Feature Friday: 21 Suspension Setups & Lift Kits on 5th Gen 4Runner in 2021

Featured Photo: Osvaldo Maldonado (@D3v1lsrnr) King Shocks 2.5/ Dirt King UCS’s – $$$

Budget vs No Budget – These 21 Toyota 4Runner Suspension Setups Will Inspire Your Build

This Weeks Topic: Suspension Setups

Holy SMOKES do we have a jam-packed Feature Friday! Before we get into the great variety of suspension setups for the 5th gen 4Runner, I want to let you guys know that EVERYONE who submits for Feature Friday, will receive a Trail4r sticker swag pack, so thank you, everyone, for the support!

So let’s get into these suspension setups. You will notice that I kinda went with the “Yelp Restaurant” $-$$$ method for how budget to no budget-friendly all of these set up were. One $ means we are looking at a super affordable setup and $$$$ means you are looking to spend some serious cash to replicate the same setup on your rig. But let’s talk suspension. Why even upgrade in the first place?

One of the biggest perks of a new suspension setup is added ride height/wheel travel. The reason you may be looking for added ride height is to improve your ground clearance on the trail so you aren’t so close to the earth when traversing over obstacles while out on the tail. In addition to this added height, means room for bigger tires. Larger tires RUB HARD on a stock suspension set up. Usually, an upgrade in tire size results in an upgrade in suspension. These two mods are usually tied hand n hand when upgrading your rig. Lastly and the main benefit of an upgraded suspension setup is ride quality (elimination of the front nose dive). Ride quality improvement will vary based on the $$$$ of the suspension kit you run, but as you will read below, users with some budget-friendly kits have improved their driving experience vs spending their money on more expensive kits.

For an overview of the top 10 lift kits for the 4Runner, check out this go-to lift kit buyers guide. For an overview of entry-level lift kits, check out the top 5 budget-friendly options, check out this post.

These featured rigs are in no particular order, but definitely show all of them some love by following their builds over on Instagram.

Enjoy and have a great weekend!

If you want to be featured on Feature Friday next week, submit your build through Trail4R.com/feature. We will be featuring SUPER WHITE 4RUNNER builds next week. If this is you, and you enjoy your setup, send in your rig some details about your build because we want to see it and know ALL the details!

1. Adam Wolfe (@builtbysquirrles) LSK Long Travel (Prototype) – $$$$

Suspension Setup Info:

Front

• LSK 4.5+ Long Travel
• ADS 2.5 8” coil overs with reservoirs – nonadjustable
• 18” 600lb springs
• Boxed uppers control arms with vertical machined uniball mount and heim mounts
• Boxed lower control arms with recessed shock/bypass mount and horizontal 1.5” uniball
• Boxed plate spindle
• Billet tierod extensions
• RCV CV shafts
• Durobumps – currently
• ADS bump stops – In work
• Extended stainless brake lines

Rear

• Dobinson 59-677v long travel springs
• Radflo 12” shocks with reservoir
• Eimkeith PCK
• Custom 22” braided stainless steel brake lines

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YOUR SETUP?

It’s is the prototype kit and no one else has one on a 4runner yet. It rides great and is incredibly smooth. I haven’t gotten it out for real testing yet but I expect it to be nothing short of amazing.

2. Daniel Chamlern (@Omgsosteezy) King Shocks 2.5 – $$$

Suspension Setup Info:

• Kings Shocks 2.5 EXT Travel with Compression Adjusters F/R
• King 550 lbs Front Springs
• Dobinsons C59-749V 3” Rear Springs
• (700+ lbs Constant Load)
• Camburg Engineering X-Joint Upper Control Arms
• Toytec Diff Drop Kit
• Timbren Active Off-Road Bump Stops F/R
• EIM KEITH Pan-hard Correction kit welded by SkunkyBGarage

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YOUR SETUP?

What I like most about this setup is the Pan-hard correction kit by EIM KEITH. Although often overlooked (in my opinion) I believe this is a modification every lifted 4Runner should have. After installation, the rear of the vehicle feels more stable. The PCK kit that welds to the Pan-Hard bar mounting location corrects the bad vertical angle caused by lifting the 4Runner to an OEM horizontal position. It’s a night and day difference in my opinion and I definitely recommend this modification!

