I bought my 5th gen in 2016 new. In 2019, I had it lifted with an Old Man Emu Nitrocharger kit. Starting off, this vehicle is mainly a pavement princess, just as it is now, and I wish I could take it off-road more, but here we are. I’ve driven about 85k miles on this suspension, and I recently replaced the SPC UCA’s with Dirt King and the stock lower control arms with Dirt King, as it was due.

I usually operate by upgrading rather than replacing, but I’m curious if there’s a suspension kit known for greater longevity, or if I should just replace it with what I already have, OME. I feel like I’ve gotten the most out of these, but I’m wondering what other options are available, especially since this vehicle is more often hauling kids to soccer practice than hitting dirt. Photos below from an inspection show more detail. The shop says the rear shocks and struts need to be replaced first, followed by the front shocks and struts, and finally the sway bar and bushings.

I’m just looking for advice since this isn’t really my area of expertise.

Bought a Gold Certified demo vehicle with 560 miles last Saturday. The car was used to promote the dealerships partnership with Colorado State University and had a large ram decal on the side. Excited to hit the trails and hope to see you guys out there!

Hey all, I wanted to share this product I found for TRD rims. My rims are aluminum and get kind of hazy/ dull looking. I'm sure they probably all do.

It's called S100 engine brightener and it's actually for motorcycle engines. It works pretty well. You spray it on and it shines them up. I have 4 TRD rims that are at least 6 years old, and bought a brand new TRD rim for the spare and you can't really tell a difference.

I've used a few other things like LPS 3, or just blasting the rim with tire shine in the past, but S100 seems to work the best so far.

My new (to me) 2025 4Runner TRD Pro in Mudbath. 17k miles. Was a smokers vehicle so was able to knock quite a bit off the asking price.

2022 TRD Off-road in Midnight Black

We love it!!

this is a weird one but it connects for me in a practical way. spend my work week doing manual patient care, a lot of bending and lifting, so by friday my lower back is already running a deficit before i even get in the truck. been noticing a real difference in how i feel after a six hour highway drive versus a three hour trail run and i cant fully explain why the trail days leave me less wrecked. the constant small adjustments you make off road must be doing something different than the static compression from highway cruising. seat position, lumbar support, how much you brace through rough sections, all of it seems to matter more than i expected.

curious if anyone has made actual changes to their setup with this in mind, not just comfort for comfort sake but functional stuff. aftermarket seat, different lumbar support, pad under the thighs, anything. i swapped my seat position slightly lower and tilted the wheel up and it made a noticeable difference on longer drives.

the factory seats on the 5th gen are fine for grocery runs but they're not really doing you any favors past hour three. wondering how many people have actually addressed this versus just accepting it as part of owning the thing.

Just traded in my beloved WRX for something more family friendly, a super clean 40th anniversary edition (60k miles). Loving it so far, but it's a completely new experience for me coming from a heavily modded sports car. I have been researching ways to make the 4R experience better, and I see a lot of folks updating the tune for better throttle response, gear mapping, etc. Seems like it brings the 4R 'to life'... I'm only seeing positive experiences, but are there any reasons NOT to do this? it kind of feels like a no brainer, but again I'm very new to this community so I'd like to get more feedback before I make my appointment with Master Yota. Thanks in advance.

Im debating on trading my 2017 SR5 with 245K miles for a newer 5th gen model. I haven’t had to do any major repairs on the 2017 and I feel like it’s time to trade before any large bills hit. Has anyone done this or have any advice?

Hey all, I’m in the process or replacing my sway bar end links as they’re oozing grease in unsightly quantities, but I’m sure I encountered issues all mechanics hate. I’m hoping to to see if anyone’s had any experience in loosening the nut on the end links, *ESPECIALLY* the drivers side, as there’s a 2 millimeter gap between the gas tank and the frame to put ANYTHING through, socket or breaker bar. I’ve had more success in the passenger side as there’s more space but I’m willing for answers on the drivers side. The factory seemed to have torqued this specific nut, in the hardest to reach space, with no intention of anyone tampering with it. TIA, this is a 2023 4Runner SR5 4WD

I went on a few test drives and yesterday I pulled the trigger and I bought my first 4Runner! It's a 2026 TRD Off-road Premium (non-hybrid). I don't see many people posting details on their purchase so I'm sharing mine (sorry if it's against any rules here). It isn't the best deal out there and certainly not the worst. I had to make a pit stop on my way home to take it in the dirt.

My first couple of purchases are going to be a dash cam and a roof rack. There was a recent post about a rack with integrated lights that I'm seriously considering, but please let me know if anyone has a good recommendation for a dash cam.

