Noob questions on lift and tire size

I know what to do on Wranglers but I'm not familiar with IFS and what to do on this type of platform so I need a little advice.

I believe I am looking at a 3" lift and 33" tires for the TRD. Sounds like I can avoid regearing and some other headaches by sticking to that. I can see that there is some cross platform (Wranlger and TRD) manufacturers but I honestly don't know who to start looking at for the lift. Here are some questions...
Will I need adjustable rear control arms to correct pinion angle.?
How do I reprogram computer to correct speedo and shift points?
What is the best wheel backspace for what I am trying to do?
What is the best options for a 3" lift?

I know these are noob questions and I know the answer, just not for this platform

Side note: Is there a market for the TRD Off Road side steps or should I chuck them in the trash?

 

Welcome,
You will most likely need to do some google searching. Tons of brands out there, Elka, Toytec, Eibach, Ironman, Bilstein, the list goes on. "Best" option is subjective, and based on your needs and what you plan on doing. Everyone will tell you something different.
You will most likely need aftermarket upper control arms with a lift of 3 or more inches.
Best backspacing is to stay close to stock unless you plan on doing a little trimming for rubbing depending on tires.
I cant answer on control arms and speedo, I don't think most people address that.

You might be able to get $200 or so for the steps, probably try something local, c-list or fbook market.....

 

How much do you want to spend on a lift? Are you ok going to 2.5" of lift instead of a full 3"?

285/70/R17 will actually make your speedometer read correctly. The stock 265's are off slightly.

My opinion on offset is anything up to around -12 or so is pretty do-able without too much fanfare. This is using stock wheel width of 7.5" and a UCA with the caster set to around 4 degrees or so. You will need to trim fender flare slightly and move your wheel well liner forward a tiny bit, but that's super easy. With the UCA and higher caster, you can also avoid a Body Mount Chop.

However, as soon as you start increasing wheel width, I would say you want to go lower on offset to 0 or +4. You may also run into body mount rubbing which might require the chop. No big deal as it's a fairly straightforward procedure for most good offroad shops or those handy with a torch/welder.

 

OK now we are getting somewhere. So going with a TRD Pro rim (which we like the look of) keeps the tire in a good position. Coming from Jeep world we always want to stick out more but we have A LOT more room to play with.
Sounds like staying below 3" lift no need for UCA, so 2.5 in the rear and 3" up front achieves that. Speaking of the front what about all the bits and pieces up there? IFS is so very different from what I am used to.

 

I see recommendations for new UCAs at 2.5 or more lift. I don't have that so I can't say anything myself. Depending on the lift (and travel) you will find recommendations for differential drop or sway bar links/extender, but all of this seems to be specific to what exactly you end up doing on your rig.

 

Well I got some good news. I am fortunate enough to live in Southern Utah , 20 mins from Sand Hollow and 5 hours from Moab so there are shops a plenty around here. Just got off the phone with one that has tons of 4Runner experience so I will be swinging by the shop to go over the build and get some tips. Trying to do it right the first time on this build. Made plenty of mistakes on Jeep builds and would rather not learn the hard way this time around... lol.

 

The rear lift doesn't matter when it comes to UCA's, the front is what people are talking about. 3" front lift will definitely require new UCA's, and you'll have essentially no downtravel left. Personally I would do a 2" front, 1" rear to avoid dealing with the control arms and alignment issues. That will also leave you with some front downtravel while being able to fit the 33s (285/70/17).

As far as changing shift points and speedo, nobody does that.... I'm not sure it's even possible.

You'll quickly find out that these are not nearly as mod friendly as Jeeps, it's like Toyota is offended we would dare modify their vehicle, haha.

Check out this guy's videos series on Toyota IFS. Very informative, and after watching you may even decide it's not worth the trouble LOL


https://youtu.be/_68Hc8GtLko

 

So going with a TRD Pro rim (which we like the look of) keeps the tire in a good position. -
Per tire manufactures TRD Pro rim / wheel does not meet the minimum width of 7.5 inches for 33in tires like 285/70R17. Stock TRD Offroad wheel is the only wheel from factory that meets 7.5in width requirement. But there are folks do not regard this and run 285s on TRD Pro rims.



