2gen dclb suspension advise

Just picked up a cherry 2012 dclb with 55000 miles.
Everything is in great condition.
Plan to put a leer topper on,no bumpers or extra stuff other than recovery gear and maybe some sliders.
255/80/17 on fj steelies
2-3 inches.
I dont like to cram a tire in fender well.I like some space.
Budget 2000.00(may source used)
My use is daily driver,haul kids to soccer,use to hunt and camp.Camp loads will be full.
Back roads,ditches and minor off-road but it’s a cherry long bed with a topper,old man truck!
Daily driving I want the bed 90% empty.I have been driving a 2000 4runner for a decade and want the bed space for stuff.
I know I can go bargain basement or full bore.
I don’t want to go overboard but want a good ride.
I spent a lot on my 4runner and it’s hardly ever been off road and had to replace all 4 shocks within 4 years.
I need function and good quality,im not concerned with being overbuilt with flashy parts.
I’m asking for advise as you all have experienced way more.
I was wondering why I don’t see body lift,I know I know.Im talking 1 inch?That may keep me from buying upper control arms but if upper arms are definitely a positive in my situation than im good with getting them.

Would running a 1.5-2 inch front lift of some form and a 1 inch body lift make sence.I get to keep my stock front end that has a lot of miles left.
Add a leaf and air bag ?

2-2.5 front lift of some form.
Jba control arms
Deaver stage 1 with airbag for when loaded.
Or with out airbags?
Or maybe something else,im all ears.

 

why don’t you just go OME/5100s and put a new leaf pack in?

 

Body lifts don't work on these trucks very well... The bumpers are attached to the frame (obviously) so if you lift the body the bumpers wont align anymore. Less of an issue on the rear but the front will be a nightmare to make work.

Honestly you can get pretty much whatever for shocks. Anything in your price range won't be much different from one another in terms of ride quality. Bilstein 5100's are the typical go-to. They ride about the same as OEM shocks but allow for a lift.

For the front, go with 550lb coils if you can (or just keep the stock ones if going with 5100's). Stock is about 580 on the 2nd gens. Lots of coilovers will come standard with 700lb coils which are simply too stiff for the 2nd gens (3rd gens are heavier in the front and ride better with 700lb). 600lb would be max. I have the exact same truck and run 600lb coils, but I also have an 80lb bumper. It was a little on the stiff side before I put the bumper on. And if you keep it to ~2" of lift (5100's can only go 1.75" without spacers IIRC) you shouldn't need new UCAs.

The largest factor in ride quality is the rear leafs though. You can add fully custom tuned 2.5 adjustable shocks and still have it ride like shit with the wrong leafs. Trust me, been there. These trucks are very light in the rear so you need a highly progressive leaf pack (more leafs = more progressive) so that it rides nice when empty but can still handle weight. And the factory leafs are garbage, especially on 2nd gens. No AAL or fancy foam bumps will fix that. You need a new leaf pack. But without running added weight the options become pretty limited because most options are made for off road rigs with roof top tents and all kinds of shit bolted on. Basically Deaver Stage 1 are what you want (I have the same now, after wasting money on an AAL and then Dakars). And keep about 150lbs in the box at all times, close to the tailgate. It keeps the rear from bucking on bumps and just rides much better. Just take that out when you load up for camping or whatever. You won't need airbags with the Deavers.

 

Awesome post and appreciate the info.
Deavers stage 1 are what they recommend as well.
Thinking so far.
Deavers stage 1 (2-2.5 lift)
Bilstein rear shock-not sure what one
Bilstein front (2in lift) 6112 600lb
No winch or bumper but maybe one of the small hidden type bumpers in a few years.
That should let me keep my factory rake which I like.
Will I need carrier barrier or diff drop or anything else im missing?

 

Sounds like a solid setup.

I'd say 5160 for the rear shocks. The resi shocks tend to ride a little nicer and the extended 5100's can be too long in some cases.

