Legitimate benefits to lifting a vehicle?

[Poser]

A properly lifted 4Runner with larger tires and gearing will allow you to go places that a stock runner would have a harder time or not even be able to do, that's a fact.
A properly lifted 4Runner will allow greater articulation while giving you a better on/off road ride, that's fact.
You asked about 4Runners, I've owned 5 with 4 being lifted, the stock one I would never take the places that I've taken the lifted ones.
There is however a point of diminished returns with lift and tire size on 4Runners.
While to me, my 4Runners look nice, they were built for a purpose and I couldn't care less what my neighbor driving a stock vehicle thinks.

Here’s one from my neighborhood. This guy built this thing up in his driveway over the last 3-4 years. Solid front axle.

 

[Thinkingman]

bigger tires give you more sidewall....
it also gives you bigger lugs which are also deeper.
wider tread pattern, which is more surface area.

Worst thing for snow and ice.

 

[black dawg]

Worst thing for snow and ice.

For packed/highway/less than axle tube deep snow, yes.

 

[MattB]

And for what the OP is doing. There is no reason other than looks, to lift a rig

That wasn’t the question.

 

[Thinkingman]

That wasn’t the question.

It was exactly the question.

 

[dtrkyman]

I took the rake out of my Grand Cherokee with the Bilstein and added 32.1 inch tires over the factory 29.5.

It came with skid plates and 4 low, been through some nasty stuff, much worse and I would have had some damage, well more serious damage!

I drive too many highway miles for too much lift and mud tires, no way I am listening to them for 15 hrs!

 

[madcalfe]

Worst thing for snow and ice.

we weren't talking about winter conditions or winter tires.
no 37' MT will compare to a winter tire driven on icy plowed winter road conditions. way softer tire compound in winter tires. Although if your snow by 4ing with 1-2ft of fresh snow a new set of studded 37" tires that are sipped and aired down will take you a lot more places than a regular stock truck with winter 265x70w tires.

no different than when I go sledding. I'm usually the one breaking the trails up to the parking lot where we unload our sleds at the base of the mountain because the stock trucks with studded winter tires will just get high centered if there's a bunch of fresh snow.

 

[Fatcamp]

Here’s one from my neighborhood. This guy built this thing up in his driveway over the last 3-4 years. Solid front axle.

Yet many believe a stock Subaru and "correct driving technique" would handle the same conditions.

 

[TreeWalking]

Yet many believe a stock Subaru and "correct driving technique" would handle the same conditions.

And, the Subie will not have a handful of pricy parts worn out sooner due to increased stress from the lifted position. Of course, you will be driving a Subie. You will save quite a bit on the cost of dating which also adds up along with savings on maintenance. A final observation, for every instance of damage avoided by driving a lifted truck there is the neckbeard corollary which says you will have two instances of damage from trying to go places never should attempt. Build wealth and smile as others flush paychecks chasing the dream of rapidly depreciating assets. Now, where did I put my Costco bourbon?

 

[Steve300xcw]

Considering how much money most of you dorks spend each year just to try and kill something. I find the mere mention of dollars wasted by lifting a truck rather funny.

 

[Marbles]

Room to install better suspension (only suspension lifts are really useful).
Room for larger tires with more ground clearance
Better approach and departure angles
Better break over clearance

Most lifts are for looks. If you have to ask for legitimate reason, then you probably have no need for a lift. If you have something to achieve, figure out how to achieve it, and if it involves a lift, go for it.

 

[Fowl Play]

To prevent my peepee from dragging on the ground.

Wish I could tell you how many lifted two wheel drive trucks I see stuck at boat ramps around here…

 

[Ross]

Unless off roading and back country enthusiast or in snow a lot for more clearance no need, but they make Rigs look much better especially 4Runners

 

[helidriver72]

Sometimes a leveling kit is called for much but not much more than that.

 

[Nykki]

I put a Carli Back country 2 inch lift on my 06 Dodge for running the haul road. It was the best thing I ever did to that truck, way better ride and could handle that road at any speed I wanted to drive. Wasn't really noticably lifted but had way better travel both front and back. Started with Bilstein 5160s but they couldn't handle the cold so went with Fox 2.0 and rocked on. Truck now has over 500k miles with over a 150k of that on the haul road. Ppl

 

[seand]

Toyota IFS lifts don’t really allow you to run a larger tire than you can with no lift. Unless you limit wheel travel, never flex your suspension, or just deal with the rubbing.

There are other benefits than tire size. I had to use a cutoff wheel to remove my skid plate on my tundra after my antelope hunt, it was so banged up and deformed. A small IFS lift would have helped. Anything over two inches is going to ride like crap and probably reduce wheel travel.

This guy explains it better than anyone ive heard. He’s got a a bunch of videos worth watching

 

[Yoder]

All Tacomas need a lift. Even if you never take them off a paved road. That and a winch.

 

[Broadjumper]

Remember too on IFS vehicles it's all about the "droop" too. Change one thing you then have to change another, then another for a minimal gain. Try going to 33" from 31" tires on what we call a Hilux in OZ, fuel economy is 1400 ks with the standard rims and tires, economy when the 33s are on shrinks to 1100ks, plus the auto won't get into 6th gear. Your speed on steep downhills will increase with bigger rubber, more stress on the driveline and bearings etc. Unless your doing serious off road work , try to avoid it. Or get a modest lift if say two inches, fit a diff lock too if you need it. The only vehicles really worth lifting are your live axle jobs, they allow you to do some really significant stuff. But for most hunting applications I don't see the need. You guys should check out some 4x4 tracks and vehicles that do the tracks in the high country in Victoria, plenty of stock vehicles doing ok in some seriously sketchy places. I do admit to having a small lift on my L/cruiser 100.

 

[black dawg]

For something that is regularly highway driven, there are far more drawbacks than benefits to having a lift.

There are legitimate needs for lifted/modded vehicles, just like there is better gear available for just about any activity we do.

 

[xsn10s]

A properly lifted 4Runner with larger tires and gearing will allow you to go places that a stock runner would have a harder time or not even be able to do, that's a fact.
A properly lifted 4Runner will allow greater articulation while giving you a better on/off road ride, that's fact.
You asked about 4Runners, I've owned 5 with 4 being lifted, the stock one I would never take the places that I've taken the lifted ones.
There is however a point of diminished returns with lift and tire size on 4Runners.
While to me, my 4Runners look nice, they were built for a purpose and I couldn't care less what my neighbor driving a stock vehicle thinks.

Nice rigs! I agree there is a point of diminishing returns. And at a certain point you'll most likely have to upgrade brakes when bumping up tire size. I know on my XJ it's around the 33" mark.