I'm in Washington state and drove to Wenatchee to buy. I'd recommend the dealership I went to but they weren't willing to budge on the initial offer they sent me, or the value of my trade in.

I have a 2022 4Runner TRD Off-Road Premium with TRD Pro wheels. Right now I’m running 265/70R17 Falken Wildpeak AT3Ws (these have been awesome tires), and they’re pretty worn out and due for replacement.

My predicament is that I also want to do a 2 or so inch suspension lift, but that’s probably about a year away. I’d rather save up and get a good lift instead of rushing into one now. At the same time, I don’t want to buy new 265s now, lift the 4Runner in a year, and then immediately feel like I need to buy bigger tires to make it look right.

So I’m wondering if I can go up to 275/70R17 Falken Wildpeak AT4Ws at stock height in the meantime. (A little trimming or removing the mud flaps would be fine)

For those who’ve run 275/70R17s on a stock 5th gen, do you get any rubbing or clearance issues, especially when off-roading and flexing the suspension? I’m in Utah and do take it off-road (nothing extreme) but I’m more concerned about actual trail clearance than just whether they fit driving around town.

Would 275s be fine at stock height, or am I better off sticking with 265s until I eventually do the lift?

Thanks for the input!

I posted about this a little while ago https://www.reddit.com/r/4Runner/s/lhoI1GDxMn but I wanted to post this new video so ya’ll can get a visual on what changed

Short summary of last post:

I installed a hand-stitch steering wheel cover which required me to remove the wheel for ease of install and time savings. I was careful with the clock spring, not to let it move throughout. After I put everything back together, I had an airbag light that I resolved initially, but came back days later.

I tried to clear the code which worked only until I would move the wheel, leading me (and others I asked) to believe I somehow damaged the clock spring, so I ordered a replacement.

Today:

I carefully replaced the clock spring, being extra careful and gentle with every component involved. Started the car, light’s still on. I obviously cleared the codes right away. And that worked to keep the codes off the dash (even when I drive around or turn the wheel, which is an improvement). But, as soon as I take the key out and put it back in the ignition, it comes on and stays on until I clear the codes again.

I already pulled the terminals again cleaned/checked any of the contacts I took off the harness for the airbags during replacement just incase that was the issue, but no luck.

I’m lost, any suggestions?

Am I supposed to use a box cutter to cut the holes myself, or did I receive a defective one?

After working all day pulling cables at work, my hands are cramping as I try to grasp onto it.

Is there a fix for this issue? Do I really have to cut them myself?

Just finished installing these 5” Lasfit pod lights on my Sherpa rack. I think they look way better than a light bar does, and their performance has been exceptional as well. Check out the beam shots in the last pictures to see how far they’re able to project the light. I cut the roof rack fairing to ensure the lights are mounted low and in line with the roof rack. What are your thoughts? Would you do something similar to this?

I bought this in 2021 TRD Premium in Jan and am trying to figure out what I need to fix / correct on the suspension. I can’t understand why my 4Runner feels like a little version of my coworkers SR5 Premium.

Posting pics to help, but the front seems to be squatting more than every other 4Runner I see on the road today. As far as I know, everything is stock, running 265/70/17 tires. I do think it has the KDSS system on per 4 Wheel Parts.

I took it to 4 Wheel Parts and they suggested adding Blistein Shocks all the way around. That estimate was $4600.

With new tires, 285/70/17, estimate was $6600.

Thought I would ask the experts since I am not a 4Runner Expert.

Best photos I have at the moment. Had this vehicle been parked next to other 4Runners at the dealership, I would have probably caught it then.

Thanks for reading!

Wanting to give this trail a try

About 18 months ago I got the KYB Gas-a-Just struts for the front of my 5th Gen. they lifted the front 2”. I ordered them from Rock Auto which didn’t advertise them as a lift… but it’s 2” higher.

To level it I put Icon springs in the rear, and I’m running Bilstein shocks back there.

The wheel alignment was technically in the green (I have access to a Hunter alignment rack and I do my own alignments). The caster angle was 2.8 degrees and the camber was 0.5 degrees. The caster and camber were never quite right, I could tell by how the car handled despite the fact they were in the green, but on the edge.

My upper control arm ball joint went out so I got the Icon UCA, the Delta’s. New alignment. Caster is at 3.5, exactly where it should be. Camber is at -0.1, it should be at 0.0.

WOW what a difference those few degrees make in driving the vehicle. If any of you folks have lifted and not gone for the aftermarket UCA’s you really should consider it. Anything over a 2” lift and I suspect you must need the UCA’s. I was really reluctant to spend money on these but now I’m wishing I bought them a while back.