3. Zack Kerley (@zacharykerley) Fox Suspension 2.5 – $$$

Suspension Setup Info:

• Front Fox 2.5 w/ resi’s and DSC.
• Accutune valving.
• 14” 600lb springs
• Braided SS extended brake lines
• SPC UCA’s
• Durobumps
• No front sway bar
• Rear 12” Fox 2.5 w/ resi’s and DSC
• Metal tech long travel links
• Heavy-duty metaltech LT springs
• Braided SS extended brake lines
• Icon adjustable trac bar
• 2” bump spacer
• Durobumps
• No rear sway bar

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YOUR SETUP?

The DSC and valving in the shocks give me enough adjustability to stiffen up the ride slightly without sacrificing ride quality. This tames some of the body roll for not having sway bars. The metal tech rear end has travel for days and uses every bit of the 12” stroke shock.

4. Carlo Donzelli (@trail_runn4r) Dobinsons – $$

Suspension Setup Info:

• Dobinsons MRA Lift kit
• 3-way adjustable valving – adjust high speed, low-speed compression, and rebound
• Nitrogen Gas Charged Remote Reservoir, 60mm wide built out of 6063 Aluminium
• 56mm/2.2” Body Diameter
• Front lift 2.5″ with coils C59-302, 395mm free height, 17mm wire diameter, 586LBF/IN Spring Rate
• Rear lift 1.5″ with coils C59-302, 405mm free height, 17mm wire diameter, 220LBF/IN Spring Rate
• SPC Upper Control Arms
• Dobinsons Front IFS Diff Drop Kit

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YOUR SETUP?

This is a great mid-range option price-wise but it feels premium. I like the fact there are many coils options to choose from depending on your rig setup and that it comes with high speed, low speed, and rebound adjust to fine-tune the ride depending on the terrain and truckload.

5. Jonathan Alonso (@That_cavalry_trd) Dirt King/ King Shocks – $$$$

Suspension Setup Info:

• +3.5 DirtKing Long Travel UCAs
• +3.5 DirtKing Long Travel LCAs
• King Long Travel Spec coil overs with adjusters
• DirtKing extended brake lines
• Dirtking limit straps
• Dirtking 1” diff drop
• Dirtking Long Travel Axles
• Dobinsons 749v rear springs
• King extended travel rear shocks with an adjuster
• Spidertrax 1.25” spacer in the rear
• Marlin Crawler HD LCA Braces
• Total Chaos Spindle Gussets
• Sway bar deletes front and rear.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YOUR SETUP?

Offroad is amazing, night and day difference for sure. It feels you are driving a Cadillac while going down the gnarliest of trails lol. In all honesty, I would highly recommend really looking at what type of trails you will most likely be on and buying the correct suspension for you. 90% of 4runners are daily driven, so you won’t necessarily need a long-travel setup with no sway bars. Really compare all the great companies out there and choose the one that suits your needs.

6. Osvaldo Maldonado (@D3v1lsrnr) King Shocks 2.5 – $$$

Suspension Setup Info:

• Dirt King Upper Control Arm, Urethane, Uniball.
• King shocks 2.5 adjustable front and back suspension.
• Rc fabrication gusset spindles.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YOUR SETUP?

I love the way they feel, look and ride, especially since they are adjustable. I can adjust as I need off and on roads. I’ve had different suspensions and by far in my opinion the best of the best!

7. Jace Robinett (@ghosted_trd) Trailrunner – $$

Suspension Setup Info:

• Trailrunner trail series3 inches of lift front and rear
• 650lb front, 675lb rear
• Remote reservoirs front and rear
• Shocks include compression and rebound adjustment front and rear
• Dirt king fabrication upper control arms sku: DK-812902
• Dirt king fabrication performance lower control arms sku: DK-814704

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YOUR SETUP?

The Trailrunner trail series lift is an amazing quality lift kit, I am able to go through the toughest terrain knowing I’m not going to break anything. It provides amazing ride quality on and off the road, you can be taking a dirt road with potholes at high speeds and won’t feel a thing or climbing over obstacles while having amazing wheel travel and comfort.

The Trailrunner suspension comes shipped to you prepped and tuned to install right on the spot without having to touch anything. If you don’t like how the suspension is tuned from the factory, you can always adjust the compression and rebound to get the ride quality you desire.

The dirt king fabrication upper and lower control arms are some of the strongest control arms you can buy. Imagine having the strength of a Baja truck/pre-runner suspension on your vehicle. These control arms have the perfect design to clear big tires and clear your coil overs at full droop. Also, these control arms are fully rebuildable so they are very easy to maintain

8. Ryan Lau (@4runnersaurus) Dobinsons – $

Suspension Setup Info:

• Dobinsons Internal Monotube Shocks (IMS)
• 2″ front 2.5″ rear
• C59-302 front coils, C59-327 rear coils – spring weight unknown
• Fully threaded, 2.2″ shock body w/ 50mm piston
• Progressive valving
• Fully re-buildable and rebuildable
• SPC UCAs
• Energy Suspension front bump stops (8.9104G)

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YOUR SETUP?