You won't need carrier barrier spacers or diff drop. If anything just add a 2° shim under the leafs when you swap them out. For the front, worst case is your inner CV boots will wear faster with the increased angle. Just keep an eye on them and reboot them asap when that happens. The axles will last many more years still with the new boots (speaking from experience). That's also a good time to do the ECGS bushing since you'll have the axles out anyway.

And look into the

$974 Warn 102874 Semi-Hidden Fixed Winch Mount with Low-Profile Grill Guard Tube, Fits: Toyota Tacoma Gen 2.5 (2012-2015)

Warn 102874 bumper when the time comes. That's what I put on mine and have been pretty happy with it. It matches the angles on the truck very nicely and not too hard to install.

 

Is the 5160 worth that much more than a 5125 in this application?
Not saying I’m using shock surplus but it was a 565 doller upgrade.

 

5125 is just an extended 5100. So it depends how much lift you end up with and how tall the leaf pack is whether or not those will actually work. The risk is that the shock will be too long when compressed and bottom out on the shock before the bump stops. Pretty good chance you damage the shock if that happens.

5160 is a larger shock body with a remote reservoir. The larger body will have better cooling ability. So if you do any washboard driving or long stints on really rough roads, they will hold up longer before getting shock fade. But the biggest benefit IMO is the remote res. Those give a place for the oil to go that is displaced by the shaft as the shock compresses. Allows for more travel in a shorter shock length compared to non-resi. They ride noticeably more plush than non-resi shocks.

I didn't realize the 5160's cost so much these days... Honestly you might be better off buying some Fox 2.0 resi from @AccuTune Offroad instead since they will tune those for you for free before shipping. Might even be a tad cheaper (for the rear shocks) by the looks of it. Definitely worth giving them a call though. I'd ask about going with the Fox 2.0 coilovers instead of the 6112's as well while you're at it.

 

That’s good to know,thanks for that.
Just hung up on deavers stage 1 or 2.
I’m at the line of both.
I just cant stand the thought of spending that and sagging if I go over.
I’ll decide before Black Friday!

 

Buy for how you will use the truck the most. I'm guessing that's no weight, only shell. In that case stage 1, no question. Unless you are adding like 800lbs in the box alone for trips (meaning 800 plus people and gear in the cab), you won't need the extra capacity of the stage 2. And if you are doing that, you're going to be pushing max payload of the whole truck anyway. If you go stage 2, you will need to run 300lbs in the box at minimum or else it will ride very harsh and give you too much lift.

The starting rake is what will determine how quickly it will look like its sagging. Start with the rear when you do the swap. All leafs are different and you can't know exactly how much lift you'll get until its done. You also can't adjust the rear lift, but you can adjust the front. Then when you set the front lift height, make sure you still have a rake of at least 1" front to rear. Err on the side of having the rear too high. You can always add weight to drop it a bit which will then ride better too. If you start with a level truck, you can't avoid the rear looking like it's sagging when you add weight.

 

From my understanding the stage one should be about 1.75 after settling with 250-300lbs in it.

 

As I said, it's hard to know before they are installed. They say 2" lift... I got nearly 3" out of stage 1's with an empty box. With about 200lbs in the box I'm right around 2.25" of lift.

 

Show me the FJ steelies...I am headed there so I can install 17 in brakes and more easily maintain balance.

I have your spec and a Leer commercial cap (heavy) Thule rack, tow a small trailer, full camp gear in bed, etc. I did not want to go more than 2 " lift. I went for broke with full king resistance and coils, but I modified Dakars, pulling an overload and adding a leaf. Lots of additional details available if you want. Fully loaded riding very well, close to level.

 

Steelies are currently on my 2000 4runner.
Will be swapping them over in the next month.

 

Lift on,wheels getting powder coated matte black and tire should be in Friday.
I have a Trd pro 1/2 block I may add after a few weeks.Will see how it levels out.
Definitely want the rear to sit alittle higher.