Driving Line VOLUME V ISSUE 2 | SPRING 2019 | Page 66

2015 TOYOTA 4RUNNER KING SUSPENSION UPGRADE
Story and Photos by Ali Mansour
In the world of off-road–capable SUVs, the Toyota 4Runner has quite the legacy.
While the evolution of the 4Runner has it far removed from the simplistic and rugged
solid-axle first-generation models, the midsized SUV hasn’t forgotten its roots. As
one of the few body-on-frame SUVs still offered in North America, the fifth-generation
4Runner sports a solid rear axle and independent front suspension that it shares
with the Toyota Tacoma. Aside from the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, there are few more
affordable and capable midsized SUVs on the market.
Maybe the only thing the 4Runner is lacking out of the box is a dynamic
suspension system. Sure, you could opt for the TRD Pro if you were looking to buy
new, but that’s going to set you back a cool $6,000 more than a base SR5. You can
buy a lot of upgrades for that kind of coin. For our ’15 Toyota 4Runner, we enjoy the
comforts of the daily driven SUV, but have always felt the stock suspension falls a
little short. This is partly due to the IFS/solid axle rear configuration that reacts very
differently to absorbing obstacles.
Couple this with slightly undervalued factory shocks, and you have the recipe
for a bucking SUV in the dirt and an extra-bouncy one on the road. The fix? For us,
it was as simple as replacing the front and rear shocks. Since we were happy with
the 4Runner’s ride height, but not the ride quality, we wanted something that would
improve the suspension performance without creating the complications sometimes
associated with lifting the vehicle. With an assortment of options available from the
aftermarket, we chose King’s OEM Performance Series for the value, quality track
record, and bolt-on system built specifically for the fifth-generation 4Runner.
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