So I understand that a suspension lift alone doesn’t guarantee tire clearance at full flex with bigger tires. I’m not opposed to a body lift, but wondering how much clearance is gained by cutting the fender for bigger openings for the tires to fit. I’ll gladly hammer down pinch welds I side the fender, but I am willing to cut the fenders if it helps keep the center if gravity lower. It’s a common thing on early broncos, K10 Blazers, and J**ps. Why don’t we see it more on these 3rd Gen 4Runners? Maybe someone can explain it to me like I’m five, because I’m willing to be educated.

 

Suspension lifts can be tricky when dealing with IFS. There's a lot more that goes into it than lifting a solid front axle vehicle. I've never journeyed beyond a 2" suspension lift on my 93 for that reason. I'm only running 31s, and even with a 2" lift they'll still rub, but not on the fender. If I'm fully flexed (if you can call it that with IFS) and turned all the way to the stop, I actually rub on the inner wheel well. I suppose this is where a body lift could be beneficial, to an extent. All the guys with the solid front axles can just suspension lift to the moon if they want to fit whatever monster truck tires they desire underneath. Only steering and drive shafts have to be taken into account for that.

 

Trying to figure out what I need to do to get ready for 255/85R16s is driving me crazy. This 4Runner is crazy capable and reliable, but my first off-roader was a 73 Bronco about 20 years ago, and it had 31s and could’ve fit 33s with a little more fender trimming. I’ll never stop kicking myself for selling it.

 

Thats actually a good size to fit on a 4R. Cutting fenders doesn't look the best, you can get fibreglass fenders with larger openings, think they made them for the 1st gen taco, but all you need is a 2"-3" suspension lift to fit those tires most likely, if it rubs toss in a 1" BL, or hammer down the pinch weld.

 

I was hoping to stick with a 2” lift max to keep the suspension geometry the same. I’m thinking this next set will be 235/85R16s to allow me to plan the body lift to fit the 255s on the next set. And if I can find the Tacoma fenders at a good price, I’ll pick them up. I wonder if they make rear quarter panels with the same profile that can be welded in... it would be nice if they both had the same shape/openings.