Suspension or tires?

[Audidood]

Anybody have pics of a Sport on 285s and stock suspension? I get a choice of suspension (coilovers, shocks and AAL) or tires (285/70r17), but not both due to budget constraints. What to do, what to do.... trying to figure out what looks less dumb. I’m a mall crawler, but hope to pop my overlanding cherry sometime this year.. thanks!

 

[Malcolm]

Suspension first, tires second.

 

[0uTkAsT]

Anybody have pics of a Sport on 285s and stock suspension? I get a choice of suspension (coilovers, shocks and AAL) or tires (285/70r17), but not both due to budget constraints. What to do, what to do.... trying to figure out what looks less dumb. I’m a mall crawler, but hope to pop my overlanding cherry sometime this year.. thanks!

You will have a horrendous amount of rubbing with 33s on stock suspension. I had to do a lot of trimming just to keep my current set of 32s from rubbing without a lift... more often than not, 33s require trimming plastics, flattening the pinch weld and doing a cab mount chop even on lifted trucks.

 

[ShankedT4R]

As good as the wheel well would look being stuffed with 33’s on stock suspension, I would say go suspension first, and then tires

 

[Tyler]

As good as the wheel well would look being stuffed with 33’s on stock suspension, I would say go suspension first, and then tires

This one. There’s no function to stuffing the tires and having all that rub. But the extra clearance from the lift is still helpful off-road even without tires.

 

[mh.meier]

This one. There’s no function to stuffing the tires and having all that rub. But the extra clearance from the lift is still helpful off-road even without tires.

Agreed, I did so much of my wheeling when I first got the truck on some "Nanking" radial 265/75R16's and a 3" lift haha!

 

[Sour_Taco]

Suspension first, tires second.

Every. single. time.


Unless you're sticking with stock specs, this is the truth.

 

[Audidood]

Thanks guys! Time to research on a decent 3” lift. suggestions based on first-hand experience welcome!

 

[0uTkAsT]

Thanks guys! Time to research on a decent 3” lift. suggestions based on first-hand experience welcome!

What's your budget and use? It's hard to start flinging recommendations at you without knowing what you want it to do and how much you can afford to spend...

Is it 99% daily driver with some fire road exploration, a pavement princess that just needs to look cool, a toy you take rock crawing or prerunning, etc?

Do you carry extra weight?

Do you have a $1,200, $1,600, $3,500, or $4,000+ budget?

What's your overall goal?

 

[Sour_Taco]

@OuTkAsT asks some valid questions.

What I will say, is if you're in the middle of the road, like I was/am, give the OME BP-51 kit some serious thought. Bang for buck it's a pretty good deal. Not the biggest lift in the world, but still exceptionally capable. I'd have gone with King if my budget and offroading goals were higher, but the OME setup is perfect for my mostly daily driver with occasional go wherever I want to desires.

 

[0uTkAsT]

The two biggest cost considerations, in my experience, is whether you can happily get away with AALs vs. full replacement leaf packs, and whether or not you can happily get away with stock replacement shocks vs. coilovers. How you use it determines which of those two things applies... from there you can start planning your suspension out based on budget.

Biggest mistake people make is misjudging or disregarding their actual intended use by either assuming they need the absolute best, most bombproof system in the world to drive around town and pick the kids up from school every day or the opposite, thinking they can get away with 5100s and an add-a-leaf to do cross-country off-roading with 600 pounds of gear in the back of their truck.

 

[Sour_Taco]

The two biggest cost considerations, in my experience, is whether you can happily get away with AALs vs. full replacement leaf packs, and whether or not you can happily get away with stock replacement shocks vs. coilovers. How you use it determines which of those two things applies... from there you can start planning your suspension out based on budget.

Biggest mistake people make is misjudging or disregarding their actual intended use by either assuming they need the absolute best, most bombproof system in the world to drive around town and pick the kids up from school every day or the opposite, thinking they can get away with 5100s and an add-a-leaf to do cross-country off-roading with 600 pounds of gear in the back of their truck.

Exactly.

 

[MaverickTRD]

The benefit of doing tires first is you'll know exactly what you'll need to cut.

No matter what suspension lift one chooses, full bump (compression) will have the same tire clearance as stock. At static ride height it may rub less than stock suspension but it won't make much difference when wheeling or on aggressive turns/bumps without trimming.

Secondly, if you have stock or stock offset wheels 285s will rub the upper control arm and/or the frame unless you run wheel spacers

I've run ome suspension on my 4runner for 7 years and while it doesn't have the bling of some of the other rigs I've taken it places a lot of people wouldn't dare take their taco.
As long as it is something of decent quality and reputation you can't really go wrong

 

[Malcolm]

The benefit of doing tires first is you'll know exactly what you'll need to cut.

No matter what suspension lift one chooses, full bump (compression) will have the same tire clearance as stock. At static ride height it may rub less than stock suspension but it won't make much difference when wheeling or on aggressive turns/bumps without trimming.

Secondly, if you have stock or stock offset wheels 285s will rub the upper control arm and/or the frame unless you run wheel spacers

I've run ome suspension on my 4runner for 7 years and while it doesn't have the bling of some of the other rigs I've taken it places a lot of people wouldn't dare take their taco.
As long as it is something of decent quality and reputation you can't really go wrong

Got 3 inches all around no rub on 285 and I beat the hell out of my pro

 

[mh.meier]

The benefit of doing tires first is you'll know exactly what you'll need to cut.

No matter what suspension lift one chooses, full bump (compression) will have the same tire clearance as stock. At static ride height it may rub less than stock suspension but it won't make much difference when wheeling or on aggressive turns/bumps without trimming.

