Just a quick question, are ome "medium" and "firm" shocks the same thing. I am trying to figure out which ones to get for my 99 4runner 2wd, just want it to ride a bit better.

 

no .. the medium is valved "medium" and the "firm" is valved much firmer.

when you say you want your truck to ride better, do you mean softer or ... ??

 

i would like it to ride smoother on the road since its not 4wd, and I am not going off road. the only ome shocks i could find for my 4runner were the "comfort" and "medium" shocks.

 

well, i would definitely avoid the "firm" shocks ... as for whether "comfort" or "medium" would be better, i'm uncertain as i don't know how the stock coils behave. that said, do you ever tow anything or carry much of a load in the rear? if not, "comfort" might be the way to go.

 

Comfort (OME N86SC) would be the closest to stock, therefore likely your best choice. Of course, you realize they are extended length... meaning I guess you are intending to swap the rear springs also?

Spring rate has a bigger effect on ride quality than shock dampening, so you ought to consider the OME 890 springs- they're not far from stock feel.

 

i don't do much towing at all, except for the very rare occasion when i tow my 4wheeler somewhere. i thought that they were extended length, but i read many threads where people were talking about just installing these type of shocks on their 4runner without replacing their coils.

 

i always thought even the OME heavy duty were about the same as stock or even softer. The comforts are way too soft. Maybe i'm thinking about the spring ratings though from OME v/s stock.

 

Ditto on this.....I think the comforts are pretty close to stock but the springs make a big difference on the ride too. The comfort part has to do with the rebound on the shock (ie the comfort version comes back to normal height slower that the firms......thus it feels softer). The springs will tell you how hard that initial jolt will be (biggest difference is in the rear because the 4runner rear is so light). I have 881s in the front and 890s in the rear and it rides very well (very little rake), but if you tow alot, then the 891s might be a better choice. There are so many opinions on this that it is very hard to get an exact answer because depending on the person's preference, their answer will vary (ie some like a harsh ride and others want to it to ride like a couch).