Best flexing

[wake_rider]

So many lift threads, and I'm sorry for my contribution. Here's my wants though:


I want only around 2 to at most 2.25ish" of lift all around, but I want it to flex as well as possible. I know, that's so little lift to be able to get great flex, but I DD my truck and I like it to stay reasonably capable and still comfortable (physically and economically) for every day and loooong distance road tripping with my family while hitting trails once we get where we're going. So I don't want to change the mechanics/geometries up so much that stuff starts becoming far less reliable.

I've read that quite a few people have not been stoked on the 2" OME setup because it's pretty stiff/harsh and provides no increased flex. However, it seems like once you start going the 5100's and TRD Tundra coils with LC or Superflex route, you get into that 3-5" lift range that I'm just not wanting to get into (too much lift for my taste and I don't want cv replacement to become a hobby).

So....~2.25" lift, good flex, good ride conditions, maintaining reasonable geometry and fantastic reliability.

Any suggestions and pics?

Once lift is done, I really want to do an electric locker then just use the truck. I was originally going to do the bumpers, sliders, full underbelly protection, but I realistically think that my off road use just doesn't add up to utilizing all of that. I don't hardcore crawl, I just like to access isolated locations that other people have a hard time getting to.

 

[FJ Cruiser Matt]

I'm not a 4Runner guru, so forgive me on not knowing what gen can use the LC coils...
If they make it for your year, I would take a look at the iron man foam cell pro. People are loving it over on the fj forum. If I could go back, I would get that on my fj, not my Toytec lift. Planning it for my dads 5th gen. I believe they are fully adjustable, but guys normally run at about 2.5 inch lift.

I believe another option is just using bilstiens to lift the front a bit, and a small spacer or slightly longer springs in the back.

Not sure if this helps at all..
Cheers,
Matt

 

[D Farms]

flex on our trucks is mostly about having long enough shocks in the rear, and soft enough springs in the front. id recommend getting some tundra 5100s for the front with stock springs. the tundra 5100s have more travel than the tacoma 5100s so make sure to get those instead. Use fj or 5th gen 4runner coils for the rear. in the rear use any standard fzj80 rear shock of your choice. also get a front sway bar disconnect, and extended brake line for the rear. once you get all that stuff the next thing would be to replace all suspension bushings and steering components and ball joints. I highly recommend using energy suspension poly bushings where you can, they are cheap and make the truck ride smoothly with no binding. then your truck will be in good shape.

 

[cashmoney]

Check my signature. I love my suspension.

 

[KidVermicious]

Big tires and sway bars are the enemy of proper stuffage. Shove some spacers in in there if you don't want OME (but it's not nearly as bad as everyone says it is). Trim the bumpstops, yank the front swaybar, leave the back one in but disconnect it when you hit dirt. As long as you stay 265s or smaller, this setup will give you real decent uptravel on all four corners with no rubbing.

 

[cashmoney]

Agreed on disconnecting the sway bars but I'd buy a set of disconnects for front and rear. I'm driving with no front sway bar and it's definitely a lot more sway-y. Works great on the rocks though.

 

[D Farms]

if you get longer links the rear sway bar can stay connected all the time, there is no good solution for quick disconnecting it anyways. plus it forces the front to flex.

 

[JayRolla]

Check my signature. I love my suspension.

He wants only 2" lift.

I agree with others saying stock front coils and 5100's with FJ rears and a longer shock. This will give most flex with the amount of lift you want. Again those rear FJ's wont flex that much.

I run ome 881's up front and they flex just like any other spring all the way to the bump stop and droop just fine.

 

[raty4R]

How do you get 2" of lift with the stock coils?

 

[JayRolla]

How do you get 2" of lift with the stock coils?

Adjustable billy shocks. They will raise the ride height a good 2".

 

[SilverRidgeRunner1]

Just when I was about to take my shirt off and start flexing for the camera for this thread I realized that u were referring to suspension flex. Some will get a kick out of my avatar

 

[white_n_slow]

D Farms, that is some pretty amazing front flex.

The rear end is pretty well designed for flex--even stock it will outperform most other vehicles on the trail. Just get a spring on the softer side, make sure your shocks aren't limiting travel, and get a panhard bar drop/lift bracket to make sure nothing is contacting anything it shouldn't.

I also like the idea of stock front coils lifted via bilstein 5100 adjustable perch.

 

[ralatkins]

I used Tacoma 5100's and OME 881's on the front of mine and it's great. First perch. OME 891's and 5100's out back. A little too much rake, but after I give it a chance to settle out a bit I can move it up a perch. Ride is awesome.

 

[Unner]

If you want some serious flex go with LC coils in the rear, but that's gonna give you more than 2" of lift. That's all I thought I wanted also at first, but I couldn't be happier now that I went with 3" upfront and 4" in the back.

I wouldn't recommend trimming your bumpstops either, you'll end up over compressing a shock and blowing it out. If you stay with stock length shocks leave the stock ones as is, and if you go with longer travel shocks you need to lower your bumpstops so you don't over compress your shocks and damage them.

I extended my sway bar links about one inch and they don't limit my flex at all, no need for disconnects in the rear. I'm sure the front is limited by the sway bar though.

 

[D Farms]

for reference, I have trimmed bump stops up front by over an inch, but i also have a progressive body lift thats 0" in the rear and 3" up front. the front is also tubbed to fit 35s with the extended up travel. no front sway bar. tundra 5100s with stock coils on the 4th perch. in the rear i have 8.5 wrap lc coils, monroe lc shocks, panhard lift, 2nd gen rear links on my sway bar, extended trailblazer bump stops.

if you do run fj coils get some coil retainers in case they fall out, they are short.

