alteredvision

I do not want a lift because I like the center of gravity where it is butI would like to look at making it a capable trail truck. I currently have a 96 4Runner with the locker on BFG 285/75/17's with rub on the street.

Here are my thoughts and why I am posting this here is because I need feedback on if my thinking is correct or if there is better ideas.
1. Get the transfer case clocker and the flat belly and rock rails
2. New shocks and springs. some OME seem to be the go to but I do not think that I need much of a lift.
3. New hardened axles, keep old ones as spares
4. New drive shafts (seem to be a weak point in Toyota's)
5. Front bumper with winch. Tube bumper to keep weight down
6. Upper control arms

That is it so far, besides all the simple stuff like rockrails and recovery gear of course. Am I going the right way with this or is there better things to upgrade? I do not think that I want to go with a SAS right away because of the cost and the drive-ability of it.

Teuf

my 2 cents, try and get as large a tire as possible, 33? with fender trimming

alteredvision

My thought first too, so I have 285/75/17's that converted should be 33.8x11.2/17 correct?

I have a lot of rub though and I have bang in the pinch weld and cut the plastic skirt under the bumper (that I am going to remove completely I think), the tires seem like they are rubbing on maybe the control arm or something I can not see any marks but it is not that bad that i have investigated it to much. Can I put wheel spacers on?

kmcaprice14

you need a slight lift for those tires or else they will always rub. If you don't want to change the COG too much, go with an inch or two of body lift... the body of the truck is only like 25-30% of the total weight, so an inch or two of body lift will "feel" like much less suspension lift. Just a thought....

alteredvision

I am planning on upgrading the springs and shocks so in hopes that will give the 1 - 2 inch lift, or do I still need a body lift? I would like to upgrade the springs and shocks because the 4Runner is older and to go to something more heavy duty like OME.

kmcaprice14

I prefer suspension lifts over body. To be honest with you, my runner feels more sure footed now than it ever did stock (even on the highway). I think the OMEs and trekkmasters are just better stuff than stock. With my OME 881s/890s and LC rims, I have no rubs under any kind of compression or wheel angle with 285s. You shouldn't need any body lift to run 285s with a modest suspension lift, but if you really dont want to affect COG, body lift might be for you.

crolison

1. I'd just do a full budbuilts
2. 882's and 891's - if your not wanting to lift see below
3. i'd just grab an extra front cv for in case
4. they are only week when you bash them on a rock
5. good idea
6. i would rather invest in coilovers up front without the upper control arms

7. SLIDERS

With 255/85/16's (255/80/17, bfg only makes these in the km2) with minimal clearancing up on the pinchweld a stock 4runner can run these without problem

if you need more clearance tub the firewall

NO BODY LIFT

scuba

With the clocker and flat belly you need like 2" BL (maybe 3, Cant remember) or LOTS of hump pounding..

One_96TR4

6. Upper control arms
[/QUOTE]

Well to start like has been said with that size of tire your going to need to lift to eliminate the rubbing. A body lift might do it 2-3inches with a little pounding but since you want to upgrade the springs and shocks anyhow I'd just go that route. Sonoransteel.com has some great lift options or you could go OME for a mild ~2inch lift with there springs. If you go OME the tokico trekmasters are a nice shock or you could drop a little more coin on the OME's. I think there's the 5100 bilstein option but I have no experience with them yet. Skid plates are a great idea, can never go wrong with them. I wouldn't bother to harden you axels. These truck will amaze you even in stock form, a little protection on the rear might be a good idea, the front a skid will cover you. I have yet to hear or read about someone breaking there driveshaft. Most I've heard is just changing u-joints and thats just maintainance. Lastly the upper control arms, you can get a shaved set from sonoransteel or depending on your wheels backspacing you can easily rectify that issue. You could run a spacer, I wouldn't go too big though. IMO I try to stay away from spacers if possible. Good luck with the build, sounds like you've got a solid plan to build a very capable, streetable daily driver .

crolison

I have when rock meets driveshaft, sometimes rock wins.

alteredvision

so it sounds like I have a new list:
1. Skid plates and rock rails (Loose the flat belly idea because I do not want the body lift)
2. I like the idea or Sonoran Steel but OME also seems like a good option
3. Leaning tword buying axels if I need them and if I break them upgrade them then
4. Same as above
5. did not change
6. I am very close to rubbing with the FJ Cruiser rims that I have and so it is either spacers or new upper control arms. I do not know much about backspacing, I will run a search on that.

What should I look at for this, I was going to remove the back bumper and just have a steel bar with recovery points.

UKMyers

What is with this center of gravity thing going around lately? Have you ever seen how big most crawlers are? Clearance and rubber will get you WAY WAY farther than a lower center of gravity will. It's not like your going to just tip over on a speedbump with a couple inches of lift.

alteredvision

If you look at most crawlers you will see that they are actually very short. They look high because they have removed everything from underneath them and very large tires. They are also usually mostly tube that keeps the weight of the top down.
I am not worried about speed bumps, I am worried that a trip to Moab or even a simple trail in Colorado with a top heavy 4Runner will roll it over so I do not want to be 8 feet off the ground to show off my new chrome shocks. The only reason for a lift is to clear bigger tires, I want bigger tires and am willing to modify everything but the center of gravity.

crolison

Still gonne be top heavy , I lean like a mofo too

I have had my friends say they thought I was gonna lean it over into a tree or something, but never have

Bighead

Lifts are not just about fitting bigger tires but gaining ground clearance.

I think you are still worrying a bit too much about being too high. What have you wheeled before that has you so gun-shy about lifting your 4Runner?

alteredvision

Have been close to rolling a couple times but nothing that has made me gun-shy about it. I run with a lot of Jeep guys and all of them fit 35's on stock height vehicles. They just take off fenders and add tube.

I do not see how a lift will give you more ground clearance? Your axles are in the same place and height no matter the lift. Yes you can have the rest of your vehicle up and out of the way of obstacles but only if your tires can get you up there. I have done a lot of runs, almost every trail here in and around Las Vegas, but now I am moving back to Colorado and the wheeling out there seems so much harder and more able to break EVERYTHING!!!

Maybe I do not understand the lift thing. This is why I posted up here so that people with more experience can tell me if I am wrong. i would much rather ask a question get told I am wrong and how to do it right before I go do it wrong and end up having a lot more problems.

Teuf

Portal axles n 35's l do it