more spring load questions
Please help, I've been scouring the endless threads on this subject and I'm still confused:
Many threads/tables list 3rd gen 4runners stock OE front coils at 16mm x 345mm and 580 lbsf/in. I cannot tell which years this refers to and if this includes the '99 tall coils.
OME guide shows 880 front coils at 16mm x 365mm and 500lbsf/in (see below).
Why then is the OME 880 considered by many to be a stiffer coil than the 99 talls? Also, OME shows the 881s at 500 lbsf/in as well, yet the product guide lists them as a heavy load application. How does the slightly longer (10mm) 881 spring with the same number of coils and same spring rate as the 880s yield a heavy load application?
Background: I just hit 180K miles and well overdue for replacement of the original stock shocks and coils on all 4 corners of my 2000 4runner 3.4L SR5 4x4. I'm running Dueller AT 265/70/16's and looking for only a mild 1-2" lift with priority given to eliminating the saggy butt. Its my daily driver and I don't off-road or tow much except for the occasional backpacking trip and Baja surf trip when the vehicle is fairly heavily loaded. I would definitely prefer a little rake unloaded than reverse rake when loaded and don't want to mess with air lifts.
I'm considering Bilstein 5100's (4runner) on all four, then 906's in the rear and either '99 talls or OME 880's in the front. Price is a factor with OME 880's coming in at $167 for the pair vs. $260 for new 99 talls from online Toyota parts dealer. I know there's a lot of options and I'll be happy with either front coil, but I would definitely appreciate some input especially on the how/why of the different front coil rates and maybe a direct comparison of the 99 tall coils vs the OME 880's. Or should I consider other front coil options? Thanks in advance.
http://www.arbusa.com/Uploads/PDF/onlineManualsGuides/OME_Guide_current.pdf
http://www.arbusa.com/uploads/PDF/accessorizeYourRig/toyota4Runner.pdf
I've see a lot of discussion regarding the FJ swap and whether or not the Moog FJ coils were a better option than OEM FJ coils. After doing some searching, I've found some of the numbers for the Moog coils, and paired that with some info I already had.
A couple notes:
- The measurement for the OEM 4runner front coils is for a V8 4wd. The front coils on a v6 4wd are .2" shorter. 2wd 4runners use a different coil, but so far I haven't found specs on those. All models use the same rear coils.
- I couldn't find the spring rate for the front OEM FJ coils. I saw numbers all over the place, ranging from 530 lb / in to 630 lb / in. Most seemed to be in the 550 lb / in range, but from my experience the FJ coils are slightly stiffer than the OEM T4R coils, so that number doesn't add up.
- The 540 lb / in number for the Tacoma coils doesn't make sense either. I found the same number in several places (could have been all from the same source) so I posted it. Based on my experience, I'd say the Tacoma coil is stiffer than the FJ.
- Some aftermarket coils only show the % increase over stock, so I tried to calculate the spring rate. These numbers are in dark blue and in bold.
It's hard to compare the OEM FJ to Moog FJ coils since I don't have all the numbers. What I can tell is that front Moog FJ coils have the same spring rate as the OME 886 coils, which is very stiff. If I were to order Moog coils, I'd order the 4runner version (v6 or v8 depending on how much lift you want) for the front. I can't say on the rear since Moog did not provide the coil rate for those. I'd expect a minimum of 1" lift in the rear with the Moog coils based on the height. My only concern would be spring rate, and whether or not it'd be too stiff.
The majority of this data was pulled from the following pages:
Coil Rates - Toyota 120 Platforms Forum
Rear Spring Comparison - Page 13 - Toyota FJ Cruiser Forum
Federal-Mogul Resource Center - Vehicle Look-up
UPDATED
Thanks to Andries for some coil information.
Coil Specifications
Front:
STOCK 16mm x 100mm/115mm x 345mm - 7.75 coils - 3.7kg - 580lb/in
FJ 16mm x 100mm/115mm x 351mm - 8.75 coils - ...kg - ...lb/in (+0.24" +...%)
883 17mm x 100mm/115mm x 375mm - 10.6 coils - 5.7kg - 590lb/in (+1.18" +2%)
884 17mm x 100mm/115mm x 385mm - 10.6 coils - 5.7kg - 590lb/in (+1.58" +2%)
885 17mm x 100mm/115mm x 395mm - 10.6 coils - 5.7kg - 590lb/in (+1.97" +2%)
886 18mm x 100mm/115mm x 402mm - 12.5 coils - x.xkg - 660lb/in (+2.25" +14%)
Rear:
STOCK 15mm x 160mm/115mm x 360mm - 6 coils - 2.7kg - 180lb/in
FJ 15mm x 100mm/115mm x 375mm - 6.5 coils - ...kg - ...lb/in (+0.6" +...%)
895 17mm x 160mm/115mm x 390mm - 6.75 coils - 5.6kg - 260lb/in (+1.18" +45%)
896 18mm x 160mm/115mm x 390mm - 6.75 coils - 6.4kg - 318lb/in (+1.18" +75%)
897 19mm x 160mm/115mm x 390mm - 6.75 coils - 7.2kg - 387lb/in (+1.18" +115%)
