Logical sequence for upgrades/mods

Good morning everyone!

Having only done a handful of minor modifications to my truck, I'm trying to budget and figure out what a logical sequence would be for the following modifications. I'll list them in the order that I think they should go, but am open to suggestions since I'm very new at this still.

• Bilstein front/rear to lift 2-2.5"
• 275 or 285 A/T's
• New wheels
• Lopro winch front bumper
• gobi stealth rack
• Rear bumper - steel (unsure of brand yet, but one that'll carry a tire)
• ARB dual air compressor
• lighting
• Possible regear and supercharger

The upgraded suspension & wheels and tires is going to be expensive, but suspension makes the most sense to do next simply due to the fact that all the other heavy crap will need that done first. I was going to do wheels and tires next, but figured that I may as well do suspension too. Just not looking forward to that big hit to my wallet lol.

What do you all think? Does this make sense?

 

Sounds like you have a good plan there... from the ground...up. Should be quite a rig.

 

If you’re going to be putting bumpers on, I’d go with something better than Bilsteins. With that much weight, you’ll fade the shocks out pretty fast. I recommend doing the suspension right the first time and getting ADS, King, or Radflo Coilovers.

Once you have the suspension done, go ahead and regear when you get wheels and tires.

 

Better factor heavier duty coils in if you are adding bumpers.

 

Yep, my local shop recommended that with the Bilsteins. They recommended Bilsteins mainly because 95% or more of the time I’ll be on roads. The options for off roading are fairly limited here near Chicago, so I honestly only see myself having time to go a couple times a year and don’t really expect anything crazy terrain wise. The worst I’ve had to deal with so far is mud and even with stock wheels and tires and suspension is was uneventful.

 

Bilsteins will be fine if youre not doing lots of high speed stuff. Better springs (stiffer rate or longer) will be beneficial with more weight. I would bump lighting closer to the top of the list as it is beneficial on the street as well as offroad. If youre not going larger than 275 or 285 a regear may not be necessary. Some people do it and swear by it, some people don't and say its fine.

 

Main lights for driving (headlights and fogs) were just upgraded last weekend to LED's. I should've specified that the lighting I meant was additional lighting, like lighting bars that would go into a lopro bumper, into the cutout on a rack, ditch and rocks lights, etc. Most of this lighting isn't necessary, but is nice to have.

My local shop asked me how much off roading I'll actually be doing, which is basically very little, and when I imagine it, it won't be overly technical given my location and what's drivable within a few hours. Once I told them they recommended I save money and just get some Bilsteins (can't recall which models, but they looked to be a much larger diameter than what's in the truck now. The springs they recommended are definitely heavy duty to account for the increase in weight of the bumpers. The streets in the city of Chicago are probably rougher terrain than most off roading is around here lol.

I've read so many different opinions on regearing and I suspected that it may not be a necessity. I haven't yet talked to my shop about this. They've impressed me so far, only having only been there once, in that they weren't trying to steer me into stuff I don't need, using the Bilstein recommendation as an example. I went in talking about Icon stage 7's and he laughed at me and said don't waste your money because it's not necessary for what you'll be doing. That's kind of my approach on many things I'm into. I'm into competitive shooting, and I see people buying and installing expensive crap that they don't need on their guns, or gear that they don't really understand how to use just to "look good". Like when people put IR designators on their rifles and they don't own night vision. Why waste the money?

I am a huge fan of the buy once cry once approach, but when it comes to this, I don't foresee myself needing anything much more heavy duty than what my shop has recommended. At some point I'll leave the "great state" of Illinois, but that won't be for a few years, and when it does happen I won't be going too far (Indiana, Tennessee).

 

Bilsteins are probably 5100s. I had them on a previous tacoma. Ive also had Icons on another tacoma. The Icons definitely ride better, but are multiple times more expensive and the 5100s were fine. You can keep the same springs and preload them with the 5100s, but will give a harsher ride. One option would be a similar rate spring to stock, but longer with the 5100s. This will give you lift while keeping the ride softer.
As for lighting you seem to be on teh right track. A few of the lo pro bumpers I like have the ability to mount a bar in them. If you're planning on going the lo pro route, that may work for ya.
Good on ya for doing your research before blindly throwing money at things. Best of luck.

