Toyota 4Runner Zuk Mod Fixes Those Saggy Rear Springs
Saggy springs and an unsettling feeling plague a lot of first-gen 4Runner examples, but a simple mod can fix it.
Overall, the first-gen Toyota 4Runner is an incredibly tough vehicle that can withstand a lot of punishment and soak up a lot of miles with no problem. But even the best cars and trucks ever made have at least one weakness. For this gen 4Runner (and second gen pickups), the rear leaf springs can get, well, a little saggy. There are many ways to address this, of course. You can buy new springs, or even add a leaf. But there’s also another way – the Zuk spring mod, one we’ve seen featured here in the Yota Tech forums many times. That includes member Surf Runner and his ’86 4Runner here.
“After being a fan of the site for quite some time and reading other’s successful stories, I decided to do a Zuk mod on my ’86 4Runner SR5. When I bought my truck it had 3″ blocks in the back and the torsion bars cranked up to fit 35s under it. I previously added the ball joint spacers so I could smooth out the ride up front. But I was still breaking u-joints, and had a low weight capacity for towing and payload.”
Prior to starting the mod, the OP’s rear leaf springs were flat as a board. Thus, this made his 4Runner a perfect candidate for the Zuk mod. It’s a rather simple and ingenious idea, one that even folks with little mechanical know-how can perform with no problem. First, he simply supports the axle and removes the leaf spring u-bolts.
“My bolts to the leaf spring hangers didn’t really want to come out. So I improvised to get some extra room in there. I used stock Jeep springs from a friend’s Rubicon. There are two lengths and diameters under those Jeeps. Luckily, the shorter and wider ones pretty much fit perfectly around the bump stops between the leaf and frame without any problem. I used a torch to slightly bend the ends to better fit around the stops.”
“I recommend the Zuk mod for any older Toyota, especially the 4Runner. After putting about 5k on it since this mod, I can say my horrible body roll and constant fear of flipping while turning is gone. The Zuk mod stiffened up my rear end so much I can load my truck with tools and have four guys stand on my bumper and it barely drops with all the weight.”
Sounds like a no-brainer to us. So if you want to get rid of those saggy springs and unsettling feeling, head over here and check out this thread in its entirety!
Photos: YotaTech Forums
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