Sounds like staying below 3" lift no need for UCA -
That depends on lift to lift. I had stock UCA with 2.5in front lift and the alighment was good. But when I changed to Ironman foamcell pro lift front set to 2.25in the alignment is not that good. Here's the 2 sheets from mine. If I were to do it again I will get correct UCA from the start.

Ironman FCP 2.25front + 1.5rear with stock UCA alignment sheet


Toytec 2.5 springs + Rear 1.5in spring spacer with Bilstien5100 with stock UCA alignment sheet



so 2.5 in the rear and 3" up front achieves that -
For 4Runners with non KDSS you may go upto 3in front and normally keep 2in rear lift to level the 4Runner. 4Runners with KDSS recommended to keep 1in rear max and 2.5 front. But some kits provide spacer kits and pan hard bars or even you can buy after market to lift KDSS 4Runner to 2in rear.

 

Holy cow that dude is a wealth of info!!!!

 

More like below 2" you don't need UCA's.

People can get away with a 3" lift and stock UCA's, but they will always be out of ideal alignment by having low caster (which will make the steering wheel feel light and cause more wandering on the road). They almost always have to remove front mud flaps and/or do a body mount chop because a 3" lift with stock UCA's will suck the tire rearward in the wheel well with an A-arm IFS system.

So if you want to go above 2" on your lift and want to avoid a body mount chop and mudflap removal, I highly recommend an aftermarket UCA that allows you to adjust your caster to around 4 degrees or a little higher. This will make your steering wheel snap back into place quicker, reduce wandering on the road, and push your tires forward in the wheel well so that you don't rub on the body mount and mudflaps. A little trimming is required at the front of your wheel well to avoid rubbing there. That's easier trimming.

 

Yeah, he's super knowledgeable. His videos get a lot of discussion on this forum, and from what I understand, he's very prominent in the FJ community.

One of his videos he's comparing his FJ to his buddy's Rubicon on 37s, and it almost wouldn't surprise me if he ends up a Rubi in the future lol.

He was very impressed that his buddy bought the Recon package and immediately threw 37s on it with no other mods.

Also, look at the post above mine, crazy all the work it takes to fit 33's on one of these huh?

 

Yep. I mean 33s on a Jeep is laughable in the circles I run. We are all 37s and up but then again it is a TOTALLY different beast. Thankfully I'm not rock crawling this baby so I'm good with 33s

 

This doesn't seem to be an issue with the 4Runner. At least, I haven't heard of anyone having to do this that I can recall.

You might need UCA's in front, at 3". It seems like somewhere between 2.5-3" is when the stock UCA's won't be able to get your alignment in spec anymore.

As @nimby said, speedo reads accurate on 285/70/17’s (~33")

There are a few companies that offer tunes. From what I understand, Toyota ECU's aren't as easy to tune as some others.

You're better off going by offset on these, as you're more likely to rub on the outside of the tire than the inside. 0 offset, or a small positive offset is usually the best. A small nagative offset is usually ok, but you might have to do a bit of trimming. Don't go super wide with wheels.

You're going to get a bunch of opinions here.

Depending on your needs and budget, there are a bunch of great options. Given a blank check to buy my next setup, I'd likely opt for something rebuildable and custom valved. The only brand I really wouldn't recommend is Icon (common leaking issues).

Once you get 10 posts, put them in B/S/T. I'm sure someone will take them off your hands.

Welcome to the forum from Wisconsin!

 

Stupid question... how do I know if I have KDSS? I have the TRD Off Road not the TRD Pro.

 

YouTube may be?
https://youtu.be/cz10_LjV56Q

 

Look at the frame rail under the driver's door. If there's a small skid plate with hydraulic lines going in and out, you have KDSS.

Otherwise, check if the driver's side of the sway bars are attached with a hydraulic ram. I'll see if I can find a good picture.

Edit, here the front sway bar mount on the driver's side:

 

Ughhh... thanks.