What I like most about the Dobinsons IMS kit is that they are overbuilt and are basically the same as the flagship MRR kit, without the reservoirs. For my use, I couldn’t justify spending the extra money on a reservoir kit, plus it adds one more maintenance point. I took that savings and picked up the SPC UCAs for the alignment adjustability and again, low maintenance. I had the front strut coil seat set at the OE height of 213mm and left the option to raise it down the road if needed.

I swapped the OE front bump stops to the very economical Energy Suspension bump stops and could immediately feel the difference on bumps.

Overall this setup has served me well. I can take on rough forest roads and sand whoops at speed, large ruts with ease, and still maintain good on-road manners without having to adjust a single thing. This is definitely a “set it and forget it” type of setup, which is perfect for my needs.

9. Myke Cabras (@cement_rnr) King Shocks – $$$

Suspension Setup Info:

• Front Kings 2.5 coil-over extended travel w/ reservoir non-adjusters 3.5” lift w/ 700lb spring
• Rear Kings 2.5 Shocks w/ reservoir non-adjusters
• Icons rear 3” overland spring
• Freedom OffRoad UCAs
• OEM LCAs
• Front and Rear Duro Bump Stops

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YOUR SETUP?

I went from stock to this King set up and I love it. When I’m out on the trails you definitely feel the difference in how much smoother you go through obstacles compared to stock.

10. David Hubbs (@Idaho_rnr) Bilstien/Dobinsons – $

Suspension Setup Info:

• 5100’s front and rear
• Dobinsons C59-314 Front Coil Springs giving it about 3” of lift
• Dobinsons C59-325 Rear Coil Springs give about 2.5” of lift
• Dobinsons UCA’s
• The tires are KO2 285/70/17’s.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YOUR SETUP?

Relatively inexpensive setup. Springs provide a nice lift & stance and much better handling overstock. UCA’s have stayed true to alignment and provide a good amount of articulation.

11. Jason Stuntz (@trd_stizzy) Radflo – $$$

Suspension Setup Info:

Front 

• Radflo 2.5 ext travel coil overs with MD springs, 
• Total Chaos uppers, 
• DuraBump bump stops, 
• No sway bar

Rear 

• Radflo 2.5 ext travel shocks with OME 898 coil springs, 
• Eibach bump stops
• YotaMafia ext brake lines
• Dobinson adjustable rear sway bar links  
• Dobinson adjustable panhandle bar

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YOUR SETUP?

Everyone with every other kind of suspension goes for a ride and compliments how kush the ride is, ha! It’s very smooth, handles well, is soft in the hard stuff, and stiff enough to maintain full control.

12. Cody Edmonds (@RED_RUNNER_93) Toytec – $$

Suspension Setup Info:

• Toytec BOSS Aluma Series Suspension System 2.0
• Front lift 3”
• 700 lb spring rate
• Adjustable Coilovers
• Rear lift 2”
• RCC 2.0 Superflex coils
• Toytec 2.0 Aluma Series Shocks
• Toytec Bumpstop Extensions

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YOUR SETUP?

I was looking for a kit that had good value, adjustability, and low maintenance.

This kit was a great value for me as this vehicle is my daily driver and spends 95 percent of the time on the road (sorry). It greatly improved on-road handling and reduced nose dive.

I knew I would probably be adding some weight to the 4Runner so I was looking for adjustable coil overs. The Toytec lift was easy to adjust and gain back the lost height from adding the front bumper.

The JBA UCAs have been completely silent and only require a few pumps of grease every oil change or so. Easy maintenance. The Toytec coil overs and rear shocks are fully rebuildable.

I wasn’t shooting for all red on the suspension, but I think it turned out pretty killer!

13. Luis Castillo (@Mrluilou) Bilstien/OME – $

Suspension Setup Info:

• Bilstein 5100 (Adjustable up to 2.75”, front set at its lowest setting)
• OME 885 front springs (provides 2-2.5” lift)
• Eibach rear springs (provides 1” lift)

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YOUR SETUP?

Overall, this basic setup is sufficient for mild trails and ideal for daily driving. On the road, it gives you a stiffer ride than stock. I would recommend this setup for someone who wants a mild lift, adjust the front rake and it doesn’t break the bank!

