Spent Saturday on the DS kit and want to share my experiences.
First, bought the kit off Amazon. KT09115BK. I have Amazon Prime so free 2 day shipping.
Started around 8:30AM and started with the rear because I had somethings to do around 10AM and needed to be able to drive the car.
I used the Toyota120 DIY here: Daystar (Spacer) installation on 4Runner with XREAS - Toyota 120 Platforms Forum
For the rears I pretty much followed to the T. While the rear axle droops, it actually puts a little tension on the two brake lines out around the pumpkin. No damage done.
Around 10:30 I wrapped up and ran some errands. Actually went to tow my buddy's new food trailer with stainless steel appliances and all. I used my t4r last time for a quick run to the propane station but tongue weight was too high. This time he rented a 2011 Dodge Ram Long Horn... When I drove that around, I felt the need to ask "Do you have a Hemi" to other drivers
Got done with that around 2:30PM after showing him how to use the generator and the electrics in the trailer. Started on the front.
Followed the directions from DIY but here are some things that could have been better from DS. First, the spacer has a slightly smaller top (as opposed to the bottom, arbitrary definition of "top" here). It isn't clear which side goes on top. The top side has a slight chamber around the bolt holes and center bore. I decided that was the bottom (to account for the hat's slight curved radius in the center of the hat. So it is bigger on top than the bottom, smaller part on hat, bigger part on strut tower.
I wasn't able to get the shocks out (I have XREAS). I removed the lower ball joint (from the spindle bracket, not the ball joint) and I loosened the bolts for the lower control arm which enabled the arm to swing down.
I simply installed the extenders and the spacer while the strut was lowered but still in the strut tower area. I used the supplied locktite on the extenders and used the washer on the top nuts (This was not clear in the DS directions either)
Got done around 12:30AM, first side took about 70% of the time, second one was faster. I completely removed the swaybar during to get it out of the way.
Today I went to Firestone to get an alignment, paid for lifetime (so I can go back after I get my spidertrax and larger tires next year). Got it back, Caster and Camber was completely out of spec... I had to go to my son's track meet so I left.
After the meet, went back again and talked to the front room guy. Told him this needs to be adjusted. He said it can't be on this car. I told him I know this can be done, I did the lift kit and that I would take it to the dealer but expect a full refund...
He gets agitated, and goes to the back room yelling, "who did this one [ticket/job]?." He talks to the techs for a few minutes (which were all young "kids", I'm ok with that because when I was that age, I worked at Discount Tires and I actually was pretty careful and "good", I don't let age immediately disqualify ;p)
He comes back saying it was his fault and that it could be adjusted... DUH! So the young tech goes to work this time for 90 mins. When I got it back everything was in spec (other than caster) and it drove perfectly true. Here are some pics. cheers!
<img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-2Vz0OH8_hxU/Tn_O08-ZdvI/AAAAAAAACgM/F2JS7ZwtpOA/s640/IMAG0760.jpg" alt=""/>
<img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-pqyHLvhEL_g/Tn_O01g-ZcI/AAAAAAAACgM/jZwkfI8OmvI/s640/IMAG0766.jpg" alt="" />
<img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-1ZWVPBrI7s0/Tn_O04u1QAI/AAAAAAAACgM/NDtNM3M0CrA/s640/IMAG0767.jpg" alt=""/>
<img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-jQo4UZzHurM/Tn_O0_GxswI/AAAAAAAACgM/HCEZXDWewOM/s640/IMAG0768.jpg" alt=""/>
<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-NCzhMTkSki4/Tn_O09l45SI/AAAAAAAACgM/r8bmecFzoDU/s640/IMAG0774.jpg" alt=""/>
First, bought the kit off Amazon. KT09115BK. I have Amazon Prime so free 2 day shipping.
Started around 8:30AM and started with the rear because I had somethings to do around 10AM and needed to be able to drive the car.
I used the Toyota120 DIY here: Daystar (Spacer) installation on 4Runner with XREAS - Toyota 120 Platforms Forum
For the rears I pretty much followed to the T. While the rear axle droops, it actually puts a little tension on the two brake lines out around the pumpkin. No damage done.
Around 10:30 I wrapped up and ran some errands. Actually went to tow my buddy's new food trailer with stainless steel appliances and all. I used my t4r last time for a quick run to the propane station but tongue weight was too high. This time he rented a 2011 Dodge Ram Long Horn... When I drove that around, I felt the need to ask "Do you have a Hemi" to other drivers
Got done with that around 2:30PM after showing him how to use the generator and the electrics in the trailer. Started on the front.
Followed the directions from DIY but here are some things that could have been better from DS. First, the spacer has a slightly smaller top (as opposed to the bottom, arbitrary definition of "top" here). It isn't clear which side goes on top. The top side has a slight chamber around the bolt holes and center bore. I decided that was the bottom (to account for the hat's slight curved radius in the center of the hat. So it is bigger on top than the bottom, smaller part on hat, bigger part on strut tower.
I wasn't able to get the shocks out (I have XREAS). I removed the lower ball joint (from the spindle bracket, not the ball joint) and I loosened the bolts for the lower control arm which enabled the arm to swing down.
I simply installed the extenders and the spacer while the strut was lowered but still in the strut tower area. I used the supplied locktite on the extenders and used the washer on the top nuts (This was not clear in the DS directions either)
Got done around 12:30AM, first side took about 70% of the time, second one was faster. I completely removed the swaybar during to get it out of the way.
Today I went to Firestone to get an alignment, paid for lifetime (so I can go back after I get my spidertrax and larger tires next year). Got it back, Caster and Camber was completely out of spec... I had to go to my son's track meet so I left.
After the meet, went back again and talked to the front room guy. Told him this needs to be adjusted. He said it can't be on this car. I told him I know this can be done, I did the lift kit and that I would take it to the dealer but expect a full refund...
He gets agitated, and goes to the back room yelling, "who did this one [ticket/job]?." He talks to the techs for a few minutes (which were all young "kids", I'm ok with that because when I was that age, I worked at Discount Tires and I actually was pretty careful and "good", I don't let age immediately disqualify ;p)
He comes back saying it was his fault and that it could be adjusted... DUH! So the young tech goes to work this time for 90 mins. When I got it back everything was in spec (other than caster) and it drove perfectly true. Here are some pics. cheers!
<img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-2Vz0OH8_hxU/Tn_O08-ZdvI/AAAAAAAACgM/F2JS7ZwtpOA/s640/IMAG0760.jpg" alt=""/>
<img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-pqyHLvhEL_g/Tn_O01g-ZcI/AAAAAAAACgM/jZwkfI8OmvI/s640/IMAG0766.jpg" alt="" />
<img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-1ZWVPBrI7s0/Tn_O04u1QAI/AAAAAAAACgM/NDtNM3M0CrA/s640/IMAG0767.jpg" alt=""/>
<img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-jQo4UZzHurM/Tn_O0_GxswI/AAAAAAAACgM/HCEZXDWewOM/s640/IMAG0768.jpg" alt=""/>
<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-NCzhMTkSki4/Tn_O09l45SI/AAAAAAAACgM/r8bmecFzoDU/s640/IMAG0774.jpg" alt=""/>
Last edited:
