4th Gen Suspension Options/FAQ

[southernmarsh007]

help on upper control arm buy:

I recently installed a 3/2 cornfed lift on 4r and took into the shop to get it aligned and they were not able to get it back into correct alignment. I have looked for every ppossible way to fix and the onyl solution I have found and been told is to buy new upper control arms. First off is this the only solution, short of putting my old tires back on? Second, what are the cheapest after market control arms out there? Ive looked at a lot of stores and toytec's ,Light Racing Upper Control Arms for FJ & 03-09 4Run
Price per Unit (Set): $449.99, is the cheapest I have found.

 

[southernmarsh007]

help on upper control arm buy:

I recently installed a 3/2 cornfed lift on 4r and took into the shop to get it aligned and they were not able to get it back into correct alignment. I have looked for every possible way to fix and the only solution I have found and been told is to buy new upper control arms. First off is this the only solution, short of putting my old tires back on? Second, what are the cheapest after market control arms out there? Ive looked at a lot of stores and toytec's ,Light Racing Upper Control Arms for FJ & 03-09 4Run
Price per Unit (Set): $449.99, is the cheapest I have found.

 

[ARK_SWAMP_RIDER]

I recently installed a 3/2 cornfed lift on 4r and took into the shop to get it aligned and they were not able to get it back into correct alignment. I have looked for every possible way to fix and the only solution I have found and been told is to buy new upper control arms. First off is this the only solution, short of putting my old tires back on? Second, what are the cheapest after market control arms out there? Ive looked at a lot of stores and toytec's ,Light Racing Upper Control Arms for FJ & 03-09 4Run
Price per Unit (Set): $449.99, is the cheapest I have found.

The alignment is affected by the lift, not the tires. Smaller tires with the same lift wouldn't change a thing. Light Racing/SPC is the cheapest, and outside of a smaller lift that's your only option.

I would however suggest having another shop look at it, typically 3" doesn't cause any major issues with alignment. If its only slightly out of spec (caster), it may be ok. It won't really cause any issues, you may just notice some wandering at times.

 

[southernmarsh007]

That's very true. I was there when the mechanic did the adjustment and watched him adjust it. He said it was maxed out. By this I mean that the camber was maxed out, he did nothing with the caster. The computer showed that my camber was at 0.06 and it should be at -0.15. You can also just look at the tire and see that the top of the tire is leaning away from the car a little. The mechanic said today that all 4rs were made with different factory alignments and mine just happened to not be enough to correct after putting on the lift. Do you think that this is true and/or that I should take it to another place?

thanks for all your insight!

 

[ARK_SWAMP_RIDER]

That's very true. I was there when the mechanic did the adjustment and watched him adjust it. He said it was maxed out. By this I mean that the camber was maxed out, he did nothing with the caster. The computer showed that my camber was at 0.06 and it should be at -0.15. You can also just look at the tire and see that the top of the tire is leaning away from the car a little. The mechanic said today that all 4rs were made with different factory alignments and mine just happened to not be enough to correct after putting on the lift. Do you think that this is true and/or that I should take it to another place?

thanks for all your insight!

I can't recall anyone who has had issues with camber. Typically they can get that in spec, its just the caster that may be off. I think I would try a different shop, although it seems the shop you're using is really trying and not being lazy/blowing you off.

 

[southernmarsh007]

Alright sounds good. Thanks again! Sick ride by the way

 

[JustSomeName]

Hi everyone, I need some advice on a lift for my t4r. I've read alot on this forum, searched all kinds of threads and came to a conclusion that I will be going for a 3/2 lift.

After alot of research, I recently went out and purchased (most of) the products. So this is what I got so far, everything is sitting at home, waiting to be installed:

08 v6 SR5 w/ 17' stock FJC rims
Toytec Coilovers w/ bilstein 5100s
Spidertrax 1.25 Wheel Spacers
Light Racing UCAs
Diff Drop/Swaybar relocate kits

At this point, the only thing missing are the tires, which I've been looking around for. I'm currently looking at Goodyear Wrangler Silent Armors 275/70R17s.

I know in the beginning of this thread, the tire recommendations were for without the installation of wheel spacers. So my questions are:

• I know brake line extenders are optional for a 3/2 lift, but would anyone out there strongly recommend them? Can I get by without them?
• Is 275/70R17 a good tire size for this 3/2 lift + spidertrax setup? If not, would anyone recommend a good tire size to match this setup?
• Will I rub? If so, will it be wheel well or body mount chop? I'm not too concerned about wheel well rub, as it's nothing a dremell won't fix, I just don't want to deal with a body mount chop.
• Any other things I should know before purchasing tires and/or installing everything?
• Will I be able to get back to factory alignment with this setup? If not, what else do I need to do?
• How do I adjust the toytec coilovers? Are there markers anywhere on the coilovers to know how much lift I'll be getting before I install them on? It would be a hassle to install it only to have to uninstall and adjust...

