Lowered 80? No, that’s a stock suspension (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter BamaCruzer
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TheRealDeal124
GOLD Star
I'm running Tokico shocks all around, I also keep my toolbox, 70lb Ruck Sack, and various spare parts and lubricants in the cargo area. I also run the Slee Slidersteps. The 80 just doesn't take bumps very well, however on smooth roads she rides like a cloud. Im thinking its just the SFA. And my towns roads are terrible.The OME stock height coils are overload springs. Something like 200 lbs more capacity than OEM? You just haven't loaded up enough junk and armor to carry around, so that could alleviate things some. There's really very little difference in actual ride height after the first month or so once things settle.
What shocks are you running? I started off with OEM Tokicos all around, but the front axle wouldn't sufficiently dampen with them. I subbed in s et of OME Nitro Sports and that solved the dampening issue, but the OME shocks are definitely harsh when new. If that's what you have all around and you aren't planning on adding a lot of weight at either end, you might try reverting to stock Tokicos all around as that will help with the harshness.
Completely stock when my parents bought it back in 2004. They first started looking at them in 1991 but couldn't afford it at the time so they bought a 4runner. But my dad had kept the LC bug and that's why he ended up buying this.
Over about 10 years, it sat in a shed for the most part and they only put 10k miles on it. When I was first learning how to drive, they decided they would hand it over to me. Honestly, I knew nothing about vehicles at the time and I remember my first post on here being about tire sizes (wondering if I'd be able to put a 285/75/18..yes 18 on my 16-inch wheel). Here's how it sits now, mostly stock but just slightly more functional.
Over about 10 years, it sat in a shed for the most part and they only put 10k miles on it. When I was first learning how to drive, they decided they would hand it over to me. Honestly, I knew nothing about vehicles at the time and I remember my first post on here being about tire sizes (wondering if I'd be able to put a 285/75/18..yes 18 on my 16-inch wheel). Here's how it sits now, mostly stock but just slightly more functional.
@flintknapper PO said they came from a 4th gen 'runner. Thats all I know about them.
Mr. Lawrence
SILVER Star
Stock everything including original size Michelin LTX’s.
Do you do any type of light offroading with those tires?
I'm getting to the point where I need to make a choice on tires... and I wanted to make this as stock as possible from the start. But am afraid the stock tires might not be the best choice for mixed use fun. I will not be heavy trailing it anytime soon, just some exploring to start. Curious to your thoughts.
I have the newer Defender LTX and they will surprise you off road. Is it as good as a mud-terrain? No, not close at all with mud performance. Is it as good as an all-terrain? In many cases yes. On dry dirt, gravel, and rocks, I would say they are very similar to a set of KO2s that I used to have. Good in the snow? Yes, not bad at all. On road performance? Probably better than any other tire. This is the main reason to buy a Michelin.
That's exactly what I wanted to know. Thank you for taking the time to share that. I sincerely appreciate it.
I might encounter mud, but I'm not going mudding intentionally.
Picture of my 1996.
OME Heavy Duty Stock Height Suspension
Michelin Defender LTX all around in LT265/75/R16
ARB Front bumper, 4x4Labs rear bumper, White Knuckle sliders.
The 80 is plenty capable at stock ride height, and is not bad at all on the highway.
I might post a better pic later if I can find or take one.
Also the sky is yellowish because I took this picture right after I installed the sliders which happened to be when we had pretty bad wildfires here in the bay area 3 weeks ago (some of them are still going too)
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Sure thing. Yeah I don't really find myself in the mud too much but sometimes the trails can be pretty wet and muddy. The Michelins will still get through, but not as elegantly as an MT. Not as well as an AT either, and AT mud performance is not great to begin with. It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make in favor of the highway performance.
I have the Michelin LTX tires as well and they have never let me down. I live in Arizona so mud isn't generally a concern. They have been fine in snow when I go skiing. I don't do heavy off-roading but they have always been great for camping and hauling around my mountain bikes and motorcycles. Mine has been my daily driver on and off over the years and those tires have always worked for me.
Mr. Lawrence
SILVER Star
Excellent highway performance with the added benefit of decent mpg numbers. I average between 15-16 mpg with the LTX’s.
Yeah, the SFA is a bit rougher if you're used to independent suspension up front. The Tokicos will do you well for the money, though, with the weight distributed as you have. The thing is if you have the OME stock height coils, the overload is not just in the rear but up front, too. They're designed to compensate for the typical add-ons like the ARB, winch and extra battery people want to add. The ARB itself isn't all that much heavier than the bumper that comes off, but it adds up with the winch and extra battery. If you've not added that stuff, then you will be a little oversprung in front with the OME stock height coils.
I run the OME Nitro Sport shocks up front and the Tokicos in the rear and the unusual combo really works well for me. This brings to mind the possibility that you could revert to running the OEM coils up front and the OMEs in the back if your added loading is mostly in the rear over stock. Never heard of anyone doing that, but the front coils are pretty easy to change, so might be worth a swap to try out. If you don't have the stock ones, I've got the old ones off our truck just taking up space in the garage, free if you want them. Just drop me a PM.
TheRealDeal124
GOLD Star
My first ever vehicle was an IFS Jeep Liberty, but then I had a 98 XJ (stock), and then an 06 LJ Rubicon that had ARB Bumpers front and rear with a tire carrier that had OME springs as well and it rode very well except for the road imperfections. So I'm used to the SFA, I cant remember what an IFS 4x4 drives like (I do daily a 2nd Gen Rav4 manual). I dont mind the rougher ride for the weekend, I love the character of the ride, its like a very smooth and comfortable truck that rides best when going 55-60 on a highway or smooth road with occasional dips and dives. I drive for a living as a UPS driver so I get enough of a rough ride all week long. I do have a slight stink bug but I like the look, means I can load a bit more in the back. Function over form.
My parents did the exact same thing, our family ended up purchasing 2 4Runners, which are still on the road today.
Years later, I found the exact style 80 they looked at (Nightshadow Pearl), new in the 90s and went for it.
Oh yeah, I can see one of those brown trucks beating you up. Yeah, the SFA is just different the way it reacts to things. The 80 is really sweet, but having had a 55 there are some similarities in how they handle the road. The 80 is much better, but you still have to treat it with respect. Then again, maybe I'm just so much slower and older than when I drove that Pig.
I gotta agree on the stinkbug in moderation. It's just the way coil spring suspension handle weight and nothing to get too concerned about. For ride height adjusting, I ended up adding some Airlift bags in the rear to deal with towing our trailer. You have to keep at least 5 psi in them and I usually run about 9. Those actually smoothed out the ride in the rear the last little bit, a happy easter egg that really makes spending the $100 on a set of bags and a few hours to install worth it, while we are talking stock height suspension tricks here.
