Newbie here needs help picking rear springs

Here’s a picture of my car with 8 miles on it from the dealership. The front end is lower than yours.

 

Geez, not only did they hand-wave the problem away, but they’re trying to upsell you lol.

There’s no way those rear springs have sagged more than two inches since new. They look exactly as high as a stock sr5 comes from the factory. Here’s another pic I found. Again, take a look at the angle of the drag link.

That said, every cloud has a silver lining. Since it seems that you like the idea of how it looks a little lifted, raising the rear a little might not be a bad idea.

If you decide to lift the back, I’s honestly keep it simple and just get spring spacers. Spacers on the back aren’t a big deal from a mechanical standpoint, so it won’t hurt anything. It’s cheaper, and they won’t affect the ride any more than taller springs with the same spring rate.

By the way, if you really want to compare ride heights as you search around on this forum, the best way to do this is to measure from the center of the hub, to the bottom of the fender lip directly above the hub. This will avoid conflating variables affecting the measurement from one vehicle to another, like tire size and air pressure.

Edit to add: if you lift it, then welcome to the world of modding. Next thing will be 33in tires.

 

I’ve just had a thought…

Does anybody think that it’s possible for the ride height to be extra tall if the lower control arms and lower shock bolts were torqued to spec with the wheels in the air?

Would that tear the LCA bushings right away? Or would they act as a torsion spring for a few hundred miles before tearing, and then settling at normal height.

Besides the wrong coils or manufacturing issues, that’s the only other reason I can imagine could explain why the front sits so high. But to be honest, I’m not sure if this is a common error at alignment shops.

 

If you buy KYB rear shocks and OEM springs, if the front still sits high... then it should be clear that it's a KYB problem? Or install problem as McSpaz says above.

 

With OEM rear springs + KYB rear shocks installed you could eliminate that variable pretty inexpensively.

 

i would spend my money towards Bilstein 5100 rear shocks ($225/pair) instead of that KYB junk (you get what you pay for as OP had seen). That way if OP decides to do a rear lift, those shocks will cover 0-3 inches in the rear

 

For the rear, the you need to lift by using taller coils, not a new shock.

The shock is just a damper, it isn’t designed to support weight.

 

t13 Bilsteins rear coils 1.5” lift to balance out with 5100s get my vote

 

McSpazatron - Yes, a silver lining indeed. In that there will be less silver lining my pockets But you are right, I do like the look of the slight lift. Hopefully my daughter does too. I already re-did all the bolts on the struts while sitting on the ground. But not the LCA. I'll check those when the rigs back home but I have a hard time believing that it would account for nearly a full two inches. However, I've decided that I just need to move on. So I'll check the LCA's again, let things settle in and then take the advice of others here and get the appropriate rear springs and shocks.

TrailSpecial22 - I appreciate all your comparison photos. They've been helpful. I made another comparison that I think shows that your pretty much on the money as far as observed lift in the front from the KYB. I always thought that KYB was a moderate replacement for OEM but after this experience I've also now categorized them as "junk", in part because of the "hand wave" in their last response. However I did all 4 corners of my Camry with KYB's this past April and they seem fine. I put Bilstein on my Tundra last year....so I guess I'll be using them on the rear when I do springs.


Here is the comparison I did with the photos. Notice that TrailSpecial22's is angled away a bit, so these aren't 100% to scale.




Next decision- Which new springs to choose and/or should I go with spacers?

Shocks? Bilstein 5100 should be more than adequate.

Thanks for all the input.

 

Dang, you shot that in there while I was still typing!

 

Where did you see the 5100's for $225 a pair?

And do we have preferred vendors that we like to patronize on the site?

 

Looks like you are making a well and balanced decision.
P.S.I vote for no spacers at all.

 

After writing my last comment, I shuddered a bit. The rear springs are tired and the labor to install is the same. So new springs it will be.

 

https://www.srqfabrications.com/products/2010-5th-gen-4runner-5100-rear-shocks

i got lucky in 2019 and got a pair through Amazon for $130

 

Coils are the way to go!! Id you have a buddy, floor jack, stands and hand tools you can do it yourself and save $. I did mine in 1 hr in my driveway.

