how stiff is your front end with the billie's set at 2.5?
Compiled: FJ Springs Lift Info for 4th gen
- Thread starter Toy4R4Me
- Start date
how stiff is your front end with the billie's set at 2.5?
darren1284
New member
Moog FJ Cruiser lift project finally completed!!!
I guess I can't start a new thread since this is my first post, but I just finished up all of the work on my 2006 Toyota 4Runner SR5. I figured out what I wanted to do and how to do it by lurking on this thread along with others. Thanks!!
I went with Moog FJ springs because they were easy to find and less than $100 for all four from Rock Auto. I just trimmed 1" off of the bottom so the springs seat flush. . . no big deal with a dremel and cutoff discs). I got the 5100's and set them at 1.75. I also got a 1 " poly spacer off of ebay for the left rear, an OME rear trim packer for the right rear, and a 1/4" poly top spacer for the left front. This gave me around a 2 1/2- 3" lift up front, and about 2" in the back that is level left to right.
My 4Runner suffered bump steer before the lift, but after it was worse.
The kicker was when I took it in for an alignment to see if my control arms were seized. The passenger side was, but the driver side was not. They aligned it anyway without my consent , and the alignment, ride, and bump steer got even worse.
Looking at the alignment numbers, it was apparent I needed to replace at least one lower control arm and put on some aftermarket upper control arms to compensate for the lift.
I decided to just replace both lower control arms along with the upper control arms and be done with it. I went with OE Toyota lower control arms and alignment cams to avoid the problems that I read about with the aftermarket parts. I have also replaced enough control arms on various vehicles to know that it isn't worth saving a few bucks to use aftermarket control arms- my time is too valuable to ever replace or mess with the control arms again.
Cutting the control arms off with a sawzall and Diablo blades for thick metal was one of the easier things to do on this project. It helped that I could lift the truck on a commercial lift and get it up high for a good angle to use the sawzall. I put anti-seize on the hardware to hopefully keep them from seizing while I own this car.
I went with JBA upper control arms. I like them. They had great reviews and the ball joint won't need to be pressed out for replacement. I like the idea of not having to remove the upper control arms again because the hardest part of this project was getting the control arm and the 4 washers aligned to get the long bolt through! That was a huge balancing act. I put the grease on the bushings that JBA sent for lubrication, but I don't know how much really ended up staying there after knocking the washers out like 34 times! Every time they would fall out and hit the floor, I would wipe them off of dirt and try them again. So there probably isn't a lot of grease left.
The only advice I can give about getting them aligned is to get the front bushing and washers lined up and the bolt through and just barely engaged with the chassis. This leaves enough maneuverability to move the back of the control arm side to side and up and down to wiggle the small washer in between the bushing and the chassis, but not so much that that the front washers are dislodged while doing it. It takes trial and error!!!
It took me about 15 hours to do all of the control arms and I also replaced my rotors and pads while everything was apart. 2-3 hours of that was finding out I had a bad battery at the very end. I was all done and the car wouldn't start. Looking at the battery it was over 5 years old, so it made sense that it was bad, but it hadn't showed any signs before. What are the chances??? So I had to run and buy a new battery. But that was better than having an issue with the starter!
I finally took it back to the shop for an alignment and tires. I went with 265 70 17 Falken WildPeak AT3W passenger tires because of all the good reviews, affordable price ( I just spent about $1700 in parts!!!), and good looks. They are a bit heavier, but I believe that is for two reasons- deeper treads and more durable sidewalls. I put these on 5th generation Sr5 wheels. They look great! The last bump in the road was that my alignment tabs were flattened in several areas. So the shop bent them back and placed a bead of welding to strengthen them. That cost me another $100. Not that big of a deal.
It rides good- not like a car anymore, but everything is solid. No more bump steer and wandering all over like it is super windy outside. Anyways- thanks for reading! I will try to add some pictures!
I guess I can't start a new thread since this is my first post, but I just finished up all of the work on my 2006 Toyota 4Runner SR5. I figured out what I wanted to do and how to do it by lurking on this thread along with others. Thanks!!
I went with Moog FJ springs because they were easy to find and less than $100 for all four from Rock Auto. I just trimmed 1" off of the bottom so the springs seat flush. . . no big deal with a dremel and cutoff discs). I got the 5100's and set them at 1.75. I also got a 1 " poly spacer off of ebay for the left rear, an OME rear trim packer for the right rear, and a 1/4" poly top spacer for the left front. This gave me around a 2 1/2- 3" lift up front, and about 2" in the back that is level left to right.
My 4Runner suffered bump steer before the lift, but after it was worse.
The kicker was when I took it in for an alignment to see if my control arms were seized. The passenger side was, but the driver side was not. They aligned it anyway without my consent , and the alignment, ride, and bump steer got even worse.