 

[Oprah]

flex on our trucks is mostly about... / ...and soft enough springs in the front. id recommend getting some tundra 5100s for the front with stock springs.

I've been thinking the same thing. I have some Tundra TRD springs in mine now, and the lack of flex is pissing me right off. You mentioned stock springs on the 4th perch (1 below top perch), looks like thats what you are running now, is that about 3" lift? I have OME 891's in the rear, and want to be level with them, as I am now with the Tundra TRD's in the front on the 3rd perch.

 

[JayRolla]

I've been thinking the same thing. I have some Tundra TRD springs in mine now, and the lack of flex is pissing me right off. You mentioned stock springs on the 4th perch (1 below top perch), looks like thats what you are running now, is that about 3" lift? I have OME 891's in the rear, and want to be level with them, as I am now with the Tundra TRD's in the front on the 3rd perch.

No its going to be lower than 3", he is running 3" front body lift and 0" rear body lift to get his stance. The stock coils on that pirch wont ride the best on road.

 

[Oprah]

No its going to be lower than 3", he is running 3" front body lift and 0" rear body lift to get his stance. The stock coils on that pirch wont ride the best on road.

Hm alright. I'm thinking some FOA springs, get a lower spring rate than the Tundra TRD, but go longer. In theory achieve similar lift, but with a softer spring. Thoughts?

 

[D Farms]

No its going to be lower than 3", he is running 3" front body lift and 0" rear body lift to get his stance. The stock coils on that pirch wont ride the best on road.

how so? how does my truck ride, please tell me. I actually explained my setup in a previous post here, and there are more details in my build thread.

the Bilstein adjustable shocks are meant to be used with a stock spring, in fact the lift amounts ring true if you use a stock spring. fourth perch is about 2" of lift.

the reason you may think running on the 4th perch is bad is because you are thinking about the tundra trd coils, which will not ride well for two reasons. first its going to have zero down travel, secondly the spindle will hit the coil limiting full droop and making a nasty feeling clunk. if you stick a tundra coil on a stock front shock, you will get the same amount of lift as you would on the tundra 5100. the spring is longer and therefore gives more lift because it is pre-loading the suspension.

the tundra coils are longer than the 4runner stock coils and roughly about the same spring rate. because the 4runner coils are shorter, you have to pre-load them more to get the same amount of lift. on the 4th perch i get about the same amount of lift as the tundra coil on the 1st perch. if you were yo measure how much you compressed the tundra coil and the 4runner coils before you put them in, you would notice that they were compressed the same amount to achieve the same amount of lift because they have roughly equivalent spring rates despite being different sizes.

Anyways stock springs on the 4th perch is my favorite combination so far, and yes I have tried all of them 1st 2nd 3rd with trd tundra coils. 4th and 5th with stock coils. additionally all of my steering and suspension components have been replaced, so i can actually feel the little differences. the tundra coils being progressive makes them flex out poorly because the spring rate increases progressively. the stock coils are more linear in their spring rate.

I think the majority of people opinions on how certain springs and shocks feel and perform aren't accurate because they almost certainly have worn bushings and ball joints that are affecting the feel of the vehicle. I have eliminated all of those variables by replacing them with poly bushings and new ball joints. there really is a night and day difference once everything has been replaced, my truck has as smooth of a ride down the road as my moms Lexus RX350.

 

[JayRolla]

how so? how does my truck ride, please tell me. I actually explained my setup in a previous post here, and there are more details in my build thread.

the Bilstein adjustable shocks are meant to be used with a stock spring, in fact the lift amounts ring true if you use a stock spring. fourth perch is about 2" of lift.

the reason you may think running on the 4th perch is bad is because you are thinking about the tundra trd coils, which will not ride well for two reasons. first its going to have zero down travel, secondly the spindle will hit the coil limiting full droop and making a nasty feeling clunk. if you stick a tundra coil on a stock front shock, you will get the same amount of lift as you would on the tundra 5100. the spring is longer and therefore gives more lift because it is pre-loading the suspension.

the tundra coils are longer than the 4runner stock coils and roughly about the same spring rate. because the 4runner coils are shorter, you have to pre-load them more to get the same amount of lift. on the 4th perch i get about the same amount of lift as the tundra coil on the 1st perch. if you were yo measure how much you compressed the tundra coil and the 4runner coils before you put them in, you would notice that they were compressed the same amount to achieve the same amount of lift because they have roughly equivalent spring rates despite being different sizes.

Anyways stock springs on the 4th perch is my favorite combination so far, and yes I have tried all of them 1st 2nd 3rd with trd tundra coils. 4th and 5th with stock coils. additionally all of my steering and suspension components have been replaced, so i can actually feel the little differences. the tundra coils being progressive makes them flex out poorly because the spring rate increases progressively. the stock coils are more linear in their spring rate.

I think the majority of people opinions on how certain springs and shocks feel and perform aren't accurate because they almost certainly have worn bushings and ball joints that are affecting the feel of the vehicle. I have eliminated all of those variables by replacing them with poly bushings and new ball joints. there really is a night and day difference once everything has been replaced, my truck has as smooth of a ride down the road as my moms Lexus RX350.

Only reason I was saying it mainly was because its used suspension being lifted where getting new coils could have a good ride. But yes I was also factoring in that stock coils on that pirch could give a rougher ride. Thanks for the info!