Thinking about installing a 3rd gen 4runner long travel suspension means you're likely ready to move forward from basic lift kits and really see what this platform can do off-road. The 3rd Gen (1996-2002) is arguably one of the best 4Runners ever made, but let's be honest—the stock suspension geometry was designed for grocery getting and light trails, not for blasting through whoops or soaking up technical rock gardens at speed. When you make the jump to long travel, you're essentially rebuilding the entire footprint of the truck to handle terrain that would usually rattle your teeth loose.
What exactly are we talking about here?
Before we dive in to the parts list, we should probably clarify what makes a setup "long travel. " A lot of people get this confused with a standard 3-inch lift. A standard lift mostly just changes the resting height of your truck using taller springs and maybe some aftermarket upper control arms to keep your alignment in check. You're still limited by the factory length of the control arms.
A 3rd gen 4runner long travel suspension is a whole different animal. You're physically widening the stance of the vehicle, usually by 2 to 3. 5 inches on each side. This is attained by using longer upper and lower control arms. By increasing the length of the "lever" (the arms), you allow the wheel to travel via a much larger vertical arc. While a stock 4Runner might give you 7 or 8 inches of total travel, a proper long travel kit can push that toward 12 or 13 inches in the front. That's a massive difference when you're hitting a washboard road at 40 mph.
The front end transformation
The front from the 3rd Gen 4Runner uses an Independent Front Suspension (IFS) setup. This is where most of your budget and time should go. When you install those longer control arms, you can't just keep your old parts. Everything has to stretch to match that new width.
First, you've got the CV axles. Since your hubs are now sitting three inches further out, your stock axles will literally fall out of the diff. Most guys opt for extended 4340 chromoly axle shafts. You'll take your inner and outer joints and swap them onto these longer shafts. It's a messy job, but it's necessary if you want to maintain your 4WD functional.
Then there are the shocks. You aren't going to put a budget spacer lift on the long travel kit. You're looking at 2. 5-inch or even 3. 0-inch diameter coilovers with remote reservoirs. Brands like King, Fox, or ADS are the go-to choices here. These shocks have the stroke length needed to match the increased travel from the arms and the valving to handle the heat generated by fast off-road driving.
Don't forget the steering and brakes
One thing people often overlook when dreaming in regards to a 3rd gen 4runner long travel suspension is the secondary stuff. Your tie rods need to be longer to reach those new steering knuckles. Most kits include extensions, but some people prefer to upgrade to heavy-duty heim-jointed tie rods since the added leverage of wider tires puts a lot more stress within the steering rack.
You'll also need longer brake lines. Your stock rubber lines will snap the 1st time your suspension fully drops out (reaches full "droop"). Stainless-steel braided lines would be the standard upgrade here, and they actually transform your pedal feel a tad too, which is a nice bonus.
The rear suspension struggle
The 4Runner has a 4-link rear suspension with coil springs. This is ideal for articulation, but it's tricky to "long travel" the rear without cutting into the body. Because the shocks are mounted inside the frame rails, you're limited by how much room there is certainly before the shock hits the frame or maybe the tire hits the inner fender.
To truly match the front, many people do a "rear shock relocation. " This involves welding a new crossmember or shock hoops that permit longer 10-inch or 12-inch travel shocks. Some guys even go with a cantilever setup if they wish to keep the cargo area floor flat, but that gets incredibly expensive and complicated. At the very least, you'll want longer trailing arms (links) and extended bump stops to ensure you aren't bottoming-out your expensive shocks and ruining the seals.
The "hidden" cost of going wide
It sounds awesome to have a wide-stance 4Runner that appears like a trophy truck, but it comes with some logistical headaches. The largest one? Your tires are no longer under the truck. They're sticking out past the body.
In case you try to run a 3rd gen 4runner long travel suspension with stock fenders, you will delete your fenders the first time you hit a bump. You have to run fiberglass "bulge" fenders. They are wider wheel arches that cover the tires and give them room to move up into the wheel well without metal-on-rubber contact. This also means you'll probably want to paint or wrap the fiberglass to match all of those other truck, adding another layer to the project's cost.
Also, consider your garage. A long travel 4Runner is significantly wider than a stock one. If you have a good single-car garage or live in a city with narrow parking spots, you might find yourself folding your mirrors in and praying every time you park.
Is it worth the investment?
Let's be real: a full long travel setup for a 20-plus-year-old Toyota isn't cheap. Between the kit, the shocks, the axles, the fiberglass, as well as the inevitable "while I'm in there" repairs, you could easily spend $5, 000 to $10, 000. For some people, that's more than the truck is worth.
However, if you've ever driven a long travel truck off-road, you get it. The way the vehicle flattens out terrain is addictive. You stop looking for the "smooth line" and just start pointing the wheels where you want to go. It turns a jittery, bouncy off-road experience into something which feels controlled and confident.
If you're just doing slow rock crawling or hitting fire roads once a month, a high-quality mid-travel setup (good UCAs and coilovers) is probably plenty. But if you live for the desert, love high-speed trail riding, or simply want the ultimate version of the 3rd Gen platform, there is no substitute for a long travel kit.
Conclusions on the build
Building a 3rd gen 4runner long travel suspension is really a marathon, not a sprint. It's a lot of work, and if you're doing it yourself, you're going to get very familiar with a torque wrench and a grinder. You'll likely run into difficulties with your steering rack bushings wearing out faster, and you'll definitely get more looks at the gas station.
But once it's dialed in—once the valving on the shocks is set and the alignment is straight—it's hands down the best way to experience the dirt. The 3rd Gen is light, nimble, and iconic. Adding long travel just takes those traits and turns the volume up to eleven. Just be sure you've got a good plan (and a healthy budget) before you start cutting. Your 4Runner will be glad, even if your wallet doesn't.