Dobinsons Suspension - 4th Gen Options

[dasx86]

This looks great! The Colorado backdrop always helps too

Is there any chance you could measure the hub to fender distances on front and rear? I've never had OEM measurements so I'm using what I can to guide my impending coil purchase. It looks like you have a little rake, which I want to keep, so this would be super helpful.

I wrote my above post without seeing your comment - check it out, you should be able to find what you need between the two setups. (seems reddit post was updated after your post here, with measurements and parts)

 

[boondoggle]

This looks great! The Colorado backdrop always helps too

Is there any chance you could measure the hub to fender distances on front and rear? I've never had OEM measurements so I'm using what I can to guide my impending coil purchase. It looks like you have a little rake, which I want to keep, so this would be super helpful.

Hey man. Sorry, just seeing this.

I measured 22" from center hub to bottom of front fender (both sides) and 23" from center of hub to bottom of rear fender. Hope that helps!

 

[boondoggle]

Looks fantastic! Really similar to mine here: https://www.toyota-4runner.org/3901312-post1279.html, though you've got nicer wheels and the fancier struts.

If anyone wants to see results that maintain some of the stock rake, they can compare my setup to yours.

Your front axle to fender was 22, rear 23. Mine was was 22.5 and 23.5 respectively. So there's a few ways to get to similar results.

Looks great! Yeah. I went to the guys at RSG Offroad with an idea of what I wanted and they put together a kit that they said would be great for what I want so I trusted them.

It drives great, but I'm going to have to relocate the swaybar. Not a lot of room between it and the spring seat. Slightly touching when going over big dips.

 

[boondoggle]

Ha. Yeah. I haven't been on this site in a while. Kind of a bummer it's fading. Lots of great info here.

The shop ended up putting ISM59-10574 on the front. Dobinsons site says they are for 2010+ 4Runners but the guys said they line up fine and give a little more travel. Paired up with C59-300C coils. Seems to work okay. Any thoughts on that?

I just need to relocate the swaybar. Beefy shocks need a little more room.

Now I need to order some armor. Looks like your site is having some good sales. Any feedback on those ARB kits for the 4th Gen 4Runners? Fairly bolt on?

 

[boondoggle]

Correct, this forum doesn't host photos, you have to post them somewhere online and share the URL to embed them into the forum. It's like 15+ year old software they're running here. LOL. People use Flickr and similar sites now to link their photos.

4Runner looks great!!

Ha. Yeah. I haven't been on this site in a while. Kind of a bummer it's fading. Lots of great info here.

The shop ended up putting ISM59-10574 on the front. Dobinsons site says they are for 2010+ 4Runners but the guys said they line up fine and give a little more travel. Paired up with C59-300C coils. Seems to work okay. Any thoughts on that?

I just need to relocate the swaybar. Beefy shocks need a little more room.

Now I need to order some armor. Looks like your site is having some good sales. Any feedback on those ARB kits for the 4th Gen 4Runners? Fairly bolt on?

 

[Crikeymike]

Yeah, those IMS struts can work on the 4th Gens, the lower bushing is just a little wide so they ever have to shave down the sleeve or open up the lower mounts a bit.

The ARB skids are good, not super heavy duty, but good for the average joe running around the trails, and definitely better than the stock skids. And yes, they bolt on.

 

[indianacheryjones]

Hey bud

Yeah, I'm doing well thanks. Thanks for jumping back on here.

Ok, a 2WD V6 model. Those lift more than a 4x4, so the front parts will be different.

C59-238 lifts 2" on a 2WD, 1" on a 4x4, so you'll need these
GS59-220 ext travel struts add 1", so you'll have 3" of total with good travel up and down.

C59-325 and GS59-745 will work well on the rear. Being 2" of lift, you won't need the panhard rod, but you should add the extended sway bar links.

Thanks, Mike! Appreciate you as always good sir!

 

[parsky1]

I installed a 2.5/2” dobinsons lift on a 4wd V8. Used C59-314 and C59-325 in the rear with the 1/4” front lean spacer and rear 1/2” spacer. Front shocks are the IMS59-50220 set to the 213mm setting (0 lift). Rear shock is IMS59-50701. They were assembled by dobinsons. I verified preload and measure about 213mm which matches the IMS data sheet. Markings on the springs all match what I ordered. It has no lean which is good. My front center of hub to fender is 24” and rear is 24.5”. Not much rake left at all. I was hoping for some. We couldn’t get the rear springs in without a spring compressor with the axle at full drop with everything disconnected. Used jacks to manipulate it even. After full assembly, the center brake line bracket on the diff can’t bolt back on because at full drop it would rip the brake lines. Didn’t think I had enough lift to ever worry about that. CV axle angles look terrible to me. This was done with the help of a 20+yr Toyota Master Tech so this isn’t installation error. Everything is seated properly. Dobinson Billet UCA and Toyota LCAs were torqued at ride height. This thing has no down travel and WAY more lift than I ever expected. I measured 1” of down travel when I raised it off the ground before the wheels came off the ground. Not very much. I was hoping for keeping >2”, thus my disappointment. Only driven it 25 miles but I don’t think this will settle a full inch. I’m pretty frustrated at the moment.

