I want a truck that Toyota never made

Op your truck just keeps on improving! Very nice attention to detail. I really like the neopreem fender skirts. Before my motorcycle injury, I would have attempted many simular upgrades on my 08.

A few things were mentioned above that made me curious.

Are the xrunner shocks/springs mounting uniquely different from the base 5 lug? Or 4x4 for that matter?

Is the xrunner rear end different (other than sway bar, limited slip and gearing)? BTW were other than the tall freeway gears used?

Last question for anyone reading... I bought my 08 xrunner without the body kit. Anyone know of a parted out o.e. kit? I just cant justify brand new o,e.m.. i will pay top dollar for a complete, blue set!

 

Thank you for the clarification on the whole coilover kit. I forgot about that setup. I did see that it. I remember why I didn't buy the whole kit... remember I used the DJM upper and lower control arms in the front to lower the truck 3 inch but but my goal was to only lower the truck around 1.75 inches to 2 inches in the front because it is a daily driver. So I bought a taller 550 springs than is not offered with that whole Viking coilovers setup. I have the model numbers of these springs back in my thread somewhere. I know this sounds weird but my first attempt in lowering the truck was with the SOS 2 inch kit in the front. When I had it aligned, the guy told me that he used every bit of adjustment in the alignment to get me aligned in the good range. I did some research and the extra angle in the upper DJM control arms helps bring the camber back into a better range when lowering. The whole kit with the 550 springs probably would have been fine for me but with as much driving as I do a week... I wanted to go the extra mile and get my alignment done correctly and not tear up tires. I personal love my setup in the front and it works great for me but it may not be for everyone. Gather as much information and set up your truck how you like it. I am not here to sell people on my setup but just give information to help people find what works best for them. I personally want a good riding truck that doesn't beat me up with the driving that I do. I personally can get that from my weekend car... it is a Subaru STi. It has a lot stiffer suspension and is fun to drive but not as a daily for me. I like performance but ride quality is slightly more important to me. I want to be low but not have to worry about tearing the truck up over a bump, debris in the road, a pot hole, speed bumps, ect...

 

I did a pair of factory TRD 4x4 rear leaf springs on my truck and noticed a 1 1/8 inch drop on both sides. I was not fan of this mod. I pulled them off after about 2 months or so and put back on my original X-Runner rear leaf springs. I will be updating my section on my thread of why. Soon.

 

I hear ya. My current commute is about 250 miles per week. I came into my x-runner from a 2006 STi that I was still daily driving even tho it's fully built, putting down 520whp on E85 and slightly lowered from stock height using Fortune Auto 500s with Swift springs. Pretty stiff ride but it wasn't so bad that it stopped me from using it as a daily. I can't go too low on either vehicle since there are speed bumps and parking curbs that will rip bumpers off if you're not careful.

 

Interesting. I also swapped in a set of 2019 4x4 leafs and love the ride that I get from them. I find them much better than the original x-runner leafs. However, I didn't see any drop with mine. The ride height stayed the same. My x-runner is still stock height all the way around. I've got a set of 2" DJM lowering blocks for the rear that just came in but I won't be installing until I get the coil overs and new rear shocks from Strictly Street. I think ultimately, I'm going to end up building a 3 or 4 link setup with coilovers for the rear since the only way to lower these trucks anymore is with blocks, as no one makes lowering leafs any longer. At least not that I have found.

 

Nothing different about the x-runner shocks/springs mounts from the base 5 lugs, no. The 4x4 front shock mounts are somewhat different but the rear stuff should be the same or very close.

The x-runner rear axle is standard Toyota, nothing really special about it from any other Tacoma. You could do a swap with a 4x4 rear axle and it would be a direct bolt-in. Gearing for the x-runner was always the 3.15 gears from what I have found. 05-11 had the LSD rear end and 12-15 was open and the LSD function was done via traction control only, aka electronic, not an actual LSD in the differential.

As for the x-runner ground skirts, your best bet is going to be piecing it together from wrecked trucks, if you can find them or buying new. I've never seen any of the skirts listed anywhere for sale otherwise. I had to replace both front bumper skirts on mine because the PO had the brilliant idea of cutting them up some to install a bull bar. Just waiting to get the new one back from paint.