 

Thanks! Most people that know me know that I don't mind spending money, but I always make sure that it's being well spent versus being blown on things I want versus actually needing. When it comes down to it, I think most of us are installing stuff on these trucks for looks first, and function second. I honestly don't need the lopro front bumper or a steel rear, but I like how they look versus the stock bumpers. Out of those two, the lopro front bumper with a winch would be far more practical for me because I'd actually use the winch. Many times on the weekends a bunch of cars wind up getting stuck in mud, and having a winch to help get them out would be useful to have. The rear steel/aluminum bumper....meh, that would just be for looks honestly and would very likely be one of the very last mods I do.

 

I have never done a build as extensive as yours but I can add this for what it is worth. You are on the right path with doing suspension first but don't do it at the same time you do the tires. This will allow you to dial in your ride before you have to start speculating on tire PSI and roughness. And on another note the Bilstein 5100's are a tried and true shock but give a serious look at the Eibach's. Now that I have experience with both I would easy spend the extra 50 bucks on the Eibachs for the much better ride...just a thought for you OP.

 

Good point. I likely wouldn't do the wheels and tires at the same time just because of how much it will cost, so it may work out in the end. I'll check out those Eibachs for sure.

 

Keep in mind that some tacomas come with progressive springs and preloading those really does make the ride harsher.

I have 5100's all around and started at .85 up front. the only thing slightly stiffer was the shocks but in a good way. I moved the perch to 2.5" and it felt exactly the same as it did at .85

the 4runners come with linear springs so that is probably why the ride is not harsher.

 

One of the things I'm looking forward to is getting rid of that stupid front end dip when you come to a complete stop.

 

FYI if you stick with 275's you can stick with the stock wheels.

 

I honestly hate the look of stock wheels on mine. I've been doing everything possible to get rid of any visible chrome on it since my runner is all white. They are nice wheels for other colors, but just not a fan of the look of them on a white truck.

 

I know I am beating a dead horse but Icon will never see any my money due to their disgusting past. I went with the Eibach kit, JBA upper control arms, and heavier OME rear springs due to the amount of weight I carry daily. This kit has been great so far for a relatively budget kit. An no maintenance. Added durobumps ftw.

I see that you don't like the look of the stock wheels but they are the best wheels Toyota makes for off road and you already own them. Get them powder coated if you need to but since you are on a budget, new wheels really are unnecessary. Look forward to your build.

 

I don't see a dual battery set up and rear hatch ladder on the list;-)

 

Couple of things I'll add:

Since your rig will be mostly driven on the road, you'll want components that are known for good on-road handling, while also being capable off-road.

While Bilsteins definitely fit this description, I'll third the Eibach adjustable shocks suggestion because they really do feel nicer on-road than the 5100's. You can pair these with any reputable spring manufacturer and you'll want to make sure your springs are suited for the weight you regularly carry.

Also, if you're considering 285's, you'll want to also consider the weight of the tire and the sidewall thickness. If you go with a heavy tire with a thick sidewall, you'll probably be more inclined to want to re-gear it......and it will ride stiffer on the road. If you go with a lighter tire with a thinner sidewall, it will ride better on the road and you won't need to re-gear, thereby saving you some money.

Just as an example, I went with a P-rated Firestone Destination A/T. It's one of the lightest 285's I found at 42 lbs per tire. They also ride really nice on the road and have been perfectly capable on the trails I drive. I feel no need to re-gear the truck at all.

 

Agree with above. For tires for mainly on road, go with either P rated or C-load rated. Big weight savings over E-load rated tires, better fuel economy and better ride.

 

Agreed with a few of the above post. No need to go with a 10ply tire at all. I off-road multiple times a week year round and a SL tire is perfect for that while still being great on road. I off-road in sand and mud... Not Rock crawling... If I did serious Rock crawling I'd consider an E load tire.

I also agree with the Eibach. I have the pro truck kit, front and rear shocks and springs. 2.75 " front and 1" rear, sits nice and level and is adjustable for more weight if you add a front bumper/winch. For the money I prefer it over the Bilstein. At about $800 for the full kit it's a lot of bang for your buck.

 

The truck sits on the street most of the time since I work from home, but on the weekends I'm in areas that are "unimproved" so lots of dirt, mud, stone, etc. I wouldn't really call it "off roading" but it's not pavement either.

I listed most of what I've done in the welcome section, but it's a 2019 Off Road Premium in white.

