Have anyone lowered their 4runner? My is 4wd, can I even lower it? I just want may be 1-2" lower than stock for stability on the road. Are there any kit out there for such a job? My truck is 99.9% for road use. Thanks in advance!!

 

For stability I wouldn't lower it... I would do a OME suspention.... you wont look retarded and you will have the handling you need

 

If its 4x4, i wouldnt mess wil lowering it, if you want to do that sell the 4x4 and get a 4x2. then talk about lowering it.

 

yep, x2, also think about adding an ADDCO front sway bar from performance products... made a huge difference on my lifted 4runner, should make a good improvement in stock as well. Also tires and offset makes a difference. Stock I never had any concerns at all about stability on road, unless you are gonna try auto-crossing it also (don't )

 

In your case, I would get the Addco sway bars front and rear.

Is yours a '99? Throughout the production of 3rd gens ('96 to '02), Toyota put different height springs on different years of 4Runners. '99 4Runners had the tallest springs, meaning they sat the highest. Contact Steve at Sonoran Steel, he knows what year had the lowest springs for 4WD's.

Get a nice set of stock (265/70R16) size street tires.

Get polyurethane steering rack, and sway bar bushings.

Thats just what I would do in your case.

 

Performance Products sells lowering springs.

I don't see why it would be a problem to lower your truck when its 4x4, besides the fact that it does have the capabilities.

The only think one would consider is the front bumpstops. I dont think you have to worry about "opposite CV angles" since the bumpstops are there, but, you might be close to riding on them?

Also the addco swaybar option is good too.

Or you can get some 2wd springs.

 

You can certainly lower it a bit but like others mentioned, you might not have much give before you hit the bumpstops if you go too far with it. You can lower and stiffen the suspension at the same time very cheaply by cutting coils, but this is not recommended by any means because you change the requirements of the springs pretty dramatically. You have a few OEM options too. The 01-02 4WD 4runners had the lowest stock ride height (34" fender to ground on 265/70's) so swapping coils for those will give you a good stance. Also as mentioned, the 2WD trucks had lighter springs so they may also give you some lowering ability although it's hard to say exactly which to use because very few people want to lower their 4runners. You may need to do some experimenting on your own with different combos to come up with the "perfect" setup (contact Steve Schaeffer at Sonoran Steel because he may be able to help you figure out which might work best in your application). If stability is key for you, then you should also be running at least a front Addco swaybar and a set of the high pressure aftermarket bilsteins (the yellow and blue ones). Another area to look at would be lower profile rims like 17-18" which should help with tire flexing and rollover when cornering or highway ramps. That should all add up to a fairly tight riding vehicle.

 

I can't stand the stock suspension. Over every incline and turn, the truck wobbles back and forth like a boat. Over every speedbump, I can feel and hear the rear end bottoming out. On the freeway, I don't feel confident going above 60 mph... Who needs to be going faster than that anyways? LOL...

Solution:
Addco Front sway bar - $125. Bye bye body roll
Bilstein shocks - $290. Full set lifetime warranty. Bye bye shot shocks, (excessive boat like body roll), and speed bump problem
Wheel spacers - $100. Wheels are sunken in on the sport and limited editions due to the fender flares. Widen the stance a bit - add stability

Being able to prevent you or your wife from experiencing a roll over... Priceless.

 

I should learn to read before responding. LOL...

 

airbags ?

 

haha, best idea yet

 

just cut out a couple coils...

 

who would want to lower a 4x4. that's retarded.......you disappoint me.

every one's entitled to their own opinion, who am i to judge.....

 

Your closed mindedness dissapoints me. Once again, someone doesn't want to put a solid axle under a 3rd gen......I guess he is retarded. This community is stale. I hope your inbred children don't end up like you.



Edit: I appologize, that was rude.

 

uh......i'm confused was that directed at me deathrunner?

 

Are you kidding!

 

All i have to say is

 

If you want more stability add a sway bar, if you wanna lower it sell it to someone who uses it for its intended purpose and buy a chevy blazer.

 

drop it on some air bags, if your in the seattle area the best place to do that is car nutz in bellevue they can put bags on anything and make it work well

 

I'm not a huge fan of people lowering a 4X4 but keep in mind everyone, its not your rig and he was asking for help, not for people to give him a hard time! Anyways I know Burtman Industries sells a 1" lower spring kit, check it out at his site. As other people said shocks, better swaybars and a wider stance will all help out. Good luck with whatever you do!