 

Mine is an 05 Sti (Special Cobb edition) mild up grades on the engine on.. not running E85 but Dyno-ed at 385whp at 17psi map but normally run it at 15psi around 300whp because I have not done any internals of her yet. I have her on Tein coilovers all round with a slight drop. I average about 350 miles as a commute Monday-Friday in wonderful Dallas, TX traffic. This is why I prefer to drive an automatic and leave the Suby at home. I did drive the Suby for about 3 years before I bought my first daily Tacoma (Gen1).

 

I am very curious about these 4x4 leaf springs. I had a pair 2017 Tacoma Double Cab TRD Pro 4x4 leaf springs with like 60K miles on them. When I installed them, I had a 1 1/8 inch drop and had to switch to a 1 inch block to keep my 2 inch drop in the rear. Everywhere that I read before getting these 4x4 leaf springs said it was common to get at least a 1 inch drop. Now that I have pulled my 4x4 leaf springs off... you are the second person that I have heard that didn't get any drop from the 4x4 leaf springs. I wonder why this is?

 

Did you have the 3 leaf pack or the 4 leaf pack? The spring pack I installed is a 4 leaf pack and I am including the short overload spring when counting them. So 3 main leafs and the 4th overload. I know that Toyota did a recall on the 3 leaf version of the 4x4 springs, which would be similar to the 3 leaf version that is stock on the x-runner, replacing them with the 4 leaf version that I have on my truck now. If you had the 3 leaf 4x4 packs, then that might explain the stiffer ride and the height drop when compared to the 4 leafs that I have. Mine ride super smooth. I wouldn't say they are stiffer at all since more leafs would require a lower spring tension per leaf than a 3 leaf setup would use.

 

I just got finished trying the 4x4 leaf spring swap on the rear of the truck. I personally am not a fan. The 4x4 leaf springs that I used were from a 2017 Tacoma Double Cab TRD 4x4 with the 4-pack leaf spring pack and about 60K mileage on them. Model numbers 48210-04840 and 48220-04480. The 4x4 leaf springs are higher in spring rate and are very flat and don't bow as much as the factory X-Runner leaf springs. In my experience these 4x4 leaf springs lowered the truck 1 1/8 inch by themselves and I used a one in block to get to my 2 inch-ish drop in the rear of the truck. I had these 4x4 leaf springs on for about 2 months. I keep adjusting my rear Viking 2 ways adjustable shocks to control these higher spring leaf springs. I think I finally got to a good compression and rebound numbers that worked well with the higher spring rate of the 4x4 leaf springs. I was happy with the 4x4 leaf springs about 80% of the time (yes better performance) but I would get this weird "donkey kick” (just want I am calling it) from the rear-end that I could not explain or adjust out without with the 2-way adjustable shocks. If I cranked up the 2way adjustable shocks to get a lot of this weird kick out, then it made the truck ride real stiff which I don’t really like so much because I use the truck as a daily driver. I like performance but don’t want to sacrifice ride quality that much for it, since I driver on average about 350 miles a week Monday thru Friday in my commute in Dallas heavy traffic. I believe it had to do with the 4x4 leaf springs being so flat and not having much bow in them for travel (just guessing). Either way, I removed them and but the factory X-Runner 3 pack leaf springs back on the truck. I am happy with them. Maybe if I used a different factory 4x4 leaf spring than I would not have gotten this weird kick and I would have kept them. I know Toyota makes a few different model numbers for these 4x4 4 pack leaf springs. I guess it is just the luck of the draw. BTW, I didn’t really notice any difference in carrying a load in the rear of the truck on how it would swat or lower the rear between the 4x4 leaf springs compared to the X-Runner leaf springs. I thought… maybe the truck would swat less with the higher spring rate. I didn’t see this. This is just my experience with this 4x4 leaf spring swap. I know many people out there claim to love this mod.

 

It's interesting the rear leafs can be so different. Mine are different part numbers, from a 2019 TRD Pro 4x4 double cab.

 

Crazy.... both sets are made in Mexico and both sets are originally for a 3rd Gen TRD Pro Double cabs.

 

Yeah, it's strange. Here's how my truck is sitting now, with the 4x4 leafs in the rear and otherwise stock suspension. 19" wheels with 285/35s. Almost identical to stock height tires.