Secondly, if you have stock or stock offset wheels 285s will rub the upper control arm and/or the frame unless you run wheel spacers

I've run ome suspension on my 4runner for 7 years and while it doesn't have the bling of some of the other rigs I've taken it places a lot of people wouldn't dare take their taco.
As long as it is something of decent quality and reputation you can't really go wrong

This will also vary if you space your bumper but I have no rubbing at full compression.

 

[MaverickTRD]

Got 3 inches all around no rub on 285 and I beat the hell out of my pro

Are your bump stops still factory? If so you have the same potential to rub on compression.
Cruising or mild compression less likely to rub.

 

[mh.meier]

I never have touched the upper wheel well so I dont know, my bumps are spaced down a hair as well.

 

[Malcolm]

Are your bump stops still factory? If so you have the same potential to rub on compression.
Cruising or mild compression less likely to rub.

Even at full never rubbed

 

[Audidood]

Thanks for the inputs, guys. I daily drive mine and will probably only be doing about 10% offroad, that being fire roads, sand and/or light trails initially. My budget is around $1600, definitely below $2k. For my purposes i seriously doubt i’ll need resis. I don’t want to go spacer lift either, but am not sure i’ll need coilovers either. But being able to adjust if necessary is a nice perk too.

 

[0uTkAsT]

Thanks for the inputs, guys. I daily drive mine and will probably only be doing about 10% offroad, that being fire roads, sand and/or light trails initially. My budget is around $1600, definitely below $2k. For my purposes i seriously doubt i’ll need resis. I don’t want to go spacer lift either, but am not sure i’ll need coilovers either. But being able to adjust if necessary is a nice perk too.

Any extra weight? Bumpers, bed rack, RTT, etc?

Sounds like 5100s and SPC UCAs are going to work for you. The types of springs depends on your load. I'd go with 888 coils and progressive AALs if you're stock weight, 886s and Dakars if you've got extra weight.

 

[Audidood]

Any extra weight? Bumpers, bed rack, RTT, etc?

Sounds like 5100s and SPC UCAs are going to work for you. The types of springs depends on your load. I'd go with 888 coils and progressive AALs if you're stock weight, 886s and Dakars if you've got extra weight.

Oops, ya forgot to mention that. No extra weight. If any it would just be sliders. thanks for the tips, kind sir.

 

[0uTkAsT]

Oops, ya forgot to mention that. No extra weight. If any it would just be sliders. thanks for the tips, kind sir.

This is what I'd recommend, it comes in at under $1,200 including 5100s all around with 888 coils, progressive AALs, UCAs, lean spacer, strut assembly, etc.

https://www.headstrongoffroad.com/store/p401/Coil/Bilstein_5100_Kit_(HS16BK-1).html

 

[Audidood]

This is what I'd recommend, it comes in at under $1,200 including 5100s all around with 888 coils, progressive AALs, UCAs, lean spacer, strut assembly, etc.

https://www.headstrongoffroad.com/store/p401/Coil/Bilstein_5100_Kit_(HS16BK-1).html

Awesome, thanks! Tried fitting it up and...

Doh! is the OME kit any better? price point is not too much more, and still super affordable.

 

[0uTkAsT]

Awesome, thanks! Tried fitting it up and...

Doh! is the OME kit any better? price point is not too much more, and still super affordable.

5100s are better shocks than the OME Nitrochargers, so I would hold out. Maybe try contacting Marie at Headstrong tomorrow for an ETA.

Don't forget to tell her @0uTkAsT from T3G sent you! I don't get any kickbacks or anything but I'm trying to get her set up as a vendor over here so it would help if there's business leads to further entice them to sign up

 

[MaverickTRD]

I'd go ome over Bilstein every time.

 

[Tyler]

5100s are better shocks than the OME Nitrochargers, so I would hold out. Maybe try contacting Marie at Headstrong tomorrow for an ETA.

Don't forget to tell her @0uTkAsT from T3G sent you! I don't get any kickbacks or anything but I'm trying to get her set up as a vendor over here so it would help if there's business leads to further entice them to sign up

We had an email conversation about this and while she appreciates the regular recommendations we give HS, she feels there’s just not enough time in the day to manage customer service here on top of the messages she gets on TW.

 

[0uTkAsT]

We had an email conversation about this and while she appreciates the regular recommendations we give HS, she feels there’s just not enough time in the day to manage customer service here on top of the messages she gets on TW.

Total bummer but 100% understandable.

I will still jab at her about it from time to time though

 

[mh.meier]

We had an email conversation about this and while she appreciates the regular recommendations we give HS, she feels there’s just not enough time in the day to manage customer service here on top of the messages she gets on TW.

Dont worry TW will die.

 

[0uTkAsT]

Dont worry TW will die.

It's already dead but I logged in and still had four unsolicited PMs from morons asking "HaY Wat lIfT r u RuNNin luks nce id liek to no" and "wut tires u have any lift do dey rub"

I feel like dealing with the retards on that site would be a full time job as a vendor and seldom generate any sales

 

[Catfish]

@OuTkAsT asks some valid questions.

What I will say, is if you're in the middle of the road, like I was/am, give the OME BP-51 kit some serious thought. Bang for buck it's a pretty good deal. Not the biggest lift in the world, but still exceptionally capable. I'd have gone with King if my budget and offroading goals were higher, but the OME setup is perfect for my mostly daily driver with occasional go wherever I want to desires.

i'm with this guy. i'm going with ome bp-51 full set in the fall. to compliment 35s. ?