Lifting my 87 4runner. Need a brain check.
 

Operation lift the 87 has been green lighted. Just need someone to go over my list o parts and make sure Im not missing anything.

Tires...BFG All terrain ko's 33x10.5x15 (want a skinnier utility look)

Doing a balljoint spacer...diff drop...sway bar drop...up front. Getting them from 4crawler. He do yotatech discount?

Old man emu cs009 2" lift rear springs. Who has good price?

I want Billstein 5100's. What size though? For my small lift? Stock height? 3-4 inch lift? Confused here.

Guess Ill need rear leaf bushings? energy suspension? Will I need shackles?

Any advice would be helpful. Plan on starting to order stuff tomorrow or Tuesday.

I do not want a SAS. I dont wheel it. Its a mall crawler...but I want some ability over stock. Think My plan is ok?

Highlux.

Still hunting shocks, ubolts, bushings.

Consider a ZUK lift in the back instead?

can't give advice on the shocks sorry - mine came with my Pro-Crap kit installed 9 years ago.

I want to do new leafs, shackles..ubolts...bushings... ome on those for sure.

Shocks is looking like Bilstein 5100's...pro comps....ranchos...

Still snooping multiple sites at once.

Goal of shocks is a good ride...ability to toss something heavy in back once in awhile. Rapidly hop a large curb if need be...lol... Light offraod at best...but have a little something in reserve incase I get a wild hair.

I should squeeze about 2.5 inches out of her. Add the 33's. Figure in sag I have now...I shouldhave a pretty dramatic change. Doing ball joints while Im at it. Going toyota with those. Heard moog has went downhill.

Im all ears....except the sas thing. I dont need it and the trekker has it.

How does the diff drop work?

you remove 2 bolts that hold up diff....then add spacer...which lowers diff. new longer bolts included. This corrects cv angle with balljoint spacers.


Thinking bilstein 4600 hd's. 99% sure.


Now...ubolts....shock bolts... Flip kit wouldnt give more lift right....any reason other than getting bolts out of way?

Got BJ Spacers, OME front Shocks, etc.
 

Howdy HighLux & Phil,

Zuk is definitely a good interim or medium-term (depends on budget:)) fix.
If going OME, pls note that I have the following I got from Mark (Chefyota4x4) that I can re-sell at-cost plus shipping.

• OME front shocks PN 60072, 1 pair
• 4Crawler ball joint spacers, 1 pair with bolts
• Differential drop kit
• Sway bar drop spacers

I would have used them, but am putting off my OME upgrade because of recent engine rebuild expenses. I hoe mark can comment on how old they all are.

Im all over the stuff. PM me

I've ran BJ spacers and OME lift springs on both of my 86 4runners. For the front, I've ran BJ spacers without a diff drop and have never had an issue. For the rear, on my last 4runner I ran 2.5" longer shackle and on my current one I've kept the stock shackles (for now). Running stock shackles actually puts you up higher since it forces the leaf spring into more of an arch, but you'll get more droop travel with longer shackles. I'm on my work computer so I don't have any pictures here, but if you want to see how it sits go through my build threads. Good luck!

Thanks man...wil check it out.

On my 86 4runner I had 3" Downey rear springs with 6" shackles and BJ spacers in front with a bit of T bar crank. I needed the diff drop because of the CV angles.

I got a Sonoran steel IFS brace and it wouldn't clear the diff drop. I put stock length shackles back on uncranked the T bars and installed a 1" body lift instead.

The flex and ride in the front improved and I didn't need the diff drop. That is the same setup I have on my 88 truck and it works really well.

The 4crawler bodylift and some new Energy suspension poly bodymounts also improved the ride and made it quieter.

Highlux, post up some before and after pics, you know we love pictures...

The way to tell if you need a diff drop is to jack up the front of the truck so that your suspension is at full droop. If your CVs bind, you'll either need a diff drop or to shim your droop bumpstops to limit cv travel.

NMtoy, I too ran the downey leaf springs. They sagged so badly that I had to buy the longer shackles a few months later!

I may be the only person whose Downey springs didn't sag...

What will I need to do about my shackles? Use my stockers? Have new ones ready?

Will my shackle angle get jacked up with the stock length 2" ome springs?

Only part of my mystery left to solve.

Still a little up in the air on tires.

Your stock shackles will work fine but if you plan to wheel it you might consider something more HD.

I have stock shackles on the truck. I had 4Crawler shackles on the 4runner. As far as tires there are not a lot of choices. I got TA ko's because my truck doesn't see a lot of off road use. If I went off road more I would do the Mud terrain KM2 but that's just me.

Here is a better pic of my truck showing the minimal T bar crank.Attachment 146835