2015 4Runner Trail Premium Mods?

[BobG]

Anyone who owns a 5th Gen 4Runner that can suggest what mods I should start with? I have a Trail Premium with then KDSS suspension and I'd like to lift it a couple of inches, add tires and wheels. What have you done to your 5th Gen? Photos would be great!

 

[boehml]

Depends what terrain you're planning to tackle. Tires are very important, maybe more so than a lift to clear larger tires if you won't be encountering large obstacles. So, what type of terrain are you building for?

 

[NWNavigator]

I did an Icon Stage 2 with the expedition rear springs, UCAs and rear track bar. More out of necessity as I was carrying a load of stuff and the rear was sagging.... Stock tires were replaced at 700 miles in favor of BFG KOs on TRD wheels. Will fit a new set of KO2s this fall, may bump up a size. Custom cooler/stove slide, TruckVault, ConsoleVault, TRD skid plate modified to fit with KDSS, Misc. TRD bling and badging , ( love messing with the dealership techs, TRD Pro or Trail?) CVT awning, James Baroud Explorer Evolution RTT, Gobi Rack, Line-X bumper trim, N-Fab wife steps, inReach GPS/SATCOM w/iPad.

I'm not a rockcrawler, just a backroad explorer. Adding an Engel 12v refrigerator and second battery, soon. May switch to sliders sometime, add a rear bumper to mount the spare, add a winch, maybe a few lights....and dirt. Plenty of dirt.

 

[BobG]

Depends what terrain you're planning to tackle. Tires are very important, maybe more so than a lift to clear larger tires if you won't be encountering large obstacles. So, what type of terrain are you building for?

I agree that tires are very important which is why I'm doing as much research as possible before pulling the trigger. I'm looking at moderate trails that won't beat me up too much. I have no intention on doing any extreme rock crawls. I'll be looking into undercarriage protection as well. Any suggestions on tires is appreciated. BTW, this is also my daily driver, I commute about 25 miles each way to and from work.

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[BobG]

I did an Icon Stage 2 with the expedition rear springs, UCAs and rear track bar. More out of necessity as I was carrying a load of stuff and the rear was sagging.... Stock tires were replaced at 700 miles in favor of BFG KOs on TRD wheels. Will fit a new set of KO2s this fall, may bump up a size. Custom cooler/stove slide, TruckVault, ConsoleVault, TRD skid plate modified to fit with KDSS, Misc. TRD bling and badging , ( love messing with the dealership techs, TRD Pro or Trail?) CVT awning, James Baroud Explorer Evolution RTT, Gobi Rack, Line-X bumper trim, N-Fab wife steps, inReach GPS/SATCOM w/iPad.

I'm not a rockcrawler, just a backroad explorer. Adding an Engel 12v refrigerator and second battery, soon. May switch to sliders sometime, add a rear bumper to mount the spare, add a winch, maybe a few lights....and dirt. Plenty of dirt.

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Wow, quite an investment!
It will take me awhile to reach that many mods. I also want to do back road type trails without the worries. Thanks for your input!

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[NWNavigator]

Wow, quite an investment!

Don't tell my wife... 33,000 miles of justification so far. Daily driver and weekend explorer. We've done a few 2000 mile vacation loops, and I've done more than a few 800 mile fly fishing weekends. Might even be heading your way this spring. Need to do a little research at a museum in Stockton that has a Holt Traction Engine ledger.... long story. Involves an overland road train and my great grandfather... Life is an adventure of discovery, or at least it should be.

Travel safe!

 

[boehml]

I agree that tires are very important which is why I'm doing as much research as possible before pulling the trigger. I'm looking at moderate trails that won't beat me up too much. I have no intention on doing any extreme rock crawls. I'll be looking into undercarriage protection as well. Any suggestions on tires is appreciated. BTW, this is also my daily driver, I commute about 25 miles each way to and from work.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J320A using OB Talk mobile app

In your case, can't go wrong with a set of KO2's. If you have a TRD model, you've got 11.6" of ground clearance which is plenty for what you said you want to do. I'd recommend fitting the largest tire you could on the stock suspension without causing problems, if you have the TRD model. If you don't it's a good investment to upgrade suspension parts for better shocks and suspension components which can support weight.

After that, I would say its pretty much optional. You could add a winch for a piece of mind, or you could add a fridge/freezer because you plan on going on long trips where a cooler won't do. It's really all up to you. Let us know what you're interested in doing next and we can always help recommend stuff :)

 

[BobG]

In your case, can't go wrong with a set of KO2's. If you have a TRD model, you've got 11.6" of ground clearance which is plenty for what you said you want to do. I'd recommend fitting the largest tire you could on the stock suspension without causing problems, if you have the TRD model. If you don't it's a good investment to upgrade suspension parts for better shocks and suspension components which can support weight.

