fj coils vs. 06 sports runner coils

[tonybaloney]

are there any differences between the two cars' front and rear coils other than the height?

i recently took out my xreax because they were leaking and was going to replace them with the fj coils and tokico struts and shocks. when i picked up my car, the tech told me the coils are identical (which i knew they aren't) so they only replaced the struts and shocks.

i know the fj front coils are longer by about 3" and the rear ones are longer by about 0.25". other than that, are there any other differences such as strength? will my car ride differently or not really? isn't the ride mainly depended on the shocks/struts anyway? Thanks guys!

 

[ARK_SWAMP_RIDER]

My FJ springs were only a fraction of an inch (1/4-1/2) taller than OEM. They do look very similar when side by side. The FJ springs are a little stiffer, and when installed made a huge improvement in the ride quality. This is the biggest difference. I gained ~.5" of lift from mine (front only). Bumps, especially small ones, aren't felt near as much. Going over railroad tracks is much smoother than before.

 

[Will_4R]

I believe that the FJ springs have a thicker barstock and are stiffer.

Lots of people have switched to FJ springs (not me) and can give you a better review of the ride. I would expect the spring to affect the ride more than the shock. In general, the FJ springs will give you a stiffer ride. Some people prefer this.

 

[tonybaloney]

My FJ springs were only a fraction of an inch (1/4-1/2) taller than OEM. They do look very similar when side by side. The FJ springs are a little stiffer, and when installed made a huge improvement in the ride quality. This is the biggest difference. I gained ~.5" of lift from mine (front only). Bumps, especially small ones, aren't felt near as much. Going over railroad tracks is much smoother than before.

do you know if there is any difference between 03 limited runner coils vs. 06 sports runner coils? my ride is pretty firm already...

 

[Will_4R]

do you know if there is any difference between 03 limited runner coils vs. 06 sports runner coils? my ride is pretty firm already...

I don't think there is a difference between the years, but the V8 models (as far as I am aware) have a slightly taller spring than the V6s.

 

[tonybaloney]

I don't think there is a difference between the years, but the V8 models (as far as I am aware) have a slightly taller spring than the V6s.

thanks for the info... now i don't know if i should go back to the shop and ask them to put the fj coils in.....

 

[Will_4R]

So you have new aftermarket shocks with the original OEM coil? And you want to know if you should switch out the OEM coil for an FJ coil?

 

[tonybaloney]

So you have new aftermarket shocks with the original OEM coil? And you want to know if you should switch out the OEM coil for an FJ coil?

yeah... right now i have the OEM coils with fj struts and shocks... the ride is not bad considering i was riding on leaking xreas shocks/struts for the past several months... i have the fj coils set aside right now in case i want to use them in the future....

 

[Will_4R]

yeah... right now i have the OEM coils with fj struts and shocks... the ride is not bad considering i was riding on leaking xreas shocks/struts for the past several months... i have the fj coils set aside right now in case I want to use them in the future....

In that case I would say go for the FJ coils, since they will be matched to the FJ shock and overall might be a better pacakge since the shock and coil are designed to work together. In hindsight, it would have been better have done it all at te same time to save on labour. Too bad the tech didn't take time to look up the part numbers for the coils, which would have confirmed they are not the same.

 

[ARK_SWAMP_RIDER]

Yes, the FJ coils provide a "firmer" ride. This does not mean harsh. For me, every time I'd hit even a small bump, you'd feel it. With the FJ springs, these small bumps go unnoticed for the most part. On smooth roads, no difference (duh), but when the roads get rougher, the ride is noticably smoother because the stiffer springs prevent you from feeling every little imperfection in the road. All I know is I was skeptical at first, but now am a believer.

 

[tonybaloney]

So I finally had my front coils changed to the fj ones. The shop did it for free because a noise I noticed while going over small bumps at low speed. The noise came from the loose metal piece on top of the strut between the screw and the rubber piece. At first I thought it's caused by the shorter 4runner coil + fj strut. But after putting the fj coil on there, the metal piece is still loose. So I just added two more washers on there so when I tighten the top screws, the metal piece is tight against the rubber piece. Did anyone else run into this problem? Am I making any sense? Are the metal pieces supposed to be tight between the top screws and the rubber pieces? Thanks!

 

[tonybaloney]

i've driven around 2500 miles on the fj setup and i have to say i'm generally happy about it. the ride is definitely rougher than the xreax setup but i'll take it with 1/10th of the cost.

i did notice a small rubber sound whenever i'm going over bumps at <10mph. i wonder if this has something to do with what i mentioned in my previous post. here is the picture of what i'm talking about. did any of you guys notice the space between the rubber bushing and the metal piece after the installation? it was causing some noise when i was going over small bumps so i added the washers. now when the bolt is tighten all the way, all the parts are secured. is this how it's supposed to be? should i be worried about the rubber noise?

Thanks for any advise!

 

[CJ3Flyr]

...the tech told me the coils are identical

Never mind part# research he didn't even look! A human eye could miss 5-10mm of length but a whole extra wrap in the coil and thicker barstock? Oh well... I saw that and had to comment.

As others have said, the length of the front springs is very close between the two, 5-10mm, when I had my rears side-by-side I swear they were within 2mm. (I didn't hardcore measure).

 

[tonybaloney]

Never mind part# research he didn't even look! A human eye could miss 5-10mm of length but a whole extra wrap in the coil and thicker barstock? Oh well... I saw that and had to comment.

As others have said, the length of the front springs is very close between the two, 5-10mm, when I had my rears side-by-side I swear they were within 2mm. (I didn't hardcore measure).

thanks for the comment. did you notice the space between the metal/rubber piece i was talking about? did i mess up anything by adding 2-3 washers so all the pieces are secured?

 

[CJ3Flyr]

thanks for the comment. did you notice the space between the metal/rubber piece i was talking about? did i mess up anything by adding 2-3 washers so all the pieces are secured?

I didn't notice the space thing nor do I have a clanking noise... I am sure tight with few washers is far better than loose and you're fine...

 

[obxfishn]

I didn't notice the space thing nor do I have a clanking noise... I am sure tight with few washers is far better than loose and you're fine...

I had that same issue with my Tacoma and found it to be the front brake pads rattling in the calipers. Toyota replaced the shocks and springs (both sides) and replaced the front diff thinking that was it and it ended up being those brake pads. Try going over a bump and place slight pressure on the brake pedal and see if that "clanking" sound goes away.