 

Truck looks good. I like the wheels. I bought 5 of the Enkei PF07 Dark Silver Rims 19 x 9 1/2 with an offset of +45. I opened just one of them for a test drive rim and a backup rim. I bought a used 275/40/19 Pirelli P Zero AS Plus 3 tire. On the front of the truck, I only rubbed doing lock to lock on the lower DJM control arm. You can probably see where the tire rubbed on the control arm in the second picture. Rounding diameter on these tires is a 27.70 with a thread width of 9.30 but the tires I have on my factory rims have a rolling diameter of 27.70 but a thread width of 8.10. The diameter is prefect but the width is too wide for me.

 

Thanks. My rims are Volks TE37 19x9.5 +22. Tires are 285/35/19. No rubbing issues at all on the front, even at full lock. But I also still have OEM control arms. And I'm not lowered yet. Going top try and keep the stock control arms if possible, with the SS front Viking coilovers. I want it lower but now so low I scrape on speed bumps.

 

This is the same tire and rim on the rear of the truck once few hundred pounds has been added to the bed of the truck. It rubs just inside of the fender. Without any thing in the bed or just a few light items... I have no issues.

 

I decided to go with the +45 offset on my 9 1/2 wide rims to tuck the tire under the fender and avoid rubbing on the front and rear fenders but it rubs pretty bad on the lock to lock. With this offset... I am 4mm pushing out from the factory X-Runner rims that have +30 offset on a 8 inch wide rim. So almost all of the extra 1 1/2 in added width is tucked into the wheel well. It is so bad, that pulling in a parking spot... if I turn enough, I can stop the whole truck but it is only the tire that rubs the lower DJM control arm. I don't want to go too low in the side profile on the tire to have more protection for the rims and to give more clearance for my oil pan and less fender gap without lowering the truck any more. I have tried 6 different tire sizes and they just don't work for me. I love the look of these rims once the center cap is put on. I noticed that these pics are without the center cap. I am selling these rims if you know anybody... 4 of them are brand new never opened but the 5th rim has be used but is in good shape. Yes, I know I can probably put on a spacer and push these away from the lower control arm but then I will rub on the inside of the fender. So I am just going to go with an 8 1/2 wide rim.

 

Ok,
Not to be a know it all but Enkei makes the same PF07 in a 9 x 19 w/ +40 offset (in red above) that’s what I would recommend if you want steam roller rubber. At least in the front.
So I don’t have any pictures of the new no sorry actually refurbished Infiniti G37 OEM wheels made by Enkei on my LS swapped 5 lug. I absolutely love the Infiniti wheels that are 19 x 8.5 +43 w/ 255/45-19 & 19 x 9 +45 w/ 275/45-19 Perelli P7 rubber. I get absolutely no rubbing unless I bottom out the front suspension in a big dip in the road then the tires will hit the top of the liner. But I prefer the biggest & tallest tires I can fit without major rubbing issues. I think the bigger tires give the illusion of the truck being lower without being lower. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Now hopefully my truck should be finished sometime this month. The tech that’s re-wiring the truck got really sick and ended up in the hospital for over a week. The Dr. told him if he didn’t get his diet / diabetes under control he would die. Shit he’s lost over 50 lbs in less than a month. Hmmm… maybe I should get sick to lose some weight….

 

Yeah, I know that Enkei makes the PF07 in a 19x9 with a +40 offset (this story hurts). I was so close to buying those... so close. I did lots of research. I used offset calculators and tire calculators. I made Excel spreadsheets on many different tires and sizes and all their specs. I bought an offset tool and a few used tires that I thought would fit and look the way that I would like. Just enough tire side wall.. not too much and not too little. The correct tire to fender gap. I used the offset tool to mockup and test fit before making a decision between the 19x9 ½ +45 and the 19x9 +40. I like a “squared” look… same size tire and rim in the front and in the rear. I am not a fan of the staggered look on my vehicles (just a personally preference). I compressed the suspension. I cycled the suspension. I checked for clearance all around the rim area and tire area. I thought I was doing my homework. One thing I was forgetting and didn’t figure out until later. I never turned the wheel to full lock to lock throughout all my testing. I turned the wheel but not full lock to full lock. I have no idea why I didn’t do this. I feel like an idiot for this and it cost me like $2500 ordering these five PF07 19x9.5 +45 rims.