they're warrantied for 100k miles, don't know if it's true though), but most people change them out for better ride. The only reason I swapped out my shocks was because one started to leak.

Stress relaxation in most metals is an exponential relationship. So springs are going to sag in the first couple years, then not very much. If they're OK after a couple years, then they won't sag much anymore.

Steve

HBoss

Well, I'm just about ready to purchase the Bilsteins and have them shipped here.

Jason B. said "truck corners like it's on rails now and has a very taught/controlled feeling" so I assume it has more pressure to help resist roll and diving, as well as faster rebound.

Are the Bilsteins only better for on-road functions? I will be doing light and moderate off-roading, and in this case are the Bilsteins a good or bad choice, or great all around?

Jason B

Try www.shox.com for great prices.

Yes. The bils have a higher compression and faster rebound vs. the stock shocks. The stock shock compress fast and rebounds slow, whereas the Bils compress slow and rebound FAST. This makes it easier to recover from dips and stuff so when you hit bumps.

No. They do well offroad too. It's one of the best choices for all-around driving. They also have a lifetime warranty.

dlotoy4runner

Why is it that the 1 and 2 gen 4Runner vehicles tend to dip on the rear as if the shocks or springs are gone. You all have see these 4Runners, the back sits lower than the front even while driving. Is it because of the springs or shocks? And will this occur on 3rd gen vehicles?

Thanks

HBoss

I've never seen the "rear sag" on 3rd generations but it seems common amongst 2nd generation ones. Do a search on this forum, I recall Corey had posted some info somewhere on fixing the infamous sag problem.

Al

HBoss

Ok Jason B. I'm definitely going with the Bilsteins then. My friends have pitched in for my b-day to help me pay for them as my gift. Just deciding where to order them from right now. It's down to shox.com, performanceproducts.com and xtremeoff-road.com.

Xtremeoff-road.com is owned by one of the Yotatech members here, so I'm thinking about ordering from him. He started the business May 2002.

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dltoy4runner I think this should be what you're looking for:

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/show...t=rear+sag+2nd

jalaber

Just an fyi...Shox.com is not nearly as cheap as PP during one of their 15% off sales. And right now (well by the end of the day I hope) using the 15%-50% off link at the bottom of my site(s) then clicking on "specials" you can still get the 15% off Bilstein prices. I say "end of the day" as currently the discount is not appearing in the cart properly but my contact at PP is working on it. Thanks!

HBoss

Ok, it's down to 2 contenders for me. I'm looking at buying it from xtremeoff-road.com or performanceproducts.com.

Basically, it's whichever can get it here faster for a fair price. I'm going on my road trip starting on the 29th and I want them here before that, allowing 6 billion years for it to get through customs and have them charge me more hard-earned money.

I'm not bitter about customs...

I just received my roof rack bar from Wild Bill this morning, which they nailed me another $10 for (customs of course).

Ron(Fla)

When I bought my '95 Ltd 4x4 I wondered why it sagged too. Then I started looking at other 4Runners and noticed that the 2WD didn't seem to sag. So i figured that the rear wasn't sagging, the front was raised due to the 4x4 suspension. So, I figured the solution was rear springs to give it a little lift so it would match the front. Since it didn't bother me enough to replace the springs it still had the same amount of "sag" at 50K when I sold it.

HBoss

Anyone have an update for me on cost for shipping, estimated time of arrival yet?

As you can see, I'm quite anxious to have it arrive before the 29th....

jalaber

It will take 6 days for PP to ship to where you are. I just spoke with them again and they are working on it. I advised them they would be loosing a few customers if they did not get it done today. I'll keep you posted.

jalaber

Ok guys, thanks for being patient.

Click on the PP link at the bottom of my page, key your vehicle year and type (if it asks for it), then click specials.

The Bilsteins will show the discount when you add them to the cart. Price for a set of 4 is under $250.

Al, I sent you shipping cost, time and method.

They currently have 17 rear and 7 front pairs in stock, act now.

Thanks your support is greatly appreciated, enjoy the discount!

XtremeOff-Road

Al, glad you were taken care of, make sure to throw some pictures up when you get them!!

Mike

HBoss

Will do Mike. I'll take pics of the install and try to do a write-up on it. I appreciate all the information you gathered for me too.

People, if you have 4Runner products you're looking to buy, make sure you contact Mike at xtremeoff-road.com for quotes when you're in the market. He is a good guy and was very helpful getting the info together for me and I'll certainly call upon him in the future when I need more parts.

butnut

Damn...I want new shocks too. I'm almost at 83K, shocks not leaking, but same krappy ride as day one. I look forward to your write up Al...if it's not too difficult, I may do the swap myself. I did my Datsun with Mac struts, but I must be getting old 'cause I just don't wanna get into heavy wrenchin' anymore. Good luck.
butnut