Kings Setup

Hello, was looking into ordering a Kings setup due to Black Friday sales but didn't really know all what I need to get and specs wise. Currently running 33's K02 with Westcott preload collar on stock TRD pro suspension. (First off roading vehicle as I have had sports car all my life lol)

Looks like Running4tacos has the best price on the adjustable non-kdss as I was able to find.
https://runnin4tacos.com/products/k...-4runner-lift-kit?_pos=5&_fid=3e3331071&_ss=c

I use my 4runner mostly as daily driver and weekend trails here and there. So need some advice on what lift and springs should I be ordering? Looks like R4T only carries Icon or Dobinson's for the rear lift options...Should I go with another brand somewhere else? Like the aesthetic of the 4runner being even with a lift in the front and back. So not sure on what lift I need in the back and the front to make that happened. (Saw that this might affect MPG so maybe not the best idea already getting 15 with the bigger tires.)

Only Mod I see my self getting in the future that would cause weight in the front end would be the low profile C4 bumper with the light bar. A full length roof rack but seems like I see people install these solo so I'm sure this cant be that heavy. (Westcott or Sherpa.) Last would be switching out the Toyota steps for Westcott rock sliders.

R4T looks to recommended ordering the Diff Drop Kit so I'll order that but I saw another site recommend ordering extending brake lines for the front and back? If I need this what brand so I buy? Is there anything else I need to order

I already have the Dobinson Front Adjustable Billet Upper control Arm Kit.

 

OE Kings will do it for you.

If you want expert advice call Accutune. You’ll likely pay the retail price but pre/post sales support is top notch with Accutune.

I purchased LT fox setup from them and it was dialed in perfectly.

Good luck
Mike

 

You can call Hugo at R4T and ask. I know they install and do mods for other lift kits like ELKA, Ironman that is not listed on their website. You can show this response and my YouTube to Hugo and ask why they take care of other brands for this guy (me) not listed on their website, LoL.

 

Dropping damn near $3k for king suspension on a daily driver seems crazy!

Did you swap out the bump stops yet? When I installed super bumps(from wheelers offroad) it really improved how my trd pro shocks felt and performed.

 

@tdicarlo
You didn’t mention what your long term goals are. Get a handle on what it is you want the truck to do.

IFS upgrades are complicated and it’s easy to buy things that are not really needed nor compatible if you don’t start with a plan.

For example, many off the shelf lifts don’t address the rear suspension. That’s a problem if you expect balanced off-road performance.

So I encourage you to begin with the end in mind. You’ll be able to get the look and performance you need.

Cheers
Mike

 

Great advice. This is a mod where spending more won’t get you better, if what you get doesn’t do what you want it to do.

What’s the rebuild interval on the shocks? Are you ok with taking the 4runner out of service for the time it takes to have someone rebuild them?

Is corrosion a factor in your area? Expensive doesn’t mean they are built with corrosion control in mind.

Do you need adjustability because you intend to use it? If you do, great. But you’re buying more complication with it as well, since they are usually resi shocks (more sources for leaks, or things to corrode). So if you wont use the adjustability, you’re gonna be worse off.

Are the components made for “off-road competition” use? Those suck on daily drivers, as they are a clunky squeaky mess as you roll into work. It suck having to explain to everyone that they’re really good shocks and sound like crap on purpose. However, they do great on fast desert runs, with regular rebuilds.

If all you want is to do a proper suspension lift, seems you cant go wrong with a much cheaper Bilstein, OME, or dobinson options. If it’s just regular trails and daily driver use, get their less expensive or mid-priced options with rubber bushings all around. I’ve got dobinson IMS shocks with 2.5front/1.5rear lift coils. Nothing else was needed (no UCAs, no brake lines no links or relocations, no diff drop. For less than 1800 bucks I got very well built shocks with really premium damping characteristics, and good coils that don’t sag. I’ve got over 40,000 miles on them so far (on-road with tons of off-road trail and rock use) with not one squeak or clunk out of them, and they’re holding up well to road salt. Rebuildable if needed, but no “set” rebuild interval like some others brands.

You’ll end up much more satisfied if you buy exactly what you need for your purpose, and will probably spend much less doing so.

 

I have over 60k on my Kings and they have never squeaked or required any maintenance. But, they probably do need a rebuild and that is a valid point in that the rebuild is going to be a pain.

 

To be clear, I wasn’t directing any of my points towards kings in particular. Plenty of brands offer expensive kits not suited for daily driver use. It might add maintainance headaches that come as a surprise to a buyer that just dropped a bunch of money for a kit poorly suited to their use. If someone buys some “stage 11” kit not knowing what it is, they’d be furious with themselves once they find out they no longer have their daily driver lol. I mean things with poly bushings everywhere, or heim joints, or spherical ball joints, or the need for constant greasing. If you drive a lot on-road and do very little desert racing, you’d get tired of a setup like that quickly.

I’ve seen it happen here, someone wanting to buy a “lift kit”, and end up with some insane long travel kit that require fab work, without a clue to what they had just done to themselves.

The OP did good asking for advice. Usually you see big mistakes happen when there is little research done, and a “more money, more better” philosophy is used to make decisions.

 

Currently running King EXTs with adjusters, Dirt King UCAs and 33s. I'd look at getting King front springs in the 600-650lb range depending on how heavy your future bumper is. Stock springs from King are 550lb (but heavier weights can be ordered), so you need to offset the added weight if it's coming. Otherwise, you'll be buying another set of heavier springs and swapping out with the new bumper. I'd look at Icon 2" dual rate springs for the rear (they're made by Eibach). Crank the front Kings to 2.5" and you'll be level (as the rear end is already a bit higher than the front). That's the setup I run and have been very happy with it. Also consider upgrading your bump stops all the way around. The stock ones aren't tall enough to protect your new shocks. I went with Durobumps.

 

Do kings have a longer compressed length than stock shocks? If they do, then definitely get extended bump stops to protect them from bottoming out internally. But there are also other good shocks out there that don’t limit the stock up-travel limits.

As long as the compressed length of the shock is the same or shorter than stock, and as long as you don’t have a thick tophat spacer, you shouldn’t need extended bump stops. That’s not to say new cushy bump stops won’t soften full compression hits.

 

The King EXT (extended travel) fronts do, which is what I'm running. It's a mid-travel shock, obviously not long travel. The regular Kings are OEM shock replacements, but if you're already spending the coin and have aftermarket UCAs (which the OP does) there's no reason not to go EXT.

 

There is a top out spacer on standard shocks. Extended shocks have a smaller spacer so it extends a bit more.

This will not affect up travel so no bump stop changes are needed. If you are running taller tires then go revisit them.

You may need to watch your UCA if at full droop it hits the coil.

Extended shocks are an inexpensive way to increase down travel and can reduce the harshness of too much preload.

 

Are the sumosprings tall enough to protect for kings?

 

No idea. That's a product specific question/application. I know they're a bump stop/airbag alternative, but their heights and materials are different. I'd consult with King or Sumospring directly.

 

If you already have Dobinson's UCA, why not finish it off with their lift kits as well? They (the only manufacturer that I know of) have a wide variety of coils that can suit every need you can possibly imagine; they offer them in 3 various colors as well . It's a very well-known brand. Lots of people run them and have nothing but great things to say. @Crikeymike is a vendor here and is more than happy to answer any and all questions you have. His site is also having a black Friday special till the end of this month. I just ordered a set of rear LT MRA's last week and got it Tuesday. Super-fast shipping.