Looking at the alignment numbers, it was apparent I needed to replace at least one lower control arm and put on some aftermarket upper control arms to compensate for the lift.
I decided to just replace both lower control arms along with the upper control arms and be done with it. I went with OE Toyota lower control arms and alignment cams to avoid the problems that I read about with the aftermarket parts. I have also replaced enough control arms on various vehicles to know that it isn't worth saving a few bucks to use aftermarket control arms- my time is too valuable to ever replace or mess with the control arms again.
Cutting the control arms off with a sawzall and Diablo blades for thick metal was one of the easier things to do on this project. It helped that I could lift the truck on a commercial lift and get it up high for a good angle to use the sawzall. I put anti-seize on the hardware to hopefully keep them from seizing while I own this car.
I went with JBA upper control arms. I like them. They had great reviews and the ball joint won't need to be pressed out for replacement. I like the idea of not having to remove the upper control arms again because the hardest part of this project was getting the control arm and the 4 washers aligned to get the long bolt through! That was a huge balancing act. I put the grease on the bushings that JBA sent for lubrication, but I don't know how much really ended up staying there after knocking the washers out like 34 times! Every time they would fall out and hit the floor, I would wipe them off of dirt and try them again. So there probably isn't a lot of grease left.
The only advice I can give about getting them aligned is to get the front bushing and washers lined up and the bolt through and just barely engaged with the chassis. This leaves enough maneuverability to move the back of the control arm side to side and up and down to wiggle the small washer in between the bushing and the chassis, but not so much that that the front washers are dislodged while doing it. It takes trial and error!!!
It took me about 15 hours to do all of the control arms and I also replaced my rotors and pads while everything was apart. 2-3 hours of that was finding out I had a bad battery at the very end. I was all done and the car wouldn't start. Looking at the battery it was over 5 years old, so it made sense that it was bad, but it hadn't showed any signs before. What are the chances??? So I had to run and buy a new battery. But that was better than having an issue with the starter!
I finally took it back to the shop for an alignment and tires. I went with 265 70 17 Falken WildPeak AT3W passenger tires because of all the good reviews, affordable price ( I just spent about $1700 in parts!!!), and good looks. They are a bit heavier, but I believe that is for two reasons- deeper treads and more durable sidewalls. I put these on 5th generation Sr5 wheels. They look great! The last bump in the road was that my alignment tabs were flattened in several areas. So the shop bent them back and placed a bead of welding to strengthen them. That cost me another $100. Not that big of a deal.
It rides good- not like a car anymore, but everything is solid. No more bump steer and wandering all over like it is super windy outside. Anyways- thanks for reading! I will try to add some pictures!
Last edited:
darren1284
New member
OC2003
New member
Those springs look super compressed. Not much travel left. Have you hit any hard bumps yet?
darren1284
New member
That is how the Moog and other aftermarket springs are. Check page 41 of this thread. The tighter coils makes it harder to compress when installing them because it is harder to get the tool to fit between the spring coils. I have ridden on them for over a month and I notice no difference in travel. I bottomed out with the old springs though, because the struts were shot.
Last edited:
OC2003
New member
Fj struts
Will they fit my 03? My buddy got kings for his fj and now has a complete 3" lift sitting in his garage. My research shows same part number for the bilstien 5100 my main question is are the top hats the same or will I need a compressor to get mine swapped? Rear shocks and coils should be a no brainer.
Will they fit my 03? My buddy got kings for his fj and now has a complete 3" lift sitting in his garage. My research shows same part number for the bilstien 5100 my main question is are the top hats the same or will I need a compressor to get mine swapped? Rear shocks and coils should be a no brainer.
darren1284
New member
It sounds like you are in business. It looks like the top hats are the same. Lucky you!
handsofgodart2
New member
I’ve got a 2004 SR5. I’ve been told that the FT Cruiser 6” Lift kit can be modified for my Runner? Any experience or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Would like the community's thoughts. I am currently am running complete FJ struts and coils at the moment with 1/4" Toytec spacers on both front struts. My measurements are as below in inches:
DF 20 3/4 PF 21 1/8
DR 20 1/2 PR 22 1/8
I just picked up some brand new 5100s for all 4 corners to replace the worn out FJ struts. Referencing to this thread and others about the 4th gen lean, it is obvious that my driver's side is sagging drastically. What are you thoughts on me trying this when I install my 5100s this coming week?
1) Both fronts set at the 3rd perch
2) keep the 1/4" Toytec spacer only on the driver's front to level out the lean
3) Install a Daystar 1.5" rear spacer on the driver's rear to level out the lean
Of course there are a number of factors and not all suspension turn out the same. But generally speaking, if I install the following in that order I should be able to lift the front to level out the 4runner as well as raise the driver side to counter the lean.
