Help with FJ spring install

O

olsen_karl

New member
I'm in the middle of installing FJ Cruiser springs (Moog aftermarket ones) on my 4Runner, on Bilstein 5100s.

I'm trying to set the front springs at the 1.75" notch on the Bilsteins, because I have a winch + bumper (aluminum) + large Diehard/Odyssey battery weighing down the front end. It's a V6, but I estimate that I have about 110-120# extra weight on the front end, vs. a completely stock 4Runner.

The "no spring compressor" method is not working. I need to be able to compress the coil about another 1.5" to be able to get the assembly in place. So, I stopped, and am going to borrow a coil spring compressor tomorrow in hopes of finishing the project. (The cheap coil compressors I have are too thick to be able to fit in between the coil wraps.)

Searching online, I am wondering about the coils I got. My Moog coils have 10-11 wraps (depending on where you count), which is several more than the stock 4Runner coils, though the overall unloaded length of the Moog FJ front coils is only a little bit longer than the stock 4Runner front coils. Anyone have a pic of the stock FJ coils and can confirm the number of wraps? I'm a little concerned that I may not have the correct coils.

I found this photo while searching, that supposedly shows stock take-off FJ coils. It shows only 8 wraps for the front:
Bilsteins.jpg~original


^^ The green/gray and green/yellow paint dabs are confirmed here as being the correct paint markings for FJ coils:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/engin.../83113-help-color-code-fj-springs-please.html

So, a couple questions:

1) Anyone have FJ coils laying around, or installed on their 4Runner, and willing to go take a look for me? How many coil wraps do you have for the front coils?

2) Anyone installed the FJ front coils on Bilstein 5100s at 1.75? Did you have to use a spring compressor? If not, how did you do it?
 
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What is the issue with the no-spring compressor method? Did you put a jackstand under the opposite corner frame?

I have 2013 FJ coils on my 2006. Looks like 7 wraps under there.
 
Last edited:
I didn't put a Jack stand at the opposite corner - does that make a difference?

Issue I'm having : can't drop the lower A-arm far enough to get the lower shock eyelet into the mount bracket.
 
The stand under the frame on the opposite, rear corner will make i easier to compress the spring. It keeps the rear from compressing.

Did you un-bolt the sway bar and loosen the LCA pivot bolts? The LCA should swing way more than you need.
 
JDMcQ said:
I have 2013 FJ coils on my 2006. Looks like 7 wraps under there.
Click to expand...

So yours look like the ones in the pic I linked above...

Some of the other pics of FJ coils I found - for aftermarket coils like Raybestos and the Monroe spring + shock complete unit - also look like 10 or so coil wraps.
 
I unbolted both sides of the swaybar end links, and undid the ball joints. I didn't loosen the A-arm bolts - just pried it down quite a ways.
 
My springs look very much like those in your picture.

Loosen those LCA bolts. Just make sure that you mark the adjustment cams before you do. That way you can get it close to being aligned. Well, at least close enough to get it to the alignment shop.

The arms should move plenty once you do.
 
I can loosen the A-arm bolts, which should provide more room. I'm still a little concerned about the number of wraps on the coil...
 
I counted 9 wraps on the eBay coils pictured. Seems like there's more space between the coils on the eBay pic (similar to the ones in my first post), but the Moog coils are more tight together.
 
I thought about it some more, and I'm just going to return the Moog coils. The front coils are not comparable to the OEM FJ springs that I've seen (coil spacing and # of wraps is significantly different).

The rear ones don't fit well either (don't fit the base plate on the axle on the 4R precisely -- they're not going to fall off, but it's not ideal).

