Daystar spacer lift issue to consider before buying!!!

[Cranberry]

Hey guys!

I am a Canadian 4Runner owner and just wanted to shed light on the DayStar Spacer kit in our Canadian cold temperatures.

I am running the Daystar kit 2.5 front 1.5 rear on my 2019 TRD Off Road. The front is 100% perfect with non issues. The rear works fantastic as well HOWEVER in -22C or colder i noticed a squeak coming from the rear. After investigation we found it coming from the spacers. We called Daystar and noted the issue however Daystar stated their spacers should not be squeaking in -22C and refused to accept responsibility of their product not able to handle cold temperatures. To confirm it was not a faulty spacer they sent me a replacement rear set to check. We installed the new set today(currently -36C with the windchill) and within 30 minutes outside the squeak was back. We let the car sit for an hour outside and brought it back in on a lift and found what is happening.

ISSUE IS AS FOLLOWS

The spacers are made of polyurethane and is solid but soft, its designed to handle flex and cold HOWEVER at -22C the rubber becomes a slight bit stiff. Once it stiffens up the spring under compression will move 1/8” (minimal and no concern of damaging anything). The move of the spring on a “hard” spacer is causing the squeak. We could see when we had it on the lift as we pulled down on the suspension, the spring would move 1/16-1/8” and every time it moved it squeaked. As we would push and pull the suspension in the heated garage the squeak could be heard slowly disappearing. After 5 minutes in the heated garage the spacer was warm enough to allow flex with the spring and the squeak was gone.

END CONCLUSION
the daystar kit works great, i have seen absolutely no change in suspension ability from factory. There is no increase in body roll or nose dive. The spacers have had no effect on suspension performance. The only issue is a squeak sound from the rear springs in temperatures of -22C or colder.

If you don’t care about a little squeak (only when hitting speed bumps or big pot holes) then go for the cheaper lift.

Personally i will be removing the spacers for a different rear system but i will keep the spacers in the front.

Hope this helps anyone considering a Daystar spacer lift!

 

[MeefZah]

Alternatively you could not live where it gets to be -22. What is that in Fahrenheit, anyway?

Do you get upset at water for freezing?

 

[bigmace]

Was worried for a second as i was planning on installing a second hand daystar kit this weekend. But it almost never gets below 0 Fahrenheit in NW Oregon so should be okay. Even when heading up to the mountain its above that.

Honestly can't really knock daystar for saying they won't take them back as -22 C (-7F) is a bit of extreme conditions.

 

[Cranberry]

Figured I should bring this thread back to life, I just went through the last few months of being away and I noticed several posts about people considering spacers over actual suspension lift.

In simple terms, after running the day star kit for about 10 months I would not recommend a spacer kit on any 4Runner unless they only intend on keeping that 4Runner on pavement.

Major issues I found with my spacer kit was as follows:

- Major squeak and clunk in cold weather from the polyurethane freezing up. a lot of people don't think its a big deal but after a few months of driving around and listening to it you start to get pretty sick of it

- the second you go off road and start articulating the wheels anything beyond flat concrete you will notice the spacers slipping around in the rear. I don't know how to really explain this but essentially if more weight is on one side of the truck then the other and you maintain that balance while driving forward / backwards, the spacer pucks will move around and clunk or sometimes even allow the springs to shift more then your comfortable, making the off road experience tricky as you can't tell the actual limit of the trucks current position

- constant greasing needed to keep them silent. don't even think about pressure washing your wheel wells. the second water gets the grease out they start squeaking like a rubber duck in a bathtub.

I feel like if you went with a metal spacer kit you may have better results but the major reason id have to say avoid the spacer is simply the quality in ride difference I got when I switched out the spacers for a Bilstein 5100 kit.

10 months of the spacers I thought was decent and maybe I was just in love with my 4Runner so much I refused to acknowledge the disappointment in my lift, but the second I got in my truck after the Bilsteins were put in it was like falling in love again.

I have learnt my lesson on the topic and would recommend to anyone considering spacers, just spend the extra cash and go full suspension, you will thank yourself in the long run.