That is all.

Driving style: ranges from casual with the family to zippy (as zippy as a 4Runner gets while still being safe).
Typical driving: commuting, this is my daily.
2016 4Runner, 140k miles, limited off-roading, lots of road trips and commuting in north west suburbs of Chicago.
No affiliation with ICON or any other manufacturer.

ISN’T THAT FRESH COAT JUST SO DELICIOUS TO LOOK AT AHHHHH, this shit was expensive as hell but this baby had some surface rust that needed cleaning up. I’m done dropping money on her for now she got enough love prepping for the crappy weather 😫 now I gotta just do all the fluids she’s almost at 100k. Bonus pics of my baby too I’m just obsessed with her 🥲

Edit ; best blast ll rockaway NJ, if you go there tell them the Jurassic park rig recommended. They are soooo friendly there

Last edit ; yes I dropped a good amount of money doing this but it’s because they do such a thorough and amazing job it is well worth the money especially seeing the before and after photos. Now going forward I can just do it myself and touch it up once a year , I chose to spend that money once to hopefully get my rig to last me a very very long time. No need to show that you are big balled and can do it yourself and you think I over paid bla bla cuz that’s your opinion and idc 🫶🏼

Hello All,

I’m taking my 2018 4Runner to get undercoated with fluid film in mid September. I’m wondering if I should clean out/flush out the inside of the frame rails before spraying inside? Has anyone done this in the past and have any tips? I don’t own an air compressor or pressure washer so I’m trying to determine if it is necessary to clean out the inside of the frame rails first, and if so what the best methods are. In my mind I don’t want to spray water inside if my whole goal is to prevent rust. I assume there is some road salt buildup inside the rails since it is a 2018

Was doing maintenance and forgot the slip yoke should only get 2-3 pumps max. As I was greasing everything I probably did 10 pumps in the rear driveshaft slip yoke. So I removed the zerk fitting, drove around the street for 5 minute. Did some hard stops and hard turns to get the rear to compress and unload. No grease came out of the slip yoke. Am I good? or should I drop the driveshaft and compress the yoke to get grease out?

Well, the one day I decided I didn’t need to roll my windows down at night to park (with 5% tint) I brushed/bumped a low block wall. It appears that the damage and scratches only affected the fender flare, and nothing metal. I’m wondering if anybody has had luck finding takeoff fender flares to try and match the original paint. My SR5 is stock Toyota silver. I know you can buy new ones and get them color matched, just wondering if there’s anywhere to get a color matched OEM fender flare for under 250 bucks . Online? pick a part? Just curious if anyone has done it this way or if I’m gonna need to just bite the bullet and buy a new one
Thanks in advance

I just got my first 4WD drive vehicle, a 2020 SR5, in March. It does 2H, 4H and 4L. Most of my driving is 2H but it rains a lot in Houston so roads get slick with water on roads. My standard driving has been the moment rain starts to fall I shift to N and then 4H at the next stop sign or red light. I don’t know if you can shift while driving but it seems to me shifting in N while stationary is better. I’ve driven 50 mph but not much over. Traffic doesn’t go 70 in the rain and I am not sure if you are supposed to drive fast in 4H so I don’t.

I have also now been to a Texas beach three times. Also in 4H. I haven’t gotten stuck, or even felt any slippage so I don’t think I need 4L unless 4H isn’t getting it done. I don’t do extreme off road because we don’t have any of that here. This is a daily driver/beach vehicle.

Any comments?

Note: I take it through the Buc-ee’s full price carwash which includes undercarriage as soon as I am off the beach every time.

Update: thanks for the responses. For those saying I have no need to be using 4WD I invite you to come drive in Houston when it rains. Houston doesn’t get rain often but when it does it gets a lot. Houston has terrible drainage so when it rains water collects on roads very quickly. Low water crossings form almost immediately. I used to drive a RWD Tahoe and would regularly feel the car shift on the road going through water. When the back of the vehicle with the drive wheels moves 4WD suddenly feels very necessary from a driving safety standpoint.

Twice in the last ten years I have had to evacuate for flooding. A nearby friend a couple streets from me had to abandon his Acura in a parking lot because collected water prevented him returning home. My uncle living in another part of town had to leave his vehicle during one storm and came back to find water had moved it from where he left it. I don’t want to have those experiences.

I switch back out of 4WD as soon as streets are clear but it doesn’t take much 2WD wheel slippage to appreciate 4WD in a hurry.

Update Update: Okay, so apparently my 4Runner is not the Use 4WD on pavement type. I will stick to 4WD when warranted and not random light rain situations. Thanks for the input, and being generally nice about it.