Why are you planning to sell it after another 25k miles? For the type of driving you use it for, I'd keep it and install some Old Man Emu BP-51 shocks and coilovers.
Struts/shocks for 2021 4Runner
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I am in agreement the Bilstein is a high quality choice otherwise I would have not used them on so many different vehicles.
I have zero experience with their car products, unless a RAV4 is considered a car. But I do not use it at the track.
All I am saying is that Eibach is a better choice at the 5100 price point because it offers a better balance of Offroad ability and on road ability. The Eibach offer the same adjustments and held up to extreme road salt and tons of abuse. Now if OP is doing advanced off-roading there are far better choices than the 5100’s or Eibach Sports, such as the Bilstein 8 series. But we are speaking entry level (Offroad) aftermarket shocks here.
I have used the 4600’s to offroad and I think they make for great load hauling and towing shocks for pickups. With an empty bed they are not harsh but they not comfortable either. However they did provide much better stability than the stock shocks under load.
The 5100’s are great on smooth roads doing highway speeds but are harsh on NYC potholes in weather below 30 degrees. I would take the Eibachs all day everyday and twice on Sunday for those last conditions I mentioned. If I were going to racing over whoops in the desert, didn’t care about on road comfort, and was on a budget: Bilstein 5100 it is.
There is always a trade off between Offroad performance and road performance. It’s quite conflicting in my opinion.
Keep an eye out for TRD PRO take offs. Folks buy the TRD PRO, then tend to lift it. They’re either going to be Bilstein 6112 (front)/Bilstein 5160 (rear, remote resi) in the first few TRD PRO years, or a FOX setup in later years. The TRD PRO setup will lift the front around an inch to level the truck.
$1,700 new, can probably find takeoffs for $1,200 or less: https://www.shocksurplus.com/products/bilstein-6112-strut-spring-assembled-rear-b8-5160-reservoir-shocks-set-for-2010-2023-toyota-4runner-trd-pro-4wd?variant=39801613058097&stkn=9b330414ad0b&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=SS+|+Shop+|+TROAS+-+Bilstein+Sets+Enthusiast+Super+Campaign+Split+1&utm_term=default&tw_term=bilstein-set-enthusiast+split+1&tw_content=82601175401654|a1ffd1d5f5831e9928ffb891efda2dc8|campaignid|518448187|agid|1321614618109928|adid|82601175401654|ntwk|o|targetid|pla-4586200442708001l|ocp|77636|matchtype|e|dev|m&msclkid=a1ffd1d5f5831e9928ffb891efda2dc8&utm_content=bilstein-set-enthusiast+split+1
$1,700 new, can probably find takeoffs for $1,200 or less: https://www.shocksurplus.com/products/bilstein-6112-strut-spring-assembled-rear-b8-5160-reservoir-shocks-set-for-2010-2023-toyota-4runner-trd-pro-4wd?variant=39801613058097&stkn=9b330414ad0b&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=SS+|+Shop+|+TROAS+-+Bilstein+Sets+Enthusiast+Super+Campaign+Split+1&utm_term=default&tw_term=bilstein-set-enthusiast+split+1&tw_content=82601175401654|a1ffd1d5f5831e9928ffb891efda2dc8|campaignid|518448187|agid|1321614618109928|adid|82601175401654|ntwk|o|targetid|pla-4586200442708001l|ocp|77636|matchtype|e|dev|m&msclkid=a1ffd1d5f5831e9928ffb891efda2dc8&utm_content=bilstein-set-enthusiast+split+1
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I see the phrase "quick struts" a lot. What does it mean?
The OEM shocks lasted 90K+, that doesn't seem so bad.
No clue, I take it I need to ask?
Is this a concern at the dealer, too?
How much do you think the job should cost? And are you referring to the dealer quote, the shop quote, or both?
I don't have the workplace, the tools, or the know-how to do this job myself.
Hmm, the stock parts lasted 90K or so, to me that seems pretty good.
BTW, 93K is the highest mileage I've ever put on a vehicle. While I've owned previous vehicles for longer than this, I've never run up so many miles.
For those of us who don't have the resources to do the work ourselves, car maintenance/repair is expensive.
