2023 SR5 Suspension Upgrade to Behave Like a Limited

I bought a brand new Tacoma in 2021 and still love it. As of yesterday, we are now the proud owners of a 2023 4Runner SR5.

First decision was new vs used on the 4Runner. After Toyota starting putting Turbos in all their vehicles and hearing about the Tundras blowing engines at 80K, I decided to go old school.

We drove the Limited and SR5 side by side and the X-REAS was noticeably better, less tipsy and porpoisey. We really liked the ride quality in the Limited just not the reliability or replacement costs, from the research done here prior to purchase.

I convinced myself that with the savings of not buying a Limited I could upgrade the stock SR5 to get comparable ride to a Limited with aftermarket parts. Upgrade with Katskinz for leather heated/cooled seats, and upgrade stereo with speakers, sound deadening, amp and sub to exceed the JBL system.

This 4Runner will be a road queen and rarely if ever driven off road. So, no need for Lift kits in my mind which is where the majority of Suspension discussions normally lead.

What is the best system that will mimic the X-REAS in ride quality? I'm looking at Bilstein 5100 vs the 6112 because of Bilstein's reputation. Any other brands/systems I should consider? And again could care less about lift. Do the 6112's only come with the included heavier springs? And if so, does that make the ride harsher?

Thanks in advance for the feedback and suggestions.

 

You have good taste Dave. I have the same lineup (Taco+4R). Welcome to the forum and congrats on the purchase.

IMO, the only suspension brand that will get you closer to limited feeling is Kings! . But...you would need to get them especially tuned for your road "pavement princess" application so I suggest you search Accutune offroad and just let them customize you a Kings setup and you will be in heaven. How do I know? I have experimented with FOx, OME, of course Bilstein, and I have collected lots of scars and lost plenty of coin too during this process. I have played with both my taco and 4R with different suspensions. My Taco is the pavement princess, and the 4R is my offroad unit. Post pics of your rigs and let us see what you got!

Good luck!

 

FWIW I have a 21 limited that I put 6112/5600 on, and also was concerned about making it more tipsy. No regrets, the 6112s are digressive so theoretically less rolls on smaller bumps. It feels to my uneducated brain that this indeed works in the city to lessen roll. I also changed tires to 285s on 17s so extra rubber is providing some more compliance, so the overall ride harshness won’t compare well to folks still running 20 inch.

 

You really cant get the xreas feel from anywhere else unfortunately. That ride is one of a kind.

 

Love my set up.

2” lift Bilstein 6112 w/600 lb coils front, 1.5” lift Eibach T13 coils rear, Bilstein 5100 rear shocks, 285/70/17 Falken WP AT3, Energy Suspension front bumpstops, SSO Slimline Bumper w/ Badland Shackles, Durobump bumpstops 4.25” rear. I go on 1000 mile round trip loaded with the family for vacation each year and the ride is planted, smooth and predictable on the road. Absolutely no complaints and none from the passengers.

 

The soft squishy ride of the Xreas is hard to match
Pretty much every budget set of shocks are valved in a manner that make them better for offroad, big holes, lots of shock travel. This valving actually makes them less compliant on the small stuff like cracks in roads, buckled asphalt, pot holes. They are pretty much all stiffer than stock and will ride in a manner than seems more "harsh" on the small stuff. Sure the ride is planted, corners well, feels very sure footed, but the small stuff like chip seal roads and 2" buckled asphalt will make your dash rattle unless you have a lotta sidewall and lower tire pressures.

I started reading and came across the Rancho RS5000 shocks, they are a progressive valved shock, the only aftermarket budget shock that should have great soft compliant road manners.

I emailed Rancho tech line last week and asked about the Rancho RS9000 shocks, they are adjustable with a knob. I specifically asked about what was the difference in valving between the two, and which would ride softer on the roads.

https://www.gorancho.com/products/rancho-rs5000x-rs55397-suspension-shock-absorber

• IMPROVED HANDLING AND PERFORMANCE -- Cross Tuned technology featuring exclusive rebound valving system and advanced compression phase improves overall handling and performance on and off road
• MINIMIZES ROUGH RIDE -- Exclusive Progressive Engagement Valving is custom-tuned for each vehicle to help reduce initial impacts at low speeds and minimizes a rough ride

https://www.gorancho.com/pages/rs9000xl-shock
Recognized as the first nine-position manually adjustable ride control series in the off-road market, Rancho® RS9000®XL shocks deliver unprecedented control and performance. Ideal for on- and off-road use, towing and more, the adjustable damping enhances ride characteristics by counteracting the additional unsprung mass


This is the reply i got back from a guy named Mark:
"There is a good description on the RS 9000Xl series shocks. These would be the best choice to provide you the ability to adjust the ride control. The RS 5000 series are non-adjustable and are valved to about the mid-range setting of the 9000 series shocks. Thank you for inquiring."

This would make me believe that the RS5000 is valved better than any shock on the market for strictly road riding
The reply back would make me believe that the RS9000 being adjustable, on setting 4 would be about the same ride quality as the RS5000 but on setting 8 you should "theoretically" have an even softer more compliant shock.

I have been wondering which one to buy, i've been thinking about this for 2 days now non stop and really wanna try the RS5000 to see what they are like but a part of me wants to just go ahead and get the RS9000 and set it on squishy.

 

i disagree with your “dash rattle” comment. I ahve some of the shittiest roads around here and my set up soaks it with ease at 32-34 psi.