DF 20 3/4 PF 21 1/8
DR 20 1/2 PR 22 1/8
I just picked up some brand new 5100s for all 4 corners to replace the worn out FJ struts. Referencing to this thread and others about the 4th gen lean, it is obvious that my driver's side is sagging drastically. What are you thoughts on me trying this when I install my 5100s this coming week?
1) Both fronts set at the 3rd perch
2) keep the 1/4" Toytec spacer only on the driver's front to level out the lean
3) Install a Daystar 1.5" rear spacer on the driver's rear to level out the lean
Of course there are a number of factors and not all suspension turn out the same. But generally speaking, if I install the following in that order I should be able to lift the front to level out the 4runner as well as raise the driver side to counter the lean.
Runovrstuff09
New member
Very. Cool.
darren1284
New member
I want to lift the rear and I'm debating on Moog FJ rear springs or keep the stock springs and add a pair of Daystar rear spacers.
Im hesitant on getting the Moog FJ springs because some people claim that the way the coil sits it doesn't sit properly. Have they fixed this issue yet? Has anyone ordered a new set recently?
Im hesitant on getting the Moog FJ springs because some people claim that the way the coil sits it doesn't sit properly. Have they fixed this issue yet? Has anyone ordered a new set recently?
DestroyerSeries
New member
I just put these springs in with my daystar lift. I used the moog springs and you have to cut about an inch off of the bottom part of the spring in order to get them to seat properly. My 4runner with stock springs was "leveled" but the back looked low to me even though the measurements were about equal front to back. Cutting an inch off the moog FJ springs will not drop the height on them. (The bottom portion of the coil is wound too tight and they will not fit on the perch at least for the moog rear coil springs)
Last edited:
Jasonredwood
Member
Looks great. Nice lil lift. I’m going to shoot for this.
Spaced on top of springs
Hello,
I’m considering putting some moog FJ springs on the front on my 4R with new 5100s. I would like to be able to fit 275/70/17 KO2s and I feel like I will need additional lift to do this. Does anyone have experience with adding spacers on top of the FJ springs to gain and additional inch or so in order to fit the tires?
Thanks
Hello,
I’m considering putting some moog FJ springs on the front on my 4R with new 5100s. I would like to be able to fit 275/70/17 KO2s and I feel like I will need additional lift to do this. Does anyone have experience with adding spacers on top of the FJ springs to gain and additional inch or so in order to fit the tires?
Thanks
MantanaB6
New member
FJ coils, Bilstein 5100 at .85, FJ wheels and 265/70-17 GY Duratrax
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Bumping an old post here, but this is the exact stance I’m looking for. Are you running the FJ springs + Bilsteins @ 0.85 in the front only (i.e. stock rear)? I’m just trying to eliminate rake without going to spacer route (well TBD if I decide to junk the XREAS).
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
mjotrainbrain
New member
FYI for everybody out there, you can get the Moog FJ coils from Advance Auto Parts, and with ChrisFix's 25% of code right now (RADIATOR) it's just $60 a pair. Trying to decide if I want to get some FJ coils to go with the 5100's I'm going to be putting on...probably should to ensure that the 32's I want will fit!
03 v8 2wd
My 03 has 240k on the stock suspension with a 2.5” spacer up front. It actually drove really nice. Started to hear the struts go bad so here I am.
Fronts:
5100 set at 3rd notch (1.75”)
Moog fj Springs
Kyb top hats
Rears:
5100
Stock springs with 1” spacer
265/70/17 falken at3
Looks pretty level but the front is slightly higher. Had to go to a shop to have the front springs compressed in as my spring compressors couldn’t fit between the coils. I relied on YouTube vids to tackle the task but it still took me about 10 total hours. Main issues I had 1) lining up the 2 lower ball joint bolts when reinstalling 2) removing the rear top shock bolts. I couldn’t stop the shock to stop spinning with the vice grip pliers.
Eventually had it all done after calling in sick for 2 days. Drives really nice and definitely slightly higher up front compared to the old set up. My truck is mostly highway driven.
My 03 has 240k on the stock suspension with a 2.5” spacer up front. It actually drove really nice. Started to hear the struts go bad so here I am.
Fronts:
5100 set at 3rd notch (1.75”)
Moog fj Springs
Kyb top hats
Rears:
5100
Stock springs with 1” spacer
265/70/17 falken at3
Looks pretty level but the front is slightly higher. Had to go to a shop to have the front springs compressed in as my spring compressors couldn’t fit between the coils. I relied on YouTube vids to tackle the task but it still took me about 10 total hours. Main issues I had 1) lining up the 2 lower ball joint bolts when reinstalling 2) removing the rear top shock bolts. I couldn’t stop the shock to stop spinning with the vice grip pliers.
Eventually had it all done after calling in sick for 2 days. Drives really nice and definitely slightly higher up front compared to the old set up. My truck is mostly highway driven.
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