Does my new (used) 2012 have a lift?

W

Will816

New member
Hey fellas. So, I've been a 4Runner driver since I got my license and like a fool, sold my 3rd one, an '03 Limited, last August to get my house under 80% LTV so I could refinance. Then, the plan was to buy a diesel truck. But I felt incomplete without one, I've had them for 14 years and then I ruined my streak, so over Thanksgiving I picked up a beautiful 2012 Limited with an ARB front bumper. It seems that the previous owner may have been intending on turning it into an off-roader and started with one of the more expensive mods and then stopped there. So now I get to continue the build :)

Anyway, this thing has got to have a lift up front. But I don't know what kind. Even with the new bumper it sits higher in front than a standard Limited. I'm familiar with X-REAS, as I had it in my 03 (definitely dig the red paint on the shocks on my new one). Looking at the springs, there is no indication that any suspension work has been done. The yellow paint marks are still on the nuts and bolts on top of the coil over. Here are a few pics, does anyone have any clue what might have been done to the suspension? It doesn't feel over-sprung, nice and solid. Any help would be appreciated! These pics weren't intended for this thread but they should give an idea of how high the front sits:

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/46381179@N04/15812000319/" title="Untitled by Will816, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7555/15812000319_9984e62cd1_o.jpg" width="640" height="426" alt="Untitled"></a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/46381179@N04/15378374803/" title="Untitled by Will816, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7537/15378374803_41f594e9f6_c.jpg" width="800" height="600" alt="Untitled"></a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/46381179@N04/15812000749/" title="Untitled by Will816, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7563/15812000749_80ccabab25_c.jpg" width="800" height="600" alt="Untitled"></a>
 
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looks leveled and with that bumper weight I would say probably so. Have you looked underneath?? lol post a picture of the front strut tower
 
I'll take a pic of that after while. Like I said, it visually does not appear to have a lift. The little paint marks on the nuts have never been moved.
 
Looks nice. It sure looks lifted or at least leveled. What do the front and rear shocks and coils look like? Any pictures?
 
1engineer said:
If it still has XREAS then it can only have a spacer lift.
Click to expand...

To stay in spec with the shock valving, yes, but it doesn't appear to have one and it doesn't mean that someone didn't slap longer, stiffer coils in there (such as OME's) but again, the suspension appears to have never been modified. I think I'll run out and take a pic in a minute. You guys know what I'm talking about with the little yellow paint marks, right? You put them on a nut and bolt/surface to make sure that a nut hasn't been removed or backed out?
 
Will816 said:
To stay in spec with the shock valving, yes, but it doesn't appear to have one and it doesn't mean that someone didn't slap longer, stiffer coils in there (such as OME's) but again, the suspension appears to have never been modified. I think I'll run out and take a pic in a minute. You guys know what I'm talking about with the little yellow paint marks, right? You put them on a nut and bolt/surface to make sure that a nut hasn't been removed or backed out?
Click to expand...

I have a little yellow paint pen I use so that means nothing. I don't know if you could put longer coils in there or not. Even if you could you would have problems on full extension.

Edit: Here's a thread from the 4th gen side but Xreas is same. http://www.toyota-4runner.org/off-roading/32448-fj-cruiser-coils-truth.html
 
Last edited:
Pics of coils

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/46381179@N04/15999010535/" title="Untitled by Will816, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7552/15999010535_1549bba188_c.jpg" width="800" height="600" alt="Untitled"></a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/46381179@N04/15999010565/" title="Untitled by Will816, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7560/15999010565_822bb94afc_c.jpg" width="800" height="600" alt="Untitled"></a>
 
cbielat said:
Looks like there's an inch spacer on top of the coils.
Click to expand...

^^^ What he said...

If you look at the full res version of the image below you can see the spacer nestled in there.
15999010535_1549bba188_c.jpg


eyes on will have to confirm, but that's where my money would be; especially if it still has XREAS installed AND attached. Just because you have the reservoirs along the frame rails, that doesn't mean that they are connected to anything (like on my limited which has an Icon Stage 6 installed).

Okki
 
Okki said:
^^^ What he said...

If you look at the full res version of the image below you can see the spacer nestled in there.
15999010535_1549bba188_c.jpg


eyes on will have to confirm, but that's where my money would be; especially if it still has XREAS installed AND attached. Just because you have the reservoirs along the frame rails, that doesn't mean that they are connected to anything (like on my limited which has an Icon Stage 6 installed).

Okki
Click to expand...

I know, they are connected. I'm familiar with X-REAS from my previous 4R. The banjo fittings are at the bottom on the front shocks and the top on the rear shocks.
 
NorthWest 4R said:
And you thought those yellow paint marks looked factory :crazy:
Click to expand...

I don't have any reason to think that they aren't. My 03 had 100,000 miles on it when I bought it and I don't recall if it was clean enough to even tell if it had any paint marks. I also sold it 4 months prior to picking this one up, I couldn't recall what the top of the coil over looked like. And maybe after 9 model years and a generation change, they did something a little different? My Subaru is full of those paint marks, seems like darn near every hose fitting and bolt has that same exact yellow paint on it.
 
Will816 said:
I don't have any reason to think that they aren't. My 03 had 100,000 miles on it when I bought it and I don't recall if it was clean enough to even tell if it had any paint marks. I also sold it 4 months prior to picking this one up, I couldn't recall what the top of the coil over looked like. And maybe after 9 model years and a generation change, they did something a little different? My Subaru is full of those paint marks, seems like darn near every hose fitting and bolt has that same exact yellow paint on it.
Click to expand...

Again, before I take something apart that I don't normally take apart I use, you guessed it, a yellow paint pen to mark bolt and nut positions and orientation of components. That way when I put it back together I get everything back the way it came off. I do this in my driveway. Yes, it could come from the factory that way or it could come from my driveway that way. Who knows?
 
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