Point this newbie in the right direction!

Hello everyone! I'll start off by saying I'm sorry if I posted this in the wrong forum. I've been a lurker on this site for quite awhile, and the information in here is awesome, but also overwhelming. I'm a pretty handy guy, but when it comes to cars, my brain just doesn't seem to make the connection with things. Maybe because there are so many different options.

Long story short, I am the owner of a 2021 SR5 Premium. I had a 2015 SR5 that I loved, but I went through a short lived phase where I thought I was a pickup guy, so I purchased a used F150, and almost immediately regretted trading in my 4Runner. 6 months later, I traded my F150 in, and went back to a 4Runner (my first ever new vehicle), and I'm glad I got that out of my system

Now I'm not sure where to go from here haha. Without a doubt, I would love to get rid of my stock tires and wheels and get something a little more aggressive and possibly bigger. There's about a bazillion setups I see on here that I love. Being honest, I'm not planning on doing any major offroading at all. We'll do some camping and things like that, but no plans to go on any major trails. I'd love a set up that looks good, but not necessarily looking to climb any mountains here in Illinois.

This is where I'd love some opinions on whether this is a good setup, or overkill for what I'm looking for. I went to a 4WheelParts store, and told the what I'm looking for, and this is what they suggested:

ReadyLift 3 inch SST Lift Kit
Shock Install
Strut Replacement
T/A KO2 LT305/65R17
4 Wheel Parts T-Series Wheel (I like the way it looked, but basically am open to a lot of other wheels)

I don't want to go to crazy, and maybe this isn't crazy at all. I was going to do it in phases...doing the lift first, then this summer getting the tires and wheels. Afraid I'll look like an idiot with a 3 inch lift and stock tires though . I also don't want something that is going to totally wreck my gas mileage either! Maybe I'm better off not even getting a lift and just heading down to Discount Tire and getting KO2 tires and new wheels without the lift...although I really liked how high I was in the F150 when I had it. OK, curious what you guys think. Don't roast me too bad please! I feel like I'm not even 100% sure what I'm talking about.
Thanks for your opinions!

 

Curious, why are you changing out your shocks if you’re getting spacers? I think spacers fit your needs, unless you want improved handling, ride, and overall performance. Tire size is odd..but if you like it, go for it! Just FYI that is a pretty wide tire, you’ll probably have rubbing issues. Looks like there’s various t series wheels, so if you get a wide wheel you’ll most likely need to get a body mount chop along with upper control arms (plan on them anyway at 3” of lift) to dial in your alignment. Other than that it seems like it’ll fit your needs. Just plan on some wheel well work to make sure your tires are clearing everything in there.

 

IMO LT305/65R17 is a big mistake. SR5 has 7in wide wheels so 275 is the max recommended by tire manufactures. But my buddy runs 285/70R17 KO2 with SR5 wheels with same ReadyLift Kit. I used the same ReadyLift Kit on my SR5 but used stock size 265/70R17 KO2.


Readylift kit doesn't talk about changing struts But I bet the reason behind the shop recommending strut replacement is Readylift only has the spacer on the spring or rear. If you want to get more flex you will need a longer strut. In front the spacer goes between the coil over. With the experience I have my SR5 with Readylift, my buddy's SR5 with Readylift & my buddy's TRD ORP with Readylift none of us have changed struts. We use stock suspension + spacers from Readylift.

 

I can honestly answer your questions by saying I don’t know! I have no idea why they change out the shocks. That was their recommendation. And I agree the tire size seems odd as well. That’s why I came here because I’m not sure.

 

I personally wouldn’t change out the shocks to get more “travel”. You’re adding spacers, there is no increase in performance whatsoever. Keep your stock shocks. If you want that big of a tire, try a 295/70/17. Otherwise a 285/70/17 would require less work and still look good on a 3” lift. Just make sure whatever wheel you get works well with your tire choice. That’s all my opinion, not advice so just do your own research before you make a decision!