14. Dan Li (@c3.ovrlnd) Dobinsons MRA – $$

Suspension Setup Info:

Dobinsons MRA

• Front: MRA59-A700 – MRA 3-way adjustable w/ resi monotube (0-2.5″ lifts)
• Rear: MRA59-A701 – MRA 3-way adjustable w/ resi monotube (0-3″ lift)

Dobinsons coil springs

• C59-302 – Stock – 2.5″ | with 110-150lbs – 2″
• C59-505 – 1.5″ with stock weight

JBA Standard high caster UCAs

• Achieved 5+ degree caster
• 4 grease ports for easy servicing
• Tubing 5/32″ wall and 1″ Diameter
• 8 synthetic elastomer a-arm bushings

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YOUR SETUP?

Little to no lead time or crazy backorders. Dobinsons has a facility in Miami which means that they are much more readily available than others! Awesome customer service. Both Dobinsons direct and distributors are all great on social media, email, YouTube, and forums. Performance-wise, they are definitely stiffer than stock, but you have a full range of adjustability to suit your ride preferences. These shocks are actually built to perform optimally at higher temperatures, so for long haul drives on rough trails with a fully-loaded car, I have yet to experience any kind of shock fade or jarring rebounds while ripping it down washboards/gravel roads. Upper 1/2″ rubber strut mounts + lower rubber bushings vs. heim joints significantly reduce noise (no squeaking), vibration, and harshness.

15. Michael DeVecchio (@mammoth4runner) King Shocks/ ICON – $$$$

Suspension Setup Info:

• Kingshocks 2.5 Front Coilovers w/Remote Reservoir w/adjuster -650lb front coils
• Kingshocks Rear 2.5 w/remote-Reservoir-shock-w/adjuster
• 1-inch body lift from @txt_customs
• ICON rear coil springs 3inch
• ICON UCA Delta Joint
• Freedomoffroadusa Rear Adjustable lower control arms
• ICON rear coil hydrologic bump stops
• Timbren rear extended bump stops
• Wheelers offroad front super bump stops
• Total Chaos Spindle gussets

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YOUR SETUP?

One of the major and most important upgrades I knew I had to get right when choosing, also an upgrade I didn’t want to have to do again. Two of the best and most reliable companies I couldn’t decide between were King and Icon. So I went with both! For shocks/lift, I have 2.5 inch Kings with adjustable reservoirs, which came with front 550lb coils. I originally went with Icon 2-inch rear springs and after a few months and a few trails later I decide to upgrade my front coils to the 650lb rating and my rear Icons to 3inch springs both allowing me to add extra weight such as front/rear bumpers, while not weighing everything down too much. For my UCA I have Icon delta joints, also running Freedom off-road adjustable lower control arms in the rear. I’ve been very pleased with this combo all have held up through everything I’ve put them through over the years. For bump stops in the front I’m running Wheelers offroad super bump stops and for the rear I have Timbren extended bump stops, both sets of bump stops have performed beautifully and I’d recommend them to anyone! Running 35’s was a goal from the beginning and in order to get the most out of the setup, each upgrade was chosen carefully. Bump stops are perfect for upward travel and keep everything smooth offroad, along with the 3-inch springs in the back which were one the most memorable upgrades compared to the 2-inch I originally had. Finally, for a little bit of extra clearance from rubbing, I added a -1ich body lift from TXT_Customs. The Total Chaos Spindle gussets aloud me to remove my front sway bar and have the strength to run 35’s offroad. What I love most about my setup is its capability offroad, while staying smooth for daily driving. Being a mid-travel set up I am limited in some areas but for the most part, I feel the rig is ready for anything I’m willing to throw at it and I have great companies backing its performance. You get what you pay for so spending a little bit more has given me the reliability/longevity I was looking for. Everything starts with the suspension which for me is the foundation of the vehicle, I’ve never wanted to feel limited on the trail so improving in these areas for me never stops 

16. Jeremy Friedman (@friedman_adventures_4rnr) ICON – $$$$

Suspension Setup Info:

• ICON 7 STAGE 6 SUSPENSION
• 2.5” lift all around
• Dobinsons Rear Coils

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YOUR SETUP?

Simple setup that gives you all the functions of the Stage 7 w/o the CVC adjustment option. From my research, most don’t adjust the CVC hence the option of stage 6 was best for my adventure requirements.

17. Laura Mattson (@the.kessel.runner) Eibach/Bilstien – $

Suspension Setup Info:

• 2.5” Eibach front Springs with Bilstein 5100s set to 0.
• Front driver’s side 1/4” single plate spacer.
• 3” Toytec HD back Springs with Bilstein 5100 shocks (we were unable to reinstall the 10mm spacer).