20 years ago when I bought a Wrangler I didn't anticipate doing much off roading, but wound up doing it because I had a Wrangler. I originally wanted a 4runner but the Wrangler's price was more within my range back then. The progression I went through with that vehicle was buying stuff as I realized I needed it, but buying cheap, then replacing with better once I realized that the cheap stuff was worthless. I stopped doing that years ago after realizing how much money I had wasted buying cheap and replacing shortly thereafter. These days if I'm going to spend money, I'm going to buy stuff that lasts and will meet the needs I realistically will have. Since I plan on keeping this truck for a long time, I can estimate what I'll need based on what I see myself realistically doing. I will do off roading with this truck, but when you ask anyone how much off roading they do, realistically the vast majority of their mileage will be driven on paved roads. Unless you're living in the sticks of course.

 

The tires I've had my eye on are KO2's. They seem like the best tire for what I'll likely run into - mud, dirt, gravel, snow. I haven't decided on a size yet, but I'm between a 275 and 285. I'd almost rather go with a 275 to save on some gas mileage considering all the other stuff I want to do over the next couple of years. The KO2's don't seem too crazy heavy which is surprising. The only thing that is a bit of a bummer is that size seems to be commonly available as an E rated tire whereas the 285 is also available in a C rated. There's a negligible difference in weight between the two, perhaps a few pounds at most.

ETA: actually I was mistaken.

275 E's are 55 lbs

285 C's are 51 lbs

285 E's are 58 lbs.

If I go with KO2's, then it seems the lightest are the 285 C's.

My question would be, what would the tradeoffs be going with a lighter but larger tire? Does the diameter of the tire affect gas mileage more than the weight, or would it be nearly the same given the 275's are 4 pounds heavier?

As you can probably tell, most if not all of this is new to me. Ever since I got rid of that Wrangler nearly a decade and a half ago, my only knowledge of tires was getting whatever the dealer or tire place recommended lol.

 

If you're looking at Bilsteins, don't overlook the 6112/5160 combo. That's what I have on mine and the ride is great. I have 275 K02s on mine...275s you can only get in E load and are heavier than the 285 C load tires. Overall, I'm quite happy. My ding on mileage after a 2"/1.5" lift and the 275s was only about 0.5MPG. I expected it to be worse.

 

That's the combo my local shop recommended on the Bilsteins. Just couldn't remember the numbers. They said those would be what would meet my needs, but paired with heavy duty springs for the potential weight of bumpers and rack.

Glad to hear that the mileage hit wasn't too bad. I would love to balance out the build so that I'm not getting 10 mpg lol. I've seen a few places making bumpers in aluminum, and since I don't foresee myself rock crawling since there's nothing within a reasonable drive, I won't really need steel, so I'll save some weight there.

 

Just so everyone is aware, I'm not doing that whole list at once. I'm spreading out these modifications over at least 2 years, possibly 3. My immediate concern is getting the suspension done first, then moving onto wheels/tires. The headlights and fog lights I just did a week ago set me back 1500 or so, so I just need to wait a bit before spending more money especially with the holidays coming up. I highly suspect that once I do the suspension, I'll be getting impatient and want to do wheels and tires much sooner than I want.

ETA: one thing I forgot to add to my list is a different radio. I HATE the factory radio. I read some rumors that Toyota might possibly do an update so that we get carplay, but after reading about the issues people are having with it, I would rather do aftermarket rather than waiting for something that may not happen.

 

I have heard that an aftermarket radio allows you to see psi for each tire. Sure wish toyota would do an update on my radio for at least that.

 

This is one of the best things I have added to my 4R. Shows PSI, tire temp, and voltage.

Tymate TPMS Wireless Tire Pressure Monitoring System with 4pcs External Sensors (0-6.0 BAR/0-87 PSI) and 2.1A USB Charging Port, Real-time Displays 4 Tires' Pressure, Temperature and Alarm Function https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HNPQ4X3/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_V2hVDb3HC8RRT

 

Toyota will not be doing an update on the 4Runner radio. That was a rumor based on Toyota doing that for some Corollas (and Sienna's, I think) that came with Entune 3. Entune 3 is compatible with this update. Entune 2 is not. Guess which one the 4Runner has.

Also, tire weight will have a bigger influence on gas mileage then tire diameter. If you like the BFG's, I suggest going with the 285's in a C-rating. Better ride, better gas mileage, and better look (the last part was opinion).

 

Buy once, cry once; purchase items that will be most utilized and functional to your needs. At the end of the day its your own money you're spending, enjoy the rig and have a happy build!

 

1. How do those sensors attach?
2. What tires do you have that you’re running at 40 PSI??