Watch This BEFORE Lifting and Modifying Your Truck!

In the front, the lower strut bushing also takes a sagging permanent set. Whatever change happens at the strut assembly, multiply by 2.2. That's the change at the hub flange.

 

I know the ostrich-brand leaf packs sag into a "W" shape in Tacomas within a year. Sad to hear their coil springs are equally bad, as I bought a set of 2895Es...

 

After 8 years of ownership I have yet to experience any handling issues with my stock 4Runner and I have owned much faster and sportier vehicles than it. I’ve also yet to see any soccer moms drive off the road in a corner due to their 4Runners handling. Some of these guys here are overly dramatic.

 

I haven’t noticed any sag either.

 

They are dramatic because they want to find a reason to justify their purchase instead of admitting they did the lift and wheels because they thought it looks cool and are scared to be called a mall crawler on the internet by some unknown person.

 

I think the issue with people modding 4Runners and Tacomas is that most people are chasing aesthetics. I'd say that generally speaking you have three categories of 4Runner/Tacoma owners:

The first category, and probably the smallest one, is guys that will actually push their vehicle to its limits and beyond. They'll modify their trucks with all the highest end upgrades because they'll actually put them to use. They know what they need and they understand the compromises each mod makes.

The second category is guys that will still put the vehicle to use, but not as extremely as the ones in category one. They either leave the vehicle stock, or make upgrades where needed. They won't keep stock shocks, but they also won't put on a full King set up because they know they don't need it.

The third category is the guys that mod their vehicle for the sake of modding it. They'll generally start threads that go like "Just got my first 4Runner, what mod should I do first?" They'll usually put -150 offset wheels and a 6 inch spacer lift on because it looks cool. Then they'll wire up every extra aftermarket light they possibly can.

It goes without saying that the people with problems manifesting are usually the guys in the 3rd category. Around where I live I see a butt ton of Jeeps that look like they crashed through an Autozone clearance bin. I'm all for people spending money however they want. But I never really understood the draw to bolt cheap Temu looking "upgrades" to an otherwise solid vehicle, whether it's a 4Runner, Tacoma, or Jeep. As far as aesthetics go, I think something that's made with function as a priority naturally becomes aesthetically pleasing on its own.

 

You forgot the 4th, and largest category of owners which are those who will not modify theirs at all.

 

If Toyota can't even get the main springs to last more than a year without sagging out of spec, can you imagine them trying to build durable turbo motors?

 

Yeah I was mainly referring to just people that do mods, but yeah most will be left stock

 

I've for the most part been in the 2nd category. I am not stingy if I decide to change shocks where I will pay for maybe not a full on king set up for road use, but I try to go mid tier at the very least. But unlike some others who swear by stock just out of abundance of caution, I grew up tuning offroad suspension on motor cycles and trucks so I already know a few trade off that is just recently been possible to mitigate with electronically controlled valve/damping adjustment on the fly, but that is still $$$$ today and still requires users to understand how the variables interact with each other.

Those who buy a "baja grade" shock-arm-lift kits are most of the time wasting their money since they are not using it the way they are designed. When Carli or King or whoever is reputable in the offroad game build a kit, they are not building it for the guy who wants Town Car level ride on city streets, every mm of travel and every cc of fluid is valuable in preventing bottoming on high speed G-outs and avoid packing on successive high speed hits.

 

Gotcha.

The 3rd category is probably the second largest. The thing is, some folks in that category will drop $5K on Kings or Fox, or whatever high end brand comes in their favorite color.

I probably fall in the second. I'm pretty hard on mine. But, I also realize that I don't need reservoir shocks for my use. I'm currently running OME MT64's and quite happy with them.

 

Good call on the reservoir shocks. The extra volume is great for sustained high speed (not vehicle speed but bump g force curve) operations but on the street, we will never get the fluid up to even operating temperature unless we are driving on surfaces like California highways that are chronically under-maintained(with gas tax siphoned off to pay for other things).

 

Haha! Even though I off-road fairly regularly, I think the best test of the MT64's so far was HWY 24 in Tennessee, east of Nashville, on the way back from Florida this spring.

 

I have seen raptors bottoming out on 680 and 101 that people take to get to the richest part of the world around Palo Alto, Menlo Park, and Los Altos.

 

Sometimes I'm genuinely shocked at how bad the roads are in some areas. I just think how brutal it must be in a sedan or anything remotely sporty.

 

Don't forget Blackhawk and Danville.