The addition of a Toyota 4Runner lift kit is a simple way of giving your ride a more aggressive look in addition to increasing your off-road capability. Based on what you’re trying to achieve, there are numerous companies that offer kits to suit your needs at a variety of price points. We’ve found some of the best in the business to accommodate every 4Runner owners needs.
We all know that not all things are created equally, and couldn’t be more true when it comes to picking a Toyota 4Runner lift kit. If you’re simply looking to increase your ride height to accommodate larger tires, there are manufactures that offer very basic kits to get the job done for a minimal impact to your wallet. On the opposite end of the spectrum, some 4Runner owners are looking for an increase in suspension performance to maximize the 4Runner’s off-road potential, which there are plenty of options as well but with a substantial increase of cost and complexity for installation.
Regardless of what you’re looking for, our team of experts has done the research for you. From the most basic lift to a complex suspension upgrade, we hand the best Toyota 4Runner lift kits on the market for your consideration.
Table of contents
1. Editor's Choice: ARB Suspension Body Lift Kit
If you’re serious about going off-road, you’ve likely got plenty of additional weight in bumpers, winches, etc and need to give your stock suspension a boost. This is what makes the ARB Old Man EMU (OME) a top choice for a Toyota 4Runner Lift Kit. Built for 2010 and newer 4Runners, ARB’s OME Suspension Body Lift Kit adds 3-inches of extra height to your vehicle, allowing for greater clearance from larger tires. The OME kit comes with both front and rear coil springs, two front McPherson shocks, one Old Man Emu Cap, and two rear monotube shocks. The coil springs are made using cutting-edge micro-alloyed spring steel, ensuring that they provide superior resistance to corrosion and sagging, which is common after adding all those off-road accessories making this kit perfect to eliminate that sag. If you have intermediate mechanical skills, this lift kit should be fairly easy for you to install at home, but if you’re not comfortable with working with suspension components and doing a lift kit install, we recommend you turn to the pros.
2. Runner Up: ReadyLIFT Smart Suspension Technology Lift Kit
If you want to transform your 4Runner into a taller, beefier and more commanding looking vehicle, the ReadyLIFT Smart Suspension Technology (SST) Lift is Toyota 4Runner lift kit you need. The ReadyLIFT SSD gives 2006-2021 Toyota 4Runners a true 3-inch suspension lift by using a pair of powder coated steel strut extensions, front differential drop brackets, skid plate spacers and a set of rear lift spring spacers. Unlike many other suspension kits, the ReadyLIFT SSD doesn’t require any cutting or dangerous strut spring pre-loading making it simple and safe to install, so you can mount up to a 33-inch max tire size.
3. Rough Country 2-Inch Lift Kit
If you’re looking to add height and clearance to your Toyota, the Rough Country’s Toyota 4Runner lift kit will do just that at a price you can afford. Rough Country delivers the perfect combination of comfort and style for your Toyota 4Runner through the use of lifted coil spring spacers and strut extensions for 2-inches of lift to level out your ride, and retain OEM ride quality. Wondering if you can take on this kind of a task yourself? Don’t fret because this installation is extremely simple and can be done in your garage with basic hand tools.
4. Rough Country 3" Suspension Lift
While it’s not the latest and greatest version of the Toyota 4Runner family, the 96-02 model is still a formidable off-road platform. For those that prefer to work with these older units, this Rough Country 3″ lift kit is the perfect addition to give your ride a boost for a more aggressive look, better ground clearance, and tire clearance. The kit comes with RC N3 lifted coil-spring struts for the front, and N3 shocks to work with the 3″ lift coil springs in the rear. While it seems like a fairly basic kit, Rough Country recommends that the kit be installed by a qualified mechanic.
5. Daystar Rear Lift Kit
If heavy loads or an abundance of accessories are making your 2010-2017 4Runner sag, Daystar has the solution with a 1.5-inch baby boost in their Toyota 4Runner lift kit for the rear. These high-desnsity polyurethane spacers improve your tire clearance and stiffen the rear suspension to compensate for the additional weight. Installation is extremely simple so you don’t need a lot of experience. Perhaps best of all, Daystar’s Rear Lift Kit costs a fraction of other entries in our guide. With minimal investment, you can effectively give your 4Runner a modified appearance while improving its performance.
What is the largest tire size I can run after installing a Toyota 4Runner lift kit?
This all depends on which lift kit you get. When you do your research, you’ll find that most manufactures include their recommended tire size in the lift kit information.
I install my Toyota 4Runner lift kit myself or do I need to take it to a professional?
This all depends on your mechanical ability. The difficulty of installation for 4runner lift kits varies from brand to brand. If you are mechanically skilled, most installs might be simple for you. For others, an install for spring spacers may be a daunting task, so the call is how comfortable you are with your mechanical ability.
Additional Resources
- Fixing Tire Rub from Large Off Road Tires
- Tire Selection 101: Picking The Right Off Road Tire
- The Best Mud Tires
Recent Updates
1/20/2022: Ranked products, updated product descriptions, removed obsolete product, updated product links, added new product (rough country 3″ lift), added additional resources.
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