After that, I would say its pretty much optional. You could add a winch for a piece of mind, or you could add a fridge/freezer because you plan on going on long trips where a cooler won't do. It's really all up to you. Let us know what you're interested in doing next and we can always help recommend stuff :)

Those are actually the tires I'm interested in. Appreciate your advice, I own the Trail model with KDSS suspension and really don't want to change it. Maybe a leveling kit.
Thanks again!

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[BobG]

Don't tell my wife... 33,000 miles of justification so far. Daily driver and weekend explorer. We've done a few 2000 mile vacation loops, and I've done more than a few 800 mile fly fishing weekends. Might even be heading your way this spring. Need to do a little research at a museum in Stockton that has a Holt Traction Engine ledger.... long story. Involves an overland road train and my great grandfather... Life is an adventure of discovery, or at least it should be.

Travel safe!

Let me know if you come to Stockton. I know the tractor well. It's at the Haggin Museum in Victory Park. The Holt tractor was built by Benjamin Holt and it's a beast!

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[boehml]

Those are actually the tires I'm interested in. Appreciate your advice, I own the Trail model with KDSS suspension and really don't want to change it. Maybe a leveling kit.
Thanks again!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J320A using OB Talk mobile app

Perfect, I highly recommend KO2's that will fit your stock suspension in that case. Looking forward to your build!

 

[Steve]

Hi Bob, and welcome aboard!

I have a 2016 4Runner Trail Premium w/KDSS, so I started out where you are. We all have widely differing expectations and goals in where we want to travel and how big an investment we want to make. None of us can make those decisions for you.

For me, the first (and only) suspension/drivetrain modification was tires. The day after brining my new 4Runner home, I had a set of five BFG TA KO2 LT275/70-17 E-rated tires mounted on the stock wheels. That was it. The Trail Edition is already extraordinarily capable off road, and I felt no need to go about messing with the great on road characteristics. Here in Ohio, it is hours or days of highway driving to get to interesting places, so I wanted to maintain that comfort and reliability.

I figure if I get to places where I'm bashing the bumpers or stock underside protection, *then* I'll look at heavier duty replacements or lifting for more clearance. But no sense in replacing them just because I want to.

I've added comfort and convenience items, several of which I brought over from my Subaru Outback. You can find a list in my build thread linked in my sig.

Best advice is to do what you want, and not what everyone else does. I look forward to seeing your unique creation.
Steve

 

[wolverinebruin]

Hi Bob, and welcome aboard!

I have a 2016 4Runner Trail Premium w/KDSS, so I started out where you are. We all have widely differing expectations and goals in where we want to travel and how big an investment we want to make. None of us can make those decisions for you.

For me, the first (and only) suspension/drivetrain modification was tires. The day after brining my new 4Runner home, I had a set of five BFG TA KO2 LT275/70-17 E-rated tires mounted on the stock wheels. That was it. The Trail Edition is already extraordinarily capable off road, and I felt no need to go about messing with the great on road characteristics. Here in Ohio, it is hours or days of highway driving to get to interesting places, so I wanted to maintain that comfort and reliability.

I figure if I get to places where I'm bashing the bumpers or stock underside protection, *then* I'll look at heavier duty replacements or lifting for more clearance. But no sense in replacing them just because I want to.

I've added comfort and convenience items, several of which I brought over from my Subaru Outback. You can find a list in my build thread linked in my sig.

Best advice is to do what you want, and not what everyone else does. I look forward to seeing your unique creation.
Steve

Steve, that's a great perspective. I'm new to my 4Runner (my previous overlanding vehicle was a 2004 Honda Accord which has logged multiple full/half x-country journeys). It's really easy to get overwhelmed by the T4R.org echo chamber (in a good way) and get carried away with mods. I feel "lucky" to have only purchased Shrockworks rock sliders and skid plates so far. I'll continue to take this journey slowly, especially with an overlanding state of mind!

 

[mase001]

Another vote for BFG KO2's. That's what I'm running on my 16 Trail. Love the SSO slimline bumper/winch combo. Also I have the toytec / bilstein lift coming in. I only want 2" or so and it's mostly just for clearance of snow not rock climbing so it's a good compromise between price and extreme duty.

Also check out the camburg ucas if you do a lift! Very nice!

Good luck!!

 

[jrbechthold]

Another vote for BFG KO2's. That's what I'm running on my 16 Trail. Love the SSO slimline bumper/winch combo. Also I have the toytec / bilstein lift coming in. I only want 2" or so and it's mostly just for clearance of snow not rock climbing so it's a good compromise between price and extreme duty.

Also check out the camburg ucas if you do a lift! Very nice!

Good luck!!

I am considering that same lift on my 2015 TEP... how heavy is the SSO bumper? That is on my list of wants (needs?) and I want to make sure when I upgrade the suspension, I get something that can handle the weight of the bumper / winch...

 

[mase001]

The slim line is light. Depends on options /light/ winch but my winch and bumper combined will be 164lbs

 

[jrbechthold]

The slim line is light. Depends on options /light/ winch but my winch and bumper combined will be 164lbs

OK... should be no problem for the coilovers I am looking at... Thanks!