It'll cost me some $ in shipping, but oh well. I'll put the stock 4R coils back in for now, but with the front Bilsteins adjusted up to 1.75" to help compensate for the winch weight. Back to the drawing board, and considering whether to get the Toytec Eibach/Superflex combo, or maybe the Old Man Emu 885/895 (or 895e).
 
olsen_karl said:
. I'll put the stock 4R coils back in for now, but with the front Bilsteins adjusted up to 1.75" to help compensate for the winch weight. Back to the drawing board, and considering whether to get the Toytec Eibach/Superflex combo, or maybe the Old Man Emu 885/895 (or 895e).
Click to expand...

Both the 885 & Toytec Eibachs will work fine for the front to support the winch. If you are carrying a decent load in the back all the time the 895/895E are great, if not the Superflex's are a better choice. The superflex's are ~15% stiffer the 895/895E are 40% stiffer. IMHO the 895 are at the far edge of the 5100's dampening range. The 5100's work quite well with the superflex's.
 
ebg18t said:
Both the 885 & Toytec Eibachs will work fine for the front to support the winch. If you are carrying a decent load in the back all the time the 895/895E are great, if not the Superflex's are a better choice. The superflex's are ~15% stiffer the 895/895E are 40% stiffer. IMHO the 895 are at the far edge of the 5100's dampening range. The 5100's work quite well with the superflex's.
Click to expand...

Thanks -- I appreciate the input.

I did some searching before buying the Moog springs, and here's all the coil spring rates I could find:

Toytec:
F- Eibach - 3" lift - 620# spring rate
R- Superflex - 2" lift - 220#

Old Man Emu:
F- 885 - 2" - medium load - 590#
R- 895 - 2" - medium load - 260#
R- 895e - 1.5" - light load - 260#

FJ Cruiser stock springs:
F- (wasn't able to find stock front coil rate)
R- 190#

Moog springs for FJ Cruiser:
F- 81108 - 660#
R- 81081 - (wasn't able to find rear coil rate)

4R stock springs:
F- 580#
R- 180#


I don't have much weight in the back of my 4R. There's a replacement rear bumper, but it's aluminum, and probably only about 40# total weight -- i.e., maybe 20# more than all the stock bumper stuff. No drawers, tire carrier, subwoofer, fridge, etc.

The front end is where the added weight went: bigger battery (another 20#), winch (65# - synthetic rope), some lights and misc recovery stuff (10#), and aftermarket bumper (aluminum - guessing 65# total weight, so maybe 40# more than stock front bumper + steel blocker beam). All in all, about 135# more than stock.
 
Since you're using 5100s with a light/mid weight front end setup, just go with EMU or Toytec springs and call it a day.
 
I question that Moog FJ spring rate. A lot of the FJ guys 'upgrade' to a 650# aftermarket spring to support the extra weight if bumpers etc.

I am running 650# springs now and it supports my added weight (winch, mount, 2nd battery) just fine.

If I were you I would do the superflex's rears and Eibach fronts and call it a day.
 
I don't know that counting coils is going to tell you anything meaningful? There are so many variables. Steel type, thickness, compression strength, etc.. I think it is entirely possible to have to 2 different springs with different number of coils and uncompressed length still end up with the same height and spring rate once installed.

I don't think I would have given up on the Moog springs without installing them and seeing the results first
 
cgv69 said:
I don't know that counting coils is going to tell you anything meaningful? There are so many variables. Steel type, thickness, compression strength, etc.. I think it is entirely possible to have to 2 different springs with different number of coils and uncompressed length still end up with the same height and spring rate once installed.
Click to expand...

Agreed on the variables, but the Moog FJ front coils are thicker than stock 4R coils, longer, and have 3 more wraps. And there was no way they were going in on the Bilstein 5100s at 1.75", without a spring compressor.

I reinstalled the stock 4R front coils on the Bilsteins at 1.75" lift notch, which (as expected) produced about 1" taller lift than when at the 0.85" setting. The rear Moog springs produced about 1-1.25" lift. I decided to leave the rear Moog springs installed for the time being, as the overall resulting height is about what I wanted to achieve.

I'll eventually replace all 4 coils with either the Toytec or OME springs -- probably sometime in the summer.
 
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