Quick struts are a complete assembly that includes the strut itself, the coil spring, the mount, and hardware, already assembled
Normally, you have to compress a huge coil spring, which can be scary, so the quick struts are easier to deal with and easier to install, as most people don't have a spring compressor.
I think the shocks/struts wearing out at 93K (including plenty of off-highway driving) would be considered normal wear and tear! TBH I hadn't even considered trying to make a warranty claim, for that reason.
I have a 2021 4WD 4Runner SR5 with 93K miles on it. This includes a lot of off-highway driving, including truly rough tracks. I anticipate the same driving patterns going forward.
I've overcome my denial and accepted that the shocks/struts need replacing. For example, the nose dives sharply under hard braking, and the vehicle fishtails badly on washboarded roads at low speeds.
So far I've gathered quotes from a Toyota dealer and from a shop near my home. The dealer quoted $2123, though I can save $150 with a deal listed on their website.
The local shop quoted $2164 for KYB all around, including a 4-wheel alignment which was not part of the dealer quote. The same shop quoted $1387 for FCS all around, still including the 4-wheel alignment.
I've seen mixed reviews for FCS on this site. And the situations where they were regarded as okay seemed to be lower-mileage passenger cars or other vehicles that rarely if ever see dirt. OTOH, KYB seems to be well-regarded.
Another data point is that right now, I don't expect to keep the vehicle past 125K miles (when the extended warranty runs out). So, is it worth spending the extra for the KYB? Even if I only drive it another 25K-30K, will FCS hold up to four-wheeling?
Having said all that, I'm open to thoughts and suggestions from the forum.
Have you considered air ride?I have a 2021 4WD 4Runner SR5 with 93K miles on it. This includes a lot of off-highway driving, including truly rough tracks. I anticipate the same driving patterns going forward.
I've overcome my denial and accepted that the shocks/struts need replacing. For example, the nose dives sharply under hard braking, and the vehicle fishtails badly on washboarded roads at low speeds.
So far I've gathered quotes from a Toyota dealer and from a shop near my home. The dealer quoted $2123, though I can save $150 with a deal listed on their website.
The local shop quoted $2164 for KYB all around, including a 4-wheel alignment which was not part of the dealer quote. The same shop quoted $1387 for FCS all around, still including the 4-wheel alignment.
I've seen mixed reviews for FCS on this site. And the situations where they were regarded as okay seemed to be lower-mileage passenger cars or other vehicles that rarely if ever see dirt. OTOH, KYB seems to be well-regarded.
Another data point is that right now, I don't expect to keep the vehicle past 125K miles (when the extended warranty runs out). So, is it worth spending the extra for the KYB? Even if I only drive it another 25K-30K, will FCS hold up to four-wheeling?
Having said all that, I'm open to thoughts and suggestions from the forum.
Why are preassembled struts "infamous"? I just learned from another post about compressing the spring and that it might be considered dangerous.
The quoted price for the KYB strut is $503.95 and for FCS it's $199.95 so does that sound like complete assemblies?
Could you elaborate?
I'm not looking to mod/upgrade, just looking for a good value replacing some worn components!
I don't normally keep vehicles very long. I've never rung up this many miles on any vehicle. Not having the resources or know-how to do major repairs, future repair bills could quickly add up to more than car payments once it's totally out of warranty.
Thanks, but I'll still have to pay the labor costs to have the work done.
There are companies that make air spring kits that are quite reasonable and are drop in.
Air spring kit
A 4runner forum has alot of information on this topic. Might be worth a look.
The preassembled struts use a somewhat generic spring that may not be specific to your vehicle's exact configuration. The aftermarket is notorious for consolidating numerous OE applications into a single part number for inventory purposes. Combine this with junky mounts and boots, and you can expect less longevity from a "preassumbled strut" than your existing unit.
If it was my truck, OEM or Bilsteins would be me choice. KYB Gas-A-Just or Monomax if money’s tight. I wouldn’t be shocked if OME was also Bilstein.
FCS/Sensen is probably sold by the parts stores as their MasterPro/Duralast/Driveworks/MacPherson brands.
Also, check marketplace. The bros will sell them to finance a lift kit.
FCS/Sensen is probably sold by the parts stores as their MasterPro/Duralast/Driveworks/MacPherson brands.
Also, check marketplace. The bros will sell them to finance a lift kit.
