I have a 97 4WD with 112K on it. The ride really seems to have gotten harsh. I was thinking new shocks, but I want opinions on how I can improve the road ride. I don't really do an four wheeling where I am at, just dirt/forest roads, so I'm really focused on the road ride. Spring, shocks, am I missing anything else, and do you have any recommendations?

While I might consider a bumper upgrade, I don't see it happening right away.

 

Might wanna change your various bushings if you haven't done so already. Shocks and springs should be one of the things on the top of your list for getting a better ride. As for shocks, I recommend going with Bilsteins, they may be a bit pricier than other shocks, but you'll be glad you paid the extra $$$ in the "end"

 

Help me out here. What bushings are you talking about? As for the Bilsteins, I had them on an old pickup & liked them quite a bit. Would they be OK w/new OEM springs, or is that a no-no?

 

Here's a link that may be helpful to you...

http://www.suspension.com/toyotapickups.htm

As for the shocks and springs, yeah they'd be alright, but since you've got everything off already, you might as well change out the springs as well, that's if you have the money. How do your leaf springs look? Do they still have an arch that looks like a "U"? If it does then you're still OK with your old leaf springs. I've got 95K on my '99 and my leafs are starting to sag already so I need to replace them. Hope all this info helps you out and BTW, welcome to the board! You'll find out that !

 

If you want the best ride for the least money get:

OME medium springs front and rear.

OME firm shocks front and rear.

Schafer built super soft bump stops for the rear.

A good alignment tops it off.

Trust me here, there will be a dramatic improvement in ride quality and a slight lift to give you more travel before you hit bottom.

Gadget

 

I ended up replacing the shocks only w/OEM. The ride is better, but still not great. The dealer told me the rear springs were replaced at 90K under warranty & the front's were still fine.

Could it be the bushings? How difficult are they to replace, and are there any instructions available that you guys know of?

I'm also wondering if the tires. I have some Bridgestone Dueler H/L and there really isn't much cushion to them. I'll pay more attention when I put on my snow tires in a few months. I seem to recall they were quite a bit more comfortable.

 

See the above post.

It is not a question of if the stock springs are still good or not. It is a question of how the perform. My impression is that they pretty much just suck.

The OME springs will give you a slight lift and greatly improve the ride.

Gadget

 

Bilsteins might still be worth trying since Cabeperformance.com has run a sale on them.
I think the bushings you needed to replace would have been so when they replace the shocks/struts. You could also check your sway bar bushings and see if they are still good.
Finally check your tirepressure.
Good luck

 

Bilsteins ride much stiffer then OME Firm shocks.

Gadget