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YOUR SETUP?

My setup allows me to run 285/70/17 tires with minimal cutting to the inner edge of the front bumper and only rubs at full lock in reverse. It handles the added weight of the sliders, Gobi rack, and ladder well and eliminated body roll and nose-diving while braking. It performs great both on and off-road. I originally had the Wheeler’s Eibach springs all around (1.75” in the back) but the springs settled and the 4Runner was squatting. I swapped them out for the Toytec springs which will be able to handle a steel back bumper as well as towing a light trailer.

18. Evan Zimmer (@4runnerfit) Old Man Emu (OME) – $

Suspension Setup Info:

• 4R210 OME 3″ kit
• Extended front struts
• Extended rear shocks  
• 885 Front Springs 
• 896 Rear Springs 
• OME 661 rear lower shock guards 
• Dobinson’s SE59-529 adjustable sway bar extended links
• Diff drop kit

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YOUR SETUP?

As a new member of the community, this lift kit has been great. Not one complaint. I love the height and it also helped me to fit 33s (still had some trimming and chopping). After a year in and a little more suspension knowledge, I have some bigger plans for the future. The springs increased my load capacity by 180 pounds in the front and 440 pounds in the rear over stock. Front OME coil overs are completed with new OEM top plates and hardware.

19. Jeremy Shelby (@Toy4tac) Toytec – $$

Suspension Setup Info:

• Brand: Toytec Lifts Boss Aluma Series Suspension System
• Front Lift Height: 3 Inches (Toytec Front Aluma Series Coilovers)
• Rear Lift Height: 2 Inches (XD Rear Superflex Coils to handle all the extra weight)
• Front Spring Weight: 700 lb rate spring
• Rear Spring Weight: approximately 2.5″ of Rear Lift (with 500-600 LBS additional weight)
• Reservoirs: None
• Adjusters: Treaded Collar adjustable from 2-3″ of lift
• UCAs: SPC Adjustable Upper Control Arms
• LCAs: Stock
• Front Bump Stops: DuroBumps
• Rear Bump Stops: Toytec Rear bump Stop Drop Kit
• Front Differential Drop Kit: Yes
• Sway Bar Relocation Brackets: Yes
• Extended Brake Lines: Highly Recommended with the use of the XD Rear coils

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YOUR SETUP?

The Toytec Aluma Boss Series setup with all the added weight of the Lo Pro bumper, winch, roof rack, heavy RTT, fridge/Slider, Spare tire swing out, etc. rides really nice. Despite all the constant weight, I would say it’s about as close to the stock ride as it gets with some little needed improvements. We also own a 2021 4runner that’s currently 100% stock suspension and weight, and I have been amazed at how close the ride quality is between the two. The Toytec lift with the XD rear coils is slightly a bit stiffer and don’t have the famous nose dive when it comes to stock suspension. As a daily driver, I have to say, it’s really smooth and comfortable. It handles all the extra weight in those rough road conditions very well and isn’t overly bouncy in the rear. Articulation is smooth with some slight squeaking noticeable at times but that seems to be normal across the board. So far it has been a rock-solid setup. It’s fully rebuildable and reservoirs can be added if needed to keep them cooler. The SPC Adjustable UCAs have been really awesome when it comes to dialing in that perfect alignment. They do need to be sure to be greased often. The zerked ball joints are easily accessible for pumping in a few fresh pumps which I do at each tire rotation interval. All as a whole it’s a great setup that performs well and is not so heavy on the pocketbook.

20. Rickson Go (@Rickson_vaporise_barcelona4runner) Freedom Offroad – $

Suspension Setup Info:

• Freedom Offroad front coil overs set at 2.75 front rear 3in
• Nitro Shocks and Freedom Offroad springs 
• Freedom Offroad UCA

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YOUR SETUP?

They are competitively priced. They have been pretty solid for about a year now and I haven’t had any issues with them on my 4Runner. 

Final Thoughts

This Feature Friday definitely took a while to finalize. I hope that all of these suspension setups gave you some sort of route guidance when it comes to your build (if you are in the market currently). I hope you all have an incredible weekend, and I’ll catch you all next week.

If you would like to be considered for next week’s Feature Friday, we will be showcasing some Super White 4Runner Builds (5th Gen 4Runners). We want to get inspired by a variety of different builds, submit your build for Feature Friday and you might get featured. If you would like to submit your build for next week, include your setup details and an awesome photo that shows it off. Have a great weekend guys!!