So Ive searched, and read, and read, and searched but it doesnt seem like we've come to a concensus on what the best route is on new leafs and shocks.

Heres the hypothetical run down: It's a stock suspension '86 4runner, daily driven city and highway, taken offroad lightly once in a while, sagging and needing to be smoothed out. Which replacement leafs that arent add-a-leafs work best? Stock OEM, Downeys, other?

And for shocks it seems like people are liking Pro Comps alot for a long lasting smooth ride? any other opinions?

Time for the final word!

 

I have an '88 pickup, but after a month or so of searching myself and perusing a few boards I decided on Downey 2" rear springs with Bilstein shocks all the way around. I read alot of posts suggesting Downey springs and Bilstein shocks on Runners and the pickups. I'm not one to cry about the stiff ride in a truck, but I've had Rancho 5000's before on my '85 and I know what they're like.

 

for a soft ride, get the downey spring pack and replace your overload with downey's prerunner add a leaf. worked well for me. I got 2" of lift out of thiert 3" pack without adding in an extra stock leaf as suggested for 4runner applications. It would be 3" and probably slightly stiffer with that extra leaf added in.

For shocks, I would stay away from nitrogen charged shocks. They will make your ride stiffer. Just get some procomp es3000. They are cheap and softer than nitro charged bilsteins. Unless you're hauling butt I wouldn't recommend nitro shocks. Just my experience.

 

I would also toss in that there is no "best route" on susupension and shocks, and there will never be a "consensus."

Everyone has different needs and different sensibilities. Some might need to haul weight, others might want a smooth ride, others might want big flex, and others might want to haul ass as t 75 mph across the desert. Still others might buy something because they like the color. There is no "one setup does everything" and there is no "best." There are only choices.

 

I just got some KYB shocks, the 'Gas-A-Just' model from BAP Imports and they are great, seem to be holding up well, for the first couple of days I intentionally tried to beat them to see how they felt and they were a vast improvement over what I used to have! (I think they were the originals from 1986......can you say 'pogo-stick'???)

 

Good point, I always assume people wanta softer ride.

 

Absolutly right! Thats why I tried to narrow it down with the highway, likes softer ride example but of course there may be ten different ways to get just that! Good thinking guys. Any other options from the other members?

 

Now with the Downey route, by buying the pack that advertises 3inches of lift (I assume thats the one you are talking about) does that basically level out your rig from front to rear or does it make the rear sit higher than the front?

On shocks, unfortunatly I am hauling butt quite a bit. Its not exactly a speed demon but as you can see my engine is fairly built. I like the sound of the procomps even with that. figure when Im cruising at 80mph on stock suspension, if im used to and can handle that, anything newer will be amazing.

 

bump!

 

Some folks have had good luck with the JC Whitney stock height replacement springs.

Or get a soft add-a-leaf like the Rancho Soft-Ride AAL kit (http://www.gorancho.com/)and use only the long, thin leaf. Guaranteed your springs will ride softer than they do now, since you will no longer be riding on the stiff overload leaf.

 

The downey 3" springs without the recomended stock leaf added to the pack, but with the Downey prerunner add a leaf in place of the stock overload, I was able to level the truck out with teh front 2-2.5" lift so I assume I got about 2-2.5" in the rear.

 

Dude rock on, thanks for the help! now Im off to spend even more money on my rig...