 

I can find Bilstein B12 springs, but nowhere can I find a T-13. Are the B12's adequate?

 

this is a place I got my rear coil springs from. $220. I have to make a correction ai have Eibachs not Bilstein. b12 will be too stiff

 

$103 each Amazon

 

I wasn't thinking OP necessarily wanted lift. I was thinking he wanted to figure out why the front was sitting tall with what was supposed to be OEM ride hight front coilovers.

Buying OEM style KYB replacement parts and ending up with negative rake... sure would be nice to figure out the problem.

 

Get these while you are at it. Says 2003-2009 but is a direct bolt in. There is a left and right also. On Ama zon. I'm also running the T13 rear spring and love the ride it gives.

Rear Axle Bump Stop Cushion Fit for Toyota 4Runner 2003-2009 Lexus GX470 2003-2009 Replace 48036-60011 48036-60010 2PCS
Brand: VelvetunVillay
5.0 5.0 out of 5 stars (7) | Search this page
$44.99$44.99

 

OK, I did some research on these bump stops to try and understand your suggestion. what's the reason for replacing?

a.) The stock ones suck?

or

b.) Lifting the truck a bit requires different or longer bump stops?

or

c.) You just like modifications


PS - my daughter was back yesterday after a couple of shifts. I re-measured the height and there seems to have been no change.

 

1) yes they suck
2)Yes
3) yes when they serve a purpose

I had a feeling they wouldnt change with those KYB A-holes

 

OK, then it'll be springs, shocks and bumps when I get to it. I'll let it settle, if at all, for another week or so and then come back and make sure I pick the right springs. The T13's sound good with the Bilsteins and new bumpers. It's gonna look nice and my daughter is on board with it.

Needless to say I'll be done with KYB. I'll send them one last email and see what they have to say....or not say. Not that it matters that much at this point. Live and learn.

 

nice! Its ashame KYB wiped their hands of their mistake. Post something about it, you might just get your $ back.

 

So another week goes by and the front height is still the same. I just sent a final email to KYB to see what they have to Offer. I've asked for at least a buyback of the rears which will be tossed.

I am about to pull the trigger on the parts below to do the rear. Just posting as a sanity check before I pull the trigger. Seems like a reasonable price for what it will do to the vehicle. As long as it goes as planned I'll me more than happy with it. Let me know if I'm missing something.

 

sucks about KYB.

I like all 3 things in your cart!!

 

Thanks for the comment. It's good to have a second set of eyes on it. They've just been ordered.

 

Here is the final brush off from KYB. Just came in:


It is a common problem with older 4Runners to have worn-out rear coil springs, which causes a "rear sag." When a new front strut assembly is installed, it lifts the nose back to its factory height, making the rear sag even more pronounced.



Based on the information you've provided, it seems like your 4Runner's original rear springs are indeed worn. Replacing them with OEM-height springs will likely be enough to resolve the issue entirely. If you choose to use an OE-height replacement spring in the rear, your new KYB shocks will work with that spring.



Unfortunately, we cannot buy back or accept returns on products purchased through our retailers like Rock Auto. As we are not the direct sellers, we do not have a policy in place to handle those types of transactions.


Regards,

Technical Support

KYB Americas Corporation

 

wow that’s hilarious. A 2016 4runner with worn out rear springs???. My 2011 still has its original springs in the rear and they’re not worn out. What a joke KYB is.

what I think even funnier is they try to tell you still that the coil strut assembly they sent you is stock height, which clearly it is not. I don’t care what they say about your rear springs

 

OK, everything that I ordered has arrived. As soon as I get a chance, I'm going to get this done.

I've watched several videos on how to change these out with a few different techniques. Is there a tried and true method you folks use?

I've seen guys with spring compressors, guys using the tire jack to push the axle down, and some that just remove the link. I'm looking for the one that won't break anything! I've got plenty of tools.

Thanks