1" body lift or spacers?

[SaltyNaulty]

I have been kicking around the idea of a 3" lift and 285's for my 99 limited, but it just doesn't make sense to me spending that kind of money when I don't even wheel it and I drive 40+ miles a day.

That being said I still want a little bit of lift, so what are my best options for a 1" body lift or does anyone make a strut spacer for only an inch? I plan on getting 265/75r16 duratracs and 1" wheel spacers.

I'm going to be replacing the shocks at all 4 corners when spring time rolls around anyway so I would like to do whatever lift I go with at the same time.

Thanks guys!

 

[Diesel_Dog]

I don't think you would really notice an inch of lift. I've got 3 inches and it's not really that noticeable. A 1 inch body lift might help clear the 265/75 duratracs. There are coil spacers out there but your better off saving up for lift instead of wasting your money on a 2 stage approach.

 

[BrandonF]

I ran 265/75/16's with spidertrax 1.25" wheel spacers and no lift for a while and it looked awesome in my opinion. You will have to do some very minor trimming in your fire wall area but not much if you are only driving on the street. Your gas mileage will see little to no effect either, which is a plus. Adding a lift will start to decrease your highway mileage.

Also keep in mind that even if you only lift your truck one inch, you will have to spend roughly $100 on a wheel alignment, unless you want to destroy your new tires.

 

[SaltyNaulty]

Yea I figure 1" won't be much, but combined with the factory tall springs and another ~.5" the duratracs will give me just enough to make it stand out among soccer mom 4runners. I'm also gonna be fabbing up a prerunner light bar come summer time so that should help with the look.

So with the spacers 1.25" spidertrax and a little trimming will get me the clearance I need?

 

[dropped 95]

I've been running the 265/75/16 duratracs on my stock height 3rd gen without trimming or spacers for a year and a half now. Haven't had any issues yet although I don't go off the beaten path a whole lot.
Ill admit, the added tire poke achieved with the spacers does look good.

 

[Diesel_Dog]

Yea I figure 1" won't be much, but combined with the factory tall springs and another ~.5" the duratracs will give me just enough to make it stand out among soccer mom 4runners. I'm also gonna be fabbing up a prerunner light bar come summer time so that should help with the look.

So with the spacers 1.25" spidertrax and a little trimming will get me the clearance I need?

Have you removed the running boards? No running boards, durtracs, spidertrax and painting your rims (black of course) would give it a certain look. Add in the 1 inch body lift and you'll be set to run even bigger tires in the future.

I ran 265/75/16 toyo MT's on a stock runner with limited rubbing. I only got a slight rub when the front wheels were at full lock backing up. It was livable.

 

[Gerdo]

Since you are talking about new shocks, you could do the adjustable Bilstein 5100 up front and raise the spring perch and use the stock springs.

I would guess that the rear coils are sagging. I would replace them with something like the OME 906 coils and new shocks. Bilstein makes awesome shocks, I would do them all around.

You might have some slight rubbing but nothing major. I had very little rubbing till I added the spacers. Wheel spacers increase the arc the front wheels make when turning. The moves the tire out and back into the rear of the front wheelwells. I used a heat gun and softened/pushed the plastic wheelwell liner in to eliminate that rubbing.

 

[SaltyNaulty]

Diesel Dog, no I still have rusting boards on it, I've been thinking of removing them but I'm not sure I like the idea of bare frame showing either. Should I be able to run the 265/75 duratracs without doing anything?

I also found a daystar 1.5" kit, but I like the sound of 5100's especially being comparable in price to the 4600's that summit lists as a stock replacement. I was always under the impression you couldn't run factory 99 tall springs on 5100's??

And if I went with the 5100's, would I just assemble them with my tall springs just as I would with regular replacement shocks and then also go with 5100's in the rear and a taller spring?

 

[broncosi]

I've got 3 inches and it's not really that noticeable.

It is the first few times you get in and out!

 

[SaltyNaulty]

It is the first few times you get in and out!

WOAH! giggity

 

[Diesel_Dog]

Diesel Dog, no I still have rusting boards on it, I've been thinking of removing them but I'm not sure I like the idea of bare frame showing either. Should I be able to run the 265/75 duratracs without doing anything?

From looking at [MENTION=77310]BrandonF[/MENTION] photo above it sounds like you might need minor modification (possibly trimming the fender liner or pounding the pinch weld). If your simply just on pavement all the time I don't believe you'll have to modify it that much.

Removing the rusting boards(Ha!) will give your rig the illusion of a lift with out $$ or much time involved.

 

[BrandonF]

From looking at [MENTION=77310]BrandonF[/MENTION] photo above it sounds like you might need minor modification (possibly trimming the fender liner or pounding the pinch weld). If your simply just on pavement all the time I don't believe you'll have to modify it that much.

Removing the rusting boards(Ha!) will give your rig the illusion of a lift with out $$ or much time involved.

Yes. I tiny bit of plastic trimming is all you would need to get it driveable on the street.

 

[I_bRAD]

Should I be able to run the 265/75 duratracs without doing anything?

Yes.

 

[sportscarfan]

With a 1" BL and '99 springs, my 4runner has been on 285/75-16's for almost 3 years. Minor front mudguard re-forming with a heat gun and flattening the pinch weld behind the fender liner is all I had to modify.
Sure it still will rub in certain situations off road, but as a DD never.
I made my own BL for ~$50 in material & hardware and found the '99 springs on CL for $60.

November 2013 coming out of Cedar Mesa, UT

 

[SaltyNaulty]

See, that's what I really want to do is run 285's. Maybe with a 1.5" daystar spacer kit and some wheel spacers I can do the same.

 

[sportscarfan]

Spacing the wheels out further will only make the rub at the front worse. 285's just fit with those stock wheels - probably a finger gap between the inside shoulder and the upper a -arm.
More body lift would help the clearance from tire to the rear-side of the front wheel opening where the pinch weld is. Of course more suspension lift will also, but then the CV's start getting stressed...
It's a slippery slope.

 

[Gerdo]

Spacing the wheels out further will only make the rub at the front worse. 285's just fit with those stock wheels - probably a finger gap between the inside shoulder and the upper a -arm.

True.

SOME 285s on stock wheels are closer the the control arms. Not all tires measure a true 285 wide.

More suspension lift actually rotates the upper control arm into the sidewall.

If you fully droop a wheel, on an obstacle or jack, your tire will be a lot closer to the UCA.

 

[SaltyNaulty]

Also, I just thought of this after reading your post, is it possible to just buy 2002 tundra 4x4 strut assemblies (Monroe has them assembled new in box for <$100 each) or do they have to be TRD strut assemblies?