Thoughts/opinions? ARK_SWAMP_RIDER, you seem VERY knowledgeable and I see answer alot of questions on this thread, would love it if you could chime in. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Desert Fox]

Currently I have the Daystar spacer lift on a 2003 so my information may be a bit different.
I have the Silent Armor tires, same size. They are great tires for on and off road. They work well in ice and snow.
They did rub but nothing major. I moved in the plastic fender liners and trimmed the mud flaps. I had almost no clearance with the stock upper control arms and I did not want to do spacers so I bought wheels with some offset .25 I think. No more rubbing at all.

With aftermarket UCA you should get your alignment where you need it to be. We have the Toytec Ultimate lift and light Racing UCA on our FJ and the alignment is perfect. I still have stock UCA on my 4Runner and the alignment is very close to spec.
I bought the lifetime alignment at Firestone so I can get it aligned after each run if needed.

Ark is a excellent source of knowledge on this stuff so heed his advice.


Call Toytec to get the information you are looking for on their lift. They are a very customer service company.

Wish you were in Colorado, I would like to help with the install. I am going the same direction when the XREAS finally fail.

 

[JustSomeName]

thanks for the reply. how much lift front/rear are you getting out of the daystar spacers?

 

[Desert Fox]

thanks for the reply. how much lift front/rear are you getting out of the daystar spacers?

I dont remember the exact numbers but it was real close to 3 inches front.
It was enough that you can easily tell the difference besides making the vehicle look better. Heck, I can get my fat azzz under it now to change oil. Couldnt do that before.

I think you made a good choice with the Toytec lift. I really like it on our FJ

 

[Az4runnin]

That's probably going to be a little high in the front, expect 2.25" front and .25-.5" in the rear. You can do some measuring and see what you think.

Ya I only want to do this 1 time. Is there any spacers for the rear less than 1.5? I just dont want any rake or should the 1.5 rear spacer make it good? Thank you so much for your help. I cant wait to finish my setup. Im gona run a 265-70-17 BFG A/T KO.

 

[ARK_SWAMP_RIDER]

Alright sounds good. Thanks again! Sick ride by the way

Thanks!

Hi everyone, I need some advice on a lift for my t4r. I've read alot on this forum, searched all kinds of threads and came to a conclusion that I will be going for a 3/2 lift.

After alot of research, I recently went out and purchased (most of) the products. So this is what I got so far, everything is sitting at home, waiting to be installed:

08 v6 SR5 w/ 17' stock FJC rims
Toytec Coilovers w/ bilstein 5100s
Spidertrax 1.25 Wheel Spacers
Light Racing UCAs
Diff Drop/Swaybar relocate kits

At this point, the only thing missing are the tires, which I've been looking around for. I'm currently looking at Goodyear Wrangler Silent Armors 275/70R17s.

I know in the beginning of this thread, the tire recommendations were for without the installation of wheel spacers. So my questions are:

• I know brake line extenders are optional for a 3/2 lift, but would anyone out there strongly recommend them? Can I get by without them?
• Is 275/70R17 a good tire size for this 3/2 lift + spidertrax setup? If not, would anyone recommend a good tire size to match this setup?
• Will I rub? If so, will it be wheel well or body mount chop? I'm not too concerned about wheel well rub, as it's nothing a dremell won't fix, I just don't want to deal with a body mount chop.
• Any other things I should know before purchasing tires and/or installing everything?
• Will I be able to get back to factory alignment with this setup? If not, what else do I need to do?
• How do I adjust the toytec coilovers? Are there markers anywhere on the coilovers to know how much lift I'll be getting before I install them on? It would be a hassle to install it only to have to uninstall and adjust...

Thoughts/opinions? ARK_SWAMP_RIDER, you seem VERY knowledgeable and I see answer alot of questions on this thread, would love it if you could chime in. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Sounds like a great setup to me. The FJ wheels have a different offset than the stock T4R wheels, so that combined with the spacers will really push out the tires/wheels. I would expect some rubbing. Move the liner forward, possibly trim the edge of the front bumper, and remove/trim the mud flaps. I wouldn't expect any issues with the body mount.

I personally love that size, I really wish there were more options in it. If the Duratracs were made in a 275/70/17, I would be running them instead of the 285's.

Ark is a excellent source of knowledge on this stuff so heed his advice.


Call Toytec to get the information you are looking for on their lift. They are a very customer service company.

I appreciate the kind words. I will also second this, I've dealt with Toytec on several occasions when I was first learning and their service was exceptional in my opinion. Always very easy to get in touch with via the forum, e-mail, or the phone.

Ya I only want to do this 1 time. Is there any spacers for the rear less than 1.5? I just dont want any rake or should the 1.5 rear spacer make it good? Thank you so much for your help. I cant wait to finish my setup. Im gona run a 265-70-17 BFG A/T KO.