 

[Crikeymike]

I installed a 2.5/2” dobinsons lift on a 4wd V8. Used C59-314 and C59-325 in the rear with the 1/4” front lean spacer and rear 1/2” spacer. Front shocks are the IMS59-50220 set to the 213mm setting (0 lift). Rear shock is IMS59-50701. They were assembled by dobinsons. I verified preload and measure about 213mm which matches the IMS data sheet. Markings on the springs all match what I ordered. It has no lean which is good. My front center of hub to fender is 24” and rear is 24.5”. Not much rake left at all. I was hoping for some. We couldn’t get the rear springs in without a spring compressor with the axle at full drop with everything disconnected. Used jacks to manipulate it even. After full assembly, the center brake line bracket on the diff can’t bolt back on because at full drop it would rip the brake lines. Didn’t think I had enough lift to ever worry about that. CV axle angles look terrible to me. This was done with the help of a 20+yr Toyota Master Tech so this isn’t installation error. Everything is seated properly. Dobinson Billet UCA and Toyota LCAs were torqued at ride height. This thing has no down travel and WAY more lift than I ever expected. I measured 1” of down travel when I raised it off the ground before the wheels came off the ground. Not very much. I was hoping for keeping >2”, thus my disappointment. Only driven it 25 miles but I don’t think this will settle a full inch. I’m pretty frustrated at the moment.

With no miles on it, nothing would have settled and the measurements you have won't be accurate yet. These springs take 500-1000 miles to break in. Go compress them hard, aka railroad tracks and speed humps and break them in.

When everything in the rear is disconnected, the axle can swing down 90 degrees to the body, so something must have still been hooked up. I have installed those same rear coils numerous times without a spring compressor, it's all in the way you do it and what all you disconnect, as there are a few different ways.

You're sure you have IMS59-50701 rear shocks? Those don't extend further than the factory brake lines can.

 

[parsky1]

With no miles on it, nothing would have settled and the measurements you have won't be accurate yet. These springs take 500-1000 miles to break in. Go compress them hard, aka railroad tracks and speed humps and break them in.

When everything in the rear is disconnected, the axle can swing down 90 degrees to the body, so something must have still been hooked up. I have installed those same rear coils numerous times without a spring compressor, it's all in the way you do it and what all you disconnect, as there are a few different ways.

You're sure you have IMS59-50701 rear shocks? Those don't extend further than the factory brake lines can.

Hi Mike thanks for the comments. I think the only thing we left connected was the rear trailing arms when we dropped the axle down. I did verify the rears are IMS59-50701. I currently have 1” of down travel in the front and only a 2” in rear. This is just baffling. There is no rake left(running boards are now perfectly level). I was hoping to keep some rake. I know these things settle but I just don’t see how it will settle more than a 0.5” which is still crazy high to me. Can the perch on the front shocks be lowered more than 213mm or does that introduce new problems?

 

[Crikeymike]

Hi Mike thanks for the comments. I think the only thing we left connected was the rear trailing arms when we dropped the axle down. I did verify the rears are IMS59-50701. I currently have 1” of down travel in the front and only a 2” in rear. This is just baffling. There is no rake left(running boards are now perfectly level). I was hoping to keep some rake. I know these things settle but I just don’t see how it will settle more than a 0.5” which is still crazy high to me. Can the perch on the front shocks be lowered more than 213mm or does that introduce new problems?

No, your sway bar will dig into the coilovers if you go lower than 213mm.

If you left the bolts for the trailing arms tight, then you were fighting the bushings to get it to drop down. Those need to be loosened, and then retightened on the ground at the new ride height, otherwise you're riding with preloaded bushings.

Do you have 500-1000 miles on it yet, or are you repeating the measurements from when you first installed it?

 

[parsky1]

No, your sway bar will dig into the coilovers if you go lower than 213mm.

If you left the bolts for the trailing arms tight, then you were fighting the bushings to get it to drop down. Those need to be loosened, and then retightened on the ground at the new ride height, otherwise you're riding with preloaded bushings.

Do you have 500-1000 miles on it yet, or are you repeating the measurements from when you first installed it?

I’ll loosen the trailing arms tonight on the ground and retorque. Thanks. I only have 75 miles on it. I’ve been measuring it every other day. So far it hasn't dropped any.

 

[parsky1]

No, your sway bar will dig into the coilovers if you go lower than 213mm.

If you left the bolts for the trailing arms tight, then you were fighting the bushings to get it to drop down. Those need to be loosened, and then retightened on the ground at the new ride height, otherwise you're riding with preloaded bushings.

Do you have 500-1000 miles on it yet, or are you repeating the measurements from when you first installed it?

Would a front sway bar relocation kit solve that problem?

 

[parsky1]

No, your sway bar will dig into the coilovers if you go lower than 213mm.

If you left the bolts for the trailing arms tight, then you were fighting the bushings to get it to drop down. Those need to be loosened, and then retightened on the ground at the new ride height, otherwise you're riding with preloaded bushings.

Do you have 500-1000 miles on it yet, or are you repeating the measurements from when you first installed it?

So I’m now at 500 miles and saw zero drop until today. I’ve been measuring it daily. I got fed up and went and drove it over 9 massive speed bumps at a very uncomfortable speed. It suddenly dropped 0.5” after that in the front ( rear is still the same) Can I expect anymore drop in the front ( I’m hoping so)? I’m now at 23.5” center of hub to fender on a 2005 v8 with stock load in the front This still only gives me 1.5” of downtravel.

 

[DenBlueBoy]

Hey sorry for the late response. I am running 265/70R17. V6. Hub to fender in rear is 24" and in front is 22".

Hey if you are still around to answer I have a question about your photos! Were these before or after settling??

I am trying to decide between your set up and a 1.5" all around. I absolutely love your set up and it is hard to find examples of a 2" lift, with stock rake, on a pre-face lift V6. So thank you very much!