Body lift vs spacers...your take

[li_runner]

Not sure if this was said yet, but if you want to get rid of the rake a body lift would not accomplish that, as it would just raise the body an equvalent height & not remove the rake in any way.

The only way to remove the rake is to raise the front more than the rear hence the lift is 2.5 in the front and only 1.5 in the rear.

 

[ARK_SWAMP_RIDER]

Yep, body lift will raise the front and rear the same amount. Some guys on the boards, such as BlairB I believe, are running bigger tires than will fit with just the suspension lift. 3" suspension lift is about the max without major modifications to the 4runner. So, in order to run larger tires, they combine the body lift with the suspension lift. For practically everyone I've seen, they start with the suspension lift, and once things get more extreme and they need more clearance for tires they add the BL. Here is Blair's 4runner so you can see what I'm talking about:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/61473-bfg-255-80-17-mt-km2s-lots-pics.html

 

[HB 4X4]

3" suspension lift is about the max without major modifications to the 4runner. So, in order to run larger tires, they combine the body lift with the suspension lift.

No major modifications are needed. You can easily go to 3.5-4" or more. The only limiting factor are the CV boots. Once you get over 3.5" they start to get stressed and may fail prematurely.

This is why 2WD's can lift as much as they want... no CV's.

 

[ARK_SWAMP_RIDER]

No major modifications are needed. You can easily go to 3.5-4" or more. The only limiting factor are the CV boots. Once you get over 3.5" they start to get stressed and may fail prematurely.

This is why 2WD's can lift as much as they want... no CV's.

Hmm, I was thinking at minimum lifts over 3" would require the diff drop and extended brake lines. Maybe I mislead by saying "major". Thanks for clarifying, learn something new every day.

 

[HB 4X4]

Hmm, I was thinking at minimum lifts over 3" would require the diff drop and extended brake lines. Maybe I mislead by saying "major". Thanks for clarifying, learn something new every day.

I have my brake lines relocated lower with a bracket, but some choose to switch them with longer stainless steel lines. The bracket takes about 5 mins to put on, so it's a very simple fix.

Diff drops don't do anything on our vehicles, so I wouldn't waste the $$.

 

[ARK_SWAMP_RIDER]

Hm, like I said, learn something new every day. I linked to this thread earlier in this topic, but will do again. This is where I got that 3" number from: http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/61513-lift-requiring-more-alterations.html

 

[BlairB]

Diff drops don't do anything on our vehicles, so I wouldn't waste the $$.

I would disagree on this, they don't do much but they definitely do something.

Our CV's came at a negative angle (outter ends higher than inner) from the factory so you can lift our trucks around 3 inches and retain the factory angle (albeit upsidedown from where it was originally were). Differential drops definitely do something, just very little in 4th gens. Diff drops were required on older Toyota trucks where the CV's did not come from the factory with the same negative angle.

All and all they may not be worth it since you have to mess with the fitment of your factory skid.

 

[HB 4X4]

I would disagree on this, they don't do much but they definitely do something.

Our CV's came at a negative angle (outter ends higher than inner) from the factory so you can lift our trucks around 3 inches and retain the factory angle (albeit upsidedown from where it was originally were). Differential drops definitely do something, just very little in 4th gens. Diff drops were required on older Toyota trucks where the CV's did not come from the factory with the same negative angle.

All and all they may not be worth it since you have to mess with the fitment of your factory skid.

It would appear that you have changed your conjecture about them since you initially installed it, at which point you felt it wasn't worth it. Glad it ended up helping some. :cheers:

Either way, a very inconsequential amount of people have installed them on 4th Gen's due to the limited effects. However, If I recall correctly, they are relatively cheap so it can't hurt.

 

[BlairB]

It would appear that you have changed your conjecture about them since you initially installed it, at which point you felt it wasn't worth it. Glad it ended up helping some. :cheers:

Either way, a very inconsequential amount of people have installed them on 4th Gen's due to the limited effects. However, If I recall correctly, they are relatively cheap so it can't hurt.

I still do not think it is worth it, but still does something. The big negative is that you have to lower your skids, which I think outweighs the postives. It may allow you to get an extra .5" or so on your coilovers, but that is about it. If I were to go back I do not know if I would bother installing it again.

 

[BRK]

@ BRK....do you have any photos of your runner after the install???

Sorry, I don't. Right now if I took pictures you couldn't tell much... it looks like an adobe brick on wheels with its mud cover. Mud has blossomed everwhere around where I live, if I took it to town to get washed, it would look just the same by the time I got home again. Won't do any good to wash it before next month, will try to remember to take pictures then.