This really depends on how you define level. If the fender gaps have the same height, the roof line and running boards will appear to be higher in the front. If this what you're wanting, perhaps the OME trim packer (roughly .4") would do that for you. Second definition is the roof line/running boards are level. I don't know of anyone selling a spacer under 1.5" (expect the trim packer mentioned above). I have heard that you can purchase a custom size spacer directly from Cornfed, but don't know anyone who has actually done it. See this page for more info:
03-09  Toyota 4Runner Cornfed Suspension Lift kits

 

[JustSomeName]

Sounds like a great setup to me. The FJ wheels have a different offset than the stock T4R wheels, so that combined with the spacers will really push out the tires/wheels. I would expect some rubbing. Move the liner forward, possibly trim the edge of the front bumper, and remove/trim the mud flaps. I wouldn't expect any issues with the body mount.

THANK YOU for the reply. Your opinion seems to carry alot of weight around these forums and I will take it as such.

One more question, do you think I need the brake line extenders?

 

[ARK_SWAMP_RIDER]

THANK YOU for the reply. Your opinion seems to carry alot of weight around these forums and I will take it as such.

One more question, do you think I need the brake line extenders?

I ran 5100 rear shocks for several months. I lifted the vehicle and let the axle drop all the way down (the shocks are the limiting factor). At full extension I still had a little slack in the lines (not much, but enough). However, the extended lines are better quality than OEM so I plan to upgrade in the near future since they aren't too expensive. So, I guess my answer is you don't "have" to have them, but it would probably be worthwhile to do while you're having the other stuff installed.

 

[kaizer427]

Hey guys, great thread.

I have an 06 with the V8.

I am going to lift the front 2 inches and the rear probably an inch.

Do you think I would be able to squeeze 265/70/18s on there or should I stick with a 265/65/18?

Offroading would be light with not a lot of stuffing, mostly just some mud to get back to the hunting grounds.

I appreciate the advise.

 

[ARK_SWAMP_RIDER]

Hey guys, great thread.

I have an 06 with the V8.

I am going to lift the front 2 inches and the rear probably an inch.

Do you think I would be able to squeeze 265/70/18s on there or should I stick with a 265/65/18?

Offroading would be light with not a lot of stuffing, mostly just some mud to get back to the hunting grounds.

I appreciate the advise.

With or without wheel spacers? You could probably get by with minimal trimming without them, but if you add spacers you'll have to move the liner forward, remove front mud flaps, and probably trim the front bumper. Some of this may be required without wheel spacers, I'm guessing here because I haven't seen anyone with that setup. This guy is running more lift and with wheel spacers he had a good but of rubbing.
Lift is in w PICS!!! OME, Superflex, 5100's, Daystar, and Michelin 265/70/18's!!! - Toyota 120 Platforms Forum

 

[kaizer427]

With or without wheel spacers? You could probably get by with minimal trimming without them, but if you add spacers you'll have to move the liner forward, remove front mud flaps, and probably trim the front bumper. Some of this may be required without wheel spacers, I'm guessing here because I haven't seen anyone with that setup. This guy is running more lift and with wheel spacers he had a good but of rubbing.
Lift is in w PICS!!! OME, Superflex, 5100's, Daystar, and Michelin 265/70/18's!!! - Toyota 120 Platforms Forum

Thank you! That is exactly what I needed to know. I don't mind cutting but that sounds like the tires would be a bit much with the amount of lift I am planning on running.

I am undecided on the spacers at this point.

 

[08t4rlimited]

I just ordered the daystar 2.5/1.5. I will be buying larger tires this winter (limited so 18" rims). I do not plan on adding any increased weight.

What size wheel spacers should I order? Again main purpose of lift is for more road and tire clearance.

Thanks to all!

 

[BReardon21]

I am planning on getting my 285s mounted tomorrow. I currently have FJ Coils and 5100s at 1.75. I am planning on adjusting them up to 2.5" this evening.

Question #1 is adjustment to 2.5" 100% necessary? #2 if yes would I also need a top off spacer?

I actually got a used set of KM2's for free (25% tread left) but they were free and now I get to play around with sizing & rubbing before buying new tires and potentially slicing them on the trail.

I am planning on going out with the NE guys this weekend in NH and will get a good idea of what I need to adjust. Thanks guys!!!!

 

[ARK_SWAMP_RIDER]

I just ordered the daystar 2.5/1.5. I will be buying larger tires this winter (limited so 18" rims). I do not plan on adding any increased weight.

What size wheel spacers should I order? Again main purpose of lift is for more road and tire clearance.

Thanks to all!

What size tires are you getting? Wheel spacers are made anywhere from .75"-1.5" from reputable sources, for the most part it just depends on how far out you want the tires.